home icon user icon
Welcome to International Network for Natural Sciences | INNS Pub.
Home My Account
Submit Manuscript
double_slash
breadcumb_bg

A study on the prevalence of ethno medicinal practices of some insects and arachnids by the Bodo Tribe of Kokrajhar District, Assam, India

Paper Details

Research Paper 06/10/2023
Views (384) Download (55)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

A study on the prevalence of ethno medicinal practices of some insects and arachnids by the Bodo Tribe of Kokrajhar District, Assam, India

Danswrang Basumatary, Kushal Choudhury
Int. J. Biosci.23( 4), 94-101, October 2023.
Certificate: IJB 2023 [Generate Certificate]
Key: BodoFidelity levelFolk medicineIndigenousTherapeuticTraditional knowledgeZootherapy

Abstract

Zootherapy is the treatment of human illnesses with therapeutic drugs acquired from animals or produced from them. The Bodos are ethnic and linguistic community, early settlers of Assam in the Northeast part of India. Eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults of certain insect species and arachnids have been components of the Zootherapy for thousands of years. The survey was conducted in the rural areas of Kokrajhar district of Assam from February, 2022 to May, 2023. An inventory on the knowledge on the use of domesticated/wild therapeutic arthropods used by the Bodo tribe of the studied areas is presented here. The present study recorded 23 Arthropod species belonging to 17 families and 11 orders for treating at least 12 (Twelve) different kinds of human and animal ailments of which the most frequently cited ones amongst the ethnic groups were Coughs, Diarrhoea, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Stomach Ache, Wound Healing, Allergy, Epilepsy, Frequent Urination and bed wetting, Asthma, BP regulations and Typhoid in Cow. The dominant Arthropod orders reported in the study are the Araneae, Hymenoptera, Hempitera, Coleoptera, Orthoptera, Neuroptera, Isoptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Blattodea and Scorpiones are found to be the least. The ethno zoological knowledge of the Bodo tribe ranges from medicinal to edible uses. This study aims to make a comprehensive list of therapeutic insects and arachnids used by the Bodo tribe of Kokrajhar District, Assam.

VIEWS 123
Cover PDF

Chakravorty J, Ghosh S, Meyer-Rochow VB. 2011. Practices of entomophagy and entomotherapy by members of the Nyishi and Galo tribes, two ethnic groups of the state of Arunachal Pradesh (North-East India). Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine 7(1), 1-14.

Chantawannakul P. 2020. From entomophagy to entomotherapy. Frontiers in Bioscience-Landmark 25(1), 179-200.

Chhetri S, Bhutia D, Yonle R, Gurung Y. 2020.Ethnozoological practices among the inhabitants of Darjeeling hills of West Bengal, India. Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoology 41(14), 9-18.

Choudhary P, Sharma AK, Mishra YK, Nayak S. 2022. Entomotherapy medicinal significance of insects: a review. Journal of Pharmceutical Innovation 11, 25-29.

Choudhury K, Sarma D, Sapruna PJ, Soren AD. 2020. Proximate and mineral compositions of Samiacynthiaricini and Dytiscusmarginalis, commonly consumed by the Bodo tribe in Assam, India. Bulletin of the National Research Centre 44(1), 1-7.

Costa-Neto EM. 2002. The use of insects in folk medicine in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil, with notes on insects reported elsewhere in Brazilian folk medicine. Human Ecology 30(2), 245-263.

Costa-Neto EM. 2005. Entomotherapy, or the medicinal use of insects. Journal of Ethnobiology 25(1), 93-114.

Devi WD, Bonysana R, Kapesa K, Mukherjee PK and Rajashekar Y. 2023. Edible insects: as traditional medicine for human wellness. Future Foods 100219.

Devi WD, Bonysana R, Kapesa K, Mukherjee PK, Rajashekar Y. 2022. Ethnotherapeutic practice of entomophagy species by the ethnic community of Tangkhul, Mao and Poumai community of Manipur, NER India. Journal of Ethnic Foods 9(1), 17.

Doley AK, Kalita J. 2012. Traditional uses of insect and insect products in medicine and food by the Mishing tribe of Dhemaji District, Assam, North-East India. Social Science Researcher 1(2), 11-21.

Dutta L, Ghosh SS, Deka P, Deka K. 2016. Terrestrial edible insects and their therapeutic value in MoridhalPanchayat of Dhemaji district, Assam, Northeast-India. International Journal of Fauna and Biological Studies 3(6), 11-4.

Endle S. 1911. The Kacharis. Macmillan and Company, limited.

Ghosh Sasanka S, Deka K. 2015. Therapeutic use of insects by the Garo tribe of Goalpara district, Assam. Zoon, Annual Journal 13, 59-64.

Kato D, Gopi GV. 2009. Ethnozoology of Galo tribe with special reference to edible insects in Arunachal Pradesh.

Kemprai SR, Tamuli AK, Teron R. 2022. Entomotherapy: A study of medicinal insects of three ethnic groups in Semkhor Area, Dima Hasao District, Assam.

Machkour-M’Rabet S, Hénaut Y, Winterton P, Rojo R. 2011. A case of zootherapy with the tarantula Brachypelmavagans Ausserer, 1875 in traditional medicine of the Chol Mayan ethnic group in Mexico. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 7(1), 1-7.

Majumder SC, Dey A. 2005. Studies on some enthnomedicinal arachnids and insects in relation to their usage as drugs among the tribals of Sundarbans, West Bengal, India. Records of the Zoological Survey of India. Paper No. 236, 1-38.

Mozhui L, Kakati LN, Meyer-Rochow VB. 2021. Entomotherapy: a study of medicinal insects of seven ethnic groups in Nagaland, North-East India. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 17(1), 1-22.

Narzari S, Sarmah J. 2015. A study on the prevalence of entomophagy among the Bodos of Assam. Journal of entomology and zoological studies 3(2), 315-320.

Ouango M, Romba R, Drabo SF, Ouedraogo N, Gnankiné O. 2022. Indigenous knowledge system associated with the uses of insects for therapeutic or medicinal purposes in two main provinces of Burkina Faso, West Africa. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 18(1), 1-18.

Philip Samuel P, Govindarajan R, Krishnamoorthy R, Victor Jerald Leo SA, Paramasivan R, Arunachalam N. 2016. Entomophagy and entomotherapy practiced among the indigenous populations of Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu, India.

Submit Manuscript