Journal of Research in Plant Sciences

An International Online Open Access Research Journal

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences

Original Research

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the tribes of

Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors:
Rajendra Prasad Gujjeti
and Estari Mamidala.

Institution:
Infectious Diseases and
Metabolic Disorders
Research Lab, Department
of Zoology, Kakatiya
University, Warangal-506
009. (A.P).

ABSTRACT:

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the Koyas, Konda reddis,
and Lambada Tribes of Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India during October,
2011 to September 2012. A total of 40 species of ethnomedicinal plants belonging to
39 genera and 25 families were reported with the help of standardized questionnaires
among eight tribal informants between ages of 32-85. The study showed a high
degree of ethnobotanical novelty and use of plants among Koya, Konda reddis,
Lambada reflects. The medicinal plants used by tribes of Khammam district, Andhra
Pradesh, India are arranged alphabetically followed by Botanical name, Family name,
Vernacular name in telugu (also the language of Koya, Konada reddi, and Lambada)
parts used and medical uses. The family Euphorbiaceae had the highest proportion of
medicinal plants used (12%), followed by Apocynaceae (7.5%), Fabaceae,
Amaranthaceae, Rubiaceae and Solanaceae (5% each). The results of the study
revealed that there is rich diversity of medicinal plants used to treat various ailments
in the Khammam reserve forest.

Corresponding author:
Estari Mamidala.

Keywords:

Web Address:

Article Citation:
Rajendra Prasad Gujjeti and Estari Mamidala.
Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the tribes of Khammam district,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137

http://plantsciences.info

documents/PS0040.pdf.

Ethnomedicine,
Andhra Pradesh.

Koyas,

Kondareddi,

Lambada,

Khammam

district,

Dates:
Received: 12 Oct 2012

Accepted: 05 Nov 2012

Published: 30 Nov 2012

This Open Access article is governed by the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which gives permission for unrestricted use, noncommercial, distribution and reproduction in all medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.

Journal of Research in
Plant Sciences
An International Open Access
Online Research Journal

132-137| JRPS | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 2

www.plantsciences.info

Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

with enormous wealth of biodiversity. It has diverse

INTRODUCTION
According

Organization

climatic zones and wealth of vibrant ethno-medicinal

(WHO), traditional medicine as practices, knowledge

traditions. There are about 45,000 plant species and

and belief systems which use plants and animal based

81,000 animal species recorded in India so far

remedies and maintain well being (WHO, 2003).

(MoEF, 1994). Even today 80% of the world's

60%

to

World

Health

of the world s population are using Indian

population relies on traditional plant medicines including

medicines. These are also used in rural areas of

various rural and tribal communities in India through

developed

traditional

Indian System of Medicine and other undocumented

medicines are only medicinal plants. Several medicinal

traditional practices (Khan et.al, 2004 and Mashelkar,

plants like Portulaca oleracea L., Crotalaria retusa L.

2002). The objective of this study is to investigate

Crotalaria speciosa L. and Euphorbia hirta L. extract

ethnomedicinal plants used by the tribes of Khammam

possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity

district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

countries.

The

sources

for

against a panel of bacteria responsible for the most

common bacterial diseases (Dhole et al, 2011).
Ethnomedicine is an area of research that deals

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study area

with medicines derived from plants, animals, minerals

Khammam district lies in Andhra Pradesh,

etc. and their use in the treatment of various diseases and

Telangana region (Fig 1) between 16 45' and 18 35' N

ailments, based on indigenous pharmacopoeia, folklore

latitude and between 79 47' and 80 47' E longitudes.

and herbal charms (Weiner, 1971). The knowledge of the

This district is spread over an area of 16029 sq. km with

use of plants as a source of medicine is as old as

Chhattisgarh and Orissa state in the North. Krishna,

humanity. Vast ethnobotanical knowledge exists in India

Nalgonda, East and West Godavari districts are in the

from ancient time. More than 1500 herbal plants are

South, West and East respectively. The forest is

mentioned in ancient Indian texts. India is one of the

predominantly dry deciduous. Khammam district is

12 mega diversity countries (Nayar, 1996) and it is gifted

endowed with a rich forest resource. More than half of

Figure 1 Map showing location of the study area

133

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137

Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

Table 1 Medicinal plants used for treating human diseases in villages around Chintoor Mandal,
Khammam forest reserve

Fabaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Amaranthaceae
Rutaceae
Apocynaceae
Acanthaceae

Plant common
name
Guruvinda
Murupinda
Uttareni
Maredu
Yedakulapala
Neelavemu

Seed and Leafs

Leafs
Leafs
Leafs
Leafs
Leafs

Body cool
Snake bite
Pippi pallu/wounds
Blood motions
Body lotion
Anemia

Annonaceae
Amaranthaceae

Seethaphalam
Pindikoora

Leafs
Roots

Crassulaceae
Apocynaceae
Caesalpinioideae
Caesalpinioideae
Mackinlayaceae
Lamiaceae

