Siril Elenjikkal

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor at University of Kerala

The genus Garcinia is composed of around 200 species distributed in the tropics and subtropics. Out of 36 species from India, Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Roxb. is an important non-timber forest product (NTFP) from the southwestern ghats of India. It is a small- or medium-sized fruit tree valued for its fruits as a condiment. Moreover, the plant is a...

Hairy roots (HRs) produced by Agrobacterium rhizogenes infection on plants are an excellent system for producing economically valuable metabolites. Oldenlandia umbellata L. is a source of an important textile dye, anthraquinone (AQ). The current study focuses on optimizing different parameters for the successful transformation of O. umbellata by fo...

Heavy metals (HM) also known as potentially toxic elements (PTEs), are well-known environmental pollutants, among which lead (Pb) is a widespread and hazardous soil contaminant. Its removal from soil sediments is often difficult to achieve. In this study, in vitro experiments were conducted to investigate the bioaccumulation capability of Dianthus...

An efficient in vitro propagation protocol for a medicinal plant, Persicaria glabra (Willd.) M. Gomez, has been established. Nodal explants were cultured in vitro on agar-gelled (0.8%) Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing different concentrations of cytokinins, namely N6-benzyladenine (BA), 6-(γ,γ-dimethylallylamino)purine (2-iP), or kinetin...

Elaeocarpus serratus L. is an indigenous tree that yields edible fruits with high nutritional value, yet the cultivation, marketing in mainstreams and consumption have not intensified so far despite its potential. So, this work aims to realize the unexplored potential of E. serratus as an agroforestry resource by evaluating the economic as well as...

This volume presents information about protocols for micropropagation of more than 40 species of medicinal plants. The contents combine knowledge about the scientific principles of micropropagation with state of the art updates in tissue culture techniques presented by plant scientists. The readers will learn about techniques required to grow plant...

The genus Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. is a vast and widespread group of aroids belonging to Araceae which is taxonomically and botanically distinct due to the occasional emergence of inflorescences and their relatively short active period of existence. Seven morphotypes of Amorphophallus paeoniifolius which included two cultivated forms—the cult...

Syzygium caryophyllatum is an underutilized minor fruit tree that bears globular fruits. When they ripen, they turn a deep purple or black colour. Even though the fruits are edible, consumption is low due to the low proportion of edible parts and limited supply of fruits. In the present study, twenty collections of S. caryophyllatum from various pa...

Plant cell cultures represent an inherent source of diverse secondary products or metabolites, which can be applicable in nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, cosmeceuticals, or food colors. The valuable products are directly harvested from various plant species from time immemorial. However, thousands of plant species were severely facing extinction a...

The genus Amorphophallus Blume ex Decne. is a vast and widespread group of aroids belonging to Araceae which is taxonomically and botanically distinct due to the frequency of emergence of inflorescences and their relatively short active period of existence. Amorphophallus paeoniifolius var. campanulatus or the elephant foot yam is an important tube...

Plants are cherished as the chief resource for healthcare products attributed to synthesizing diverse array of bio-molecules through various metabolic alterations. Over exploitation of such resources can intimidate its existence. Developing medicinal plants into crops and the use of micropropagation as technique to mass produce high-demand biomass...

Elaeocarpus serratus L. is a potential fruit crop of the tropics, distributed in the southern peninsula of the Indian subcontinent. An important step in the selection process is the assessment of natural variation available in the species. Initially, 150 trees were surveyed on the basis of fruit yield (kg) and number of fruit weighing 1 kg. A total...

Garcinia gummi-gutta is valued for its dried fruit rind used as a souring agent in traditional cuisine and for the extraction of natural hydroxy citric acid (HCA) in the formulation of anti-obesity nutraceuticals. The species is widely distributed in Kerala State but is not yet an economically profitable crop in the region. Promising germplasm scre...

Plants are enriched with various secondary metabolites. It's over exploitation may undermine the existence of plants in this world. So plant tissue culture technology is now emerging as a new frontier in science, as it helps to improve the production rate of metabolites in in vitro condition. Callus cultures were developed on different auxin supple...

