Ethnomedicinal knowledge and utilization of the medicinal plant resources by the tribal people of the Jhargram District, West Bengal, India

The study strives to investigate and document the traditional ethnomedicinal knowledge of indigenous plant species used by the tribal people of Jhargram district, West Bengal, India. It has been stated by the 142 informants that, out of a total of 80 plant species, 45 classes, 46 orders, 46 families and 75 genera are generally used as medicinal plants to cure several diseases. The most dominant medicinal plant families found in this region are Fabaceae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Lamiaceae, Acanthaceae and Malvaceae. The most important species based on use value (UV) are Azadirachta excelsa, Cissus quadrangularis, Tylophora indica and Ocimum tenuiflorum. The informant consensus factor (Fic) values range from 0.46 to 0.71. The fidelity level (FL) value in the present study ranges from 25.58% to 93.42%. The study makes it clear that the aged informants have contributed more to the information about the value of the ethnomedicinal plants. Less information from the younger generation proves significant erosion of the traditional knowledge of this precious store. Some ethnomedicinal species with high UV and FL need to be reassessed for their phytochemical and pharmacological importance.