The Journal of Indian Botanical Society
Year : 2021, Volume : 101, Issue : 1and2
First page : ( 131) Last page : ( 139)
Print ISSN : 0019-4468. Online ISSN : 2455-7218.
Article DOI : 10.5958/2455-7218.2021.00018.8

Floristic inventory of leafy vegetables with special reference to their ethnomedicinal uses in Balasore district of Odisha, India

Noor Niquehat, Satapathy Kunja Bihari^*

School of Applied Sciences, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar-752050, Odisha

^*Email: kbs_bot@rediffmail.com

Online published on 5 October, 2021.

Abstract

Nature has gifted indigenous leafy vegetables with innate nutritional and therapeutic potential for curing various ailments. The indigenous leafy vegetables play a crucial role in addressing health issues in rural areas where modern health care facilities are inadequate. Unfortunately, the traditional medicinal knowledge associated with leafy vegetables is declining at a faster rate due to lack of awareness among the public about their multifaceted benefits. The present investigation was carried out in Balasore district, Odisha, India in order to explore the ethnomedicinal uses of indigenous leafy vegetables among the tribal inhabitants. A total of 51 plant species belonging to 50 genera under 27 families were recorded. There is an urgent need for preservation and perpetuation of ethnomedicinal knowledge related to indigenous leafy vegetables which are on the verge of extinction in the coming decades. By investigating these plants for the presence of important bioactive components they can be explored for discovery of new herbal drugs.

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Keywords

Ethnomedicinal, Indigenous, Leafy vegetables, Balasore, Odisha.

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