Guwahati: A new study by researchers from Nagaland University has documented the traditional herbal knowledge of Assam’s Sonowal Kachari tribe, highlighting its potential role in affordable healthcare and future drug discovery.
The research recorded 39 medicinal plant species and their therapeutic uses among the indigenous community, whose healing traditions have largely been preserved through oral transmission across generations.
Researchers engaged 180 elderly knowledge holders from the community to systematically document plant-based remedies used for a variety of ailments.
Published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, the study underscores the continued relevance of herbal medicine in rural and resource-constrained areas where access to healthcare remains limited.
According to the researchers, many of the documented remedies are used to treat common illnesses such as fever, respiratory problems, kidney stones and skin diseases, indicating their potential relevance for primary healthcare systems.
The study also observed that members of the Sonowal Kachari community often rely on both traditional remedies and allopathic medicine, pointing towards the possibility of integrative healthcare approaches.
Vice-Chancellor of Nagaland University, Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, said the findings demonstrate the importance of indigenous knowledge systems in advancing affordable and sustainable healthcare solutions.
He noted that preserving such traditional wisdom could contribute not only to cultural conservation but also to innovation in natural product-based medicine.
The research team warned that indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge is at risk of disappearing as younger generations increasingly move away from traditional practices.
To address this, the researchers have proposed conservation measures focused on preserving both medicinal plant biodiversity and community knowledge systems.
Lead researcher Pramod Chandra Dihingia said the study highlights the urgent need for systematic conservation efforts while also encouraging scientific validation of traditional remedies. Researchers believe several of the documented plants show promise for pharmacological studies and future drug development.
The paper was co-authored by researchers from Nagaland University and the Indian Council of Medical Research. The team said the findings could serve as a scientific foundation for future laboratory validation, pharmacological screening and clinical research into plant-derived therapeutics.
Researchers also stressed the importance of ensuring equitable benefit-sharing with indigenous communities if commercial applications emerge from the documented knowledge.
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