Some Ethnomedicinal Plants of Western Himalayas Useful in Making Local Alcoholic Drinks

75 Copyright © 2020-2021, Journal of Scientific Research in Medical and Biological Sciences (JSRMBS), Under the license CC BY4.0 Some Ethnomedicinal Plants of Western Himalayas Useful in Making Local Alcoholic Drinks Tara Devi Sen, Tanuja Thakur Assistant Professor. Department of Botany, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Cluster University, Mandi, India Research Associate. Tanuja Thakur Vill.Kusmal, P.O. Saletar, Teh. Kotli, Distt. Mandi,India


Introduction
Local alcoholic drinks (LADs) are homemade and informal preparations produced at local or family level for their nutraceutical, medicinal and socio-economic values. The World Health Organization (WHO, 2014) includes these alcoholic drinks in the so-called "unrecorded alcohol," highlighting their cultural, social and economic importance around the world. It has been estimated that almost one-quarter (24.8 %) of all the alcohol consumed worldwide is drunk in the form of unrecorded alcohol (WHO, 2014). In some countries, this unrecorded alcohol consumption goes up more than 50 % of total alcohol consumption (WHO, 2014).The preparation and consumption of many LADs emerged mainly due to the climatic conditions and discovering the use and importance of surrounding natural resources (Roy et al., 2004). A wide range of LADs can be found in different corners of the globe and quite often the social context in which these drinks are produced and consumed is also of great interest (WHO, 2014). LADs have been a distinctive component of many cultures of the world including India for thousands of years (Egea et al.,2016, Thakur, 2021. Indian most valued religious scripts like "Ramayana" also mentions the consumption of alcohol millions of years ago by "Asuras" (Abhijit . LADs are still an important part of the traditional knowledge in many human communities (Śliwińska et al., 2017) and plays a significant role in the socio-economic and cultural life of the tribal or rural people.
Consumption of LADs has been found to be associated with many occasions, social gatherings and ritual like festivals, marriages birth or even death ceremonies (Saikia et al., 2007) in many communities around the globe, traces of these traditional customs originating from village societies and tribes still persist and also being utilized for medical purposes too (Tardío et al.,2006;Lejeune et al.,2003;Madej ,Pirożnikow et al.,2014;Austin,1985;Deka & Sarma 2010). For example it is used to be a common practice to take LADs by woman after giving birth in villages and even still practiced in remote areas. In those human communities where alcohol was traditionally consumed, production of LADs commonly occurred on a small scale as a household or artisanal activity, particularly where or when the agricultural surpluses were available (WHO, 2014). In past local community is largely involved in production and commercial selling of such type of liquors but with strict law against production for commercial uses, this practice is limited to very few communities specially those residing in temperate hilly areas where it is consumed to keep body warm in extreme winters. People of these areas prepare LADs for their local personal use or sometime sell it illegely to nearby villages (Thakur, 2021). They also add many herbal ingredients, which are well known for their rich medicinal and nutraceutical values to these drinks for better health and to boost immunity, but with the passage of time, this practice of making homemade LADs is losing ground and need to be revitalize (Sen, 2021).
Some destination of study area were famous for production and selling of aromatic and medicinal drinks. These places are favorite tourist destination for the tourist of culinary tourism industry and source of income for locals involved illegely in production and selling of LADs. Further with advancement in society, increased literacy rate and urbanization there is sharp decline in indigenous knowledge related to processing of LADs. Also LADs have only received marginal attention from researchers and ethnobotanists round the world. As a result focused studies on production and consumption pattern of LADs has not been attempted so far specially in Mandi area of Himachal Pradesh, North Western Himalayas.

