Traditional herbal medicines used for the treatment of skin disorders by the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Gujjar</i> tribe of Sub-Himalayan tract, Uttarakhand

736-746In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to explore the traditional knowledge on herbal medicines used as a remedy for skin disorders by the Gujjar tribe of Sub-Himalayan tract, Uttarakhand. The purpose of this study is to assess traditional knowledge on medicinal plants which forms a baseline data for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies, to identify the important species used for skin medicine, finding out methods for various preparations, and calculate the % informants in relation to medicinal plant use. In this study frequent field trips were made for the collection of plant specimens and information on medicinal aspects from traditional healers and women folk through questionnaire and interviews. <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-bidi-font-weight:bold" lang="EN-GB">The knowledge of herbal preparation, parts used, mode of administration and local name was also taken during the study period. The present study has resulted in the documentation of 109 medicinal plant species belonging to 57 families and 102 genera used by the Gujjars for treatment of different skin ailments, viz. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">allergy, blisters, boils, chilblain, cracked feet, cuts, eczema, leprosy, leucoderma, ringworms, sore and wounds. The findings of present study shows documentation of 22 plant species which are found little known or less reported in available published literature. The Gujjar tribe lives interiorly in the forest localities and Government is making policies to rehabilitate them outside of forest areas, it is necessary to tap their rich heritable traditional knowledge on medicinal plants within time before it become vanished due to modernization. A comprehensive detailed search and report on the pattern of utilization of medicinal plants by this tribe has not evidenced in the earlier publications. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">Therefore, present attempt has been made to document traditional knowledge of Gujjar tribe used to treat different skin disorders by making various herbal preparations.