Hemant Sood
Jaypee University of Information Technology, India
Title: Production of high value medicinal herbs raw material as an enterprise among high altitude communities of north-western himalayas
Biography
Biography: Hemant Sood
Abstract
The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) covering approximately 4, 19,873 km2 areas, supports natural, unique and socio-economically important floristic diversity due to unique topography, diverse habitats and large altitudinal range (200-8,000m amsl). Among several medicinal herbs, the four species, Swertia chirayiata, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Gentiana kurrooa and Picrorhiza kurrooa have been extensively used in the preparation of various herbal drug formulations. Due to over exploitation and habitat degradation, the populations of these medicinal herbs are depleting at an unprecedented rate and as a result have been declared as endangered. The imposition of legal restrictions on the collection of raw material from natural habitats has caused not only economic constraints on the local communities but also resulted in shortage of quality raw material for pharmaceutical and herbal drug industries. This has led to illegal procurement and adulteration of raw material of medicinal herbs, not only affecting the livelihood of local farmers but also resulting in adulteration of herbal drugs. We have developed tissue culture technologies for large-scale production of quality planting material for these herbs. The plant material is checked for the desired amounts of marker compounds and genetic purity through molecular markers before transferred to local communities for transplantation and adoption of technologies. The production of quality plant material is expected to go a long way in not only reclaiming the natural habitats of medicinal herbs but also creating avenues for enterprise development in high altitudes of Himalayas.