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PLANT REMEDIES OF A UNANI MEDICINAL PRACTITIONER IN
BHOLA DISTRICT, BANGLADESH
K.M. Istieake Ahmed, Sabbir Ahmed Opu, Ahmed Abrar Muttaki, Md. Al-Mamun,
Md. Tabibul Islam, Protiva Rani Das, Mohammed Rahmatullah*
Department of Pharmacy, University of Development Alternative, Lalmatia, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
ABSTRACT
Background. Unani form of traditional medicinal practice is common
in Bangladesh and has a large number of practitioners. The objective of
this study was to document the medicinal plants and formulations used
by a Unani medicinal practitioner in Bhola Sadar of Bhola district,
Bangladesh. Methods. Interview of the practitioner was carried out
with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-
walk method. Results. The practitioner used a total of 44 plants
distributed into 30 families for treatment. The various diseases treated
included lung and respiratory tract disorders, gastrointestinal disorders,
skin disorders, fever, helminthiasis, cuts and wounds, gum and tooth
disorders, coughs, mucus, chicken pox, snake bite, burning sensations
in body, diabetes, piles, spleen disorders, rheumatism, oral lesions,
pain, insomnia, conjunctivitis, dandruff, low sperm density, cholera,
infertility, epilepsy, and liver disorders. Conclusion. The medicinal plant knowledge of the
Unani practitioner is a valuable addition to the traditional medicinal plant knowledge of
Bangladesh.
KEYWORDS: Unani, traditional medicine, medicinal plants, Bhola, Bangladesh.
BACKGROUND
Unani medicinal practice originated in Greece, and Hippocrates is recognized as the
originator of this form of traditional medicinal practice. The Arabs introduced this practice in
a number of countries which they conquered including Egypt, Persia and India. The practice
was more developed and refined by the Muslim physicians, some of whom like Ibn Sina or
Article Received on
30 Aug 2015,
Revised on 21 Sep 2015,
Accepted on 13 Oct 2015
*Correspondence for
Author
Dr. Mohammed
Rahmatullah
Department of Pharmacy,
University of
Development Alternative,
Lalmatia, Dhaka,
Bangladesh.
WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
SJIF Impact Factor 5.210
Volume 4, Issue 11, 186-198 Research Article ISSN 2278 – 4357
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Avicenna are still held in great esteem worldwide. In the Indian sub-continent, Unani form of
practice is widespread and has its own Colleges and established formularies.
Despite having established formularies, various Unani practitioners in their practice add more
plant formulations or treat diseases with new plants and as such contribute to the
development of Unani knowledge. We had been conducting ethnomedicinal surveys among
the various types of traditional medicinal practitioners for a number of years.[1-21]
The
objective of the present study was to document the medicinal plants and formulations used by
a Unani medicinal practitioner at Bhola Sadar in Bhola district, Bangladesh.
METHODS
The Unani medicinal practitioner (UMP, these practitioners are called Hekims) who was
interviewed was named Md. Raihan Ibne Habib, by gender male. Prior informed consent was
initially obtained from the UMP. The UMP was informed as to the nature of our visit and
consent obtained to disseminate any information provided including his name both nationally
and internationally. Actual interviews were conducted in the Bengali language, which was
spoken fluently by the UMP as well as the interviewers. The interviews were conducted with
the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method of Martin.[22]
and Maundu.[23]
In this method the UMP took the interviewers on guided field-walks through
areas from where he collected his medicinal plants or plant parts, pointed out the plants, and
described their uses. In a number of cases, the plants were obtained from collectors as
instructed by the UMP, and in such cases the collectors showed the interviewers the plant
species. All plant specimens were photographed and collected on the spot, pressed, dried and
brought back to Bangladesh National Herbarium at Dhaka for identification. Voucher
specimens were deposited with the Medicinal Plant Collection Wing of the University of
Development Alternative.
RESULTS
The UMP used a total of 44 plants distributed into 30 families for treatment. The various
diseases treated included lung and respiratory tract disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, skin
disorders, fever, helminthiasis, cuts and wounds, gum and tooth disorders, coughs, mucus,
chicken pox, snake bite, burning sensations in body, diabetes, piles, spleen disorders,
rheumatism, oral lesions, pain, insomnia, conjunctivitis, dandruff, low sperm density, cholera,
infertility, epilepsy, and liver disorders. The results are shown in Table 1.
