Ethnomedicinal practices for tooth problems by the tribals of Khammam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

The paper deals with 46 species of plants, covering 44 genera and 31 families used for curing tooth ailments by the tribes of Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh. Fabaceae is the dominant family with 5 species followed by Myrtaceae and Solanaceae (each 3 species) and others. Habit-wise analysis showed the dominance of trees (19 spp) followed by shrubs (15 spp), herbs (11 spp) and a lone climber. Root is used in 10 practices followed by leaf (8 practices), whole plant and stem (6 practices each), stem bark (5 practices), seed (4 practices) and others. The use of Capparis brevispina, Leucas aspera, and Plumbago auriculata and 20 practices were found to be new. There is a need for scientific validation of these practices and their efficiency, credibility, and applicability need to be established through phytochemical, pharmacological, and clinical screenings.