Ethnobotanical and Conservational Studies of Medicinal Plants: A Case Study of Dolichandrone falcata (Wall. Ex DC.) Seem. in Western Ghats, India

The traditional use of plants as medicine by tribal people led to the discovery of several natural products and the development of modern medicine. Natural products, either as standardized plant extracts or pure compounds and their structural analog, have historically provided extensive opportunities for new drug leads. The present chapter discusses the potential of ethnobotanical studies with particular reference to conservation of important medicinal plants in the Western Ghats of India. Several tribes of Western Ghats still depend majorly on the indigenous systems of medicine, and this region has a valuable heritage of herbal remedies. The present case study on Dolichandrone falcata (Wall. ex DC.) Seem. of Bignoniaceae family discusses its ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal properties. The given plant is considered an endemic rare plant of India, commonly called a trumpet vine. The unexplored plant has several medicinal values, such as antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiestrogenic, antimicrobial, antinociceptive, antibacterial, anti-hemorrhoidal, and immunomodulatory. It has been used for centuries in India to treat a wide range of illnesses. Phytochemically, it contains steroids, amino acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, polyphenols, terpenoids, and cardiac glycosides. This chapter attempts to provide thorough and current information on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, taxonomy, ethnopharmacology, pharmacology and preclinical studies of the plant in order to understand its pharmacognostic profile better. The chapter covers pertinent publications, online databases, and testimonials of traditional healers. This chapter outlines the most recent scientific research on this plant. It aims to raise awareness of the issue of its decreasing availability for the extension of its benefits to humans, particularly in terms of its health benefits. It also makes an appeal to all stakeholders for the implementation of various conservational and sustainable strategies for rare plant species.