Importance of Medicinal Plants in Naturopathy - An Ethanomedicinal Studies from Soligas Tribes of Chamarajanagar - Karnataka

Abstract

Naturopathy - “nature cure” meaning treatment of suffering or disease via nature. It has great health promotive, disease preventive and curative as well as restorative potential. Naturopathic treatment modalities include Ethnobotany. An Ethnomedicinal survey was carried out among the Soligas tribals in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, India. Traditional uses of 61 plant species belonging to 33 families are described under this study through the interview and informal discussion with 54 tribal healers. In this communication, the informations got from the rural inhabitant were compared with the already existing literature. The medicinal plants were mostly used to cure asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, skin and sex-related diseases etc. The medicinal plants used by people are arranged alphabetically followed by Botanical name, family, Voucher specimen number, Local name, Part used, mode of preparation, Medicinal use and Major chemical constituents are discussed.