ITK Database on Medicinal Plants

Contents: 1. Introduction. 2. Methodology for exploration of ITKs. 3. Medicinal Plant Database. 4. Medicinal plants diversity in Bihar and Jharkhand. 5. Socio-economic profile of the respondent influencing plant identification (knowingness) and disease treatment. 6. Indigenous technical knowledge in conservation of medicinal plant. 7. Ethnobotanical indices. 8. Sources of ITKs transfer from one generation to generation. References. Appendix.

In developing countries, about 80% of the population depends on indigenous medicine for their primary health care (The World Health Organization). Indigenous Traditional Knowledge (ITK) refers to localized, structured, traditional application of knowledge generated from generation to generation by continuous experimentation and observation of a phenomenon of interest. The medicinal plants have played and continue to play, a major role in the lives of people globally. But the production of herbal medicines is declining because of increased urbanization, environmental degradation and climate change, so most of the harvest obtained from naturally growing vegetation is under threat and is the need of hour.

This book ITK database on medicinal plants contains information of 162 medicinal plants, is an original book, complied from information generated through participatory appraisal of 1280 respondents of Bihar and Jharkhand from diverse ecology. It consists of 5 insightful and well-written chapters supported by suitable sketches. It provides information on plant taxonomy, vernacular names, phenology, distribution and cultural aspects of biodiversity conservation with a major focus on the traditional uses of medicinal plants. This book mentions several diseases of present and future significance including fever, diabetes, diarrhea, cancer, tuberculosis, eye problem, skin infections etc. and potential plant-based medicines against them.