AbstractIndia’s Eastern region, encompassing the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand, represents a vital repository of ethnobotanical wealth and endemic medicinal plant diversity. This report explores the floristic richness of these states, focusing on their endemic and underutilized medicinal plant species traditionally employed in systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. The Eastern Ghats, Chotanagpur Plateau, and Sub-Himalayan Terai zones provide unique ecological niches that support species such as Saraca asoca, Hygrophila auriculata, Mitragyna parvifolia, and Gloriosa superba, which are widely used by tribal communities for treating various ailments ranging from fever to skin diseases and epilepsy. Despite their therapeutic potential, many of these species face conservation threats due to habitat degradation, overharvesting, and climate change. This report compiles data on the regional distribution, ethnomedicinal applications, and conservation status of over 20 key endemic species. Emphasis is placed on species found within protected areas like Simlipal, Sundarbans, Kanger Valley, and Valmiki National Parks, which serve as biodiversity hotspots supporting both overstory and understory medicinal plants. Furthermore, the paper highlights successful community-based conservation initiatives and ex situ strategies promoted by state forest departments and national bodies like the National Medicinal Plants Board. The findings underscore the urgent need for sustainable utilization, scientific validation of traditional knowledge, and formal integration of these species into cultivation systems. By advocating for participatory ethnobotanical surveys and conservation frameworks. Overall, the Eastern region of India remains an untapped reservoir of pharmacologically valuable flora, with immense potential for new drug discovery and bioeconomic development aims to foster both biodiversity preservation and rural health security.
Dadhich et al. (Wed,) studied this question.