Ethnobotanical Knowledge About Herbals Used by Tribes of Kerala and Tamil Nadu with Special Reference to Begonia Malabarica Lam.

The study explored the ethnobotanical knowledge of tribes in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, focusing on the use of Begonia malabarica Lam. for medicinal purposes. Tribes such as the Malasar, Kanikkars, Paliyan, and Irula used this plant to treat ailments like wounds, skin diseases, hair loss, muscle pain, diabetes, rheumatism, stomach ulcers, and fever, primarily using aqueous extracts. The plant's crude extract was found to contain anthocyanin pigments. The research highlighted the traditional methods of extracting and processing natural dyes from plants, and future studies were planned to further investigate the extraction and biological potential of anthocyanins from B. malabarica.