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Sclerotium rolfsii is a necrotrophic, soil-borne pathogenic fungus responsible for serious crop losses worldwide. It is one of the major phytopathogens infecting chilli and causes yield losses ranging from 16 to 80%. Among the various approaches to manage S. rolfsii, biological control is an environmentally acceptable alternative over other chemical methods. In this study, 120 endophytic fungal isolates obtained from a medicinal plant, Nothapodytes nimmoniana were evaluated for their in vitro and in vivo antagonism towards S. rolfsii. Among these, one isolate, Alternaria sp. exhibited 46.62% inhibition against S. rolfsii in dual culture assay on PDA. The inhibition was found to be mediated by the mycotoxin, tenuazonic acid, produced by the endophyte. Pre-germinated chilli seeds treated with mycelial suspension of Alternaria sp. reduced the seedling mortality due to S. rolfsii infection. Pretreatment with the endophyte also enhanced seedling growth and biomass compared to untreated seedlings under greenhouse conditions. These results suggest that the endophytic fungus, Alternaria sp. has potential implication for use as a biocontrol against S. rolfsii as well as for promoting growth of chilli.

Antagonism of plant pathogenic fungi by endophytic fungi is a well-known phenomenon. In plate assays, the antagonism could be due to mycoparasitism, competition for space or antibiosis, involving a chemical diffusate, or a volatile organic compound (VOC). In this study, we demonstrate that besides mycoparasitism, VOCs play a major role in antagonism of pathogenic fungi by four endophytic fungi belonging to the genus Trichoderma. Using a double-plate assay, we show that all the four endophytic Trichoderma species significantly inhibited mycelial growth of three of the four pathogens, (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum-TSS, Sclerotium rolfsii-CSR and Fusarium oxysporum-CFO), while that of Macrophomina phaseolina-CMP was not affected. GC-MS analysis of the pure cultures of one of the endophytic fungi studied, namely, Trichoderma longibrachiatum strain 2 (Acc. No. MK751758) and the pathogens, F. oxysporum-CFO and M. phaseolina-CMP revealed the presence of several VOCs including hydrocarbons, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, acids, ethers and different classes of terpenes. In mixed double plates, where the endophyte was grown along with either of the two plant pathogens, F. oxysporum-CFO or M. phaseolina-CMP, there was an induction of a number of new VOCs that were not detected in the pure cultures of either the endophyte or the pathogens. Several of these new VOCs are reported to possess antifungal and cytotoxic activity. We discuss these results and highlight the importance of such interactions in endophyte-pathogen interactions.

A. nilotica (L.) leaf extract was subjected to fractional extraction to isolate potential antioxidant compound ethyl gallate. A. nilotica (L.) leaf extract was fractionated with different solvents and was investigated for antioxidant activity. Based on the results, the pure compound obtained from Fr. Y with low IC50 was further characterized by UV–Vis spectra, IR, 1D, 2D-NMR spectra. Pure ethyl gallate showed 75% antioxidant activity. As ethyl gallate is an approved food additive and an emerging anticancer agent, this paper will be of major importance for the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Background: Oldenlandia umbellata L. (Indian madder) is an antique Ayurvedic Indian herb and a source of various anthraquinone derivatives. The red dye from its roots has been used in diverse applications since ancient times. Objectives: To establish reliable and effective protocols for in vitro flowering of O. umbellata. Materials and methods: For in vitro flowering, organogenic calli were subcultured onto Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various concentrations of Naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) (0.15–1.0 mg/l) and Benzyladenine(BA) (0.5–1.5 mg/l) with and without 0.4% of coconut milk (CM). Results: The highest number of in vitro flowers (22.8%) and best response (92.73%) was achieved on MS medium supplemented with 0.7 mg/l NAA + 1.5 mg/l BA with 0.4% CM. It was found that MS medium devoid of BA promoted best root development (47.3 per calli) as well as response (100%). It was also observed that when embryogenic calli grown in depletion of required nutrition transferred to fresh media induced more flowering. In vivo and in vitro floral comparative analysis revealed that in vitro flower induction was required for short time duration (20.67 days) than in vivo flower. Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on in vitro flowering and this study will help to overcome problems associated with flower development and seed production. As a result, this study may be a potent conservation tool to restore innate population size in its natural habitat. Keywords: Oldenlandia umbellata, Plant dyes, In vitro flowering