Garcinia gummi-gutta (Malabar tamarind) is a widely used Indian condiment and natural source of an anti-obesity agent, hydroxy citric acid. The prerequisite for any molecular analysis is a readily adoptable, efficient protocol for isolating high-quality DNA. The presence of polysaccharides and polyphenols tends to hinder the quality of DNA extracte...

Garcinia gummi-gutta (Family: Clusiaceae) is a rich source of a natural anti-obesity agent, hydroxy citric acid (HCA). The present approach aimed to analyse the extent of genetic variability and structure of a population of 50 accessions of G. gummi-gutta from different geographical localities of Kerala state, India using inter simple sequence repe...

Asparagus racemosus Willd. is an important multipurpose plant, recognized as queen of herbs due to its important medicinal properties. The objective of this study was to contribute to the understanding of A. racemosus genetic diversity by genotyping 20 accessions from ten different agro-ecological zones of Kerala state, India using simple sequence...

In vitro production of medicinally valued alkaloid, berberine was achieved through cell suspension cultures of Tinospora cordifolia. Callus cultures were raised from nodal segments cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5 µM α naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Cell suspensions were then initiated by transferring crumbled, creamy...

Hyperhydricity (HH) is one of the major problems in plant tissue culture. Increased frequency (75%) of HH in the cultures of. Dianthus chinensis L. cultivar telstar scarlet raised from nodal segments on agar (0.85%) gelled, benzyladenine (2.5 µM) supplemented Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium was noticed in the third subculture onwards. To reduce HH...

Moringa oleifera Lam. (common name: drum stick, horseradish tree) belongs to the monogeneric family, Moringaceae. Immature pods, fresh leaves and flowers of M. oleifera are used for culinary purposes. The leaves and young pods are a rich source of minerals and vitamins. In the present study, 23 genotypes of drumstick, which were selected based on s...

Moringa oleifera Lam. (drumstick) belongs to the family Moringaceae that is originated from sub-Himalayan tracts of Northern India distributed worldwide in the tropics and sub-tropics. Immature pods and fresh leaves are widely used as vegetable and are rich source of minerals and vitamins. In the present work, we made an attempt to develop and use...

The boom in aliment engendered and quality of food is imperative to sustain the growing human population. The availability of diverse germplasm of any crop is a consequential genetic resource to aliment security. In the present study, we used 27 RAPD markers to resolve diversity among 23 superior drumstick genotypes mostly collected from Karnataka,...

Moringa oleifera Lam. (drumstick tree), belonging to the Moringaceae family, is a highly valued vegetable crop, distributed in the tropics and subtropics. Immature pods, fresh leaves and flowers of M. oleifera are used for culinary purposes. The leaves and young pods contain a significant amount of minerals and vitamins. Based on yield parameters,...

Ceylon olive (Elaeocarpus serratus L.) is a fruit tree indigenous to Sri Lanka. Due to lack of information on genetic diversity and germplasm wealth, the tree remains underexploited. Therefore, diversity assessment both through morphological and ISSR markers, was undertaken. As a result of extensive field exploration survey among 150 trees, 25 acce...

Dianthus chinensis L. is an edible, ornamental herb used to prepare the Dianthi Herba, a Chinese traditional rejuvenating medicine. Owing to the rapid proliferation of callus tissues, in vitro production of flavonoids has their own specific importance. Callus cultures raised followed by auxin directed biosynthesis of flavonoid through related trans...

Elaeocarpus serratus is a fruit tree able to propagate through conventional vegetative means to a limited extent restricts its wide cultivation by the farmers. In the present report, we have developed an efficient in vitro propagation protocol using mature nodal explants from a 17-year-old tree for the first time with 6.6 shoots/culture. Explants c...

The effective reversion of hyperhydricity (HH) in Dianthus chinensis L. facilitated efficient in vitro production of hyperhydricity-free plantlets. Under routine sub-culture practice, the problem of HH arises after third sub-culture in agar (0.85%) gelled Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 2.5 µM 6-benzyladenine (BA). To confirm the role of...

