Traditional Herbal Medicine Practiced in Plateau-Fringe and Rarh Districts of West Bengal, India

Traditional medicine comprises the healthcare support indigenously developed over generations among diverse cultural groups inhabiting different geographical locations all over the globe since time immemorial. According to several reports, around 80% of world populations especially from the developing countries rely on traditional medical practices of which usage of plant products remains in highest position due to their proven medicinal values. India also has a very rich tradition of practicing herbal medicine particularly in the rural and tribal communities for prevention and cure of diseases. The reasons behind popularity and widespread uses of herbal products are their low cost, easy availability and lesser side effects in addition to poor access of the common people with socio-economic vulnerability to primary healthcare system and conventional medicine. The great biodiversity of medicinal plants of India also remained pivotal for developing such a very rich tradition of medical practices since ancient time, mainly practiced at individual and familial levels, and usually transferred orally from one generation to other. West Bengal is not an exception to this therapeutic culture. Presently research is being encouraged on herbal medicine from different stakeholders aiming development of more life-saving modern drugs at low cost as there is an increasing trend of interest in traditional medicine worldwide. A systematic approach for documentation of traditional knowledge of herbal medicine is required in this view. In this review such an attempt is made to document the plants and their products with potential therapeutic uses in the plateau-fringe and rarh districts of state of West Bengal, India, that is not only distinct from geomorphological and climatic points of view but also in terms of natural and human resources.