NISCAIR Online Periodicals Repository Collection: IJNPR Vol.3(1) [March 2012]

Phytoresources from North Cachar Hills of Assam-III : Edible plants sold at Haflong market

Title: Phytoresources from North Cachar Hills of Assam-III : Edible plants sold at Haflong market

Authors: Medhi, P; Borthakur, S K

Abstract: The hilly town Haflong is located at the foothill of Borail range at the elevation of 936.04 m above msl and between 25°11’ N latitude and 93° 11’ E longitude. The present paper deals with the extensive collection and study (during October 2007 to January 2009) of the edible phytoresources sold mostly by the folk women in weekly market at Haflong. Emphasis was mainly given to wild as well as landraces and local cultivars of the crop plants. The study provides information on their botanical name, family, vernacular names, frequency, habit, biological status, plant parts used, mode of use and also market rate of the plant resources observed. Study reveals that out of 254 plants/local cultivars collected and identified belongs to 170 genera and 75 families. Biological status analysis recorded as: primitive cultvar/jhum cultivar/cultivar (151), semi-wild/semi-domesticated (49), wild (45) and weed (09) species/varieties of plants. A total of 49 edible species have also been recorded to be domesticated from the study area.

Page(s): 84-109

Effect of nitrogen on growth, biomass and oil composition of clary sage (Salvia sclarea Linn.) under mid hills of north western Himalayas

Title: Effect of nitrogen on growth, biomass and oil composition of clary sage (Salvia sclarea Linn.) under mid hills of north western Himalayas

Authors: Sharma, Saurabh; Kumar, Rakesh

Abstract: A pot experiment was conducted during 2008-2009 at CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology, Palampur, India to study the effect of nitrogen on growth, biomass and oil composition of clary sage (Salvia sclarea Linn.). In this study, growth parameters, viz. plant height, number of leaves, canopy spread and yield attributing characters like inflorescence length, plant biomass as well as oil composition were investigated. Besides this, quality evaluation was also done. Five doses of N application, viz. control, No nitrogen (T₁), 1.5 g N/plant (T₂), 3.0 g N/plant (T₃), 4.5 g N/plant (T₄) and 6.0 g N/plant (T₅) were tested. Eighteen constituents were found in T₁, 17 in T₂, 21 in T₃, 16 in T₄ and 18 in T₅, which are major in percentage and representing 86.24, 82.57, 93.23, 81.96 and 83.51% of the oil composition, respectively. Clary sage responded to N application up to 3.0 g N/plant and recorded significantly higher leaf, flower and total biomass/plant than other treatments. Likewise high content of linalyl acetate (32.11%) and linalool (19.10%) was recorded in this treatment.

Page(s): 79-83

In vitro evaluation of antibacterial activity of Acrostichum aureum Linn.

Title: In vitro evaluation of antibacterial activity of Acrostichum aureum Linn.

Authors: Thomas, Toji

Abstract: Acrostichum aureum Linn., a medicinal pteridophyte is used as an anthelmintic and styptic in traditional systems of medicine. In the present study, fronds of A. aureum were evaluated for their antibacterial potential and phytochemical contents in various solvent extracts of the plant in increasing polarity towards pathogenic bacterial species involved in skin diseases in human beings. Antibacterial activity was evaluated by disc diffusion method. The results indicated that the fronds of the plant showed antibacterial activity especially in methanol and acetone extracts. The methanol extract showed maximum activity towards Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a resistant strain towards Amoxicillin and Chloramphenicol. Petroleum ether and water extracts did not show any antibacterial activity towards any of the tested organisms. The presence of flavonoids and phenols were observed in various extracts. The high flavonoid and phenol content in the plants may be one of the reasons for their antibacterial activity. Methanolic extract of the plant exhibited minimum inhibitory concentration as 50 mg/ml and minimum bactericidal concentration as 25 mg/ml towards P. aeruginosa.

Page(s): 135-138

Impact of soil oxygenation on seed quality of chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn. cv. ‘vijay’) under organic farming condition

Title: Impact of soil oxygenation on seed quality of chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn. cv. ‘vijay’) under organic farming condition

Authors: Thakare, Utkarsha; Patil, Neelam; Malpathak, Nutan

Abstract: Pot culture experimentation was carried out on chickpea (Cicer arietinum Linn. cv. ‘vijay’) at P.G. Research Center, Department of Botany, Tuljaram Chaturchand College, Baramati, using oxygenated peptone (2g/pot) as soil aerator. This treatment enhanced root system with increased length and biomass of root exhibiting increased absorptive area. This led to increase in total nitrogen, total phosphorous and total potash in root, stem and leaf. The treatment also increased accumulation of manganese, calcium and magnesium in root, stem and leaf, while zinc content was found to be decreased in root as well as in stem and it was stable in leaf. Interestingly, iron content was enhanced in leaf and root while it showed decrease in stem. The copper content was increased in root, stable in stem and decreased in leaf. The treatment resulted in early flowering and early maturity. There was increase in pods/plant as well as fresh wt and dry wt of 100 pods. The same is seen in seeds. The biochemical constituents of seed like total solids, ash, total acids, moisture content and crude fibre showed significant increase. The treatment also had an upper hand in soluble proteins, total carbohydrates and ascorbic acid under experimental condition. This indicated better nutritional quality of experimental seeds. The activity of enzymes like catalase, peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase was at higher level under the treatment condition. It is concluded that treatment of oxygenated peptone is useful for the qualitative and quantitative enhancement in chickpea under organic farming condition.

Page(s): 73-78