Post on 26-Mar-2020
Research ArticleTraditional Uses of Medicinal Plants in Polonnaruwa District inNorth Central Province of Sri Lanka
Mayuri Tharanga Napagoda 1 Thamudi Sundarapperuma2 Diroshi Fonseka2
Sachinthi Amarasiri2 and Prabath Gunaratna2
1Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna Galle 80000 Sri Lanka2Faculty of Allied Health Sciences University of Ruhuna Galle 80000 Sri Lanka
Correspondence should be addressed to Mayuri aranga Napagoda mayurinapagodayahoocom
Received 5 January 2019 Revised 9 April 2019 Accepted 15 May 2019 Published 28 May 2019
Academic Editor Marie-Aleth Lacaille-Dubois
Copyright copy 2019 Mayuri aranga Napagoda et al is is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution License which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in anymedium provided the original work isproperly cited
Sri Lanka harbors over 3000 plant species and most of these plants have been of immense importance in the traditional systems ofmedicine in the country Although there is a rich reserve of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants in-depth studies have notbeen pursued yet to compile the ethnoflora with traditional medicinal applications for the scientific community us as acontinuation of our ethnobotanical inventory work in different regions in the country the present study was carried out in one ofthe administrative districts in the North Central area of Sri Lanka known as Polonnaruwa district e information on thesignificance of medicinal plants as curative and preventive agents of diseases was collected through semistructured and open-ended interviews from 284 volunteers who were randomly recruited for the study Ethnobotanical data were analyzed usingrelative frequency of citation (RFC) family importance value (FIV) and use value (UV) Out of the total participants 537claimed the use of herbal remedies A total of 64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 plant families were recorded out of whichCoriandrum sativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species Out of the 42 plant families recorded the FIV was highest inZingiberaceae Coscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr was found as the plant with the highest use value Furthermore themajority of the nonusers of the herbal remedies were willing to adopt herbal products upon the scientific validation of theirtherapeutic potentialis study revealed that the indigenous herbal remedies are still popular among the local communities in thestudy area
1 Introduction
Medicinal plants have been used since time immemorial inboth developing and developed countries for exampleplants were considered as the material basis of traditionalChinese medicine (TCM) as well as many other ethnicmedicine traditions in China [1] while the utilization ofmedicinal plants as a fundamental component of the Africantraditional health-care system is believed as the oldest andthe most assorted of all therapeutic systems [2] Similarlythe Indian subcontinent is considered as a vast repository ofmedicinal plants that have been used in indigenous medicaltreatments and even in the present era of modern medicinetraditional health-care systems based on plants and plant-
derived products are therapeutically employed on the Indiansubcontinent [3] In the Sri Lankan context indigenoussystems of medicine are widely popular among large seg-ments of the Sri Lankan population despite the influx ofmodern Western medicine In general the traditional sys-tems of medicine available in the country are of four typesnamely Ayurveda Siddha Unani and Deshiya ChikitsaPlants and plant-based formulations are considered as es-sential components of the Ayurveda and Deshiya Chikitsasystems [4] Among the native flora of Sri Lanka more than1400 plants are employed for medicinal purposes [5]Considering the ethnobotanical data in other developingcountries in the world particularly in the neighboringcountry (India) [6] we could speculate that herbal
HindawiScientificaVolume 2019 Article ID 9737302 11 pageshttpsdoiorg10115520199737302
preparations are more popular among the rural commu-nities in Sri Lanka as well Hence a rich reserve of in-digenous knowledge of herbal remedies for various ailmentsis expected to have accumulated especially in the rural areasof the country e documentation of Sri Lankan medicinalplants to the scientific community was initiated during thecolonial period of the country specially with the de-scriptions of plant specimens collected by Paul Hermann inthe 1670s and also with Icones Plantarum Malabaricarum(1694ndash1718) [7 8] Although these sources represent a richsource of ethnobotanical knowledge from colonial Ceylononly a handful of ethnobotanical studies have been con-ducted over the recent years to document the traditionalknowledge on medicinal values of plant species used inindigenous medicine [9 10] In addition the book serieswritten by Jayaweera in 1982 on ldquoMedicinal plants (in-digenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo [11] are still popularamong scientists who are working on medicinal plants andtheir bioactivities however the scientific validation of thesetraditional claims is still at its infancy us as a continu-ation of our ethnobotanical inventory work in differentadministrative areas in Sri Lanka the present study wasundertaken to assess the significance and contribution ofmedicinal plantsherbal therapeutics to the day-to-day life ofthe inhabitants of Polonnaruwa district in the North Centralregion in Sri Lanka
As evident from the ethnobotanical studies conducted inother South Asian countries as well as in Africa the ruralcommunities exploit plants that are easily available in theirsurroundings for food and medicaments [12ndash14] For ex-ample a recent study conducted in Northern Pakistanrevealed that the local communities have a rich accessibilityof medicinal plants thus they opt herbal remedies as low-cost health care for respiratory disorders [15] Moreover inthe case of herbal therapeutics people are generally awareabout the harmful effects of synthetic medicines thus realizethe importance of a more natural way of life [10] Moreoverthe factors like low financial conditions and unavailability ofmodern health-care facilities would also limit the access ofrural people to synthetic medicines [16] Hence the studyarea for this research has a high potential for utilization andconsumption of medicinal plants due to the wide availabilityof valuable medicinal plants that are unique to the dry zoneof Sri Lanka as well as the presence of rural agriculturalcommunities Considering all these factors we hypothesizedthat the inhabitants in the study area for this research widelyutilize medicinal plants as easy and reliable remedies forcommon disease conditions
2 Materials and Methods
21 StudyArea Polonnaruwa district is located in the NorthCentral Province of Sri Lanka (Figure 1 Supplementary 1)and has an area of 3293 km2 e district is divided intoseven divisional secretariat divisions which are furthersubdivided into 295 ldquoGrama Niladharirdquo divisions ere are637 villages and the total population of the district is re-ported as 403335 e majority of the people in the districtare engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry e forest
coverage including the grasslands and marshy lands isestimated as 3466382 ha [17] Twelve government hospitalslocated within the district provide modern health-care fa-cilities while 16 Ayurvedic hospitals and a large number oftraditional healers within the local communities are re-sponsible for the provision of traditional health-care system
22 Ethnobotanical Field Survey and Data CollectionMedicinal plant use was documented in all seven divisionalsecretariat areas (ie Dimbulagala Elahera HingurakgodaLankapura Medirigiriya amankaduwa Welikanda seeSupplementary 1) in Polonnaruwa district is survey wascarried out from August 2015 to March 2018 and the datawere collected from 284 volunteers from the general pop-ulation of the district who were aged above 30 years fol-lowing the method described by Napagoda et al [10] Inbrief the participants were selected randomly from a list ofhouseholds in each divisional secretariat area and visits weremade to each of those households for data collection In-formed consent was obtained from each participant inwriting prior to the study A questionnaire was used tocollect the information on local name of the plants sourcepart(s) used method of traditional preparation and somedemographic information of the informants such as agegender and educational background (Supplementary 2)
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical re-view committee Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka SPSS version 20 was used to recode the collecteddata
23 Plant Specimen Collection and Preservation Plant spe-cies used as herbal remedies were collected dried preservedand mounted on herbarium sheets e plant materials wereidentified by one of the authors (MTN) who is a botanistBotanical names and families were verified using book seriestitled ldquoRevised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylonrdquo [18] and
100km60mi
Polonnaruwadistrict
Figure 1 Location of Polonnaruwa district
2 Scientifica
ldquoMedicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo[11] e botanical names have also been checked with thedata available at httpwwwtheplantlistorg e specimenswere deposited at the Herbarium in the Department ofBiochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka
24 Quantitative Analysis of the Ethnobotanical Informatione knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants wasquantitatively assessed by the relative frequency of citation(RFC) family importance value (FIV) of a plant family anduse value (UV) as described in our previous study [10] andthe method of Kayani et al [15] by substituting in therelevant equations given below RFC and FIV were calcu-lated to quantitatively determine the consensus betweeninformants on the use of medicinal plants in the region as itgives the local importance of a species or a family [15 19 20]
e value of RFC for a particular species of medicinalplants is based on the citing percentage of informants forthat particular species where RFC FCN (0ltRFClt 1) inwhich RFC is the relative frequency of citation FC is thenumber of informants who mentioned the species and N isthe total number of informants participating in the study