Garcinia gummi-gutta is an important tree crop valued for its dried fruit rinds as a souring agent in various dishes and source of hydroxycitric acid (HCA), an anti-obesity agent. In this study, the genetic variation among 35 accessions of G. gummi-gutta was analyzed by employing quantitative morphological traits and species-specific SSR markers. R...

The commercial value of ornamental crops is governed by the quality and quantity of flowers it produces. In vitro flowers or test tube bouquets help the researchers to attain the molecular mechanism behind the flower development. In this work, we put forward, how such an ornamental species, Dianthus chinensis can be used as a model system for in vi...

Plant secondary metabolites are biosynthetically derived from primary metabolites. Recent surveys have established that nearly 35% of molecules in the pharmaceutical industry are of plant origin. The production of plant secondary metabolites for a long period of time was relayed on natural stands of the source plant or cultivation in the field. Thi...

Hyperhydricity (HH) is a physiological disorder that frequently occurs in plant tissue cultures, affecting healthy growth and development of clonal plants. The primary cultures raised in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 2.5 µM N6-benzyladenine (BA) produced normal microshoot (6.3 shoots/ culture) with least HH. However, the third s...

Drumstick (Moringa oleifera Lam.) is an important vegetable as well as forage crop of arid and semi-arid zones of the tropics. The leaves and pods of the plant are rich sources of minerals and vitamins. In the present work, genetic diversity study of 23 genotypes of M. oleifera collected from Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka states of India was car...

An improved micropropagation protocol facilitating continuous multiplication of elite germplasm of Moringa oleifera has been developed. Initial culture of nodal explant in MS medium supplemented with 2.5 µM BA resulted in the formation of 12.5 shoots per explant with high frequency of leaf fall (84.3%). To confirm whether the leaf fall is due to ac...

Dianthus chinensis L. (China Pink) is a caryophyllaceous, ornamental plant, grown worldwide on a commercial scale due to perpetual flowering, diversity of colour and wide range of floral forms. In the present study, we forward an in vitro method for induction of flowering of five cultivars of D. chinensis. The different colour varieties viz., Diant...

Callus culture of elite plant of Tinospora cordifolia selected for high berberine contents was established from nodal explants on agar (0.7%) gelled Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with different types and concentrations of auxins and 3% sucrose. The best result in terms of callus fresh weight (2531 mg), dry weight (303 mg) and berberine (756 μg g⁻...

Twenty accessions of Asparagus racemosus from ten agro-ecological zones of Kerala were evaluated for genetic diversity using Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA markers. Twenty random primers were selected based on reproducibility and clarity of bands. A total of 1209 bands were scored out of which, 1181 loci were found to be polymorphic (97.75%). Eff...

The seeds of Elaeocarpus serratus, a tropical underutilized fruit tree are characterized by hard seed coat and consequent poor water uptake and low germination. To improve the regeneration through seeds, various parameters such as viability of seeds, water uptake, and effect of seed mass on germination and pretreatments were performed using a compl...

Populations of many crop wild relatives are at risk and poorly conserved. Characterization of crop germplasm based on assessment of amount, and distribution of genetic diversity, is essential for proper utilization and conservation which could be achieved through morphological and molecular tools. Wild Amorphophallus relatives may be used in breedi...

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the safety of long term consumption of ethanolic fraction of Neurocalyx calycinus leaves (NCEF) in rodents. The NCEF was subjected to detect the presence of various phytoconstituents. In acute oral toxicity study, graded doses of NCEF was administered in mice and were observed up to 14 days. In sub...

An improved micropropagation protocol has been developed for a cosmetically important, dye yielding crop, henna (Lawsonia inermis). Quality of henna product is governed by naphthoquinone based pigment lawsone, thus in vitro multiplication of superior healthy plant to achieve enhanced productivity in terms of dye content and biomass deserve due atte...

A protocol was established for the high frequency in vitro propagation of Tinospora cordifolia through nodal explant culture. Plants were collected from different geographical areas for screening superior germplasm based on berberine content, the prominent alkaloid present in the plant. Of the different accessions estimated for berberine, candidate...

