Himalayan medicinal plants: High-value resources for therapeutic and pharmacological applications Govind P. Rao, Shakti K. Prabhuji, S.S. Samant, Shail Pande, Richa Srivastava, Chhamta Srivastava, Madhulika Srivastava Medicinal Plants, 2025 The Himalayas, spanning across eight countries and covering 18% of the Indian subcontinent, is a treasure trove of medicinal plants, with approximately 1,748 species utilized for medicinal purposes. However, these invaluable resources are under threat due to over-harvesting and climate change. For centuries, medicinal plants have been integral to the lives of tribal communities in the Himalayas, providing essential products for food and medicine. This review highlights the traditional, therapeutic, and pharmacological values of selected seven medicinal plants from the Indian Himalayas that are on the brink of extinction. We provide an updated overview of their distribution, medicinal properties, cultivation practices, key phytochemical constituents, and market potential. These plants play a vital role in traditional health systems and the global pharmaceutical industry, but their over-collection has led to many species becoming threatened, emphasizing the urgent need for conservation efforts.
Nardostachys jatamansi (D.Don) DC: A wonder herb of alpine region of Himalayas Shakti K. Prabhuji, Govind P. Rao, Richa Srivastava, Shail Pande, Srivastava Gaurav, Chhamta Srivastava, Madhulika Srivastava Medicinal Plants, 2024 Nardostachys jatamansi is a small, herbaceous, perennial, rhizomatous plant of family Valerianacae. Jatamansi is an endangered and most primitive alpine species having high medicinal value and high demand in Indian herbal market. The rhizomes and the root fibres contain several sesquiterpenes and coumarins including recently identified (-)-naringenin 4’, 7-dimethyl ether and rupesin-F, having great potential as cardio-protective and neuro-protective, hepatoprotective, anti-diabetic, anticancer, pain-relieving, anti-Parkinson’s, anti-depressant, nootropic, anti-cataleptic and anti-microbial values. A few simple micropropagation protocols have been developed for vegetative multiplication of N. jatamansi using petiole, rhizome shoot-buds and nodal explants with high viability success. The commercial cultivation techniques have shown a restricted success because of the fact that N. jatamansi is an herb endemic to the alpine region and its cultivation at 1800 m asl has shown complete mortality. Therefore, the natural habitats of N. jatamansi are required to be protected so that they may flourish luxuriantly in the region. Besides being the main ingredient of several ayurvedic formulations, several commercial products of N. jatamansi are also available in the market with high demand for using in different health related problems.
Evaluation of antifungal efficacy of leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos, Terminalia arjuna, Lawsonia inermis, Artemisia vulgaris and Syzygium cumini against post-harvest fungal pathogens affecting certain vegetables Madhulika Srivastava, Chhamta Srivastava, Gaurav K. Srivastava, S.K. Prabhuji Medicinal Plants, 2015 The effect of aqueous and ethanolicleaf extracts of Aegle marmelos, Termena liaarjuna, Lawsonia inermis, Artemisia vulgaris and Syzygium cumini have been studied on post-harvest pathogens of three different solanaceous vegetable crops (Lycopersicum esculentum, Solanum melongena and Capsicum annum) like Fusar ium oxysporum, Al ternaria solani and Colletotr ichum capsici. The extracts were applied at 10% and 15% w/v against the three test fungi and the inhibi tion has been recorded as the diameter of mycelial growth, using poison food technique. The ethanolic leaf extract showed excellent antimycotic activity as compared to aqueous extract. Compared wi th control the plant extracts performed better at 15% w/v in ethanolic extract which was later appl ied on fresh vegetables for in vivo analysis.
