Abstract Book - Kumaun · PDF fileAbstract Book National Seminar ... The Botany Department,...

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Abstract Book

National Seminar

on

“Plants and Environment

(NSSAPPE-2017)”

March 27 & 28, 2017

Organized

by

Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus,

Under SAP, UGC Programme

Kumaun University, Nainital

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About the University

Kumaun University was established in 1973. It consists of three campuses at Almora,

Nainital and Bhimtal. More than 100 affiliated government colleges and self-financed private

institutions spread across the Kumaun region. In the affiliated campuses, both teaching and

research activities are equally important factors that support the curriculum and contribute to

the student's learning habits. NAAC accredited ‘A’ grade to Kumaun University in 2016.

About the Botany Department

The Botany department was established in 1951 as a government postgraduate college and

since 1973, it is functioning as a department of University. The department has been graced

by many nationally and internationally known scientists/ teachers including Prof. K.S.

Bhargava, Prof. S.C. Gupta, Prof. B.S. Mehrotra, Prof. J. S. Singh, Prof. S.P. Singh, Prof.

R.D. Khulbe, Prof. Y.P.S. Pangtey, Prof. Gira Bala Pant, Prof. Sudhir Chandra and Prof. Uma

Palni. Prof. J .S. Singh was awarded FNA and Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar prize. Prof. S.P.

Singh was awarded FNA and Birbal Sahni medal and also worked as Hon’ble Vice

Chancellor, Garhwal University, Srinagar. Prof. Y.P.S. Pangtey, NASI fellow was awarded

FNASc and worked as UGC, Emeritus Fellow. The department has been included under FIST

programme, DST, New Delhi and recognized as DRS (SAP) department, UGC New Delhi.

The department actively collaborated with major institutions like G.B. Pant National Institute

of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi, Katarmal- Almora, NBRI

Lucknow, NBPGR Bhowali, CIMAP, Lucknow, BSI, Dehradun, RRIHF, CCRAS, Tarikhet

and CAP, Selaqua. A large number of research projects and several collaborative research

programmes involving various national and international agencies have been completed and

ongoing. Over 500 research papers have been published in more than 50 journals of national

and international repute and about 250 students have been awarded Doctoral degree in past

two decades. Specimens of Angiosperms (2500), Pteridophytes (300), Bryophytes (>200),

Fungi (>100) and Lichens (nearly 100) have been preserved in herbarium. Presently semester

courses at undergraduate, postgraduate and course system Ph. D. are being run in the

department. At Post Graduate level, specializations are running in various disciplines viz.,

Forest Ecology, Bryology, Plant Pathology, Ethonobotany and Plant Taxonomy. The

department is regularly publishing an annual news letter “OAKS” for last ten years. The

department has well equipped and computerized laboratories of Plant Tissue Culture, Plant

Pathology and Aquatic Mycology, Ecology, Taxonomy and Bryology. At present, the

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department has two glass houses, one mist chamber to carry out various green house

experiments and research activities. The major equipments available in the department for

research activities are Spectrophotometer, Pressure chamber, Laminar air flow chamber, ultra

cool centrifuge, lypholizer, BOD Incubator, seed germinator, LCDs, Mico Kjeldhal unit,

Microscopes, Xerox machines, Research Microscopes, Multi media facility, Fax facility etc.

About the National Conference

The Botany Department, D.S.B. Campus Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India is

organising a National Conference on 27 & 28 March 7 The plenary, key notes and invited

talks by eminent Scientist of this region would give insight to the current research scenario

for the benefits to the society.

The seminar will cover the following areas:

Systematic Biology

Drug Design

Natural Product

Ecosystem

Environment

Biotechnology

Microbiology

Botany Department of Nainital was established on 1951 and reorganised in 1973 with the

establishment of the Kumaun University, Nainital. The world class research centre of

Uttarakhand working in the several of Plant Sciences. This conference is organised under the

SAP- UGC programme of the Department.

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Patron

Hon’ble Vice Chancellor, Kumaun University, Nainital

Chairman

Prof. S.P.S. Mehta, Director D. S. B. Campus, Nainital

Co-Chairman

Prof Neerja Pande, Head, Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Nainital

Convener

Prof. S. C. Sati, Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Nainital

Co-convener

Prof. Y. S. Rawat, Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital

Organising Secretary

Prof. Lalit Tewari, Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital

Joint Secretary

Dr. Kiran Bargali, Dr. Sushma Tamta Dr. Neelu Lodhiyal, Dr. Anil Bisht, Dr. Kapil Khulbe,

D. S. B. Campus, Nainital

Advisory Board

Prof. Santosh Kumar, Dean Science, Prof. P. C. Pande, Prof. Hema Joshi, Prof. S. S. Gahlan

Prof. S. S. Bargali

Members

Dr. Yogesh Joshi, Dr. Balwant Kumar, Dr. Dhani Arya, Dr. Ashish Tewari, Dr. Veena Pande,

Sri Yugal Joshi, Sri Suchetan Sah, Dr. Geeta Teawri, Dr. Tapan Nailwal, Dr. Santosh

Upadhyay, Dr. Penny Joshi, Dr. Himanshu Lohani, Dr. Sohail Javed, Dr. Vijay Kumar, Dr.

