Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used by the Naikpod Tribes of Jayashankar Bhupalpally Area of Telangana State

Abstract Background: Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants plays a significant role in the healthcare systems of indigenous communities. In India, tribal populations rely extensively on ethnomedicine for primary healthcare needs. The Naikpod and other tribal communities of Jayashankar Bhupalpally in Telangana state are known to possess rich ethnobotanical knowledge, much of which remains undocumented. Aims and Objectives: The present study aims to document and analyzet he first-hand information on the use of medicinal plants in Jayashankar Bhupalpally area located in the Bhupalpally district of newly formed Telangana State. Methodology: The information was gathered from the Naikpod and other tribes using an integrated approach of botanical collections, group discussions, and questionnaire-based interviews with 20 tribal practitioners (informants). Results: A total of 46 contemporary folk medicinal claims on 32 ethnomedicinally important plant species, distributed in 26 families, were documented in the present study. The documented ethnomedicinal plants were mostly used for the treatment and cure of 32 different disease conditions including abdominal ulcers, worm infestation, poisonous bites, low libido, burning micturition, crack in bones (fracture), cut and wounds, alopecia, general weakness, indigestion, paralysis and rheumatic pains. Conclusion: The results of the present study provide evidence that the tribal people of the study area still have a strong belief in the efficacy and success of ethnomedicines. The medicinal plants continue to play an important role in the healthcare system of the Naikpod tribal community in the Jayashankar Bhupalpally area of Telangana.