Study area
Study was done in Mandi region (31°42' 29.4" N latitudes and 76° 55' 52.92" E longitudes) of Himachal Pradesh, North West Himalaya (Fig.1). It covers approximately 3,950 km2 area comprising 469 panchayats and 3374 villages with 2, 19, 145 households. The total human populations of study area is 9, 99,777 and livestock population is 67355.Altitudinal range of study area varies from 500-4034 m. It supports diverse habitats, species, communities and Ecosystems. The vegetation mainly is of sub-tropical and temperate types and mostly dominated by broad leaved deciduous and evergreen and coniferous types. (District Economic and Statistical Department, Mandi, H.P).

Method
For survey and sampling (Rapid) of plants used in making LADs 10 villages were selected at different altitudinal zone of study area lying between alms 500-4034 m. Information on altitudinal range, habit, habitat (s) and utilization pattern of plants useful in making of LADs was gathered by interviewing knowledgeable persons involved in production and consumption of LADs through a questionnaire. Identification of samples was done with the help of local and regional floras (Chowdhary & Wadhwa, 1984: Collett,1902, Dhaliwal & Sharma,1999Singh, 1918). The relative importance of each type of LADs & plant species used to prepare LADs was assessed by calculating a general Use Value Index (UVgeneral), a current UV (UVcurrent) and a past UV (UVpast) following (Rossato et al. 1999

Data Collection
10 Villages of study area located in different altitude were selected and 30 informants were interviewed about preference of plant they used for making LADs, availability of useful plant parts and percentage of consumption. Data collected on LADs was organized in a simple database using Microsoft Excel. Each row (elementary record) represents a citation, defined as a single use reported for a single plant by a single informant (Signorini et.al.2009). Distinct citations based on available literature were considered for those differing from one another in at least one of the following data: species, informant and the category of use (i.e., distillates, un-distillates, aromatic, Hard -cider, Lugadi, Whiskey, Medicinal).
Citations differing in minor aspects, such as the part of the plant used, were combined into a single citation. The number of uses was obtained by considering as distinct uses for each species those differing in category of use. In the columns of the table, the following attributes are reported for each citation: as botanical names, family, local name/s, informant name, category of use, used plant part and all the other information concerning plant use collected in the interviews. Data was organized and sorted using the program EB tools (Signorini and Ongaro, unpubl.), a collection of scripts in Visual Basic for Applications in Microsoft Excel that performs advanced sorting, filtering, and counting of data based on specific user requirements.
Use Value index (UV) proposed by (Rossato et al. 1999) was used to assess the relative importance of each LADs & plant species used in the preparation of LADs. Different types of UV was calculated : a General Use Value (UV general), based on citations of any LADs of that species recorded in the interviews; a Current Use Value (UVcurrent), based only on the citations of plants reported by the informants for uses still practiced at the present time; a Past Use Value (UVpast), based on the citations of plants reported by the informants as used only in the past. Personal experience of use was also assessed by calculating an Effective Use Value (UVeffective), based on citations of uses directly experienced by the informants, and a Potential Use Value (UVpotential)based on uses known, but never practiced by them.To access DMR value to know the multiple uses of plants beside their use in LADs criteria for data collection and analysis was (0= not used, 1=least used, 2=less, 3=good, 4=very good, 5=best).

