NU study documents Sonowal Kachari herbal knowledge

Dimapur: A Nagaland University study has documented the rich yet rapidly declining ethno-medicinal knowledge of the Sonowal Kachari tribe of Assam, highlighting its potential to transform affordable healthcare and future drug discovery.

The research recorded traditional herbal practices centred on 39 medicinal plant species and their applications, knowledge that has largely been passed down orally within the community.

Researchers engaged 180 elderly knowledge holders to compile detailed, quantitative information on plant-based treatments used for a range of ailments.

The study found herbal medicine remains a low-cost, accessible healthcare option in rural and resource-constrained settings. It also reported dual reliance on traditional remedies and allopathic medicine, indicating scope for integrative healthcare models.

Many of the documented remedies are used for common conditions including fever, respiratory ailments, kidney stones and skin disorders, suggesting relevance for primary healthcare and potential for validated, plant-derived formulations to complement modern medicine in underserved regions.

The findings were published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine.

The paper was co-authored by Dr Pramod Chandra Dihingia, Wungsim Zimik and Prabhakar Sharma from Nagaland University and Deepika Borah from the Indian Council of Medical Research, Assam.