An ethnoveterinary study on plants used for livestock diseases in Theni and Madurai districts, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The present study deals with the ethnoveterinary plants used to treat livestock diseases in Melmangalam village, Theni district and Thenparankundram of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu. About 59 medicinal plant species belonging to 34 families under 56 genera are used traditionally to treat 30 different livestock disease conditions were recorded in this study with the help of livestock rearers Naatuvaidyas of the study area. The collected data suggested that most of the plants' were herbs and the majority belongs to Leguminosae family; the most dominant family in the study area. Leaves were the most common part used to prepare different formulations and the preparations were mostly in the form of paste and administered topically. Some of the common medicinal plants used for ethnoveterinary treatment include Allium cepa L., Allium sativum L., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Cissus quadrangularis L., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link, Piper nigrum L., etc. The people in the study area depend on this traditional system of medicine for treating their livestocks like cattle, goat and poultry. Since this indigenous knowledge has been followed for a long time, it is pertinent to identify the herbal potential of the medicinal plants. Hence, this study has documented the ethnoveterinary treatments used by the livestock owners of the study area to treat the livestock diseases along with the botanical names of the plants, family, habit, vernacular names of the plants, mode of preparation of drug, mode of administration, plant parts used and disease conditions.

Full text

21
Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
An ethnoveterinary study on plants used for
livestock diseases in Theni and Madurai districts,
Tamil Nadu, India
S Sundharakumar, R Aruna* and T M Shrinitha
Department of Botany, Thiagarajar College, Madurai – 625 009, Tamil Nadu, India
*arsbot@gmail.com
Received: 16 November 2020 Accepted: 22 December 2020
Abstract
The present study deals with the ethnoveterinary plants used to treat livestock diseases in
Melmangalam village, Theni district and Thenparankundram of Madurai district, Tamil Nadu.
About 59 medicinal plant species belonging to 34 families under 56 genera are used traditionally to
treat 30 dierent livestock disease conditions were recorded in this study with the help of livestock
rearers Naatuvaidyas of the study area. The collected data suggested that most of the plants’ were
herbs and the majority belongs to Leguminosae family; the most dominant family in the study area.
Leaves were the most common part used to prepare dierent formulations and the preparations
were mostly in the form of paste and administered topically. Some of the common medicinal plants
used for ethnoveterinary treatment include Allium cepa L., Allium sativum L., Azadirachta indica
A. Juss., Cissus quadrangularis L., Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link, Piper nigrum L., etc. The people
in the study area depend on this traditional system of medicine for treating their livestocks like
cattle, goat and poultry. Since this indigenous knowledge has been followed for a long time, it is
pertinent to identify the herbal potential of the medicinal plants. Hence, this study has documented
the ethnoveterinary treatments used by the livestock owners of the study area to treat the livestock
diseases along with the botanical names of the plants, family, habit, vernacular names of the plants,
mode of preparation of drug, mode of administration, plant parts used and disease conditions.
Keywords: Herbal healers, Indigenous knowledge, Livestock diseases, Traditional system of medicine
1. Introduction
India is one among the twelve mega biodiversity
countries with rich vegetation and a huge empire
of ethnobotanical wealth (Pal, 2009). The rich
and diverse ora of India makes it a reservoir
of medicinal plants that can help in treating the
human and animal ailments. A large number
of people in India depend on traditional herbal
medicine (Dubey et al., 2004). Ethnoveterinary
medicine is dened as an indigenous system of
medicine of the rural communities that involves
the knowledge, skills, methods, practices,
and beliefs about livestock diseases treatment
(McCorkle, 1968). Livestock is very important
for a farmer’s livelihood since it gives him food,
fuel and organic manure thereby generating
rural livelihood and employment (Parthiban
et al., 2016). The livestock owners in India
have been using plant based herbal medicine
since time immemorial (Bhuvaneswari et al.,
2016). Ethnoveterinary medicine is cost eective
and also dynamic (Warren, 1991). The locally
available medicinal plants are suitable alternative
for the expensive modern medicine.
Ethnoveterinary medicine has become popular
worldwide especially in primary health care since
it is very useful for the poor (Banumathi and
Vaseeharan, 2015). Though this herbal system of
medicine plays a very important role in the animal
healthcare of most developing countries, much
eort is not being taken by these countries in
research and integration activities (Yinegar et al.,
2007). India’s rich traditional knowledge in the
Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08(2) December 2020, 21-38
ISSN 2278- 5906
https://doi.org/10.25173/jtfp.2020.8.2.113
http://www.jtfp.jntbgri.res.in
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22 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
eld of ethnoveterinary medicines and practices
has been vanishing due to modernization
(Devendrakumar and Anbazhagan, 2012). The
rapid depletion of traditional knowledge is due
to less or no documentation (Rao et al., 2008).
The information available on ethnoveterinary
medicine is not only scarce but failed to reach rural
farmers in India (Geetha et al., 1996) and Tamil
Nadu in particular (Ganesan et al., 2008). Hence,
documentation of the indigenous knowledge is
very much necessary for conservation as well as
utilization of biological resources (Yogeswari et
al., 2017). The characteristics and intensity of
the ethnoveterinary systems dier greatly among
individuals, societies, and regions (Viegi et al.,
2003). Thus, it becomes important to study the
locally available plants that are being used as
ethnoveterinary medicines in the selected study
areas. The main objective of this study was to
document the traditional knowledge regarding
ethnoveterinary plants used by livestock rearers
in Melmangalam village of Theni district and
Thenparankundram of Madurai district of Tamil
Nadu.
2. Materials and methods
Melmangalam is located in Periyakulam Taluk,
Theni district of Tamil Nadu (Fig.1). The
latitude is 10.1008016o N and the longitude is
77.5824415o E. The district receives an average
annual rainfall of 700 – 800 mm. The minimum
and maximum temperature varies between 20oC
to 30oC. The study area is 20 km away from
the district headquarters Allinagaram. The total
geographical area of the village is 3164.64
hectares and it is a Gramapanchayat. The primary
occupation in this area is agriculture, cattle
rearing and daily wages in farmlands.
Thenparankundram is located in Thirupparan-
kundram town of Madurai district (Fig. 1). The
latitude of the study area is 9. 7376o N and the
longitude is 78. 4016o E. Average annual rainfall
of this district is 840 mm and the average
temperature ranges from 28.8oC to 32oC. The
primary occupation in this area is cattle rearing
and farming.
Many exploratory eld visits have been made
Fig. 1. Study area
S Sudharakumar et al.
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Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Fig. 2. Data collection from the livestock rearers
to the study areas in order to identify the
livestock rearers who were willing to share their
traditional knowledge between December 2019
and March 2020. During the eld visits, face to
face interviews (Fig. 2) have been conducted
with identied livestock rearers who are having
specialized knowledge in the traditional treatment
of livestock diseases.
The sampling was non-random, as those livestock
rearers who provide information on the use of
ethnoveterinary plants for treating their livestock
were only selected. The data has been documented
through questionnaires and interviews. The
semi structured interviews have been conducted
through the vernacular language Tamil. The
ethnobotanical data has been collected using
the methodology suggested earlier (Jain, 2000).
Nearly 24 reference livestock owners have
been identied and their traditional knowledge
has been recorded. They were interviewed for
information like local names of the plants, the
plant parts used, disease conditions treated,
mode of preparation, administration and dosage
of the formulation. The plants collected were
identied using the Flora of the Presidency of
Madras (Gamble, 1995) and the World Flora
Online (WFO, 2021).
3. Results and discussion
The results obtained by means of survey were
presented in Table 1 and 2. Livestock diseases
and the ethnoveterinary treatments followed in
the study area are represented in Table 1. While
botanical name, family, habit, local name, mode
of preparation, route of administration, plant
parts used, diseases cured and animals treated are
represented in Table 2.
An ethnoveterinary study on plants used for livestock diseases
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24 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Table 1. Ethnoveterinary treatment for dierent livestock diseases used by livestock rearers of Melmangalam
and Thenparankundram
Sl. No. Disease Treatment
1Bleb
1. Leaves of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss), turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.)
and crystal salt were ground well to paste which was applied topically on blebs of cow
once daily for a week.
2. The leaves of neem and turmeric powder were boiled in neem oil (or) water which
was ground to paste and applied topically over the blebs of chicken twice a day for
ten days.
2Bloat
1. Betel leaves (Piper betle L.) and pirandai (Cissus quadrangularis L.) stem were
ground well with garlic (Allium sativum L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), ginger
(Zingiber ocinale Roscoe), turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.), jaggery and salt
to a ne paste which was applied topically onto the animal’s abdomen twice daily for
a week.
2. Five betel leaves, pepper (Piper nigrum L.), ginger, fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-
graecum L.) were ground to juice with palm sugar which was given internally to the
goat two times daily for one week.
3 Blood scour
Leaves and fruits of manathakkali (Solanum americanum Mill.), onion (Allium cepa
L.), pepper (Piper nigrum L.), and aloe (Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f.) gel was ground well.
The paste was mixed with water and given orally to the chick twice a day for a week.
4 Bone fracture
1. Leaves and stem of pirandai (Cissus quadrangularis L.) were made into a paste
with sesame oil (Sesamum indicum L.) and a pinch of turmeric powder (Curcuma
longa L.) and applied topically over the region two times per day for a week.
2. The leaves of seenthil (Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr.), virali (Dodonaea viscosa
(L.) Jacq.) and ulunthu seeds (Vigna mungo (L.) Hepper) were ground with limestone
as paste and applied topically over the fractured area for a week.
