Journal of Research in Plant Sciences
Original Research
Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the tribes of
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences
Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India
Authors:
Rajendra Prasad Gujjeti
and Estari Mamidala.
Institution:
Infectious Diseases and
Metabolic Disorders
Research Lab, Department
of Zoology, Kakatiya
University, Warangal-506
009. (A.P).
Corresponding author:
Estari Mamidala.
Web Address:
http://plantsciences.info
documents/PS0040.pdf.
Journal of Research in
Plant Sciences
An International Open Access
Online Research Journal
An International Online Open Access Research Journal
ABSTRACT:
An ethnobotanical survey was carried out among the Koyas, Konda reddis,
and Lambada Tribes of Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India during October,
2011 to September 2012. A total of 40 species of ethnomedicinal plants belonging to
39 genera and 25 families were reported with the help of standardized questionnaires
among eight tribal informants between ages of 32-85. The study showed a high
degree of ethnobotanical novelty and use of plants among Koya, Konda reddis,
Lambada reflects. The medicinal plants used by tribes of Khammam district, Andhra
Pradesh, India are arranged alphabetically followed by Botanical name, Family name,
Vernacular name in telugu (also the language of Koya, Konada reddi, and Lambada)
parts used and medical uses. The family Euphorbiaceae had the highest proportion of
medicinal plants used (12%), followed by Apocynaceae (7.5%), Fabaceae,
Amaranthaceae, Rubiaceae and Solanaceae (5% each). The results of the study
revealed that there is rich diversity of medicinal plants used to treat various ailments
in the Khammam reserve forest.
Keywords:
Ethnomedicine, Koyas, Kondareddi, Lambada, Khammam district,
Andhra Pradesh.
Article Citation:
Rajendra Prasad Gujjeti and Estari Mamidala.
Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the tribes of Khammam district,
Andhra Pradesh, India.
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137
Dates:
Received: 12 Oct 2012 Accepted: 05 Nov 2012 Published: 30 Nov 2012
This Open Access article is governed by the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which gives permission for unrestricted use, non-
commercial, distribution and reproduction in all medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
132-137| JRPS | 2012 | Vol 1 | No 2
www.plantsciences.info

INTRODUCTION
According to World Health Organization
(WHO), traditional medicine as practices, knowledge
and belief systems which use plants and animal based
remedies and maintain well being (WHO, 2003).
60% of the world s population are using Indian
medicines. These are also used in rural areas of
developed countries. The sources for traditional
medicines are only medicinal plants. Several medicinal
plants like Portulaca oleracea L., Crotalaria retusa L.
Crotalaria speciosa L. and Euphorbia hirta L. extract
possess a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity
against a panel of bacteria responsible for the most
common bacterial diseases (Dhole et al, 2011).
Ethnomedicine is an area of research that deals
with medicines derived from plants, animals, minerals
etc. and their use in the treatment of various diseases and
ailments, based on indigenous pharmacopoeia, folklore
and herbal charms (Weiner, 1971). The knowledge of the
use of plants as a source of medicine is as old as
humanity. Vast ethnobotanical knowledge exists in India
from ancient time. More than 1500 herbal plants are
mentioned in ancient Indian texts. India is one of the
12 mega diversity countries (Nayar, 1996) and it is gifted
Figure 1 Map showing location of the study area
133
Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012
with enormous wealth of biodiversity. It has diverse
climatic zones and wealth of vibrant ethno-medicinal
traditions. There are about 45,000 plant species and
81,000 animal species recorded in India so far
(MoEF, 1994). Even today 80% of the world's
population relies on traditional plant medicines including
various rural and tribal communities in India through
Indian System of Medicine and other undocumented
traditional practices (Khan et.al, 2004 and Mashelkar,
2002). The objective of this study is to investigate
ethnomedicinal plants used by the tribes of Khammam
district, Andhra Pradesh, India.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study area
Khammam district lies in Andhra Pradesh,
Telangana region (Fig 1) between 16 45' and 18 35' N
latitude and between 79 47' and 80 47' E longitudes.
This district is spread over an area of 16029 sq. km with
Chhattisgarh and Orissa state in the North. Krishna,
Nalgonda, East and West Godavari districts are in the
South, West and East respectively. The forest is
predominantly dry deciduous. Khammam district is
endowed with a rich forest resource. More than half of
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137
Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

