Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology

Research Note: This study provides information about the traditional indigenous uses of plants by the inhabitants of the Parvati
Valley of Kullu district in the western Himalayas of India. Since no published literature from the past 10 years exists, an
ethnobotanical survey was conducted among the ethnic groups of the Parvati valley and first hand information on these plant
species was recorded. A total of 266 species belonging to 180 genera and 71 families (including 44 species as recorded for the
first time in the area) were collected. Out of these, 223 species within 152 genera of 61 families belong to dicots; 31 species and
22 genera under 7 families belong to monocots and 10 species with 6 genera in 3 families belong to gymnosperms.
Venkat Kishore Ryakala (India), Shahin Sharif Ali (Ireland/India), Hallihosur Sharanabasava, Naushaba Hasin, Pragya
Sharma, Utpal Bora (India) Ethnobotany of Plants Used to Cure Diabetes by the People of North East India (pp 64-68)
ABSTRACT
Research Note: Northeast India is considered as an ecological hot spot and has a wide variety of flora and fauna. Diverse
ethnic communities inhabit the area, each having their own traditional medical cures for different diseases. During the course of
present studies it was found that 52 species of plants belonging to 36 families are used as antidiabetic agents in folk medicinal
practice. Leaves and bark were found to be the two major plant parts used for making hypoglycemic herbal preparations.
Around 26 treatments involve administration of decoction to the diabetic patient. These decoctions are either prepared from
leaves, bark, fruit, root, seeds or from whole plants. Out of the 52 plants 12 are also reported to have antidiabetic properties in
the Diabetes Medicinal Plant Database. The remaining plants could be a potential source of new and efficient cures for
diabetes.
Ram Swaroop Verma, Rajendra Chandra Padalia, Amit Chauhan, Ajai Kumar Yadav (India) Chemical Composition of Leaf
and Flower Essential Oils of Two Thymus spp. from Western Himalaya (pp 69-72)
ABSTRACT
Original Research Paper: Thymus species (Lamiaceae) are considered to be very beneficial whether used as food or as a
medicament. Essential oils (EOs) derived from leaves and flowers of Thymus serpyllum and Thymus linearis grown in northern
India were analyzed by GC and GC-MS. A total of 37 components forming 94.8-98.4% of EO composition were identified. The
EOs of both species were rich in thymol, p-cymene and γ-terpinene. Thymol was higher in the EO of T. linearis (74.6-75.8%)
compared to T. serpyllum (51.9-70.1%). The amount of thymol methyl ether, p-cymene, 1-octen-3-ol, camphor and borneol was
relatively higher in T. serpyllum EO. Further, phenolic monoterpenes were higher in flower EOs of both species than in leaf EOs.
Ram Swaroop Verma, Rajendra Chandra Padalia, Amit Chauhan (India) Chemical Profiling of Mentha spicata L. var. ‘viridis’
and Mentha citrata L. Cultivars at Different Stages from the Kumaon Region of Western Himalaya (pp 73-76)
ABSTRACT
Research Note: Two spearmint (Mentha spicata L. var. ‘viridis’) cultivars viz. ‘Neerkalka’ and ‘Supriya’ and one bergamot mint
(Mentha citrata L.) cultivar ‘Kiran’ cultivated in the Kumaon region of northern India were investigated for their essential oil
content and composition at different stages of crop growth. Essential oil content and composition were both affected by crop
age in all cultivars. All the cultivars accumulated maximum essential oil at 150 days after transplanting. The percentage carvone
in ‘Neerkalka’ was higher at 90 days (67.0%) followed by the 150-days-old crop (61.68%), while in ‘Supriya’, carvone
concentration increased at 150 days (72.47%). In ‘Kiran’, linalool and linalyl acetate were highest in 150- and 180-days-old
crops, respectively.
Amit Chauhan, Ram Swaroop Verma (India) Cultivation Potential of Three Rose-scented Geranium (Pelargonium
graveolens) Cultivars in the Kumaon Region of Western Himalayas (pp 77-79)
ABSTRACT
Research Note: A field experiment was conducted to evaluate the production potential of three cultivars of rose-scented
geranium viz., ‘Bourbon’, ‘CIM-Pawan’ and ‘Kelkar’ in the temperate region of Uttarakhand. ‘CIM-Pawan’ had the highest
essential oil yield (103.87 g plot -1 ) followed by ‘Kelkar’ (79.93 g plot -1 ) and ‘Bourbon’ (72.01 g plot -1 ). The essential oil profile of
‘Bourbon’ was rich (relative percentages) in citronellol (29.05), geraniol (24.36), citronellyl formate (5.94), isomenthone (5.82);
the oil of ‘CIM-Pawan’ was rich in citronellol (32.60), geraniol (21.38), 10-epi-γ-eudesmol (6.83), citronellyl formate (6.29) while
the essential oil of ‘Kelkar’ showed a different profile with citonellol (61.48) and isomenthone (10.56) being almost twice that of