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Both monoherbal and polyherbal formulations were used by the UMP. For instance,
indigestion was treated with whole plant of Eryngium foetidum. On the other hand, lung
disorders due to cold was treated with leaf juice of Justicia gendarussa mixed with fruit juice
of Borassus flabellifer and mishri (crystalline sugar) and advised to be orally taken for 1-2
weeks. Occasionally, the UMP used the same plant or plant part to treat multiple disorders of
a diverse nature. An example is the use of Enhydra fluctuans to treat both chicken pox and
snake bite. Some interesting uses of medicinal plants by the UMP were use of Coccinia
grandis to treat diabetes (the disease cannot be cured with allopathic medicine), and the use
of Cucurbita maxima to reduce cholesterol. High cholesterol levels can lead to cardiovascular
disorders and both diabetes and cardiovascular disorders are rapidly becoming endemic
throughout the world. As such, simple plant-based cures can be extremely beneficial to the
world population.
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Table 1. Medicinal plants and formulations of the Unani medicinal practitioner in Bhola district, Bangladesh.
Serial Number Scientific Name Family Name Local Name Parts used Ailments and mode of medicinal use
1 Justicia gendarussa
Burm.f. Acanthaceae Neel nishinda Leaf
Lung disorders due to cold. Leaf juice of Justicia
gendarussa is mixed with fruit juice of Borassus
flabellifer and mishri and orally taken for 1-2
weeks.
2 Eryngium foetidum
L. Apiaceae Bilati dhoinna Whole plant
Indigestion. Juice obtained from crushed whole
plant is taken orally.
3 Carissa carandas L. Apocynaceae Koromcha Fruit, leaf, root
To strengthen skin and blood vessels, to stop
bleeding. Unripe fruits are taken orally.
Fever. Leaves are boiled in water and the water
taken orally.
Itches, helminthiasis. Root juice is orally taken.
4
Alocasia
macrorrhizos (L.)
G.Don.
Araceae Kath kochu,
Maan kochu Root
Infection of throat. A small piece of root is
crushed and applied inside throat to get rid of pus
and infected blood. The infection is also healed
within 3-4 days.
5 Colocasia esculenta
(L.) Schott Araceae Kochu
Sap from upper
part of stem
Cuts and injuries on skin. Sap from upper part of
stem is applied.
6 Areca catechu L. Arecaceae Supari Nut, root
Vomiting tendency. Dry nuts are chewed.
To remove nicotine odor from mouth. Dry nuts are
chewed.
Bleeding from gums, foul odor in mouth. Bark of
Azadirachta indica and roots of Areca catechu are
boiled in water followed by gargling with the
water.
7 Borassus flabellifer
L. Arecaceae Tal Fruit
Coughs, mucus during the rainy season. Fruit juice
is orally taken.
See Justicia gendarussa.
8 Cocos nucifera L. Arecaceae Narikel Oil from fruit See Hibiscus rosa sinensis.
9 Enhydra fluctuans Asteraceae Helencha shak Whole plant Chicken pox, snake bite. Crushed whole plant is
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Lour. either taken orally or applied topically to pustules
(during chicken pox) or to snake-bitten area.
10 Mikania cordata
(Burm.f.) B.L. Rob. Asteraceae Pakistani lota Leaf
Cuts and wounds. Leaf paste is applied as
poultice.
11 Tagetes erecta L. Asteraceae Ganda Leaf, flower
Skin infection, injury. Leaf juice is topically
applied.
Tumor, cancer. Extract of flower is taken orally.
12 Basella alba L. Basellaceae Puin shak Leaf, stem
Fever due to chicken pox. Leaf and stem juice is
orally taken.
Mucus. Half cup juice from leaf and stem is taken
orally with ½ cup warm water.
13 Opuntia dillenii (Ker
Gawl.) Haw. Cactaceae Foni monsha Leaf
Burning sensations in body. Leaves are boiled in
water and ½ poa (local measure, 4 poas
approximate 1 kg) water is taken orally.
14 Terminalia catappa
L. Combretaceae Kath badam Oil, fruit
To strengthen body and bones. Oil is used to
massage whole body.
To control blood sugar. Fruits are taken orally.
15 Kalanchoe pinnata
(Lam.) Pers. Crassulaceae Pathor chuna Leaf
Bloating. Juice obtained from 4-5 leaves is mixed
with one teaspoonful mishri and one cup of warm
water and taken orally.
16 Coccinia grandis (L.)
Voigt Cucurbitaceae Kola kochu Leaf
Diabetes. Half cup of leaf juice is mixed with a
glass of water, slightly warmed and taken orally in
the morning and evening daily.
17 Cucurbita maxima
Duchesne Cucurbitaceae Mishti kumra Fruit, seed
To reduce cholesterol, to aid digestion,
constipation. Fruits are orally taken.
