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Curcuma caesia Roxb. belonging to Zingiberaceae family is a rhizomatous perennial herb consisting of bluish black rhizome and having vast medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. It is considered as an endangered medicinal plant and native to India. The aim of this study is to assess the molecular diversity among the high rhizome essential oil yielding lines of C. caesia (> 1.5% w/w). The molecular diversity analysis was done by using 45 simple sequence repeat markers amongst the 78 high essential oil yielding lines of C. caesia. The overall percentage of polymorphism amongst the lines was found to be 53%. AMOVA analysis showed 20% and 80% variations among and within the population respectively. Dendrogram constructed using Unweighted Pair Group with Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) for those high essential oil yielding lines sorted into five major clusters according to their different geographical locations. These five clusters were confirmed using principle component analysis (PCA), based on the Jaccard’s similarity coefficient. The results revealed that these microsatellite markers could be used as successful tool to differentiate the genetic makeup of the crop. Molecular diversity of C. caesia has not been studied till now. So, this is the first scientific report on molecular diversity analysis which may help in the further crop improvement programme and germplasm conservation also.

Cymbopogon flexuous of the family Poaceae is a highly valued grass known throughout the world for its aromatic properties. The objective of the study is to identify novel myrcene and methyl iso-eug...

The present study determined the capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin and nordihydrocapsaicin of

The present work has been aimed to investigate the chemical composition of the essential oil of Artemisia vulgaris L. leaves by gas chromatography followed by mass spectrometry method (GC/MS), anti...

Zingiber officinale Roscoe commonly known as ginger is one of the most important spice crop of North East India. This plant has found a wide range of application- as condiments and spice, as flavouring agent, in medicine and as therapeutic uses in pharmaceuticals industries. Different varieties of Zingiber officinale are cultivated in this region but their identification is still lacking till now. Evaluation of genetic diversity is therefore essential for conservation, to avoid duplicity of germplasm and maintenance of this important species. Molecular markers Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) are tested for eighty high dry recovery genotypes. Selections of genotypes are based on more than 25% dry rhizome recovery. Among 90 primers (40 RAPD and 50 ISSR) initially tested, 26 RAPD and 28 ISSR are used in the study which showed 84.1% and 85.2% polymorphism respectively. Dendrogram generated from UPGMA (Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Mean) cluster analysis for both RAPD and ISSR marker was similar. Similar conclusion can be drawn from the result of cluster analysis. These primers could be used for future studies as varietal developmental programme on high dry rhizome recovery lines.

Anethole, a widely used industrial flavoring agent is majorly sourced from anise and star anise. The present study is aimed to the in-depth pharmacological analysis i.e. anti-diabetic, skin whitening, neurodegenerative disorder inhibitory activities of anethole-rich Clausena heptaphylla leaf essential oil (ARCHEO) (88.59%) as revealed by the Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and further confirmed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance 1H-NMR as well as to compare with standard compound anethole. ARCHEO (ABTS EC50 6.97 ± 0.004 µg/mL; Protease assay 4.51 ± 0.004 µg/mL) outperformed the standard compound anethole (ABTS EC50 9.48 ± 0.048 µg/mL; Protease assay EC50 22.64 ± 0.016 µg/mL) in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory experiments. ARCHEO was also shown to be more effective than the reference compound anethole in terms of anti-diabetic activity (EC50 22.35 ± 0.121 µg/mL), tyrosinase inhibitory activity (EC50 16.45 ± 0.012 µg/mL), and anti-cholinesterase activity (EC50 22.32 ± 0.016 µg/mL). However, ARCHEO exhibited lower antimicrobial activity towards all the tested microbes compared to standard compound anethole and as for the MIC, ARCHEO was effective only towards Salmonella typhimurium (60 µg/mL), Streptococcus mutans (20 µg/mL), and Aspergillus fumigatus (75 µg/mL). ARCHEO (11.11%) and anethole (12.33%) showed no genotoxic effect based on Allium cepa assay mitotic index value. Thus, ARCHEO could be a commercially viable and widely available cheaper source of anethole, which has buoyant demand in the field of food flavoring, fragrance, and pharmaceutical industries.

Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth, also known as patchouli is an aromatic herb mainly used for high quality perfumery, aromatherapy and fragrances. The study was conducted to identify high yielding mutant genotype of patchouli through gamma radiation. In this experiment 14 different doses of gamma adiation were given to rooted slips of patchouli variety Johor. All 482 M2 progenies were produced and their morphological, qualitative and quantitative oil data were recorded. Advanced progenies were developed and finally selected a single plant from each M4 progenies on the basis of high essential oil and high herbage yield. These 14 lines were planted in RCBD design along with the check variety with three replications. Significant differences were observed in most of the agronomic characters and oil quality parameters among all mutant progenies. Among all the mutant lines, line no. 9 was found to be superior with plant height, herbage yield per plant, essential oil percent and monopodia length in compa...

Kaempferia galanga is very important medicinal and aromatic plants of throughout Asia. It is used in skin diseases, piles, cough, fever, epilepsy, spleen disorders, wounds, asthma and rheumatism; a...

