Laxman Singh

G B Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment · Center for Biodiversity Conservation & Management

Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo (Family-Orchidaceae), one of the important threatened species of medicinal value, has huge demand at the national and international market. However, low seed germination, narrow niche, low population size, and overexploitation have restricted its distribution range and availability in the region. The threat statu...

Mahonia jaunsarensis Ahrendt (Family Berberidaceae) an endemic species was successfully propagated in vitro. An efficient propagation protocol has been developed first time. The callus cultures were established from leaf explants on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D; 1 µM) and resulted 70% callu...

Medicinally important alkaloids (i.e., berberine, palmatine) and polyphenolic compounds in vitro callus cultures of Berberis lycium Royle were quantified. The maximum callus biomass and phytochemical concentrations were observed after five weeks of culture in the medium containing methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and salicylic acid (SA). The cell cultures e...

The berries are rich source of nutraceutical compounds and daily intake promotes human health, prevents chronic illness and metabolic disorders. The genus Rubus includes 600-800 species, which are mainly distributed in hilly regions of Asia, Europe, Africa and North-America. The berry of the Rubus attract attention due to its taste, aroma and healt...

i>Morchella esculenta , commonly known as yellow morels, is an edible and medicinal mushroom popular worldwide for its unique flavor and culinary purposes. The traditional medical system effectively uses morels against infertility, fatigue, cancer, muscular pain, cough, and cold. The M. esculenta possesses many health-promoting nutritional componen...

Phytobased bioactive compounds are herbal scavengers and beneficial in skin disorders, aging and oxidative damage. Himalayan Cherry (Prinsepia utilis) is a good source of fatty acids; however, screening and optimization of polyphenolics in leftover waste of seeds after oil extraction have not been studied. The present study focuses on the optimizat...

The in vitro production of phenolic compounds in different plant culture techniques offers an attractive substitute rather than separation from plant materials. The variability and instability of phenolic compound composition hinders the standardization and quality assurance of crude materials. Therefore, in vitro studies offer several allied advan...

In vitro culture techniques have emerged as a promising source for production of various nutraceutical compounds and are employed in a variety of industries, including agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, flavours, fragrances, food colouring, etc. Recognizing the importance of nutraceutical compounds, different strategies have been extensively studied o...

Climate variability coupled with anthropogenic pressures is the most critical driver in the Himalayan region for forest ecosystem vulnerability. Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D.Don) Soo is an important yet highly threatened medicinal orchid from the Himalayan region. Poor regenerative power and growing demand have resulted in the steep decline of its nat...

Rhododendron arboreum Smith flowers constitute a valuable dietary supplement or food additive and are novel therapeutic agents. The present work demonstrates and optimizes an effective, enzyme-based ultrasonic approach for polyphenols extraction as a potential alternative to conventional extraction methods. Enzyme-based extraction constitutes an ef...

The study aims to identify the fatty acid composition in Prinsepia utilis seeds collected from diverse populations of Western Himalaya, India. The seeds contained higher saturated fatty acid (SFA- 43.09%; Average of all populations) followed by polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA - 29.57%) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA - 25.53%), however vari...

Crocus species are mainly distributed in North Africa, Southern and Central Europe, and Western Asia, used in gardens and parks as ornamental plants, while Crocus sativus L. (saffron) is the only species that is cultivated for edible purpose. The use of saffron is very ancient; besides the use as a spice, saffron has long been known also for its me...

Bioactive compounds of Rubus ellipticus fruits are known for their potential in nutraceutical and functional food; however, systematic investigation on optimization of extraction conditions for improving yield is lacking. In the present study, extraction of bioactive compounds was per- formed using Plackett-Burman (PBD) and Central Composite Desi...

Due to increasing life expectancy, cataract prevalence globally is expected to increase. Apart from blindness, cataract is the major reason behind low vision in the industrially developed and developing countries. Cataractogenesis is influenced by multiple factors, such as age-related factors, genetic disorders, oxidative stress and inflammation, d...

There are a few regions in the world, where climate change impacts are more intense than other regions of the world, and Himalaya is the case. The Himalaya, one of the biodiversity hotspot regions and provider of ecosystem services to billion of people all across the world. Present study reviewed and synthesized climate change studies in the Himala...

Dactylorhiza hatagirea, an important source of ‘Salep,’ is a highly valued but underutilized medicinal plant of the Himalayan region. Health benefits of the species are associated with the presence of natural antioxidant that alleviates glycemic activity and oxidative stress. The present study aimed to optimize and propose an effective ultrasound-a...

Curcumin, a natural polyphenolic compound present in Curcuma longa L. rhizomes, shows potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and anti-atherosclerotic properties. Atherosclerosis is a comprehensive term for a series of degenerative and hyperplasic lesions such as thickening or sclerosis in large- and medium-sized arteries, causing decre...

Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo (Orchidaceae) is a critically endangered high-value medicinal plant collected from wild and extensively used against diabetes, cuts/wound healing, gastric disorders, chronic fever, seminal weakness/dysfunctions, and bone fractures. The tuber of the species yields high quality “Salep” having astringent and aphrodi...

Curcumin, a hydrophobic bioactive constituent from Curcuma longa, has several health promoting properties including anti-atherosclerotic properties. Further, curcumin has blood glucose- and lipid-lowering properties, prophylactic, and therapeutic effects in other cardiometabolic diseases. Atherosclerosis is an umbrella term for a series of degenera...

Plants of the genus Brassica occupy the top place among vegetables in the world. This genus, which contains a group of six related species of a global economic significance, three of which are diploid: Brassica nigra (L.) K. Koch, Brassica oleracea L., and Brassica rapa L. and three are amphidiploid species: Brassica carinata A. Braun, Brassica jun...

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a plant that carries huge potential to cure a number of physiological conditions. It is a drug that has been used in traditional and folk medicine for over two millennia. It is a drug mentioned in the Ayurveda. Despite all of these factors, ginger basically finds its use as a spice and hence its potential has not yet...

Excessive alcohol consumption is the cause of several diseases and thus is of a major concern for society. Worldwide alcohol consumption has increased by many folds over the past decades. This urgently calls for intervention and relapse counteract measures. Modern pharmacological solutions induce complete alcohol self-restraint and prevent relapse,...

Avocado and soybean unsaponifiables (ASU) constitute vegetable extracts made from fruits and seeds of avocado and soybean oil. Characterized by its potent anti-inflammatory effects, this ASU mixture is recommended to act as an adjuvant treatment for osteoarthritic pain and slow-acting symptomatic treatment of hip and knee osteoarthritis; autoimmune...

In vitro establishment of callus suspension culture and incorporation of Methyl jasmonate (MeJA) was studied on the accumulation of polyphenols and other antioxidant activity in Nardostachys jatamansi. The maximum explants establishment (95%) was recorded in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA 21.1 µM) and...