Medicinal Plants Used By Traditional Healers in UNA District of Himachal Pradesh (North Western Himalayan Region), India

The present study was conducted in a Swan river (Main River of district) catchment area of district Una (H.P) to accumulate knowledge regarding diversity of plant resources that are used by local people for medicinal uses and to preserve the traditional way of curing aliments which are losing its importance in young generation. The plant kingdom represents a rich house of organic compound, many of which have been used for medicinal purposes and could serve as good efficacy in various pathological disorders in the coming years. This knowledge could be utilized in formulation of drugs in various discipline of medicine. Survey Questionnaire, participatory observations and field visits were planned to illicit information. Study revealed that 57 plant species are commonly used by local people for curing various diseases. In most of cases Leaf(11spp.); whole plant parts and seed (10spp. ) each ;root(6spp.);flower(4spp.) ;flower and leaf (4spp.); leaf and root(3);rhizome, root and bark, leaf and bark, root leaf and bark; fruit and root; bark fruit leaf (1spp.) each. Implication of developmental activities and changing socio economic condition on traditional knowledge is also discussed. This study too revealed that rural people in this area still continue to depend on medicinal plants at least for the treatment of primary health care.