Astaxanthin (3, 3′-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4′-dione) is a high-value ketocarotenoid synthesized by several species of microalgae, plants, bacteria, and fungi and widely used as a potent antioxidant for human health and also a coloring agent. About six genes ( CrtI , CrtL , CrtO , CrtW , CrtR and CrtZ ) involve in the biosynthesis of astaxanthin. Phylogenetic analysis of astaxanthin biosynthetic pathway genes and their evolutionary rate variations has been studied among major phylogenetic groups of organisms such as plant, algae, and bacteria. The maximum likelihood (ML) algorithm was used in protein coding DNA sequences to infer the evolutionary relationship for the Crt genes among different eukaryotic and prokaryotic lineages. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that evolutionary pattern of Crt genes in eukaryotic and prokaryotic is characterized by even such as lateral gene transfer and gene duplication events. The specific amino acids present in the respective enzymes are the reason for their functional divergence. The dN values indicate that astaxanthin biosynthetic genes are more conserved in plant and algae than in any other bacterial phyla. This study provides the knowledge of individual Crt enzymes in different organisms that helps to increase the production of astaxanthin which is a biologically significant apocarotenoid that has various uses ranging from human health to cosmetic purposes.

The aim of this study was to obtain high-yielding cell cultures of Rubia cordifolia by applying gamma irradiation and subsequently scaling up for anthraquinone production in a bioreactor. Calli cultured on MS medium was irradiated at variable doses between 2 Gy and 30 Gy. The callus cultures that were irradiated at 8 Gy accumulated a maximum alizarin level of 26.86 mg g-1 DW and a purpurin level of 44.85 mg g-1 DW during the M1T4 (fourth sub-cultures after gamma irradiation treatment) subculture, which was 6-fold and 11-fold higher than those of the nonirradiated callus cultures, respectively. Suspension cultures that originated from high-yielding callus cultures irradiated at 8 Gy were scaled up in an 8-L stirred bioreactor equipped with different impellers. The callus cultures in a bioreactor using a helical ribbon for homogenous mixing synthesized 63.58 % more anthraquinones than those in the bioreactor equipped with a Rushton disc turbine. This is the first report on the production of alizarin and purpurin in a bioreactor.

Phycoremediation ability of microalgae namely Oscillatoria acuminate and Phormidium irrigum were validated against the heavy metals from tannery effluent of Ranipet industrial area. The microalgae species were cultured in media containing tannery effluent in two different volumes and the parameters like specific growth rate, protein content and antioxidant enzyme activities were estimated. FTIR spectroscopy was carried out to know the sorption sites interaction. The antioxidant enzymes namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) contents were increased in microalgae species indicating the free radical scavenging mechanism under heavy metal stress. SOD activity was 0.502 and 0.378 units/gram fresh weight, CAT activity was 1.36 and 0.256 units/gram fresh weight, GSH activity was 1.286 and 1.232 units/gram fresh weight respectively in the effluent treated microalgae species. Bio sorption efficiency for Oscillatoria acuminate and Phormidium irrigum was 90% and 80% respectively. FTIR analysis revealed the interaction of microalgae species with chemical groups present in the tannery effluent. From the results, the microalgae Oscillatoria acuminate possess high antioxidant activity and bio sorption efficiency when compared to Phormidium irrigum and hence considered useful in treating heavy metals contaminated effluents.

Prominent microalgal species, namely Anabaena, Oscillatoria, Phormidium, and Spirogyra, were isolated from estuaries polluted with tannery effluents and studied to determine their Cr(VI) bio-sorption potential. The bio-sorption potential was determined by studying the effect of growth, biomass, reduction of Cr(VI) levels, and Cr(VI) absorption by the microalgal species. The respective values for Anabaena, Oscillatora, Phormidium, and Spirogyra compared with the control were as follows: growth in BG 11 medium containing tannery effluent was 53.99, 60.03, 55.76, and 55.85%; the biomass was 60.65, 77.61, 67.16, and 76.01%; the Cr(VI) reduction potential was 70.96, 80.64, 76.12, and 74.83%; and the bio-sorption potential was 75.48, 80.64, 79.35, and 77.41%. The removal of heavy metals by microalgal biomass involves bio-reduction and bio-sorption. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance results revealed the presence of microalgal sorption sites. All four species showed ma...

