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Nagaland University Publishes First-of-its-Kind Study on Tribal Herbal Medicine
A publication from Nagaland University highlights one of India's rare and under-appreciated indigenous knowledge systems. Their researchers systematically recorded the ethnomedicine practices of the Sonowal Kachari tribe of Assam. This community has an oral tradition of herbal healing, and the authors trace and describe their methods for the first time.
Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, their study covers 39 species of herbal medicine, based on detailed interviews with 180 community elders. The study was co-authored by Pramod Chandra Dihingia, Wungsim Zimik, and Prabhakar Sharma of Nagaland University, and Deepika Borah of the Indian Council of Medical Research, Assam.
Why Researching This Topic is Beneficial for Students and Future Scholars
Students in pharmacy, botany, anthropology, public health, and agricultural sciences will find this research helpful. This research serves as a helpful introduction to studies that seek to balance the harmonisation of certain components of modern science and traditional practices. One of the findings of this research is that the Sonowal Kachari community uses a number of documented plant-based practices for the treatment of conditions, including fever, respiratory conditions, kidney stones, and skin problems.
These practices are used to meet primary healthcare needs. This is especially true for rural Indians, where the means to seek allopathic treatment is limited. This research illustrates that members of the Sonowal Kachari community utilise both modern and traditional practices, underscoring the need for a balanced approach to traditional health practices and modern health care systems. Integrative practices are worthy of consideration in both research and policy.
What the Study Found About Plant-Based Treatments and Drug Discovery
This study goes beyond simply listing various plants and their uses. Instead, it introduces a quantitative system to identify which plants are most and least consistently utilised by the community. This approach is significant because the plants listed by various knowledge holders are likely to be most useful and credible for further testing. Dr Pramod Chandra Dihingia, Assistant Professor at Nagaland University, indicated that some listed plants have great utility and potential for development as drugs. So, the study is a first attempt at bioprospecting, as it reduces unnecessary screening of natural products for therapeutics.
Dihingia's opinion also indicates that the research reflects and balances traditional knowledge with scientific rigour, addresses national interests of affordable healthcare and conservation of the country’s biodiversity and natural products, and the field of natural product therapeutics.
The Need to Record Knowledge that is Disappearing
While the study presents unique findings, it also contains a warning. Younger generations in the Sonowal Kachari community show a troubling pattern: they are increasingly departing from their community's traditional ways, putting the community's knowledge at risk of being lost forever. When a community's oral tradition disappears, it cannot be extracted from any collection.
A conservation model is proposed in which knowledge is preserved and plant resources are used sustainably. Even beyond its scientific contribution, the study advocates for involving the community, suggests that universities and research institutions stop working next to indigenous groups, and also advocates for involving the tribes in their knowledge through commercial benefit sharing.
Nagaland University's Place in Exploring Indigenous Knowledge
Nagaland University has incorporated ethnic knowledge into its curriculum. Established in 1994, Nagaland University is the 13th Central University of India and has campuses in 3 locations in Nagaland. The university offers courses from undergraduate to postdoctoral in arts and sciences, commerce, engineering, and management in 43 departments. It has 76 affiliated colleges around Nagaland. Currently, it is the most established university in Northeast India to engage in research on the region's rich and diverse biocultural heritage. The practice of traditional herbal medicine is culturally safe and has been found to be of great economic value for rural communities. In the words of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, 'Researching these practices will not only help preserve our traditions, but will also open pathways to the development of sustainable healthcare practices.' This research will provide the foundation for other studies in healthcare practice, health policy, and health systems, particularly for new researchers and students. It will also promote interdisciplinary research in areas such as clinical practice, biocomponents, and community conservation.
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