~ 512 ~ The Pharma Innovation Journal 2019; 8(4): 512-514 ISSN (E): 2277- 7695 ISSN (P): 2349-8242 NAAS Rating: 5.03 TPI 2019; 8(4): 512-514 © 2019 TPI www.thepharmajournal.com Received: 01-02-2019 Accepted: 05-03-2019 S Sarguna Sundaram Research, Department of Botany, Saraswathi Narayanan College, Perungudi, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India K Suresh Research, Department of Botany, Saraswathi Narayanan College, Perungudi, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India Correspondence S Sarguna Sundaram Research, Department of Botany, Saraswathi Narayanan College, Perungudi, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India Potential of medicinal plants for curing human ailments in Natham, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu, India S Sarguna Sundaram and K Suresh Abstract The present study was carried out to investigate the potential of medicinal plants for curing various ailments of human in Natham taluk Dindigul district. The study deals with 60 plant species belonging to 36 families used for the treatment of diseases and diseases of human beings. Sixty plants species are used to cure 86 human diseases. The information about the plants and their local names, parts used and duration were also documented using modified questionnaire method. Dominant families recorded in our study are Rutaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Piperaceae, Lamiaceae and Euphorbiaceae are more frequently used for treatment of diseases. Keywords: human ailments, medicinal plants, documented wealth, Tamil Nadu 1. Introduction India is one of the leading countries in Asia in terms of the wealth of traditional knowledge systems related to the use of plant species and also known to a rich diversity of higher plant species of which 7500 are known as medicinal plants (Kala 2005) [9] . The tribal communities draw their sustenance largely from forests for food, medicine and other requirements. According to Uniyal et al. (2006) [14] in india more than 43% of the total flowering plants are reported to be of medicinal importance and utilization of plants for medicinal purposes in india has been documented long back in ancient literature. The use of plants to alleviate human suffering is as old as the evolution of human suffering. As many as 4000 plants are collectively mentioned in these early works. Added to this, india also possesses a great heritage of other ancient systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy. Nearly 2500 Species of plants are used in one way or other by some of these systems. In addition to these traditional systems, these also exists in india a vast knowledge of tribal and folk medicine which utilize around 7500 species of plants as medicinal. Medicinal plants continue to be an important therapeautic aid for alleviating ailments of human kind. The first generation of plant drugs were usually simple botanicals employed in more or less their crude form. According to the world health organistation over 80% of the world’s populations rely upon such traditional plant based systems of medicine to provide them with primary health care (Calixto 2005) [3] . In the developed countries, they are used as templates for manufacturing modern pharmaceutical drugs whereas, in developing countries they are an important resource for the treatment of various illness, and are a major component of treatment within the Primary health care systems (Ngari et al 2010) [13] . In the present study an attempt has been made to collect medicinal knowledge and medicinal uses of plants to cure various human diseases. 2. Experimental Methods 2.1 details of the study sites Study area is carried out in Natham which is a Taluka in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu, which covers three villages on the Karandhaimalai hills and about 40 others dispersed over the hill side and foot hills. 2.2 Interview with informants An extensive Survey was carried out in Natham from September 2015- May 2016.