A recent study published in the book “Ecorestoration and Biodiversity Conservation,” edited by Dr Debabrata Das and Dr Pampi Ghosh, documents traditional bone‑fracture healing practices in Tripura. Conducted by the Regional Ayurveda Research Centre in Agartala and supported by the Tripura Forest Department, the research was originally a project of the National Medicinal Plants Board.
Between July 2022 and October 2023, researchers travelled through eight districts of Tripura, interviewing 122 traditional healers, 32 of whom were specialists in bone‑fracture treatment. The study recorded the healers’ ages, places of practice, experience, diagnostic methods and how they store and use plants. The sample included 29 men and three women, with ages ranging from 30 to 90 years. Most practitioners had primary‑level education, nine were illiterate and only two were graduates. A strong correlation emerged between age and ethnobotanical knowledge, indicating that older healers possess more plant knowledge.
The survey identified 67 plant species used in 34 traditional treatment methods for bone fractures. Forty species were wild, eight cultivated and 19 both. Trees comprised the largest group (25 species), followed by herbs, climbers and shrubs. Leaves were the most frequently used plant part, appearing in the treatment records for 41 species. Antidesma roxburghii emerged as the most cited plant, referenced in 13 different ways and cited 40.6% of the time. Litsea glutinosa, Cassia fistula and Cissus quadrangularis followed with lower relative frequencies.
The study does not provide clinical evidence of efficacy; instead, it calls for phytochemical screening, pharmacological and clinical assessment of the documented remedies, especially Antidesma roxburghii. By establishing a baseline inventory, the research highlights the need for conservation of medicinal plant species, ethical consideration of benefit sharing, and further scientific investigation to determine whether traditional knowledge can inform modern drug discovery.
