Reckoning the ethnomedicinal potential of the endemic pitcher plant (Nepenthes khasiana Hook. f.) for its conservation through people’s voices in Meghalaya, India
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The pitcher plant, Nepenthes khasiana Hook. f., is an endemic and endangered species with immense pharmacological potential and is used to treat several ailments. It requires urgent conservation, as it is currently threatened with extinction due to various human-induced factors in the Garo, Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, India. The present study was initiated to evaluate the ethnomedicinal value of N. khasiana, along with its conservation measures, as perceived by the people. Both open-ended and closed-ended questionnaires were administered to document the ethnomedicinal properties of the pitcher plant with respect to age, gender, occupation, education and regional differences to understand the ethnomedicinal use and people’s knowledge and willingness towards conservation and the importance of the plant in their livelihood. The present study revealed that older people, male members and residents of Jaintia Hills primarily use pitcher plants as medicines; however, younger generations are apathetic towards preserving this indigenous knowledge. The plant was used to treat various ailments related to the eye, gastrointestinal, leprosy, skin, kidney, diabetes and gynaecological problems. The pitcher fluid of the plant was used more compared to other parts of the pitcher plant. Additionally, most of the informants of young age groups, in the Garo and Khasi Hills area, abstain from any inclination on the conservation perspective of pitcher plants growing in Meghalaya. Consequently, public awareness, stakeholder participation and integration of the significance of the pitcher plant in people’s culture and tradition are requisite for the conservation of indigenous knowledge and the pitcher plant.
Source: Plant Science Today
DOI: 10.14719/pst.12455
Institution: University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7163919639