Ethnomedicinal Knowledge And Traditional Medicine Practices In Tamil Nadu: A Study Of The Valaiyan Community In The Nagamalai Hills, Madurai District

Traditional medicine remains one of the most accessible and affordable forms of healthcare for a variety of illnesses.A significant part of the rich ethnomedical knowledge of the Valaiyan tribe, residing in the foothills of the Nagamalai Hills in Tamil Nadu's Eastern Ghats, remains untapped.This article aimed to evaluate the Valaiyans' indigenous understanding of phytotherapy and document the medicinal plants they use, before cultural and environmental changes threaten their availability.A field study was conducted from August 2023 to February 2024 to document this phytotherapeutic knowledge.Data were gathered via conversations with traditional healers and the Madurai tribe using a semi-structured questionnaire to collect information on plant names, parts used for treatment, preparation methods, and any additional ingredients.The data were analyzed using several methods, including the Relative Importance (RI), Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL), Factor of Informant Consensus (Fic), and Novelty Index.The study documented 52 medicinal plant species, spanning 46 genera and 36 families.With 48 species (56%), herbs were the biggest category, followed by trees (13 species, 15%) and shrubs (9 species, 1%).Leaves were the most frequently used plant part, representing 43 species (46%), followed by the whole plant (9 species, 10%), seeds and fruits (9 species, 10%), and roots (7 species, 8%).The most common method of preparation for herbal remedies involved making a paste.Many human illnesses were treated with the botanicals, classified into 19 disease groups.The majority of species (31) were utilised to treat illnesses related to the skin, with gastrointestinal problems (28 species) and general health concerns (15 species) following closely behind.The most frequently used medicinal plants were Asystasiachelonoides (UV of 2.76) and Piper nigrum (UV of 2.12).This study highlights the wide range of traditional knowledge that has been retained in the study region regarding the usage, preparation, and application of medicinal herbs.However, this knowledge is primarily held by elders, and its decline among younger generations risks the eventual loss of indigenous knowledge about these medicinal plants.