Indigenous medicinal flora of Northeast Indian Himalayan range as promising remedies for emerging and re-emerging diseases

To meet the needs for health and wellness, people have long turned to home cures, traditional healers and traditional medical knowledge. Several modern pharmaceutical products such as Aspirin, Artemisinin are derived from natural sources and traditional wisdom. The scientists behind these drugs clearly depended on traditional knowledge to make their remarkable discoveries. The Northeast states of India comprising of eight states distinguish themselves for their rich biodiversity, diverse culture and ethnic groups and their diverse medicinal flora constitutes the most distinctive feature. The traditional wisdom and practices of these tribes have helped identify therapeutic plants that are now used or studied in present-day medical treatments. Despite facing challenges in documenting and preserving this folk wisdom, exploration through survey and scientific studies of these valuable resources can enhance research, conserve rare species and even promote entrepreneurship among local youths. These indigenous plants could be more than just traditional remedies. They could assist in the development of novel medications to combat emerging and re-emerging diseases such as COVID-19, HIV, cancer, dengue, yellow fever and others. This paper presents a comprehensive examination regarding the uses and potential of numerous indigenous medicinal plants utilized in the Northeast regions, which have been historically used to address a range of ailments. Further investigations into these plants may pave the way for breakthrough research.