Lalit Mohan

National Advisory Committee

Prof. D. K. Maheshwari, Haridwar, Prof. A. K. Pandey, New Delhi, Prof L. M. S. Palni,

Dehradun, Prof. Y. P. S. Pangtey, Haldwani, Prof. Sudhir Chandra, Nainital

Prof. Uma Palni, Dehradun, Dr. Gopal Rawat, Dehradun, Dr. S. S. Samant, Mohal, Kulu

Prof. Jeet Ram, Nainital, Prof. L. S. Lodhiyal, Nainital, Dr. Jyoti Saxena, Dwarahat,

Prof. Uma Melkania, Pantnagar, Dr R.S. Rawal, Katarmal, Prof P. B. Rao, Pantnagar,

Dr G. C. Joshi, Tarikhet, Dr. B. S. Kalakoti, Haldwani, Dr. I. S. Bisht, Niglat, Prof. Satish

Garkoti, J. N. U., New Delhi, Dr. D. K. Upreti, N. B. R. I., Lucknow, Prof. R. C. Dubey,

Haridwar, Prof. S. V. S. Chauhan, Agra, Dr. Rajnish Agnihotri, Agra, Prof. N. N. Tripathi,

Gorakhpur, Prof. Chitra Pande, Nainital, Prof. N. K. Dubey, Varanasi, Prof. V. P. Singh,

Delhi, Prof. Arun Arya, Barodara, Dr. Virendra Nath, Lucknow, Prof. N. S. Bisht, Pauri,

Prof. Ganga Bisht, Prof. Suchi Bisht, Prof. Sanjay Pant, Prof. C. K. Pant, Dr. N. G. Sahoo,

Nainital, Dr. P. B. Tewari, Chandausi

Speakers

Prof. Nageshwar Rao, Prof. S. P. S. Mehta, Prof. Santosh Kumar, Prof. Uma Melkania. Dr.

B. S. Kalakoti, Dr Amit Pandey, Dr. I. D. Bhatt, Dr. G. C. S. Negi, Prof. Neerja Pande, Prof.

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S. C. Sati, Prof. Ganga Bisht, Prof. P. C. Pande, Prof. Lalit Tewari, Dr. Ashish Tewari, Dr.

Yogesh Joshi

Panel of experts

Prof. Sudhir Chandra, Dr. S. D. Tewari, Dr. Amit Pandey

Contacts

Prof. S. C. Sati Prof. Y. S. Rawat Prof. Lalit Tewari

Convener Co –Convenor Organising Secretary

Mob.: 9412969960 Mob.: 9719293980 Mob.: 9412362085

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Abstracts

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Index

S.

No.

Name of

Participant

Title Page no.

1 Bharat Giri

Gosain

Flow of Forest Ecosystem Services with Special Emphasis on C-

Sequestration in a Mountain Watershed, Kumaun Himalaya

12

2 Vijay Arya Ecosystem Services in Temperate Sacred Forests of Kumaun Himalaya 13

3 Rajni Rawat, Distribution and Diversity of Ocimum Species Occurring in Different Agro-

Ecologies of Uttarakhand State

14

4 Kamla Dhyani Allelopathic Effect of Leaf Extract of (Poplar Deltoidus) in Seed

Germination, Root Characters and Physiology of Rice Seedlings

15

5 Niraj Singh Development and Application of Scar Markers for Identification of

Gladiolus Germplasm

16

6 Harsh Chauhan Rapid Vulnerability Assessment of Trillium Govanianum Wall. Ex D. Don;

A Commercially Exploited Medicinal Plant of Himalaya

17

7 Indu Tiwari Impact of Environmental Factors on the Growth of Plants 18

8 Prachi Tamta Observation on Status of Insect Pollinators in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary,

Western Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India

19

9 Mahesha Nand Qsar Based Virtual Screening of Novel Phytochemical Inhibitors Against

Her2 in Breast Cancer

20

10 Preeti Bhatt Biochemical Aspects of Photosynthesis and Respiration: An Implication to

Environment and Social Awareness

21

11 Meenakshi Negi Analysis of Forest Vegetation, Population Structure And Regeneration

Pattern In Kumaun Himalaya

22

12 Hemlata Rathore A Seasonal (Rainy Season) Survey and Study on the Availability of

Different Fodder Species of Kumaun and Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

23

13 Prabha B.

Dhondiyal

Allelopathic Effect of Bryophytes on Germination and Growth of Bidens

Biternata Lour.) Merr & Shreff

24

14 Netrapal Sharma Genetic Diversity among Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides (L)) using

Molecular Marker based Analysis

25

15 Balwant Kumar Impact of Lichen Litter on Soil Nutrients in the Temperate Areas of Kumaun

Himalaya (Uttarakhand)

26

16 Mahesh

Chandra Arya

Adsorptive Removal of Zinc (II) by Activated Bark of Pinus Roxburghii :

