Research ArticleTraditional Uses of Medicinal Plants in Polonnaruwa District inNorth Central Province of Sri Lanka

Mayuri Tharanga Napagoda 1 Thamudi Sundarapperuma2 Diroshi Fonseka2

Sachinthi Amarasiri2 and Prabath Gunaratna2

1Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna Galle 80000 Sri Lanka2Faculty of Allied Health Sciences University of Ruhuna Galle 80000 Sri Lanka

Correspondence should be addressed to Mayuri aranga Napagoda mayurinapagodayahoocom

Received 5 January 2019 Revised 9 April 2019 Accepted 15 May 2019 Published 28 May 2019

Academic Editor Marie-Aleth Lacaille-Dubois

Copyright copy 2019 Mayuri aranga Napagoda et al is is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution License which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in anymedium provided the original work isproperly cited

Sri Lanka harbors over 3000 plant species and most of these plants have been of immense importance in the traditional systems ofmedicine in the country Although there is a rich reserve of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants in-depth studies have notbeen pursued yet to compile the ethnoflora with traditional medicinal applications for the scientific community us as acontinuation of our ethnobotanical inventory work in different regions in the country the present study was carried out in one ofthe administrative districts in the North Central area of Sri Lanka known as Polonnaruwa district e information on thesignificance of medicinal plants as curative and preventive agents of diseases was collected through semistructured and open-ended interviews from 284 volunteers who were randomly recruited for the study Ethnobotanical data were analyzed usingrelative frequency of citation (RFC) family importance value (FIV) and use value (UV) Out of the total participants 537claimed the use of herbal remedies A total of 64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 plant families were recorded out of whichCoriandrum sativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species Out of the 42 plant families recorded the FIV was highest inZingiberaceae Coscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr was found as the plant with the highest use value Furthermore themajority of the nonusers of the herbal remedies were willing to adopt herbal products upon the scientific validation of theirtherapeutic potentialis study revealed that the indigenous herbal remedies are still popular among the local communities in thestudy area

1 Introduction

Medicinal plants have been used since time immemorial inboth developing and developed countries for exampleplants were considered as the material basis of traditionalChinese medicine (TCM) as well as many other ethnicmedicine traditions in China [1] while the utilization ofmedicinal plants as a fundamental component of the Africantraditional health-care system is believed as the oldest andthe most assorted of all therapeutic systems [2] Similarlythe Indian subcontinent is considered as a vast repository ofmedicinal plants that have been used in indigenous medicaltreatments and even in the present era of modern medicinetraditional health-care systems based on plants and plant-

derived products are therapeutically employed on the Indiansubcontinent [3] In the Sri Lankan context indigenoussystems of medicine are widely popular among large seg-ments of the Sri Lankan population despite the influx ofmodern Western medicine In general the traditional sys-tems of medicine available in the country are of four typesnamely Ayurveda Siddha Unani and Deshiya ChikitsaPlants and plant-based formulations are considered as es-sential components of the Ayurveda and Deshiya Chikitsasystems [4] Among the native flora of Sri Lanka more than1400 plants are employed for medicinal purposes [5]Considering the ethnobotanical data in other developingcountries in the world particularly in the neighboringcountry (India) [6] we could speculate that herbal

HindawiScientificaVolume 2019 Article ID 9737302 11 pageshttpsdoiorg10115520199737302

preparations are more popular among the rural commu-nities in Sri Lanka as well Hence a rich reserve of in-digenous knowledge of herbal remedies for various ailmentsis expected to have accumulated especially in the rural areasof the country e documentation of Sri Lankan medicinalplants to the scientific community was initiated during thecolonial period of the country specially with the de-scriptions of plant specimens collected by Paul Hermann inthe 1670s and also with Icones Plantarum Malabaricarum(1694ndash1718) [7 8] Although these sources represent a richsource of ethnobotanical knowledge from colonial Ceylononly a handful of ethnobotanical studies have been con-ducted over the recent years to document the traditionalknowledge on medicinal values of plant species used inindigenous medicine [9 10] In addition the book serieswritten by Jayaweera in 1982 on ldquoMedicinal plants (in-digenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo [11] are still popularamong scientists who are working on medicinal plants andtheir bioactivities however the scientific validation of thesetraditional claims is still at its infancy us as a continu-ation of our ethnobotanical inventory work in differentadministrative areas in Sri Lanka the present study wasundertaken to assess the significance and contribution ofmedicinal plantsherbal therapeutics to the day-to-day life ofthe inhabitants of Polonnaruwa district in the North Centralregion in Sri Lanka

As evident from the ethnobotanical studies conducted inother South Asian countries as well as in Africa the ruralcommunities exploit plants that are easily available in theirsurroundings for food and medicaments [12ndash14] For ex-ample a recent study conducted in Northern Pakistanrevealed that the local communities have a rich accessibilityof medicinal plants thus they opt herbal remedies as low-cost health care for respiratory disorders [15] Moreover inthe case of herbal therapeutics people are generally awareabout the harmful effects of synthetic medicines thus realizethe importance of a more natural way of life [10] Moreoverthe factors like low financial conditions and unavailability ofmodern health-care facilities would also limit the access ofrural people to synthetic medicines [16] Hence the studyarea for this research has a high potential for utilization andconsumption of medicinal plants due to the wide availabilityof valuable medicinal plants that are unique to the dry zoneof Sri Lanka as well as the presence of rural agriculturalcommunities Considering all these factors we hypothesizedthat the inhabitants in the study area for this research widelyutilize medicinal plants as easy and reliable remedies forcommon disease conditions

2 Materials and Methods

21 StudyArea Polonnaruwa district is located in the NorthCentral Province of Sri Lanka (Figure 1 Supplementary 1)and has an area of 3293 km2 e district is divided intoseven divisional secretariat divisions which are furthersubdivided into 295 ldquoGrama Niladharirdquo divisions ere are637 villages and the total population of the district is re-ported as 403335 e majority of the people in the districtare engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry e forest

coverage including the grasslands and marshy lands isestimated as 3466382 ha [17] Twelve government hospitalslocated within the district provide modern health-care fa-cilities while 16 Ayurvedic hospitals and a large number oftraditional healers within the local communities are re-sponsible for the provision of traditional health-care system

22 Ethnobotanical Field Survey and Data CollectionMedicinal plant use was documented in all seven divisionalsecretariat areas (ie Dimbulagala Elahera HingurakgodaLankapura Medirigiriya amankaduwa Welikanda seeSupplementary 1) in Polonnaruwa district is survey wascarried out from August 2015 to March 2018 and the datawere collected from 284 volunteers from the general pop-ulation of the district who were aged above 30 years fol-lowing the method described by Napagoda et al [10] Inbrief the participants were selected randomly from a list ofhouseholds in each divisional secretariat area and visits weremade to each of those households for data collection In-formed consent was obtained from each participant inwriting prior to the study A questionnaire was used tocollect the information on local name of the plants sourcepart(s) used method of traditional preparation and somedemographic information of the informants such as agegender and educational background (Supplementary 2)

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical re-view committee Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka SPSS version 20 was used to recode the collecteddata

23 Plant Specimen Collection and Preservation Plant spe-cies used as herbal remedies were collected dried preservedand mounted on herbarium sheets e plant materials wereidentified by one of the authors (MTN) who is a botanistBotanical names and families were verified using book seriestitled ldquoRevised Handbook to the Flora of Ceylonrdquo [18] and

100km60mi

Polonnaruwadistrict

Figure 1 Location of Polonnaruwa district

2 Scientifica

ldquoMedicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo[11] e botanical names have also been checked with thedata available at httpwwwtheplantlistorg e specimenswere deposited at the Herbarium in the Department ofBiochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka

24 Quantitative Analysis of the Ethnobotanical Informatione knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants wasquantitatively assessed by the relative frequency of citation(RFC) family importance value (FIV) of a plant family anduse value (UV) as described in our previous study [10] andthe method of Kayani et al [15] by substituting in therelevant equations given below RFC and FIV were calcu-lated to quantitatively determine the consensus betweeninformants on the use of medicinal plants in the region as itgives the local importance of a species or a family [15 19 20]

e value of RFC for a particular species of medicinalplants is based on the citing percentage of informants forthat particular species where RFC FCN (0ltRFClt 1) inwhich RFC is the relative frequency of citation FC is thenumber of informants who mentioned the species and N isthe total number of informants participating in the study

Family importance value (FIV) of a plant family wascalculated by taking the percentage of informants men-tioning the family where FIV FC (family)Ntimes 100 inwhich FC is the number of informants mentioning the plantfamily and N is the total number of informants participatingin the study

Use value indicates the relative importance of plantspecies known locally and the following formula was used todetermine UV UVi 1113936 UiNi in which Ui is the number ofuse reports described by each informant for species i andN isthe total number of informants describing the specificspecies i

3 Results and Discussion

As speculated the results of this study revealed that themajority of the inhabitants who have participated in thisstudy depended on the indigenous plant resources astreatments and preventive measures against a number ofdisease conditions