3. The stem of pirandai, sampulichan leaves (Erythroxylum monogynum Roxb.),
sesame oil and a pinch of turmeric powder were ground into paste and applied topically
over the fractured area twice a day for a week.
5Cold
1. The juice from the leaves of thumbai (Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link) was extracted
and mixed with drumstick (Moringa oleifera Lam.) leaves juice extract. This juice was
then poured into the nose as nasal drops for the goat twice a day for eight days.
2. With leaves of holy basil (Ocimum tenuiorum L.) and drumstick add turmeric
powder (Curcuma longa L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), pepper (Piper nigrum L.)
and palm sugar which were ground into paste. This paste was diluted and administered
orally twice a day for a week.
6 Constipation
1. Leaf extract of kolanchi (Tephrosia purpurea (L.) Pers.), chilly (Capsicum annuum
L.) and red gram (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp) were ground into juice and given orally
to the goat once a day for 3 days to cure completely.
2. Aqueous paste of sembai (Parkinsonia aculeata L.), leaves of kolanchi, chilly and
red gram were ground to paste. The ground paste was given orally to the goat once a
day until the condition is cured completely.
7 Cowpox
1. Leaves of kuppaimeni (Acalypha indica L.), neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.),
and nilavembu (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees) were ground to paste with
pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and salt and given orally twice a day for eight days.
2. The leaves of neem were boiled in neem oil or water and applied topically over the
pox lesions.
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Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
8 Diarrhoea
1. Fresh owers of vazhai (Musa paradisiaca L.) were fed orally to the cow thrice a
day for a week.
2. Whole plant of pillaimarathuchedi (Acorus calamus L.) was ground to juice and
administered orally with coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) oil to the aected goat once a
day until it was cured completely.
3. Leaves juice of kallathi maram (Ficus tinctoria G. Forst.) was given orally to the
aected goats once a day for three days
9 Dysentery
1. The tubers of thanneervittan kilangu (Asparagus racemosus Willd.) were ground
into juice and given orally in early morning and evening for two days.
2. The tender shoots of thanneervittan kilangu were ground into paste and mixed with
jaggery and butter milk. This paste was administered orally in the early morning and
in the evening for two days.
3. Leaves of sangu poo (Clitoria ternatea L.) were ground and with 100 g of leaf paste,
garlic (Allium sativum L.), turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.) and jaggery were
added. This paste is administered orally two times per day for two days.
10 Exhalation
1. To the betel leaves (Piper betle L.), a small amount of pepper paste (Piper nigrum
L.) was added, rolled and given to the cattle orally two times a day for a week.
2. The whole plant of nayuruvi (Achyranthes aspera L.) was ground into juice and
given orally two times per day for three days.
3. Leaves of sangu poo (Clitoria ternatea L.) were ground into juice, mixed with
jaggery and buttermilk and then given orally two times a day for three days.
4. Five betel leaves, pepper, ve garlic (Allium sativum L.)/ginger (Zingiber ocinale
Roscoe)/limestone were ground to paste and administered orally to the cow/goat twice/
thrice/once daily for a week.
11 Eye infection Leaves of puliyarai (Oxalis corniculata L.) were ground to juice with water and used
as eye drops for cows and goats.
12 Fever
Roots of aanai katralai (Agave americana L.), tubers of nilabanai (Curculigo
orchioides Gaertn.), roots of nilavembu (Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees),
leaves of nochi (Vitex negundo L.) and leaves of veppalai (Wrightia tinctoria R. Br.)
were ground into paste. With 100 g of paste, pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and garlic
(Allium sativum L.) were ground into juice. This juice was given orally for 3 days.
13 Jaundice
1. The leaves and roots of keelanelli (Phyllanthus niruri L.) were ground to juice with
water. The juice was administered orally twice every day for a week.
2. The leaves and roots of keelanelli were ground to juice with water and mixed with
turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.). The juice was given orally to the cow twice a
day for 8 days.
14
Foot and
Mouth
Disease
(FMD)
1. The leaves of tulasi (Ocimum tenuiorum L.), neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.),
kuppaimeni (Acalypha indica L.), marudhani (Lawsonia inermis L.), 10 g turmeric
powder (Curcuma longa L.) and ve garlic (Allium sativum L.) were ground to paste
which was applied to the lesions in the mouth and foot twice a day for a week and the
decoction prepared using the same plants was also administered orally.
2. Neem leaves, turmeric tuber and salt were ground into paste which was diluted and
given orally to the goat two times daily for one week.
3. Leaves of kuppaimeni (Acalypha indica L.), boiled coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) and
palm sugar were ground with cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), pepper (Piper nigrum
L.), anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) and fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) into
paste which was diluted and applied topically over mouth thrice a day for two weeks.
4. Porridge made with nger millet (Secale cereale L.) and bananas (Musa paradisiaca
L.) were given three times daily for one week.
5. Neem leaves, turmeric powder and neem oil were ground to paste, diluted and
applied topically over the lesions in the mouth and foot of cattle twice a day for one
week.
