Potential of Ethnomedicinal Plants Used by Tribals in Sidhi District of Madhya Pradesh

The survey indicated that, the study area has plenty of medicinal plants to treat a wide spectrum of human ailments. Earlier studies on traditional medicinal plants also revealed that the economically backward local and tribal people of Madhya Pradesh prefer folk medicine due to low cost and sometimes it is a part of their social life and culture. It is evident from the interviews conducted in different villages; knowledge of medicinal plants is limited to traditional healers, herbalists and elderly persons who are living in rural areas. This study also points out that certain species of medicinal plants are being exploited by the local residents who are unaware of the importance of medicinal plants in the ecosystem. This study concluded that even though the accessibility of Western medicine for simple and complicated diseases is available, many people in the studied parts of Sidhi district is still continue to depend on medicinal plants, at least for the treatment of some simple diseases such as, cold, cough, fever, headache, poison bites, skin diseases and tooth infections. Well-knowledge healers have good interactions with patients and this would improve the quality of healthcare delivery. The present-day traditional healers are very old. Due to lack of interest among the younger generation as well as their tendency to migrate to cities for lucrative jobs, there is a possibility of losing this wealth of knowledge in the near future. It thus becomes necessary to acquire and preserve this traditional system of medicine by proper documentation and identification of specimens.