Out of the total of 284 informants 132 (537) claimedthe use of medicinal plants for the treatment of variousailments such as diabetes inflammatory conditions and skindiseases while the rest of the informants (463) mentionedthe nonadherence to herbal remedies In addition theseplants are also used as energy boosters and cosmeticsAmong those people 476 firmly believed in the safety andlow adverse effects associated with the herbal formulationsand mentioned this as a reason for their preference Inaddition the previous success with herbal remedies (3586)was also a main contributing factor for the people to con-tinue with plant-based therapies Unlike the observations ofour previous ethnobotanical study conducted in GampahaDistrict Western Province of Sri Lanka [10] some people(276) stated that the nonavailability of modern health-care

facilities in their villages was a reason for them to opt forherbal remedies e majority of the users (679) claimedthe use of herbal preparations at the initial stage of a diseasebefore going for any other medications while 2601 havementioned the simultaneous usage with other medicationsOnly 61 stated the use of herbal therapeutics as a lastresort when other treatment methods have failed eknowledge of the herbal remedies had transferred throughgenerations while the influence of media in promoting theuse of herbal therapeutics could not be neglected (Table 1)

e study revealed the use of 64 medicinal plants be-longing to 42 plant families out of which Coriandrumsativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species fol-lowed by Zingiber officinale Roscoe (RFC 0146) andHygrophila auriculata (Schumach) Heine (RFC 0109)e family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceae(228) (Table 2) e highest use value was reported forCoscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr e most domi-nant life form of the species reported was herbs (375Figure 2) e most frequently used part of the plant wasleaves (362 Figure 3) followed by seedsfruits (189)Medicinal plants used in folk herbal remedies were preparedand administered in various forms e most commonpreparation method was infusion (344) while 149 wereused in the form of a paste (Figure 4) e percentage of oraladministration (711) of herbal preparation was muchhigher than the external or topical application (243) andinhalation (46) Most of the crude drugs were preparedfrom single plant species however combinations of multiplespecies as well as the use of adjuvants such as honey sugarcoconut milk salt and coconut oil have also been reportedFor example a paste prepared from the fruit of Myristicafragrans Houtt with the juice of Citrus aurantifolia(Christm) Swingle is a common remedy for stomachachewhile honey or sugar is added to most of the infusions toreduce the bitter taste

e summary of the medicinal plant species used inPolonnaruwa district to treat various disease conditions isgiven in Table 3

As depicted in Figure 5 herbal remedies were used by theinhabitants of Polonnaruwa district against 15 broad cate-gories of ailmentsconditions reporting the highest numberof species against swellingspains or sprains Further thelocal people in the study area utilize medicinal plants(around 30 plant species) for the treatment of other classicalinflammatory symptoms like fever [10 21] or chronic in-flammatory diseases like asthma [22]

Interestingly the medicinal uses of some of the plantsmentioned by the informants have not been documented inthe literature particularly in the popular book series on SriLankan medicinal plants by Jayaweera [11] for example theuse of Spondias dulcis Parkinson for high blood pressure andHemidesmus indicus (L) R Br ex Schult Artocarpus het-erophyllus Lam and Scoparia dulcis L for diabetes ere-fore the documentation of this rich undocumentedethnobotanical knowledge could offer new avenues forpharmacological investigations on prospective new drugs ofherbal origin Moreover plant species like Asparagusracemosus Willd Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb Piper

Scientifica 3

ldquoMedicinal plants (indigenous and exotic) used in Ceylonrdquo[11] e botanical names have also been checked with thedata available at httpwwwtheplantlistorg e specimenswere deposited at the Herbarium in the Department ofBiochemistry Faculty of Medicine University of RuhunaSri Lanka

24 Quantitative Analysis of the Ethnobotanical Informatione knowledge on the usage of medicinal plants wasquantitatively assessed by the relative frequency of citation(RFC) family importance value (FIV) of a plant family anduse value (UV) as described in our previous study [10] andthe method of Kayani et al [15] by substituting in therelevant equations given below RFC and FIV were calcu-lated to quantitatively determine the consensus betweeninformants on the use of medicinal plants in the region as itgives the local importance of a species or a family [15 19 20]

e value of RFC for a particular species of medicinalplants is based on the citing percentage of informants forthat particular species where RFC FCN (0ltRFClt 1) inwhich RFC is the relative frequency of citation FC is thenumber of informants who mentioned the species and N isthe total number of informants participating in the study

Family importance value (FIV) of a plant family wascalculated by taking the percentage of informants men-tioning the family where FIV FC (family)Ntimes 100 inwhich FC is the number of informants mentioning the plantfamily and N is the total number of informants participatingin the study

Use value indicates the relative importance of plantspecies known locally and the following formula was used todetermine UV UVi 1113936 UiNi in which Ui is the number ofuse reports described by each informant for species i andN isthe total number of informants describing the specificspecies i

3 Results and Discussion

As speculated the results of this study revealed that themajority of the inhabitants who have participated in thisstudy depended on the indigenous plant resources astreatments and preventive measures against a number ofdisease conditions

Out of the total of 284 informants 132 (537) claimedthe use of medicinal plants for the treatment of variousailments such as diabetes inflammatory conditions and skindiseases while the rest of the informants (463) mentionedthe nonadherence to herbal remedies In addition theseplants are also used as energy boosters and cosmeticsAmong those people 476 firmly believed in the safety andlow adverse effects associated with the herbal formulationsand mentioned this as a reason for their preference Inaddition the previous success with herbal remedies (3586)was also a main contributing factor for the people to con-tinue with plant-based therapies Unlike the observations ofour previous ethnobotanical study conducted in GampahaDistrict Western Province of Sri Lanka [10] some people(276) stated that the nonavailability of modern health-care

facilities in their villages was a reason for them to opt forherbal remedies e majority of the users (679) claimedthe use of herbal preparations at the initial stage of a diseasebefore going for any other medications while 2601 havementioned the simultaneous usage with other medicationsOnly 61 stated the use of herbal therapeutics as a lastresort when other treatment methods have failed eknowledge of the herbal remedies had transferred throughgenerations while the influence of media in promoting theuse of herbal therapeutics could not be neglected (Table 1)

e study revealed the use of 64 medicinal plants be-longing to 42 plant families out of which Coriandrumsativum L (RFC 0163) was the most cited species fol-lowed by Zingiber officinale Roscoe (RFC 0146) andHygrophila auriculata (Schumach) Heine (RFC 0109)e family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceae(228) (Table 2) e highest use value was reported forCoscinium fenestratum (Goetgh) Colebr e most domi-nant life form of the species reported was herbs (375Figure 2) e most frequently used part of the plant wasleaves (362 Figure 3) followed by seedsfruits (189)Medicinal plants used in folk herbal remedies were preparedand administered in various forms e most commonpreparation method was infusion (344) while 149 wereused in the form of a paste (Figure 4) e percentage of oraladministration (711) of herbal preparation was muchhigher than the external or topical application (243) andinhalation (46) Most of the crude drugs were preparedfrom single plant species however combinations of multiplespecies as well as the use of adjuvants such as honey sugarcoconut milk salt and coconut oil have also been reportedFor example a paste prepared from the fruit of Myristicafragrans Houtt with the juice of Citrus aurantifolia(Christm) Swingle is a common remedy for stomachachewhile honey or sugar is added to most of the infusions toreduce the bitter taste

e summary of the medicinal plant species used inPolonnaruwa district to treat various disease conditions isgiven in Table 3

As depicted in Figure 5 herbal remedies were used by theinhabitants of Polonnaruwa district against 15 broad cate-gories of ailmentsconditions reporting the highest numberof species against swellingspains or sprains Further thelocal people in the study area utilize medicinal plants(around 30 plant species) for the treatment of other classicalinflammatory symptoms like fever [10 21] or chronic in-flammatory diseases like asthma [22]

Interestingly the medicinal uses of some of the plantsmentioned by the informants have not been documented inthe literature particularly in the popular book series on SriLankan medicinal plants by Jayaweera [11] for example theuse of Spondias dulcis Parkinson for high blood pressure andHemidesmus indicus (L) R Br ex Schult Artocarpus het-erophyllus Lam and Scoparia dulcis L for diabetes ere-fore the documentation of this rich undocumentedethnobotanical knowledge could offer new avenues forpharmacological investigations on prospective new drugs ofherbal origin Moreover plant species like Asparagusracemosus Willd Terminalia bellirica (Gaertn) Roxb Piper

Scientifica 3

betle L Murraya koenigii (L) Spreng Citrus aurantium LCitrus aurantifolia (Christm) Swingle and Zingiber offici-nale Roscoe have been identified as remedies for snake bitesin a recent ethnobotanical study conducted in Western andSabaragamuwa Provinces in Sri Lanka [9] however none ofthe informants participated in the present study mentionedabout the utility of those plants in the treatment of snakebites Besides some of the informants mentioned that thewealth of knowledge is rapidly diminishing due to the dearthof elderly people who are knowledgeable on folklore med-icine as well as lack of interest in younger generation tosystematically study these traditional healing systems usour findings would enable the preservation of localknowledge which is obtained by trial and error and trans-ferred over generations In addition a dramatic degradation

of habitat due to construction work and the ruthless use andoverexploitation of medicinal plants by local people and thetraders of medicinal plants solely for commercial purposeswere observed during the field survey As an example it hasbeen mentioned that there is a high demand in the localmarket specially for Salacia reticulata Wight a plant whichwas also documented in Icones PlantarumMalabaricarum as

Climbers(109)

Trees (235)

Herbs (375)

Shrubs (281)

Figure 2 Life form of the plants used as herbal remedies

Flowerinflorescences(43)

Whole plant(145)

Seedsfruits(189)

Twigsstembarkbulbsrhizome (174)

Roots (87)

Leaves (362)

Figure 3 Plant parts used in herbal preparations

Juice (69)Powder (34)

Oil (11)Smoke (46)

Paste (149)

Poultice (83)

Infusion (344)

Porridge(92)

Decoction(46)

Saladcurry(126)

Figure 4 Mode of utilization of plants to treat various diseaseconditions

Table 1 Statistics on the usage of herbal therapeutics

Parameter PercentageDemographic data of regular usersGenderMale 598Female 402Age group (years)30ndash45 340946ndash60 386461ndash75 2424gt75 303Educational backgroundUniversity degreediploma and above 2312 years of school education 1521ndash11 years of school education 825No schooling 0Source of informationknowledgeFrom parentsgrandparents 6042Neighboursfriends 1389Doctorstraditional physicians 764Media 1319Own experience 486Reason for usageSafeless side effects 4759Previous success 3586Easy access to the plant materials 1379High cost of other treatment methods 0Nonavailability of modern health-care facilities 276

Table 2 Family importance value (FIV) of the ten plant familieswith the highest FIV

Family FIV ()Zingiberaceae 228Apiaceae 199Acanthaceae 183Rutaceae 126Fabaceae 102Amaranthaceae 97Menispermaceae 93Apocynaceae 89Cucurbitaceae 81Meliaceae 77

