Ethnobotany and its connection with Medical sciences and Public health

Abstract

Ethnobotany is an interdisciplinary science which investigates the relationships between plants and human societies.
Plants sources have served not only for the primary human needs but also for health care, since time immemorial.
Indigenous knowledge is being recognized worldwide owing to their intrinsic value as well as potential instrumental
connotation to phytodiversity conservation and modern drug development. Ethnobotany has played important role in
the development of new medicine for many centuries and becoming increasingly important in defining strategies and
actions for conservation or recuperation of residual forests. There is great interest in ethnobotany today, than at any
time in the discipline’s history. This review article analyses the relevance of ethnobotany in current scenario. It is
anticipated that, in the future, ethnobotany may play an increasingly important role in sustainable development and
human health.