An Ecofriendly Approach

27

17 Uzma Siddiqui Observation on Environmental Effect on the Breeding Dynamics of

Schizothorax Richardsonii (Gray), from Kumaun Himalayas, Uttarakhand,

India

28

18 Pushpa Bhakuni Antimalarial activities of some Plant Species Found in Kumaun Region

Uttarakhand

29

19 Sapna A Review of Chemical Analyses and Ethno-Medicinal Uses of

Zingiberaceae Family

30

20 Mamta Bisht Effect of Zinc on Growth and Herbage Yield of Ocimum Gratissimum L. 31

21 Bhanu Kumar Chemotypic Variations in Ageratum Conyzoides L. Collected from Indo-

Gangetic Plains 32

22 Akanksha Rani Essential Oil Composition of Murraya Koenigii Collected from Three

Locations of North India

33

23 Brij M. Upreti Physico Chemical Characterization of Soil Collected From Sacred and Non

Sacred Forests of Uttarakhand: A Comparative Study

34

24 Vandana Jaggi, Confirmation of Interacting Partners of Chickpea DNA Methytransferases

Clones and their Interaction With Ago Protein

35

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25 Deepshekha

Punetha

Heavy Metal Accumulation by Coriandrum Sativum in Cow Dung Amended

Soils

36

26 Sunita Bhatt Oven Dried Volatile Constituents of Ocimum americanum: A Rich Source

of Bioactive Compounds

37

27 Jitendra Bhatt Changes in Biodiversity and Regeneration Pattern in Plant

Communities after Eradication of Lantana Camara L. From the Forest

Areas of Uttarakhand

38

28 Nandan Singh Tree Water Relation and Regeneration Status of Treeline Species in

Tungnath Area of Uttarakhand

39

29 Shruti Shah Assessing Regeneration Potential and Developing Reliable Indicators

of Seed Maturity in Myrica esculenta, Buch-Ham. Ex D. Don, in

Kumaun Central Himalayan Region

40

30 Bhawna Tewari Developing Nursery Techniques for Propagation of Prunus cerasoides

D. Don

41

31 Pritee Pant Antioxidant and Phytochemical Analysis of two Medicinal Plants of

Kumaun Himalaya

42

32 Neeta Arya Diversity Analysis in Pinus Roxburghii Sarg. and Mixed Broadleaf Forest of

Central Hiimalaya, India

43

33 Neha Rajwar Solid Waste Management through Vermicomposting and Earthworm Gut

Cellulolytic Bacteria

44

34 Poonam Prasad A Comparison of Canopy Cover Measured through Transect and

Densiometer Methods in Oak Forest of Central Himalaya India

45

35 Rajesh Kumar Zirconium Doped Iron Oxide Nanocomposite for the Adsorption of Cd (Ii) :

An Eco-Friendly Protocol 46

36 Jeewan Gahtori A comparative study on water quality of river Saryu for drinking purposed

in Bageshwer District

47

37 Anita Rana Density relationship for adsorption capacity of Liriodendron tulipifera (hard

wood) and Cedrus deodara (soft wood)

48

38 Urvashi Verma Quantitative estimation of total Phenolic content, total flavonoid content and

free radical scavenging potential of Himalayan Fir (Abies pindrow (Royle ex

D.Don) Royle) : An Ethnomedicinally Important Plant

49

39 Krishna Kumar

Tamta

Economic Upliftment of Local Communities through Cheura (Diploknema

Butyracea Roxb.) Plantations in Kumaun

50

40 KaminiTamta Biomass Status In Ungrazed And Grazed Oak Forest Grazingland In The

Himalaya, India

51

41 Naveen

Chandra

Pandey

Ethnobotanical Studies of Kosi Catchment Area, Kumaun Himalya 52

42 Sumita Rana Cultivated Exotic Medicinal Plants in Tarai Belt of Uttarakhand, India 53

43 Prabha Pant Screening for Phosphate Solubilization Potential of Two Rhizospheric Fungi 54

44 Parikshit Kumar Phytochemical analysis and evaluation of Kumaun Himalayan Litsea

umbrosa Nees bark extract for its antimicrobial and antioxidant potentiality

55

45 Amit Mittal Impact of Winter Water Stress on Seedlings of Quercus Leucotrichophora

A.Campus and Rhododendron Arboreum Wall

56

46 Kanchan Upreti Ethnobotany and Indigenous Uses of Urtica dioica L. in Uttarakhand

Himalaya 57

47 Geeta Tewari Essential Oil Composition and Antifungal Activity of Pimpinella

Achilleifolia (DC) Clark

58

48 Neelaxi Pandey Nutraceutical Plant Diversity in Kumaun Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India 59

49 Pankaj Kumar Biotechnological Traditional Knowledge and Related IPR Issues 60

50 Pramod Kumar Litter Decomposition in a 18-Year Old Holoptelea Intrigrifolia Planch

Plantation in A Sub-Tropical Forest of Tehri Garhwal

61

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51 Priyanka Maiti Exploration of Plant Derived Neutraciticals against Lung Cancer Using In

Silico Tools

62

52 Rashi Miglani Ecotoxic Investigations on Agro Ecosystems with Special Reference to

Earthworms

63

53 Renu Suyal Epiphytic Orchids and Their Host Species in Baliyanala Catchment Area of

Nainital, Kumaun Himalaya

64

54 Ripu Daman

Singh

Impact of Forest Fires on Stand Structure and Regeneration 65

55 Shalini Rawat Radiation Absorber Plants 66

56 Surabhi Gumber Fire Adaptations in Some Important Tree Species 67

57 Vinay Singh Study on the Ecological Importance of Aquatic Avian Fauna of Wetlands of

Kumaun Region, India.

68

58 Yogesh Joshi New Horizons in the Field of Lichenology: Case Study from Kumaun

Himalaya

69

59 Bhaskar Ch.

Joshi

Wa Watershed, West Himalaya, India 70

60 Ira Tewari Significance of Community Participation in Promoting the Conservation of

Musk Deer and Its Preferred Fodder in Uttarakhand, In Uttarakhand

Himalaya

71

61 Jagmohan

Singh Negi

Synthesis of Some New Azetidinones Derivatives with Possible

Biological Activities

72

62 Ankita H.

Tripathi

Development of a Reporter System for Screening and

Characterization of Aromatase Inhibiting Potential in the

Phytoextracts/Phytochemicals from Uttarakhand Flora

73

63 Ranjana Singh Genetic Diversity in Black-Seeded Soybean (Glycine max L.)

Landraces of Uttarakhand State

74

64 Pooja Chauhan Taxononomic and Ecological Studies on Catamixis baccharoides

Thomson Endemic Species of Uttarakhand in Dehra Dun & Adjacent

Siwaliks

75

65 Vartika Pant Lichens: A Promising Source of Nutraceuticals and Pharmaceuticals 76

66 S. S. Koranga Age of Rhizome Segments Determine Ramet Regeneration and

Growth of Hedychium spicatum Sm.

77

67 Jyotsna Seed Parameters and Regeneration Potential in Ficus palmate Forssk

in Nainital District of Kumaun

78

68 Babita Joshi Effect of silicon solubilizer in improving the yield and stress tolerance

in rice genotypes

79

69 Prinsa Ramola Biology and Control of Three Problematic Weed Species of Winter

Season

80

70 Priyadarshini

Chanyal

Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of the

Genus Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae): A Review

81

71 Neha Chopra Ethnomedicinally Important Wild Edible Plants of Nainital,

Uttarakhand

82

72 Mamta Bharti Impact of Alien Invasive Species on Soil physiochemical

Characteristics in Sal (Shorea robusta) and Chir pine (Pinus

roxburghii) forest, Uttarakhand, India: A Comparative study

83

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1. Flow of Forest Ecosystem Services with Special Emphasis on C-Sequestration in a

Mountain Watershed, Kumaun Himalaya

Bharat Giri Gosain

G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development

(GBPNIHESD) Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263643, India.

