Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Limonoids and Quassinoids, the bitter principles of Rutales. (Photos: Limonin, Lemon and Simarouba(Laxmi-taru) We all are familiar with , though unknowingly, these compounds. The delayed bitterness of the juices from various Citrus spp., which were considered as the culprits lowering the juice quality, is due to limonoids. The word “Limonoids’ is derived from “limonin” the first bitter principle isolated from lemon. Limonoid aglycones that cause bitterness in numerous citrus fruits are converted into tasteless limonoid glucosides during fruit maturation. More than 50 limonoid aglycones and glucosides have been identified from various Citrus species. Over 300 limonoids have been isolated to date and about one-third are generated from neem (Azadirachta indica) and Chinaberry (Melia azedarach). These compounds are characteristically present in the order “Rutales” consisting of Rutaceae, Meliaceae, Simaroubaceae and Cneoraceae (Daniel, 2009).   ...

Herbal Medicines Omega fatty acids / Essential fatty acids. Just like certain amino acids, human body is unable to synthesize a few important fatty acids and therefore are to be supplied through our diet. These “Essential fatty acids” are the ones possessing 2 or 3 double bonds like linoleic and linolenic acids. They are known by a more common term “Omega fatty acids”. For those who are not familiar with the term Omega fatty acids, they are named based on the position of double bonds in relation to the last carbon atom of the fatty acid chain i.e. the “omega carbon” (the last position is always labeled as ω (omega), which is the last letter in the Greek alphabet). Most of us have learned the IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry which is the sole authority of naming of chemical compounds) name in which the first carbon with an acid group is labeled as 1 or α (alpha- the first letter of Greek alphabet) and double bonds are indicated...

Agarwood,"the wood of Gods, Liquid Gold", a goldmine for start-ups in Botany and Ayurveda Agarwood, is a fragrant dark resinous wood of tree species of Aquilarialike A. malaccansis and A. crassna (Thymelaeaceae)used in high grade incenses, perfumes, and small carvings. It is formed in the heartwood when they become infected with a type of mold (Phialophora parasitica) an as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin, called aloes (notof Aloe) or agar (not algal based) due to which the heart wood becomes dark and resin-embedded. This wood is much valued for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incenses and perfumes. First-grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world, costing as high as US$100,000/kg,with inferior grades fetching lesser prices. The current global market for agarwood is estimated to be in the range of US$6 – 8 billion and is growing rapidly The oil consists of about 70 sesquite...

Today 5th March is Sudarshan Kriya Day 💫 On this day in 1982, the world renowned corner stone of every single Happiness Programme, Sudarshan Kriya was born in Shimoga, India. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founded this technique as he sat for a period of 10 days in silence on the banks of the Bhandra River. With only a few participants at the time Gurudev Sri Sri taught this technique to them - and the rest is history. Now, nearly 40 years later, Sudarshan Kriya has transformed the lives of millions in 180 countries, from people in rural areas, to city workers, students to housewives/husbands and even to nearly half a million prison inmates - all who have been.  Upon visiting Shimoga in 2004 Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shares why he introduced Sudarshan Kriya to the world  “I had already travelled around the world. I taught Yoga, Asanas, Meditation. But still I was concerned about how to make people live a happy life. After being in silence for 10 days, knowledge of Sudarshan...

Medicinal and other useful plants of Angiosperms: The Ranunculaceae Photos: Kaljira, Ativish The majority of the Ranunculaceae elaborate complex isoquinoline alkaloids and few toxic glycosides including cyanogenic glycosides, though a few members retain volatile oils,. Distinguishing characters of the family The characteristics which distinguish this family are the herbaceous habit, divided or compound leaves, reduced or modified petals, many stamens spirally arranged and apocarpous pistils. Useful plants This is a family containing many useful plants like ornamentals, medicinals, biopesticides and dyes. A. Medicinals 1. Actaea racemosa Linn. Black snakeroot, Black Cohosh) Black cohosh is an erect herb native to N. America. Roots and rhizomes contain triterpene glycosides actein, acetylacetal, 27-deoxyactein, cimigenol and cimifugoside, quinazoline alkaloids, isoflavone (formonetin,) tannins and gallic, isoferulic and salicylic acids. Roots and rhizomes are wide...

The “Kelp Highway”- the route by which man reached America 15,000 years ago  Importance of Pheaophyceae  Brown algae We all know the multifarious benefits of Kelps (Mostly Brown algae of Laminariales), providing edible materials, algin, potash and iodine. They form huge highly productive aquatic ecosystem supporting or sheltering a wealth of shellfish, fish, marine mammals, seabirds, and seaweeds, resources heavily used historically by coastal peoples. Now a collaborative effort between archaeologists and marine ecologists, proves that these kelp forest ecosystems facilitated the movement of maritime peoples from Asia to the Americas about 15,000 years ago or near the end of the Pleistocene and this is named as “Kelp Highway”. Primitive Earth By the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM- around 20,000 years ago), Eastern parts of Russia and Siberia were connected to Alaska of North America by land bridge known as Beringia and the whole area was cover...

Caesalpiniaceae- A multipurpose family-1 A natural family with quinones, resins and neoflavonoids, zygomorphic and resupinate flowers, Petals ascendingly inbricate with the posterior odd petal smallest and inner-most, 10 Stamens variously heteromorphic, some of them sterile and staminodial a small hypanthium and legume or lomentum . Taxonomic notes on Cassia A large number of plants originally grouped in this genus are segregated into Chamacrista and Senna. All the species with 3 adaxial stamens which are sigmoidally curved, are grouped in Cassia sensu stricto. The plants with all straight stamens and 2 bracteoles are in the genus Chamacrista. The plants with all straight stamens and no bracteoles are placed in the genus Senna. Useful plants : Many medicinals, Biopesticides, natural dyes and a few food plants A. Medicinal plants 1. Caesalpinia bonduc Roxb. (Kuberakshi, Bonduc nut / Fever nut) This is a heavily armed woody climber, a native of India ...

Sec. Thickening in Monocots: Endodermal and/or pericyclic origin of "Monocot Cambium" In Monocots, secondary thickening phenomenon is studied mostly in Dracaena and this is named “Abnormal Secondary thickening” in all Text books. But secondary thickening is seen in all plants which increase in girth, like palms and rhizomes of Zingiberales and Cyperaceae (More groups if studied will unearth more incidences of Secondary thickening). All the present studies prove that it is the Endodermis and/or pericycle which becomes the “Monocot cambium” to which evidences from Dracaena and Curcuma are provided here. Dracaena stem is familiar to all Botany students. Stem had a central vascular cylinder (stele) enveloped by endodermis. The cortical region is devoid of any vascular tissue.(Fig A) During secondary thickening, the layer just below endodermis, i.e. pericycle divides in perclinally to produce a meristematic region, which ...

Amphicribral vascular bundles- a primitive feature recapitulated in Advanced Monocots Amphicribral (ectophloic, hadrocentric) vascular bundles are bundles having a central xylem region surrounded by phloem. Such vascular bundles were reported earlier in primitive plants like rhizomatous ferns such as Selaginella and Pteris. The logical explanation is that both in Selaginella and Pteris, the plant body grows prostate in moist environment and there is no need for much xylem which is primarily a mechanical as well as a water conducting tissue. Stems mostly rhizomatous in nature and thus food has to be stored in such stems and that may be the reason of more phloem tissue that too outside the xylem. There are no reports of such vascular bundles in Gymnosperms. In Angiosperms amphicribal vascular bundles are located in an aquatic monocot, Hydrilla, a plant which does not need much xylem. . But of late amphicribral vascular bundles are reported in pla...