EXPLOITATION OF EDIBLE WILD PLANTS AS MEDICINAL PROPERTIES FOR PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IN BIDAR DISTRICT, NORTH KARNATAKA, INDIA

Abstract

Objective: Plants since times immemorial have been used practically in all societies as a source of medicine and food. The huge data of medicinal plants are available in the different geographical regions of India. Most of the knowledge and awareness about plants are found in the ethnic community and villages. The present paper tried to explore of medicinal plant property used in the study region with the help of ethnic communities. Methods: A perspective documentation and cross-sectional studies of edible wild plants used as medicinal properties for various diseases of Bidar district. Surveys were undertaken in January 2018-July 2019in villages, ethnic people community and medicinal healers or local herbal practitioners in the study area. Results: Total 42 medicinal healers’ interviews were undertaken by the help of questioners or a standard survey datasheet. During the survey, a description of, 63 edible wild plant species belonging to 40 families and 53 genera was recorded. Total63 edible wild plants are used as medicine to cure different diseases by local medicinal practitioners of the district. Among 63 edible wild plants, the plant parts leaf (31 species) is most abundantly used, followed by fruits (22 species) and other plant parts are with less than 5 species i.e. 4, 3, 2 and single species. Conclusion: However, day by day people will be attracted towards herbal medicine for the treatment of diseases. Many of the herbal plants have no side effect. So far, the present paper has been communicated to give more and more medicinal properties of edible wild plants.