4 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Medicinal

plantspeciesused

inPo

lonn

aruw

adistrict

totreatd

ifferentd

iseasecond

ition

s

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Acanthaceae

Adh

atodavasicaNees

MN-N

CP-01

Adh

atod

aSh

rub

Leaves

twigsroots

Infusio

npo

ultice

Swellin

gsin

jointscou

gh

asthma

catarrh

0073

156

Diarrheafeverasthma

Hygrophila

auric

ulata

(Schum

ach)Heine

MN-N

CP-02

Neerm

ulli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

ndecoction

porridge

Urinary

diseases

andurinary

calculiheadache

0109

11

Oedem

akidn

eyston

es

jaun

dicerheum

atism

Acoraceae

Acoruscalamus

LMN-N

CP-03

Wadakaha

Herb

Root

Infusio

npaste

madewith

milk

Cou

ghw

orm

infestation

0004

10

Asthm

arheumatism

bow

elcomplaintsinternal

ulceratio

n

Amaranthaceae

Aerva

lana

ta(L)Juss

MN-N

CP-04

Polpala

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

npo

rridge

Urinary

diseasesasan

energy

boosterto

purify

bloo

dbo

dypain

0085

157

Kidneyston

escou

gh

headache

Alternan

therasessilis(L)R

BrexDC

MN-N

CP-05

Muk

unuw

enna

Herb

Who

leplant

Salad

porridge

Body

paina

san

energy

booster

0012

167

Liverdiseasesa

cute

and

chronicpyelitissnakebites

Amaryllid

aceae

Allium

sativ

umL

MN-N

CP-06

Sudu

lunu

Herb

Bulb

Infusio

npo

rridge

Asthm

astom

achachebo

dypain

0024

25

Asthm

agout

Anacardiaceae

Spon

dias

dulcisPa

rkinson

MN-N

CP-07

Amberella

Tree

Fruit

Coo

kwith

coconu

tmilk

Highbloo

dpressure

0008

10

Dysenteryrheum

atism

earache

Apiaceae

Centella

asiatica(L)Urb

MN-N

CP-08

Gotuko

laHerb

Who

leplant

Salad

juice

porridge

Catarrheye

diseasesa

san

energy

booster

0016

20

Kidneydiseasesskin

diseasesrheum

atism

fever

dysentery

painsepilepsy

Coria

ndrum

sativ

umL

MN-N

CP-09

Koththamalli

Herb

Seeds

Infusio

nCold

feverasthma

body

pain

0163

17

Cold

fevercough

Trachyspermum

Roxburghianu

m(D

C)H

Wolff

MN-N

CP-10

Asamod

agum

Herb

Leaves

Salad

Stom

achacheworm

infestation

0020

14

Cou

ghasthm

adysentery

Apo

cynaceae

Hem

idesmus

indicus(L)R

BrexSchu

ltMN-N

CP-11

Iram

usu

Herb

Rootw

hole

plant

Infusio

npo

rridge

Cold

feverto

purify

bloo

dbo

dypaind

iabetes

0089

132

Purificationof

bloo

doedemaskin

rashescou

gh

asthma

Araceae

Lasia

spinosa(L)

waites

MN-N

CP-12

Koh

ilaHerb

Who

leplant

Porridge

Asan

energy

booster

0004

10

Piles

Arecaceae

Cocosnu

cifera

LMN-N

CP-13

Kurum

baTree

Tend

ercoconu

twater

Drink

Fever

0004

10

Diuretica

nthelm

intic

Asparagaceae

Asparagus

racemosus

Willd

MN-N

CP-14

Hathawariya

Clim

ber

Who

leplant

Infusio

nUrinary

diseases

andurinary

calculi

0024

10

Diureticd

ysentery

rheumatism

urinary

and

kidn

eydiseases

Aspho

delaceae

Aloevera

(L)Bu

rmf

MN-N

CP-15

Kom

arika

Herb

Leaves

Grind

togetthe

juice

Burnsforthegrow

thof

hair

0008

15

Swellin

gsb

urnsskin

diseasesu

rinary

diseases

fever

Scientifica 5

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Asteraceae

Acanthospermum

hispidum

DC

MN-N

CP-16

Katu-nerinchi

Herb

Leaves

Paste

Pain

inthejoints

0004

10

Arthritisrheumatism

leprosy

Eclip

taprostrata(L)L

MN-N

CP-17

Keekirind

iya

Herb

Who

leplant

Paste

Forthegrow

thof

hair

0012

10

Skin

diseasesu

lcers

stim

ulatethegrow

thof

hair

feverarthritis

Capparaceae

Cleomegyna

ndra

LMN-N

CP-18

Wela

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nPa

inin

joints

0004

10

Arthritisrheumatism

Cratevaadan

soniiD

C

MN-N

CP-19

Lunu

warana

Tree

Bark

Decoctio

nUrinary

calculi

0036

10

Urinary

calculi

Celastraceae

Pleurostylia

opposita

(Wall)

Alston

MN-N

CP-20

Panakka

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

Urinary

diseases

0004

10

Urinary

diseases

Com

bretaceae

Term

inalia

chebulaRe

tz

MN-N

CP-21

Aralu

Tree

Fruit

Powder

Fever

0016

10

Fevereyediseasesp

iles

chronicdysentery

Term

inalia

belliric

a(G

aertn)Ro

xbM

N-N

CP-

22Bu

luTree

Fruit

Powder

Feverdiarrhea

0012

167

Diarrhea

feversore

eyes

Costaceae

Costus

speciosus(JKoenig)

Sm

MN-N

CP-62

ebu

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

infusio

nDiabetes

0020

10

Fevercough

skin

diseases

Crassulaceae

Kalan

choe

laciniata(L)

DC

MN-N

CP-23

Akkapana

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nCou

ghasthm

acold

0008

20

Urinary

diseasesd

iarrhea

dysentery

cough

cold

Cucurbitaceae

Coccinia

gran

dis(L)Voigt

MN-N

CP-24

Kow

akka

Vine

Leaves

Salad

infusio

nDiabetes

0081

10

Diabetesurinarycalculi

skin

diseases

Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeocarpu

sserratus

LMN-N

CP-25

Veralu

Tree

Tend

erleaves

Juice

Forthegrow

thof

hair

0004

10

Dandruff

abscessesjoint

swellin

gs

Euph

orbiaceae

Phyllanthu

sem

blicaL

MN-N

CP-26

Nelli

Tree

Fruit

Poultice

Redn

essandsw

ellin

gsin

eye

0016

10

Inflammationin

eye

gono

rrheadiarrheau

rinary

diseases

Ricinu

scommun

isL

MN-N

CP-27

Enderu

Shrub

Leaves

Poultice

Headachejointp

ains

swellin

gs0020

16

Headachebo

ilsrheum

atism

Fabaceae

Bauh

inia

racemosaLam

MN-N

CP-28

Maila

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

Urinary

diseases

0004

10

Painfeveru

rinary

diseases

Cassia

auric

ulataL

MN-N

CP-29

Ranawara

Shrub

Flow

er

leaves

Infusio

nUrinary

diseases

andurinary

calculito

purify

bloo

d0045

127

Feverdiabetesu

rinary

diseasesrheum

atism

eye

conjun

ctivitisskin

diseases

Sesban

iagran

diflora

(L)

Pers

MN-N

CP-30

Kathu

rumurun

gaSh

rub

Leaves

Salad

Fissuringof

lipu

lcersin

mou

th0032

10

Oedem

awou

ndseye

diseasescou

ghsfeverskin

diseases

Tamarindu

sindica

LMN-N

CP-31

Siyabala

Tree

Leaves

Paste

Swellin

gin

joints

0020

10

Boilsrheum

atism

6 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Hippo

crateaceae

SalaciareticulataWight

MN-N

CP-32

Kothala

himbu

tuClim

bing

shrub

Stem

Infusio

nDiabetes

0061

10

Diabetesskin

diseases

rheumatism

Lamiaceae

Leucas

zeylan

ica(L)

WT

Aito

nMN-N

CP-33

Gatathum

baHerb

Leaves

Salad

Worm

infestation

0016

10

Fevergoutskindiseases

worm

infestation

Vitexnegund

oL

MN-N

CP-60

Nika

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

epaste

Cou

ghasthm

afever

swellin

gsin

jointscold

0041

14

Rheumatic

swellin

gs

headachecatarrhasthm

a

Loganiaceae

Strychno

spotatorum

Lf

MN-N

CP-34

Ingini

Tree

Seeds

Paste

Swellin

gsin

joints

0008

10

Eyediseasesd

iarrhea

Lythraceae

Punica

gran

atum

LMN-

NCP-46

Delum

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nto

wash

eyes

Eyediseases

0012

10

Eyeinfectionsd

ysentery

cough

asthma

fever

Malvaceae

Sida

acutaBu

rmf

MN-N

CP-35

Babila

Herb

Roots

Infusio

ndecoction

Feverpain

0008

15

Feverim

potency

rheumatism

Meliaceae

Azadirachta

indica

AJuss

MN-N

CP-36

Koh

omba

Tree

Leaves

stem

Poulticepaste

infusio

nPa

inin

jointsitching

diabetesw

orm

infestation

0077

121

Catarrhleprosy

andskin

diseasesrheum

atism

ulcers

andwou

nds

Menisp

ermaceae

Coscinium

fenestratum

(Goetgh)Colebr

MN-N

CP-37

Veniwelgata

Woo

dyclim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFevercough

paina

sthm

askin

diseases

inchild

ren

0081

26

Fevertetanu

sdressin

gwou

ndsandulcers

Tino

sporacordifo

lia(W

illd)

