Maida leaf and Arna haldi-A potent ethnomedicine for bone fracture

Abstract

A survey trip  to  collect  the  ethnomedicinal plant  and  document their  medicinal uses  by  native   tribal people.  This  survey area is  one  of the hot  spot   of  plant  diversity representing  north   western tarai   forest of  Uttar Pradesh. We  collected about 55 plants of  ethnomedicinal importance  belonging to  different families. The  most  astonishing scene  was  observed in Dudwa   when  our  vehicles   were  stopped near Banke  tal  in  Sonaripur  forest range and  our  drivers started to dug  something. They were  not  in  a position to  waste  their  time  for  conversations with  us.  They  want  to  collect the  material in  maximum  quantity, We  asked them  not  to  do  so  because  it  is  an  offensive act.  Our  driver later told  that   the  rhizome which   they   have   collected  is  locally known as Ama  Haldi  and   since  it  has  countless ethnomedicinal uses,  we  try to  keep  always in  house  in one  way  or  other. The  most  important information we got  was  that Ama  Haldi   is  very useful  in  bone   fracture  along with  Maida leaf.   Later on  the  same   driver introduced us  about  the  Maida   plant. We  were  later confirmed by  our  guide  Mr.  Baddal  Singh  Rana  who  is  a local  Tharu tribe, that if the  poultice of  Maida  leaf  along  with  Ana haldi  is  tide  over  bone  fracture  after  setting the  same  by  local  orthopedic healer and  taken orally also,  the  pain  and  inflation is  vanished   and  the  fracture heals  within a  very  short span   of  time.  We  later  identified Meda or  Maida  as  Litsea glutinosa (Lour.) CB (Lauraceae) and  Ama  Haldi   as  Curcuma  amada Roxb.,  (Zingiberaceae). In  addition  to  the  healing  power of Maida leaf  and  Ama  Haldi  in  bone  fracture both  have  countless  other ethnomedicinal uses  especially Ama  Haldi.