Somatic embryos were induced from internodal segment derived callus of Oldenlandia umbellata L., in MS medium supplemented with different concentrations of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D). Initially calli were developed from internodes of microshoots inoculated in 2.5 µM NAA supplemented medium. Then calli were transferred to 2,4-D added me...

Hairy root cultures of Oldenlandia umbellata L. was established by infecting leaf explants with wild type Agrobacterium rhizogenes strain (MTCC 532). Leaf explants were co-cultured with activated bacteria in half strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium containing 500 mg l−1 ampicillin for the induction of hairy roots. To facilitate effective...

Ceylon olive (Elaeocarpus serratus L.; family Elaeocarpaceae) is an under-utilised edible fruit tree that is sparsely distributed in the southern peninsula of the Indian sub-continent. Fresh and ripened fruit are edible and are used to prepare value-added products such as squash, jams and pickles. Methods to produce clonal E. serratus plants using...

Enhanced production of anthraquinones from cell suspension cultures of Oldenlandia umbellata were established through elicitor or precursor treatment. Stock cell suspension cultures were developed in liquid MS medium supplemented with 2.5 µM NAA using friable calli. Standardization experiments of suspension cultures revealed that 10 µM NAA added li...

An efficient in vitro propagation method for a dye yielding medicinal herb, Oldenlandia umbellata L. was established using benzyl adenine and quercetin. Nodal segments cultured on agar gelled Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with benzyl adenine (5.0 μM) and quercetin (5 μM), produced maximum explant response (100 %) and number of shoots (118...

Karyomorphological studies in twenty five accessions of Amorphophallus collected from four biogeographic zones of India comprising of seven wild species and 18 morphotypes and wild relatives of A. paeoniifolius revealed differences in chromosome numbers. Three chromosome numbers viz., 2n = 28 for all the A. paeoniifolius accessions, A. dubius, A. s...

A wide range of morphological variability exists within accessions of Amorphophallus. A study to describe variability and genetic structure in the genus was undertaken to illustrate genetic diversity. Eight species of Amorphophallus, including seven wild species, and 18 morphotypes of A. paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson including two cultivated Ele...

Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell, is a well recognized medicinal herb having memory boosting property. Eleven accessions were collected from various parts of Kerala State, India and variation in thirty characters including twelve qualitative and eighteen quantitative traits were recorded. One way ANOVA on quantitative traits showed significant variatio...

Morinda citrifolia L. belongs to family Rubiaceae. It is a traditional Polynesian medicinal plant. Its root serves as a rich source of various anthraquinone constituents. The anthraquinone compounds exhibit therapeutic effects of antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities. In the present work, an adventitious root culture of M. citrifolia w...

An easily adoptable protocol was established for the micropropagation of Morinda citrifolia L., a medicinal and neutraceutical plant, through enhanced axillary bud proliferation from nodal explants. Nodal segments excised from 3-yr-old tree were cultured on agar gelled (0.7%) Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 18 μM N6-benzylaminopur...

Rubia cordifolia (Indian Madder) is an age old ethnic medicinal plant in India. The chiefly valuable plant part is its root stocks, which contains phytochemicals like anthraquinone, terpenes, glycosides etc... and are recognized as the active curative agents to wide and diverse forms of ailments. A comprehensive scan on available literature reveale...

Floral color polymorphism of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) offers a wide range of colors that are maintained in the population by either pollinators or non pollinator agents of selection. In the present study, maintenance of different floral colors was analyzed in relation to reproductive success of Bixa orellana. The different floral petal colors (wh...

Bixa orellana L. (annatto) is an economically important dye yielding plant. In the present study candidate plus trees (CPTs) of B. orellana on the basis of seed output and bixin content were identified from northern, central, and southern parts of Kerala state, India. Number of capsules per bunch, thickness of seeds and total bixin/g seed showed hi...

An in vitro propagation technique based on axillary bud proliferation was developed for the first time to mature annatto (Bixa orellana L.) tree. Nodal segments cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 μM benzyl adenine (BA) and tender coconut water (10 %) showed significantly high (P < 0.05) explant response (67.0 %), deve...

