Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Management of Cancer and Diabetes

Objective: To conduct an ethnobotanical survey and document the traditional anticancer and antidiabetic plants used by the local tribes of Mizoram, Northeast India.

Methods: A systematic survey was conducted in rural and urban areas of Mizoram by interviewing traditional practitioners, and cancer and diabetes patients. A detailed literature search was carried out using MEDLINE and SCOPUS and available literatures were selected and included in the study. The use value (UV) of the selected plants was calculated based on the number of citations per species given by informants.

Results: Data was obtained for 201 traditional medicinal plants from Mizoram, Northeast India. These plants were from 72 different families and belonged to 140 genera. Of these, 103 plants were reported for the first time as possessing either anticancer or antidiabetic potential, and 105 plants were identified that were used for the treatment of both diseases. Three plants (Phlogacanthus thysiformis, Solanum gilo and Lobelia angulata) with antidiabetic potential, and six plants (Dillenia scabrella, Circium sinesis, Eupatorium nodiflorum, Pratia begonifolia, Vernonia teres and Plantago erosa) with both as anticancer and antidiabetic potential were documented for the first time.

Conclusion: In this study, we documented several explored and unexplored medicinal plants that may be useful for the management of cancer and diabetes. This study suggests that there is a broad scope fordeveloping potent anticancer and antidiabetic agent from the flora of Mizoram, Northeast India.