Ballabh Basant, Chaurasia O P, Ahmed Zakwan, Singh Shashi Bala
Field Research Laboratory, Defence Research and Development Organisation Leh-Ladakh, J&K, India.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Jul 23;118(2):331-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.04.022. Epub 2008 May 2.
Traditional medicine of clod desert Ladakh has large potential to treat various ailments among tribal communities inhabited in the remotest region of Indian subcontinent. This study was conducted to document the new ethno-medico-botanical information and traditional use of medicinal plants against kidney and urinary disorders, and thus to conserve the rapidly disappearing traditional knowledge system of Amchis of Ladakh.
The information was collected from 105 villages of Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh region by involving 47 Amchis (the herbalists), village heads and old aged persons including women population through on spot interview and repeated queries among other interviewees over a period of 3 years from 2004-2006.
The use of 68 medicinal plants belonging to 29 families and 58 genera of clod desert was documented against the treatment of kidney and urinary disorders in the tribal communities of Ladakh region in India. These species were used in combination of some exotic species such as Bergenia ligulata, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Crocus sativus, Elettaria cardamomum, Emblica officinalis, Ficus religiosa, Mangifera indica, Punica granatum, Santalum album, Spondiax axillaris, Terminalia belerica, Terminalia chebula, Zingiber officinale and some medicinal stones, minerals and salts etc. Problem in urine discharge, burning sensation and painful urination, inflammation and bleeding in the kidney, irritable condition of bladder, haemorrhage of kidney and removal of blocked urine and kidney stone were the frequently reported disorders in the study area.
The effectiveness of traditional system of medicine, role of Amchis in preparation of remedies according to age, sex and severity of ailment, method of preparation, doses and its administrations among tribal communities of Ladakh provides certain new information. Though the system is extensively used among the tribal communities in the remotest regions but still it has a great scope of proper phytochemical and pharmacological validation of the medicinal plants used in different remedies for conservation and development of traditional system of medicine according to modernization.
印度次大陆最偏远地区居住的部落社区中，拉达克寒冷沙漠的传统医学在治疗各种疾病方面具有巨大潜力。本研究旨在记录新的民族医学植物学信息以及药用植物在治疗肾脏和泌尿系统疾病方面的传统用途，从而保护拉达克阿米奇人迅速消失的传统知识体系。
2004年至2006年的3年时间里，通过现场访谈以及对其他受访者反复询问，从拉达克地区列城和卡吉尔县的105个村庄收集信息，参与人员包括47名阿米奇人（草药医生）、村长以及包括女性在内的老年人。
记录了印度拉达克地区部落社区用于治疗肾脏和泌尿系统疾病的68种药用植物，它们分属于寒冷沙漠地区的29个科、58个属。这些物种与一些外来物种如岩白菜、锡兰肉桂、藏红花、小豆蔻、余甘子、菩提树、芒果、石榴、檀香、南酸枣、毗黎勒、诃子、生姜以及一些药用石头、矿物质和盐等一起使用。排尿问题、烧灼感、尿痛、肾脏炎症和出血、膀胱易激状态、肾脏出血以及清除尿路梗阻和肾结石是研究区域中经常报告的疾病。
拉达克部落社区传统医学体系的有效性、阿米奇人根据年龄、性别和疾病严重程度配制药物的作用、制备方法、剂量及其给药方式提供了某些新信息。尽管该体系在最偏远地区的部落社区中广泛使用，但根据现代化要求，对不同药物中使用的药用植物进行适当的植物化学和药理学验证，以保护和发展传统医学体系，仍有很大空间。
