Ethnobotanical studies on Medicinal Plants used by Yanadi Tribes of Kaigal, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Without plants, it is difficult to fathom life on earth. They are the fundamental substrate of life. They are responsible for the air we breathe, the food we eat, the fuel we drive, the clothes we wear, and the medicines we take. The relationship between Homo sapiens and plants is deeply intertwined. And, it traces back to the beginning of human existence.Traditionally, ethnobotanical knowledge is transmitted verbally, without the use of written records, within indigenous tribes (Perumal Samy and Ignacimuthu, 2000). Hence, it is crucial to document indigenous knowledge through ethnobotanical studies. One of the effective methods for finding new drugs is through an ethnobotanical survey (Fabricant and Farnsworth, 2001). Based on ethnobotanical data, several active substances have been found in plants and exploited as patented medications. About one-fourth of the common medications used globally have reportedly been developed from plants for a few millennia (Ernst, 2005). 219 of the top 252 commonly used medicine formulations are made entirely of plants (Dobson, 1995). The utilization of ethnobotanical data in medicinal plant research has increased over the past few decades since indigenous people are a trustworthy source of information on medicinal plants (Iwu et al., 1999).