ETHNOMEDICINAL STUDY OF PLANTS USED FOR PROTECTION AND STIMULATION OF LIVER IN SOUTHERN WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Liver is considered as the main internal organ related with various aspects of digestion and restoration of sound health by many tribal and non tribal rural people of West Bengal, India. Information related with use of various plant parts for protection and stimulation of liver were collected from three southern districts of West Bengal, India with different agro-climatic conditions viz. Paschim Medinipur, Purba Medinipur, and Murshidabad. A total of nineteen plants and combinational use of another three plants are identified and the practiced methods of their uses with dose are documented and with the help of available literatures, the previously reported uses of these medicinal plants are analyzed in that perspective.