Ranapala
Jiiledu
Tangedu
Raela
Saraswathi aku
Bommalmarri

Leafs
Root
Flowers
Leaf
Leafs
Leafs

Euphorbiaseae
Hypoxidaceae

Dudhi
Nelatadi

Flower, Leafs
Leafs, Root, Stem

Urine infections
Sexual problems

17
18
19
20
21
22

Bryophyllam pinnatum
Calatrophis gigantea
Cassia auriculata
Cassia Fistula
Centella aciatica
Clerodendrum
serratum
Cryptolepis reticulata
Curculigo orchioides
gaertn
Cymbopogon martini
Cyperus rotundus
Dalbergia latifolia
Datura metel.L
Dridella retusa
Eclipta alba

Wounds
Gynecological
problems
Wounds
Syphilis
Wounds, Snake bite
Neckpain
Neurosis
Typhoid(Fever)

Poaceae
Cyperaceae
Fabaceae
Solanaceae
Annonaceae
Asteraceae

Nimma gaddi
Garika
Jitergi
Nalla ummetta
Naramamidi
Guntagaraga

Leafs
Leafs
Bark
Leafs, Bark
Root
Leafs

23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40

Hemidesmus indicus
Lowsina
Madhuca indica
Mimosapudica
Morinda pubescens
Phyllanthus emblica
Phyllanthus niruri
Plumbago zeylanica
Ravulfia sepentina
Ricinus communis
Rubia cardifolia Linn
Solanum surattanse
Strichnus muxvimoca
Tamarindus indica
Terminalia arjuna
Terminalia chebula
Tinospora cordifolia
Tridax procumbens

Apocynaceae
Lythraceae
Sapotaceae
Fabaceae
Rubiaceae
Euphorbiacea
Phyllanthaceae
Plumbaginaceae
Apocynaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Rubiaceae
Solanaceae
Loganiaceae
Caesalpinioideae
Combretaceae
Combretaceae
Menispermaceae
Asteraceae

Sugandhapala
Gorinta
Ippa
Attipatti
Maddi
usiri
Nela usiri
Chitramalam
Sarpagandha
Amudalu
Erraulli
Vakudu
Visha mushti
Chintachettu
Eati maddi
Karakkaya
Tippateeega

Total plant
Leafs
Flower, Seeds
Stem and Leafs
Bark
Seed, leafs
Root, Stem, Seed
All parts
Root
Leafs
Leafs
Root
Bark
Seeds
Bark
Bark
Root and Leafs
Leafs

Skin diseases
Wounds
Paralysis
Allergy
Bone fractures
Spots and allergy on
skin
Blood purifier
Jaundice
Skin diseases
Blood pressure
Bone fractures
Skin diseases
Kidney stones
Body pains
Gonorrhea
Jaundice
Stomach pain
Bronchitis /Asthma
Back pain/joint pain
Scorpion bite
Cardiac diseases
Obesity
Diabetes
Wounds

S No

Botanical name

1
2
3
4
5
6

Abrus precatirius Linn

Acalypha indica L
Acaranthus aspera
Aegle marmelos
Alstonia venenata
Andrographis
paniculata
Annona squamosa
Aerva lanata

7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

Family

Gaddichemanthi

Part used

Disease

the land (52.6%) is under forests. The forests of this

17,67,646 are rural and 4,48,163 are urban. The

district have great potentiality both from the economic

percentage of rural population in the district is 79.77.

and botanical points of view.

The scheduled caste population in the district forms

The total population of the district, as per 2011

16.25% of the total population while scheduled tribes

census, (Census of India, 2011) is 22,15,809 of which

account for 25.23% (Census of India, 2011). The main

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137

134

Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

assistance of key respondents. Information regarding the
local names of the plant species, medicinal uses, parts
used, methods of preparation, and administration route
were documented. The methods used in harvesting the
plant materials from the wild were also recorded. Plant
specimens were prepared, identified and voucher
specimens were deposited in the Kakatiya University
herbarium (Voucher No. XI/ZOO/2012) for future
reference. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the
ethnomedicinal data collected.
Figure 2 Percentage distribution in families for
medicinal plants used treat different health problems

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

tribes of Khammam district are Koyas, Kondareddis and

were interviewed, with their ages ranging between 32 to

Lambadas. The data presented here based on first hand

85 years, and 70% of them being older than 50 years.

information collected through personal contact with

Out of the eight informants interviewed, six of them

practitioners, inhabited by Koya, Kondareddis, and

were men and only two were women. A total of 40

Lambada of villages Chatti, Chidumuru, Kothapally,

medicinal plant species in 25 families were recorded as

Yerrakota,

being used to treat 31 different types of diseases as

Nimmalagudem

of

Chintoor

mandal,

Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India.

