title: Ethnomedicinal plants used by the Nag clan of the Rai Ghatual tribe of Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medicinal practices of the tribes of Bangladesh remain largely un-documented.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to conduct an ethnomedicinal survey and documentation among the Nag clan of the Rai Ghatual tribe of Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was carried out among the Nag clan of the Rai Ghatual tribal community of Moulvibazar district. The clan, according to them, is the only Nag clan of the Rai Ghatual tribe in Bangladesh. The clan has three tribal healers, still continuing their traditional medicinal practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews of the healers were carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The Nag clan healers were observed to use 28 different plant species distributed into 22 families for treatment of ailments such as fever, loss of appetite, male infertility, dysentery, lower abdominal pain during menstruation, jaundice, stomachache, burning sensations during urination, bodily pain and weak health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first reported study of the traditional medicinal practices of Nag clan healers. Several of the plants can be validated in their uses on the basis of existing scientific literature. The medicinal plants used by the Nag healers warrant further scientific studies, for the plants are readily available and can form alternative medicinal sources instead of costlier biomedical drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Protiva Rani
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Das
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Md Tabibul
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Islam
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Rownak
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jahan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, University of Development Alternative, Dhanmondi, Dhaka-1209, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rahmatullah
keywords: Bangladesh; Moulvibazar; Nag clan; Rai Ghatual; ethnomedicine