Family importance value (FIV) of a plant family wascalculated by taking the percentage of informants men-tioning the family where FIV FC (family)Ntimes 100 inwhich FC is the number of informants mentioning the plantfamily and N is the total number of informants participatingin the study
Use value indicates the relative importance of plantspecies known locally and the following formula was used todetermine UV UVi 1113936 UiNi in which Ui is the number ofuse reports described by each informant for species i andN isthe total number of informants describing the specificspecies i
3 Results and Discussion
As speculated the results of this study revealed that themajority of the inhabitants who have participated in thisstudy depended on the indigenous plant resources astreatments and preventive measures against a number ofdisease conditions
Out of the total of 284 informants 132 (537) claimedthe use of medicinal plants for the treatment of variousailments such as diabetes inflammatory conditions and skindiseases while the rest of the informants (463) mentionedthe nonadherence to herbal remedies In addition theseplants are also used as energy boosters and cosmeticsAmong those people 476 firmly believed in the safety andlow adverse effects associated with the herbal formulationsand mentioned this as a reason for their preference Inaddition the previous success with herbal remedies (3586)was also a main contributing factor for the people to con-tinue with plant-based therapies Unlike the observations ofour previous ethnobotanical study conducted in GampahaDistrict Western Province of Sri Lanka [10] some people(276) stated that the nonavailability of modern health-care
facilities in their villages was a reason for them to opt forherbal remedies e majority of the users (679) claimedthe use of herbal preparations at the initial stage of a diseasebefore going for any other medications while 2601 havementioned the simultaneous usage with other medicationsOnly 61 stated the use of herbal therapeutics as a lastresort when other treatment methods have failed eknowledge of the herbal remedies had transferred throughgenerations while the influence of media in promoting theuse of herbal therapeutics could not be neglected (Table 1)
e study revealed the use of 64 medicinal plants be-longing to 42 plant families out of which Coriandrumsativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species fol-lowed by Zingiber officinale Roscoe (RFC 0146) andHygrophila auriculata (Schumach) Heine (RFC 0109)e family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceae(228) (Table 2) e highest use value was reported forCoscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr e most domi-nant life form of the species reported was herbs (375Figure 2) e most frequently used part of the plant wasleaves (362 Figure 3) followed by seedsfruits (189)Medicinal plants used in folk herbal remedies were preparedand administered in various forms e most commonpreparation method was infusion (344) while 149 wereused in the form of a paste (Figure 4) e percentage of oraladministration (711) of herbal preparation was muchhigher than the external or topical application (243) andinhalation (46) Most of the crude drugs were preparedfrom single plant species however combinations of multiplespecies as well as the use of adjuvants such as honey sugarcoconut milk salt and coconut oil have also been reportedFor example a paste prepared from the fruit of Myristicafragrans Houtt with the juice of Citrus aurantifolia(Christm) Swingle is a common remedy for stomachachewhile honey or sugar is added to most of the infusions toreduce the bitter taste
e summary of the medicinal plant species used inPolonnaruwa district to treat various disease conditions isgiven in Table 3
As depicted in Figure 5 herbal remedies were used by theinhabitants of Polonnaruwa district against 15 broad cate-gories of ailmentsconditions reporting the highest numberof species against swellingspains or sprains Further thelocal people in the study area utilize medicinal plants(around 30 plant species) for the treatment of other classicalinflammatory symptoms like fever [10 21] or chronic in-flammatory diseases like asthma [22]
Interestingly the medicinal uses of some of the plantsmentioned by the informants have not been documented inthe literature particularly in the popular book series on SriLankan medicinal plants by Jayaweera [11] for example theuse of Spondias dulcis Parkinson for high blood pressure andHemidesmus indicus (L) R Br ex Schult Artocarpus het-erophyllus Lam and Scoparia dulcis L for diabetes ere-fore the documentation of this rich undocumentedethnobotanical knowledge could offer new avenues forpharmacological investigations on prospective new drugs ofherbal origin Moreover plant species like Asparagusracemosus Willd Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb Piper
Scientifica 3
betle L Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng Citrus aurantium LCitrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle and Zingiber offici-nale Roscoe have been identified as remedies for snake bitesin a recent ethnobotanical study conducted in Western andSabaragamuwa Provinces in Sri Lanka [9] however none ofthe informants participated in the present study mentionedabout the utility of those plants in the treatment of snakebites Besides some of the informants mentioned that thewealth of knowledge is rapidly diminishing due to the dearthof elderly people who are knowledgeable on folklore med-icine as well as lack of interest in younger generation tosystematically study these traditional healing systems usour findings would enable the preservation of localknowledge which is obtained by trial and error and trans-ferred over generations In addition a dramatic degradation
of habitat due to construction work and the ruthless use andoverexploitation of medicinal plants by local people and thetraders of medicinal plants solely for commercial purposeswere observed during the field survey As an example it hasbeen mentioned that there is a high demand in the localmarket specially for Salacia reticulata Wight a plant whichwas also documented in Icones PlantarumMalabaricarum as
Climbers(109)
Trees (235)
Herbs (375)
Shrubs (281)
Figure 2 Life form of the plants used as herbal remedies
Flowerinflorescences(43)
Whole plant(145)
Seedsfruits(189)
Twigsstembarkbulbsrhizome (174)
Roots (87)
Leaves (362)
Figure 3 Plant parts used in herbal preparations
Juice (69)Powder (34)
Oil (11)Smoke (46)
Paste (149)
Poultice (83)
Infusion (344)
Porridge(92)
Decoction(46)
Saladcurry(126)
Figure 4 Mode of utilization of plants to treat various diseaseconditions
Table 1 Statistics on the usage of herbal therapeutics
Parameter PercentageDemographic data of regular usersGenderMale 598Female 402Age group (years)30ndash45 340946ndash60 386461ndash75 2424gt75 303Educational backgroundUniversity degreediploma and above 2312 years of school education 1521ndash11 years of school education 825No schooling 0Source of informationknowledgeFrom parentsgrandparents 6042Neighboursfriends 1389Doctorstraditional physicians 764Media 1319Own experience 486Reason for usageSafeless side effects 4759Previous success 3586Easy access to the plant materials 1379High cost of other treatment methods 0Nonavailability of modern health-care facilities 276
Table 2 Family importance value (FIV) of the ten plant familieswith the highest FIV
Family FIV ()Zingiberaceae 228Apiaceae 199Acanthaceae 183Rutaceae 126Fabaceae 102Amaranthaceae 97Menispermaceae 93Apocynaceae 89Cucurbitaceae 81Meliaceae 77
4 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Medicinal
plantspeciesused
inPo
lonn
aruw
adistrict
totreatd
ifferentd
iseasecond
ition
s
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Acanthaceae
Adh
atodavasicaNees
MN-N
CP-01
Adh
atod
aSh
rub
Leaves
twigsroots
Infusio
npo
ultice
Swellin
gsin
jointscou
gh
asthma
catarrh
0073
156
Diarrheafeverasthma
Hygrophila
auric
ulata
(Schum
ach)Heine
MN-N
CP-02
Neerm
ulli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
ndecoction
porridge
Urinary
diseases
andurinary
calculiheadache
0109
11
Oedem
akidn
eyston
es
jaun
dicerheum
atism
Acoraceae
Acoruscalamus
LMN-N
CP-03
Wadakaha
Herb
Root
Infusio
npaste
madewith
milk
Cou
ghw
orm
infestation
0004
10
Asthm
arheumatism
bow
elcomplaintsinternal
ulceratio
n
Amaranthaceae
Aerva
lana
ta(L)Juss
MN-N
CP-04
Polpala
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Urinary
diseasesasan
energy
boosterto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypain
0085
157
Kidneyston
escou
gh
headache
Alternan
therasessilis(L)R
BrexDC
MN-N
CP-05
Muk
unuw
enna
Herb
Who
leplant
Salad
porridge
Body
paina
san
energy
booster
0012
167
Liverdiseasesa
cute
and
chronicpyelitissnakebites
Amaryllid
aceae
Allium
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-06
Sudu
lunu
Herb
Bulb
Infusio
npo
rridge
Asthm
astom
achachebo
dypain
0024
25
Asthm
agout
Anacardiaceae
Spon
dias
dulcisPa
rkinson
MN-N
CP-07
Amberella
Tree
Fruit
Coo
kwith
coconu
tmilk
Highbloo
dpressure
0008
10
Dysenteryrheum
atism
earache
Apiaceae
Centella
asiatica(L)Urb
MN-N
CP-08
Gotuko
laHerb
Who
leplant
Salad
juice
porridge
Catarrheye
diseasesa
san
energy
booster
0016
20
Kidneydiseasesskin
diseasesrheum
atism
fever
dysentery
painsepilepsy
Coria
ndrum
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-09
Koththamalli
Herb
Seeds
Infusio
nCold
feverasthma
body
pain
0163
17
Cold
fevercough
Trachyspermum
Roxburghianu
m(D
C)H
Wolff
MN-N
CP-10
Asamod
agum
Herb
Leaves
Salad
Stom
achacheworm
infestation
0020
14
Cou
ghasthm
adysentery
Apo
cynaceae
Hem
idesmus
indicus(L)R
BrexSchu
ltMN-N
CP-11
Iram
usu
Herb
Rootw
hole
plant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Cold
feverto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypaind
iabetes
0089
132
Purificationof
bloo
doedemaskin
rashescou
gh
asthma
Araceae
Lasia
spinosa(L)
waites
MN-N
CP-12
Koh
ilaHerb
Who
leplant
Porridge
Asan
energy
booster
0004
10
Piles
Arecaceae
Cocosnu
cifera
LMN-N
CP-13
Kurum
baTree
Tend
ercoconu
twater
Drink
Fever
0004
10
Diuretica
nthelm
intic
Asparagaceae
Asparagus
racemosus
Willd
MN-N
CP-14
Hathawariya
Clim
ber
Who
leplant
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculi
0024
10
Diureticd
ysentery
rheumatism
urinary
and
kidn
eydiseases
Aspho
delaceae
Aloevera
(L)Bu
rmf
MN-N
CP-15
Kom
arika
Herb
Leaves
Grind
togetthe
juice
Burnsforthegrow
thof
hair
0008
15
Swellin
gsb
urnsskin
diseasesu
rinary
diseases
fever
Scientifica 5
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Asteraceae
Acanthospermum
hispidum
DC
MN-N
CP-16
Katu-nerinchi
Herb
Leaves
Paste
Pain
inthejoints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
leprosy
Eclip
taprostrata(L)L
MN-N
CP-17
Keekirind
iya
Herb
Who
leplant
Paste
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0012
10
Skin
diseasesu
lcers
stim
ulatethegrow
thof
hair
feverarthritis
Capparaceae
Cleomegyna
ndra
LMN-N
CP-18
Wela
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nPa
inin
joints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
Cratevaadan
soniiD
C
MN-N
CP-19
Lunu
warana
Tree
Bark
Decoctio
nUrinary
calculi
0036
10
Urinary
calculi
Celastraceae
Pleurostylia
opposita
(Wall)
Alston
MN-N
CP-20
Panakka
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Urinary
diseases
Com
bretaceae
Term
inalia
chebulaRe
tz
MN-N
CP-21
Aralu
Tree
Fruit
Powder
Fever
0016
10
Fevereyediseasesp
iles
chronicdysentery
Term
inalia
belliric
a(G
aertn)Ro
xbM
N-N
CP-
22Bu
luTree
Fruit
Powder
Feverdiarrhea
0012
167
Diarrhea
feversore
eyes
Costaceae
Costus
speciosus(JKoenig)
Sm
MN-N
CP-62
ebu
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0020
10
Fevercough
skin
diseases
Crassulaceae
Kalan
choe
laciniata(L)
DC
MN-N
CP-23
Akkapana
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nCou
ghasthm
acold
0008
20
Urinary
diseasesd
iarrhea
dysentery
cough
cold
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia
gran
dis(L)Voigt
MN-N
CP-24
Kow
akka
Vine
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0081
10
Diabetesurinarycalculi
skin
diseases
Elaeocarpaceae
Elaeocarpu
sserratus
LMN-N
CP-25
Veralu
Tree
Tend
erleaves
Juice
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0004
10
Dandruff
abscessesjoint
swellin
gs
Euph
orbiaceae
Phyllanthu
sem
blicaL
MN-N
CP-26
Nelli
Tree
Fruit
Poultice
Redn
essandsw
ellin
gsin
eye
0016
10
Inflammationin
eye
gono
rrheadiarrheau
rinary
diseases
Ricinu
scommun
isL
MN-N
CP-27
Enderu
Shrub
Leaves
Poultice
Headachejointp
ains
swellin
gs0020
16
Headachebo
ilsrheum
atism
Fabaceae
Bauh
inia
racemosaLam
MN-N
CP-28
Maila
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Painfeveru
rinary
diseases
Cassia
auric
ulataL
MN-N
CP-29
Ranawara
Shrub
Flow
er
leaves
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculito
purify
bloo
d0045
127
Feverdiabetesu
rinary
diseasesrheum
atism
eye
conjun
ctivitisskin
diseases
Sesban
iagran
diflora
(L)
Pers
MN-N
CP-30
Kathu
rumurun
gaSh
rub
Leaves
Salad
Fissuringof
lipu
lcersin
mou
th0032
10
Oedem
awou
ndseye
diseasescou
ghsfeverskin
diseases
Tamarindu
sindica
LMN-N
CP-31
Siyabala
Tree
Leaves
Paste
Swellin
gin
joints
0020
10
Boilsrheum
atism
6 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
preparations are more popular among the rural commu-nities in Sri Lanka as well Hence a rich reserve of in-digenous knowledge of herbal remedies for various ailmentsis expected to have accumulated especially in the rural areasof the country e documentation of Sri Lankan medicinalplants to the scientific community was initiated during thecolonial period of the country specially with the de-scriptions of plant specimens collected by Paul Hermann inthe 1670s and also with Icones Plantarum Malabaricarum(1694ndash1718) [7 8] Although these sources represent a richsource of ethnobotanical knowledge from colonial Ceylononly a handful of ethnobotanical studies have been con-ducted over the recent years to document the traditionalknowledge on medicinal values of plant species used inindigenous medicine [9 10] In addition the book serieswritten by Jayaweera in 1982 on ldquoMedicinal plants (in-digenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo [11] are still popularamong scientists who are working on medicinal plants andtheir bioactivities however the scientific validation of thesetraditional claims is still at its infancy us as a continu-ation of our ethnobotanical inventory work in differentadministrative areas in Sri Lanka the present study wasundertaken to assess the significance and contribution ofmedicinal plantsherbal therapeutics to the day-to-day life ofthe inhabitants of Polonnaruwa district in the North Centralregion in Sri Lanka
As evident from the ethnobotanical studies conducted inother South Asian countries as well as in Africa the ruralcommunities exploit plants that are easily available in theirsurroundings for food and medicaments [12ndash14] For ex-ample a recent study conducted in Northern Pakistanrevealed that the local communities have a rich accessibilityof medicinal plants thus they opt herbal remedies as low-cost health care for respiratory disorders [15] Moreover inthe case of herbal therapeutics people are generally awareabout the harmful effects of synthetic medicines thus realizethe importance of a more natural way of life [10] Moreoverthe factors like low financial conditions and unavailability ofmodern health-care facilities would also limit the access ofrural people to synthetic medicines [16] Hence the studyarea for this research has a high potential for utilization andconsumption of medicinal plants due to the wide availabilityof valuable medicinal plants that are unique to the dry zoneof Sri Lanka as well as the presence of rural agriculturalcommunities Considering all these factors we hypothesizedthat the inhabitants in the study area for this research widelyutilize medicinal plants as easy and reliable remedies forcommon disease conditions
2 Materials and Methods
21 StudyArea Polonnaruwa district is located in the NorthCentral Province of Sri Lanka (Figure 1 Supplementary 1)and has an area of 3293 km2 e district is divided intoseven divisional secretariat divisions which are furthersubdivided into 295 ldquoGrama Niladharirdquo divisions ere are637 villages and the total population of the district is re-ported as 403335 e majority of the people in the districtare engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry e forest
coverage including the grasslands and marshy lands isestimated as 3466382 ha [17] Twelve government hospitalslocated within the district provide modern health-care fa-cilities while 16 Ayurvedic hospitals and a large number oftraditional healers within the local communities are re-sponsible for the provision of traditional health-care system
22 Ethnobotanical Field Survey and Data CollectionMedicinal plant use was documented in all seven divisionalsecretariat areas (ie Dimbulagala Elahera HingurakgodaLankapura Medirigiriya amankaduwa Welikanda seeSupplementary 1) in Polonnaruwa district is survey wascarried out from August 2015 to March 2018 and the datawere collected from 284 volunteers from the general pop-ulation of the district who were aged above 30 years fol-lowing the method described by Napagoda et al [10] Inbrief the participants were selected randomly from a list ofhouseholds in each divisional secretariat area and visits weremade to each of those households for data collection In-formed consent was obtained from each participant inwriting prior to the study A questionnaire was used tocollect the information on local name of the plants sourcepart(s) used method of traditional preparation and somedemographic information of the informants such as agegender and educational background (Supplementary 2)
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical re-view committee Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka SPSS version 20 was used to recode the collecteddata
23 Plant Specimen Collection and Preservation Plant spe-cies used as herbal remedies were collected dried preservedand mounted on herbarium sheets e plant materials wereidentified by one of the authors (MTN) who is a botanistBotanical names and families were verified using book seriestitled ldquoRevised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylonrdquo [18] and
100km60mi
Polonnaruwadistrict
Figure 1 Location of Polonnaruwa district
2 Scientifica
ldquoMedicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo[11] e botanical names have also been checked with thedata available at httpwwwtheplantlistorg e specimenswere deposited at the Herbarium in the Department ofBiochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka
24 Quantitative Analysis of the Ethnobotanical Informatione knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants wasquantitatively assessed by the relative frequency of citation(RFC) family importance value (FIV) of a plant family anduse value (UV) as described in our previous study [10] andthe method of Kayani et al [15] by substituting in therelevant equations given below RFC and FIV were calcu-lated to quantitatively determine the consensus betweeninformants on the use of medicinal plants in the region as itgives the local importance of a species or a family [15 19 20]
e value of RFC for a particular species of medicinalplants is based on the citing percentage of informants forthat particular species where RFC FCN (0ltRFClt 1) inwhich RFC is the relative frequency of citation FC is thenumber of informants who mentioned the species and N isthe total number of informants participating in the study
Family importance value (FIV) of a plant family wascalculated by taking the percentage of informants men-tioning the family where FIV FC (family)Ntimes 100 inwhich FC is the number of informants mentioning the plantfamily and N is the total number of informants participatingin the study
Use value indicates the relative importance of plantspecies known locally and the following formula was used todetermine UV UVi 1113936 UiNi in which Ui is the number ofuse reports described by each informant for species i andN isthe total number of informants describing the specificspecies i
3 Results and Discussion
As speculated the results of this study revealed that themajority of the inhabitants who have participated in thisstudy depended on the indigenous plant resources astreatments and preventive measures against a number ofdisease conditions
