Ethno-pharmacology of Asaroon (Asarum europaeum L.) with special reference to Unani System of Medicine

Asaroon is the rhizome of Asarum europaeum L. and is commonly used in Unani medicines for its various pharmacological actions. It is an evergreen plant with glossy foliage. It belongs to the family of Aristolochiaceae and is native to Europe and the United State of America. Some species of Asaroon have been found in the Eastern Himalayan region. Asaroon has actions like Muharrik-i-A‘sab (nervine stimulant), Mudirr-i-Bawl (diuretics), Mudirr-i-Hayd (emmenagogue), Musakkin-i-Alam (analgesic), Mufattit-i-sudad (remove obstructions) and Muqawwī-i-Jigar (hepatotonic), etc. It is used in the management of Hummā (fevers), Waja 'al-Mafasil (polyarthritis), Sara (epilepsy), Falij (paralysis), Ihtibās al-Tamth (amenorrhea) and Niqris (gout), etc. as per the Unani system of medicine (USM). It is used as a single herb as well as with a combination of other drugs to manage many diseases. The A. europaeum L. contains volatile oils and flavonoids along with other secondary metabolites. In the Indian market, Valeriana wallichii DC has been sold as Tagar but in some cases, it is sold as Asaroon. It is a clear case of adulteration by replacement of costly foreign drugs with a similar-looking indigenous drug. In this manuscript, we have discussed the Ethno-pharmacology of the A. europaeum L. with special reference to USM and basic differences with V. wallichii DC to show that both drugs are different and their actions and uses are also different from each other.

Understanding the effect of shifting cultivation practice (slash-burn-cultivation-abandonment) on soil physicochemical properties in the North-eastern Himalayan region

Shifting cultivation (jhum cultivation), a common practice of converting forest land into agricultural land by slash and burn is threatening the ecosystem. This study assesses the effect of shifting cultivation cycles on soil quality in the North-eastern Himalayan region using a minimum of soil properties. To achieve this goal, a soil quality index (SQI) approach and multivariate techniques were used for surface (0-30 cm) and subsurface (30-70 cm) layers of soils in the forest, jhum land, and jhum fallow areas. The highest variability among land uses was found for clay content, SOC (soil organic carbon), exchangeable Mg and K, CEC (cation exchange capacity), and the Ca/Mg relationship. On the contrary, the lowest variation was recorded in bulk density (BD), porosity, and pH. The results of the principal component analysis (PCA) show BD, soil texture, available nitrogen (Nav), available phosphorus (Pav), available potassium (Kav), calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na) as the major indicators of soil quality. The study indicated that surface layers of forest soils have a lower soil quality when compared to jhum lands. Although jhum lands show a better soil quality compared to forests, their continued cultivation without any fertilisation and subsequent depletion of the soil nutrients can cause a degradation of soil quality as observed in jhum fallow lands. The use of these selected indicators for soil quality assessment was useful in terms of saving time and costs.

Changes in Testicular Biometry, Steroid Hormones and Receptor Expression in the Peripubertal Period of Indigenous Tenyi-vo Male Pigs of North-eastern Himalayan Region in India

Present study was conducted to characterize the testicular changes in the peripubertal period in Tenyi-vo, a miniature size pig of North-eastern Himalayan (NEH) region of India. A total of twenty-four male pigs were randomly selected and categorised for castration at different age groups, G1 (Days 30-45), G2 (Days 60-65), G3 (Days 80-100) and G4 (Days 150-160), n=6 each category. Paired testes and epididymis were used for the assessment of biometry, cauda epididymal spermiogram, testicular histology and relative expression of the androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptors (ERα and ERβ), aromatase (CYP19A1), and insulin like growth factor-1β receptor (IGF-1R) in qPCR. Plasma testosterone (T), estradiol (E2), tri-iodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), and cortisol concentrations were estimated on the day of castration in each group of male using commercial ELISA kits. In pigs of G2, a greater testicular weight, volume, epididymis weight was observed relative to G1. The presence of live spermatozoa at 1240.9±304.2×106/mLconcentration with 0.65% proximal droplets was recorded as early as day 60. The concentration of T increased steadily over the age of G1 to G4 and a significantly higher concentration was observed in G4 relative to the other categories. Among the transcripts analysed in the testis, the relative fold change of AR was 10.8 fold in G2, which was subsequently reduced in G3 and then down-regulated in G4. CYP19A1 was abundantly expressed in the testis and the fold change ranged from 41-54 fold, although it did not differ significantly from 60-150 days of age. Further, the presence of well-developed seminiferous tubules was evident in the Tenyi-vo male from day 60 onward with a body weight as low as 4.28 kg. The study concluded that the male of Tenyi-vo pig attained puberty at the earliest age of 60 days.