Diversity, distribution, status and plant parts useful in making LADs
Fifty-four plant (H=23, Sh=11, T= 20) species were recorded in present study out of which 30 (Herbs =11, Shrubs =7, Trees =12) belonging to 17 families and 25 genera were mainly used in making of LHDs. Family Rosaceae was found dominant represented by 8 spp followed by family Poaceae 4 spp.), Rosaceae (3 spp) and Fabaceae or Araceae (represented by 2 spp. each). Most useful plant part useful in making LADS is Fr (8) followed by Rt (6) and Br (5) (Table.4; Fig.2 & 4).Twenty four plant species (Herbs =12, Shrubs = 4, Trees = 8) belonging to 20 families and 24 genera were used as herbal ingredients or flavouring agent in LADs according to their availability and preference of local people. Family Rutaceae was found dominant represented by 4 species followed by family Rosaceae represented by 2 spp. Most important plant part used as herbal ingredient is leaf (10) followed by fruits (9) (Table.5 ; Fig. 3 & 5). Out of 30 plant species documented for making LADs, 22 were abundantly present while 8 species were found rare and 3 of them namely Angelica glauca. Berberis lycium & Dioscorea deltoidea were already listed in endangered IUCN Red List Category. But according to their past status they were also abundant in environment and there decrease in no. is due to fragmentation of habitat and change in climatic condition. So, these plants need sustainable harvesting, cultivation and utilization.
Among 30 plants documented for making LADs 5 spp. were found cultivated, 16 spp were wild and 9 were both wild and cultivated (Table.4       Step 3 Repeat the process to convert starch into sugar, make sure that Sd are sprouted.
Step 4. keep sd in paper bags for 1-2 weeks.
Step 5 Now we can use them to make alcohol through distillation process.
widely used by locals for the treatment of diabetes mellitus.

2.
Mangifera Step1 Take 1 kg Mangifera, Cut into small piece & add jaggery Step 2. Mesh pieces manually and add about 750 ml water to it. Mix well till the jaggery get dissolved.
Step 3. Add 1-2 spoon of yeast and mix well .and pour into bottle.
Step 4. leave it for 15 days and after that open the cap and drain into another container.
Step 5 Add more Jg/sugar make sure it is dissolved well.
Step 6 Again store it in bottle and leave it for 15 days.
After that it is ready to serve. Step3 Add water and mix well.
Step4 Keep it in rest for 3 weeks. Fermentation process takes place.
Step 5 After 3 weeks drain out water in another boiling pot.
Step6 Put container on stove and through distillation process we can collect fresh apple daaru. (Throw away first 10 ml) Md:Rt are effective in curing infection, diseases, burns, bruises, boils etc The dried Rt of one year old plants is the official herb, but the leaves and Frs can also be used.

8.
Berberis Step.1 Take a big container and keep the jaggery and .Berberis Rt in water for 1 week. If we are taking 2 kg of jaggery and Rt then put it in 10 lit. of water.
Step Step2-Mix all well and prepare dough. Now make small bread spread from this dough and place inside wooden blocks.
Step3. Collect Cannabis sativa green foliage and spread on floor of a dark room as a mat. Put all the wooden blocks containing bread spread over the Cannabis mat and also cover the bread spread with Cannabis leaves.
Step 4. Keep this setup for 12-15 days. Take out dry bread spread for further fermentation.
(Bread spread prepared like this can be used as small fragments for further fermentation and preserved for rest of the year.) Step5. Now for fermentation take a large piece of bread spread, mix it with koda millet flour (Paspalum scrobiculatum) and water then place in a clay vessel.
Step 6. Air tight this setup and again place in dark room. After 30-45 days alcoholic beverage is ready to drink it can be used upto next six to eight months. Step 3. Add some water and mix it well.
Step 4. Keep it in rest for about 3 weeks for fermentation.
Step 5. After 3 weeks drain out water in another container.
Step 6. Put container on stove and through distillation process we can collect fresh daaru.(throw away first 10 ml ) Step1 Firstly wash 1 kg barley properly and after that keep it in water for 8hrs.
Step2 Now drain the water and dry the barley sds for 8hrs.
Step3 Again do in the same way soak in water and dry the sds properly. (In this process starch converted into sugar) make sure they are sprouted.
Step-4 keep sd in paper bags for 1-2weeks.
Step-5 Now we can use them to make alcohol through fermentation process. Step-1 Add Jg and jangli baer , Rt and Br in water for 1 -2 week. If we are taking 3kg of Jg then put it in 15lit. of water.
Step-2 After a week drain, that water into another container and let the plant extract remain in it.(other herbs can be added) Step-3 Put these containers on stove make sure it is air tighten and through fermentation Step4 add more Jg/sugar make sure it is dissolved well.
Step 5 Again store it in bottle and leave it for 15 days. After that it is ready to serve.