Natural toxins from plant sources with wide ranges of biological activities reflect the upswing of drug design in the pharmaceutical industry. Rubia cordifolia L. is one of the most important red dye yielding plants. Most of the former researches have focused on the bioactive compounds from the roots of R. cordifolia, while no attention was paid towards the fruits. For the first time, here we report the presence of dibutyl phthalate in the fruits of R. cordifolia. Structural characterization was carried out using Ultraviolet-Visible spectrophotometer (UV-Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), gas chromatography-mass spectrophotometer (GC-MS), Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Acute toxicity of the crude ethanolic extracts of the R. cordifolia fruits was examined in Swiss albino mice. No mortality was observed in all treated mice with 100, 500, 1000 mg/kg body weight of crude extract of R. cordifolia fruit and it indicates that the LD50 value is higher than 1000 mg/kg body weight. This study exhibited a significant change in the body weight. Alanine transaminase (ALT), total protein, triglycerides, glucose, and also the histopathological analysis of liver for all treated mice showed difference from the control group. The dibutyl phthalate was further evaluated for the toxicity study through in silico analysis. Together, the results highlighted that the toxic potential of R. cordifolia fruits extracts and also the toxicity profile of the fruit should be essential for the future studies dealing with the long term effect in animals. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 1059-1067, 2016.

Arthrospira (Spirulina) belongs to the cyanobacterial family has been reported as a potential bioremediation agent. The bioadsorption potential of Arthrospira species, namely A. indica, A. maxima, and A. platensis, was tested against lead, chromium, and cadmium toxicity under laboratory conditions. Arthrospira species were cultured in Zarrouk’s medium containing lead, chromium, and cadmium with two varying concentrations (0.01 and 0.05mM) and in river water contaminated with tannery effluent containing these heavy metals. Parameters like specific growth rate, total chlorophyll, and total protein contents were analyzed and compared. Specific growth rate,totalchlorophyll,andtotalproteincontentspossessdosedependentdecreasewith increase in concentrations of metals and also in heavy metal contaminated tannery effluent whencomparedwithcontrol.Statisticalanalysisrevealedthatthereisagood correlation between the specific growth rate and protein content in all the species. Atomic absorption spectrometry analysis also revealed that there is a maximum bioadsorption potential of the Arthrospira species. Results indicated that the three Arthrospira species used in this experiment were found to be potential candidates for bioadsorption against lead, chromium, and cadmium.

Biosorption of two chosen heavy metals viz. zinc and nickel were tested with selected strains of Spirulina namely S. indica, S. maxima, and S. platensis under laboratory conditions. The selected cyanobacterial strains were cultured in Zarrouk medium treated with zinc and nickel ions at varying concentrations (0.01, 0.05, and 0.1 mM). Biosorption ability of the selected cyanobacterial strains were evaluated in terms of doubling time, chlorophyll content (Chl A, Chl C) and protein content. Data depict that growth was significantly affected by the concentration of selected metals in the culture medium. At a concentration of 0.1 mM, growth of the strains exhibited poor growth due to heavy metal stress. Maximum growth was exhibited by S. maxima at 0.01 mM zinc (6.9 mg/L) and 0.01 mM nickel (17 mg/L). Results indicate that S. maxima can be used as a potential candidate for bioremediation of the major pollutants (zinc and nickel) in the tannery effluent.

This study was carried out to evaluate the inoculation effects of Achromobacterxylosoxidans AUM54 and Indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) on the growth of the medicinal plant Naraveliazeylanica (L.) DC under micropropagation conditions. Results revealed that the micropropagated shoots treated with the combination of endophytic bacterium and IBA promoted shoot growth, root length, number of roots, chlorophyll content, nitrogen content, antioxidant enzymes, and stress tolerance compared with the control plants. A significant increase in shoot fresh and dry weights (64.65 and 8.85 %), root fresh and dry weights (61.65 and 3.91 %), shoot length (30.17 %), root length (28.57 %) and number of roots (276.9 %) was observed in treated plants over controls. Total chlorophyll and nitrogen content of bacterized plants also treated with IBA showed a 48.39 and 116.66 % increase, respectively, compared with controls. A significant increase in peroxidase (22.52 %) and superoxide dismutase levels (48.38 %) and fewer changes in the polyphenol oxidase level were observed in plants treated with A. xylosoxidans AUM54 and IBA. Moreover, stress ethylene levels were reduced by 21.4 and 14.5 % due to bacterization with A. xylosoxidans AUM54 and IBA treatment during postacclimatization and acclimatization stages, respectively. The shoot primordial with application of A. xylosoxidans AUM54 and IBA (1 mg l−1) had increased survivability of N. zeylanica plants by 30 % during the acclimatization stage under greenhouse conditions. From the present study it could be inferred that the association of endophytic bacterium A. xylosoxidans AUM54 and IBA with in vitro shoots of N. zeylanica improved root initiation, promoted plant growth and development under micropropagation conditions, reduced stress ethylene levels, and increased survivability during the postacclimatization stage. Therefore, A. xylosoxidans AUM54 along with IBA treatment can be used as a valuable tool for micropropagation of N. zeylanica and other endangered plants.