Out of the total of 284 informants 132 (537) claimedthe use of medicinal plants for the treatment of variousailments such as diabetes inflammatory conditions and skindiseases while the rest of the informants (463) mentionedthe nonadherence to herbal remedies In addition theseplants are also used as energy boosters and cosmeticsAmong those people 476 firmly believed in the safety andlow adverse effects associated with the herbal formulationsand mentioned this as a reason for their preference Inaddition the previous success with herbal remedies (3586)was also a main contributing factor for the people to con-tinue with plant-based therapies Unlike the observations ofour previous ethnobotanical study conducted in GampahaDistrict Western Province of Sri Lanka [10] some people(276) stated that the nonavailability of modern health-care
facilities in their villages was a reason for them to opt forherbal remedies e majority of the users (679) claimedthe use of herbal preparations at the initial stage of a diseasebefore going for any other medications while 2601 havementioned the simultaneous usage with other medicationsOnly 61 stated the use of herbal therapeutics as a lastresort when other treatment methods have failed eknowledge of the herbal remedies had transferred throughgenerations while the influence of media in promoting theuse of herbal therapeutics could not be neglected (Table 1)
e study revealed the use of 64 medicinal plants be-longing to 42 plant families out of which Coriandrumsativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species fol-lowed by Zingiber officinale Roscoe (RFC 0146) andHygrophila auriculata (Schumach) Heine (RFC 0109)e family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceae(228) (Table 2) e highest use value was reported forCoscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr e most domi-nant life form of the species reported was herbs (375Figure 2) e most frequently used part of the plant wasleaves (362 Figure 3) followed by seedsfruits (189)Medicinal plants used in folk herbal remedies were preparedand administered in various forms e most commonpreparation method was infusion (344) while 149 wereused in the form of a paste (Figure 4) e percentage of oraladministration (711) of herbal preparation was muchhigher than the external or topical application (243) andinhalation (46) Most of the crude drugs were preparedfrom single plant species however combinations of multiplespecies as well as the use of adjuvants such as honey sugarcoconut milk salt and coconut oil have also been reportedFor example a paste prepared from the fruit of Myristicafragrans Houtt with the juice of Citrus aurantifolia(Christm) Swingle is a common remedy for stomachachewhile honey or sugar is added to most of the infusions toreduce the bitter taste
e summary of the medicinal plant species used inPolonnaruwa district to treat various disease conditions isgiven in Table 3
As depicted in Figure 5 herbal remedies were used by theinhabitants of Polonnaruwa district against 15 broad cate-gories of ailmentsconditions reporting the highest numberof species against swellingspains or sprains Further thelocal people in the study area utilize medicinal plants(around 30 plant species) for the treatment of other classicalinflammatory symptoms like fever [10 21] or chronic in-flammatory diseases like asthma [22]
Interestingly the medicinal uses of some of the plantsmentioned by the informants have not been documented inthe literature particularly in the popular book series on SriLankan medicinal plants by Jayaweera [11] for example theuse of Spondias dulcis Parkinson for high blood pressure andHemidesmus indicus (L) R Br ex Schult Artocarpus het-erophyllus Lam and Scoparia dulcis L for diabetes ere-fore the documentation of this rich undocumentedethnobotanical knowledge could offer new avenues forpharmacological investigations on prospective new drugs ofherbal origin Moreover plant species like Asparagusracemosus Willd Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb Piper
Scientifica 3
betle L Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng Citrus aurantium LCitrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle and Zingiber offici-nale Roscoe have been identified as remedies for snake bitesin a recent ethnobotanical study conducted in Western andSabaragamuwa Provinces in Sri Lanka [9] however none ofthe informants participated in the present study mentionedabout the utility of those plants in the treatment of snakebites Besides some of the informants mentioned that thewealth of knowledge is rapidly diminishing due to the dearthof elderly people who are knowledgeable on folklore med-icine as well as lack of interest in younger generation tosystematically study these traditional healing systems usour findings would enable the preservation of localknowledge which is obtained by trial and error and trans-ferred over generations In addition a dramatic degradation
of habitat due to construction work and the ruthless use andoverexploitation of medicinal plants by local people and thetraders of medicinal plants solely for commercial purposeswere observed during the field survey As an example it hasbeen mentioned that there is a high demand in the localmarket specially for Salacia reticulata Wight a plant whichwas also documented in Icones PlantarumMalabaricarum as
Climbers(109)
Trees (235)
Herbs (375)
Shrubs (281)
Figure 2 Life form of the plants used as herbal remedies
Flowerinflorescences(43)
Whole plant(145)
Seedsfruits(189)
Twigsstembarkbulbsrhizome (174)
Roots (87)
Leaves (362)
Figure 3 Plant parts used in herbal preparations
Juice (69)Powder (34)
Oil (11)Smoke (46)
Paste (149)
Poultice (83)
Infusion (344)
Porridge(92)
Decoction(46)
Saladcurry(126)
Figure 4 Mode of utilization of plants to treat various diseaseconditions
Table 1 Statistics on the usage of herbal therapeutics
Parameter PercentageDemographic data of regular usersGenderMale 598Female 402Age group (years)30ndash45 340946ndash60 386461ndash75 2424gt75 303Educational backgroundUniversity degreediploma and above 2312 years of school education 1521ndash11 years of school education 825No schooling 0Source of informationknowledgeFrom parentsgrandparents 6042Neighboursfriends 1389Doctorstraditional physicians 764Media 1319Own experience 486Reason for usageSafeless side effects 4759Previous success 3586Easy access to the plant materials 1379High cost of other treatment methods 0Nonavailability of modern health-care facilities 276
Table 2 Family importance value (FIV) of the ten plant familieswith the highest FIV
Family FIV ()Zingiberaceae 228Apiaceae 199Acanthaceae 183Rutaceae 126Fabaceae 102Amaranthaceae 97Menispermaceae 93Apocynaceae 89Cucurbitaceae 81Meliaceae 77
4 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Medicinal
plantspeciesused
inPo
lonn
aruw
adistrict
totreatd
ifferentd
iseasecond
ition
s
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Acanthaceae
Adh
atodavasicaNees
MN-N
CP-01
Adh
atod
aSh
rub
Leaves
twigsroots
Infusio
npo
ultice
Swellin
gsin
jointscou
gh
asthma
catarrh
0073
156
Diarrheafeverasthma
Hygrophila
auric
ulata
(Schum
ach)Heine
MN-N
CP-02
Neerm
ulli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
ndecoction
porridge
Urinary
diseases
andurinary
calculiheadache
0109
11
Oedem
akidn
eyston
es
jaun
dicerheum
atism
Acoraceae
Acoruscalamus
LMN-N
CP-03
Wadakaha
Herb
Root
Infusio
npaste
madewith
milk
Cou
ghw
orm
infestation
0004
10
Asthm
arheumatism
bow
elcomplaintsinternal
ulceratio
n
Amaranthaceae
Aerva
lana
ta(L)Juss
MN-N
CP-04
Polpala
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Urinary
diseasesasan
energy
boosterto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypain
0085
157
Kidneyston
escou
gh
headache
Alternan
therasessilis(L)R
BrexDC
MN-N
CP-05
Muk
unuw
enna
Herb
Who
leplant
Salad
porridge
Body
paina
san
energy
booster
0012
167
Liverdiseasesa
cute
and
chronicpyelitissnakebites
Amaryllid
aceae
Allium
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-06
Sudu
lunu
Herb
Bulb
Infusio
npo
rridge
Asthm
astom
achachebo
dypain
0024
25
Asthm
agout
Anacardiaceae
Spon
dias
dulcisPa
rkinson
MN-N
CP-07
Amberella
Tree
Fruit
Coo
kwith
coconu
tmilk
Highbloo
dpressure
0008
10
Dysenteryrheum
atism
earache
Apiaceae
Centella
asiatica(L)Urb
MN-N
CP-08
Gotuko
laHerb
Who
leplant
Salad
juice
porridge
Catarrheye
diseasesa
san
energy
booster
0016
20
Kidneydiseasesskin
diseasesrheum
atism
fever
dysentery
painsepilepsy
Coria
ndrum
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-09
Koththamalli
Herb
Seeds
Infusio
nCold
feverasthma
body
pain
0163
17
Cold
fevercough
Trachyspermum
Roxburghianu
m(D
C)H
Wolff
MN-N
CP-10
Asamod
agum
Herb
Leaves
Salad
Stom
achacheworm
infestation
0020
14
Cou
ghasthm
adysentery
Apo
cynaceae
Hem
idesmus
indicus(L)R
BrexSchu
ltMN-N
CP-11
Iram
usu
Herb
Rootw
hole
plant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Cold
feverto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypaind
iabetes
0089
132
Purificationof
bloo
doedemaskin
rashescou
gh
asthma
Araceae
Lasia
spinosa(L)
waites
MN-N
CP-12
Koh
ilaHerb
Who
leplant
Porridge
Asan
energy
booster
0004
10
Piles
Arecaceae
Cocosnu
cifera
LMN-N
CP-13
Kurum
baTree
Tend
ercoconu
twater
Drink
Fever
0004
10
Diuretica
nthelm
intic
Asparagaceae
Asparagus
racemosus
Willd
MN-N
CP-14
Hathawariya
Clim
ber
Who
leplant
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculi
0024
10
Diureticd
ysentery
rheumatism
urinary
and
kidn
eydiseases
Aspho
delaceae
Aloevera
(L)Bu
rmf
MN-N
CP-15
Kom
arika
Herb
Leaves
Grind
togetthe
juice
Burnsforthegrow
thof
hair
0008
15
Swellin
gsb
urnsskin
diseasesu
rinary
diseases
fever
Scientifica 5
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Asteraceae
Acanthospermum
hispidum
DC
MN-N
CP-16
Katu-nerinchi
Herb
Leaves
Paste
Pain
inthejoints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
leprosy
Eclip
taprostrata(L)L
MN-N
CP-17
Keekirind
iya
Herb
Who
leplant
Paste
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0012
10
Skin
diseasesu
lcers
stim
ulatethegrow
thof
hair
feverarthritis
Capparaceae
Cleomegyna
ndra
LMN-N
CP-18
Wela
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nPa
inin
joints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
Cratevaadan
soniiD
C
MN-N
CP-19
Lunu
warana
Tree
Bark
Decoctio
nUrinary
calculi
0036
10
Urinary
calculi
Celastraceae
Pleurostylia
opposita
(Wall)
Alston
MN-N
CP-20
Panakka
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Urinary
diseases
Com