To reduce drying of skin during winter. Fruit paste
is topically applied to skin.
Insomnia. Seeds are orally taken.
18 Lagenaria siceraria
(Molina) Standl. Cucurbitaceae Lau Fruit
Ulcer, constipation, piles. Fruits are taken orally.
Fever due to spleen disorders, fever with burning
sensations in the body, vomiting or vomiting
tendency. Fruits are roasted and then the juice is
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extracted by squeezing. Juice is taken orally with
½ teaspoon of honey.
19 Dillenia indica L. Dilleniaceae Chalta Fruit
Bloating, coughs, rheumatism, spleen disorders.
Ripe fruit juice is taken orally with mishri
(crystalline sugar).
Fever. Fruit juice of Dillenia indica is mixed with
fruit juice of Citrus limon and mishri and orally
taken.
20 Diospyros blancoi
A.DC. Ebenaceae Gab Fruit
Oral lesions. Fruit juice is mixed with a small
amount of water and used for gargling for several
days.
To remove scars from abscesses. Fruit juice is
topically applied to scars for several days.
Hiccups in children. Dried and powdered fruit is
taken orally with a small amount of honey.
21 Codiaeum
variegatum (L.) Juss. Euphorbiaceae Pata bahar Leaf
Pain. Leaf juice of Codiaeum variegatum is boiled
with fruit oil of Olea europaea and massaged on
the painful areas.
22 Phyllanthus emblica
L. Euphorbiaceae Amloki Fruit See Hibiscus rosa sinensis.
23 Albizia saman F.
Muell. Fabaceae Rain tree Leaf
Insomnia. Leaves are boiled in water with mishri
and then kept under the sun for 1 hour. The water
is then taken orally 2-3 times daily.
24 Mimosa pudica L. Fabaceae Lojjaboti Whole plant
Spleen disorders occurring during rainy season
and autumn. Whole plant is boiled in water till the
volume reaches 1 cup. The water is then strained
and orally taken.
25
Cinnamomum tamala
(Buch.-Ham.) T.
Nees & Eberm.
Lauraceae Tejpata Leaf
Abscess. Paste of leaves is topically applied to
reduce pain.
To clean body. Leaf paste is used instead of soap
during bathing.
Tooth infection. Dried and powdered leaves are
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used to brush teeth.
26 Hibiscus rosa
sinensis L. Malvaceae Joba Flower, bark
Conjunctivitis, baldness, flaking of skin from palm
of hands. Flower juice is topically applied to eyes,
scalp or palm.
Frequent urination but not diabetes. One teaspoon
of bark juice is taken orally with water for several
consecutive days.
Excessive dandruff, severe scalp infection that hair
has to be shaved off. Flowers of Hibiscus rosa
sinensis and Ixora coccinea in equal amounts are
mixed with half the amount of fruit paste of
Phyllanthus emblica and then boiled in coconut oil
(oil obtained from fruits of Cocos nucifera). After
the decoction has cooled down, it is applied to
scalp and kept for several hours followed by
washing off the decoction ad applying pure
coconut oil to scalp.
27
Malvaviscus
arboreus Dill. ex
Cav.
Malvaceae Sankar joba Leaf, flower To reduce body fat. Leaves and flowers are taken
orally.
28 Azadirachta indica
A. Juss. Meliaceae Neem Bark See Areca catechu.
29 Artocarpus
heterophyllus Lam. Moraceae Kanthal
Seed, seed pulp,
root
To strengthen the body. Seed and seed pulp is
orally taken.
Fever, diarrhea. Root juice is orally taken.
30 Artocarpus lakucha
Roxb. Moraceae Deua Bark
Severe skin infection. Powdered bark is applied
topically.
Low sperm density. One to one and half spoonful
of fruit juice is mixed with powdered mishri and
taken orally for at least a month.
31 Musa paradisiaca L. Musaceae Bichi kola Seed Helminthiasis. Crushed seeds are taken orally in
the morning and evening.
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32 Psidium guajava L. Myrtaceae Peyara Leaf, bark, root,
immature fruit
Cholera, dysentery, stomach disorders. Juice
obtained from crushed leaf, root, bark and
immature fruit is taken orally.
Skin infection, wounds. Leaf paste is topically
applied.
Toothache. Young leaves are chewed.
33 Bougainvillea glabra
Choisy Nyctaginaceae Bagan bilash Leaf
Helminthiasis. Leaf juice of Bougainvillea glabra
is orally taken with rhizome juice of Curcuma
caesia for a few days.
