Ethnobotanical studies on folkloric medicinal plants in Nainamalai, Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu, India

Indian folkloric and traditional medicinal systems are abundantly using medicinal plants or their decoctions for the treatment of various ailments. However, this traditional knowledge is on the verge of extinction, and there is an urgent necessity to conserve this oral traditional knowledge mainly by proper documentation and scientific authentication. The present ethnobotanical study was carried out among the inhabitants in the rural areas of Nainamalai, Namakkal District, in order to document the folkloric medicinal knowledge and the potential uses against various diseases. The survey was conducted among the villagers during the period of August 2015-February 2016 in the rural, foothill settlement areas of Nainamalai, Namakkal District. Direct observation and oral communications with villagers in this foothill region were adopted to collect valid information regarding the herbal formulations used to treat various ailments. This study enumerates a list of 245 plant species from 78 angiosperm families with various therapeutic potentials. The scientific, family and vernacular names of these plants, along with the parts used and their application modes are also enumerated in this communication. Plants are believed to be potent therapeutic agents from immemorial time and knowledge about their use is strictly conserved among inhabitants through generations without any recorded data. Therefore, it is an urgent need to document for scientific validation and come up with new potent drug compounds for the treatment of various diseases.