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Indigenous medicinal plants of the Kani tribes in Kanyakumari District: Ethnobotanical documentation and quantitative study
Full text linkThe investigation identified 120 species distributed in 54 families. 70 plants of ethnomedicinal importance were identified, which have not yet been reported so far from the Kanyakumari wildlife forest of Southern-Western Ghats. 52 participants were approached three times to verify the information provided by twenty informants. This approach was undertaken to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected. The data quality was ensured by selecting welltrained 20 practitioners for pointing out missing information if any and the data is carefully analyzed. In total, 120 Medicinal plant species of which Dicot plants constitute 116 species (96.7%) and monocot plant constitutes 4 species (3.3%). Fabaceae with 12 (10.00%) was the most commonly reported family of medicinal plant species. The habit-wise study revealed that 40 species (33.33%) were trees, followed by the most widely used life types herb (36 species) (30%). The most popular preparation method for treating the ailment was paste (40 preparations) for internal consumption as well as external application. The documents valuable therapeutic knowledge, which opens up possibilities for future exploration in plantbased compounds and pharmaceutical inquiry. These investigations have the potential to contribute to the development of plant-based nanomedicine, drug discovery, and production. Finally, the paper deals with the combination of socio-economic and legal facets of the interaction between tribals and forests
Visual approach to Rajagopuram of a temple, a case study of Thiruvasi village, Tamil Nadu
Full text linkThe perception of urban and rural environments is multi-dimensional, shaped by the individual preferences of observers, residents, and visitors. Landmarks play a crucial role in the image of a city or rural area, aiding orientation and creating memorable experiences. It enhances navigability, fosters a sense of attachment, and contributes to place identity. Monuments and heritage structures significantly influence the visual ambiance of these environments. The visibility of heritage structures depends on factors such as height, surrounding buildings, skyline, and location. Using Sketch-up software, this paper assesses the visibility of the Rajagopuram in Thiruvasi village, Tamil Nadu. The study evaluates Rajagopuram’s visibility from various distances, concluding that it is a prominent landmark that enhances visual recognition and fosters a strong sense of attachment and place identity. The study underscores the importance of preserving heritage buildings to maintain historical and cultural significance amidst modern changes
Evaluation of safety aspects, in vitro probiotic potential and anti-inflammatory activity of Lactobacilli isolated from Meghalayan traditional fermented rice beverage
Full text linkTwo indigenous lactobacilli, Limosilactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25515 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus M9 isolated from Indian traditional fermented rice beverage were studied for safety criteria, probiotic attributes by in vitro tests and anti-inflammatory activity in cell line. They were negative for biogenic amines production, gelatinase, lecithinase and hemolytic activity, and displayed moderately low antibiotic resistance. They survived at low pH and 0.5% bile. They remain viable under simulated gastric and intestinal juice. Cell surface hydrophobicity and cell autoaggregation ability of Limosilactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25515 were comparatively higher than Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus M9. Cell coaggregation and antimicrobial activity were relatively high in Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus M9 than Limosilactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25515. They had no bile salt hydrolase activity. Limosilactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25515 produced comparatively higher short chain fatty acids than Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus M9. Additionally, the lipopolysaccharide-stimulated excessive production of proinflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide in RAW 267.4 cells was considerably reduced by Limosilactobacillus fermentum MTCC 25515
Phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Livistona chinensis (Jacq.) R.Br. ex Mart. seeds
Full text linkThe seeds of Livistona chinensis (Jacq.) R.Br. ex Mart. (Family: Arecaceae) plant traditionally find application in the treatment of various diseases. Therefore, in the present study, phytochemical screening and biological profiling of Livistona chinensis seed extracts were conducted. The bioactive components were analysed using GC-MS and UHPLC-QTOF-MS and the fatty acid composition was determined using FAME analysis. GC-MS analysis results indicated the presence of oleic acid (35.71%) and palmitic acid (30.7%) as major components in the seed extract prepared in n-hexane. UHPLC-QTOF-MS analysis revealed the presence of 25 secondary metabolites, including isobutyric acid, acetoin, 9-oxononanoic acid, piperidine, umbellic acid, furaneol, and ketopantolactone in the methanolic extract of seeds. FAME analysis results suggested the presence of oleic acid (18.44%), lauric acid (11.66%), linoleic acid (11.30%), linolenic acid (10.20%), and palmitic acid (9.96%) in abundance. In biological profiling, Livistona chinensis seed extracts were subjected to in vitro antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity. The aqueous extract exclusively showed antimicrobial activity, and exhibited inhibition zone of 16.1 mm only against gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumonia). The methanolic extract demonstrated maximum antioxidant activity, at sample concentration of 200 µL. These findings suggest that Livistona chinensis seeds might be a potential source of bioactive metabolites, antimicrobial agents, and antioxidant agents that may be utilised in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and food industries
