Ethnomedicinal Insights into the Fabaceae Family in Coastal Purba Medinipur and Balasore: A Study of Traditional Plant Uses and Conservation Perspectives

Ethnomedicinal knowledge embedded in cultural traditions is pivotal in primary healthcare, offering accessible treatments through plant-based remedies. The Fabaceae family, renowned for its diverse therapeutic properties, holds particular significance in traditional medicine across the coastal regions of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, and Balasore, Odisha. This study documents and analyzes the ethnomedicinal uses of plants belonging to family Fabaceae through field surveys, semi-structured interviews, and phytochemical analyses. A total of 15 Fabaceae species were identified and categorized under Papilionoideae and Caesalpinioideae subfamilies, each demonstrating diverse medicinal applications. Species like Clitoria ternatea and Mucuna pruriens exhibited 100% fidelity levels, indicating unanimous agreement on their therapeutic efficacy among local informants. High Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) values across multiple health care categories underscore robust consensus on plant uses, notably in treating respiratory issues and skin disorders and promoting reproductive health. The study highlights the cultural significance of these plants and emphasizes the need for their conservation amid growing challenges like habitat loss and unsustainable harvesting. Findings suggest avenues for future pharmacological research to validate and integrate traditional knowledge into contemporary healthcare practices, thus promoting both cultural preservation and sustainable medicinal resource management.