656 Asian Journal of Biological and Life Sciences, Vol 10, Issue 3, Sep-Dec, 2021 Research Artcle Correspondence: Vaikundaraman Vadivel, PG and Research Department of Botany, V.O. Chidambaram College, Tuticorin-628008, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. Phone no: +91 9788132358 Email: drvvadivel@gmail. com Indigenous Knowledge on Medicinal Flora Utilized by the Traditional Healers in Mappillaiyurani Village, Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu, India Mariappan Girija 1 , Muruganandham Priyadharshana 1 , Veerabagu Smitha 1 , Mariajames Arockia Badhsheeba 2 , Vaikundaraman Vadivel 1, * 1 Department of Botany, V.O. Chidambaram College (Affliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar Univeristy, Tirunelveli), Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. 2 Department of Biotechnology, Kumararani Meena Muthiah College of Arts and Science, Adiyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, INDIA. Submission Date: 16-10-2021; Revision Date: 04-11-2021; Accepted Date: 01-12-2021. ABSTRACT Objectives: The purpose of this study is to document the indigenous knowledge of medicinal fora utilized by the traditional healers of Mappillaiyurani, Tuticorin district to establish the relative importance, consensus and scope of all medicinal fora used. Methods: Indigenous knowledge of medicinal plants was executed through a questionnaire with traditional healers who are custodians of the knowledge about herbal medicine. Local foras of the state had been systematically followed to identify the plants. Results: A total of 42 medicinal plant species from 26 families were documented. The leaves were the most commonly used plant part, and herbal remedies were mostly prepared in the form of a decoction or paste and consumed internally. Respiratory diseases are the most common diseases reported by traditional healers in the study area. Conclusion: This documented report indicated that indigenous medicinal plants are a good source of plant-based safe drugs. Moreover, additional pharmacological tests are required to establish the effcacy and potency of the plants as medicine. Key words: Indigenous knowledge, Mappillaiyurani, Medicinal fora, Traditional healers, Tuticorin. INTRODUCTION Plants are utilized in traditional medicine for several thousand years. During the last few decades, there has been an increasing interest in the study of medicinal plants and their traditional use in several parts of the world. Documenting indigenous knowledge through botanical studies is important for the conservation and utilization of biological resources. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), as many as 80% of the world’s people depend on traditional medicine and in India, 65% of the population in the rural areas use Ayurveda and medicinal plants to meet their primary healthcare needs. [1] There are considerable economic benefts within the development of indigenous medicines and therefore the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of various diseases. In a recent report published by the World Bank, Lambert et al. [2] found out that preserving and enhancing the plant knowledge and their use was similar to ‘rescuing a worldwide heritage’. Due to less communication, poverty, ignorance and unavailability of modern health facilities, most people especially rural people are still forced to practice traditional medicines for their common day ailments. Vast information on how to use the plants against different ailments can be expected to have accrued in regions in which the usage of plants is still of terrifc importance. India is a veritable emporium of medicinal and aromatic plants. Different religions and communities of India have their traditions, beliefs, and rituals. Thousands of plants are used by rural communities to make crude drugs to cure various ailments. The majority of the rural people in India use the plants as it is or their parts SCAN QR CODE TO VIEW ONLINE www.ajbls.com DOI: 10.5530/ajbls.2021.10.87