Email: [email protected]

A major problem being faced by human society is that the global temperature is believed to

be rising due to human activities that release CO2 and other greenhouse gases to the

atmosphere and thus causes global warming. In atmosphere CO2 accounts for 0.035% and it

is the most abundant greenhouse gas present in the atmosphere. Besides this other greenhouse

gases responsible for global warming are methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapours and

CFCs. C-sequestration is the process through which agriculture and forestry practices remove

CO2 from the atmosphere. The forests have potential to capture and retain large volumes of

carbon over long periods as trees absorb carbon through photosynthesis process. The present

study was conducted in Syahi Devi forests located in a mountain watershed (Kosi) Almora

district of Uttarakhand, aimed to assessed the potential of C-sequestration rate and Net

Primary Productivity (NPP) of Oak (Q. leucotricophora) and Pine (P. roxburghii) forests at

an altitude of 1780- 2200m. C-sequestration rate was estimated following McDicken (1997)

and Tewari et al. (2008). NPP was following Chaturvedi and Singh (1987) and Rawat and

Singh (1988) by using the allometric equations. Total tree layer biomass in the first year in

Oak forests (mean = 224.664 t/ha) increased in next year (mean = 231.46 t/ha) in 2015.

Average NPP of tree layer of Oak forests in the present study was thus computed to 6.81

t/ha/yr. In Pine forests tree layer biomass (mean = 140.61 t/ha) in year 2014, increased (mean

= 152.4 t/ha) in 2015, thus NPP of Pine forests tree layer was computed to be 11.79 t/ha/yr.

C-sequestration rate in Oak and Pine forests in the present study was recorded 3.23 t/ha/yr

(range = 1.71-3.45 t/ha/yr) and 5.61 t/ha/yr (range = 1.64-6.7 t/ha/yr), respectively.

Key word: C-sequestration, greenhouse gases, net primary productivity, mountain watershed,

Kumaun Himalaya.


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2. Ecosystem Services in Temperate Sacred Forests of Kumaun Himalaya

Vijay Arya and G. C. S. Negi*

Department of Botany, S.S.J. Campus Almora-263601, Kumaun University, Uttarakhand

G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal,

Almora, Uttarakhand


Sacred forests are a group of trees or a patch of vegetation protected by the local people

through religious beliefs and socio-cultural regulations practices.Uttarakhand has a rich

history of conservation of forests through this approach. The present study was carried out in

eight temperate sacred forests of Pithoragarh district, Kumaun Himalaya situated between

1500-2000 masl.These forests have been offered to the local deity (folk god and goddess) and

declared as “sacred forest” by the local communities either to stop extraction of forest

resources or regulate their use framing well-defined rules and regulations. The eight sacred

forests we studied have been protected for the last 5-10 years. A questionnaire based survey

was conducted in the adjacent villages of these forests to get information about the ecosystem

services provided by these sacred forests. People acknowledged use of various ecosystem

goods and services from these forests and understood the benefits of protecting these forests

which are now providing intangible services such as water, control of soil erosion, wildlife

conservation, moderation of temperature, aesthetic value etc. This paper describes various

mechanisms employed by the rural people to protect their forests through the use of religious

and socio-cultural ethos that is contributing to biodiversity conservation and sustainable

utilization of the forest resources.

Keywords: Ecosystem services, sacred forests, Pithoragarh, Kumaun Himalaya


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3. Distribution and Diversity of Ocimum Species Occurring in Different Agro- Ecologies

of Uttarakhand State

Rajni Rawat, Ranjana Singh, K.S. Negi†, P.S. Mehta, S. K. Verma and I. S. Bisht ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Bhowali (Nainital),

Uttarakhand-263132, India

† Deceased on 14 December 2016

Basil is an aromatic and sacred herb in the family Lamiaceae, used both as a classic culinary,

ornamental and cosmopolitan herb of home gardens. The genus Ocimum contains

approximately 65 species of herbs and shrubs originated in tropical Asia. In the present study

diversity of 79 accessions has been described. Of the 79 accessions, 51 accessions were

collected indigenously from the farmer households of eight districts of Kumaon and Garhwal

region of Uttarakhand state viz. Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Nainital, Pauri,

Pithoragarh and Rudrapryag, and 28 accessions were augmented from exotic sources. Six

species of Ocimum namely O. basilicum (six varieties i.e. O.b. var pilosum, O.b. var

basilicum, O.b. var glabratum, O.b. var difforme, O.b. var thyrsiflora and O.b. var

purpurascens), O. tenuiflorum, O. gratissimum, O. Virde, O. kilimandascharium and O.

citriodorum were represented in the study. The accessions were characterized in the Kharif

seasons of 2014-15 and 2015-16 at ICAR-NBPGR Regional Station- Bhowali, Nainital,

Uttarakhand for quantitative and qualitative morphological characters including essential oil

yield content and composition using standardized descriptors for identification of superior

genotypes. Wide variations were recorded for different quantitative characters such as spike

length, plant height, herbage yield, oil percentage and major component of essential oil.

Spike length varied from 5.1-33.2 cm, plant height varied from 50.5- 141 cm, herbage yield

varied from 89- 516 g, oil percentage varied from 0.7- 2.47%. Methyl chavicol, linalool, β-

cedrene, β- bisabolene, 1,8- cineole and eugenol were recorded as major compound of above

mentioned Ocimum species. Some promising accessions identified for major compound in

different species include, O. b. var. pilosum (EC 387834) for methyl chavicol (88.6 %); O. b.

var. basilicum (EC 333788) for linalool (82.4%); O. virdie (NRT-05) for β bisabolene

(30.25%); O. kilimandscharicum (IC 449493) for camphor (45.58%), and O. tenuiflorum

(RNRT- 26) for eugenol (70.52%). Promising accessions for herbage yield include O. b. var.

basilicum (EC 388889, 710 g) and O. citriodorum (NRT- 03, 638.3 g). These promising

accessions have potential for commercial cultivation in different parts of Uttarakhand hills.