Natural processes like wave action, tides, winds, storm surges, and tsunamis constantly shape the shoreline by inducing erosion and accretion. Coastlines with intact vegetated dunes, mangroves, and reefs act as a buffer zone against wave attack on beaches. This article discusses the effect of simulated seagrass on wave height attenuation and wave run-up through an experimental study. The tests were carried out with submerged artificial seagrass subjected to varying wave climate in a 50-m-long wave flume. Measurements of wave heights along the seagrass meadow and the wave run-up on a 1:12 sloped beach were taken for wave heights ranging from 0.08 to 0.16 m at an interval of 0.02 m and wave periods 1.8 and 2 seconds in water depths of 0.40 and 0.45 m.

Background: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is an immunosuppressive disease. Over the past decades, it has plagued human health due to the grave consequences in its harness. Objective: For this reason, anti-HIV agents are imperative, and the search for the same from natural resources would assure the safety. Materials and Methods: In this investigation we have performed molecular docking, molecular property prediction, drug-likeness score, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to develop a novel anti-HIV drug. We have screened 12 alkaloids from a medicinal plant Toddalia asiatica for its probabilistic binding with the active site of the HIV-1-reverse transcriptase (HIV-1-RT) domain (the major contributor to the onset of the disease). Results: The docking results were evaluated based on free energies of binding (ΔG), and the results suggested toddanol, toddanone, and toddalenone to be potent inhibitors of HIV-1-RT. In addition, the alkaloids were subjected to molecular property prediction analysis. Toddanol and toddanone with more rotatable bonds were found to have a drug-likeness score of 0.23 and 0.11, respectively. These scores were comparable with the standard anti-HIV drug zidovudine with a model score 0.28. Finally, two characteristic protein-ligand complexes were exposed to MD simulation to determine the stability of the predicted conformations. Conclusion: The toddanol-RT complex showed higher stability and stronger H-bonds than toddanone-RT complex. Based on these observations, we firmly believe that the alkaloid toddanol could aid in efficient HIV-1 drug discovery. SUMMARY In the present study, the molecular docking and MD simulations are performed to explore the possible binding mode of HIV 1 RT with 12 alkaloids of T. asiatica. Molecular docking by AutoDock4 revealed three alkaloids toddanol, toddanone, and toddalenone with highest binding affinity towards HIV 1 RT. The drug likeness model score revealed a positive score for toddanol and toddanone which is comparable to the drug likeness score of the standard anti HIV drug zidovudine. Results from simulation analysis revealed that toddanol RT complex is more stable than toddanone RT complex inferring toddanol as a potential anti HIV drug molecule. Abbreviations used: HIV: Human immunodeficiency virus, HIV 1 RT: HIV 1 reverse transcriptase, RNase H: Ribonuclease H, MD: Molecular dynamics, PDB: Protein databank, RMSD: Root mean square deviation, RMSF: Root mean square fluctuation.

The presence of anthraquinones gives many plants of the Rubiaceae commercial importance. The root of Oldenlandia umbellata L. (Indian madder) is a source of natural dyes. In the present study, successful protocols have been developed for rapid root development and dye production from in vitro raised normal roots. For rapid root development, organogenic calli were subcultured onto MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of NAA (1-naphthaleneacetic acid) (0.15–1.0 mg/l) with CM (coconut milk) (0.2–0.6%). The best root development (47.3 per calli) as well as response (100%) was obtained in the MS medium supplemented with 0.7 mg/l NAA and 0.4%CM. The dye obtained from in vitro raised normal roots was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), spectrophotometric quantification followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The in vitro roots represented 338.84 μg/ml AE (alizarin equivalence) of anthraquinones, whereas the in vivo roots were found to possess 361 μg/ml AE. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on anthraquinone dye production from O. umbellata which enhances the production of fresh pigment and through in vitro culture allows harvest throughout the year.

