A survey of medicinal plants used to treat cattle diseases in satkhira district, Bangladesh

Cattle are primarily owned by small-scale farmers in Bangladesh. Most households have one or two cows, which are used either for plowing or to obtain milk. Since these farmers cannot afford to visit modern veterinarians, they rely mostly on traditional medicinal practitioners, who administer various medicinal plants for treatment of cattle ailments. We conducted an ethnobotanical survey amongst the traditional medicinal practitioners to learn more about the plants used to treat cattle diseases. All plant specimens were identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. Some of the medicinal plants used (with ailments treated given in parentheses) included Triticum aestivum (to aid cattle birth), Coriandrum sativum (to aid cattle birth), Scirpus großus (stomach ache), Acorus calamus (coughs), Smilax china (weakness), Piper cubeba (whitish discharge in urine), Phoenix sylvestris (helminthiasis), Allium sativum (wounds), Tagetes patula (to stop bleeding), Euphorbia tirucalli (to increase lactation), Mangifera indica (to increase strength, antidote to poisoning), Cynodon dactylon (to stop bleeding, swelling of throat), Crataeva religiosa (helminthiasis), Ficus religiosa (tongue lesions), Solanum tuberosum (burns), Syzygium aromaticum (abscesses), Citrus grandis (stomach ache), Bambusa arundinaceae (diarrhea), Streblus asper (fever, coughs), Trigonella foenum-graecum (to increase strength, to fatten cattle), Oxalis lobata (stomachache), Datura stramonium (abscesses, fractures, sprains, pain), Basella alba (burns), Trapa bispinosa (post-delivery aid), Cassia fistula (bloating, dysentery, tongue lesions), Zizyphus mauritiana (diarrhea), Leea macrophylla (fractures, sprains), Ficus hispida (coughs, stomach disorders), Clerodendrum viscosum (fever), Cuscuta reflexa (to increase lactation), Alternanthera sessilis (stomach ache, fractures, dysentery, diarrhea), Chenopodium ambrosioides (appetite stimulant), and Hyptis suaveolens (skin infections, dog, snake and insect bites).