Traditionally used herbal remedies by the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya: A Review

Abstract

Meghalaya, one of the seven sisters of North-East India, is bestowed with many plant species of medicinal importance. Herbal remedies have played an integral role in developing the cultural and spiritual life of the indigenous tribes of Meghalaya by assisting the primary healthcare needs of the people. In addition, the knowledge of traditional herbal medicine may serve as the basis for new drug discovery. However, the scientific community's vast ethnomedicinal knowledge of Meghalaya remains unexplored. In the present study, an effort has been made to shed light on the substantial folklore knowledge about various plant species that grow in the region, highlighting the traditional utilization method. A total of 150 medicinal plants belonging to 129 genera and 89 families were documented based on a thorough literature survey involving various research and review articles with an extensive search on PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier and other renowned journal sites.