bretaceae
Term
inalia
chebulaRe
tz
MN-N
CP-21
Aralu
Tree
Fruit
Powder
Fever
0016
10
Fevereyediseasesp
iles
chronicdysentery
Term
inalia
belliric
a(G
aertn)Ro
xbM
N-N
CP-
22Bu
luTree
Fruit
Powder
Feverdiarrhea
0012
167
Diarrhea
feversore
eyes
Costaceae
Costus
speciosus(JKoenig)
Sm
MN-N
CP-62
ebu
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0020
10
Fevercough
skin
diseases
Crassulaceae
Kalan
choe
laciniata(L)
DC
MN-N
CP-23
Akkapana
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nCou
ghasthm
acold
0008
20
Urinary
diseasesd
iarrhea
dysentery
cough
cold
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia
gran
dis(L)Voigt
MN-N
CP-24
Kow
akka
Vine
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0081
10
Diabetesurinarycalculi
skin
diseases
Elaeocarpaceae
Elaeocarpu
sserratus
LMN-N
CP-25
Veralu
Tree
Tend
erleaves
Juice
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0004
10
Dandruff
abscessesjoint
swellin
gs
Euph
orbiaceae
Phyllanthu
sem
blicaL
MN-N
CP-26
Nelli
Tree
Fruit
Poultice
Redn
essandsw
ellin
gsin
eye
0016
10
Inflammationin
eye
gono
rrheadiarrheau
rinary
diseases
Ricinu
scommun
isL
MN-N
CP-27
Enderu
Shrub
Leaves
Poultice
Headachejointp
ains
swellin
gs0020
16
Headachebo
ilsrheum
atism
Fabaceae
Bauh
inia
racemosaLam
MN-N
CP-28
Maila
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Painfeveru
rinary
diseases
Cassia
auric
ulataL
MN-N
CP-29
Ranawara
Shrub
Flow
er
leaves
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculito
purify
bloo
d0045
127
Feverdiabetesu
rinary
diseasesrheum
atism
eye
conjun
ctivitisskin
diseases
Sesban
iagran
diflora
(L)
Pers
MN-N
CP-30
Kathu
rumurun
gaSh
rub
Leaves
Salad
Fissuringof
lipu
lcersin
mou
th0032
10
Oedem
awou
ndseye
diseasescou
ghsfeverskin
diseases
Tamarindu
sindica
LMN-N
CP-31
Siyabala
Tree
Leaves
Paste
Swellin
gin
joints
0020
10
Boilsrheum
atism
6 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
ldquoMedicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo[11] e botanical names have also been checked with thedata available at httpwwwtheplantlistorg e specimenswere deposited at the Herbarium in the Department ofBiochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka
24 Quantitative Analysis of the Ethnobotanical Informatione knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants wasquantitatively assessed by the relative frequency of citation(RFC) family importance value (FIV) of a plant family anduse value (UV) as described in our previous study [10] andthe method of Kayani et al [15] by substituting in therelevant equations given below RFC and FIV were calcu-lated to quantitatively determine the consensus betweeninformants on the use of medicinal plants in the region as itgives the local importance of a species or a family [15 19 20]
e value of RFC for a particular species of medicinalplants is based on the citing percentage of informants forthat particular species where RFC FCN (0ltRFClt 1) inwhich RFC is the relative frequency of citation FC is thenumber of informants who mentioned the species and N isthe total number of informants participating in the study
Family importance value (FIV) of a plant family wascalculated by taking the percentage of informants men-tioning the family where FIV FC (family)Ntimes 100 inwhich FC is the number of informants mentioning the plantfamily and N is the total number of informants participatingin the study
Use value indicates the relative importance of plantspecies known locally and the following formula was used todetermine UV UVi 1113936 UiNi in which Ui is the number ofuse reports described by each informant for species i andN isthe total number of informants describing the specificspecies i
3 Results and Discussion
As speculated the results of this study revealed that themajority of the inhabitants who have participated in thisstudy depended on the indigenous plant resources astreatments and preventive measures against a number ofdisease conditions
Out of the total of 284 informants 132 (537) claimedthe use of medicinal plants for the treatment of variousailments such as diabetes inflammatory conditions and skindiseases while the rest of the informants (463) mentionedthe nonadherence to herbal remedies In addition theseplants are also used as energy boosters and cosmeticsAmong those people 476 firmly believed in the safety andlow adverse effects associated with the herbal formulationsand mentioned this as a reason for their preference Inaddition the previous success with herbal remedies (3586)was also a main contributing factor for the people to con-tinue with plant-based therapies Unlike the observations ofour previous ethnobotanical study conducted in GampahaDistrict Western Province of Sri Lanka [10] some people(276) stated that the nonavailability of modern health-care
facilities in their villages was a reason for them to opt forherbal remedies e majority of the users (679) claimedthe use of herbal preparations at the initial stage of a diseasebefore going for any other medications while 2601 havementioned the simultaneous usage with other medicationsOnly 61 stated the use of herbal therapeutics as a lastresort when other treatment methods have failed eknowledge of the herbal remedies had transferred throughgenerations while the influence of media in promoting theuse of herbal therapeutics could not be neglected (Table 1)
e study revealed the use of 64 medicinal plants be-longing to 42 plant families out of which Coriandrumsativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species fol-lowed by Zingiber officinale Roscoe (RFC 0146) andHygrophila auriculata (Schumach) Heine (RFC 0109)e family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceae(228) (Table 2) e highest use value was reported forCoscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr e most domi-nant life form of the species reported was herbs (375Figure 2) e most frequently used part of the plant wasleaves (362 Figure 3) followed by seedsfruits (189)Medicinal plants used in folk herbal remedies were preparedand administered in various forms e most commonpreparation method was infusion (344) while 149 wereused in the form of a paste (Figure 4) e percentage of oraladministration (711) of herbal preparation was muchhigher than the external or topical application (243) andinhalation (46) Most of the crude drugs were preparedfrom single plant species however combinations of multiplespecies as well as the use of adjuvants such as honey sugarcoconut milk salt and coconut oil have also been reportedFor example a paste prepared from the fruit of Myristicafragrans Houtt with the juice of Citrus aurantifolia(Christm) Swingle is a common remedy for stomachachewhile honey or sugar is added to most of the infusions toreduce the bitter taste
e summary of the medicinal plant species used inPolonnaruwa district to treat various disease conditions isgiven in Table 3
As depicted in Figure 5 herbal remedies were used by theinhabitants of Polonnaruwa district against 15 broad cate-gories of ailmentsconditions reporting the highest numberof species against swellingspains or sprains Further thelocal people in the study area utilize medicinal plants(around 30 plant species) for the treatment of other classicalinflammatory symptoms like fever [10 21] or chronic in-flammatory diseases like asthma [22]
Interestingly the medicinal uses of some of the plantsmentioned by the informants have not been documented inthe literature particularly in the popular book series on SriLankan medicinal plants by Jayaweera [11] for example theuse of Spondias dulcis Parkinson for high blood pressure andHemidesmus indicus (L) R Br ex Schult Artocarpus het-erophyllus Lam and Scoparia dulcis L for diabetes ere-fore the documentation of this rich undocumentedethnobotanical knowledge could offer new avenues forpharmacological investigations on prospective new drugs ofherbal origin Moreover plant species like Asparagusracemosus Willd Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb Piper
Scientifica 3
betle L Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng Citrus aurantium LCitrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle and Zingiber offici-nale Roscoe have been identified as remedies for snake bitesin a recent ethnobotanical study conducted in Western andSabaragamuwa Provinces in Sri Lanka [9] however none ofthe informants participated in the present study mentionedabout the utility of those plants in the treatment of snakebites Besides some of the informants mentioned that thewealth of knowledge is rapidly diminishing due to the dearthof elderly people who are knowledgeable on folklore med-icine as well as lack of interest in younger generation tosystematically study these traditional healing systems usour findings would enable the preservation of localknowledge which is obtained by trial and error and trans-ferred over generations In addition a dramatic degradation
of habitat due to construction work and the ruthless use andoverexploitation of medicinal plants by local people and thetraders of medicinal plants solely for commercial purposeswere observed during the field survey As an example it hasbeen mentioned that there is a high demand in the localmarket specially for Salacia reticulata Wight a plant whichwas also documented in Icones PlantarumMalabaricarum as
Climbers(109)
Trees (235)
Herbs (375)
Shrubs (281)
Figure 2 Life form of the plants used as herbal remedies
Flowerinflorescences(43)
Whole plant(145)
Seedsfruits(189)
Twigsstembarkbulbsrhizome (174)
Roots (87)
Leaves (362)
Figure 3 Plant parts used in herbal preparations
Juice (69)Powder (34)
Oil (11)Smoke (46)
Paste (149)
Poultice (83)
Infusion (344)
Porridge(92)
Decoction(46)
Saladcurry(126)
Figure 4 Mode of utilization of plants to treat various diseaseconditions
Table 1 Statistics on the usage of herbal therapeutics
Parameter PercentageDemographic data of regular usersGenderMale 598Female 402Age group (years)30ndash45 340946ndash60 386461ndash75 2424gt75 303Educational backgroundUniversity degreediploma and above 2312 years of school education 1521ndash11 years of school education 825No schooling 0Source of informationknowledgeFrom parentsgrandparents 6042Neighboursfriends 1389Doctorstraditional physicians 764Media 1319Own experience 486Reason for usageSafeless side effects 4759Previous success 3586Easy access to the plant materials 1379High cost of other treatment methods 0Nonavailability of modern health-care facilities 276
