Ethnobotanical survey of diuretic and Antilithiatic medicinal plants used by the traditional practitioners of Palakkad District.

Abstract

The traditional wisdom about the plant wealth is a vibrant and valuable aspect of ethnobotany. The art of herbal healing has been as a part of Indian culture since antiquity. A wide range of plants or plant based products used by traditional healers have shown to be effective due to synergism of their diuretic, crystallization inhibition activity along with stone disintegrating property. Present floristic survey undertaken to document the claims of local healers about the hidden treasure of Antilithiatic herbal knowledge in the study area. The study enumerated thirty potential Antilithiatic plants which are reported to be effective for its diuretic and Antilithiatic property by them. The field survey also revealed that both the herbal knowledge and the plant wealth are on the verge of extinction.