Ethnobotanical survey of plants used to treat asthma in Andhra Pradesh, India

Tribal and non-tribal inhabitants of Andhra Pradesh used nearly 80 medicinal plants for treating asthma. The tribal people have a strong faith and belief in the traditional health care system, through herbal treatment. Plant species are generally used along with other materials and plant products in different combinations to effective cure. Herbalists reported that plant ingredients are used in the form of dry powder, decoction and juice in the treatment of asthma. The knowledge of most asthma drug plants used in herbal treatment and their method of using them are confined to some of the local healers. Some of the plants mentioned by local healers however, are extensively used nationally in the preparation of Ayurvedic medicines including those to treat asthma. Clinical and pharmacological data are available for these plants. Most of the plants used for treating asthma by local herbalists appear not to have been recorded hitherto.