Traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants by the Patra tribe community in the North-Eastern region of Bangladesh

An exploratory study was conducted on the traditional medical ethno-botany perception of the patra tribe community living in and around the khadimnagar national park of north-eastern bangladesh,to focus on the implications of healthcare using medicinal plants. the study indicates that the traditional medical system is well functioning in the area. a total of 33 households were assessed using different participatory appraisals through direct observation and semi-structured questionnaire. a total of 31 medicinal plant species belonging to 23 families were recorded with the help of tribal people of the area as mostly collected from the forest and were found to use for curing 55 ailments; ranging from simple headaches to highly complicated eye and heart diseases,including diabetes,jaundice,chickenpox,dysentery,constipation,teeth ache,cut and wounds,diarrhea etc. study also revealed that majority of the species used by the local inhabitants was herbs (6 species) followed by trees (14 species),shrubs (8 species),and climbers (3 species). for curing ailments,the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (76%) than the underground plant parts (17%) among mainly used leaves,either taken orally or used externally. homesteads (32%) are the primary source followed by forest (27%) and few medicinal plants are cultivated. since this knowledge is handed down orally from generation to generation,there is a great possibility that the knowledge will be lost over time. the findings of the study conclude that the conservation of the indigenous knowledge of the patra tribe regarding medicinal plants can help conserve the forest. © pakistan academy of sciences.