An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in Bellary district of Karnataka state, India

Ethnomedicinal survey of traditional medicinal plants was carried out in Bellary district using ethnobotanical and Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) methods. The data collected was analyzed by means of Ailment Categories, Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value and Fidelity Level (FL). The present investigation brought in light 148 medicinal plant species belonging to 132 genera and 56 families used in the treatment of various human diseases in Bellary district. The most commonly used species were Achyranthes aspera and Momordica charantia with a use value of 0.18 each, followed by Calotropis procera (use value 0.17), Leucas aspera, Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera (use value 0.15 each), Phyllanthus amarus (use value 0.14) and Azadirachta indica with a use value of 0.13. The rural people of Bellary district are highly dependent on the traditional herbal medicine because of their poor socio-economic conditions and availability of effective drug plants. The information gathered on traditional medicinal plants is expected to serve as a useful tool for the establishment of herbal drug industries and improve the economy of the region.