Table 2 Family importance value (FIV) of the ten plant familieswith the highest FIV
Family FIV ()Zingiberaceae 228Apiaceae 199Acanthaceae 183Rutaceae 126Fabaceae 102Amaranthaceae 97Menispermaceae 93Apocynaceae 89Cucurbitaceae 81Meliaceae 77
4 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Medicinal
plantspeciesused
inPo
lonn
aruw
adistrict
totreatd
ifferentd
iseasecond
ition
s
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Acanthaceae
Adh
atodavasicaNees
MN-N
CP-01
Adh
atod
aSh
rub
Leaves
twigsroots
Infusio
npo
ultice
Swellin
gsin
jointscou
gh
asthma
catarrh
0073
156
Diarrheafeverasthma
Hygrophila
auric
ulata
(Schum
ach)Heine
MN-N
CP-02
Neerm
ulli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
ndecoction
porridge
Urinary
diseases
andurinary
calculiheadache
0109
11
Oedem
akidn
eyston
es
jaun
dicerheum
atism
Acoraceae
Acoruscalamus
LMN-N
CP-03
Wadakaha
Herb
Root
Infusio
npaste
madewith
milk
Cou
ghw
orm
infestation
0004
10
Asthm
arheumatism
bow
elcomplaintsinternal
ulceratio
n
Amaranthaceae
Aerva
lana
ta(L)Juss
MN-N
CP-04
Polpala
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Urinary
diseasesasan
energy
boosterto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypain
0085
157
Kidneyston
escou
gh
headache
Alternan
therasessilis(L)R
BrexDC
MN-N
CP-05
Muk
unuw
enna
Herb
Who
leplant
Salad
porridge
Body
paina
san
energy
booster
0012
167
Liverdiseasesa
cute
and
chronicpyelitissnakebites
Amaryllid
aceae
Allium
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-06
Sudu
lunu
Herb
Bulb
Infusio
npo
rridge
Asthm
astom
achachebo
dypain
0024
25
Asthm
agout
Anacardiaceae
Spon
dias
dulcisPa
rkinson
MN-N
CP-07
Amberella
Tree
Fruit
Coo
kwith
coconu
tmilk
Highbloo
dpressure
0008
10
Dysenteryrheum
atism
earache
Apiaceae
Centella
asiatica(L)Urb
MN-N
CP-08
Gotuko
laHerb
Who
leplant
Salad
juice
porridge
Catarrheye
diseasesa
san
energy
booster
0016
20
Kidneydiseasesskin
diseasesrheum
atism
fever
dysentery
painsepilepsy
Coria
ndrum
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-09
Koththamalli
Herb
Seeds
Infusio
nCold
feverasthma
body
pain
0163
17
Cold
fevercough
Trachyspermum
Roxburghianu
m(D
C)H
Wolff
MN-N
CP-10
Asamod
agum
Herb
Leaves
Salad
Stom
achacheworm
infestation
0020
14
Cou
ghasthm
adysentery
Apo
cynaceae
Hem
idesmus
indicus(L)R
BrexSchu
ltMN-N
CP-11
Iram
usu
Herb
Rootw
hole
plant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Cold
feverto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypaind
iabetes
0089
132
Purificationof
bloo
doedemaskin
rashescou
gh
asthma
Araceae
Lasia
spinosa(L)
waites
MN-N
CP-12
Koh
ilaHerb
Who
leplant
Porridge
Asan
energy
booster
0004
10
Piles
Arecaceae
Cocosnu
cifera
LMN-N
CP-13
Kurum
baTree
Tend
ercoconu
twater
Drink
Fever
0004
10
Diuretica
nthelm
intic
Asparagaceae
Asparagus
racemosus
Willd
MN-N
CP-14
Hathawariya
Clim
ber
Who
leplant
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculi
0024
10
Diureticd
ysentery
rheumatism
urinary
and
kidn
eydiseases
Aspho
delaceae
Aloevera
(L)Bu
rmf
MN-N
CP-15
Kom
arika
Herb
Leaves
Grind
togetthe
juice
Burnsforthegrow
thof
hair
0008
15
Swellin
gsb
urnsskin
diseasesu
rinary
diseases
fever
Scientifica 5
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Asteraceae
Acanthospermum
hispidum
DC
MN-N
CP-16
Katu-nerinchi
Herb
Leaves
Paste
Pain
inthejoints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
leprosy
Eclip
taprostrata(L)L
MN-N
CP-17
Keekirind
iya
Herb
Who
leplant
Paste
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0012
10
Skin
diseasesu
lcers
stim
ulatethegrow
thof
hair
feverarthritis
Capparaceae
Cleomegyna
ndra
LMN-N
CP-18
Wela
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nPa
inin
joints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
Cratevaadan
soniiD
C
MN-N
CP-19
Lunu
warana
Tree
Bark
Decoctio
nUrinary
calculi
0036
10
Urinary
calculi
Celastraceae
Pleurostylia
opposita
(Wall)
Alston
MN-N
CP-20
Panakka
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Urinary
diseases
Com
bretaceae
Term
inalia
chebulaRe
tz
MN-N
CP-21
Aralu
Tree
Fruit
Powder
Fever
0016
10
Fevereyediseasesp
iles
chronicdysentery
Term
inalia
belliric
a(G
aertn)Ro
xbM
N-N
CP-
22Bu
luTree
Fruit
Powder
Feverdiarrhea
0012
167
Diarrhea
feversore
eyes
Costaceae
Costus
speciosus(JKoenig)
Sm
MN-N
CP-62
ebu
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0020
10
Fevercough
skin
diseases
Crassulaceae
Kalan
choe
laciniata(L)
DC
MN-N
CP-23
Akkapana
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nCou
ghasthm
acold
0008
20
Urinary
diseasesd
iarrhea
dysentery
cough
cold
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia
gran
dis(L)Voigt
MN-N
CP-24
Kow
akka
Vine
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0081
10
Diabetesurinarycalculi
skin
diseases
Elaeocarpaceae
Elaeocarpu
sserratus
LMN-N
CP-25
Veralu
Tree
Tend
erleaves
Juice
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0004
10
Dandruff
abscessesjoint
swellin
gs
Euph
orbiaceae
Phyllanthu
sem
blicaL
MN-N
CP-26
Nelli
Tree
Fruit
Poultice
Redn
essandsw
ellin
gsin
eye
0016
10
Inflammationin
eye
gono
rrheadiarrheau
rinary
diseases
Ricinu
scommun
isL
MN-N
CP-27
Enderu
Shrub
Leaves
Poultice
Headachejointp
ains
swellin
gs0020
16
Headachebo
ilsrheum
atism
Fabaceae
Bauh
inia
racemosaLam
MN-N
CP-28
Maila
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Painfeveru
rinary
diseases
Cassia
auric
ulataL
MN-N
CP-29
Ranawara
Shrub
Flow
er
leaves
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculito
purify
bloo
d0045
127
Feverdiabetesu
rinary
diseasesrheum
atism
eye
conjun
ctivitisskin
diseases
Sesban
iagran
diflora
(L)
Pers
MN-N
CP-30
Kathu
rumurun
gaSh
rub
Leaves
Salad
Fissuringof
lipu
lcersin
mou
th0032
10
Oedem
awou
ndseye
diseasescou
ghsfeverskin
diseases
Tamarindu
sindica
LMN-N
CP-31
Siyabala
Tree
Leaves
Paste
Swellin
gin
joints
0020
10
Boilsrheum
atism
6 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
betle L Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng Citrus aurantium LCitrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle and Zingiber offici-nale Roscoe have been identified as remedies for snake bitesin a recent ethnobotanical study conducted in Western andSabaragamuwa Provinces in Sri Lanka [9] however none ofthe informants participated in the present study mentionedabout the utility of those plants in the treatment of snakebites Besides some of the informants mentioned that thewealth of knowledge is rapidly diminishing due to the dearthof elderly people who are knowledgeable on folklore med-icine as well as lack of interest in younger generation tosystematically study these traditional healing systems usour findings would enable the preservation of localknowledge which is obtained by trial and error and trans-ferred over generations In addition a dramatic degradation
of habitat due to construction work and the ruthless use andoverexploitation of medicinal plants by local people and thetraders of medicinal plants solely for commercial purposeswere observed during the field survey As an example it hasbeen mentioned that there is a high demand in the localmarket specially for Salacia reticulata Wight a plant whichwas also documented in Icones PlantarumMalabaricarum as
Climbers(109)
Trees (235)
Herbs (375)
Shrubs (281)
Figure 2 Life form of the plants used as herbal remedies
Flowerinflorescences(43)
Whole plant(145)
Seedsfruits(189)
Twigsstembarkbulbsrhizome (174)
Roots (87)
Leaves (362)
Figure 3 Plant parts used in herbal preparations
Juice (69)Powder (34)
Oil (11)Smoke (46)
Paste (149)
Poultice (83)
Infusion (344)
Porridge(92)
Decoction(46)
Saladcurry(126)
Figure 4 Mode of utilization of plants to treat various diseaseconditions
Table 1 Statistics on the usage of herbal therapeutics
Parameter PercentageDemographic data of regular usersGenderMale 598Female 402Age group (years)30ndash45 340946ndash60 386461ndash75 2424gt75 303Educational backgroundUniversity degreediploma and above 2312 years of school education 1521ndash11 years of school education 825No schooling 0Source of informationknowledgeFrom parentsgrandparents 6042Neighboursfriends 1389Doctorstraditional physicians 764Media 1319Own experience 486Reason for usageSafeless side effects 4759Previous success 3586Easy access to the plant materials 1379High cost of other treatment methods 0Nonavailability of modern health-care facilities 276
Table 2 Family importance value (FIV) of the ten plant familieswith the highest FIV
Family FIV ()Zingiberaceae 228Apiaceae 199Acanthaceae 183Rutaceae 126Fabaceae 102Amaranthaceae 97Menispermaceae 93Apocynaceae 89Cucurbitaceae 81Meliaceae 77
4 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Medicinal
plantspeciesused
inPo
lonn
aruw
adistrict
totreatd
ifferentd
iseasecond
ition
s
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Acanthaceae
Adh
atodavasicaNees
MN-N
CP-01
Adh
atod
aSh
rub
Leaves
twigsroots
Infusio
npo
ultice
Swellin
gsin
jointscou
gh
asthma
catarrh
0073
156
Diarrheafeverasthma
Hygrophila
auric
ulata
(Schum
ach)Heine
MN-N
CP-02
Neerm
ulli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
ndecoction
porridge
Urinary
diseases
andurinary
calculiheadache
0109
11
Oedem
akidn
eyston
es
jaun
dicerheum
atism
Acoraceae
Acoruscalamus
LMN-N
CP-03
Wadakaha
Herb
Root
Infusio
npaste
madewith
milk
Cou
ghw
orm
infestation
0004
10
Asthm
arheumatism
bow
elcomplaintsinternal
ulceratio
n
Amaranthaceae
Aerva
lana
ta(L)Juss
MN-N
CP-04
Polpala
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Urinary
diseasesasan
energy
boosterto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypain
0085
157
Kidneyston
escou
gh
headache
Alternan
therasessilis(L)R
BrexDC
MN-N
CP-05
Muk
unuw
enna
Herb
Who
leplant
Salad
porridge
Body
paina
san
energy
booster
0012
167
Liverdiseasesa
cute
and
chronicpyelitissnakebites
Amaryllid
aceae
Allium
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-06
Sudu
lunu
Herb
Bulb
Infusio
npo
rridge
Asthm
astom
achachebo
dypain
0024
25
Asthm
agout
Anacardiaceae
Spon
dias
dulcisPa
rkinson
MN-N
CP-07
Amberella
Tree
Fruit
Coo
kwith
coconu
tmilk
Highbloo
dpressure
0008
10
Dysenteryrheum
atism
earache
Apiaceae
Centella
asiatica(L)Urb
MN-N
CP-08
Gotuko
laHerb
Who
leplant
Salad
juice
porridge
Catarrheye
diseasesa
san
energy
booster
0016
20
Kidneydiseasesskin
diseasesrheum
atism
fever
dysentery