Miers

MN-N

CP-38

Rasakida

Clim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFever

0012

10

Feverskin

diseasesdiabetes

dysentery

rheumatism

Moraceae

FicusracemosaL

MN-N

CP-39

Attikka

Tree

Fruit

Asacurry

Diabetes

0020

10

Urinary

diseasesd

ysentery

diabetes

Artocarpu

sheterophyllus

Lam

MN-N

CP-40

Kos

Tree

Root

Infusio

nDiabetes

0004

10

Skin

diseasesasthm

adiabetesswellin

gsand

abscesses

Moringaceae

Moringa

oleifera

Lam

MN-N

CP-41

Murun

gaSh

rub

Bark

Infusio

npo

ultice

Asthm

asw

ellin

gs0041

13

Asthm

arheumatism

gou

tremedyforsnake-bite

poiso

ning

Myristicaceae

Myristicafra

gran

sHou

ttMN-N

CP-42

Sadikka

Shrub

Fruit

Pasteprepared

with

limejuice

Stom

achache

0032

10

Nausea

vomiting

stom

achache

Piperaceae

Piperbetle

LMN-N

CP-43

Bulath

Clim

ber

Leaves

Paste

Stom

achache

0008

10

Cou

gha

ntise

ptic

Pipernigrum

LMN-N

CP-44

Gam

miris

Clim

ber

Seeds

Paste

Stom

achache

0012

10

Cou

ghfeverp

iles

Poaceae

Eleusin

eindica

(L)Gaertn

MN-N

CP-45

Belatana

Herb

Who

leplant

Poultice

Swellin

gsandsprains

0024

10

Sprainsanddislo

catio

ns

Scientifica 7

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Rubiaceae

CoffeaarabicaL

MN-N

CP-47

Kop

iSh

rub

Fruit

Infusio

nStom

achache

0049

10

Diarrheableeding

wou

nds

Ixoracoccinea

LMN-N

CP-48

Rathmal

Shrub

Flow

ers

Infusio

nSkin

diseases

inchild

ren

0004

10

Dysenteryreddenedeyes

anderup

tions

inchild

ren

catarrh

Rutaceae

Aeglemarmelos

(L)Correa

MN-N

CP-49

Beli

Tree

Leaves

roots

flower

Decoctio

ninfusio

nAsthm

afever

0008

25

Feverasthma

dysentery

pilesdyspepsia

Citrus

aurantium

LMN-N

CP-50

Embu

ldod

amTree

Fruit

Juice

Cou

ghtodraw

outp

hlegm

0004

10

Chron

iccough

Citrus

aurantifo

lia(C

hristm)Sw

ingle

MN-N

CP-51

Dehi

Tree

Leaves

Smok

ejuice

Cou

ghcold

headache

stom

achache

0073

122

Cou

ghstomachache

cleaning

wou

ndsdysentery

Murraya

koenigii(L)

Spreng

MN-N

CP-52

Karapincha

Shrub

Leaves

Porridge

Highbloo

dpressure

0041

10

Con

stipation

diarrhea

dysentery

Santalaceae

Santalum

albu

mL

MN-N

CP-53

Sudu

hand

unSh

rub

Bark

Paste

Swellin

gsp

ain

0016

10

Feverdiarrhead

ysentery

gastricirritatio

nskin

diseaseslocal

inflammation

Sapo

taceae

Madhu

calongifo

lia(J

Koenigex

L)JF

Macbr

MN-N

CP-54

Mee

Tree

Seeds

Oil

poultice

Swellin

gsandpain

injoints

0036

10

Fracturesrheumatism

snakebites

Scroph

ulariaceae

Scop

aria

dulcisL

MN-N

CP-55

Walko

ththam

alli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nDiabetes

0016

10

Earandeyediseasesliver

diseasesleprosy

nasoph

aryn

geal

infections

Solanaceae

Solanu

mxanthocarpum

Schrada

ndHW

endl

MN-N

CP-56

Katuw

elbatu

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nFevercough

asthma

0053

146

Cou

ghasthm

acolic

fever

toothache

Solanu

msuratte

nseBu

rm

fMN-N

CP-57

Elabatu

Herb

Leaves

Porridgesmok

eCou

ghasthm

a0004

20

Rheumatism

cou

gh

diarrhea

eaceae

Camellia

sinensis

(L)

Kun

tze

MN-N

CP-58

Tea

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nStom

achache

0008

10

Catarrhu

rinary

diseases

Verbenaceae

Lantan

acamaraL

MN-N

CP-59

Gandapana

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

eFevercough

asthma

0008

15

Asthm

afevercough

8 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Zing

iberaceae

Alpinia

galanga(L)Willd

MN-N

CP-61

Araththa

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFever

0057

10

Rheumatism

bronchitis

Curcum

alongaL

MN-N

CP-63

Kaha

Herb

Rhizom

ePa

stepo

wder

Wou

ndsskin

diseases

sprains

0024

15

Sprainswou

ndsdysentery

jaun

dicerheum

atism

skin

diseases

Zingiber

officina

leRo

scoe

MN-N

CP-64

Inguru

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFevercolda

sthm

acough

0146

144

Cold

cough

feverasthma

Scientifica 9

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

Tabl

e3

Medicinal

plantspeciesused

inPo

lonn

aruw

adistrict

totreatd

ifferentd

iseasecond

ition

s

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Acanthaceae

Adh

atodavasicaNees

MN-N

CP-01

Adh

atod

aSh

rub

Leaves

twigsroots

Infusio

npo

ultice

Swellin

gsin

jointscou

gh

asthma

catarrh

0073

156

Diarrheafeverasthma

Hygrophila

auric

ulata

(Schum

ach)Heine

MN-N

CP-02

Neerm

ulli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

ndecoction

porridge

Urinary

diseases

andurinary

calculiheadache

0109

11

Oedem

akidn

eyston

es

jaun

dicerheum

atism

Acoraceae

Acoruscalamus

LMN-N

CP-03

Wadakaha

Herb

Root

Infusio

npaste

madewith

milk

Cou

ghw

orm

infestation

0004

10

Asthm

arheumatism

bow

elcomplaintsinternal

ulceratio

n

Amaranthaceae

Aerva

lana

ta(L)Juss

MN-N

CP-04

Polpala

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

npo

rridge

Urinary

diseasesasan

energy

boosterto

purify

bloo

dbo

dypain

0085

157

Kidneyston

escou

gh

headache

Alternan

therasessilis(L)R

BrexDC

MN-N

CP-05

Muk

unuw

enna

Herb

Who

leplant

Salad

porridge

Body

paina

san

energy

booster

0012

167

Liverdiseasesa

cute

and

chronicpyelitissnakebites

Amaryllid

aceae

Allium

sativ

umL

MN-N

CP-06

Sudu

lunu

Herb

Bulb

Infusio

npo

rridge

Asthm

astom

achachebo

dypain

0024

25

Asthm

agout

Anacardiaceae

Spon

dias

dulcisPa

rkinson

MN-N

CP-07

Amberella

Tree

Fruit

Coo

kwith

coconu

tmilk

Highbloo

dpressure

0008

10

Dysenteryrheum

atism

earache

Apiaceae

Centella

asiatica(L)Urb

MN-N

CP-08

Gotuko

laHerb

Who

leplant

Salad

juice

porridge

Catarrheye

diseasesa

san

energy

booster

0016

20

Kidneydiseasesskin

diseasesrheum

atism

fever

dysentery

painsepilepsy

Coria

ndrum

sativ

umL

MN-N

CP-09

Koththamalli

Herb

Seeds

Infusio

nCold

feverasthma

body

pain

0163

17

Cold

fevercough

Trachyspermum

Roxburghianu

m(D

C)H

Wolff

MN-N

CP-10

Asamod

agum

Herb

Leaves

Salad

Stom

achacheworm

infestation

0020

14

Cou

ghasthm

adysentery

Apo

cynaceae

Hem

idesmus

indicus(L)R

BrexSchu

ltMN-N

CP-11

Iram

usu

Herb

Rootw

hole

plant

Infusio

npo

rridge

Cold

feverto

purify

bloo

dbo

dypaind

iabetes

0089

132

Purificationof

bloo

doedemaskin

rashescou

gh

asthma

Araceae

Lasia

spinosa(L)

waites

MN-N

CP-12

Koh

ilaHerb

Who

leplant

Porridge

Asan

energy

booster

0004

10

Piles

Arecaceae

Cocosnu

cifera

LMN-N

CP-13

Kurum

baTree

Tend

ercoconu

twater

Drink

Fever

0004

10

Diuretica

nthelm

intic

Asparagaceae

Asparagus

racemosus

Willd

MN-N

CP-14

Hathawariya

Clim

ber

Who

leplant

Infusio

nUrinary

diseases

andurinary

calculi

0024

10

Diureticd

ysentery

rheumatism

urinary

and

kidn

eydiseases

Aspho

delaceae

Aloevera

(L)Bu

rmf

MN-N

CP-15

Kom

arika

Herb

Leaves

Grind

togetthe

juice

Burnsforthegrow

thof

hair

0008

15

Swellin

gsb

urnsskin

diseasesu

rinary

diseases

fever

Scientifica 5

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Asteraceae

Acanthospermum

hispidum

DC

MN-N

CP-16

Katu-nerinchi

Herb

Leaves

Paste

Pain

inthejoints

0004

10

Arthritisrheumatism

leprosy

Eclip

taprostrata(L)L

MN-N

CP-17

Keekirind

iya

Herb

Who

leplant

Paste

Forthegrow

thof

hair

0012

10

Skin

diseasesu

lcers

stim

ulatethegrow

thof

hair

feverarthritis

Capparaceae

Cleomegyna

ndra

LMN-N

CP-18

Wela

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nPa

inin

joints

0004

10

Arthritisrheumatism

Cratevaadan

soniiD

C

MN-N

CP-19

Lunu

warana

Tree

Bark

Decoctio

nUrinary

calculi

0036

10

Urinary

calculi

Celastraceae

Pleurostylia

opposita

(Wall)

Alston

MN-N

CP-20

Panakka

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

Urinary

diseases

0004

10

Urinary

diseases

Com

bretaceae

Term

inalia

chebulaRe

tz

MN-N

CP-21

Aralu

Tree

Fruit

Powder

Fever

0016

10

Fevereyediseasesp

iles

chronicdysentery

Term

inalia

belliric

a(G

aertn)Ro

xbM

N-N

CP-

22Bu

luTree

Fruit

Powder

Feverdiarrhea

0012

167

Diarrhea

feversore

eyes

Costaceae

Costus

speciosus(JKoenig)