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26 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
6. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), pepper (Piper nigrum L.), anise, pirandai (Cissus
quadrangularis L.) stem, boiled coconut and onion (Allium cepa L.) were ground to
paste and applied topically over mouth.
15 Goat pox
Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) and turmeric tubers (Curcuma longa L.)
were ground well, the paste was applied topically onto the pox lesions thoroughly.
Repeat this once daily for a week.
16 Hoof
inammation
1. Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) and turmeric powder (Curcuma longa
L.) were boiled in neem oil and ground to paste with crystal salt which was applied
topically over hoof inammation twice a day for a week.
2. Marudhani leaves (Lawsonia inermis L.) and turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.)
was boiled with neem oil which was used to wash the inammation of hoof externally
twice a day for two weeks.
17 Maggot
wound
1. Whole plant of Thottasinungi (Mimosa pudica L.) was extracted and the juice is
mixed with turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.) and goat milk. The juice was applied
topically to the aected area twice a day for ve days.
2. Seeds of aavarai (Senna auriculata. (L.) Roxb.) were ground into paste and mixed
with turmeric powder, thottasinungi leaves juice and goat milk. The paste was applied
topically to the aected area twice a day for ve days.
18 Mastitis
1. Fruit juice of lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck), Aloe vera (Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f.)
gel, turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.) and ve betel leaves (Piper betle L.) were
ground to paste with water and applied topically around the udder twice a day for two
weeks.
2. Lemon juice and limestone were ground to paste which was diluted and applied
topically around the udder thrice a day until inammation subsides completely.
3. Aloe gel and turmeric powder were ground to paste which was diluted and applied
topically around the udder three times daily for a week.
19
Insect bite
1. The root juice of nilavembu (Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees) was mixed
with pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and given orally thrice a day for two days.
2. Along with roots of thalai suruli (Aristolochia indica L.) and stem of seenthil
(Tinospora sinensis (Lour.) Merr.), 10 g of pound pepper was boiled in water. The
decoction was given orally two times a day for two days.
20 Neck swelling
1. Fruits of kachampuli (Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Roxb.) were well ground to paste
and applied topically on the animal’s neck once daily for a week.
2. Fruits of sarakondrai (Cassia stula L.) were ground to paste and applied topically
on the neck to cure swelling due to cold.
21
Parasitic
infection
1. Neem leaves (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.), turmeric tuber (Curcuma longa L.) and
fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) were ground well into paste which was
diluted with water and administered orally to the cow twice a day.
2. Latex of papaya (Carica papaya L.) was mixed with cattle feed and administered
orally once a day for six days.
22
External
parasite
infestation
1. Leaves and owers of nayuruvi (Achyranthes aspera L.) were ground to paste with
butter and it was applied topically over wounds of cows.
2. Leaves of kuppaimeni (Acalypha indica L.) and neem leaves (Azadirachta indica A.
Juss.) were ground and boiled with neem oil. Diluted paste was applied topically over
the aected area of cow once a day for two weeks.
3. Neem leaves and turmeric tubers (Curcuma longa L.) were boiled well in water
which is used to bath the cow once a day for three weeks.
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Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
4. Neem leaves were ground to paste and mixed with neem oil which is applied
topically over the skin once a day for three weeks.
5. Leaves of kuppaimeni and neem leaves were ground to paste and applied topically
to the chick once every day for a week.
23 Retention of
placenta
Whole plant of kundumani (Abrus precatorius L.) was ground to juice (about 100 ml)
and was given orally twice a week.
24 Poisonous
bite
Leaves of thumbai (Leucas aspera (Willd.) Link), nilavembu (Andrographis paniculata
(Burm.f.) Nees), pepper (Piper nigrum L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), onion
(Allium cepa L.), betel leaves (Piper betle L.) were ground to paste. To which banana
stem (Musa paradisiaca L.) juice 50 ml, jaggery/palm sugar and salt were added and
applied topically to the aected area once daily for a week.
25 Reproductive
disorder
Fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) were powdered and administered orally once
a day for seven days.
26 Rheumatism
1. Seeds of kacchuram (Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb.) and leaves of mudakkathan
keerai (Cardiospermum halicacabum L.) were ground to paste and applied topically
over the joints twice a day for a week and the decoction was orally given to the cow
twice a week.
2. Kacchuram seed paste was mixed with turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.) and
goat milk and the paste was applied topically over the joints while the decoction was
given orally twice a week.
3. Leaves of nilavarai (Senna alexandriana Mill.) were dried, powdered and made into
paste with water, applied topically over joints once a day for eight days.
27 Scour
Curry leaves (Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng.), three garlic (Allium sativum L.), onion
(Allium cepa L.), jaggery/palm sugar were ground to paste. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum
L.), poppy seed (Papaver somniferum L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum
L.), pepper (Piper nigrum L.), asafoetida were ground to paste with turmeric powder
(Curcuma longa L.) and then mixed with the rst paste. To the paste, crystal salt was
added. This was applied on the cow's tongue once daily for a week.
28 Snake bite Leaves of siriyanangai (Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees) were ground and
the juice was given orally to the aected cow.
29 White scour
The roots of keelanelli (Phyllanthus niruri L.), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), pepper
(Piper nigrum L.), three garlic (Allium sativum L.) and ve onion (Allium cepa L.)
were ground to paste which were then mixed with the feed and fed as chick feed two
times daily for ve days.
30 Wound
1. Leaves of vilvam (Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa) were made into paste and mixed
with turmeric powder (Curcuma longa L.) and applied to the wounds topically once a
day for ve days.
2. Stem bark paste of mulvengai (Bridelia montana (Roxb.) Willd.) was mixed with a
pinch of turmeric powder and moderately applied on the wound topically twice a day
for ve days.
3. Leaf paste of Poonaikali (Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC.) was mixed with turmeric
powder and applied to the wounds topically two times a day for a week.
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Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Table 2. The ethnoveterinary plants in the study area
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
1. Abrus precatorius L. Leguminosae Shrub Kundumani Whole plant Retention of placenta in
cattle Juice/ oral
2. Acalypha indica L. Euphorbiaceae Herb Kuppaimeni Leaves
Cattle pox in cattle Paste/ oral
Foot & Mouth disease –
FMD in cattle, goat
Paste/ topical
& Decoction/ oral
Parasitic infection in cattle Paste/ topical
External parasitic infestation
in poultry Paste/ topical
3. Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae Herb Nayuruvi
Whole plant,
Leaves Exhalation in cattle, goat Juice/ oral
Flowers
Parasitic infection in cattle Paste/ topical
External parasitic
infestation in cattle Paste/ topical
4Acorus calamus L. Acoraceae Herb Pillaimaratthu chedi Whole plant Diarrhoea in goat Juice/ oral
5. Aegle marmelos (L.)
Correa Rutaceae Tree Vilvam Leaves Wounds in cattle Paste/ topical
6. Agave americana L. Asparagaceae Herb Aanai katralai Roots Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
7. Allium cepa L. Amaryllidaceae Herb Vengayam Bulb
Blood scour in poultry Paste/ oral
FMD in cattle, goat Paste/ topical
Poisonous bite in cattle Paste/ topical
White scour in poultry Paste/ oral
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Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
1. Abrus precatorius L. Leguminosae Shrub Kundumani Whole plant Retention of placenta in
cattle Juice/ oral
2. Acalypha indica L. Euphorbiaceae Herb Kuppaimeni Leaves
Cattle pox in cattle Paste/ oral
Foot & Mouth disease –
FMD in cattle, goat
Paste/ topical
& Decoction/ oral
Parasitic infection in cattle Paste/ topical
External parasitic infestation
in poultry Paste/ topical
3. Achyranthes aspera L. Amaranthaceae Herb Nayuruvi
Whole plant,
Leaves Exhalation in cattle, goat Juice/ oral
Flowers
Parasitic infection in cattle Paste/ topical
External parasitic
infestation in cattle Paste/ topical
4Acorus calamus L. Acoraceae Herb Pillaimaratthu chedi Whole plant Diarrhoea in goat Juice/ oral
5. Aegle marmelos (L.)
Correa Rutaceae Tree Vilvam Leaves Wounds in cattle Paste/ topical
6. Agave americana L. Asparagaceae Herb Aanai katralai Roots Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
7. Allium cepa L. Amaryllidaceae Herb Vengayam Bulb
Blood scour in poultry Paste/ oral
FMD in cattle, goat Paste/ topical
Poisonous bite in cattle Paste/ topical
White scour in poultry Paste/ oral
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
8. Allium sativum L. Amaryllidaceae Herb Vellai poondu Bulb
Bloat in cattle Paste/ topical
Dysentery in cattle Paste/ oral
Exhalation in cattle, goat Paste/ oral
Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
FMD in cattle goat Paste/ topical
Scour in poultry Paste/ topical
White scour in poultry Paste/ oral
9. Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. Xanthorrhoeaceae Herb Katralai Gel
Mastitis in cattle Paste/ topical
Blood scour in poultry Paste/ oral
10.
Andrographis
paniculata (Burm.f.)
Nees Acanthaceae Shrub Nilavembu/ siriyanangai
Roots Insect bites in cattle Juice/ oral
Leaves
Poisonous bite in cattle Paste/ topical
Cattle pox in cattle Paste/ oral
Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
Snake bite in cattle
11. Aristolochia indica L.Aristolochiaceae Herb Thalai suruli Roots Insect bite in cattle Decoction/ oral
12. Asparagus racemosus
Willd. Asparagaceae Shrub Thaneervittan kilangu
Tuber
Dysentery in cattle
Juice/ oral
Tender shoots Paste/ oral
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30 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
13. Azadirachta indica A.
Juss. Meliaceae Tree Vembu Leaves
Blebs in cattle, poultry Paste/ topical
Cattle pox in cattle Paste/ oral & Juice/
topical
Goat Pox in goat Paste/ topical &
Decoction/ oral
FMD - Foot & Mouth
disease in cattle, goat
Paste/ oral & Paste/
topical
Hoof inammation in cattle Juice/topical
Parasitic infections in cattle
Paste/ topical
External parasitic infestation
in poultry
14. Bridelia montana
(Roxb.) Willd. Phyllanthaceae Tree Mulvengai Stem bark Wounds in cattle Paste/ topical
15. Caesalpinia bonduc (L.)
Roxb. Leguminosae Shrub Kacchuram Seeds Rheumatism in cattle Paste/ topical &
Decoction/ oral
16. Cajanus cajan (L.)
Millsp. Leguminosae Shrub Thuvarai Seeds Constipation in goat Juice/ oral & Paste/
oral
17. Capsicum annuum L. Solanaceae Herb Milagai Fruits Constipation in goat Juice/ oral &
Paste/ oral
18. Cardiospermum
halicacabum L. Sapindaceae Herb Mudakkathan keerai Leaves Rheumatism in cattle Paste/ topical
19. Carica papaya L. Caricaceae Tree Pappali Latex Parasitic infections in cattle Fresh/ oral
20. Cassia stula L. Leguminosae Tree Sarakondrai Fruits Neck swelling in goat Paste/ topical
21
Cissus quadrangularis
L. Vitaceae Shrub Pirandai
Stem Bloat in cattle
Paste/ topicalStem FMD in cattle, goat
Stem & leaves Bone fracture in cattle
22. Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck Rutaceae Tree Elumichchai Fruits Mastitis in cattle Paste/ topical
S Sudharakumar et al.
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Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
23. Clitoria ternatea L. Leguminosae Herb Sangu poo Leaves Dysentery in cattle Paste/ oral
Exhalation in cattle Juice/ oral
24. Cocos nucifera L. Arecaceae Tree Thennai Fruits Diarrhoea in goat Juice/ oral
FMD in cattle, goat Paste/ topical
25. Cuminum cyminum L. Apiaceae Herb Jeeragam Fruits
Cold in goat Paste/ oral
White scour in poultry
FMD in cattle, goat
Paste/ topical
Poisonous bite in cattle
Scour in poultry
Bloat in cattle
26. Curculigo orchioides
Gaertn. Hypoxidaceae Herb Nilabanai Tuber Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
27. Curmcuma longa L. Zingiberaceae Herb Manjal Tuber
Bloat in cattle Paste/ topical
Bone fracture in cattle
Cold in goat Paste/ oral
Dysentery in cattle
Jaundice in cattle Juice/ oral
FMD in cattle, goat
Paste/ topical
Goat Pox in goat
Hoof inammation in cattle
Maggot wound in cattle
Mastitis in cattle
Wound in cattle
Rheumatism in cattle Paste/ topical &
Decoction/oral
Scour in poultry Extract/ oral
Parasitic infection in cattle Paste/ oral & Juice/
topical
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32 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
28. Dodonaea viscosa (L.)
Jacq. Sapindaceae Shrub Virali Leaves Bone fracture in cattle Paste/ topical
29. Erythroxylum
monogynum Roxb. Erythroxylaceae Tree Sampulichan Leaves Bone fracture in cattle Paste/ topical
30. Ficus tinctoria G. Forst Moraceae Tree Kallathi maram Leaves Diarrhea in goat Juice/ oral
31. Foeniculum vulgare
Mill.Apiaceae Herb Sombu Seeds Reproductive disorder in
goat Powder/ oral
32. Garcinia gummi-gutta
(L.) Roxb. Clusiaceae Tree Kachampuli Fruits Neck swelling in cattle Paste/ topical
33. Lawsonia inermis L. Lythraceae Shrub Marudhani Leaves
Hoof inammation in cattle Juice/ topical
FMD in cattle, goat Paste/ topical &
Decoction/ oral
34. Leucas aspera (Willd.)
Link Lamiaceae Herb Thumbai Leaves
Cold in goat, cattle Juice/ nasal drops
Poisonous bite in cattle Paste/ topical
35. Mimosa pudica L. Leguminosae Herb Thottasinungi Whole plant or
Leaves Maggot wound in cattle Paste/ topical
36. Moringa oleifera Lam. Moringaceae Tree Murungai Leaves Cold in goat Juice/ nasal drops
&
Paste/ oral
37. Mucuna pruriens (L.)
DC. Leguminosae Shrub Poonaikali/ poonaipidukan Leaves Wound in cattle Paste/ topical
38. Murraya koenigii(L.)
Spreng. Rutaceae Tree Kariveppilai Leaves Scour in poultry Paste/ topical
39. Musa paradisiaca L. Musaceae Tree Vaazhai
Flowers Diarrhoea in cattle Fresh/ oral
Fruits FMD in cattle, goat Fresh/ oral
Stem Poisonous bite in cattle Paste/ topical
40. Ocimum tenuiorum L. Lamiaceae Herb Tulasi Leaves Cold in goat Paste/ oral &
Paste/ topical
41. Oxalis corniculata L. Oxalidaceae Herb Puliyarai Leaves Eye infection in cattle, goat Juice/ eye drops
42. Papaver somniferum L. Papaveraceae Herb Kasakasa Seeds Scour in poultry Paste/ topical
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33
Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
43. Parkinsonia aculeata L.Leguminosae Shrub Sembai Leaves Constipation in goat Paste/ oral
44. Phyllanthus niruri L. Phyllanthaceae Herb Keelanelli Roots White scour in poultry Paste/ oral
Leaves & Roots Jaundice in cattle Juice/ oral
45. Pimpinella anisum L. Apiaceae Herb Sombu Fruits FMD in cattle, goat Paste/ topical
46. Piper nigrum L. Piperaceae Shrub Milagu Fruits
Bloat in goat Juice/ oral
Blood scour in poultry
Paste/ oral
Cold in goat
Cattle pox in cattle
Exhalation in cattle
Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
Insect bite in cattle Juice/ oral
Decoction/ oral
FMD in cattle, goat
Paste/ topicalPoisonous bite in cattle
Scour in poultry
White scour in poultry Paste/ oral
47. Piper betle L. Piperaceae Shrub Vetrilai Leaves
Exhalation in cattle Paste/ oral
Bloat in goat, cattle Paste/ topical,
Juice/ oral
Mastitis in in cattle
Paste/ topical
Poisonous bite in cattle
48. Secale cereale L. Poaceae Herb Kambu Fruits Foot & Mouth disease in
cattle Porridge/ oral
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34 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Sl.
No. Botanical name Family name Habit Vernacular name Part used Disease
condition treated
Mode of
preparation/ route
of administration
49. Senna alexandrina Mill. Leguminosae Shrub Nilavarai Leaves Rheumatism in cattle Paste/ topical
50. Senna auriculata (L.)
Roxb. Leguminosae Shrub Aavarai Seeds Maggot in cattle Paste/ topical
51. Sesamum indicum L. Pedaliaceae Herb Ellu Seeds Bone fracture in cattle Paste/ topical
52. Solanum americanum
Mill. Solanaceae Shrub Manathakkali Leaves,
Fruits Blood scour in poultry Paste/ oral
53. Tephrosia purpurea (L.)
Pers. Leguminosae Shrub Kolanchi Leaves Constipation in goat Juice/ oral & Paste/
oral
54. Tinospora sinensis
(Lour.) Merr. Menispermaceae Shrub Seenthil
Leaves Bone fracture in cattle Paste/ topical
Stem Insect bite in cattle Decoction/ oral
55. Trigonella
foenum- graecum L. Leguminosae Herb Venthayam Seeds
Bloat in goat Juice/ oral
Parasitic infection in cattle Paste/ oral
FMD in cattle, goat Paste/ topical
Scour in poultry
56. Vigna mungo (L.)
Hepper Leguminosae Herb Ulunthu Seeds Bone fracture in cattle Paste/ topical
57. Vitex negundo L. Lamiaceae Tree Nochi Leaves Fever in cattle Juice/ oral
58. Wrightia tinctoria R. Br. Apocynaceae Tree Veppalai Leaves Fever in cattle Juice / oral
59. Zingiber ocinale
Roscoe Zingiberaceae Herb Ingi Rhizome
Bloat in cattle Paste/ topical &
Juice/ oral
Exhalation in cattle, goat Paste/ oral
S Sudharakumar et al.
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35
Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
The present investigation revealed that the
livestock owners of the study area have been
following a variety of ethnoveterinary practices
to cure animal disorders and diseases. A total of
59 ethnoveterinary plant species that were being
used by the livestock owners of Melmangalam
and Thenparankundram villages to treat 30
dierent livestock diseases condition have been
documented along with the type of formulation.
The usage of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. for foot
and mouth disease treatment has already been
reported in many studies across India (Sharma
et al., 2012, Dhanam and Elayaraj, 2014). The
usage of Cissus quadrangularis L. for treatment
of fractured bones has already been reported
in other studies (Dhanam and Elayaraj, 2014).
Similarly, plant species like, Allium cepa L.
(Aziz et al., 2020), Allium sativum L. (Sharma
and Kumar, 2012) were reported to have many
ethnoveterinary medicinal values across India
and Pakistan.
3.1. Families recorded
The documented medicinal plants families
were presented in Table 2. From the results, it
was evident that there were 59 medicinal plant
species belonging to 34 families and 56 genera
in the study area, i.e. thirteen species from
Leguminosae, three species each in Lamiaceae,
Rutaceae and Apiaceae, two species each in
Phyllanthaceae, Amaryllidaceae, Asparagaceae,
Sapindaceae, Zingiberaceae, Piperaceae,
Solanaceae and the other families constituting
one species each. It was found that family
Leguminosae had been the major contributor of
ethnoveterinary plants in the study area (Fig. 3).
In an earlier study, it was reported that family
Fabaceae was the major contributor of medicinal
plant species (Prabhu et al., 2014). The reason
for Fabaceae being the most dominant family in
the study area was because it has been known to
have the largest number of species than any other
family across the globe (Marles and Farnsworth,
1995).
3.2. Habit
In the present survey, 47% of the documented
species were herbs. The other species that were
recorded include shrubs (28%) and trees (25%)
(Fig. 4). Similarly, there were reports of usage
of herbaceous plants as ethno medicine in many
areas (Addo- Faordjour et al., 2008; Reang et
al., 2016) due to the accumulation of bio active
compounds (Gazzaneo et al., 2005) in herbs and
their easy availability (Uniyal et al., 2005).
Fig. 3. Families of ethnoveterinary plants
Fig. 4. Habit of ethnoveterinary plants
3.3. Mode of preparation
From the Fig. 5, it was evident that paste (59%)
was the most common mode of preparation
of ethno medicine. There were also reports
stating that paste is one of the major modes of
ethnoveterinary drug preparation since it could
be prepared easily even without water (Kamatchi
et al., 2020; Saha et al., 2014).
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36 Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Fig. 5. Mode of preparation of drugs
3.4. Route of administration
There were dierent routes of administration
like oral (internal), topical (external), nasal drops
and eye drops that have been widely followed
in the study area. Topical (51%) application of
ethnomedicine was the most common route of
administration that has been followed in the
study area while oral mode occupied 47% (Fig.
6).
Fig. 6. Route of administration of drugs
3.5. Plant parts used
The livestock owners of the study area used
dierent plant parts for the preparation of
ethnoveterinary formulations (Fig. 7). They
mainly consisted of leaves (53%), fruits (10%),
seeds (10%), stem (7%), roots (5%), whole plant
(4%), tuber (3%), gel (2%), owers (2%), bulb
(2%), rhizome (1%) and latex (1%). There were
many reports of usage of parts above the ground
especially leaves being the most preferred
part used for drug preparation than any other
underground parts (Miara et al., 2019; Tiwari
and Pande, 2010). This was because leaves could
be easily collected than any other parts (Giday
et al., 2009) and leaves were very much active
in photosynthesis and metabolite production
(Ghorbani, 2005).
Fig. 7. Parts used for drug preparation
3.6. Animals treated
The livestock owners of the study areas have
dierent ethnoveterinary treatments but the major
portion of these treatments was aimed to cure
diseases and disorders of cattle (69%). Though
there were treatments for diseases of goat and
chicken, they were very few when compared to
the treatments being provided to the cattle (Fig.
8). This was because of the large population of
cattle as well as their major role in farming.
Fig. 8. Ethnoveterinary treatments for animals
3.7. Plant formulations
The ethnoveterinary formulations were prepared
using a single plant or two plants or a combination
of two or more plants. There were reports that
showed plants that were used in combinations
were more eective (Eswaran et al., 2013).
S Sudharakumar et al.
36

37
Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices
Volume 08 (2) December 2020, ISSN 2278-5906
Similarly, in the study area, the livestock
owners preferred multiple plant formulations for
ethnoveterinary treatment than using single plant
formulations (Fig. 9).
Fig. 9. Plant drug formulations
4. Conclusion
Surveys were conducted in Melmangalam
village of Theni district and Thenparankundram
of Madurai district in Tamil Nadu to document
the ethnoveterinary plants used by livestock
owners to treat various disease conditions
aecting livestock. About 59 dierent medicinal
plants belonging to 34 families were recorded; of
which, Leguminosae was found to be the most
used family, leaves were the most used part, paste
was the most preferred mode of preparation,
topical mode was the most preferred route of
administration and cattle had the most number
of ethnoveterinary treatments. The objectives
of the study, namely, identication of the
livestock owners with traditional knowledge and
documentation of the dierent ethnoveterinary
plants used to cure livestock diseases had been
met with. Ethnoveterinary treatments have been
accepted widely as an alternative to the modern
system of medicine (Buch et al., 1973). It is
necessary for us to conserve this kind of traditional
knowledge since it has been developed through
many generations, or this valuable resource
could get depleted (Siva et al ., 2009). These
traditional systems of medicine could help us to
provide leads for further research in identifying
novel compounds (Sharma and Kumar, 2012).
Therefore, pharmacological potential of such
medicinal plants have to be explored in order to
help in the discovery of new formulations.
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the livestock
owners and naatuvaidyas of Melmangalam and
Thenparankundram villages who consented to
share their traditional knowledge with us.
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