Ethnomedicine from Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh

The present investigation is an attempt to explore ethnomedicine of the tribals of Visakhapatnam district with the objectives of collection, identification and inventorisation of plant species employed in ethnomedicinal practices and to bring some new ones on to the agenda of medicinal plants and to contribute to the development of modern medicine. The agency track of the district is inhabited by 9 communities. 506 species included in 367 genera and 124 families are recorded. 135 ailments are cured by these plants with 1681 ethnomedicinal practices. 316 species are used singly and the remaining 190 in combination. Majority of plants can be saved by establishing national parks and nature reserves as protected areas. Critically endangered plants may be adopted by the social forestry to grow them as avenue plants. Ethnomedicinal knowledge endowed with tribals be exploited by the modern medicine. This monograph is useful to the researchers in the fields of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, Pharmacology and Pharmacognosy.