Programmes of Study - Courses Offered

Add-On Course - Skill based programme Ethnobotany and medicinal Plants

Department of Botany, Sree Sankara College, Mahatma Gandhi University  under the aegis of IQAC organized an Add-On Course on “Ethnobotany and Medicinal Plants” from 23rd January 2024 to 28th February 2024 in online-offline blended mode.

 

Course Co-ordinators: Dr.Shintu P.V. and Dr. Rashmi T.R.

Resource Person: Dr.Neethu Kannan B.,Asst. Research Officer,Siddha Regional Research Institute,Poojapura,Trivandrum

Members Organizing Committee: Dr.Shintu P.V., Dr. Rashmi T.R.,Dr.Vinny K.V. and Mr. Suman George

No. of Students Registered:17

 

About the Course:

Ethnobotany is a scientific discipline that comprises the study of human interaction with plants. It mainly focuses on the study of a region’s plants along with the practical knowledge of those plants with the help of the traditional knowledge of local people and their culture. Plant resources have always served the primary needs of humans since time immemorial. Indigenous knowledge of plants is recognised worldwide owing to their intrinsic value, as well as in the field of modern drug development.The goal of this course is to introduce students to the fascinating world of the relationships between people and plants. As plants are important to people, the course focuses on how plants affect human health, nutrition and well-being, interact with other organisms, and provide critical support to biodiversity. 

 

Importance of Ethnobotany :

  • The study of ethnobotany tells us about unknown but useful plants and also helps in understanding the new uses of many plants that are already known to us

  • Ethnobotany is essential for tribal groups of people

  • Tribal people mostly depend on forest products for their daily needs and primary health care

  • Tribal people collect food oils, medicines, gums, dyes and tannins from the forests, and these groups of people in the Northeast region of India depend on the forest and its products for their basic needs, even today

  • Medicinal plants also provide a source of drugs for the majority of the global population today. This is referred to as medico-ethno botany. This aspect also shows us the importance of ethnobotany

  • Some of the bioactive compounds such as artemisinin, gossypol, hypericin, etc. have also been recently discovered due to the understanding of the relationship between plants and society

  • Ethnobotany also encourages awareness for establishing a link between biodiversity and cultural diversity as well as the mutual influence of plants and humans

  • Therefore it is necessary for people in our country to understand the different aspects of ethnobotany