Study documents 39 medicinal plants used by Sonowal Kachari tribe in Assam.

Key facts

• Researchers from Nagaland University and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Dibrugarh, identified 39 plants used by the Sonowal Kachari community in Lakhimpur district, Assam, for treating ailments like fever, dysentery, cough, skin diseases, stomach disorders and arthritis.
• The study was conducted through face-to-face interviews with 180 tribal elders aged 50 years and above between April 2022 and November 2023.
• Commonly used plants include Acorus calamus for cough and fever, Aegle marmelos (bael) for dysentery, Aloe vera for burns and skin diseases, Azadirachta indica (neem) for infections, and Bryophyllum pinnatum for kidney stones.
• Leaves were the most frequently used plant part, followed by roots, fruits and flowers; most plants were herbs, with others being trees, climbers and shrubs.
• The findings were published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine.