Documentation on ethnomedicinal usages of different Dioscorea species (Yams) amongst the people of Bodoland Territorial Region, Assam, India
Paper Details
Documentation on ethnomedicinal usages of different Dioscorea species (Yams) amongst the people of Bodoland Territorial Region, Assam, India
Abstract
Since the beginning of time, people have been using plants as a food source and as a medicine to treat various ailments. The current study aimed to explore and document the medicinal uses of Dioscorea (yams) in Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR), Assam. A survey was conducted among the people residing in four districts of BTR viz., Chirang, Kokrajhar, Baksa and Udalguri. The study shows that nine different species of Dioscorea namely, Dioscorea alata L., Dioscorea bulbifera L., Dioscorea deltoidea Wall. ex Griseb, Dioscorea esculenta (Lour.) Burkill., Dioscorea hamiltonii Hook.f., Dioscorea hispida Dennst., Dioscorea pentaphylla L., Dioscorea pubera Blume. and Dioscorea villosa L. occurring in this region have been used as a food source as well as for the treatment of various health ailments by different ethnic communities residing in this region. The relative abundance of individual Dioscorea species was also calculated and the result revealed that Dioscorea alata has the highest relative abundance in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Udalguri district, while in Baksa District; Dioscorea bulbifera has the maximum relative abundance.
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Bhaigyaroti Muchahary, Uma Dutta (2022), Documentation on ethnomedicinal usages of different Dioscorea species (Yams) amongst the people of Bodoland Territorial Region, Assam, India; JBES, V21, N5, November, P46-55
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