Research Article
Quantitative Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants Used by the People of Bandhakhola Village, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Ishita Haider
Department of Botany, University of Barishal, Barishal-8254, BangladeshDOI: https://doi.org/10.54479/pe.03.2023.0102
Article History
Received: 12 April 2023, Revised: 15 April 2023, Accepted: 15 April 2023, Published: 30 April 2023
Abstract
The rural people of Bangladesh still depend on the use of medicinal plants to treat simple health problems. These uses are more common in countryside areas of Bangladesh, where advanced medical facilities are sparse. This practice also proliferates in areas that are rich in plant species diversity. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the Bandhakhola village of Gazipur. This study aimed to identify the most important medicinal plants in this region. The collected data was analyzed with two different quantitative tools, namely Factor informant consensus (Fic) and Fidelity level (Fl). With the fic and number of informants, the main categories of diseases were detected and scored. Among the disease categories, Respiratory disease (Fic-0.82), First aid (Fic-0.76), and Gastrointestinal diseases (Fic-0.58) were found to be the most important. Using the second tool, Fl, and the number of informants, the most important species from these categories were selected. The results showed Justicia adhatoda, Aerva sanguinolenta, and Litsea glutinosa as the most used medicinal plants in the Respiratory disease, First aid, and Gastrointestinal diseases categories, respectively. When two factors are considered, it was shown that the five most important medicinal plants of this area are Justicia adhatoda, Azadirachta indica, Centella asiatica, Ocimum sanctum, and Cynodon dactylon. The results of this study can help scientists to carry out advanced ethnopharmacological studies in this region.
Keywords
Ethnomedicinal plants; Informant consensus factor; Fidelity level; Gazipur.
Contact: ishitahaider14@gmail.com
To Cite the Article
Haider I. A quantitative ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the people of Bandhakhola village, Gazipur, Bangladesh. Plants and Ecosystem. 2023;3:3-13. https://doi.org/10.54479/pe.03.2023.0102
