Ethnobotanical survey on medicinal plants used for orthopaedic treatment in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lanka

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R M Dharmadasa, P K G Iroshana, E P Kudavidanage

Industrial Technology Institute, Sri Lanka
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

: J Regen Med

Abstract

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Sri Lanka is an island close to Indian peninsula with rich biodiversity and traditional systems of medicine. The native treatment method “Deshiyachikithsha” consists of such traditional medical knowledge inherited from generation to generation. Traditional orthopaedic treatment is one of the most important sectors in “Deshiyachikithsha”.Different types of plants and other materials have been used over a long period of time for different kinds of medical preparations. However, this knowledge is not properly documented in an accessible form. . Therefore, development of Traditional orthopaedic treatment system in Sri Lanka is hindered by unavailability of required information on types of medicinal plant plants and other materials used and other pertinent issues on traditional orthopaedic. Thus, in the present study attempts were made to investigate types of medicinal plant and other materials required for traditional orthopaedic, treatments in Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces in order to safeguard traditional orthopaedic treatment system in Sri Lanka. The present survey was conducted in the two provinces which has high number of traditional orthopaedic practitioners in Sri Lanka. Information was gathered from a total of sixty (60) traditional practitioners from five districts of Sabaragamuwa and Western provinces. A questionnaire was prepared and pretested by distributing among 10 to 15 traditional practitioners prior to the survey. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with traditional practitioners. Collected data were tabulated and analyzed. A total number of 245 plant species belonging in to 79 different plant families that are being used. Out of them 36% of plant species are from 7 plant families. They are Fabaceae, Poaceae, Moraceae, Rutaceae, Lamiaceae, Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae. There was 31 traditional healers in the Western province and the rests of 29 were from Sabaragamuwa province. Forty five percent of them are in the 41-60 age categories and low recruitment of young generation is a major reason for the collapsing of this valuable medical system. In the Western province 19% of practitioners depend fully on the open market for their raw materials requirement This is quite different from the early days where most medicinal plants collected from the forest. In the Sabaragamuwa province 21% of the interviewed practitioners were dependent fully on forest and nobody completely depends only on market for materials requirements. In the present study, attempt was made to exploit traditional knowledge on orthopaedic treatments and conservation of valued medicinal plants for the promotion of primary health care needs in Sabaragamuwa and Western provinces for the first time in Sri Lanka. Moreover, documented plants together with traditional knowledge could be effectively utilized for development of traditional orthopaedic treatment system in Sri Lanka.

Biography

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