‘Indian Madder’ (Rubia cordifolia L.) has wide range of pharmacological properties. In the present study, an attempt was made to identify the pharmacognostic features of various parts of R. cordifolia to differentiate it from adulterants. The organoleptic characters, proximate analysis, physio-chemical behavior of powders were recorded. The stomata...

Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is an important dye-yielding medium-sized tree occurring in the tropics. Investigations aimed at elucidating the reproductive characters as well as establishing a set of breeding parameters for genetic improvement of B. orellana was carried out. Records on pollen/ovule ratios of annatto showed that this species is xenogam...

Amorphophallus paeoniifolius (Dennst.) Nicolson is a tuberous herb occurring in the wild and cultivated state. Vegetative morphological characters were studied at full foliage stage in 17 accessions of A. paeoniifolius which include two cultivars, 15 wild accessions and a related species, A. dubius Blume. The first principal component (PC) accounte...

Annatto (Bixa orellana L.) is a tree indigenous to tropical America that has been naturalised throughout the Indian sub-continent. The plant is chiefly valued for its carotenoid pigments, annatto. Methods for the clonal propagation of hardwood and softwood cuttings, air-layering, budding, and grafting of annatto were investigated. Hardwood cuttings...

Efficient methods were developed for both in vitro seed germination and micropropagation of an economically important dye yielding multipurpose tree, Bixa orellana L. Mature seeds were inoculated onto Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with different concentrations of gibberellic acid (GA3). Highest frequency of germination (93.3 %) was r...

Morinda citrifolia Linn. (family Rubiaceae) is a small tree occurring in tropical areas of the world. The plant contains several medicinally active components that exhibit the therapeutic effects such as antibacterial, antiviral and anticancer activities. Anti-genotoxic effects of aqueous extracts prepared using dried leaves of M. citrifolia was st...

Cytotoxic evaluation of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) seed pulp extract on Allium cepa root tip cells was carried out. The annatto dye was extracted using different solvents viz. alkaline water, ethyl alcohol and chloroform : alcohol mixture (1 : 3). Crude extract evaporated and dry residual powder recovered. The powder was dissolved in water at diffe...

An investigation on germination of annatto (Bixa orellana L.) was conducted. Water uptake studies showed that seeds were fully imbibed after 24 h. Soaking in water for 24 h enhanced germination (82%) compared to the untreated control (57%). Germination was improved to 93% and was coupled with a significant (p < 0.001) reduction in mean time to germ...

This study on species diversity of ectomycorrhiz al fungi mainly concerns oak and conifer forests of the Wes t- ern Himalaya. These forest communities are part of a wide altitudinal transect largely dominated by trees ha v- ing ectomycorrhizal fungi. This feature warrants attention because the transect includes a range of over 15 °C mean annual tem...

An improved micropropagation protocol has been developed for teak (Tectona grandis). Nodal explants placed on MS medium supplemented with 22.2 M benzylaminopurine and then serially transferred to fresh medium after 12, 24, 48 and 72 h gave maximum culture establishment (76.8%). Establishment was reduced when explants were retained in the initial cu...

An in vitro propagation technique based on axillary bud proliferation has been developed for matureSapium sebiferum trees. Nodal segments cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with benzyl adenine (1–10 m and -naphthaleneacetic acid (0–0.5 m showed axillary bud proliferation. Shoots proliferated in vitro were multiplied on Murashi...

A highly efficientin vitro regeneration methodology for mature chutese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum Roxb.) has been developed. Shoot segments cultured on MS medium supplemented with 7.5 µM NAA produced light green callus. Optimum shoot differentiation resulted when callus was transferred to MS medium with 1 µM BA and 0.25 µM NAA. Shoot forming abi...

A highly efficient in vitro regeneration methodology for mature chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum Roxb.) has been developed. Shoot segments cultured on MS medium supplemented with 7.5 μM NAA produced light green callus. Optimum shoot differentiation resulted when callus was transferred to MS medium with 1 μM BA and 0.25 μM NAA. Shoot forming ab...