Keywords: essential oil, Ocimum, quantitative genetic variations, species

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4. Allelopathic Effect of Leaf Extract of (Poplar Deltoidus) in Seed Germination, Root

Characters and Physiology of Rice Seedlings

Kamla Dhyani, Namrata Singh, Chhaya Singh and Shweta Sahni

Shri Guru Ram Rai Institute of Technology & Sciences, Patel Nagar Dehradun, Uttrakhand


In the present investigation an attempt to be made to analyse the potential allelopathic effect

of Poplar deltoidus leaf extract at different concentrations (0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 %) of water

extract of green and decomposed leaves of Poplar deltoidus. On seed germination, seedling

growth and biochemical constituents changes in Oryza sativa L. The results showed that the

both leaves extracts of Poplar caused a general phytotoxic effect on seed germination and

seedling growth of O. Sativa at some concentration like 10 % and 5 % and some stimulatory

effect on some lower concentrations (1% and 2 %). It was noticed that the germination % in

both the extract is inhibited in higher concentration. The degree of seed germination

inhibition was higher in green leaf extract as compare to decomposed leaf more than. It was

also noticed that root morphology is highly effected by the treatment extensive secondary

root growth was observed in lower concentration extract as compare to the control.

Allelopathic effect on germination percentage is not significant but the other growth

parameters like shoot length, root length, dry weight, chlorophyll content of the leaves and

proline content is highly effected.


16

5. Development and Application of SCAR Markers for Identification of Gladiolus

Germplasm

Niraj Singh1, Ashish K. Pal1, Baleshwar Meena1, R. K. Roy1, Sushma Tamta2 and T. S.

Rana1

1CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow -226001, India 2Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001, Uttarakhand, India


Gladiolus is an economically important ornamental crop, cultivated for its beautiful flowers

throughout the world. The genus Gladiolus consists of about 265 species and is one of the

largest genera in the family Iridaceae. As the number of Gladiolus cultivars are increasing

day by day in India, therefore, it is very significant to develop cultivar specific markers for

rapid identification. The correct genotype identification of plant material is very significant in

the floriculture industry. The aim of this study was to develop sequence-characterized

amplified region (SCAR) markers from the RAPD and ISSR fragments for identification and

authentication of Gladiolus germplasm. The SCAR markers developed could be easily

employed as valuable tools to identify newly developed Gladiolus cultivars. The SCAR

markers viz., ScG12, ScG34 and ScG36 are specific to the DNAs from all sixty two

Gladiolus cultivars, as they did not amplify the DNAs of other taxa of the family Iridaceae,

including Iris, Amaryllis, and Narcissus. All three SCAR markers distinguished Gladiolus

from other taxa of the family Iridaceae, whereas marker ScAm was specific to ‘Amethyst’

cultivar. Our results confirmed that this particular SCAR marker distinguished ‘Amethyst’

cultivar from rest of other sixty two Gladiolus cultivars investigated in the present study. The

development of SCAR markers based on RAPD and ISSR markers seems to be the maiden

attempt for Gladiolus cultivars.

Keywords: Gladiolus, identification, ISSR, RAPD, SCAR marker


17

6. Rapid Vulnerability Assessment of Trillium Govanianum Wall. Ex D. Don; A

Commercially Exploited Medicinal Plant of Himalaya

Harsh Kumar Chauhan1,2, Anil Kumar Bisht1, Indra Dutt Bhatt2,

1Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001, India 2 G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment & Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal,

Almora- 263643, India


Trillium govanianum Wall. ex D. Don (Nagchhatri) is an endemic Himalayan medicinal plant

restricted to shady, moist and cold habitat in subalpine zones at 2400-3500 m asl. Trade of its

rhizomes collected from wild populations has recently emerged as a significant income

source in Himalayan region. The rhizome of the species is reported to have rich amount of

steroidal saponins and have potent uses in cancer, reproductive disorders and inflammation.

We assessed ecological vulnerabilities in 17 sites from Tirthan Valley (Himachal Pradesh),

Munsiyari and Tunghnath (Uttarakhand); and socio-economic vulnerabilities through

communal focus groups and interviews with 579 gatherers and 19 traders. Species

vulnerability was recorded highest in Munsiyari, then Tunghnath, and indicated that the

species may reach at the brink of extinction in near future. Recommendations to encourage

sustainable utilization are suggested with the aim to reduce the threat of extinctions while

maintaining community incomes.

Keywords: Ecological vulnerabilities, socio-economic vulnerabilities, steroidal saponins,

trade, vulnerability


18

7. Impact of Environmental Factors on the Growth of Plants

Indu Tiwari

Department of Botany, Government P. G. College, New Tehri, Uttarakhand


Plant growth and distribution are limited by the environment. If any one of the environmental

factors is less than ideal it will become a limiting factor in plant growth. Limiting factors are

also responsible for the geography of plant distribution. For example, only plants adapted to

limited amounts of water can live in deserts. Most plant problems are caused by

environmental stress, either directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is important to understand the

environmental aspects that affect plant growth.

Environmental factors viz., light, temperature, water, and soil, greatly influence plant growth

and geographic distribution. These factors determine the suitability of a plant for a particular

location, management practices, and levels of inputs needed. A plant performs best and is

least costly to propagate if it is grown under the most favorable environmental conditions. To

maximize the production of any plant, it is important to understand how these environmental

factors affect plant growth and development.

