Animals-based traditional medicine amongst indigenous people in Asia: A review

The World Health Organization (WHO) approximates that almost 80% of the world s population which is more than six billion people rely primarily on animal and plant-based medicines. This article reviews several related aspects regarding the use of animals or parts as food, medicines, and its relation to belief, culture (the traditional knowledge), indigenous knowledge and conservation. The healing of human ailments by using therapeutics based on medicines acquired from animals is known as zootherapy. Traditional human populations have a wide natural pharmacopoeia consist of wild plants and animal species. Indigenous people hold a good deal of information about medicinal utility of biodiversity. Indigenous healthcare practices, provide low cost alternatives in situation where modern health care services are not available or too expensive. Most of indigenous people in Asia countries used the animals for their traditional medicine. The parts and substances derived from the animal origin were commonly used to cure various diseases and disorder. Despite their importance, studies on the therapeutic use of animals and animal parts have been neglected, compared to plants.