Conservation of some Idmalayan Medicinal Plants Using Biotechnological Approaches

The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) harbours a large number of economically important plants, which include several species of medicinal value. The ever increasing demand, particularly in view of world-wide shift for the drugs of herbal origin over synthetic counterparts, has led to overexploitation of medicinal plants. In addition, lack of organised cultivation has resulted in many of these plants finding place in the list of vulnerable, endangered or threatened categories. Thus there is an immediate need for mass multiplication of many of these species to make available the planting material for taking up organised cultivation. This article reviews the work on in-vitro multiplication of Taxus baccala subsp. wallichiana, Podophyllum hexandrum, Aconitum balfourii and Picrorhiza kurrooa, with particular reference to work carried out in this laboratory. The importance of selecting elite planting material (in relation to active ingredient content) from the natural populations and the application of molecular markers to characterise the genetic diversity within and among different populations has been discussed. Moreover, alternative methods of obtaining active principle(s) through callus, suspension and hairy ischolar_main cultures for these medicinal plants have been highlighted. These aspects have been dealt with keeping in focus the dual objectives of conservation and meeting the commercial demands through cultivation.