Abstract:
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is characterized as a chronic inflammatory
condition in the gastrointestinal tract, which includes two major types, Crohn’s
disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). In Sri Lanka, traditional management
of IBD relies on undocumented medicinal plant knowledge passed through generations.
This study aimed to document the plant species, preparation methods,
and treatment practices used by Ayurvedic and traditional medicine practitioners
in Matara District. Ethical approval was obtained from the Faculty of Allied
Health Sciences, University of Ruhuna. Ethnobotanical data were collected by
using an open-ended, semi-structured questionnaire from 139 registered Ayurveda
and traditional medicine practitioners who were between 25 and 75 years old, had
more than 1 year of clinical experience, and had more than 2 years of residency in
the Matara district. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using relative frequency
of citation (RFC), use value (UV), fidelity level (FL), relative popularity level
(RPL), rank order priority (ROP), and family importance value (FIV). A total
of 95 medicinal plants belonging to 50 families were recorded. Leaves were the
most frequently utilized plant part, and decoction was the most frequently utilized
preparation method in IBD remedies. Aegle marmelos L. (common name: Bael
fruit) (RFC = 0.59) was the most cited plant, followed by Plectranthus zatarhendi
var. tomentosa (common name: Iriveriya) (RFC = 0.51). Rutaceae was the family
with the highest FIV, followed by Apiaceae. Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (common
name: Kohomba) had the highest UV (6.00) and the highest RPL (6.00)
in IBD remedies. This is the first ethnobotanical survey conducted on medicinal
plants used to treat IBD by Ayurveda and traditional medicine practitioners in
the Matara district, Sri Lanka. The data obtained from this survey facilitate the
preservation of the knowledge of Ayurveda and traditional medicine in managing
IBD and also help in the development of novel drug entities for treating IBD.