painsepilepsy
Coria
ndrum
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-09
Koththamalli
Herb
Seeds
Infusio
nCold
feverasthma
body
pain
0163
17
Cold
fevercough
Trachyspermum
Roxburghianu
m(D
C)H
Wolff
MN-N
CP-10
Asamod
agum
Herb
Leaves
Salad
Stom
achacheworm
infestation
0020
14
Cou
ghasthm
adysentery
Apo
cynaceae
Hem
idesmus
indicus(L)R
BrexSchu
ltMN-N
CP-11
Iram
usu
Herb
Rootw
hole
plant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Cold
feverto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypaind
iabetes
0089
132
Purificationof
bloo
doedemaskin
rashescou
gh
asthma
Araceae
Lasia
spinosa(L)
waites
MN-N
CP-12
Koh
ilaHerb
Who
leplant
Porridge
Asan
energy
booster
0004
10
Piles
Arecaceae
Cocosnu
cifera
LMN-N
CP-13
Kurum
baTree
Tend
ercoconu
twater
Drink
Fever
0004
10
Diuretica
nthelm
intic
Asparagaceae
Asparagus
racemosus
Willd
MN-N
CP-14
Hathawariya
Clim
ber
Who
leplant
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculi
0024
10
Diureticd
ysentery
rheumatism
urinary
and
kidn
eydiseases
Aspho
delaceae
Aloevera
(L)Bu
rmf
MN-N
CP-15
Kom
arika
Herb
Leaves
Grind
togetthe
juice
Burnsforthegrow
thof
hair
0008
15
Swellin
gsb
urnsskin
diseasesu
rinary
diseases
fever
Scientifica 5
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Asteraceae
Acanthospermum
hispidum
DC
MN-N
CP-16
Katu-nerinchi
Herb
Leaves
Paste
Pain
inthejoints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
leprosy
Eclip
taprostrata(L)L
MN-N
CP-17
Keekirind
iya
Herb
Who
leplant
Paste
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0012
10
Skin
diseasesu
lcers
stim
ulatethegrow
thof
hair
feverarthritis
Capparaceae
Cleomegyna
ndra
LMN-N
CP-18
Wela
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nPa
inin
joints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
Cratevaadan
soniiD
C
MN-N
CP-19
Lunu
warana
Tree
Bark
Decoctio
nUrinary
calculi
0036
10
Urinary
calculi
Celastraceae
Pleurostylia
opposita
(Wall)
Alston
MN-N
CP-20
Panakka
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Urinary
diseases
Com
bretaceae
Term
inalia
chebulaRe
tz
MN-N
CP-21
Aralu
Tree
Fruit
Powder
Fever
0016
10
Fevereyediseasesp
iles
chronicdysentery
Term
inalia
belliric
a(G
aertn)Ro
xbM
N-N
CP-
22Bu
luTree
Fruit
Powder
Feverdiarrhea
0012
167
Diarrhea
feversore
eyes
Costaceae
Costus
speciosus(JKoenig)
Sm
MN-N
CP-62
ebu
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0020
10
Fevercough
skin
diseases
Crassulaceae
Kalan
choe
laciniata(L)
DC
MN-N
CP-23
Akkapana
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nCou
ghasthm
acold
0008
20
Urinary
diseasesd
iarrhea
dysentery
cough
cold
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia
gran
dis(L)Voigt
MN-N
CP-24
Kow
akka
Vine
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0081
10
Diabetesurinarycalculi
skin
diseases
Elaeocarpaceae
Elaeocarpu
sserratus
LMN-N
CP-25
Veralu
Tree
Tend
erleaves
Juice
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0004
10
Dandruff
abscessesjoint
swellin
gs
Euph
orbiaceae
Phyllanthu
sem
blicaL
MN-N
CP-26
Nelli
Tree
Fruit
Poultice
Redn
essandsw
ellin
gsin
eye
0016
10
Inflammationin
eye
gono
rrheadiarrheau
rinary
diseases
Ricinu
scommun
isL
MN-N
CP-27
Enderu
Shrub
Leaves
Poultice
Headachejointp
ains
swellin
gs0020
16
Headachebo
ilsrheum
atism
Fabaceae
Bauh
inia
racemosaLam
MN-N
CP-28
Maila
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Painfeveru
rinary
diseases
Cassia
auric
ulataL
MN-N
CP-29
Ranawara
Shrub
Flow
er
leaves
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculito
purify
bloo
d0045
127
Feverdiabetesu
rinary
diseasesrheum
atism
eye
conjun
ctivitisskin
diseases
Sesban
iagran
diflora
(L)
Pers
MN-N
CP-30
Kathu
rumurun
gaSh
rub
Leaves
Salad
Fissuringof
lipu
lcersin
mou
th0032
10
Oedem
awou
ndseye
diseasescou
ghsfeverskin
diseases
Tamarindu
sindica
LMN-N
CP-31
Siyabala
Tree
Leaves
Paste
Swellin
gin
joints
0020
10
Boilsrheum
atism
6 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Tabl
e3
Medicinal
plantspeciesused
inPo
lonn
aruw
adistrict
totreatd
ifferentd
iseasecond
ition
s
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Acanthaceae
Adh
atodavasicaNees
MN-N
CP-01
Adh
atod
aSh
rub
Leaves
twigsroots
Infusio
npo
ultice
Swellin
gsin
jointscou
gh
asthma
catarrh
0073
156
Diarrheafeverasthma
Hygrophila
auric
ulata
(Schum
ach)Heine
MN-N
CP-02
Neerm
ulli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
ndecoction
porridge
Urinary
diseases
andurinary
calculiheadache
0109
11
Oedem
akidn
eyston
es
jaun
dicerheum
atism
Acoraceae
Acoruscalamus
LMN-N
CP-03
Wadakaha
Herb
Root
Infusio
npaste
madewith
milk
Cou
ghw
orm
infestation
0004
10
Asthm
arheumatism
bow
elcomplaintsinternal
ulceratio
n
Amaranthaceae
Aerva
lana
ta(L)Juss
MN-N
CP-04
Polpala
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Urinary
diseasesasan
energy
boosterto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypain
0085
157
Kidneyston
escou
gh
headache
Alternan
therasessilis(L)R
BrexDC
MN-N
CP-05
Muk
unuw
enna
Herb
Who
leplant
Salad
porridge
Body
paina
san
energy
booster
0012
167
Liverdiseasesa
cute
and
chronicpyelitissnakebites
Amaryllid
aceae
Allium
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-06
Sudu
lunu
Herb
Bulb
Infusio
npo
rridge
Asthm
astom
achachebo
dypain
0024
25
Asthm
agout
Anacardiaceae
Spon
dias
dulcisPa
rkinson
MN-N
CP-07
Amberella
Tree
Fruit
Coo
kwith
coconu
tmilk
Highbloo
dpressure
0008
10
Dysenteryrheum
atism
earache
Apiaceae
Centella
asiatica(L)Urb
MN-N
CP-08
Gotuko
laHerb
Who
leplant
Salad
juice
porridge
Catarrheye
diseasesa
san
energy
booster
0016
20
Kidneydiseasesskin
diseasesrheum
atism
fever
dysentery
painsepilepsy
Coria
ndrum
sativ
umL
MN-N
CP-09
Koththamalli
Herb
Seeds
Infusio
nCold
feverasthma
body
pain
0163
17
Cold
fevercough
Trachyspermum
Roxburghianu
m(D
C)H
Wolff
MN-N
CP-10
Asamod
agum
Herb
Leaves
Salad
Stom
achacheworm
infestation
0020
14
Cou
ghasthm
adysentery
Apo
cynaceae
Hem
idesmus
indicus(L)R
BrexSchu
ltMN-N
CP-11
Iram
usu
Herb
Rootw
hole
plant
Infusio
npo
rridge
Cold
feverto
purify
bloo
dbo
dypaind
iabetes
0089
132
Purificationof
bloo
doedemaskin
rashescou
gh
asthma
Araceae
Lasia
spinosa(L)
waites
MN-N
CP-12
Koh
ilaHerb
Who
leplant
Porridge
Asan
energy
booster
0004
10
Piles
Arecaceae
Cocosnu
cifera
LMN-N
CP-13
Kurum
baTree
Tend
ercoconu
twater
Drink
Fever
0004
10
Diuretica
nthelm
intic
Asparagaceae
Asparagus
racemosus
Willd
MN-N
CP-14
Hathawariya
Clim
ber
Who
leplant
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculi
0024
10
Diureticd
ysentery
rheumatism
urinary
and
kidn
eydiseases
Aspho
delaceae
Aloevera
(L)Bu
rmf
MN-N
CP-15
Kom
arika
Herb
Leaves
Grind
togetthe
juice
Burnsforthegrow
thof
hair
0008
15
Swellin
gsb
urnsskin
diseasesu
rinary
diseases
fever
Scientifica 5
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Asteraceae
Acanthospermum
hispidum
DC
MN-N
CP-16
Katu-nerinchi
Herb
Leaves
Paste
Pain
inthejoints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
leprosy
Eclip
taprostrata(L)L
MN-N
CP-17
Keekirind
iya
Herb
Who
leplant
Paste
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0012
10
Skin
diseasesu
lcers
stim
ulatethegrow
thof
hair
feverarthritis
Capparaceae
Cleomegyna
ndra
LMN-N
CP-18
Wela
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nPa
inin
joints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
Cratevaadan
soniiD
C
MN-N
CP-19
Lunu
warana
Tree
Bark
Decoctio
nUrinary
calculi
0036
10
Urinary
calculi
Celastraceae
Pleurostylia
opposita
(Wall)
Alston
MN-N
CP-20
Panakka
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Urinary
diseases
Com
bretaceae
Term
inalia
chebulaRe
tz
MN-N
CP-21
Aralu
Tree
Fruit
Powder
Fever
0016
10
Fevereyediseasesp
iles
chronicdysentery
Term
inalia
belliric
a(G
aertn)Ro
xbM
N-N
CP-
22Bu
luTree
Fruit
Powder
Feverdiarrhea
0012
167
Diarrhea
feversore
eyes
Costaceae
Costus
speciosus(JKoenig)
Sm
MN-N
CP-62
ebu
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0020
10
Fevercough
skin
diseases
Crassulaceae
Kalan
choe
laciniata(L)
DC
MN-N
CP-23
Akkapana
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nCou
ghasthm
acold
0008
20
Urinary
diseasesd
iarrhea
dysentery
cough
cold
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia
gran
dis(L)Voigt
MN-N
CP-24
Kow
akka
Vine
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0081
10
Diabetesurinarycalculi
skin
diseases
Elaeocarpaceae
Elaeocarpu
sserratus
LMN-N
CP-25
Veralu
Tree
Tend
erleaves
Juice
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0004
10
Dandruff
abscessesjoint
swellin
gs
Euph
orbiaceae
Phyllanthu
sem
blicaL
MN-N
CP-26
Nelli
Tree
Fruit
Poultice
Redn
essandsw
ellin
gsin
eye
0016
10
Inflammationin
eye
gono
rrheadiarrheau
rinary
diseases
Ricinu
scommun
isL
MN-N
CP-27
Enderu
Shrub
Leaves
Poultice
Headachejointp
ains
swellin
gs0020
16
Headachebo
ilsrheum
atism
Fabaceae
Bauh
inia
racemosaLam
MN-N
CP-28
Maila
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Painfeveru
rinary
diseases
Cassia
auric
ulataL
MN-N
CP-29
Ranawara
Shrub
Flow
er
leaves
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculito
purify
bloo
d0045
127
Feverdiabetesu
rinary
diseasesrheum
atism
eye
conjun
ctivitisskin
diseases
Sesban
iagran
diflora
(L)
Pers
MN-N
CP-30
Kathu
rumurun
gaSh
rub
Leaves
Salad
Fissuringof
lipu
lcersin
mou
th0032
10
Oedem
awou
ndseye
diseasescou
ghsfeverskin
diseases
Tamarindu
sindica
LMN-N
CP-31
Siyabala
Tree
Leaves
Paste
Swellin
gin
joints
0020
10
Boilsrheum
atism
6 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Asteraceae
Acanthospermum
hispidum
DC
MN-N
CP-16
Katu-nerinchi
Herb
Leaves
Paste
Pain
inthejoints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
leprosy
Eclip
taprostrata(L)L
MN-N
CP-17
Keekirind
iya
Herb
Who
leplant
Paste
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0012
10
Skin
diseasesu
lcers
stim
ulatethegrow
thof
hair
feverarthritis
Capparaceae
Cleomegyna
ndra
LMN-N
CP-18
Wela
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nPa
inin
joints
0004
10
Arthritisrheumatism
Cratevaadan
soniiD
C
MN-N
CP-19
Lunu
warana
Tree
Bark
Decoctio
nUrinary
calculi
0036
10
Urinary
calculi
Celastraceae
Pleurostylia
opposita
(Wall)
Alston
MN-N
CP-20
Panakka
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Urinary
diseases
Com
bretaceae
Term
inalia
chebulaRe
tz
MN-N
CP-21
Aralu
Tree
Fruit
Powder
Fever
0016
10
Fevereyediseasesp
iles
chronicdysentery
Term
inalia
belliric
a(G
aertn)Ro
xbM
N-N
CP-
22Bu
luTree
Fruit
Powder
Feverdiarrhea
