~ 34 ~ Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2014; 2(6): 34-37 ISSN 2320-3862 JMPS 2014; 2(6): 34-37 © 2014 JMPS Received: 16-10-2014 Accepted: 22-10-2014 B. Siva Kumari Department of Botany, A ndhra Loyola College, V ijayawada, A ndhra Pradesh – India. Y.T. Prabhu Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Institute of Science and T echnology, Jawaharlal Nehru T echnological University Hyderabad, India. Tambur Pavani Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Institute of Science and T echnology, Jawaharlal Nehru T echnological University Hyderabad, India. Correspondence: B. Siva Kumari Department of Botany, Andhra Loyola College, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh - India. Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used to cure respiratory diseases in Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh, India. B. Siva Kumari, Y.T. Prabhu, Tambur Pavani Abstract The present study documents the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants that are in use for Respiratory ailments prevailing in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Ethno medicinal uses of 23 plant species along with their botanical name, vernacular name, family name and mode of administration are presented. They belong to 21 genera and 16 families. These plants used to cure different types of respiratory diseases. The study emphasizes the potentials of the ethnobotanical research and the need for the documentation of traditional knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind. Keywords: Traditional medicinal plants, respiratory problems, rural people, Krishna 1. Introduction Ethnobotanical use of plants has been known since ancient time and Ethnomedicine which is a subfield of Ethnobotany or medical anthropology is receiving great attention in recent years throughout the world [1] . The practice of Ethno medicine is a complex multi-disciplinary system constituting the use of plants, spirituality and the natural environment and has been the source of healing for people for millennia [2] . In India the native people are exploiting a variety of herbals for effective curing of various ailments. The plant parts used, preparation and administration of drugs vary from one place to other [3] . Up to 70% of the rural population still depends on plant resources in their vicinity for healthcare and other necessities of life. Lack of primary healthcare centers and transportation facilities, prohibitive cost of treatments, side effects of several allopathic drugs have led to increased emphasis on the use of plant materials as a source of medicines for a wide variety of human ailments [4] . The knowledge of herbal medicines gradually perishes, although some of the traditional herbal men are still practicing the art of herbal healing effectively [5] . However, only 7,000-7,500 species are used for their medicinal values by traditional communities in India [2] . Urbanization and development activities have resulted in the decline of interest in traditional culture as well as natural vegetation in India [6] . Forest degradation process adversely affected the resource of medicinal plants. The rural poor, whose dependence on these products is very heavy, are the worst sufferers. The problems are surrounded by market demand driven harvesting without any concern for representation and conservation [7] . Unfortunately, much of the ancient knowledge and many valuable plants are being lost at an alarming rate. Many valuable plants are under the verge of extinction. It is estimated that 10% of all plant species are currently endangered in India [8] . Consequently, there is an urgent need to record and preserve is completely lost [6] . The present study deals with the medicinal plants of Krishna district which are used to cure various gastro intestinal problems of rural people in the area. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1 Study area The study area Krishna district of the coastal region of A.P, India is located between 26 8` N 79 -23`E. The Krishna district occupies an area of 8,727 square kilometers (3,370 sq mi), comparatively equivalent to Corsica. The Boundaries of the district are East Bay of Bengal and West Godavari district West Guntur and Nalgonda districts North Khammam district South Bay of Bengal.