A preliminary report on the galactagogic attributes of some plants used by tribal of two villages of West Midnapore district, India

Abstract

Development of young ones depends on increasing food intake, digestibility, stimulating of the immune system, and increasing milk yield. These are some of the conditions which is indeed necessary for the ultimate survival of all young animals. However, it has been observed that milk production decreases in lactating/nursing mother which is due to several factors such as stress, disruption of endocrine organs, more or less hormone secretion etc. There are numerous synthetic galactagogues but their efficacy has never been tested. Throughout the world, women of different ethnic backgrounds often select different approaches according to their ceremonial or experience to increase their milk production such as following special diets, use of herbal or natural substances. These suppositories are often used singly or in combination which are prescribed by village elderly or quacks and lacks the scientific basis. Therefore, the present investigation was carried out in two villages of West Midnapore district, India to know the traditional knowledge which would lead to the development of ethno-botanic resources for inexpensive galactagogues drugs and their scientific authentication.