Improvement of a Yairipok Chujak Maize Landrace from North Eastern Himalayan Region for β-Carotene Content through Molecular Marker-Assisted Backcross Breeding

In the North Eastern Himalayan region (NEHR) of India, maize is an important food crop. The local people cultivate the maize landraces and consume them as food. However, these landraces are deficient in β-carotene content. Thus, we aimed to incorporate the crtRB1 gene from UMI285β+ into the genetic background of the NEHR maize landrace, Yairipok Chujak (CAUM66), and thereby enhance the β-carotene content through marker-assisted backcrossing (MABC). In this regard, we backcrossed and screened BC1F1 and BC2F1 plants possessing the heterozygous allele for crtRB1 and then screened with 106 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. The plants having maximum recurrent parent genome recovery (RPGR) were selected in each generation and selfed to produce BC2F2 seeds. In the BC2F2 generation, four plants (CAUM66-54-9-12-2, CAUM66-54-9-12-11, CAUM66-54-9-12-13, and CAUM66-54-9-12-24) having homozygous crtRB1-favorable allele with maximum RPGR (86.74–90.16%) were selected and advanced to BC2F3. The four selected plants were selfed to produce BC2F3 and then evaluated for agronomic traits and β-carotene content. The agronomic performance of the four lines was similar (78.83–99.44%) to that of the recurrent parent, and β-carotene content (7.541–8.711 μg/g) was on par with the donor parent. Our study is the first to improve the β-carotene content in NEHR maize landrace through MABC. The newly developed lines could serve as potential resources to further develop nutrition-rich maize lines and could provide genetic stock for use in breeding programs.

Carbon Storage of Single Tree and Mixed Tree Dominant Species Stands in a Reserve Forest—Case Study of the Eastern Sub-Himalayan Region of India

In recent decades, carbon (C) management is an important point on the agenda to identify the best viable mitigation strategies for its reduction. The study was conducted at Jaldapara National Park located in the Eastern Himalayan region of India. The study quantified litter production, decomposition, periodic nutrient release, soil fertility status, and soil organic carbon (SOC) of five major forest stands i.e., Tectona grandis (TGDS), Shorea robusta (SRDS), Michelia champaca (MCDS), Lagerstroemia parviflora (LPDS) and miscellaneous stand (MS). A stratified random nested quadrate method was adopted for sample collection. Results reveal that the greatest amount of litter production and decomposition was under MCDS followed by MS, LPDS, SRDS, and the smallest under TGDS. The material annual turnover through litter decomposition in all the stands varies between 96.46% and 99.34%. The content and amount of the available nutrients in litter varied significantly among the stands. Moreover, release of these nutrients was nearly equal to the amount available in the initial litter mass. In general, the magnitude of the total nutrient return was in the same order as the total litter fall and the nutrient availability was more closely related to litter nutrient content and soil organic carbon. The range of pH (4.86–5.16), EC (0.34–0.50), soil moisture (27.01–31.03) and available primary nutrients (N: (0.21–0.26 Mg/ha), P: (0.09–0.12 Mg/ha), K: (0.13–0.14 Mg/ha)) also varied significantly among the stands. Significant positive correlations were observed between SOC, N and K. Both the fertility indices exhibited no definite pattern in the stands but a significant correlation between the two indicates the healthy soil fertility status of the stands. SOC varies significantly under different forest stands, but the greatest content was found under MS. The estimated SOC ranges between 75.9 and 107.7 Mg ha−1 up to 60 cm and is reported to be below the Indian average of 182.94 Mg ha−1. The present study strongly recommends that Tectona grandis, Shorea robusta, Michelia champaca, and Lagerstroemia parviflora should be the important commercial timbers of the Eastern Himalayan region because they may help further to increase the C sink in agricultural and degraded landscapes.

Evaluation of ethnobotanical knowledge in Komkar-Adi Biocultural Landscape of Eastern Himalayan Region of India

Taram M, Borah D, Mipun P, Taram V, Das A.P. 2020. Evaluation of ethnobotanical knowledge in Komkar-Adi Biocultural Landscape of Eastern Himalayan Region of India. Biodiversitas 21: 70-87. The present study was aimed to document the traditional ethnobotanical knowledge in Komkar-Adi Biocultural Landscape of Upper Siang District in Arunachal Pradesh (Eastern Himalaya), India. Data was collected from three villages of Geku circle, Upper Siang District between the year 2016-2019, covering more than 50% of the total households using semi-structured questionnaires, personal interviews, focused group discussions and transect walk with the core respondents. A total of 301 taxa falling in 203 genera and 85 families are recorded from the Komkar-Adi Biocultural Landscape (KABL), invariably used as food, medicine and cultural materials which is directly and indirectly linked with livelihood security, community survival, protection and preservation of the traditional culture and nature. Use value (UV) of all the reported species ranges between 0.017 and 0.051. A total of 48 ethnomedicinal plant species including herbs, shrubs and trees used for curing 35 different ailments were recorded. Comparison of three different indices CI, RFC and RI, indicating species ranking based on each index and the three basic values of the study, viz. FC, UR and NU for each species were also calculated. Urtica dioica, Solanum spirale, Paris polyphylla, Curcuma longa, Clerodendrum colebrookeanum, and Begonia silletensis are found to be the most important plants for treating different ailments by the community.

Cyathodium denticulatum Udar et Srivastava: A rare liverwort new to Chhattisgarh, Central India

This article reports the occurrence of the thalloid liverwort Cyathodium denticulatum Udar et Srivastava was collected first time from the Achanakmar – Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve (AABR) Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. It is shown that Cyathodium denticulatum a narrow Himalayan endemic has been reported earlier from Darjeeling, India. There is no record of its occurrence from central India. Cyathodium denticulatum is a rare species known only from eastern Himalayan region. A key to related Indian taxa and taxonomic description is provided.