Studies on in vitro propagation conservation and phytochemical analysis of some medicinally important orchids of Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

During the present investigation, it was observed that the tribal communities of the Himachal Pradesh have vast indigenous traditional knowledge regarding medicinally important plant species including orchids. The ethnobotanical studies during the present surveys revealed valuable information on the medicinal importance of all the species (Calanthe tricarinata, Rhynchostylis retusa, Satyrium nepalense, and Vanda cristata) and a few others including Aerides multiflora and Dactylorhiza hatagirea. All the present taxa responded positively for asymbiotic germination in vitro thereby successfully bypassing the fungal requirements of their seeds during germination, in nature. The germination response and the various morphogenetic changes were greatly affected by the chemical stimulus in the nutrient pool. The regeneration response was dependent upon the source of explants and nutritional stimulus. The explants obtained from in vivo grown plants invariably failed to respond in all the presently investigated species excepting for the tuber explants in Satyrium nepalense. The purpose of phytochemical screening is to justify, authenticate and validate the use of medicinally important orchid species in ethno-medicine as traditional treasure to cure various ailments. The presence of various secondary phytochemcials and considerable amount of phenolic and flavonoid contents in presently investigated species, may suggest that these are a good source for their utility in medicinal applications. GC-MS analysis indicated the presence of different compounds in the methanolic extracts of the Calanthe tricarinata leaf (78), pseudcobulb (69), and root (34); Rhynchostylis retusa leaf (66) and root (68); Satyrium nepalense leaf (19) and tuber (32); and Vanda cristata leaf (53), root (46), and stem (71). During the present phytochemical investigations, GC-MS analysis showed the existence of various bioactive compounds in all thefour medicinally important orchid speciestherebyjustifying their useforcuringvariousailmentsby practitioners.