Traditional herbal remedies used for management of reproductive disorders in Wayanad district, Kerala

The present study reports the medicinal plants commonly used by different tribal communities located in Wayanad district, Kerala to cure reproductive disorders. The plant parts utilized, methods of preparation of remedies, tribes associated, status, habit and the place where it was practiced are documented. The ethno botanical indigenous tribal knowledge was collected by visiting traditional healers and documenting the medicinal plants used. A total of 35 plant species belonging to 28 families were documented and identified as herbal remedies for reproductive problems. Most species used were from Fabaceae (17.14), followed by Annonaceae and Moraceae (5.71). The majority of herbal preparations for reproductive afflictions were prepared from the roots (20) followed by bark (17.04) while other plant parts are also used in varied percentage. It was observed that fresh plant material was used to prepare remedies and was prepared as mixtures of multiple ingredients from different plants. The information gained on frequently used traditional remedies will give some leads for future targets for further analysis in order to develop new drugs for reproductive disorders in humans