Ethnobotanical Study of Antifertility Medicinal Plants Used by the Meitei Community of Imphal East District, Manipur

Ethnobotanical study was undertaken to gather information about the use of traditional knowledge of medicinal plants as antifertility agent among the rural people of Meitei community of Imphal East district, Manipur. Information on antifertility medicinal plants used was collected from elderly people (Personal communication with local people and questionnaire) of the selected 10 villages of Imphal East district, Manipur. The present study highlights 55 plant species belonging to 28 families which are being used for birth control and abortion by the local people. The study revealed that the local people are using folklore medicinal plants for contraceptive purposes. This survey can be a source for the discovery of novel pharmocologically bio-active compounds and document the herbal practices for antifertility purpose by the rural people of Manipur state.