Botany Research International 5 (4): 97-107, 2012 ISSN 2221-3635 © IDOSI Publications, 2012 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.bri.2012.5.4.502 Corresponding Author: Raut Smita, Council of Analytical Tribal Studies, Koraput, Odisha, India. 97 An Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants in Semiliguda of Koraput District, Odisha, India Raut Smita, Raut Sangeeta, Sen Sudip Kumar, Satpathy Soumya and Pattnaik Deepak 1 2 2 2 1 Council of Analytical Tribal Studies, Koraput, Odisha, India 1 Department of Biotechnology, Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology, 2 Gunupr, Rayagada, Odisha-765022, India Abstract: An ethnobotanical survey in Semiliguda block of Koraput District, Odisha have revealed a wealth of traditional knowledge on medicinal plants and their uses amongst the local Godaba healers. The indigenous knowledge of local traditional healers and the native plants used for medicinal purposes were collected through questionnaire and personal interviews during field trips. The study includes 50 species, most of which appear to be still in everyday use. In this study the most dominant family was Euphorbiaceae and Myrtaceae. An overview of the most important plants and their uses is presented, which shows several interesting records that have hitherto remained undocumented. New records of plants that are locally used viz. Caryota urens, Curcuma montana Cardiospermum helicacabum, Sansiveria roxiburghiana, Atylosia scarabaeoide, Argyreia Speciosa, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Euphorbia tirucalli L. Pongamia glabra, Sesbania grandiflora, Stephania hernandifolia,Elephantopus scaber, Acorus calamus L. and Lawsonia inermis confirm that the medical ethnobotany of Semiliguda block is incompletely recorded. It can be seen that ethnomedicinal information from traditional healers provides a solid lead towards development of new drugs than random screening. The task that remains is to screen extracts prepared from these plants and perform a bioassay-guided fractionation of the active extracts so as to isolate the active compounds from these plants. The traditional healers are dwindling in number and there is a grave danger of traditional knowledge disappearing soon since the younger generation is not interested to carry on this tradition. Key words: Ethnobotany Godaba community Vaidyas Semiliguda INTRODUCTION of ethnobotanical surveys in Pakistan [1], Italy [2], Ethnobotany is the study of the interactions and [8, 9], Mali [10], Trinidad and Tobago [11], Eastern cape relationships between plants and people over time and province, South Africa [12] of various indigenous space. This includes the uses, knowledge, beliefs, populations concerning use of medicinal plants for the management systems, classification systems and management and treatment of diseases. According to the language that both modern and traditional cultures have World Health Organization (WHO), almost 65% of the for plants and their associated terrestrial and aquatic world’s population has incorporated the value of plants ecosystems. Plants are fundamental to the functioning of as a methodology of medicinal agents into their primary all human societies and to the operation of all ecosystems. modality of health care [13]. It is often noted that 25% of Along with the photosynthetic bacteria and algae, plants all drugs prescribed today come from plants [14, 15]. are responsible for the formation of almost all of the This estimate suggests that plant-derived drugs make up energy that we consume. In terms of the energy from a significant segment of natural product based biomass that we are so actively seeking to develop now, pharmaceuticals. they also provide the hope for energy supplies in the The goals of using plants as sources of therapeutic future. Yet despite of their central importance, plants are agents are, a) to isolate bioactive compounds for direct often poorly appreciated. There have been several reports use as drugs b) to produce bioactive compounds of Western Nigeria [3, 4], Tanzania [5 ], China [6], Morocco