Dietary intake of phytochemicals having antioxidant activity is associated with a lower risk of mortality from many diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the free radical scavenging, cytotoxic and hemolytic activities of leaves ofAcacia niloticaby using various methods. The results of the present study revealed that ethanol extract was the most effective and IC50value was found to be 53.6 μg mL−1for Vero cell lines and 28.9 μg mL−1for Hela cell lines in cytotoxicity assays. The zone of color retention was 14.2 mm in -carotene bleaching assay, which was as significant as positive control, butylated hydroxy toluene. None of the tested extracts possessed any hemolytic activity against rat and human erythrocytes revealing their cytotoxic mechanism and non-toxicity. Thus, only the ethanol extract could be considered as a potential source of anticancer and antioxidant compounds. Further phytochemical studies will be performed for specification of the biologically active principles.

Oldenlandia umbellata L., commonly known as “Indian madder”, is an ancient Indian herb valued as a source of red color dye and various medicinal products. In this study, successful protocols have been developed for induction of somatic embryogenesis and organogenesis in O. umbellata. Emerging young leaves, shoot apices, and stems were used as explants, grown on Murashige and Skoog (MS) media supplemented with various auxins, including indole acetic acid, indole butyric acid, napthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, each at levels ranging between 0.1 and 0.5 mg/l, cytokinins, including benzyladenine (BA) and kinetin, each at concentration ranging between 0.5 and 5 mg/l, with and without coconut milk (CM) at levels of 0.5–5%. For callus induction, NAA at 2.5 mg/l was optimal; while, for rapid embryogenic callus induction, 0.2 mg/l NAA, 0.5 mg/l BA, and 0.1% CM induced the highest frequency (95.86%). Shoots developed upon transfer of embryogenic calli to MS medium containing 1.5 mg/l BA, 0.3 mg/l NAA and 1% CM. For root induction, 0.3 mg/l NAA and 1.0% CM promoted highest and earliest rooting.

The present study was carried out with the tannery effluent contaminated with heavy metals collected from Ambur industrial area to determine the phycoremediation potential of Arthrospira (Spirulina) platensis. Two different concentrations (50 and 100 %) of heavy metals containing tannery effluent treated with A. platensis were analysed for growth, absorption spectra, biochemical properties and antioxidant enzyme activity levels. The effluent treatments revealed dose-dependent decrease in the levels of A. platensis growth (65.37 % for 50 % effluent and 49.32 % for 100 % effluent), chlorophyll content (97.43 % for 50 % effluent and 71.05 % for 100 % effluent) and total protein content (82.63 % for 50 % effluent and 62.10 % for 100 % effluent) that leads to the reduction of total solids, total dissolved solids and total suspended solids. A. platensis with lower effluent concentration was effective than at higher concentration. Treatment with the effluent also resulted in increased activity levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (14.58 units/g fresh weight for 50 % and 24.57 units/g fresh weight for 100 %) and catalase (0.963 units/g fresh weight for 50 % and 1.263 units/g fresh weight for 100 %). Furthermore, heavy metal content was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. These results indicated that A. platensis has the ability to combat heavy metal stress by the induction of antioxidant enzymes demonstrating its potential usefulness in phycoremediation of tannery effluent.

The Biligiriranga Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRTTR) is a chain of hills and important ecosystems, which forms the biogeographic ridge between two biodiversity rich areas namely the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats of India. The hills are being resided by the Soliga tribal community for the centuries and accorded with a status of Tiger reserve in December 2010 under Project Tiger administered by National Tiger Conservation Authority. The study was done on the traditional ecological knowledge of the people in healthcare system. A total of 108 plants belonging to 51 families have been identified, which the Soliga tribal community uses for curing various ailments. The local name, part used, disease cured and prescribed dosage are properly documented while developing detailed inventory on the plant biodiversity of the region. The ecological status of the plant species is also reported to understand their conservation status at global level. The ailments listed are categorized in major and minor ailments. The results indicate that 76% people still depend on traditional health care systems to cure minor ailments. However, 04% people depend on the traditional health care system to cure major diseases. And 33% people were found to be followed traditional and allopathic treatment for curing the major ailments like arthritis, asthma, diabetes, kidney stones, tuberculosis etc. Among the recorded species 09 are found under vulnerable category, followed by endangered (07), endemic (03), low risk-least concerned (02) and data deficient (01). Keeping change in policy scenario in view there would be possibility to relocate tribal community from some of the areas in core of BRTTR to other places. This shift coupled with various other factors for example restrictions on the collection of forest resources, change in socioeconomic setup, and acculturation which is taking place in the society, the ecological and indigenous knowledge of the region would face danger of vanishing. This study support India's initiatives of protecting TEK from patent issues where non-codified information was codified for the future use. And argues that the biodiversity conservation in protected areas requires regular monitoring of various species within the purview of human interactions on ecosystems for various needs.

