Tree barks used for ethnomedicine by primitive tribes of Paderu Division, Alluri Sitarama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh

Investigation on ethnomedicinal significance of tree bark used by primitive tribes of Paderu division, Alluri Sitarama Raju District, Andhra Pradesh. A total of 99 species of medicinal tree species belong to 74 genera and 39 families are commonly used to treat 78 types of diseases. Out of 39 families, Moraceae had the highest proportion of medicinal plants followed by the Caesalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae, Apocynaceae, Anacardiaceae, Combretaceae, Lamiaceae and Rubiaceae each with 5 species. The people of this area have been using a variety of plants for treating different diseases and ailments. They have abundant indigenous knowledge about plant collection, dosage form preparation, and their utilization.


Introduction
India is a vast country with a variety of topographies, climates, vegetation and people.The significant differences among the barks of different species determine their use [1][2].The bark of Cinnamomum cassia is not only a spice, but also has antibacterial and antifungal effects; moreover it encourages appetite [3].Magnolia bark is traditionally used in Chinese and Japanese medicines [4].Tea tree bark is popularly used against diabetes in Brazil.The water stem extract lowers the blood-sugar level, increasing metabolism [5].Bark is important to the horticultural industry since in shredded form it is used for plants that do not thrive in ordinary soil, such as epiphytes [6].Collection, identification and documentation of the ethnomedicinal uses of tree barks by tribal community of Paderu division, Visakhapatnam District.

Study area
The Paderu division has harbours luxurious vegetation with coffee and pepper plantations on the hilly slopes.There are in Ananthagiri, Araku, Dumbriguda, Paderu (Minumuluru), G. Madugula, and Munchingiputtu mandals of this division.Paderu division belongs to newly formed Alluri Sitarama Raju district, Andhra Pradesh.The division lies in between latitudes 17 o 50' and 18 o -35' north and longitude in between 82 o -17' and 83 o -1' East with a total geographical area of 3249.65 Sq.K.Ms.In this district different primitive tribal groups like Konda Dora, Valmiki, Nukha Dora, Manne Dora, Porja and Gadaba residing in the interial area of this division.

Methodology
Collected specimens were made into herbarium as per the methods suggested by Jain & Rao [7].The collected specimens ware identified only after a critical examination with the help of different floras like Flora of the Presidency of the Madras [8].Flora of Visakhapatnam District [9] and Flora of Vizianagaram District [10].The voucher specimens were deposited at the Botany Department Herbarium (BDH), Andhra University, Visakhapatnam.

Results and discussion
Among the 30 traditional medical practitioners interviewed, 20 of them were men and 10 were women.Their ages ranged from 28 to 70 years, with 60% of them being older than 50.In Table 1, it is reported that 99 species of medicinal tree species belong to 74 genera and 39 families, and are commonly used to treat 78 types of diseases.It is interesting to note that the Moraceae had the highest proportion of medicinal plants (12%), followed by the Caesalpiniaceae (7%), Mimosaceae and Apocynaceae (6% each), and Anacardiaceae, Combretaceae, Lamiaceae and Rubiaceae (5% each).Each of all other families had less than four plant species associated with the treatment of the diseases documented in Table 1.Most of the plant species were used to treat one disease, while some were used to treat two or more diseases.The plant species used to treat the highest percentage of diseases were Acacia nilotica (Linn.)Willd and Anthocephalus cadamba Miq.each reported to treat five diseases and Holoptelea integrifolia (Roxb.)Planch and Haldinia cordifolia (Roxb.)Ridsd.Each reported to treat four diseases.In terms of frequency of medicinal plant uses, the highest percentage of plant species (5% each ) were used to treat stomachache, Skin Diseases, Galactagogue and followed by (4% each) Jaundice, Diarrhoea and Asthma and Bone fracture, Leucorrhoea, Scabiesand Wounds (3% each), Other diseases were treated with less than 2% of the medicinal plants recorded.Some specific herbal preparations were taken by mixing with food, honey or drunk together with coffee prepared from leaves of the coffee plant.Most medicinal plant preparations were taken orally (75.6%), while 24.4% were administered topically for diseases such as skin infections and wounds.
The finding that majority of the informants interviewed were aged above 50 years augments [11].This implies that the elderly people are the main custodians of traditional knowledge, and this poses a serious challenge of the knowledge gap between the elderly and the young generation if framework to ensure apprenticeship is not put in place.Trees are the most valuable natural resources that have an immense importance both to living organisms and to derive economy to the country.Trees form the major structural and functional basis of tropical forest ecosystems and can serve as robust indicators of changes at the landscape scale [12].A tree is a woody plant that reaches a minimum height of at least 3m having a single stem with a definite crown shape [13].Padal et.al [14]

Conclusion
The present study revealed that the tribal people of Paderu Division, Alluri Sitarama Raju District, In Andhra Pradesh is rich in plant resources that are traditionally used as medicines.The people of this area have been using a variety of plants for treating different diseases and ailments.They have abundant indigenous knowledge about plant collection, dosage form preparation, and their utilization.The medicinal values of tree barks different plant species were recorded for the first time in the district.The medicinal properties of the plants were justified by comparing them with relevant literature published from different parts of the world.The domestication of medicinal plants will create new opportunities for the local people such as provision of an alternative income and could help reduce the pressure on the wild population.Successful conservation strategies should be developed and priority given to sustainable harvesting of the plants.