Indigenous knowledge and phytochemical analysis of potential medicinal plants of Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary in Odisha, India

Kuldiha wildlife sanctuary in the Balasore district of the state of Odisha in India is endowed with rich biodiversity including medicinal plants. People of various ethnic groups in this region have rich indigenous knowledge about the medicinal plants, which are used for the treatment of various ailments. During the present investigation, ethno-medicinal studies have been conducted in different locations of Kuldiha wildlife Sanctuary and its adjoining regions. Phytochemical analysis of some potential medicinal plants reveals the presence of some phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, glycosides, phenol, tannin, and saponin which are responsible for their medicinal properties and provide evidence for the validation of the ethno medicinal data for further use. Further studies on these plants' quantitative phytochemical analysis and antimicrobial activities will provide much useful information for their applications in the herbal drug industry.