International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ___________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202Vol. 2(12), 74-78, December (2013) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 74 Ethnobotanical Resources of Leguminales from Lonar CraterDabhadkar S.D. and Borul S.B.Department of Botany, Late Ku. Durga K. Banmeru Science College, Lonar Dist Buldana, MS, INDIA Department of Chemistry, Late Ku. Durga K. Banmeru Science College, Lonar, Dist Buldana, MS, INDIAAvailable online at: www.isca.in, www.isca.me Received 7th August 2013, revised 24th September 2013, accepted 20th October 2013Abstract Lonar crater is the unique ecosystem with its own feature. It is the crater formed by the meteorite impact on the earth about fifty two thousand years ago. The crater possesses the smallest forest sanctuary with great biological diversity. It is rich in its biodiversity. This may be one of the important resources for various ethnomedicines. In Lonar crater various types of medicinal plants are found. In present study plants belonging to leguminales are studied. This plant possesses various types of pharmacological drugs. This can be used as the medicine in various ayurvedic preparations. These drugs can be extracted from the various plant parts. Thus the given study highlights the ethnobotanical diversity of leguminales from Lonar Crater. The paper highlights the ethnobotanical diversity of leguminales from Lonar Crater. Keywords: Lonar crater, leguminales, plant extract, ethnobotanical drugs. Introduction Ethnobotany is broadly defined as the study of relationship between people and plants. Some prefer to define it as the scientific study of the interactions between human cultures and plants. Although the scope of ethnobotany includes the study of plants used for a variety of economic and non-economic societal purposes (for examples as tools and construction materials, as food, in ritual, for divination, as cosmetics, for ornamentation, as textile, as currency and in social life), this chapter primarily focuses on the contributions that ethnobotany has made to modern medicine through its studies of the uses of plants in traditional societies. The history of ethnobotany began before its formal recognition as a distinct field of study within botany. People have been interested in plants for their medicinal properties for hundred, if not thousands of centuries. The first records of plants used for medicinal purpose in the Western tradition appear in ancient Egypt and ancient Sumer. Lonar crater is the unique ecosystem with its own feature. It is the crater formed by the meteorite impact on the earth about fifty two thousand years ago. The crater possesses the smallest forest sanctuary with great biological diversity. It is rich in its biodiversity. This may be one of the important resources for various ethnomedicines. In Lonar crater various types of medicinal plants are found. This plant possesses various types of pharmacological drugs. This can be used as the medicine in various ayurvedic preparations. These drugs can be extracted from the various plant parts. The medicinal plants are the plants whose parts (leaves, seeds, stem, roots, fruits, foliage etc.) extracts, infusions, decoctions, powders are used in the treatment of different diseases of humans, plants and animals. Plant extracts are highly efficient against microbial infections. The use of different parts of several medicinal plants to cure specific ailments has been in vogue from ancient times. The indigenous system of medicine namely Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani have been in existence for several centuries. This system of medicine caters to the needs of nearly 70% of the population residing in villages. Besides the demands made by these systems as their raw material, the demands for medicinal plants made by the modern pharmaceutical industries has also increased manifold3,4. For thousands of years, natural products have been used in traditional medicine all over the world and predate the introduction of antibiotics and other modern drugs. Antibiotics provide the main basis for the therapy of bacterial infections. Since the discovery of these antibiotics and their uses as chemotherapeutic agents there was a belief in the medical fraternity that this would lead to the eventual eradication of infectious diseases. However, over use of antibiotics has become the major factor for the emergence and dissemination of multi-drug resistant strains of several groups of microorganisms7 bacteria have the genetic ability to transmit and acquire resistance worldwide emergence of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus and many other ß-lactamase producers has become a major therapeutic problem. Multi-drug resistant strains of E. coli and K. pneumoniae are widely distributed in hospitals and are increasingly being isolated from community acquired infections8,9. Abrus precatorius is belongs to family fabaceae. The plant is also used in some traditional medicine to treat scratches and sores, and wounds caused by dogs, cats and mice and are also used with other ingredients to treat leucoderma. They are ground with lime and applied on acne sores, boils, and abscesses10-18. The plant is also traditionally used to treat tetanus, and to prevent rabies. Thus the given study highlights the ethnobotanical diversity of leguminales from Lonar Crater. International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202 Vol. 2(12), 74-78, December (2013) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 75 Methodology A good no. of excursion was made to survey and collect various medicinal plants in the Lonar crater in different seasons. The information was documented involving the conversation regarding this with different voids and old experienced people. Ethnobotanical data (Local names, mode of medical practices, use in various medical problems, etc) were collected and recorded. Photographs of these medicinal plants were taken for record. Identification of plants was made by referring the Botanical floras. Results and Discussion The present investigation comprises 20 plants belonging to leguminales showing ethnomedical properties. For each species botanical