INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHEARPY RESEARCH ISSN 2278 – 5701 Volume 2 Issue 2 2012 www.earthjournals.org 26 Research Article MEDICINAL PLANTS USED BY THE THAKAR TRIBES OF RAIGAD DISTRICT, MAHARASHTRA FOR THE TREATMENT OF SNAKE-BITE AND SCORPION- BITE Singh E. A.,* Kamble S. Y., Bipinraj N. K., Jagtap S. D. 1 Rajiv Gandhi Institute of IT & Biotechnology, Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune-411046 1 Interactive Research School for Health Affaris (IRSHA), Bharati Vidyapeeth Deemed University, Pune-411046 ABSTRACT: An ethno-botanical survey was undertaken to collect information on the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of snake-bite and scorpion-bite of Thakar tribe in Raigad District, Maharashtra during 2005-2006. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional healers about the native plants used for medicinal purposes was collected through a questionnaire by personal interviews during field visits. A forest walk with the healers enabled plant collection and documentation relating to the remedial information of plants used against snake-bite and scorpion- bite. In the present investigation, 25 plant species, belonging to 23 different families used by the tribal people against snake-bite and scorpion- bite are documented. The study showed that the Thakar tribes of Raigad District still continue to depend on medicinal plants for the treatment of these bites. This wealth of traditional knowledge needs to be collected and preserved which may help to understand remedial plant metabolites for development of novel herbal medicines. Key words: Medicinal plants, Scorpion-bite, Snakebite-bite, Thakar tribe, Raigad district INTRODUCTION Man has been dependent on plants for traditional medicines since time immemorial. This knowledge of medicinal plants has been accumulated in the course of several centuries, forming the basis of medicinal systems such as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. During the last few decades, an increasing interest in the study of traditional uses of medicinal plants has been witnessed in different parts of the world, mainly due to several problems associated with synthetic drugs and emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens [1]. Additionally, the treatment of various diseases with indigenous medicinal plants generates considerable health and economic benefits. Traditional knowledge in this regard has been conserved for generations in different tribal communities in several parts of the