Medicinal Flora of the Meitei of Cachar: A Study of Twelve Healing Plants

Aim of the review: The main objective of this review paper is to highlight the traditional knowledge that have been deeply embedded into the culture of Meitei community of Cachar, Assam, with respect to the use of traditional medicinal plants for curing common ailments, various illness, sickness and treatment of certain disease. This review paper aims to highlight the pharmacologically and medicinal significance of some plant species and their traditional healing practices. This review paper also aims to answer the plant species used by the Meitei community of Cachar, Assam and different health ailments treated. Ethnobotanical relevance: The Meitei community of Cachar have always had a close relationship with the land and nature around them. Their understanding of local herbs and plants as medicine didn’t come from a single moment of discovery, but developed over centuries through careful observation and experience. Living in the rich and diverse environment of Cachar, the Meiteis were naturally attuned to the plants that grew in their surroundings. They began to notice which plants were helpful for treating common ailments, easing pain, or promoting healing. The Meitei community of Cachar, Assam, with their yearlong practices and experiences still rely on the medicinal plants for primary healthcare. Methodology: This review is the result of a comprehensive and systematic approach which is culturally respectful to documenting the traditional medicinal knowledge related to the twelve selected plant species used by the Meitei community of Cachar, Assam in their day to day lives for treating various ailments. The methodology balanced rigorous scientific evaluation with culturally grounded analysis, honoring the value of traditional healing systems while contributing meaningful data to the larger fields of ethnobotany and future medicinal plant research and development. Result: In the result, it documents twelve uncommon species of medicinally significant plants used by the Meitei community of Cachar, Assam. It includes 12 species of plants along with their morphological characteristics, their medicinal significance, chemical constituents and the plant parts that are used for the treatment of various ailments. Conclusion: The traditional knowledge of Meitei community of Cachar district of Assam about the use of the recorded plants species with its beneficial medicinal properties maybe of immense value in the pharmacological experiments particularly for the treatment of ailments like malaria, flu, hypertension, jaundice, cancer and diabetes.