Ethnobotanical documentation of medicinal plants used by local communities in the Rachakonda hill region, Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana, India

The medicinal plants play an important role in the treatment of many diseases in living beings. They are easily available and have little to no side effects when compared to contemporary medicine. This manuscript contains information about ethnomedicinal plants found in the Rachakonda hill region of Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district, Telangana. The local peoples in the Rachakonda hill region have extensive ethnomedicinal knowledge and rely on traditional medicines to meet basic healthcare needs. However, this valuable traditional information has not been fully documented. The main aim of this study was to assess and document ethnomedicinal knowledge systematically in the Rachakonda Hill region. A total of 18 informants, including 5 traditional healers and 13 knowledgeable elders, were questioned through semi-structured questionnaires and guided field trips. Information on plant species, families, parts used, methods of preparation, and routes of administration was recorded. In total, 71 medicinal plant species from 66 genera and 41 families were identified and used to treat 14 different health issues. The Apocynaceae (8 species) and Fabaceae (5 species) families were the most prevalent. Leaves were the most popular plant part (28%), followed by roots (22%) and fruits (15%). The most common remedy formulation was paste (32%), with oral administration (63%) being the most common route. Overall, this study illustrates the Rachakonda hill communities' unique ethnomedicinal traditions and underscores the vital necessity for their preservation. These ethnomedicinal plants offer a lot of potential for future phytochemical and pharmacological study, which will help with drug development and sustainable healthcare.