Keywords: Limiting factors, environmental stress, management practices, geographic

distribution, propagate


19

8. Observation on Status of Insect Pollinators in Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Western

Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India

Prachi Tamta, Manoj K. Arya and Dayakrishna

Department of Zoology, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Uttarakhand, India


Present investigations were undertaken to know the status of insect pollinators in Binsar Wildlife

Sanctuary (BWLS), Kumaun Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India. The geographical location of BWLS

is 29o39’-29o44’N and 79o41’-79o49’E and the altitude varies between 1200 to 2500 meters above

sea level. BWLS represents the characteristic floral elements of Moist Temperate Forest

surrounded by Chir pine and agricultural land. Insect as a pollinator has important role to maintain

biodiversity in natural ecosystem. Insects including honey bees, bumble bees, butterflies, moths

and beetles are vital for the pollination of many cultivated and wild plants. A total of 53 species of

insects were found to facilitate the pollination process in the BWLS during the study period 2013-

15. The identified pollinator species of insects belonged to order Lepidoptera (33 species),

Hymenoptera (11 species), Diptera (five species) and Coleoptera (four species), respectively.

Among the four recoded group of insects, Lepidopteran insects belonging to families

Nymphalidae, Pieridae, Papilionidae, Lycaenidae, Danaidae, Satyridae, Acraeidae, Arctiidae,

Noctuidae and Sphingidae were recorded in great numbers indicating efficient pollination in the

study area. Similarly, Hymenopteran insects belonging to families Apidae, Scoliidae, Pompilidae,

Vespidae and Xylocopidae were recorded in great numbers indicating efficient pollination in the

study area. Among the Hymenopteran pollinator insect species, bees (Anthophora confusa Smith

and Apis laboriosa Smith), bumble bees (Bombus sp. and Bremus sp.), and Xylocopa fenestrata

Fabricius were recorded as the most frequent flower visiting and efficient pollinator insect species

during the field visits in BWLS.

Key words: Hymenopteran, insects, lepidopteran, pollinators, species


20

9. QSAR Based Virtual Screening of Novel Phytochemical Inhibitors Against HER2 in

Breast Cancer

Mahesha Nand1, Priyanka Maiti2, Subhash Chandra2* and Veena Pande1

1Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Bhimtal Campus, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, India. 2Department of Botany, Kumaun University, S.S.J Campus, Almora, Uttarakhand, India.


Breast cancer is the second most widespread cancer in the world among women with an

estimated 1.67 million new cancer cases diagnosed in 2012 (25% of all cancers). It is the

most frequent cancer in women both in more and less developed regions with slightly more

cases in less developed (883,000 cases) than in more developed (794,000) regions. In Indian

yearly incidence of breast cancer were approximately 1, 44,000. In Uttarakhand around 25%

patients were diagnosed with breast cancer.HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor

2) receptor is a membrane tyrosine kinase and when activated affects cell proliferation and

survival. HER2 amplification is the primary pathway of HER2 receptor overexpression and is

a major driver of tumor development and progression in a subset of breast cancers. HER2

amplification is found in case of 15% to 20% breast cancer. Therefore overexpressed HER2

receptor is an importantdrug target and the present investigation aims to explore some novel

phytochemicals against HER2 by applying QSAR based virtual screening methods. Screened

phytochemicals and their family are includes Cisplatin from Zanthoxylumarmatum,

Homoharringtonine from Ulmusparvifolia, Daidzein from Puerariamirifica, Genistein from

Puerarialobata and Catechins from Camellia sinensis. Screening anti-cancer compounds

from several medicinal plants and natural compounds is attractive because they are safe,

nontoxic and cost effective. The results of the work have identified several novel anti-cancer

phytochemicals against breast cancer with future avenues in drug development against breast

cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer, phytochemicals, machine learning, her2, breast cancer, text

mining.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueraria_mirifica

21

10. Biochemical Aspects of Photosynthesis and Respiration: An Implication to

Environment and Social Awareness

Preeti Bhatt and Chandra Kala Pant

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

Biochemical reactions in living systems regulate carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2)

balancein the atmosphere. Photosynthetic processes are highly significant in minimizing CO2

level while the glycolytic pathways along with electron transport, producing CO2 and water

(H2O) at the expense of O2, through respiration are widely known. In this presentation the

biochemical aspects of respiration and photosynthesis has been considered to understand the

consequences of these metabolic processes. Keeping in view the hazardous effects of

deforestation and diseases caused by excessive intake of food materials (carbohydrates,

proteins, fatty acids etc.) and alcoholism are discussed and their correlation with the

environment and social awareness has been manifested.

Keywords: Photosynthesis, respiration, environment, deforestation, health awareness

22

11. Analysis of Forest Vegetation, Population Structure and Regeneration Pattern in

Kumaun Himalaya

Meenakshi Negi and R. S. Rawal

G. B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, Kosi-

Katarmal, Almora 263643, Uttarakhand, India

The noticeable decline in natural regeneration is of great concern for west Himalayan forests

due to several reasons, like, excessive lopping, over grazing and tree felling, non-viable

seeds, extreme weevil and pest infestation, animal and bird predation resulting in low seed

production. A study was therefore, carried out with an objective to quantitatively analyse

representative forests around Nainital to record patterns of natural regeneration. Considering

the dominance, a total of six forest types, P. roxburghii, mixed oak, Q. leucotrichophora, Q.

lanuginosa, Q. floribunda and Q. semecarpifolia were identified. The tree density of these

forests ranged from 325-2534 ind/ha, sapling density from 258-1733 ind/ha and total tree

basal cover from 25.29-109.37 m2/ha. Seedling density for both the years of observation was

found maximum in Q. floribunda forest in rainy season i.e. 3765 ind/ha (I year) and 3491

ind/ha (II year). Surprisingly, no seedlings were recorded from Q. semecarpifolia forest. The

composition of tree and shrub layers differed markedly among all the forests. Q. floribunda

forest supported the largest shrub population, while Q. semecarpifolia was poorest in this

regard. With an exception of Q. semecarpifolia, the dominant species in all the forests had a

stable population indicating good regeneration. The paper attempts to describe future

possibilities of management in these forests.