Sm

MN-N

CP-62

ebu

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

infusio

nDiabetes

0020

10

Fevercough

skin

diseases

Crassulaceae

Kalan

choe

laciniata(L)

DC

MN-N

CP-23

Akkapana

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nCou

ghasthm

acold

0008

20

Urinary

diseasesd

iarrhea

dysentery

cough

cold

Cucurbitaceae

Coccinia

gran

dis(L)Voigt

MN-N

CP-24

Kow

akka

Vine

Leaves

Salad

infusio

nDiabetes

0081

10

Diabetesurinarycalculi

skin

diseases

Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeocarpu

sserratus

LMN-N

CP-25

Veralu

Tree

Tend

erleaves

Juice

Forthegrow

thof

hair

0004

10

Dandruff

abscessesjoint

swellin

gs

Euph

orbiaceae

Phyllanthu

sem

blicaL

MN-N

CP-26

Nelli

Tree

Fruit

Poultice

Redn

essandsw

ellin

gsin

eye

0016

10

Inflammationin

eye

gono

rrheadiarrheau

rinary

diseases

Ricinu

scommun

isL

MN-N

CP-27

Enderu

Shrub

Leaves

Poultice

Headachejointp

ains

swellin

gs0020

16

Headachebo

ilsrheum

atism

Fabaceae

Bauh

inia

racemosaLam

MN-N

CP-28

Maila

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

Urinary

diseases

0004

10

Painfeveru

rinary

diseases

Cassia

auric

ulataL

MN-N

CP-29

Ranawara

Shrub

Flow

er

leaves

Infusio

nUrinary

diseases

andurinary

calculito

purify

bloo

d0045

127

Feverdiabetesu

rinary

diseasesrheum

atism

eye

conjun

ctivitisskin

diseases

Sesban

iagran

diflora

(L)

Pers

MN-N

CP-30

Kathu

rumurun

gaSh

rub

Leaves

Salad

Fissuringof

lipu

lcersin

mou

th0032

10

Oedem

awou

ndseye

diseasescou

ghsfeverskin

diseases

Tamarindu

sindica

LMN-N

CP-31

Siyabala

Tree

Leaves

Paste

Swellin

gin

joints

0020

10

Boilsrheum

atism

6 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Hippo

crateaceae

SalaciareticulataWight

MN-N

CP-32

Kothala

himbu

tuClim

bing

shrub

Stem

Infusio

nDiabetes

0061

10

Diabetesskin

diseases

rheumatism

Lamiaceae

Leucas

zeylan

ica(L)

WT

Aito

nMN-N

CP-33

Gatathum

baHerb

Leaves

Salad

Worm

infestation

0016

10

Fevergoutskindiseases

worm

infestation

Vitexnegund

oL

MN-N

CP-60

Nika

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

epaste

Cou

ghasthm

afever

swellin

gsin

jointscold

0041

14

Rheumatic

swellin

gs

headachecatarrhasthm

a

Loganiaceae

Strychno

spotatorum

Lf

MN-N

CP-34

Ingini

Tree

Seeds

Paste

Swellin

gsin

joints

0008

10

Eyediseasesd

iarrhea

Lythraceae

Punica

gran

atum

LMN-

NCP-46

Delum

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nto

wash

eyes

Eyediseases

0012

10

Eyeinfectionsd

ysentery

cough

asthma

fever

Malvaceae

Sida

acutaBu

rmf

MN-N

CP-35

Babila

Herb

Roots

Infusio

ndecoction

Feverpain

0008

15

Feverim

potency

rheumatism

Meliaceae

Azadirachta

indica

AJuss

MN-N

CP-36

Koh

omba

Tree

Leaves

stem

Poulticepaste

infusio

nPa

inin

jointsitching

diabetesw

orm

infestation

0077

121

Catarrhleprosy

andskin

diseasesrheum

atism

ulcers

andwou

nds

Menisp

ermaceae

Coscinium

fenestratum

(Goetgh)Colebr

MN-N

CP-37

Veniwelgata

Woo

dyclim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFevercough

paina

sthm

askin

diseases

inchild

ren

0081

26

Fevertetanu

sdressin

gwou

ndsandulcers

Tino

sporacordifo

lia(W

illd)

Miers

MN-N

CP-38

Rasakida

Clim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFever

0012

10

Feverskin

diseasesdiabetes

dysentery

rheumatism

Moraceae

FicusracemosaL

MN-N

CP-39

Attikka

Tree

Fruit

Asacurry

Diabetes

0020

10

Urinary

diseasesd

ysentery

diabetes

Artocarpu

sheterophyllus

Lam

MN-N

CP-40

Kos

Tree

Root

Infusio

nDiabetes

0004

10

Skin

diseasesasthm

adiabetesswellin

gsand

abscesses

Moringaceae

Moringa

oleifera

Lam

MN-N

CP-41

Murun

gaSh

rub

Bark

Infusio

npo

ultice

Asthm

asw

ellin

gs0041

13

Asthm

arheumatism

gou

tremedyforsnake-bite

poiso

ning

Myristicaceae

Myristicafra

gran

sHou

ttMN-N

CP-42

Sadikka

Shrub

Fruit

Pasteprepared

with

limejuice

Stom

achache

0032

10

Nausea

vomiting

stom

achache

Piperaceae

Piperbetle

LMN-N

CP-43

Bulath

Clim

ber

Leaves

Paste

Stom

achache

0008

10

Cou

gha

ntise

ptic

Pipernigrum

LMN-N

CP-44

Gam

miris

Clim

ber

Seeds

Paste

Stom

achache

0012

10

Cou

ghfeverp

iles

Poaceae

Eleusin

eindica

(L)Gaertn

MN-N

CP-45

Belatana

Herb

Who

leplant

Poultice

Swellin

gsandsprains

0024

10

Sprainsanddislo

catio

ns

Scientifica 7

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Rubiaceae

CoffeaarabicaL

MN-N

CP-47

Kop

iSh

rub

Fruit

Infusio

nStom

achache

0049

10

Diarrheableeding

wou

nds

Ixoracoccinea

LMN-N

CP-48

Rathmal

Shrub

Flow

ers

Infusio

nSkin

diseases

inchild

ren

0004

10

Dysenteryreddenedeyes

anderup

tions

inchild

ren

catarrh

Rutaceae

Aeglemarmelos

(L)Correa

MN-N

CP-49

Beli

Tree

Leaves

roots

flower

Decoctio

ninfusio

nAsthm

afever

0008

25

Feverasthma

dysentery

pilesdyspepsia

Citrus

aurantium

LMN-N

CP-50

Embu

ldod

amTree

Fruit

Juice

Cou

ghtodraw

outp

hlegm

0004

10

Chron

iccough

Citrus

aurantifo

lia(C

hristm)Sw

ingle

MN-N

CP-51

Dehi

Tree

Leaves

Smok

ejuice

Cou

ghcold

headache

stom

achache

0073

122

Cou

ghstomachache

cleaning

wou

ndsdysentery

Murraya

koenigii(L)

Spreng

MN-N

CP-52

Karapincha

Shrub

Leaves

Porridge

Highbloo

dpressure

0041

10

Con

stipation

diarrhea

dysentery

Santalaceae

Santalum

albu

mL

MN-N

CP-53

Sudu

hand

unSh

rub

Bark

Paste

Swellin

gsp

ain

0016

10

Feverdiarrhead

ysentery

gastricirritatio

nskin

diseaseslocal

inflammation

Sapo

taceae

Madhu

calongifo

lia(J

Koenigex

L)JF

Macbr

MN-N

CP-54

Mee

Tree

Seeds

Oil

poultice

Swellin

gsandpain

injoints

0036

10

Fracturesrheumatism

snakebites

Scroph

ulariaceae

Scop

aria

dulcisL

MN-N

CP-55

Walko

ththam

alli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nDiabetes

0016

10

Earandeyediseasesliver

diseasesleprosy

nasoph

aryn

geal

infections

Solanaceae

Solanu

mxanthocarpum

Schrada

ndHW

endl

MN-N

CP-56

Katuw

elbatu

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nFevercough

asthma

0053

146

Cou

ghasthm

acolic

fever

toothache

Solanu

msuratte

nseBu

rm

fMN-N

CP-57

Elabatu

Herb

Leaves

Porridgesmok

eCou

ghasthm

a0004

20

Rheumatism

cou

gh

diarrhea

eaceae

Camellia

sinensis

(L)

Kun

tze

MN-N

CP-58

Tea

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nStom

achache

0008

10

Catarrhu

rinary

diseases

Verbenaceae

Lantan

acamaraL

MN-N

CP-59

Gandapana

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

eFevercough

asthma

0008

15

Asthm

afevercough

8 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Zing

iberaceae

Alpinia

galanga(L)Willd

MN-N

CP-61

Araththa

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFever

0057

10

Rheumatism

bronchitis

Curcum

alongaL

MN-N

CP-63

Kaha

Herb

Rhizom

ePa

stepo

wder

Wou

ndsskin

diseases

sprains

0024

15

Sprainswou

ndsdysentery

jaun

dicerheum

atism

skin

diseases

Zingiber

officina

leRo

scoe

MN-N

CP-64

Inguru

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFevercolda

sthm

acough

0146

144

Cold

cough

feverasthma

Scientifica 9

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Asteraceae

Acanthospermum

hispidum

DC

MN-N

CP-16

Katu-nerinchi

Herb

Leaves

Paste

Pain

inthejoints

0004

10

Arthritisrheumatism

leprosy

Eclip

taprostrata(L)L

MN-N

CP-17

Keekirind

iya

Herb

Who

leplant

Paste

Forthegrow

thof

hair

0012

10

Skin

diseasesu

lcers

stim

ulatethegrow

thof

hair

feverarthritis

Capparaceae

Cleomegyna

ndra

LMN-N

CP-18

Wela

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nPa

inin

joints

0004

10

Arthritisrheumatism

Cratevaadan

soniiD

C

MN-N

CP-19

Lunu

warana

Tree

Bark

Decoctio

nUrinary

calculi

0036

10

Urinary

calculi

Celastraceae

Pleurostylia

opposita

(Wall)