0012
167
Diarrhea
feversore
eyes
Costaceae
Costus
speciosus(JKoenig)
Sm
MN-N
CP-62
ebu
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0020
10
Fevercough
skin
diseases
Crassulaceae
Kalan
choe
laciniata(L)
DC
MN-N
CP-23
Akkapana
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nCou
ghasthm
acold
0008
20
Urinary
diseasesd
iarrhea
dysentery
cough
cold
Cucurbitaceae
Coccinia
gran
dis(L)Voigt
MN-N
CP-24
Kow
akka
Vine
Leaves
Salad
infusio
nDiabetes
0081
10
Diabetesurinarycalculi
skin
diseases
Elaeocarpaceae
Elaeocarpu
sserratus
LMN-N
CP-25
Veralu
Tree
Tend
erleaves
Juice
Forthegrow
thof
hair
0004
10
Dandruff
abscessesjoint
swellin
gs
Euph
orbiaceae
Phyllanthu
sem
blicaL
MN-N
CP-26
Nelli
Tree
Fruit
Poultice
Redn
essandsw
ellin
gsin
eye
0016
10
Inflammationin
eye
gono
rrheadiarrheau
rinary
diseases
Ricinu
scommun
isL
MN-N
CP-27
Enderu
Shrub
Leaves
Poultice
Headachejointp
ains
swellin
gs0020
16
Headachebo
ilsrheum
atism
Fabaceae
Bauh
inia
racemosaLam
MN-N
CP-28
Maila
Shrub
Leaves
Salad
Urinary
diseases
0004
10
Painfeveru
rinary
diseases
Cassia
auric
ulataL
MN-N
CP-29
Ranawara
Shrub
Flow
er
leaves
Infusio
nUrinary
diseases
andurinary
calculito
purify
bloo
d0045
127
Feverdiabetesu
rinary
diseasesrheum
atism
eye
conjun
ctivitisskin
diseases
Sesban
iagran
diflora
(L)
Pers
MN-N
CP-30
Kathu
rumurun
gaSh
rub
Leaves
Salad
Fissuringof
lipu
lcersin
mou
th0032
10
Oedem
awou
ndseye
diseasescou
ghsfeverskin
diseases
Tamarindu
sindica
LMN-N
CP-31
Siyabala
Tree
Leaves
Paste
Swellin
gin
joints
0020
10
Boilsrheum
atism
6 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Hippo
crateaceae
SalaciareticulataWight
MN-N
CP-32
Kothala
himbu
tuClim
bing
shrub
Stem
Infusio
nDiabetes
0061
10
Diabetesskin
diseases
rheumatism
Lamiaceae
Leucas
zeylan
ica(L)
WT
Aito
nMN-N
CP-33
Gatathum
baHerb
Leaves
Salad
Worm
infestation
0016
10
Fevergoutskindiseases
worm
infestation
Vitexnegund
oL
MN-N
CP-60
Nika
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
epaste
Cou
ghasthm
afever
swellin
gsin
jointscold
0041
14
Rheumatic
swellin
gs
headachecatarrhasthm
a
Loganiaceae
Strychno
spotatorum
Lf
MN-N
CP-34
Ingini
Tree
Seeds
Paste
Swellin
gsin
joints
0008
10
Eyediseasesd
iarrhea
Lythraceae
Punica
gran
atum
LMN-
NCP-46
Delum
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nto
wash
eyes
Eyediseases
0012
10
Eyeinfectionsd
ysentery
cough
asthma
fever
Malvaceae
Sida
acutaBu
rmf
MN-N
CP-35
Babila
Herb
Roots
Infusio
ndecoction
Feverpain
0008
15
Feverim
potency
rheumatism
Meliaceae
Azadirachta
indica
AJuss
MN-N
CP-36
Koh
omba
Tree
Leaves
stem
Poulticepaste
infusio
nPa
inin
jointsitching
diabetesw
orm
infestation
0077
121
Catarrhleprosy
andskin
diseasesrheum
atism
ulcers
andwou
nds
Menisp
ermaceae
Coscinium
fenestratum
(Goetgh)Colebr
MN-N
CP-37
Veniwelgata
Woo
dyclim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFevercough
paina
sthm
askin
diseases
inchild
ren
0081
26
Fevertetanu
sdressin
gwou
ndsandulcers
Tino
sporacordifo
lia(W
illd)
Miers
MN-N
CP-38
Rasakida
Clim
ber
Stem
Infusio
nFever
0012
10
Feverskin
diseasesdiabetes
dysentery
rheumatism
Moraceae
FicusracemosaL
MN-N
CP-39
Attikka
Tree
Fruit
Asacurry
Diabetes
0020
10
Urinary
diseasesd
ysentery
diabetes
Artocarpu
sheterophyllus
Lam
MN-N
CP-40
Kos
Tree
Root
Infusio
nDiabetes
0004
10
Skin
diseasesasthm
adiabetesswellin
gsand
abscesses
Moringaceae
Moringa
oleifera
Lam
MN-N
CP-41
Murun
gaSh
rub
Bark
Infusio
npo
ultice
Asthm
asw
ellin
gs0041
13
Asthm
arheumatism
gou
tremedyforsnake-bite
poiso
ning
Myristicaceae
Myristicafra
gran
sHou
ttMN-N
CP-42
Sadikka
Shrub
Fruit
Pasteprepared
with
limejuice
Stom
achache
0032
10
Nausea
vomiting
stom
achache
Piperaceae
Piperbetle
LMN-N
CP-43
Bulath
Clim
ber
Leaves
Paste
Stom
achache
0008
10
Cou
gha
ntise
ptic
Pipernigrum
LMN-N
CP-44
Gam
miris
Clim
ber
Seeds
Paste
Stom
achache
0012
10
Cou
ghfeverp
iles
Poaceae
Eleusin
eindica
(L)Gaertn
MN-N
CP-45
Belatana
Herb
Who
leplant
Poultice
Swellin
gsandsprains
0024
10
Sprainsanddislo
catio
ns
Scientifica 7
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Rubiaceae
CoffeaarabicaL
MN-N
CP-47
Kop
iSh
rub
Fruit
Infusio
nStom
achache
0049
10
Diarrheableeding
wou
nds
Ixoracoccinea
LMN-N
CP-48
Rathmal
Shrub
Flow
ers
Infusio
nSkin
diseases
inchild
ren
0004
10
Dysenteryreddenedeyes
anderup
tions
inchild
ren
catarrh
Rutaceae
Aeglemarmelos
(L)Correa
MN-N
CP-49
Beli
Tree
Leaves
roots
flower
Decoctio
ninfusio
nAsthm
afever
0008
25
Feverasthma
dysentery
pilesdyspepsia
Citrus
aurantium
LMN-N
CP-50
Embu
ldod
amTree
Fruit
Juice
Cou
ghtodraw
outp
hlegm
0004
10
Chron
iccough
Citrus
aurantifo
lia(C
hristm)Sw
ingle
MN-N
CP-51
Dehi
Tree
Leaves
Smok
ejuice
Cou
ghcold
headache
stom
achache
0073
122
Cou
ghstomachache
cleaning
wou
ndsdysentery
Murraya
koenigii(L)
Spreng
MN-N
CP-52
Karapincha
Shrub
Leaves
Porridge
Highbloo
dpressure
0041
10
Con
stipation
diarrhea
dysentery
Santalaceae
Santalum
albu
mL
MN-N
CP-53
Sudu
hand
unSh
rub
Bark
Paste
Swellin
gsp
ain
0016
10
Feverdiarrhead
ysentery
gastricirritatio
nskin
diseaseslocal
inflammation
Sapo
taceae
Madhu
calongifo
lia(J
Koenigex
L)JF
Macbr
MN-N
CP-54
Mee
Tree
Seeds
Oil
poultice
Swellin
gsandpain
injoints
0036
10
Fracturesrheumatism
snakebites
Scroph
ulariaceae
Scop
aria
dulcisL
MN-N
CP-55
Walko
ththam
alli
Herb
Who
leplant
Infusio
nDiabetes
0016
10
Earandeyediseasesliver
diseasesleprosy
nasoph
aryn
geal
infections
Solanaceae
Solanu
mxanthocarpum
Schrada
ndHW
endl
MN-N
CP-56
Katuw
elbatu
Herb
Leaves
Infusio
nFevercough
asthma
0053
146
Cou
ghasthm
acolic
fever
toothache
Solanu
msuratte
nseBu
rm
fMN-N
CP-57
Elabatu
Herb
Leaves
Porridgesmok
eCou
ghasthm
a0004
20
Rheumatism
cou
gh
diarrhea
eaceae
Camellia
sinensis
(L)
Kun
tze
MN-N
CP-58
Tea
Shrub
Leaves
Infusio
nStom
achache
0008
10
Catarrhu
rinary
diseases
Verbenaceae
Lantan
acamaraL
MN-N
CP-59
Gandapana
Shrub
Leaves
Smok
eFevercough
asthma
0008
15
Asthm
afevercough
8 Scientifica
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Tabl
e3
Con
tinued
Family
Scientificnameand
voucherspecim
ennu
mber
Vernacularname
(inSinh
ala)
Life
form
Partsused
Preparation
Dise
asecond
ition
streated
RFC
UV
Repo
rted
usagein
literature
[13]
Zing
iberaceae
Alpinia
galanga(L)Willd
MN-N
CP-61
Araththa
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFever
0057
10
Rheumatism
bronchitis
Curcum
alongaL
MN-N
CP-63
Kaha
Herb
Rhizom
ePa
stepo
wder
Wou
ndsskin
diseases
sprains
0024
15
Sprainswou
ndsdysentery
jaun
dicerheum
atism
skin
diseases
Zingiber
officina
leRo
scoe
MN-N
CP-64
Inguru
Herb
Rhizom
eInfusio
nFevercolda
sthm
acough
0146
144
Cold
cough
feverasthma
Scientifica 9
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka
Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated
4 Conclusion
is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L
Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations
Abbreviations
RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value
Data Availability
e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article
Ethical Approval
e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka
Consent
Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study
Conflicts of Interest
e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article
Num
ber o
f pla
nt sp
ecie
s
25
20
15
10
5
0
Ailment
Diabete
s
Swelli
ngspain
sprai
ns
Asthmac
ough
Feverh
eadach
e
Coldcatar
rh
Worm in
festat
ions
Urinary
disease
surin
ary ca
lculi
Burns
Energy b
ooster
Purificat
ion of blood
Skin dise
asesu
lcers
wounds
Stomach
ached
iarrhea
High blood pres
sure
Eye dise
ases
Growth of hair
Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions
10 Scientifica
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Acknowledgments
e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka
Supplementary Materials
Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)
References
[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018
[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013
[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013
[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980
[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004
[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011
[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011
[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018
[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016
[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018
[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982
[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants
used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009
[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017
[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014
[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014
[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999
[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016
[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000
[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013
[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013
[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007
[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011
Scientifica 11
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom
Hindawiwwwhindawicom
International Journal of
Volume 2018
Zoology
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Anatomy Research International
PeptidesInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Journal of Parasitology Research
GenomicsInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2013Hindawiwwwhindawicom
The Scientific World Journal
Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioinformaticsAdvances in
Marine BiologyJournal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Neuroscience Journal
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
BioMed Research International
Cell BiologyInternational Journal of
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Biochemistry Research International
ArchaeaHindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Genetics Research International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Advances in
Virolog y Stem Cells International
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
Enzyme Research
Hindawiwwwhindawicom Volume 2018
International Journal of
MicrobiologyHindawiwwwhindawicom
Nucleic AcidsJournal of
Volume 2018
Submit your manuscripts atwwwhindawicom