Bengal’s medicinal plants face threat:

Bengal’s medicinal plants face threat: Bengal’s curative plants in verge of extinction Introduction:

• The West Bengal Forest Department on Friday came out with a unique publication titled Medicinal Plant Resources of South Bengal that provides details on 581 species of medicinal plants found across different regions of south Bengal.
• As per the reports, out of 20,000 medicinal plants listed by the World Health Organisation (WHO), India’s contribution is about 5,000 species.

Purpose of the publication:

• The publication will serve as a very important data bank of medicinal plants in the country
• It will also generate interest among common people to come forward and conserve medicinal plans by growing them into their home gardens
• The publication is also a part of ongoing measures taken up by the State Forest Department to conserve medicinal plants.

The concern:

• Increasing use of medicinal plants as raw materials by different pharmaceutical companies has pushed many of these species to the stage of extinction.

Uses of the plants:

• The roots of a rambling herb Gloriosa superba found across south Bengal are poisonous are widely sought by pharmaceutical companies.
• Sloth bears are reported to feed on the pulp of the Cassia fistula (amaltus) fruit for stomach ailments. The plant also has medicinal properties for treating skin diseases in humans.
• The bark of Saraca asoca, which is a threatened tree species classified as ‘Vulnerable’ on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, is used in the treatment of a number of ailments, including heart disease.
• Asparagus officinalis is used for the treatment of jaundice and rheumatism, Asparagus racemosus is not only used to treat human ailments but also that of cattle, and is sold in the markets of south Bengal by locals.