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India's vast exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with its rich bounty of living and non-living resources, offers a great opportunity to expand its economy and food security, and could enable sustainable development and create resilient jobs. Marine fisheries, mariculture and marine bioprospecting are significant sectors which could act as the next big drivers of the GDP and public welfare. Marine biodiversity documentation sporadically requires innovative techniques using genomics in combination with underwater imagery to cover the full spectrum of marine living resources. Deep waters beyond 500 m depth are not optimally exploited and offer immense scope for commercial exploitation. The mariculture sector, despite the wide array of candidate species, is still in its infancy and requires the use of genetic engineering to develop breeds suitable for the mariculture systems. Employing new analytical technologies and a wide range of 'multiomics' tools can enhance the bioprospecting of numerous marine living resources, which have the potential to unravel hundreds of new compounds for human well-being. Ascertaining the continuity of the blue economy demands judicious management of oceanic resources through innovative and sustainable practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our thirty years of research at Vivekananda Institute of Tropical Mycology (VINSTROM) on fungal endophytes of terrestrial and aquatic plants have yielded many interesting insights into this ecological group of fungi, a constituent of the plant microbiome. Having pioneered the study of fungal endophytes in India, we have established a culture collection of these fungi in VINSTROM. It now has about 1700 fungal endophyte isolates obtained from plants of different ecosystems in different parts of India. Endophytes produce an extraordinary array of bioactive compounds, novel industrial enzymes and enhance the fitness of the plants they colonize by elevating their tolerance to abiotic and biotic stressors. Considering such desirable traits of fungal endophytes, VINSTROM's culture collection is a unique repository that needs to be explored for the technological use of endophytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six species of medicinal and aromatic plants, viz. Allium stracheyi, Allium humile, Allium rubellum, Pleurospermum angelicoides, Carum carvi and Angelica glauca having high economic value were selected for bioprospecting and brought under cultivation from wild in the high altitude villages of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Uttarakhand. The edible parts of selected species were analysed for nutritional value to evaluate their potential for promoting large scale consumption and cultivation. Among the selected species, macronutrients were found maximum for Allium stracheyi, i.e. carbohydrates (98.34 mg/g), proteins (187.11 mg/g), vitamin C (156.50 mg/g), vitamin B2 (26.12 mcg/gm), vitamin E (61.10 mg/g) and phosphorus (14.13 mg/g) followed by Allium rubellum and Allium humile. The results of nutritional value, cultivation practices and technique of value addition were demonstrated to rural inhabitants through on-site training and capacity building programmes to enhance their skill and awareness about the potential of selected species for livelihood options. The cost--benefit analysis of cultivation and collection from wild, and value addition of herbal spices were done to see if the species were feasible for developing local entrepreneurs. These efforts enhance the ability and knowledge of local inhabitants for cultivation and value addition of medicinal herbal spices in the region. The overall impacts of the work were seen as an improvement in socio-economic conditions of residing community and awareness for medicinal plant conservation in their natural habitat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the dawn of civilization, natural resources have remained the mainstay of various remedial approaches of humans vis-á-vis a large number of illnesses. Saraca asoca (Roxb.) de Wilde (Saraca indica L.) belonging to the family Caesalpiniaceae has been regarded as a universal panacea in old Indian Ayurvedic texts and has especially been used to manage gynaecological complications and infections besides treating haemmorhagic dysentery, uterine pain, bacterial infections, skin problems, tumours, worm infestations, cardiac and circulatory problems. Almost all parts of the plant are considered pharmacologically valuable. Extensive folkloric practices and ethnobotanical applications of this plant have even lead to the availability of several commercial S. asoca formulations recommended for different indications though adulteration of these remains a pressing concern. Though a wealth of knowledge on this plant is available in both the classical and modern literature, extensive research on its phytomedicinal worth using state-of-the-art tools and methodologies is lacking. Recent reports on bioprospecting of S. asoca endophytic fungi for industrial bioproducts and useful pharmacologically relevant metabolites provide a silver lining to uncover single molecular bio-effectors from its endophytes. Here, we describe socio-ethnobotanical usage, present the current pharmacological status and discuss potential bottlenecks in harnessing the proclaimed phytomedicinal worth of this prescribed Ayurvedic medicinal plant. Finally, we also look into the possible future of the drug discovery and pharmaceutical R&D efforts directed at exploring its pharma legacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungal community associated with terrestrial Arctic moss, Tetraplodon mimoides was studied by examining fresh thallus tissue and adhered soil. The study resulted in the isolation of 46 microfungi belonging to 20 species in 12 genera. These included seven non-sporulating morphotypes. To the best of our knowledge, species such as Botrytis verrucosa, Mortierella simplex, M. schmuckeri, Penicillium frequentans, P. rugulosum and Cladosporium chlorocephalum are new records to the study region. All isolates were tested for production of cold-adapted amylase, pectinase, cellulase, esterase, protease, phosphatase and urease. The cultures showed varying degrees of enzyme production, with two cultures producing all seven enzymes. The present study helps in understanding the fungal diversity associated with plants growing in extreme habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term bioprospecting has been widely used to assess the economic potential of different plant species and their value-addition. Our folklore with embedded cultural heritage has tremendous possibilities and potential for bioprospecting. Among the over 8000 species of flowering plants growing in the Himalaya, nearly 4000 are identified from the Garhwal Himalayan region. This part of region enjoyed a significant place throughout its history. This region enriched with diverse vegetational wealth and indigenous wisdom of resource use, if subjected to bioprospecting may prove to be a boon for the society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drug discovery from plants involves a multidisciplinary approach combining botanical, ethnobotanical, phytochemical and biological techniques. Plants continue to provide us new chemical entitities (lead molecules) for the development of drugs against various pharmacological targets, including cancer, HIV/AIDS, malaria, Alzheimer's disease and pain. Several natural-product drugs of plant origin are in clinical use, including paclitaxel, camptothecin-derived analogues, arteether, galanthamine, tiotropium to name a few, and some are undergoing Phase II and Phase III clinical trials. Although plant-based drug discovery programmes continue to provide an important source of new drug leads, numerous challenges are encountered, including procurement and authentication of plant materials, implementation of high-throughput screening bioassays and scale-up of bioactive lead compounds. At the same time, there are opportunities for India as it is rich in genetic resources and traditional knowledge, which are key components for bioprospecting and value-addition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agharkar Research Institute, Pune has a mission of conducting basic and applied research in life sciences by harnessing the genetic diversity of microbes, plants and animals for a cleaner environment, sustainable agriculture and better health of the masses. To achieve this goal, it is making valuable contributions in the areas of biodiversity, bioenergy, bioprospecting, genetics and plant breeding, developmental biology, and nanobioscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information about the International Conference on Medicinal Plants and Herbal Drugs: Challenges and Opportunities in Cultivation, Sustainable Utilization and Conservation (ICMPHD) sponsored by different government and private agencies on medicinal plants and herbal medicine is presented. Topics include the importance of herbal medicine, bioprospecting, and biotechnology. The conference featured several experts including S. Madhavan, M. J. Nanjan, and R. R. Rao.