Ethnomedicinal survey

A total of eight traditional medical practitioners

shown in Table 1.
The family Euphorbiaceae had the highest

Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out to

proportion of medicinal plants used (15%), followed by

obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used

Apocynaceae(9%), Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Rubiaceae

to treat various ailments in the study area. Ethnobotanical

and Solanaceae (6% each) (Figure 2). Each of all other

data was collected through individual interviews using

families had less than two plant species associated with

questionnaires. Interviews were conducted in the local

the treatment of the diseases documented in Table 1. The

language. Field excursions were also conducted with the

findings of the present investigation showed that the

general macroclimate and local microclimate are
favourable for rich diversity of plant species with respect
to medicinal flora.
The most frequently utilized medicinal plant
parts were leaves (45%), followed by roots (20.50%),
bark (15%), seeds (12%), and flowers (7.5%) as shown
in Figure 3. Roots were mostly used in the treatment of
gynecological problems, STDs, kidney stones, cardiac
diseases and allergic reactions, while leaves were mostly
used in the treatment of snake bite, anemia, wounds,

Figure 3 Plant parts used for medicinal purposes and

percentage of total medicinal species
135

bone fractures, skin diseases, diarrhea, obesity and

gynecological disorders.
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137

Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

The study revealed a rich diversity of medicinal

medicine. The scientific validation of these remedies

plants used to treat various disease conditions in the

may help in discovering new drugs from the plant

villages around Khammam forest reserve. It further

species. The information on therapeutic uses of plants

revealed a rich ethnobotanical knowledge amongst the

may provide a great potential for discovering of new

residents

drugs and promoting awareness among the people to use

Yerrapeta,

of

the

Chatti,

Nimmalagudem

Chidumuru,
of

Kothapally,

Chinttor

mandal,

them as remedy in health care system.

Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The families

Euphorbiaceae, Apocynacae and Fabaceae which were

CONCLUSION

the most dominant in this study are consistently recorded

The results of the study revealed that there is a

in other ethnomedicinal studies (Sudarsanam and Rao,

rich diversity of medicinal plants used to treat various

1994) and could be attributed to their wide range of

ailments in the Khammam forest reserve. Herbal

bioactive ingredients (Sharma et al, 2010).

practitioners and the local community in the study area

The fact that majority of the plant species

should be educated on sustainable methods of harvesting

recorded were sourced from the wild and only a few

medicinal plants without compromising their availability

were cultivated may imply that many indigenous plant

for future use. Majority of the uses of the medicinal

species may be difficult to propagate. This therefore calls

plants are for conditions affecting the snake bite, anemia,

for the need to train the herbal practitioners on the

wound healing, gynecological problems, diarrhea, bone

appropriate propagation techniques of these plant species

fractures and skin diseases. Many of these claims

for sustainable utilization. According to Edwards (2004),

revealed by the tribes are new in comparison to

about two-third of 50,000 medicinal plants in use

traditional Indian systems of medicine namely Ayurveda,

worldwide are still harvested from the natural habitat and

Siddha and Unani. It can be concluded that the local and

about one fifth of them are now endangered.

tribal people of the district have very good knowledge on

The group discussion and personal interviews

these medicinal plants. But such knowledge of medicinal

show that tribes are more aware about the use of

plants is restricted to a few persons in a rural area.

ethnomedicines and our findings are similar to reports

Therefore it is necessary that suitable requirements are

from India (Uniyal et al., 2007). Reported uses of

needed in order to protect the traditional knowledge in

various medicinal plants were compared with previously

particular area with reference to medicinal plant

published ethnobotanical literatures in adjoin areas of

utilization and it was found that traditional ethno-

Warangal district (Reddy et al., 2011 and Chandra Babu

medicine still persists among the tribals in Khammam

et al., 2010) and various states of India (Jayaprakash

forest division.

et al., 2011 and Kumari subitha et al., 2010). Some of

the medicinal plants reported during the present study

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

were reported for biological activities and bioactive

The authors acknowledge the kindness and

constituents responsible for their therapeutic properties

cooperation of the informants and local administrators in

(Pattanaik et al., 2008 and Viswanathan, 2004) which

the study area, and the support of the Department of

justify and validate the usages of these species for

Botany, Kakatiya University, Warangal for identification

medicinal purposes in the study area. The popular use of

of the plant species. Our thanks also to tribal people in

herbal remedies among the tribal people in Khammam

study area.

district reflects the revival of interest in traditional

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137

136

Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

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