Search

Valeriana jatamansi is a perennial medicinal herb used in traditional and modern medicines for preventing number of diseases. Root samples were collected from wild and cultivated conditions in different seasons (spring, summer and winter) and analyzed for essential oil composition using gas chromatography – Mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Antioxidant activity of essential oil was evaluated using DPPH (1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical) assay. A total of thirty compounds (constitutes 80.1–92.1% of total essential oil) were detected by GC–MS analysis. Patchouli alcohol (36.6–52.8%) was recorded as a major compound followed by guaiene epoxide (3.6–11.5%), seychellene (4.2–5.6%), α-guaiene (2.2–4.6%), kessane (2.7–3.6%), α-patchoulene (0.1–2.3%), β-selinene (0.8–3.1 β-acoradienol (0.6–2.4%), ar-curcumene (0.7–2.2%), γ-patchoulene (1.4–2.6%), viridiflorol (0.6–2.4%), and α-humulene (0.1–4.6%). Essential oil content was recorded higher during winter season in wild (0.9%) and cultivated plants (0.8%) as ...

The present study aims to determine the variability in the chemical composition of the essential oils from the aerial parts of Artemisia vulgaris L. grown in different locations of Uttarakhand Himalaya. The essential oils were obtained through hydro-distillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In the oils from two locations (Jhanjhar and Kaditalla), α-thujone was found as the major constituent, ranging from 14.40–21.66 % followed by artemisia ketone (6.77–8.64 %), trans-caryophyllene (6.22–6.94 %) and 1,8-cineole (4.75–5.13 %); however in Chakrata region, artemisia ketone (29.38 %) was determined as a principal constituent followed by p-cymene (7.60 %) and yomogi alcohol (5.48 %), while α-thujone found to be only 3.10 %. Essential oils from all the locations were dominated by oxygenated monoterpenoids (52.04–59.24 %), whereas oxygenated sesquiterpenoids found to be 23.08–24.05 % in Jhanjhar and Kaditalla locations and only 2.44 % in the oil...

Three Himalayan medicinal plants (Habenaria intermedia, H. edgeworthii, and Roscoea procera), widely used in vitality strengthening Ayurvedic formulations in India, were assessed for nutritional phytochemical constituents, and antioxidant activity. These target species emerged as a good source of minerals and possessed important micro elements. Individually, H. intermedia contained a high content of total phenols, thiamins, tannins, and calcium; R. procera was rich in potassium and iron content; and H. edgeworthii emerged as a good source of sodium. While various antioxidant assays provided evidences on the antioxidant potential of target species, greater antioxidant potential of H. intermedia as compared to the other two species was revealing. This study, therefore, highlighted the possibilities of harnessing nutritional and antioxidant potential of these species.

Berberis asiatica samples collected from nine altitudes of Kumaun Himalaya, India were analyzed for berberine concentrations using high-performance liquid chromatography. Correlation between berberine concentration, size class, and season were established. The root and stem bark samples from lower altitude, having larger size class, contained more berberine. Berberine concentration was the highest in summer and lowest in the rainy season. Low level of soil moisture and higher level of soil potassium produced higher berberine concentrations.