Mithilesh Singh

GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development · CEACC

Spilanthes acmella Murr. has a plethora of highly valuable biologically active compounds and has been listed as one of the important medicinal plants of the world. However, no perceptible biotechnological advances have been made for this genus to exploit or enhance its utility. To nullify the effect of seasonal variations, the present report is the...

A reproducible protocol for clonal propagation of Spilanthes acmella has been established. Routinely, the cultures were established in spring (January–April) season because of the highest aseptic culture establishment and high frequency shoot proliferation. Incorporation of 5μMN6-benzyladenine (BA) to Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium showed 10...

A novel method of organogenesis in neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) from unfertilized ovaries is described. The Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium with 9 % sucrose, 1 µM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 5 µM 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) was the best for callus induction from unfertilized ovaries. However, further proliferation of callus occ...

The study revealed, for the first time, accumulation of spilanthol, an antiseptic alkylamide, in in vitro cultures of Spilanthes acmella Murr., a medicinal plant of immense commercial value. To achieve this, in vitro shoots were regenerated via direct organogenesis from leaf-disc explants of Spilanthes. Shoots were induced in the presence of N6-ben...

Phenolic compounds of fruits have been shown to maintain human health. However, the relative amounts of phenolic compounds and the variation in the types of phenolics are still poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the most effective solvent for extracting the potent antioxidant compounds, especially phenolics from pomegra...

The interest in wild edible fruit species has increased around the world, especially in Türkiye in recent years. One such fruit species is the cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica L.), which is widely grown throughout the Mediterranean basin and has gained economic importance. In this study, we described an important sensory, morphological (including...

The Ayurvedic drug Babool, botanically identified as Acacia arabica Willd., is a synonym of Acacia nilotica (L.) Delile and Mimosa arabica Lam. Babool (Acacia arabica Willd.) belongs to the family Mimosaceae. Its Habitat is in dry and sandy localities. In Ayurveda, it contains sthambana (refrigeration), shoshana and sangrahi properties and it is ap...

Betula utilis D. Don (Family: Betulaceae), commonly known as Himalayan silver birch and Bhojpatra, is the only dominant broadleaved angiosperm tree species that grows up to 20 m in height in subalpine zone of the Himalayan Region. The epithet utilis indicates multiple uses of its different plant parts ranging from paper, textile, building construct...

Machilus edulis (Family: Lauraceae), commonly known as pumsi and wild avocado, is an evergreen tree of about 15-20 m height. It is distributed in the temperate region of the Nepal, Bhutan and in north eastern states (Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh) of India. The species has multipurpose value as a timber, fodder, and also reported as rehabilitation o...

Taxol ® (generic name-Paclitaxel), the most promising chemotherapeutic agent was isolated from bark of different Taxus sp. As Taxus species are threatened with extinction (endangered in Himalaya), thus it is imperative to develop alternate and sustainable method for commercialization and scale up production of paclitaxel. In this respect, physical...

In the era of climate change, plants are facing various and unprecedented environmental stresses. Both biotic and abiotic stress factors are very important constraints that adversely affect the plants’ developmental and metabolic processes. In order to cope with the environmental challenges, plants have evolved a variety of defense mechanisms at va...

Plants are one of the most reliable resources of nutrient supplements and pharmaceutical compounds, but rapidly losing from the wild due to intensified harvesting for the bioactive secondary metabolites of nutraceutical interest. Recent resurgence in the nutraceutical and its importance in the human health has aroused worldwide researchers to find...

The genus Rhododendron (family: Ericaceae), distributed mostly in the higher altitude of the Indian Himala-yan Region (IHR), has great ecological significance and economic importance. In the present study, three endemic species of Rhododendron viz., R. dalhousiae, R. ciliatum and R. maddenii were investigated for antiox-idant, antimicrobial activit...

Cannabis sativa (hemp) as multifunctional crop have traditional application as fiber, food, paper, textile and pharmaceutical potential as inflorescences and seed as sources of exciting bioactive secondary metabolites. The Genus Cannabis is the only producer of phytocannabinoids. Extensive studied have been made to describe the origin history, geog...

The Himalayan birch (Betulautilis D. Don), also known as Bhojpatra in India, is one of the Himalayan region's most important ethnobotanicaltreelinespecies. It aids in the preservation of the Himalaya's fragile environment by preventing soil erosion and conserving the rest of the flora and wildlife below the treelinezone.Betulautilis has been identi...

This study aimed to investigate four wild edible fruits of Sikkim Himalaya viz., Baccaurea sapida, Diploknema butyracea, Machilus edulis and Spondias axillaris for their mineral content, phytochemicals (ascorbic acid, β-carotene, flavonoids, lycopene and total phenolic contents) and antioxidant property. The total phenolic and lycopene contents wer...