India is home to many exotic and endemic species and a vast range of variability is found in a single plant species. Naga King Chilli or Bhut Jolokia (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) is one such plant native to Assam and considered as a naturally developed hybrid of C. chinense and C. frutescens. This plant has found a special place in Assamese culture for making pickles, adding hotness to different foodstuff and curing various ailments such as arthritis, asthma, cough and sore throat, headache, gastritis, toothache and muscle pain, while capsaicin has found many pharmaceutical applications, including anti-arthritis, weight loss, thermoregulation, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular activity. Moreover, the hotness and sweet aroma of Bhut Jolokia are currently gaining huge commercial importance in national and international markets. So to fulfil the high commercial demand of capsicum or capsaicinoid in the world market, preference should be given on large-scale cultivation of Bhut Jolokia variety with high capsaicin content.

Capsicum chinense Jacq. of family Solanaceae is one of the hottest chilli in the world, which contains higher capsaicin compared to other chilli species available in India. Currently the pungency of C. chinense is decreasing due to selection of robust genotypes for increasing yield, intermixing of local cultivars etc. Moreover till date very little information is available regarding the molecular characterization from North East India, which is considered to be the centre of origin of this plant species. The objective of our study is to evaluate molecular diversity among high capsaicin containing lines of C. chinense collected from four states (Nagaland, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur) of North East India. Total 227 germplasm were collected out of which 120 genotypes were screened based on more than 1.2% capsaicin content. Genetic parameters analysed using Popgene software indicated that Nagaland population has higher diversity among the four region populations. Jaccard’s similarity coefficient between the genotypes ranged from 0.52 to 0.99, indicating moderate variation between the genotypes. Clustering analysis depicted three clusters where germplasm collected from Assam and Manipur showed close relatedness and Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) plot obtained also supports cluster analysis data. Germplasm evaluation is of immense important for genetic crop improvement. The present findings will be certainly helpful in C. chinense germplasm conservation, characterization and in trait specific breeding programme.

Agriculture, the mainstay of every country’s economy, contributes to the overall economic growth, and change in its structure has a subsequent impact on the present socioeconomic life of the population. World population is expected to grow over a third or 2.3 billion people between 2009 and 2050 and nearly this entire forecast to take place in the developing countries. In this stage natural disaster like floods, droughts, climate change, and volatility has played a major role in raising the risk of production deficits. Moreover the increased rate of population growth demands more production of food. Therefore to achieve the increasing demand of agricultural production, a sizable quantity of mineral fertilizers will be needed to accept the challenge. Agricultural fertilizers are indispensable to enhance proper growth and crop yield. To raise the productivity, farmers have been using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The high input of chemical fertilizers and pesticides makes threats for disproportionate supplement of nutrients to crops and deterioration of soil health and endangers ecosystems, plants, human, and animal lives. Therefore, there is an urgent need for proportionate application of green inputs, viz., microbe-based biofertilizers to stop the adverse effect of chemical fertilizers which would unravel these problems and make the ecosystem healthier and improve the physicochemical properties of the soil. The demand for biofertilizers goes on increasingly due to its eco-friendly nature, and therefore intensive research is needed to improve the quality and activity to achieve food security for the growing population and restore soil health. This book chapter exhibited the necessary information on PGPRs and their immense potentiality on crop development and their future outlook for the economic development.

The root-knot nematodes (genus Meloidogyne) are a major endoparasitic pest affecting the production of many economically valuable annual and perennial crops worldwide in tropical and subtropical climatic zones. The infected plants show typical symptoms which include root galling, lack of vigor, stunting growth, nutrient deficiency particularly nitrogen deficiency, yellowing of leaves, and wilting under water stress conditions. The root-knot nematodes are one of the most destructive and difficult diseases to control in agricultural sector. These nematodes cause billions of US dollars in yield loss annually every year. The use of chemical nematicides is usually effective and has been used for over 50 years, but they cause significant environmental pollution as most nematicides are highly toxic compounds. Among the various strategies advocated to manage root-knot disease is the use of native biocontrol agents as an integral component of integrated disease management. The use of biocontrol agents from bacteria and fungi has been the focus of many researchers, mostly for development of microbial biopesticides against diseases and pests. The efforts have resulted in several microbial insecticides being marketed in many countries.

The designing and synthesis of nanoparticle research has been established as an area of intense and dynamic scientific area of research and academia. Due to their unusual physical and chemical properties, nanoparticles have drawn a tremendous amount of attention. Nanobiotechnology holds the promise of controlled release and site-targeted delivery of agrochemicals. A plethora of chemical, physical and biological techniques continues to evolve leading to the production of noble metal nanoparticles. Alongside, biological organisms including plant, fungi and bacteria are an ideal source for green synthesis of nanoparticles with desired shape and size. Some of these nanoparticles also have nematicidal properties, which apply to numerous genera of plant parasitic nematodes and also to plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Plant parasitic nematodes are major agricultural pests causing crop losses worth hundreds of billions dollars annually worldwide. Traditional control measures depend upon highly toxic nematicides. In theory, seed treatment for nematode control is optimal, but is largely ineffectual due to poor rhizosphere delivery. Active ingredients of various nanoparticles have also shown evidence of being potentially effective nematicides, which makes these nanoparticles a suitable noble source to control nematode infection in plants. Although very limited reports are available on the use of nanoparticles to control plant nematodes, very encouraging reports are there and research in this area is getting lot of attention. This chapter focuses on the nanoparticles, their synthesis, properties and their use to control nematode infection in plants.