Effect of plant oils and extracts on the growth and extracellular protease production by Trichophyton rubrum, a potent human dermatophyte Madhulika Srivastava, S.K. Prabhuji Medicinal Plants, 2013 The oils of neem (Azadirachta indica), madhuca (Madhuca indica), pongamia (Pongamia glabra), castor (Ricinus communis), eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and extract of turmeric (Curcuma longa) were used for in vitro protease production and growth of three variants of T. rubrum. The plant extracts were used in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50 µl/ml concentrations in acetone for determining MIC values. Different concentrations of the plant oil/extracts were mixed uniformly in basal synthetic medium and incubated at 30±2°C and the growth and protease activity was recorded at 24 h interval. The detection of inhibitory excretion of extracellular protease along with retardation of in vitro growth may further strengthen the role of enzyme in the pathogenesis of the organism.
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Some Common Plants can do Wonders in Curing Health Problems SK Prabhuji, GP Rao, R Srivastava, S Pande, G Srivastava, M Srivastava Royal Association for Science-Led Socio-Cultural Advancement 6 (1), 49-54 , 2024 2024
Ocimum sanctum Linn: Important home-remedy Medicinal Plant SK Prabhuji, GP Rao, R Srivastava, S Pande, G Srivastava, M Srivastava, ... RASSA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE FOR SOCIETY Учредители: Diva Enterprises Private … , 2024 2024
The Concept of Sustainable Bioremediation for Perpetual Control of Fish Diseases Caused by Watermoulds and Bacteria, May Result in Manifolds Increase in the Annual Fish … SK Prabhuji, GP Rao, GK Srivastava, S Pande, M Srivastava RASSA Journal of Science for Society 5 (2and3), 59-64 , 2023 2023
Evaluation of antifungal efficacy of leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos , Terminal ia arjuna , Lawsonia inermis , Artemisia vulgaris and Syzygium cumini against post … MS Madhulika Srivastava, CS Chhamta Srivastava, KS Gaurav, ... 2015
Evaluation of antifungal eff icacy of leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos, Terminal ia arjuna, Lawsonia inermis, Artemisia vulgaris and Syzygium cumini against post-harvest fungal … M Srivastava, C Srivastava, GK Srivastava, SK Prabhuji Medicinal Plants-International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related … , 2015 2015 Citations: 1
Effect of plant oils and extracts on the growth and extracellular protease production by Trichophyton rubrum, a potent human dermatophyte M Srivastava, SK Prabhuji Medicinal Plants-International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related … , 2013 2013
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Evaluation of antifungal eff icacy of leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos, Terminal ia arjuna, Lawsonia inermis, Artemisia vulgaris and Syzygium cumini against post-harvest fungal … M Srivastava, C Srivastava, GK Srivastava, SK Prabhuji Medicinal Plants-International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related … , 2015 2015 Citations: 1
Some Common Plants can do Wonders in Curing Health Problems SK Prabhuji, GP Rao, R Srivastava, S Pande, G Srivastava, M Srivastava Royal Association for Science-Led Socio-Cultural Advancement 6 (1), 49-54 , 2024 2024
Ocimum sanctum Linn: Important home-remedy Medicinal Plant SK Prabhuji, GP Rao, R Srivastava, S Pande, G Srivastava, M Srivastava, ... RASSA JOURNAL OF SCIENCE FOR SOCIETY Учредители: Diva Enterprises Private … , 2024 2024
The Concept of Sustainable Bioremediation for Perpetual Control of Fish Diseases Caused by Watermoulds and Bacteria, May Result in Manifolds Increase in the Annual Fish … SK Prabhuji, GP Rao, GK Srivastava, S Pande, M Srivastava RASSA Journal of Science for Society 5 (2and3), 59-64 , 2023 2023
Evaluation of antifungal efficacy of leaf extracts of Aegle marmelos , Terminal ia arjuna , Lawsonia inermis , Artemisia vulgaris and Syzygium cumini against post … MS Madhulika Srivastava, CS Chhamta Srivastava, KS Gaurav, ... 2015
Effect of plant oils and extracts on the growth and extracellular protease production by Trichophyton rubrum, a potent human dermatophyte M Srivastava, SK Prabhuji Medicinal Plants-International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related … , 2013 2013