The utilization of wild medicinal plants in primary healthcare system is still vital for mankind, particularly for people residing nearby the protected area. However, ethnobiological knowledge of indigenous people on plant usage is diminishing. The present study aimed at documenting the wild ethnomedicinal plants and to evaluate their importance in...

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L., family: Cannabaceae) is a multi purpose crop valued for its fiber, food, and medicinal uses. Due to the similarities between fibre type and drug type of Cannabis, the production of industrial hemp was prohibited in most countries. The northen part of India are legalized for the hemp cultivation for promoting the...

Growing health concerns have led to a substantial increase in the demand for edible plants that provide health benefits over and above basic nutrition. As the demand for food with promising health benefits increases, search for wild edible plants having medicinal and nutritional properties also increases. In view of this, in the present study, Elae...

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of altitude on the bioactive compounds, antioxi-dants, and antimicrobial activity of Taxus wallichiana. Plant needles were collected from three different altitudes representing different environmental conditions and investigated for secondary metabolites such as phenol, flavonoid, flavanol, taxol, a...

Since ancient times, plants are known to have tremendous ethnopharmacological significance and are recognized as valuable resource for healthcare. India is the vast repository of these medicinal plants, and despite their innumerous medicinal uses, most of them remained unexplored using biotechnological tools. These plants naturally synthesize organ...

The present study aimed at documenting the marketable wild medicinal plants traded in three majorlocal markets of Sikkim viz. Gangtok, Namchi and Singtam. The information was gathered byvisiting the markets each month using semi-structured interviews and questionnaire for one year.The study explored a total of 38 species belonging to 35 genera and...

Monitoring the impact of climate change on forest ecosystems, particularly at the species level, can be currently observed in many parts of the world. In this study, Maxent species distribution modelling algorithm was used to predict the suitable habitat for the medicinally important species; Panax pseudoginseng in Sikkim Himalaya. The nineteen bio...

The study aimed at documenting the indigenous knowledge on the use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) by the local community of Ribdi village, West Sikkim, India. It also assesses the information on the important and frequently cited species for future sustainable management. The information was gathered through semi-structured interviews and qu...

Bergenia ciliata is an important ornamental medicinal plant of Sikkim Himalaya with wide range of pharmaceutical applications. In the present study, an efficient in vitro propagation protocol has been developed for B. ciliata using leaf disc explants. The highest number of regenerated shoots per explant was obtained on solid Murashige and Skoog (MS...

This is the first report on in vitro propagation and phytochemical assessment of Aconitum ferox (Ranunculaceae), a threatened medicinal plant of Sikkim Himalaya. A simple and efficient in vitro propagation protocol through indirect shoot organogenesis has been established for A. ferox using root tip explants. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplem...

The initiatives taken by G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Sikkim Regional Centre (GBPNIHESD-SRC) under Khangchendzonga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI), India programme with the support from Mutanchi Lom Aal Shezum (MLAS), a local organization of Dzongu for the documentatio...

Medicinal Plants (MPs) have been recognized as an important bioresource, are embodied with the tribal communities worldwide. A thorough understanding of the traditional use practices and appropriate field-based documentation requires conserving their bio-cultural values. Amongst three major tribes in Sikkim the Lepcha, Bhutia and Limboo, the Bhutia...

Initiatives are being taken to make Gorkhey, the cleanest village of Khangchendzonga Landscape- India under KLCDI-India.

Bergenia ciliata Sternb., commonly known as Paashaanbhed, is a well known herb of Sikkim Himalaya with various pharmaceutical properties. However, scientific exploration of B. ciliata, growing in the Sikkim Himalaya, for phytochemicals and pharmacological properties is in infancy. With this view, the present study was undertaken to investigate B. c...

ikkim a 22 nd state of India is located at the foothills of the eastern Himalayas. It has distinct diversity with respect to its topography, climate and vegetation due to its vast variation in altitude within very short amplitudes (ranging from around 300 m to 8598 m asl with timberline at around 4000 m aslin between) thus covering wide range of ec...

A reproducible protocol for in vitro propagation of R. griffithianum has been established. Multiple shoot proliferation from shoot-tip explants was occurred in the presence of 2-isopentenyl adenine (2-iP) alone or in combination with indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) in Anderson's medium. The best treatment for shoot regeneration was Anderson's medium su...

Since the beginning of the civilization, medicinal plants have been used to prevent and treat various ailments. At present, most of the pharmaceutical/ nutraceutical industries highly depend on wild medicinal plants for the supply of raw materials for extraction of bioactive compounds. As medicinal plants receive increased scientific and commercial...

Spilanthes acmella Murr., commonly known as “Toothache plant” and “Akarkara” of the family Asteraceae, holds an important place in Indian and global scenario owing to its medicinal properties. Different pharmacological experiments in a number of in vitro and in vivo models have convincingly demonstrated the ability of Spilanthes to exhibit anti-inf...