name, family, local name and use of plant as medicine are provided in the table. Traditional healers using these plants to cure many diseases. Part-owners use specific plant parts like root, leaves, stem, bark, flowers, fruits etc in specific dosages for the treatment of ailments. The plant products are consumed raw or in the form of decoction, infusion, juice, oral treatment or applied externally as paste and ointments. Each of the plant having some specific chemical constituents like alkaloids, steroids, volatile oils etc. These ingredients are known for their pharmacological properties. The fresh plant parts as well as dried parts can be use in the form of extract, decoctions, powder and ash etc. These plants may be used separately or in mixture of several plants for better and quick result. Table-1 List of various medicinal plants in the Lonar crater in different seasons with their Local names, mode of medical practices, use in various medical problems, etc Sr. No. Name of the plant Common Name Family Ethnobotanical / Pharmacological source Used as 1 Bauhinia varigata Kachnar Caesalpiniaceae Bark, Legume, Seed Bark – Alterative Anthelmintic, blood purifier, astringent, tonic 2 Butea monosperma Palas Caesalpiniaceae Bark, Gum, Seed, Root, Flower Root- used as antidote of snake bite, impotency. Stem- anti inflammation Leaf- antidiabetic, also used in cough, conjunctivitis, Flower- febrifuge, urinogenital infections, leucorrhoea, Seed- Against intestinal worms and urinary stone Gum – used against cracks in feet. 3 Caesalpenia bonduc Sagargota Caesalpiniaceae Seed, Leaf, Root, Bark Fruit- tonic, antipyretic Leaves and bark- Febrifuge 4 Cassia auriculata Tarvat Caesalpiniaceae Root, Leaves Root –febrifuge; Leaves-Laxative 5 Cassia fistula Amaltash, Bahava Caesalpiniaceae Root, Leaf, Legume, Flower, Pod-Purgative, anti-diabetic Leaves- emollient, Root- Febrifuge 6 Cassia occidentalis Kashid Caesalpiniaceae Leaf, Seed, Root Seed- Purgative, diuretic, hepatotonic 7 Cassia tora Tarota, Takla Caesalpiniaceae Seed, Leaf, Fruit, Root Leaves, Seed- used in leprosy, bronchitis, cardiac disorders, dyspepsia 8 Parkinsonia aculeate Devbhabul Caesalpiniaceae Leaf, Steam, fruit, Flower, Root. Leaf, Steam, fruit- Used in malarial fever, antioxidant. Flower-rheumatism, antidibetic, antimalarial. 9 Butea monosperma Palas Caesalpiniaceae Bark, Gum, Seed, Root, Flower Root- used as antidote of snake bite, impotency. Stem- anti inflammation International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202 Vol. 2(12), 74-78, December (2013) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 76 Leaf- antidiabetic, also used in cough, conjunctivitis, Flower- febrifuge, urinogenital infections, leucorrhoea, Seed- Against intestinal worms and urinary stone Gum – used against cracks in feet. 10 Tephrosia purpurea Unhali, Surpukha Fabaceae Root, Leaf, Seed, Root- used in Rheumatism, diarrhea, dyspepsia, urinary infection, toothache and bleeding gums, Leaves- Antihelmintic, blood purifier,antitumor, antipyretic, used in eczema and other skin diseases, jaundice, anemia, and fever 11 Clitorea ternatea Gokarna, Aparajita Fabaceae Root, Seed, Leaf, Leaf juice- Haemostatic, used against bleeding in piles Whole plant shows Tranquillizing effect on brain, Sedative, laxative, Root- Antistress, antidepressant 12 Abrus precatorius Gunj Fabaceae Leaf, Seed, Seed- Antibacterial, Purgative, emetic , tonic, Aphrodiac, Ophthalmic, antitumor used in brain tumor, Snake bite and Dysentery 13 Dalbergia sissoo Sissam Fabaceae Root, Bark, Fruit, Seed, Leaf, Root- Astringent Leaves- used in gonorrhea Wood- alterative used in leprosy, boils 14 Pongamia pinnata Karanj Fabaceae Seed, bark Root juice- used in fistula and ulcers Bark - Antiperiodic , Astringent, Anthelmintic, Antipyretic, used in piles Seed- oil used in rheumatism, Leaves- used in ulcers 15 Psoralea corylifolia Bawchi, Bakuchi Fabaceae Sees, fruit, Root, Leaf, Seed oil- used in Leucoderma, Psorisis, Leprosy, Sexual Disability, Cough and Asthama 16 Mucuna pruriens Khajkuri Fabaceae Seed Used in parkinsons disease, Body building Supplement, increases human growth hormone 17 Sesbania grandiflora Hadga Fabaceae Root, Leaf, Flower, Legume Root- Anti inflammatory, febrifuge Bark- Astringent, also used in ulcer, scabies Leaves- antihelmintic, tonic, used in epileptic fits 18 Albezia lebeck Shiras Mimoceae Root, Bark, Seed, Leaf, Antiallergic, antifungal, anti inflammatory, cardio-tonic, hypocholesterolemic 19 Acacia nilotica Bhabhul Mimoceae Bark, Gum, Leaf, Lomentum, Flower Gum- demulescent, antidiabetic. Used in diarrhea, dysentery 20 Acacia leucophloea Hiwar Mimoceae Root, Pod,seed Bark- astringent, anthemintic, demulcent, expectoionrant, antipyretic, antidote against snake bite, haemostatic, also used in gastrointestinal and respiratory infect International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202 Vol. 2(12), 74-78, December (2013) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 77 Caesalpenia bonduc Clitorea ternatea Local name – Sagargota Local name – Gokarna, Aparajita Pongamia pinnata Parkinsonia aculeate Local name – Karanj Local name - Devbhabhul Tephrosia purpurea Cassia auriculata Local name – Surpukha, Unhali Local name - Tarvat Figure-1 Photographs of selected medicinally important Leguninales plants International Research Journal of Biological Sciences ________________________________________________ ISSN 2278-3202 Vol. 2(12), 74-78, December (2013) Int. Res. J. Biological Sci. International Science Congress Association 78 Conclusion From above discussion it is concluded that the plants present surrounding us are useful in various aspects such as medicinal use as well as ornamental plants. Now it is our duty that how we can achieve benefits from them and in what extent we can use it. Care should be taken that these natural resources will not become endangered or extinct. By proper management and cultivation of such medicinal plants, our country will be developed in herbal medicine and many people will be benefited by the medicinal plants. Farmers can also get commercial benefits by cultivating these medicinal plants. References1.Nostro A.M.P., Germano, V. Angelo., A. 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