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

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Research Paper 06/10/2023
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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.

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