Alston

MN-N

CP-20

Panakka

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

Urinary

diseases

0004

10

Urinary

diseases

Com

bretaceae

Term

inalia

chebulaRe

tz

MN-N

CP-21

Aralu

Tree

Fruit

Powder

Fever

0016

10

Fevereyediseasesp

iles

chronicdysentery

Term

inalia

belliric

a(G

aertn)Ro

xbM

N-N

CP-

22Bu

luTree

Fruit

Powder

Feverdiarrhea

0012

167

Diarrhea

feversore

eyes

Costaceae

Costus

speciosus(JKoenig)

Sm

MN-N

CP-62

ebu

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

infusio

nDiabetes

0020

10

Fevercough

skin

diseases

Crassulaceae

Kalan

choe

laciniata(L)

DC

MN-N

CP-23

Akkapana

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nCou

ghasthm

acold

0008

20

Urinary

diseasesd

iarrhea

dysentery

cough

cold

Cucurbitaceae

Coccinia

gran

dis(L)Voigt

MN-N

CP-24

Kow

akka

Vine

Leaves

Salad

infusio

nDiabetes

0081

10

Diabetesurinarycalculi

skin

diseases

Elaeocarpaceae

Elaeocarpu

sserratus

LMN-N

CP-25

Veralu

Tree

Tend

erleaves

Juice

Forthegrow

thof

hair

0004

10

Dandruff

abscessesjoint

swellin

gs

Euph

orbiaceae

Phyllanthu

sem

blicaL

MN-N

CP-26

Nelli

Tree

Fruit

Poultice

Redn

essandsw

ellin

gsin

eye

0016

10

Inflammationin

eye

gono

rrheadiarrheau

rinary

diseases

Ricinu

scommun

isL

MN-N

CP-27

Enderu

Shrub

Leaves

Poultice

Headachejointp

ains

swellin

gs0020

16

Headachebo

ilsrheum

atism

Fabaceae

Bauh

inia

racemosaLam

MN-N

CP-28

Maila

Shrub

Leaves

Salad

Urinary

diseases

0004

10

Painfeveru

rinary

diseases

Cassia

auric

ulataL

MN-N

CP-29

Ranawara

Shrub

Flow

er

leaves

Infusio

nUrinary

diseases

andurinary

calculito

purify

bloo

d0045

127

Feverdiabetesu

rinary

diseasesrheum

atism

eye

conjun

ctivitisskin

diseases

Sesban

iagran

diflora

(L)

Pers

MN-N

CP-30

Kathu

rumurun

gaSh

rub

Leaves

Salad

Fissuringof

lipu

lcersin

mou

th0032

10

Oedem

awou

ndseye

diseasescou

ghsfeverskin

diseases

Tamarindu

sindica

LMN-N

CP-31

Siyabala

Tree

Leaves

Paste

Swellin

gin

joints

0020

10

Boilsrheum

atism

6 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Hippo

crateaceae

SalaciareticulataWight

MN-N

CP-32

Kothala

himbu

tuClim

bing

shrub

Stem

Infusio

nDiabetes

0061

10

Diabetesskin

diseases

rheumatism

Lamiaceae

Leucas

zeylan

ica(L)

WT

Aito

nMN-N

CP-33

Gatathum

baHerb

Leaves

Salad

Worm

infestation

0016

10

Fevergoutskindiseases

worm

infestation

Vitexnegund

oL

MN-N

CP-60

Nika

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

epaste

Cou

ghasthm

afever

swellin

gsin

jointscold

0041

14

Rheumatic

swellin

gs

headachecatarrhasthm

a

Loganiaceae

Strychno

spotatorum

Lf

MN-N

CP-34

Ingini

Tree

Seeds

Paste

Swellin

gsin

joints

0008

10

Eyediseasesd

iarrhea

Lythraceae

Punica

gran

atum

LMN-

NCP-46

Delum

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nto

wash

eyes

Eyediseases

0012

10

Eyeinfectionsd

ysentery

cough

asthma

fever

Malvaceae

Sida

acutaBu

rmf

MN-N

CP-35

Babila

Herb

Roots

Infusio

ndecoction

Feverpain

0008

15

Feverim

potency

rheumatism

Meliaceae

Azadirachta

indica

AJuss

MN-N

CP-36

Koh

omba

Tree

Leaves

stem

Poulticepaste

infusio

nPa

inin

jointsitching

diabetesw

orm

infestation

0077

121

Catarrhleprosy

andskin

diseasesrheum

atism

ulcers

andwou

nds

Menisp

ermaceae

Coscinium

fenestratum

(Goetgh)Colebr

MN-N

CP-37

Veniwelgata

Woo

dyclim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFevercough

paina

sthm

askin

diseases

inchild

ren

0081

26

Fevertetanu

sdressin

gwou

ndsandulcers

Tino

sporacordifo

lia(W

illd)

Miers

MN-N

CP-38

Rasakida

Clim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFever

0012

10

Feverskin

diseasesdiabetes

dysentery

rheumatism

Moraceae

FicusracemosaL

MN-N

CP-39

Attikka

Tree

Fruit

Asacurry

Diabetes

0020

10

Urinary

diseasesd

ysentery

diabetes

Artocarpu

sheterophyllus

Lam

MN-N

CP-40

Kos

Tree

Root

Infusio

nDiabetes

0004

10

Skin

diseasesasthm

adiabetesswellin

gsand

abscesses

Moringaceae

Moringa

oleifera

Lam

MN-N

CP-41

Murun

gaSh

rub

Bark

Infusio

npo

ultice

Asthm

asw

ellin

gs0041

13

Asthm

arheumatism

gou

tremedyforsnake-bite

poiso

ning

Myristicaceae

Myristicafra

gran

sHou

ttMN-N

CP-42

Sadikka

Shrub

Fruit

Pasteprepared

with

limejuice

Stom

achache

0032

10

Nausea

vomiting

stom

achache

Piperaceae

Piperbetle

LMN-N

CP-43

Bulath

Clim

ber

Leaves

Paste

Stom

achache

0008

10

Cou

gha

ntise

ptic

Pipernigrum

LMN-N

CP-44

Gam

miris

Clim

ber

Seeds

Paste

Stom

achache

0012

10

Cou

ghfeverp

iles

Poaceae

Eleusin

eindica

(L)Gaertn

MN-N

CP-45

Belatana

Herb

Who

leplant

Poultice

Swellin

gsandsprains

0024

10

Sprainsanddislo

catio

ns

Scientifica 7

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Rubiaceae

CoffeaarabicaL

MN-N

CP-47

Kop

iSh

rub

Fruit

Infusio

nStom

achache

0049

10

Diarrheableeding

wou

nds

Ixoracoccinea

LMN-N

CP-48

Rathmal

Shrub

Flow

ers

Infusio

nSkin

diseases

inchild

ren

0004

10

Dysenteryreddenedeyes

anderup

tions

inchild

ren

catarrh

Rutaceae

Aeglemarmelos

(L)Correa

MN-N

CP-49

Beli

Tree

Leaves

roots

flower

Decoctio

ninfusio

nAsthm

afever

0008

25

Feverasthma

dysentery

pilesdyspepsia

Citrus

aurantium

LMN-N

CP-50

Embu

ldod

amTree

Fruit

Juice

Cou

ghtodraw

outp

hlegm

0004

10

Chron

iccough

Citrus

aurantifo

lia(C

hristm)Sw

ingle

MN-N

CP-51

Dehi

Tree

Leaves

Smok

ejuice

Cou

ghcold

headache

stom

achache

0073

122

Cou

ghstomachache

cleaning

wou

ndsdysentery

Murraya

koenigii(L)

Spreng

MN-N

CP-52

Karapincha

Shrub

Leaves

Porridge

Highbloo

dpressure

0041

10

Con

stipation

diarrhea

dysentery

Santalaceae

Santalum

albu

mL

MN-N

CP-53

Sudu

hand

unSh

rub

Bark

Paste

Swellin

gsp

ain

0016

10

Feverdiarrhead

ysentery

gastricirritatio

nskin

diseaseslocal

inflammation

Sapo

taceae

Madhu

calongifo

lia(J

Koenigex

L)JF

Macbr

MN-N

CP-54

Mee

Tree

Seeds

Oil

poultice

Swellin

gsandpain

injoints

0036

10

Fracturesrheumatism

snakebites

Scroph

ulariaceae

Scop

aria

dulcisL

MN-N

CP-55

Walko

ththam

alli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nDiabetes

0016

10

Earandeyediseasesliver

diseasesleprosy

nasoph

aryn

geal

infections

Solanaceae

Solanu

mxanthocarpum

Schrada

ndHW

endl

MN-N

CP-56

Katuw

elbatu

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nFevercough

asthma

0053

146

Cou

ghasthm

acolic

fever

toothache

Solanu

msuratte

nseBu

rm

fMN-N

CP-57

Elabatu

Herb

Leaves

Porridgesmok

eCou

ghasthm

a0004

20

Rheumatism

cou

gh

diarrhea

eaceae

Camellia

sinensis

(L)

Kun

tze

MN-N

CP-58

Tea

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nStom

achache

0008

10

Catarrhu

rinary

diseases

Verbenaceae

Lantan

acamaraL

MN-N

CP-59

Gandapana

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

eFevercough

asthma

0008

15

Asthm

afevercough

8 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Zing

iberaceae

Alpinia

galanga(L)Willd

MN-N

CP-61

Araththa

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFever

0057

10

Rheumatism

bronchitis

Curcum

alongaL

MN-N

CP-63

Kaha

Herb

Rhizom

ePa

stepo

wder

Wou

ndsskin

diseases

sprains

0024

15

Sprainswou

ndsdysentery

jaun

dicerheum

atism

skin

diseases

Zingiber

officina

leRo

scoe

MN-N

CP-64

Inguru

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFevercolda

sthm

acough

0146

144

Cold

cough

feverasthma

Scientifica 9

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Hippo

crateaceae

SalaciareticulataWight

MN-N

CP-32

Kothala

himbu

tuClim

bing

shrub

Stem

Infusio

nDiabetes

0061

10

Diabetesskin

diseases

rheumatism

Lamiaceae

Leucas

zeylan

ica(L)

