A Survey of Medicinal Plants in the Treatment of Cough, Cold, and Fever in Gopalganj District, Bangladesh

Bangladeshi rural and urban populations have used traditional medicine as their primary source of healthcare since ancient times. The local people of Gopalganj district have long used herbal medicines in and around their habitations to cure various ailments. So, our study aimed to determine the mode of use of native medicinal plants to treat cough, cold, and fever in Kashiani and Gopalganj Sadar upazila of Gopalganj District, Bangladesh. Data were collected from the beneficiary's local people and averages through direct interviews, group discussions, and visits to the gardens of medicinal plants from 40 villages of the Gopalganj district. Findings revealed that 42 medicinal plant species belonging to 33 families have been identified that are frequently used by the local communities to treat cough, cold, and fever. Among the selected species, the highest contribution was recorded for herbs (35.71%), followed by trees (35.71%), shrubs (16.16%), and climbers (11.90%), respectively. Moreover, this study revealed that among the 61 plant species from 32 families, 12 species utilized the entire plant as medicinal parts, 10 species used fruits, eight species used leaves, eight species used roots, four species used barks, four species used seeds, one species used flowers, one species used stems, and one species used bulbs as their medicinal parts. This survey signifies the ethno-medicinal benefits of plant species that can treat cough, cold, and fever in the study area.