Oldenlandia umbellata L., commonly known as 'chay root', belongs to the family Rubiaceae and is one of the unexplored dye-yielding plants. The roots from this plant are the sources of red dye. Extraction protocol and dye characterisation have not been completely studied so far in this plant. Hence, in this article we have used UV spectrophotometry, thin layer chromatography, GC-MS, high-performance liquid chromatography and NMR to identify the five major colouring compounds, including 1,2,3-trimethoxyanthraquinone, 1,3-dimethoxy-2-hydroxyanthraquinone, 1,2-dimethoxyanthraquinone, 1-methoxy-2-hydroxyanthraquinone and 1,2-dihydroxyanthraquinone. It showed application feasibility as a new pH indicator.

The present study was carried out in Biligiriranga-Swamy Temple Tiger Reserve (BRTTR), a hill range situated in the south eastern (Western Ghats) part of Karnataka, bordering Tamilnadu, India. An indigenous tribal community known as Soligas rely on nature and natural resources for livelihood. Soligas follow unique traditional cultural practices especially in the usage of medicinal plants for treating various ailments and diseases. The BRTTR is also inhabited by non tribal people and their settlements are mostly found at the foothills of this unique hill range. Our study was aimed at understanding the importance of medicinal plant species in the traditional medicine systems followed by tribal and non-tribal people. The cross cultural knowledge regarding medicinal plants possessed by different communities has so far been poorly documented. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to document the cross-cultural ethnic knowledge of the people living in the same geographical area. We have found 50 plant species used in the traditional medicine systems by both the tribal (Soliga) and non-tribal communities. However, the modes of preparation with different ingredients for treating various ailments are not similar among the people of the region. Among the 50 species about 26 leaf species, and 24 plants root plants are used in the traditional health care systems, while a very few ailments are treated with 2 tuber species, 2 latex species and 1 flower species. Due to variety of factors, so the people continue to use diffrent plant specieis for treating various ailments. Among the plants recorded from the region, nearly 12% are used for curing cold and cough, skin infections, while less than 2.67% of the total plants documented are used for curing major diseases like malaria, Blood pressure. The results indicate that the people inhabited in and around BRTTR have unique ecological knowledge using plant biodiversity in traditional health care system. Limited literature is available on cross cultural ecological knowledge of the people living in similar geographical and ecological settings.

The Indian sub-continent is endowed with a huge plant biodiversity. The two important landscapes, viz. the Himalayas and the Western Ghats in India, are the home for more than 6,000 endemic plant species thus listed among the 34 biodiversity hotspots worldwide. We have carried out a study in the Nilgiris, located in Western Ghats, India to understand the human and plant interactions and role of plant bio-diversity in ecosystem conservation and development of the local economy. The majority of the people in the study region are non-tribal and about 15% belong to various tribal communities. Tribal people remained isolated from the main stream for the last generations so, they are still different from other communities in terms of their unique cultural practices. These tribal groups have been using a variety of wild plants to cure various ailments in their traditional health care system. More specifically, their unique medicinal practices were not known to the other communities of the region and have so far been poorly documented. The objective of this current study was to document the ethnic knowledge on medicinal plants in their cross cultural practices used by the various tribal groups of the Nilgiris in Western Ghats. Since the Nilgiris is the confluence of the Western and the Eastern Ghats, two of the most floristically rich areas in India, they support diverse communities of flora and fauna. The study encompasses documenting medicinal plants used by different tribal communities, the market economics of some of these medicinal plants, the interest of people on traditional medicine and domestication of medicinal plants. The study found that traditional medicinal practices are deteriorating at a much faster rate, due to acculturation taking place in the society on one hand and the influence of allopathic medicinal practices on the other. The economic status of these tribal people, as thoroughly discussed in this article, can be improved by helping them with training in processing and marketing of the medicinal plants. At the beginning, kitchen gardening should be used for demonstrating the cultivation practices of medicinal plants, while selecting some important endangered species. Once farmers are well versed with the technical know-how of cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, then the area of such herbal gardens can be expanded in the form of bringing them under cultivation in the main agricultural land used in the region. With the help of a few successful demonstration models, this approach will be a new means of conservation through cultivation, and simultaneously, the interest of young minds shall be ignited for conservation and sustainable livelihood development.