Oroxylum indicum is an integral component of Indian Ayurvedic medicine system. Owing to depletion of its natural populations, the plant is facing threats of extinction. Different plant growth regulators (viz. Benzyl amino purine, Indole-3-acetic acid, Gibberellic acid) and temperatures (cold and hot water) were used to improve seed germination in O...

Spilanthes acmella Murr., commonly known as toothache plant, is a well-known traditional plant of India. It has been demonstrated for a wide array of biological activities such as antifungal, antipyretic, bio-insecticide, antioxidant, aphrodisiac, analgesic, pancreatic lipase inhibitor, antimicrobial, diuretic, vasorelaxant and anti-inflammatory ef...

The present chapter discusses the importance of plants and their metabolites in herbal medicines. Various examples of biotechnological tools have been highlighted how plants can be exploited commercially without affecting their natural population. Furthermore, the chapter discusses processing plants for herbal medicine and drug discovery from natur...

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The present chapter discusses the importance of plants and their metabolites in herbal medicines. Various examples of biotechnological tools have been highlighted as to how plants can be exploited commercially without affecting their natural population. Furthermore, the chapter discusses processing plants for herbal medicine and drug discovery from...

Dalia, a wheat-based, particulate containing dairy dessert is popularly consumed as a breakfast food and is also considered as a health food. Though popular throughout Northern parts of the country, its limited shelf-life even under refrigeration imposes severe restrictions on its organized manufacture and marketing. In order to promote dalia desse...

Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) is a remarkable multipurpose, evergreen tree of the mahogany family, Meliaceae. The history of commercial use of Neem i s shrouded in the mystery and tradition of Vedic period of India. From the last two decades, the tree has become the focus of attention due to its medicinal, agrochemical and economic uses. From...

Nature always stands as a golden mark to exemplify the outstanding phenomena of symbiosis. In the western world, as the people are becoming aware of the potency and side effect of synthetic drugs, there is an increasing interest in the natural product remedies with a basic approach towards the nature. Throughout the history of mankind, many infecti...

Azadirachtin has high industrial demand due to its immediate application as an ecofriendly, biodegradable biopesticide and also due to its various other significant bioactivities. To date, the only commercially feasible way to produce azadirachtin is extraction from seeds, but their availability is very limited as the tree flowers only once a year...

Different polar solvents (methanol, acetone and water) were tested for their extractability of phenolic compounds from millets grown in India namely, sawan (Echinochloa frumentacea), kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum), jowar (Sorghum bicolor) and bajra (Pannisetum typhoides). The extracts were evaluated for their total phenolics, flavonoids, ascorbic ac...

Callus cultures from zygotic embryos of neem (Azadirachta indica) were initiated and analyzed for azadirachtin production. Medium components were screened and optimized using the statistical techniques of Plackett–Burman and response surface methodology. The Plackett–Burman design, with five medium components (Murashige and Skoog major salts, sucro...

Chapter 8 SUMMARY Azadirachta indica A. Juss or Neem (Meliaceae) is a versatile tropical, evergreen tree, which has attained worldwide prominence in recent years due to its therapeutic and insecticidal properties. Its use in folklore has been documented since long where it has been utilized to cure and treat various ailments. The antifeedant and bi...

An efficient protocol for clonal propagation of Spilanthes acmella L., a medicinally valuable plant, has been developed. Nodal explants were collected at monthly intervals to initiate in vitro cultures. More than 60% aseptic cultures were established during the months from January to April. Long, multinodal shoots were developed from the nodes on f...

Azadirachtin is one of the most prominent triterpenoids obtained from neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) seed kernels. Its demand has been on rise in industries due to its immediate application as an ecofriendly, biodegradable biopesticide and various other significant biological activities. Concerted efforts are being made for its extraction in hi...

An efficient protocol has been established to improve the incidence of bud-break and shoot-growth in single node segment cultures of a 35-year-old mature neem tree. Routinely, the cultures were raised in summer (March-May) because of the highest aseptic culture establishment and best shoot growth recorded in this season. ½ MS (major inorganic salts...

Neem is a highly heterozygous and commercially important perennial plant. Conventionally, it is propagated by seeds which loose viability within two weeks. Strictly cross pollinating nature of the plant causes serious barrier to the genetic improvement by conventional methods. Alternative methods of tree improvement such as somatic hybridization, m...

Azadirachtin (78 g/g dry weight) was detected in cell cultures established from anthers of Azadirachta indica A. Juss., a multipurpose tree belonging to the family Meliaceae. This is the first study which explicates the production of azadirachtin from in vitro anther cultures. Cell line maintained on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with ki...