An Ethnobotanical Survey on Medicinal Plants used to treat Urinary Tract Infections in Kanyakumari District

Abstract

This study is an attempt made to explore the indigenous knowledge of medicinal flora used to treat urinary tract infections in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu, India. The information was collected by intensively interviewing the indigenous people, experienced aged rural folks, traditional healers and herbal drug sellers of Kanyakumari district. A total of 29 medicinal plants belonging to 21 families were identified to be used as curative agents against urinary tract infections by dwellers of Kanyakumari district. The medicinal plants were arranged alphabetically based on its botanical name and other details such as local names in Tamil, family name, plant part used, method of preparation and route of administration were recorded. The indigenous knowledge obtained through this survey might aid the scientific community to investigate these plants for discovery of bioactive compounds that could serve as curative agents against urinary tract infections in future.