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The north east India with its eastern Himalayan region is bestowed with diversified medicinal plants which include the globally significant medicinal herbs as well as the underutilized Ethno medicinal herbs. The region comprises of 8 administrative states including the biodiversity rich states of Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim of eastern Himalaya. More than 200 ethnic communities are residing in the region and majority of them are still dependent on locally available plants species for curing the different health ailments. Understanding the traditional knowledge and practices of these tribes not only pave the way for identification of the medicinal plants but also for finding new pharmaceutical leads and formulation of valuable drugs. To understand the important Ethno botanical knowledge and the herbal practices adopted by the indigenous people, the authors have been exploring the region continuously for the few years. During the field visits and ethno botanical data collection the authors could come across with many ethno medicinal plants which are used for different diseases and ailments. Although some of the medicinal plants used by these communities are already known for their therapeutic potential but the complete bioactive properties of these plants are yet to be explored. Moreover, the pharmacological relevance of some of these ethno medicinal plants needs to be experimented. This will certainly benefit the mankind and also the poor communities through benefit sharing of the commercial outcomes. The present paper discussed the ethno botanical uses and pharmacological potential of five medicinal plant species used by the local communities of North East India.

The botanical identity and uses of the five medicinal plants are as follows

 

1. Coptis teeta Wall family Rananculaceae habit Herb in which roots are used for malarial fever and also as tonic,

2. Campylandra aurantiaca Baker family Liliaceae habit Herb part of rhizomes are used for dysentery, diarrhea, stomachic,intestinal worm, malaria, arthritis etc.

3. Piper pedicellatum C. DC family Piperaceae, habit Shrub in which tender leaves are used to relief muscular and body painand also taken as nutritive vegetable,

4. Rhynchotechum ellipticum (Wallich ex D. Dietrich) A. de Candolle family Gesneriaceae habit Shrub in which leaves used as health tonic, improve lactation and muscle pain,

5. Gynura cusimbua (D. Don) S. Moore family Asteraceae habit Herb part of leafy shoots are used for cut & wound, stomachic, gastritis, hemorrhoids and constipation.