Ph.D. work

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Ph.D work
Name of the Department	Botany
Name of the researcher	G.Sudarsanam
Name of the Research supervisor	Prof. P. Gopala Rao
Ph.D Title	Ethnobotanical survey and Phytopharmaco-chemical Screening of selected medicinal plants of Chittoor Dist. A.P
Year of award	1988
Brief note on my findings

Ethnobotanical studies offer a fertile field for basic as well as advanced scientific investigation. It is an interdisciplinary area with wide scope. Solid and organized research work in Ethnobotany is just over 100 years old. The last few decades have seen a sudden spurt in this area of scientific inquiry.
There is no systematic Ethnobotanical exploration was carried out until present attempt. To fill up the lacunae present study, was attempted to unravel the Medico-Ethnobotanical uses of plants by Yanadi and Nakkala Tribes in Chittoor District. Information about the plants and their medical values in treating various diseases by Yanadi and Nakkala tribes were gathered along with the method of preparations, mode of administration, dosage, and ingredients used. Numerous, hitherto unrecorded uses of plants and herbs recorded during intensive survey have been discussed.
This attempt will protect and preserve information for the young scientists of future
generations to do molecular level studies on the content of herbal plants and to find out new drugs in future.

Objective :

1. to study Ethnobotany of local tribes in Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh
2. to detect biological activities and
3. to isolate and identify active principles.

Findings :

Chapter – I Ethnobotany

Ethnobotanical studies on tribes of Chittoor District of Andhra Pradesh has revealed 137 Medicinal plants belonging to 117 genera of 62 families with known, less known or new uses have been collected, identified and documented. These plant drugs are used in different areas for treating nearly 65 human diseases such as fevers, ear-aches, cough & cold, bronchitis, ulcers, diuretic, piles, leucoderma, diarrhea and dysentery, eye- diseases, eye-injuries, asthma, jaundice, rheumatic pains, epilepsy, abortions, bone setting, purgatives, migraine etc. are reported and discussed.
In addition to the plant drugs used to cure human diseases, nearly 60 medicinal plants belonging to 54 genera of 35 families used in veterinary medicines from Chittoor district A.P. were also reported and discussed. 

CHAPTER – II : ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY :-

In an attempt to prove Ethnobotanical relevance crude extracts of Decalepis hamiltonii W & A.(fruits), Dioscorea belophylla, Voigt. (tubers),Pimpinella tirupatiensis Bal. & Subr. (tuberous roots), Polycarpaea aurea Wight & Arn. (plant excluding roots), Syzygium alternifolium (Wt.) Walp. (bark, leaves, fruit pericarp and seeds) and Terminalia pallida Brandis. (bark, leaves, leaf galls and pericarp) were selected for preliminary pharmacological screening like LD50 , CNS action, CVS response, spasmolytic and oxytocin action, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory were tested to detect biological activities and to stress it’s importance in modern medicine.
The extracts of S. alternifolium & T. pallida showed a very significant hypothermic action by reducing body temperature without any significant side effects. Pimpinella tirupatiensis & Polycarpaea aurea showed significant antihistaminic activity. The fruit pericarp of Syzygium alternifolium alone showed maximal inhibition to Serotonin. Decalepis hamiltonii exhibited a moderate oxytocin action. Regarding antifungal action all the extracts of S. alternifolium & T. pallida showed 100% inhibition at 2000ppm. and all parts of S. alternifolium and pericarp of T. pallida showed very good inhibitory action on induced inflammation. 

CHAPTER –III : PHYTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Different parts of Syzygium alternifolium (Wt.) Walp and Terminalia pallida Brandis were selected for Phytochemical screening on the basis of their pharmacological activity in an attempt to isolate and identify their active principles. Presence of sterols, triterpenes, gallic tannens, reducing compounds, anthocyanidins and anthocynins.

RELEVANCE TO THE SOCIETY:

1. Ethnobotanical survey involving indigenous medical plants of Chittoor District. A.P . provide good examples, showing that traditional societies in Chittoor District. are
   highly dependent upon traditional medicine.
2. Ethnobotany can make a positive contribution by facilitating community participation in the development of the rural health-care system.
3. This can be accomplished by identifying locally available plant resources, indigenous
   knowledge, and traditional healers, by strengthening local universities through capacity building, by providing training opportunities for community members, and by supporting development projects such as those for the cultivation of valuable medicinal plants.
4. Development activities which put indigenous knowledge into the context of natural resource management are particularly important.
5. These can start with a focus on medicinal plants and with the training of younger villagers in traditional medical knowledge.
6. Proper documentation of the healing methods, including the main features of the
   healthcare system and the basic characteristics of plants used.
7. Biologically active compounds have found applications as models for the design of new drug syntheses and semi-synthesis.