Patra et al., IJPSR, 2017; Vol. 8(9): 3904-3910. E-ISSN: 0975-8232; P-ISSN: 2320-5148 International Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research 3904 IJPSR (2017), Volume 8, Issue 9 (Research Article) Received on 07 February, 2017; received in revised form, 14 April, 2017; accepted, 26 April, 2017; published 01 September, 2017 TRADITIONAL PHYTOTHERAPEUTIC USES IN PURBA MEDINIPUR, WEST BENGAL, INDIA Arjun Patra 1 , Amal Kumar Mondal *2 and Debdulal Banerjee 3 Department of Botany 1 , Prabhat Kumar College, Contai - 721401, West Bengal, India. Plant Taxonomy, Biosystematics and Molecular Taxonomy Laboratory 2 , Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory 3 , UGC - DRS - SAP Department, Department of Botany and Forestry, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore - 721102, West Bengal, India. ABSTRACT: The traditional health care system has been significantly used from ancient time. The rural people of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal still continue to depend on indigenous plants to cure their different types of primary health treatment. The present study explore 79 plant species belong to 41 families are systematically used in traditional health care system. Information was collected by the structures questionnaire, consultation and interviews with rural people, knowledgeable persons and women folk. The plants are principally used for the treatment of digestive disorder (24.4 %), respiratory trouble (25.64 %), dysentery (16.66 %), bleeding (12.8 %), snake and insect bite (11.53 %), skin infection (12.8 %) and sugar control (10.25 %). These wild medicinal plants are declining in number due to demolition and unscientific collection of plants. There is a requisite need to conserve the indigenous medicinal plants. This document will help to prepare a database of valuable indigenous plants and their issues for mankind. INTRODUCTION: Ancient Indian literature incorporates a remarkably broad definition of medicinal plants and considers all plant parts to be potential source of medicinal substances 10 . Traditional plants contain various compounds such as phenolic, alkaloids and tocopherols which have shown antioxidant activity. Also some other compounds show antimicrobial activity which inhibit the growth of different microorganism (bacteria). Phytochemicals are bioactive compounds of plant origin 2 . Phytotherapy promotes proper utilization and also to conserve these plant resources for further future use. QUICK RESPONSE CODE DOI: 10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.8(9).3904-10 Article can be accessed online on: www.ijpsr.com DOI link: http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.8 (9). 3904-10 As per different reports India is one of the richest biological heritages with more than 50 million tribal people under 300 tribal communities, constituting about 8% of the total population of the country. About 15% of the total geographical area of the country is inhabited by the tribal’s 1, 9 . The Indian sub-continent has a very rich diversity of plants species in a wide range of ecosystems. The Indian sub-continent approximately 8,000 species are considered as medicinally important and used for human as well as veterinary care across the country by village communities or in traditional medicinal system 14 . The knowledge of these indigenous drugs has come through verbally since generation to generation and played an important role in conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity 5, 17 . A major part of the developing countries still uses traditional folk medicine from plant resources 11 . Documentation of traditional knowledge of ethno medicinal use of Keywords: Traditional Phytotherapy, Indigenous plants, Purba Medinipur Correspondence to Author: Prof. Amal Kumar Mondal Professor and HOD, Department of Botany and Forestry, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore - 721 102, West Bengal, India. E-mail: amalcaebotvu@gmail.com