Analysis of Evaluation Parameters of the In-house and Marketed Samples of Rasayana Churna
Full text linkAyurveda, Siddha and Unani systems constitute Indian traditional medicine. For these drugs, analysis of evaluation parameters is very important to ensure safety, quality, purity, stability and efficacy. The herbal drugs should also follow the protocol for standardisation as done for non-herbal formulations. The present paper involves an Ayurvedic formulation rasayana churna. Churna is a fine powder of the drug or drugs in Ayurveda system of medicine. It comprises of the dried powders of three rejuvenating drugs viz dried stem of Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia Miers.), dried fruit of Gokshur (Tribulus terrestris Linn.) and dried pericarp of Amalaki (Emblica officinalis Gaertn.). All these plants are used in rasayana therapy. Rasayana therapy is an important concept under Ayurveda. Rasayana Churna plays a very important role as an immunomodulator, rejuvenator, adaptogen, antioxidant and diuretic. Other important roles of rasayana churna involve elimination of toxins through urinary system and lowering the risk in kidney and cardiac disorders. The present study aims at analysis of the evaluation parameters of the in-house and marketed samples of rasayana churna such as morphological, microscopical, phytochemical, physicochemical, spectroscopical and biological evaluation parameters. The need of standardisation is evident because variations are obtained in the results. The highest berberine content is found in MRC (1.19 μg/ml). The highest phenolic content is found in MRC (64.29±2.91 mg GAE/g) and highest flavonoid content is found in MRC (18.99±0.40 mg QUE/g). Samples also showed good antioxidant activity and antiurolithiatic activity
Wild edible plants sustaining food security among indigenous communities in Kashmir Himalayas, India
Full text linkGujjar and Bakarwal communities of Kashmir Himalayas living in remote and mountainous regions possess limited resources to sustain their life. The local wild edibles are still utilized traditionally by these tribal communities, but this traditional knowledge is yet to be documented. Therefore, the present research was conducted to explore and prospect the wild edible plants traditionally consumed by the tribal communities in India. Field appraisals included preparation of semi-structured interview schedules, interview of primary respondents, participatory observation and open listing. A total number of 111 respondents were selected by employing the multistage random sampling approach and information regarding Wild Edible Plants (WEPs) was collected. The Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) was evaluated to recognize the most culturally important WEPs among indigenous communities. A total of 55 plant species of WEPs extracted by the indigenous people corresponding to 45 genera and 31 families were documented. Among all the species, Malva neglecta demonstrated the highest RFC value (0.87) whereas Taxus contorta with the least RFC value of 0.03. The WEPs used by the Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes are diverse and prolific in the Himalayan region. The present study could be a keystone to be reformulated in other regions of India as well as to be wide spreading through nutrigenomics and pharmacological explorations in order to sustain traditional native knowledge.
Traditional pandal agriculture of cucurbit vegetables utilises a relay intercropping approach with perennial Castor (Ricinus communis L.) to conserve resources
Full text linkA field experiment was conducted at the Tapioca and Castor Research Station, Yethapur, Tamil Nadu during the Kharif seasons of 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 to determine whether perennial castor (Ricinus communis L.) traditional pandal cultivation is suitable for cucurbit vegetable relay intercropping systems. The results indicated that perennial castor + cucumber relay intercropping system produced the highest castor equivalent yield (1701 kg/ha), followed by the perennial castor + ridge gourd (1596 kg/ha). Perennial castor + cucumber relay intercropping system had the highest system productivity (4.66 kg/ha/day), system profitability (338.8 Rs/ha/day), and relative economic efficiency (198.5%) of all the cucurbits. Perennial castor and bitter gourd relay intercropping had the best moisture-use efficiency (6.58 kg/ha/mm), while perennial castor and bottle gourd relay intercropping came in second (6.35 kg/ha/mm). Relay intercropping of perennial castor and cucumber system registered higher net returns (Rs. 1,23,662 ha), followed by perennial castor and ridge gourd (Rs. 1,20,515 ha). The average seed output of perennial sole castor was 1312 kg/ha, which was higher than the other cropping systems, despite the fact that the monetary returns were only Rs 41,801 ha. The relay intercropping of perennial castor + ridge gourd (3.29) and perennial castor + bitter gourd (3.29), followed by perennial castor + cucumber (3.27), had the highest benefit-cost ratio