~ 55 ~ Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry 2015; 3(5): 55-65 ISSN 2278-4136 ISSN 2349-8234 JPP 2015; 3(5): 55-65 Received: 15-07-2014 Accepted: 15-10-2014 Sikha Mandal Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan 731 235, West Bengal, India. Jnanendra Rath Department of Botany, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan 731 235, West Bengal, India. Correspondence: Jnanendra Rath Department of Botany, Visva- Bharati University, Santiniketan 31 235, West Bengal, India. Phytochemical and antioxidant activities of ethno- medicinal plants used by fisher folks of Chilika lagoon for Indigenous Phytotherapy Sikha Mandal, Jnanendra Rath Abstract The present study examined indigenous phytotherapies use by fisher folks, living inside islands of Chilika lagoon. Fishing being the only livelihood, they have to be in salt water of Chilika for a long time and skin disease is the most common disease in this population in all age groups. Being inaccessible to the health care facilities in the mainland, they use frequently leaves of 13 medicinal plants for cure of various ailments. In vitro antioxidant activity and phytochemicals were analyzed with standard protocols. Canonical redundancy analysis was carried out to correlate the data obtained. Phytochemical and antioxidant activities of these plants revealed Heliotropium indicum and Plumbago zeylanica are having very good antioxidant activity. We have identified potential relationships between the medicinal plant species, their phytochemical variables and the ailments for which the local fisher folk uses them, using stepwise forward canonical redundancy analysis. Keywords: Ethno-medicinal plants, Indigenous phytotherapy, Antioxidant, Canonical correspondence analysis. 1. Introduction Medicinal plants are an essential part of the traditional health care systems. There are more than 8,000 plant species in South Asia with known medicinal uses [1] . Thus, historically it is evident that South Asia is home to many rich traditional systems of medicine (TSM). Modern allopathic medicine is also using extracts and agents from many medicinal plants. Due to spiral price of modern medicine, government finds it increasingly difficult to meet the cost of pharmaceutical-based health care. Therefore, throughout the region, there is strong and sustained public support for the protection and promotion of the cultural and spiritual values of traditional medicine [1] . In Indian medicine systems, Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani entirely and Homeopathy partially depend either on plant materials or their derivatives for treating human ailments [2] . Right from its beginning, the documentation of traditional knowledge, especially on use of medicinal plants has provided important information for modern drugs [3-4] and even today this area holds much more hidden thesaurus. Chilika is well known as a Ramsar site, a wetland of International importance and the largest brackish water lagoon of Asia. It has unique biodiversity due to its hydrological regimes. However, until 2002 the phytodiversity of Chilika lagoon was not known. A phytodiversity survey by the Chilika Development Authority (CDA) in 2002 identified 726 plants belonging to 496 genera and 120 families in Chilika (within the water body, including the 20 Islands and shorelines) [5] which represents about one–fourth of the vascular plant species in the Odisha state. The lake is an ecosystem with large fishery resources. It sustains more than 150,000 fisher folk living in 132 villages on the shore and islands. However, how these fisher folks live on different islands utilize this vast plant resources are not known yet. The Odisha state comes under the eastern Indian zone constitutes the major tribal population of India which includes about 65 tribes [6] . The villages in Chilika have dominant fisher community population belong to SC communities such as Keuta, Kandara, Tiara, Nolia, Khatia etc. Fishing is the traditional and primary occupation of these communities. Though they are residing in a tough condition, involving in much physical labor for intensive fishing and have to face much difficulty in every aspect of survival being living in the islands, but they are able to bear up and having good stamina and good health. Intake of antioxidant is reported as a remedy for fatigue and tiredness, but how these fisher folks use the medicinal plants and whether they have