Medicinal Plants Used in The Treatment of Skin Diseases at Mattuvil Shivankovilady Area - A Field Survey

Abstract

This paper represents the medicinally important plants used in Skin diseases which were identified in Mattuvil Shivankovilady area. Skin diseases are most common in world wide. It has two of the main causes are changes of life style and diet pattern, which an Individual follows either knowingly or unknowingly following these that's against the season or Prakriti of a person creates an imbalance in bodily energies, thus contaminating the body tissues to produce a skin disease. In Siddha, skin diseases are caused due to imbalances in all the three Doshas, the prime Dosha involved is Pitta. Excess Pitta in the blood can result in breakouts on the skin. Totally 105 medicinal plants belong to 46 families was identified from the study area. During our field visit we identified rich diversity of medicinal plant in Northern province (Jeyaweera 1991) including skin diseases. Out of these 35 family plants (59 plants) were used in skin disease. Leguminosae being the most frequently (12.38%) represented family. Plants mentioned in this survey have shown many pharmacological properties (15 types). Mostly 18 plants have an anthelmintic action. Among these plants 26 (44.07%) used only externally. And most dominant plant part was leaf (62.71%). Organoleptic characteristics of these 59 plants mostly were 32 (54.24%) bitter in taste, 39 (66.10 %) hot in potency, 44 (74.58%) post digestive state in Kaarpu. All of these medicinal plants were found in this area and we want to protect the medicinal valuable plants on their natural habitat and further pharmacological and establish the form of preparations with the modern techniques.