Table 1 Medicinal plants used for treating human diseases in villages around Chintoor Mandal,
Khammam forest reserve
S No Botanical name Family Plant common Part used Disease
name
1 Abrus precatirius Linn Fabaceae Guruvinda Seed and Leafs Body cool
2 Acalypha indica L Euphorbiaceae Murupinda Leafs Snake bite
3 Acaranthus aspera Amaranthaceae Uttareni Leafs Pippi pallu/wounds
4 Aegle marmelos Rutaceae Maredu Leafs Blood motions
5 Alstonia venenata Apocynaceae Yedakulapala Leafs Body lotion
6 Andrographis Acanthaceae Neelavemu Leafs Anemia
paniculata
7 Annona squamosa Annonaceae Seethaphalam Leafs Wounds
8 Aerva lanata Amaranthaceae Pindikoora Roots Gynecological
problems
9 Bryophyllam pinnatum Crassulaceae Ranapala Leafs Wounds
10 Calatrophis gigantea Apocynaceae Jiiledu Root Syphilis
11 Cassia auriculata Caesalpinioideae Tangedu Flowers Wounds, Snake bite
12 Cassia Fistula Caesalpinioideae Raela Leaf Neckpain
13 Centella aciatica Mackinlayaceae Saraswathi aku Leafs Neurosis
14 Clerodendrum Lamiaceae Bommalmarri Leafs Typhoid(Fever)
serratum
15 Cryptolepis reticulata Euphorbiaseae Dudhi Flower, Leafs Urine infections
16 Curculigo orchioides Hypoxidaceae Nelatadi Leafs, Root, Stem Sexual problems
gaertn
17 Cymbopogon martini Poaceae Nimma gaddi Leafs Skin diseases
18 Cyperus rotundus Cyperaceae Garika Leafs Wounds
19 Dalbergia latifolia Fabaceae Jitergi Bark Paralysis
20 Datura metel.L Solanaceae Nalla ummetta Leafs, Bark Allergy
21 Dridella retusa Annonaceae Naramamidi Root Bone fractures
22 Eclipta alba Asteraceae Guntagaraga Leafs Spots and allergy on
skin
23 Hemidesmus indicus Apocynaceae Sugandhapala Total plant Blood purifier
24 Lowsina Lythraceae Gorinta Leafs Jaundice
25 Madhuca indica Sapotaceae Ippa Flower, Seeds Skin diseases
26 Mimosapudica Fabaceae Attipatti Stem and Leafs Blood pressure
27 Morinda pubescens Rubiaceae Maddi Bark Bone fractures
28 Phyllanthus emblica Euphorbiacea usiri Seed, leafs Skin diseases
29 Phyllanthus niruri Phyllanthaceae Nela usiri Root, Stem, Seed Kidney stones
30 Plumbago zeylanica Plumbaginaceae Chitramalam All parts Body pains
31 Ravulfia sepentina Apocynaceae Sarpagandha Root Gonorrhea
32 Ricinus communis Euphorbiaceae Amudalu Leafs Jaundice
33 Rubia cardifolia Linn Rubiaceae Erraulli Leafs Stomach pain
34 Solanum surattanse Solanaceae Vakudu Root Bronchitis /Asthma
35 Strichnus muxvimoca Loganiaceae Visha mushti Bark Back pain/joint pain
36 Tamarindus indica Caesalpinioideae Chintachettu Seeds Scorpion bite
37 Terminalia arjuna Combretaceae Eati maddi Bark Cardiac diseases
38 Terminalia chebula Combretaceae Karakkaya Bark Obesity
39 Tinospora cordifolia Menispermaceae Tippateeega Root and Leafs Diabetes
40 Tridax procumbens Asteraceae Gaddichemanthi Leafs Wounds

the land (52.6%) is under forests. The forests of this
district have great potentiality both from the economic
and botanical points of view.
The total population of the district, as per 2011
census, (Census of India, 2011) is 22,15,809 of which
17,67,646 are rural and 4,48,163 are urban. The
percentage of rural population in the district is 79.77.
The scheduled caste population in the district forms
16.25% of the total population while scheduled tribes
account for 25.23% (Census of India, 2011). The main

Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137 134


Figure 2 Percentage distribution in families for
medicinal plants used treat different health problems
tribes of Khammam district are Koyas, Kondareddis and
Lambadas. The data presented here based on first hand
information collected through personal contact with
practitioners, inhabited by Koya, Kondareddis, and
Lambada of villages Chatti, Chidumuru, Kothapally,
Yerrakota, Nimmalagudem of Chintoor mandal,
Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Ethnomedicinal survey
Ethnobotanical surveys were carried out to
obtain information on medicinal plants traditionally used
to treat various ailments in the study area. Ethnobotanical
data was collected through individual interviews using
questionnaires. Interviews were conducted in the local
language. Field excursions were also conducted with the
Figure 3 Plant parts used for medicinal purposes and
percentage of total medicinal species
135
Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012
assistance of key respondents. Information regarding the
local names of the plant species, medicinal uses, parts
used, methods of preparation, and administration route
were documented. The methods used in harvesting the
plant materials from the wild were also recorded. Plant
specimens were prepared, identified and voucher
specimens were deposited in the Kakatiya University
herbarium (Voucher No. XI/ZOO/2012) for future
reference. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the
ethnomedicinal data collected.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A total of eight traditional medical practitioners
were interviewed, with their ages ranging between 32 to
85 years, and 70% of them being older than 50 years.
Out of the eight informants interviewed, six of them
were men and only two were women. A total of 40
medicinal plant species in 25 families were recorded as
being used to treat 31 different types of diseases as
shown in Table 1.
The family Euphorbiaceae had the highest
proportion of medicinal plants used (15%), followed by
Apocynaceae(9%), Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae, Rubiaceae
and Solanaceae (6% each) (Figure 2). Each of all other
families had less than two plant species associated with
the treatment of the diseases documented in Table 1. The
findings of the present investigation showed that the
general macroclimate and local microclimate are
favourable for rich diversity of plant species with respect
to medicinal flora.
The most frequently utilized medicinal plant
parts were leaves (45%), followed by roots (20.50%),
bark (15%), seeds (12%), and flowers (7.5%) as shown
in Figure 3. Roots were mostly used in the treatment of
gynecological problems, STDs, kidney stones, cardiac
diseases and allergic reactions, while leaves were mostly
used in the treatment of snake bite, anemia, wounds,
bone fractures, skin diseases, diarrhea, obesity and
gynecological disorders.
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137
Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012
The study revealed a rich diversity of medicinal
plants used to treat various disease conditions in the
villages around Khammam forest reserve. It further
revealed a rich ethnobotanical knowledge amongst the
residents of the Chatti, Chidumuru, Kothapally,
Yerrapeta, Nimmalagudem of Chinttor mandal,
Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, India. The families
Euphorbiaceae, Apocynacae and Fabaceae which were
the most dominant in this study are consistently recorded
in other ethnomedicinal studies (Sudarsanam and Rao,
1994) and could be attributed to their wide range of
bioactive ingredients (Sharma et al, 2010).
The fact that majority of the plant species
recorded were sourced from the wild and only a few
were cultivated may imply that many indigenous plant
species may be difficult to propagate. This therefore calls
for the need to train the herbal practitioners on the
appropriate propagation techniques of these plant species
for sustainable utilization. According to Edwards (2004),
about two-third of 50,000 medicinal plants in use
worldwide are still harvested from the natural habitat and
about one fifth of them are now endangered.
The group discussion and personal interviews
show that tribes are more aware about the use of
ethnomedicines and our findings are similar to reports
from India (Uniyal et al., 2007). Reported uses of
various medicinal plants were compared with previously
published ethnobotanical literatures in adjoin areas of
Warangal district (Reddy et al., 2011 and Chandra Babu
et al., 2010) and various states of India (Jayaprakash
et al., 2011 and Kumari subitha et al., 2010). Some of
the medicinal plants reported during the present study
were reported for biological activities and bioactive
constituents responsible for their therapeutic properties
(Pattanaik et al., 2008 and Viswanathan, 2004) which
justify and validate the usages of these species for
medicinal purposes in the study area. The popular use of
herbal remedies among the tribal people in Khammam
district reflects the revival of interest in traditional
Journal of Research in Plant Sciences (2012) 1(2): 132-137
medicine. The scientific validation of these remedies
may help in discovering new drugs from the plant
species. The information on therapeutic uses of plants
may provide a great potential for discovering of new
drugs and promoting awareness among the people to use
them as remedy in health care system.
CONCLUSION
The results of the study revealed that there is a
rich diversity of medicinal plants used to treat various
ailments in the Khammam forest reserve. Herbal
practitioners and the local community in the study area
should be educated on sustainable methods of harvesting
medicinal plants without compromising their availability
for future use. Majority of the uses of the medicinal
plants are for conditions affecting the snake bite, anemia,
wound healing, gynecological problems, diarrhea, bone
fractures and skin diseases. Many of these claims
revealed by the tribes are new in comparison to
traditional Indian systems of medicine namely Ayurveda,
Siddha and Unani. It can be concluded that the local and
tribal people of the district have very good knowledge on
these medicinal plants. But such knowledge of medicinal
plants is restricted to a few persons in a rural area.
Therefore it is necessary that suitable requirements are
needed in order to protect the traditional knowledge in
particular area with reference to medicinal plant
utilization and it was found that traditional ethno-
medicine still persists among the tribals in Khammam
forest division.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors acknowledge the kindness and
cooperation of the informants and local administrators in
the study area, and the support of the Department of
Botany, Kakatiya University, Warangal for identification
of the plant species. Our thanks also to tribal people in
study area.
136
 Gujjeti and Mamidala, 2012

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