34 Nyctanthes arbor-
tristis L. Oleaceae Sheuli, Shefali Leaf
Helminthiasis. Leaf juice is taken orally with
warm water in the morning and evening.
Epilepsy. Leaf juice is slightly warmed and taken
orally during the first stages of epilepsy.
35 Olea europaea L. Oleaceae Jalpai Fruit oil, leaf
Cuts and wounds. Paste of leaves is applied
topically.
To stop hair loss. Fruit oil is slightly warmed and
massaged on the scalp.
See Codiaeum variegatum.
36 Peperomia pellucida
L. Piperaceae Peperomia Leaf
Cuts and wounds, injury, sprain, animal or insect
bite. Paste of leaves is applied as poultice or leaf
juice is applied drop by drop topically to affected
areas.
37 Bambusa bambos
(L.) Voss Poaceae Bansh
Flower, topmost
young aerial
part, young root
To increase fertility. Flowers are taken orally.
Diarrhea. Young topmost aerial part and root is
orally taken.
38 Eichhornia crassipes
(Mart.) Solms Pontederiaceae Kochuri pana Root
Liver disorders. Paste of root is orally taken with
honey for a few days.
39
Anthocephalus
chinensis (Lamk.)
Rich. ex Walp.
Rubiaceae Kodom Flower, leaf
Foul odor in mouth. Several flowers are sliced into
pieces and boiled in water followed by gargling
with the water in the morning and evening.
Oral infections in children. Leaves are boiled in
water followed by gargling with the water.
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Helminthiasis. Leaf juice is orally taken.
40 Ixora coccinea L. Rubiaceae Rangan Flower
Eczema, cracking of soles of feet, infections
within fingers, skin disorders of hands or feet. One
handful of flowers are boiled in coconut oil and
applied topically till cure.
See Hibiscus rosa sinensis.
41 Citrus limon (L.)
Burm.f. Rutaceae Lebu Fruit See Dillenia indica.
42 Citrus maxima
(Burm.f.) Merr. Rutaceae Jambura
Leaf, flower,
fruit
To reduce cholesterol, rheumatic pain, to aid
digestion. Fruits are taken orally.
Epilepsy. Leaf, flower and skin of fruit are boiled
in water and the water taken orally.
43 Manilkara zapota
(L.) P. Royen Sapotaceae Sofeda Fruit Fever. Fruits are taken in the form of sherbet.
44 Curcuma caesia
Roxb. Zingiberaceae Hudi, Shuti Rhizome See Bougainvillea glabra.
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DISCUSSION
Unani practice has evolved over two thousand years and is still evolving. Because of the large
time span of the practice, Unani practitioners in different countries has had enough time and
opportunities to discover novel medicinal uses of not only plants that have been in various
Unani formularies of various time periods, but also discover medicinal uses of plants that
have not been discovered before. That the practice has merit is demonstrated not only by its
continuation over thousands of years but also demonstrated by the number of adherents to
this practice (i.e. the number of practitioners and their number of patients). The other
beneficial thing about this form of practice is the availability and affordability of the plants
and the formulations, which provides considerable economic relief to the patients.
Diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disorders or epilepsy are difficult to treat with
allopathic medicine. From that view point, plants like Coccinia grandis, Cucurbita maxima,
and Nyctanthes arbor-tristis deserve special attention, these plants being used by the UMP to
treat diabetes, reduce cholesterol, and treat epilepsy, respectively. All three plants are
common in Bangladesh, and Cucurbita maxima is widely cultivated for its fruits, which are
cooked and eaten as vegetable. Lagenaria siceraria is also widely cultivated in Bangladesh
for its fruits, which are cooked and eaten as vegetable. The UMP used the fruits of the plant
to treat ulcer, constipation, piles, fever due to spleen disorders, fever with burning sensations
in the body, and vomiting or vomiting tendency. Easily available plants, because they are
cultivated and can be found throughout the year, are one aspect of the present UMP’s
treatment and deserve scientific studies for proper validation.
The blood sugar lowering effect of Coccinia grandis has been reported in human subjects and
the plant has been described as possibly a new drug source for diabetes treatment. [24]
The
cholesterol lowering effect of Cucurbita maxima fruits has also been described. [25]
The two
examples suggest that Unani medicinal formulations do have scientific merit.
CONCLUSION
Unani medicinal practice has evolved over thousands of years and is still evolving as Unani
practitioners discover more and more novel uses of plants for treatment of various diseases.
As such, the plants used by the UMP in the present study are of scientific interest towards
discovery of new formulations and more effective drugs.
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Conflicts of interest
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.
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