WT

Aito

nMN-N

CP-33

Gatathum

baHerb

Leaves

Salad

Worm

infestation

0016

10

Fevergoutskindiseases

worm

infestation

Vitexnegund

oL

MN-N

CP-60

Nika

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

epaste

Cou

ghasthm

afever

swellin

gsin

jointscold

0041

14

Rheumatic

swellin

gs

headachecatarrhasthm

a

Loganiaceae

Strychno

spotatorum

Lf

MN-N

CP-34

Ingini

Tree

Seeds

Paste

Swellin

gsin

joints

0008

10

Eyediseasesd

iarrhea

Lythraceae

Punica

gran

atum

LMN-

NCP-46

Delum

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nto

wash

eyes

Eyediseases

0012

10

Eyeinfectionsd

ysentery

cough

asthma

fever

Malvaceae

Sida

acutaBu

rmf

MN-N

CP-35

Babila

Herb

Roots

Infusio

ndecoction

Feverpain

0008

15

Feverim

potency

rheumatism

Meliaceae

Azadirachta

indica

AJuss

MN-N

CP-36

Koh

omba

Tree

Leaves

stem

Poulticepaste

infusio

nPa

inin

jointsitching

diabetesw

orm

infestation

0077

121

Catarrhleprosy

andskin

diseasesrheum

atism

ulcers

andwou

nds

Menisp

ermaceae

Coscinium

fenestratum

(Goetgh)Colebr

MN-N

CP-37

Veniwelgata

Woo

dyclim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFevercough

paina

sthm

askin

diseases

inchild

ren

0081

26

Fevertetanu

sdressin

gwou

ndsandulcers

Tino

sporacordifo

lia(W

illd)

Miers

MN-N

CP-38

Rasakida

Clim

ber

Stem

Infusio

nFever

0012

10

Feverskin

diseasesdiabetes

dysentery

rheumatism

Moraceae

FicusracemosaL

MN-N

CP-39

Attikka

Tree

Fruit

Asacurry

Diabetes

0020

10

Urinary

diseasesd

ysentery

diabetes

Artocarpu

sheterophyllus

Lam

MN-N

CP-40

Kos

Tree

Root

Infusio

nDiabetes

0004

10

Skin

diseasesasthm

adiabetesswellin

gsand

abscesses

Moringaceae

Moringa

oleifera

Lam

MN-N

CP-41

Murun

gaSh

rub

Bark

Infusio

npo

ultice

Asthm

asw

ellin

gs0041

13

Asthm

arheumatism

gou

tremedyforsnake-bite

poiso

ning

Myristicaceae

Myristicafra

gran

sHou

ttMN-N

CP-42

Sadikka

Shrub

Fruit

Pasteprepared

with

limejuice

Stom

achache

0032

10

Nausea

vomiting

stom

achache

Piperaceae

Piperbetle

LMN-N

CP-43

Bulath

Clim

ber

Leaves

Paste

Stom

achache

0008

10

Cou

gha

ntise

ptic

Pipernigrum

LMN-N

CP-44

Gam

miris

Clim

ber

Seeds

Paste

Stom

achache

0012

10

Cou

ghfeverp

iles

Poaceae

Eleusin

eindica

(L)Gaertn

MN-N

CP-45

Belatana

Herb

Who

leplant

Poultice

Swellin

gsandsprains

0024

10

Sprainsanddislo

catio

ns

Scientifica 7

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Rubiaceae

CoffeaarabicaL

MN-N

CP-47

Kop

iSh

rub

Fruit

Infusio

nStom

achache

0049

10

Diarrheableeding

wou

nds

Ixoracoccinea

LMN-N

CP-48

Rathmal

Shrub

Flow

ers

Infusio

nSkin

diseases

inchild

ren

0004

10

Dysenteryreddenedeyes

anderup

tions

inchild

ren

catarrh

Rutaceae

Aeglemarmelos

(L)Correa

MN-N

CP-49

Beli

Tree

Leaves

roots

flower

Decoctio

ninfusio

nAsthm

afever

0008

25

Feverasthma

dysentery

pilesdyspepsia

Citrus

aurantium

LMN-N

CP-50

Embu

ldod

amTree

Fruit

Juice

Cou

ghtodraw

outp

hlegm

0004

10

Chron

iccough

Citrus

aurantifo

lia(C

hristm)Sw

ingle

MN-N

CP-51

Dehi

Tree

Leaves

Smok

ejuice

Cou

ghcold

headache

stom

achache

0073

122

Cou

ghstomachache

cleaning

wou

ndsdysentery

Murraya

koenigii(L)

Spreng

MN-N

CP-52

Karapincha

Shrub

Leaves

Porridge

Highbloo

dpressure

0041

10

Con

stipation

diarrhea

dysentery

Santalaceae

Santalum

albu

mL

MN-N

CP-53

Sudu

hand

unSh

rub

Bark

Paste

Swellin

gsp

ain

0016

10

Feverdiarrhead

ysentery

gastricirritatio

nskin

diseaseslocal

inflammation

Sapo

taceae

Madhu

calongifo

lia(J

Koenigex

L)JF

Macbr

MN-N

CP-54

Mee

Tree

Seeds

Oil

poultice

Swellin

gsandpain

injoints

0036

10

Fracturesrheumatism

snakebites

Scroph

ulariaceae

Scop

aria

dulcisL

MN-N

CP-55

Walko

ththam

alli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nDiabetes

0016

10

Earandeyediseasesliver

diseasesleprosy

nasoph

aryn

geal

infections

Solanaceae

Solanu

mxanthocarpum

Schrada

ndHW

endl

MN-N

CP-56

Katuw

elbatu

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nFevercough

asthma

0053

146

Cou

ghasthm

acolic

fever

toothache

Solanu

msuratte

nseBu

rm

fMN-N

CP-57

Elabatu

Herb

Leaves

Porridgesmok

eCou

ghasthm

a0004

20

Rheumatism

cou

gh

diarrhea

eaceae

Camellia

sinensis

(L)

Kun

tze

MN-N

CP-58

Tea

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nStom

achache

0008

10

Catarrhu

rinary

diseases

Verbenaceae

Lantan

acamaraL

MN-N

CP-59

Gandapana

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

eFevercough

asthma

0008

15

Asthm

afevercough

8 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Zing

iberaceae

Alpinia

galanga(L)Willd

MN-N

CP-61

Araththa

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFever

0057

10

Rheumatism

bronchitis

Curcum

alongaL

MN-N

CP-63

Kaha

Herb

Rhizom

ePa

stepo

wder

Wou

ndsskin

diseases

sprains

0024

15

Sprainswou

ndsdysentery

jaun

dicerheum

atism

skin

diseases

Zingiber

officina

leRo

scoe

MN-N

CP-64

Inguru

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFevercolda

sthm

acough

0146

144

Cold

cough

feverasthma

Scientifica 9

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Rubiaceae

CoffeaarabicaL

MN-N

CP-47

Kop

iSh

rub

Fruit

Infusio

nStom

achache

0049

10

Diarrheableeding

wou

nds

Ixoracoccinea

LMN-N

CP-48

Rathmal

Shrub

Flow

ers

Infusio

nSkin

diseases

inchild

ren

0004

10

Dysenteryreddenedeyes

anderup

tions

inchild

ren

catarrh

Rutaceae

Aeglemarmelos

(L)Correa

MN-N

CP-49

Beli

Tree

Leaves

roots

flower

Decoctio

ninfusio

nAsthm

afever

0008

25

Feverasthma

dysentery

pilesdyspepsia

Citrus

aurantium

LMN-N

CP-50

Embu

ldod

amTree

Fruit

Juice

Cou

ghtodraw

outp

hlegm

0004

10

Chron

iccough

Citrus

aurantifo

lia(C

hristm)Sw

ingle

MN-N

CP-51

Dehi

Tree

Leaves

Smok

ejuice

Cou

ghcold

headache

stom

achache

0073

122

Cou

ghstomachache

cleaning

wou

ndsdysentery

Murraya

koenigii(L)

Spreng

MN-N

CP-52

Karapincha

Shrub

Leaves

Porridge

Highbloo

dpressure

0041

10

Con

stipation

diarrhea

dysentery

Santalaceae

Santalum

albu

mL

MN-N

CP-53

Sudu

hand

unSh

rub

Bark

Paste

Swellin

gsp

ain

0016

10

Feverdiarrhead

ysentery

gastricirritatio

nskin

diseaseslocal

inflammation

Sapo

taceae

Madhu

calongifo

lia(J

Koenigex

L)JF

Macbr

MN-N

CP-54

Mee

Tree

Seeds

Oil

poultice

Swellin

gsandpain

injoints

0036

10

Fracturesrheumatism

snakebites

Scroph

ulariaceae

Scop

aria

dulcisL

MN-N

CP-55

Walko

ththam

alli

Herb

Who

leplant

Infusio

nDiabetes

0016

10

Earandeyediseasesliver

diseasesleprosy

nasoph

aryn

geal

infections

Solanaceae

Solanu

mxanthocarpum

Schrada

ndHW

endl

MN-N

CP-56

Katuw

elbatu

Herb

Leaves

Infusio

nFevercough

asthma

0053

146

Cou

ghasthm

acolic

fever

toothache

Solanu

msuratte

nseBu

rm

fMN-N

CP-57

Elabatu

Herb

Leaves

Porridgesmok

eCou

ghasthm

a0004

20

Rheumatism

cou

gh

diarrhea

eaceae

Camellia

sinensis

(L)