Keywords: Kumaun Himalaya, oak forests, phytosociology, population structure,

regeneration

23

12. A Seasonal (Rainy Season) Survey and Study on the Availability of Different Fodder

Species of Kumaun and Garhwal Region of Uttarakhand

Hemlata Rathore, Netrapal Sharma and Satpal Singh Bisht

Department of Zoology, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001.


Uttarakhand is a state which consists of 65% of forest cover and 86% region is mountainous

It is surrounded by Himalaya from the northern side which provides a remarkable range of

variation among the species the area consist of alpine zone and tropical forest. Trees leaves,

shrubs, herbs, legumes and grasses are used as a fodder by the local villagers. Despite being a

biodiversity rich state it is observed that there is an acute deficiency of quality fodder for the

livestock. In order to check the availability of fodder species and their nutrient value a

seasonal survey was done across the Kumaun and Garhwal region of Uttarakhand and also

their availability was observed along different elevation. The survey was done approx in

every district of Kumaun and Garhwal region.The fodder species collection is 480 and 390 in

Kumaun and Garhwal region respectively. Dudhila (Ficus nemoralis), Eleusine indica

,Bhimal (Grewia optiva), Sakina (Indigofera), Timil (ficus roxburghii),Tusharu (Debregeasia

spp.) Doob (cynodon dactylon) are found to be most common according to availability during

rainy season. The survey also highlighted the fact that there is lack of awareness among the

villagers regarding the quality fodder and its management. The survey can help in identifying

the fodder species rich area and also provide options for better fodder management

techniques. Further awareness of quality fodder among villagers can slightly improves the

deficit of fodder for the livestock.

Keywords: Availability, deficit, Fodder, livestock


24

13. Allelopathic Effect of Bryophytes on Germination and Growth of Bidens Biternata

(Lour.) Merr & Shreff

Prabha B. Dhondiyal, Neerja Pande and Kiran Bargali

Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India


The present work embodies the allelopathic effect of bryophytes (Lunularia cruciata,

Marchantia polymorpha and Plagiochasma appendiculatum) on the germination behaviour

and biomass of Bidens biternata. The aim of the work was to study the effect of bryophyte

species on unsoaked and presoaked seeds of B. biternata. The extract of these bryophytes

were prepared in different organic solvents of varied polarity (acetone, ethanol and water) at

two concentrations (100% & 50%). For pot experiments bryophytes were mixed with soil and

as layer on the top of the soil. In in vitro and pot experiment the bryophytes had different

degree of inhibitory effect on the germination and biomass of B. biternata as compared to

control. The germination was completely inhibited in unsoaked seeds of Bidens in acetone

and ethanol extracts of bryophytes at both the concentrations. In presoaked seeds of Bidens

the germination was completely checked at higher concentration of acetone and ethanol

extracts. The initiation of germination was also delayed in bryophytic extracts. The radicle

length, plumule length, total seedling size and biomass varied between bryophyte species,

solvent and concentration of the solvent used.

Keywords: Allelopathy, bryophyte, Bidens, germination, inhibition, weed

mailto:mail:%[email protected]

25

14. Genetic Diversity among Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae Rhamnoides (L)) Using Molecular

Marker Based Analysis

Netrapal Sharma1, Satpal Singh Bisht1, Hemlata Rathore1 and Sanjay Gupta2

1Department of zoology, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001 2SBS PG Institute, Balawala, Dehradun, Uttarakhand-248161


The genetic diversity among thirty six genotypes of Hippophae Salicifolia D. Don of

Uttarakhand region and Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. Turkestanica of Ladakh region were

studied; using simple sequence repeats DNA (SSRs)-PCR, Random amplified primers

(RAPD) and Cytochrome P450 analysis. The protein profiling and antioxidant profiling

(quantitative and qualitative) of seeds were also done to select the superior genotypes having

high economic importance. A total of seven SSR, twenty one RAPD and five CytoP450

primers were used for detecting genetic variability in Sea buckthorn seeds out of which seven

SSR, eleven RAPD and five CytoP450 primers were highly reproducible and found suitable

for use in PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) analysis. SSRs profile obtained by primer UTR-

15 was containing total of 8 bands (0.15- 0.6 kb), among these eight bands, one was found to

be polymorphic (12.5%). The similarity coefficients based on SSR markers ranged from

0.011 to 0.999 with an average value of 0.226. The polymorphism information content (PIC)

value ranged from 0.1686 (UTR-015) to 0.2975 (UTR-12) with a mean of 0.351. In RAPD, a

total of 198 bands were scored corresponding to an average of 10.8 bands per primer with

138 bands showing polymorphism (73.2 %) with similarity coefficient ranging from 0.011 to

0.999. A dendrogram constructed based on the Unweighted Pair Group Method with

Arithmetic Mean (UPGMA) clustering method revealed two major clusters of Uttarakhand

(with sub-clusters) and Ladakh region (no sub-clusters). This study may useful in the

selection of superior genotypes having higher nutraceutical value by using developed

molecular and protein based markers in Uttarakhand and Ladakh regions.

Key Words: Elaeagnaceae, Hippophae salicifolia, genotypes, sea buckthorn, genetic

diversity


26

15. Impact of Lichen Litter on Soil Nutrients in the Temperate Areas of Kumaun

Himalaya (Uttarakhand)

Balwant Kumar and Mahesh Kumar

Department of Botany, Kumaun University, S.S.J. Campus Almora, Uttarakhand, India


Fresh lichen litter- Usnea, Everniastrum and Parmotrema were removed from Quercus twigs

situated in temperate regions of Kumaun Himalaya. Agricultural soil samples were also

collected for their chemical analysis and lichen decomposition activity. Individuals of

selected lichens were mixed separately with this soil. Total fifteen sample buckets were used

for lichen decomposition purpose. After six months of decomposition, observations were

taken. Usnea was found to be the fastest decomposed lichen (about 91%) and increased the

value of soil macronutrients- pH, N, P & K. It is the first attempt regarding impact of lichen

decomposition on soil nutrients in the area.

