Ethnotherapeutic practice of entomophagy species by the ethnic community of Tangkhul, Mao and Poumai community of Manipur, NER India

Abstract

Abstract Insects are important bioresources as they supply numerous tangible and intangible benefits to humans. Day-to-day livings of many communities in the world are associated with insects as food, medicine, social beliefs, livelihood and other aspects. Many communities from immemorial time traditionally practice insects as food (entomophagy). People consumed insects for delicacy and nutritional purposes. However, some entomophagy species have medicinal value and many traditional healers used them for the treatment of various health ailments like sore throat, mouth ulcers, jaundice, body ache, wound healing, etc. In India, such traditions are widely practised in Northeast India more than other states of India. The focus of this research is on the traditional knowledge of entomophagy species having medicinal properties and social beliefs that are practised by the Tangkhul, Mao and Poumai ethnic community of Manipur, northeast region of India. Review literature was conducted through published journal paper, books and other electronic resources along with questioner’s survey. The present study recorded nine entomophagy species and four species having social beliefs according to the local people. This traditional knowledge is inherent from generation to generation, and to conserve such precious indigenous knowledge, proper documentation is necessary. The documented information on the ethnic therapeutic knowledge of the important entomo-therapeutics species of the local community can be transferred to modern pharmacology.

Keywords

• Ethno-entomophagy
• Traditional belief
• Traditional knowledge
• Therapeutic value
• Manipur