Ethnomedicinal Plants Used for Postpartum Recovery and Perceived Lactation Support among the Lois Community of Manipur, India

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to document and evaluate the ethnomedicinal plants used during postpartum recovery and lactation by the Lois community of Manipur and to assess their cultural and medicinal significance using quantitative ethnobotanical indices. Study Design: Ethnobotanical survey-based descriptive and quantitative study. Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted among the Lois community inhabiting Khurkhul, Andro, Thanga, Phayeng, and Sekmai villages of Manipur, India. Field surveys and ethnobotanical investigations were carried out from February 2024 to January 2025 in five selected study sites in Manipur. Methodology: Using random sampling, a total of 46 female informants were recruited from the five study sites, comprising 18 elderly women knowledgeable about traditional postpartum practices and 28 lactating mothers with first-hand experience of plant-based postpartum and lactation care. Information regarding plant identity, parts used, preparation methods, routes of administration and reported applications was collected through semi-structured ethnobotanical interviews. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, including Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), and Frequency of Citation (FC), were calculated to determine the relative importance of the recorded species. Species with high UV values were further evaluated using the Cultural Importance Index (CI) and Cultural Value Index (CV) to assess their cultural relevance and medicinal significance. Results: A total of 32 plant species belonging to 22 families were documented as being used for postpartum recovery, perceived lactation support and the maintenance of maternal well-being after childbirth. The most frequently cited species were Musa paradisiaca L. (FC = 19; RFC = 0.413), Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott (FC = 18; RFC = 0.391), and Oryza sativa L. (FC = 17; RFC = 0.370), indicating their comparatively high cultural salience within the surveyed communities. Quantitative analysis showed that several species had comparatively high citation frequencies and use values, reflecting their widespread reported use and ethnobotanical prominence. The recorded uses represent informant-reported ethnobotanical practices and were not evaluated through pharmacological, toxicological or clinical testing in the present study. Conclusion: Ethnomedicinal plants remain an important component of postpartum and lactation-related practices among the Lois community, serving nutritional, cultural and perceived therapeutic functions. The study contributes to the documentation and preservation of indigenous maternal-health knowledge and identifies culturally salient species that may be prioritised for future phytochemical, toxicological, pharmacological and clinical investigation before any evidence-based application in maternal healthcare is considered.