Use Value Index of plants species useful in LADs preparation:
The relative importance of each species used in making LADs was assessed by calculating UVI. According to calculations the most important species was Prunus armeniaca, Dioscorea deltoidea & Rosa canina (UVgeneral = 0.9 each) followed by Myrica esculenta

DMR value and indigenous uses of plants useful in making of LADs
DMR value was calculated for each species to know the other indigenous uses of each plant species like fuel, fodder, food, medicine, construction of agricultural tools and religious uses beside their usefulness in making of LADs. DMR value was found highest for Terminalia chebula (26) followed by Bauhinia variegata (25) and Prunus cerasoides (24) showing their significant multiple uses for the local people. All the species were edible and used as food beside their use in making of LADs (DMR score 122) followed by their medicinal uses with DMR score 119 and their use to feed cattle with DMR score 81 for fodder Criteria used for data collection and analysis (0= not used,1=least used,2=less,3=good,4=very good,5=best)

Medicinal & Nutraceutical effects of LADs
All the plants listed in this study are known to have some medicinal value and can cure a wide range of ailments (listed in Table.4), but with passage of time their use has been declined progressively and at present very few plants were actually being practiced for their medicinal purposes. Discussion with informants reveals a significant gap between documented and actual medicinal uses. Only 7 species out of 30 are chiefly used for their medicinal values in preparation of LADs. Maximum plants used in making LADs are rich in nutraceutical value (Table.4) and contribute to boost immunity and health with justified use of LADs.

Conclusion
Drinking alcohol was an occasional activity shared by people within the communities and their consumption chiefly associated with festivals, special occasions and other social gatherings In many cultures. (WHO, 2014). It was found an essential activity in almost all the communities of study area during marriages, festivals and other rituals sowing religious as well as socio-economic importance of alcoholic drinks, so these can have health or therapeutic benefits to communities at large if made of medicinal plants or by including herbal ingredients. But at present the consumption of the LADs has been gradually coming down and largely replaced by commercially available alcoholic drinks, because of advancement in literacy, urbanization, modernization, enforcement of the excise law and economic pressure.
Thus, a sharp decline has been noticed in the preparation and consumption of LADs. As a result their use and selling is in restricted manner and that too is mainly connected with festivals and ceremonies. Similar findings were shown by work done by other researchers also Łuczaj et al. 2019). Still LADs occupy an important place in the traditional culture and social life of local people in this region of the world, specially in the life of the people residing in temperate region. Retrieving local knowledge of LADs could be regarded as a means not only of contributing to the conservation of local traditional knowledge, but also of reevaluating a possible source of socio-economic endogenous rural development and tourism growth. As large-scale production of LADs for commercial use is restricted in study area, so people usually prepare these drinks for local personal use or trade illegally to people of nearby villages. As local food, beverages, culture and scenic beauty of any tourist destination is the focal point in the travel plans of holiday makers while they choose any tourist destination (Devi & Sen, 2021). So, LADs specially aromatic & medicinal drinks are main tourism attraction in some of hilly tourist destinations of the study area and help in attracting visitor's interested in local traditional food and beverages which are made with local natural resources. Thus LADs also play important role in boosting health, immunity & rural tourism. Medicinal and nutraceutical properties of herbal ingredients listed in this study further enhance the value and uniqueness of LADs prepared in the study area. So, LADs can be commercialized after proper lab testing.
As among 30 listed plant species useful in LADs preparation 18 species are wild, 9 of which are rare and 3 are already listed in endangered category of IUCN list of Threatened Species. So it is recommended to sustainably harvest essential plant parts of these plants like fruits, flowers or roots which are important means of future regeneration and propagation. These plants can be further cultivated or domesticated on large scale by mass awareness for ensuring their conservation and sustainable utilization.

Limitation of Study
The list of plants useful in making of LADs found in Western Himalayas is yet to be completed.