Fruits of Phoenix sylvestris Roxb. (Arecaceae) are used to treat back pain, toothache, headache, arthritis, nervous debility and as sedative. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antinociceptive and neuropharmacological activities of methanol extract of P. sylvestris fruit pulp (MEPS). The antinociceptive activity of MEPS was evaluated by heat-induced (hot plate, tail immersion test) and chemical-induced pain models (acetic acid-induced writhing, formalin-induced nociception, glutamate-induced nociception and paw edema test). The effect of MEPS on central nervous system (CNS) was studied using hole cross test, open field test, sodium thiopental-induced sleeping time and elevated plus maze test. MEPS showed strong, significant and dose-dependent antinociceptive activity in all heat-induced and chemical-induced pain models at all experimental doses. Involvement of opioid receptor mediated analgesia was evident from the reversal of analgesic effect by naloxone. MEPS also showed reduced locomotor activity in both hole cross and open field tests. The increase in sleeping time in sodium thiopental-induced sleeping test and anxiolytic activity in elevated plus maze test were also significant. So, it is evident that MEPS possesses strong central and peripheral antinociceptive activity as well as CNS depressant, sedative and anxiolytic activity. The results justify the ethnomedicinal use of P. sylvestris fruit in different painful conditions and CNS disorders.

/pdf/antinociceptive-and-neuropharmacological-activities-of-3ri7o4joyz.pdf

Antinociceptive and neuropharmacological activities of methanol extract of Phoenix sylvestris fruit pulp

Ethnomedicinal plants used by traditional healers of North Tripura district, Tripura, North East India.

Sacred groves preserve a rich religious and socio-cultural heritage of Indian biodiversity from primeval times, due to their values. They act as a bridge between man and nature. Groves help to improve soil quality, replenish water resources and are pivotal for biodiversity conservation of plants and animals including rare, endemic, threatened, vulnerable species and ethnobotanical species. Most of India’s sacred groves are associated with a deity or a spiritual being, who protects the grove and local people. Vegetation cover of these groves has traditional ethnobotanical value, especially in the field of ethnomedicine, which accounts for the conservation of groves over the years. Numerous plant species from sacred groves are used according to tradition and culture to prevent or cure various health problems. However, modernisation, industrialisation, increased encroachment and misuse of forest resources increasingly threaten sacred groves. These treasures of nature must be conserved by formulating and applying new laws and policies while creating awareness among people about the value of sacred groves. Toward this aim, we review the distribution, ecological and socio-cultural significance of sacred groves of India and strategies to conserve them.

Sacred groves of India: repositories of a rich heritage and tools for biodiversity conservation

Forests are amongst the most biologically-rich terrestrial systems. Tropical, temperate and boreal forests together offer diverse sets of habitats for plants, animals and micro-organisms, and harbour the vast majority of the world’s terrestrial species. In the past, timber production was regarded as the dominant function of forests. However, in recent years these perception has changed towards recognizing and acknowledging the diverse ecological services and functions offered by forests. Today, it is understood that forest biodiversity underpins a wide range of goods and services for over all human well-being. Ecologically intact forests store and purify drinking water, mitigate natural disasters such as droughts and floods, help store carbon and regulate the climate, provide food and produce rainfall and provide a vast array of goods and services for medicinal, cultural and spiritual purposes. The health of forests and the provision of forest ecosystem services depend on the diversity between species, the genetic diversity within species, and the diversity of forest types.

/pdf/ecosystem-biodiversity-of-india-54tb4zp2so.pdf

Ecosystem Biodiversity of India

Plan: Muniandavar Sacred Groves from Vaduvakudi at Thiruvaiyaru Taluk, Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu was selected for floristic exploration to know the plant diversity of the vegetation, the availability of rare and endangered floras, the ecological significance, regeneration status and the anthropogenic pressures, to document the religious beliefs and spirituality and the participation of locals on conservation. Outcome : In the present study, the flora of Muniandavar Sacred Groves comprises about 180 plant species belonging to 158 genera and 75 plant families, Key stone species available in the Sacred groves includes Anacardium occidentale, Borassus flabellifer, Ficus benghalensis that harbors a number of birds and other survival of many other species. Muniandavar sacred grove is in good vegetation status and the conservationists should take necessary action to protect this grove from plastic pollution. An environmental awareness programme is planned to conduct for the local people in order to safeguard this sacred grove from pollution.

/pdf/studies-on-the-plant-diversity-of-muniandavar-sacred-groves-2wtsyritfx.pdf

Studies on the Plant diversity of Muniandavar Sacred Groves of Thiruvaiyaru, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

India is a land of diverse natural resources with the strong traditions of nature conservation practices. The sacred groves are the representatives of climax vegetation and exhibit the diversity of species such as trees, climbers, epiphytes and other shade loving herbs. Well-preserved sacred groves are storehouses of valuable medicinal and other plants having high economic value and serve as a refuge to threatened species. The present paper deals with floristic composition of angiosperms grown in a sacred grove located in Karaikal district and to document its traditional medicinal uses. The present work also elucidates the species composition of 59 plants species of flowering plants which spreads in 55 genera and 30 families. Many rural people in the district were using the plants from the sacred grove to cure many common diseases. This kind of degraded sacred groves should be immediately restored or regenerated using appropriate technologies and by raising awareness among the rural people regarding the importance of sacred grove and its conservation.

Studies on the phytodiversity of a sacred grove and its traditional uses in Karaikal District, U.T. Puducherry.

The total solar eclipse provided a unique opportunity to understand the effects of solar radiation on the biosphere. The present study attempts to record meteorological parameters and to compare chlorophyll contents of Portulaca oleracea and Phyla nodiflora in coastal wild conditions during total solar eclipse on July 22, 2009.  Changes in meteorological parameters such as temperature by 0.5˚C, relative humidity by 4% and light intensity around 100 lux were set to be low during eclipse day when compared to that of corresponding week. Minor changes were also observed in the wind speed and direction during solar eclipse day.  Mature leaves of Portulaca oleracea and Phyla nodiflora from coastal wild conditions were collected and analysed for total chlorophyll, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and carotinoid contents at various time intervals during solar eclipse day and previous days. Chlorophyll levels were decreased slightly during solar eclipse day, whereas carotinoid levels were increased marginally in both the plant species.  Solar radiation and its photochemical phases during eclipse day are responsible for the observed reduction in photosynthetic rates of wild plants.

Effects of solar eclipse on photosynthesis of Portulaca oleracea and Phyla nodiflora in coastal wild conditions

Jasminum greenii sp. nov. (Oleaceae): A New Species from Tamil Nadu, India

Gentiana praticola Franchet (Gentianaceae): A New Record for The Flora of India

Abstract Indigofera vicioides Jaub. & Spach (Fabaceae) is a paleotropical species and a rarely found legume of the Southern India. This was the first time it has been recorded in the Eastern Ghats of Tamil Nadu. This article provides a detailed description of this finding together with images and field notes.

Indigofera vicioides Jaub. & Spach (Fabaceae): a new distributional record for the flora of the Eastern Ghats, India

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