Kun

tze

MN-N

CP-58

Tea

Shrub

Leaves

Infusio

nStom

achache

0008

10

Catarrhu

rinary

diseases

Verbenaceae

Lantan

acamaraL

MN-N

CP-59

Gandapana

Shrub

Leaves

Smok

eFevercough

asthma

0008

15

Asthm

afevercough

8 Scientifica

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Zing

iberaceae

Alpinia

galanga(L)Willd

MN-N

CP-61

Araththa

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFever

0057

10

Rheumatism

bronchitis

Curcum

alongaL

MN-N

CP-63

Kaha

Herb

Rhizom

ePa

stepo

wder

Wou

ndsskin

diseases

sprains

0024

15

Sprainswou

ndsdysentery

jaun

dicerheum

atism

skin

diseases

Zingiber

officina

leRo

scoe

MN-N

CP-64

Inguru

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFevercolda

sthm

acough

0146

144

Cold

cough

feverasthma

Scientifica 9

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

Tabl

e3

Con

tinued

Family

Scientificnameand

voucherspecim

ennu

mber

Vernacularname

(inSinh

ala)

Life

form

Partsused

Preparation

Dise

asecond

ition

streated

RFC

UV

Repo

rted

usagein

literature

[13]

Zing

iberaceae

Alpinia

galanga(L)Willd

MN-N

CP-61

Araththa

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFever

0057

10

Rheumatism

bronchitis

Curcum

alongaL

MN-N

CP-63

Kaha

Herb

Rhizom

ePa

stepo

wder

Wou

ndsskin

diseases

sprains

0024

15

Sprainswou

ndsdysentery

jaun

dicerheum

atism

skin

diseases

Zingiber

officina

leRo

scoe

MN-N

CP-64

Inguru

Herb

Rhizom

eInfusio

nFevercolda

sthm

acough

0146

144

Cold

cough

feverasthma

Scientifica 9

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

an endemic species [8] S reticulataWight is widely popularamong Sri Lankans as an effective remedy for diabetes thusthere is an increased demand for commercial productsprepared from stems of this plant which could make ithighly vulnerable for extinction Hence appropriate con-servation measures are urgently required to cultivate suchvaluable medicinal plants and thereby to reduce the pressureon overexploitation from natural habitats On the otherhand plant species like Zingiber officinale Roscoe andCoriandrum sativum L are not threatened by overharvestingdespite the high demand particularly due to the cultivationof Z officinale Roscoe in most of the home gardensthroughout the country not only for medicinal but also forculinary purposes as well as the availability of C sativum Las an imported spice in the local markets in Sri Lanka

Although the majority of the people in the nonusercategory (509) had used some kind of herbal therapeuticsat some stage of their lives the usage was discontinuedmainly due to the difficulty in the preparation and collectionof plant materials from their surroundings (59) In ad-dition the relatively long period of time taken for healingunpleasant smell and the taste has also hindered their useMoreover some have profusely refused such remedies dueto the unavailability of scientific records on the safety andthe efficacy of herbal formulations Interestingly 754 ofthese nonusers mentioned that they would shift to herbalproducts if the efficacy of these products could be scien-tifically validated

4 Conclusion

is study reports the first in-depth ethnobotanical survey inthe North Central Province of Sri Lanka where agriculture isthe primary livelihood of the inhabitants of the area Among64 medicinal plants belonging to 42 reported plant familiesthe family importance value was highest in Zingiberaceaeemost popular medicinal plants among the inhabitants ofPolonnaruwa district include Coriandrum sativum L

Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Hygrophila auriculata(Schumach) Heine Despite the eroding folkloric knowledgethat depended on the oral tradition for its transmission tosuccessive generations the indigenous herbal remedies arestill popular among the local communities in the study areaMoreover even the majority of the nonusers are ready toshift to herbal products upon the scientific validation of thetherapeutic efficiency and it signifies the necessity ofcomprehensive pharmacological and phytochemical in-vestigations of these traditional formulations

Abbreviations

RFC Relative frequency of citationFIV Family importance valueUV Use value

Data Availability

e data used to support the findings of this study are in-cluded within the article

Ethical Approval

e ethical approval was obtained from the ethical reviewcommittee Faculty of Medicine University of Ruhuna SriLanka

Consent

Informed consent was obtained in writing prior to the study

Conflicts of Interest

e authors declare that there are no conflicts of interestregarding the publication of this article

Num

ber o

f pla

nt sp

ecie

s

25

20

15

10

5

0

Ailment

Diabete

s

Swelli

ngspain

sprai

ns

Asthmac

ough

Feverh

eadach

e

Coldcatar

rh

Worm in

festat

ions

Urinary

disease

surin

ary ca

lculi

Burns

Energy b

ooster

Purificat

ion of blood

Skin dise

asesu

lcers

wounds

Stomach

ached

iarrhea

High blood pres

sure

Eye dise

ases

Growth of hair

Figure 5 Number of plants used against different disease conditions

10 Scientifica

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

Acknowledgments

e authors gratefully acknowledge ldquoFaculty of Medicine-Research Grant 2015rdquo fromUniversity of Ruhuna Sri Lanka

Supplementary Materials

Supplementary 1 the map of Polonnaruwa district (thedistrict boundary is marked in purple and the sites wherethe data were collected are marked with squares) Supple-mentary 2 the questionnaire which was used to collect theinformation on utility of herbal preparations and somedemographic information of the informants (Supplemen-tary Materials)

References

[1] L Zhang H Zhuang Y Zhang et al ldquoPlants for health anethnobotanical 25-year repeat survey of traditional medicinesold in a major marketplace in North-West Yunnan ChinardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 224 pp 119ndash125 2018

[2] M F Mahomoodally ldquoTraditional medicines in Africa anappraisal of ten potent African medicinal plantsrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine vol 2013Article ID 617459 14 pages 2013

[3] M M Pandey S Rastogi and A K S Rawat ldquoIndian tra-ditional ayurvedic system of medicine and nutritional sup-plementationrdquo Evidence-Based Complementary andAlternative Medicine vol 2013 Article ID 376327 12 pages2013

[4] P B Weragoda ldquoe traditional system of medicine in SriLankardquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 2 no 1 pp 71ndash731980

[5] D S A Wijesundera ldquoInventory documentation and me-dicinal plant research in Sri LankardquoMedicinal Plant Researchin Asia vol 1 pp 184ndash195 2004

[6] A K Unial C Singh B Singh M Kumar and J A T daSilva ldquoEthnomedicinal use of wild plants in BundelkhandRegion Uttar Pradesh Indiardquo Journal of Medicinal andAromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology vol 5 pp 81ndash862011

[7] T van Andel and N Barth ldquoPaul Hermannrsquos ceylon her-barium (1672ndash1679) at Leiden the Netherlandsrdquo Taxonvol 67 no 5 pp 977ndash988 2011

[8] T van Andel A Scholman and M Beumer ldquoIcones plan-tarum malabaricarum early 18th century botanical drawingsof medicinal plants from colonial Ceylonrdquo Journal of Eth-nopharmacology vol 222 pp 11ndash20 2018

[9] R M Dharmadasa G C Akalanka P R M Muthukumaranaand R G S Wijesekara ldquoEthnopharmacological survey onmedicinal plants used in snakebite treatments in Western andSabaragamuwa provinces in Sri Lankardquo Journal of Ethno-pharmacology vol 179 pp 110ndash127 2016

[10] M T Napagoda T Sundarapperuma D FonsekaS Amarasiri and P Gunaratna ldquoAn ethnobotanical study ofthe medicinal plants used as anti-inflammatory remedies inGampaha District-Western Province Sri Lankardquo Scientificavol 2018 Article ID 9395052 8 pages 2018

[11] D M A JayaweeraMedicinal Plants (Indigenous and Exotic)used in Ceylon Part 1ndash5 National Science Council ColomboSri Lanka 1982

[12] N D Namsa H Tag MMandal P Kalita and A K Das ldquoAnethnobotanical study of traditional anti-inflammatory plants

used by the Lohit community of Arunachal Pradesh IndiardquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 125 no 2 pp 234ndash2452009

[13] M Umair M Altaf and A M Abbasi ldquoAn ethnobotanicalsurvey of indigenous medicinal plants in Hafizabad districtPunjab-Pakistanrdquo PLoS One vol 12 no 6 Article IDe0177912 2017

[14] A M Towns S Ruysschaert E van Vliet and T van AndelldquoEvidence in support of the role of disturbance vegetation forwomenrsquos health and childcare in Western Africardquo Journal ofEthnobiology and Ethnomedicine vol 10 no 1 p 42 2014

[15] S Kayani M Ahmad M Zafar et al ldquoEthnobotanical uses ofmedicinal plants for respiratory disorders among the in-habitants of GalliesmdashAbbottabad Northern PakistanrdquoJournal of Ethnopharmacology vol 156 pp 47ndash60 2014

[16] D Diallo B Hveem M A Mahmoud G Berge B S Paulsenand A Maiga ldquoAn ethnobotanical survey of herbal drugs ofGourma district Malirdquo Pharmaceutical Biology vol 37 no 1pp 80ndash91 1999

[17] Department of Census and Statistics District Statistical HandBook Polonnaruwa Department of Census and StatisticsBattaramulla Sri Lanka 2016

[18] M D Dassanayake and F R Fosberg A Revised Handbook tothe flora of Ceylon Vol 1ndash14 Amerind Publishers NewDelhiIndia 1980-2000

[19] K Savikin G Zdunic N Menkovic et al ldquoEthnobotanicalstudy on traditional use of medicinal plants in South-WesternSerbia Zlatibor districtrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacologyvol 146 no 3 pp 803ndash810 2013

[20] S Vitalini M Iriti C Puricelli D Ciuchi A Segale andG Fico ldquoTraditional knowledge on medicinal and food plantsused in Val San Giacomo (Sondrio Italy)ndashan alpine ethno-botanical studyrdquo Journal of Ethnopharmacology vol 145no 2 pp 517ndash529 2013

[21] L Ferrero-Miliani O H Nielsen P S Andersen andS E Girardin ldquoChronic inflammation importance of NOD2and NALP3 in interleukin-1beta generationrdquo Clinical andExperimental Immunology vol 147 no 2 pp 227ndash235 2007

[22] F T Ishmael ldquoe inflammatory response in the pathogenesisof asthmardquo Journal of the American Osteopathic Associationvol 111 no 11 pp S11ndashS17 2011

Scientifica 11

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