Key words: Kumaun Himalaya, lichen litter, decomposition, Usnea, soil nutrients


27

16. Adsorptive Removal of Zinc (II) by Activated Bark of Pinus Roxburghii : An

Ecofriendly Approach

Mahesh Chandra Arya, Shah Raj Ali and Rajesh Kumar

Chemistry Department, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand 263002, India


This work highlights an inexpensive, sustainable and ecofriendly adsorbent for the removal

of Zinc (II) from its aqueous solution using activated bark powder of Pinus roxburghii as an

adsorbent. Pine bark was collected from local Pinus roxburghii trees, also known as chir

pine. The washed bark was oven-dried, ground and sieved through the mesh of different sizes

ranging from 100µm to 150 µm. The powder was treated with HCl, NaOH and water till it

got stabilised in aqueous medium. It was activated by heating it at 1000C for suitable time

and used as adsorbent to remove Zinc (II) from its aqueous solution. The adsorptive removal

was studied in the concentration range 50 to150 mgL-1.The various parameters studied were

effect of contact time between adsorbate and adsorbent, pH, concentration of adsorbate, size

of particles of adsorbent, amount of adsorbent and adsorption isotherm. The activated bark

powder of Pinus roxburghii showed maximum efficiency of 88% at optimum pH of 4.0 and

contact time of 300 min for an initial concentration of 100 mgL-1. The data obtained was

found to follow Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. The work demonstrates the removal of

Zinc (II) from its aqueous solution efficiently using pine bark powder as an adsorbent.

Keywords: Zinc (II), adsorption, pine bark


28

17. Observation on Environmental Effect on the Breeding Dynamics of Schizothorax

Richardsonii (Gray), from Kumaun Himalayas, Uttarakhand, India.

Uzma Siddiqui and H. C. S. Bisht

Department of Zoology, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India


Studies of environmental factors of an aquatic ecosystem are basic for understanding its

breeding pattern. In aquatic system, the successful reproduction is based on sensing the

environmental factors. Each factor plays an individual role but it is the synergistic effect of

various environmental parameters which determines its breeding dynamics. Due to

environmental factor such as temperature the breeding pattern is change in comparison to

earlier period. pH is also increased due to forest fire and heavily construction of houses and

roads. In Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. Dissolved Oxygen and free Carbon dioxide is also

effected which affects the breeding biology of snow trout, Schizothorax richardsonii.

Dissolved Oxygen is decreased during summer due to smog and smoke of forest fire. It is

very surprising observation that the Nainital Lake had very rich population of Schizothorax

richardsonii in the earlier but in present scenario there is no Schizothrax richardsonii at all in

Nainital Lake except the exotic carp are growing. The breeding dynamics of this species

depends on these environmental factors. Through the management practices for fish culture

snow trout can be a successful breeder of Kumaun river by utilising scientific tools for

fisheries.

Key words: Breeding, dynamics, environmental parameters, reproduction, temperature


29

18. Antimalarial Activities of Some Plant Species Found in Kumaun Region

Uttarakhand

Pushpa Bhakuni

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand

Malaria is a vector borne disease prevalent in tropical and developing countries causing

significant morbidity and mortality. According to the latest estimates of WHO, in 2015 there

were about 214 million cases of malaria worldwide and an estimated 438000 deaths

attributable to it. Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), the most deadly malaria causing organism,

has developed resistance to most commonly used drugs classes viz. the cinchona alkaloids,

4-aminoquinolines and the sulphonamides+diaminopyrimidines. After widespread resistance

to commonly used antimalarial drugs viz. Quinine, Chloroquine and

sulphadoxine+pyrimethamine, the Artemisinin derivatives became the only hope to fight

against Malaria. However, alarming signals of Artemisinin resistance emanating from areas

adjoining Cambodia are causing fears of rapid spread of Artemisinin resistance, leaving

humanity to suffer this dreaded disease without a vaccine or effective and affordable

antimalarial drugs. Therefore, there is an urgent need to search for novel antimalarials on a

war footing. Plants have been used in the traditional medicine for the treatment of malarial

fever and have indeed provided us two of the most powerful antimalarial drugs viz, Quinine

(from cinchona bark) and Artemisinin (from Artemisia annua).

Kumaun region in Uttarakhand state in the Indian Himalayan region is geographically and

climatically diverse with number of plant species known for their medicinal properties. A

Survey of ethnobotanical literatures reveal use of many locally found plant parts as traditional

remedies.

The treatment of various ailments including malarial fever. Such plant species are

Achyranthes aspera, Ajuga bracteosa or parviflora, Berberis aristata or asiatica, Nepeta

leucophylla, Pongamia pinnata, Roylea cinerea, Sida spinosa and Vitex nigundo found in

Kumaun region. Therefore there is an urgent need of evaluation of biologically active

compound against malaria from all these plant species which may be an alternative and

effective antimalarial agent. This may help to decrease the burden of the disease and prevent

emergence of resistance to currently used antimalarials.

30

19. A Review of Chemical Analyses and Ethno-medicinal Uses of Zingiberaceae Family

Sapna, Pushpa Joshi and Manoj Dhuni

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India.


Zingiberaceae family is an important natural resource for food, perfumes, dyes, medicines,

spices and aesthetics. India is one of richest and diverse region for Zingiberaceae having 22

genera and about 170 species, where North-east region is a zone of greatest concentration

having about 19 genera and about 88 species. Natural products from plants of this family find

application in several therapeutic formulations. These compounds belong to different

chemical classes (alkaloids, terpenoids etc.) and have chemically diverse and complex

structures. The rhizomes of plants belonging to this family are aromatic, tonic and stimulant.

They are rich sources of essential oils which exhibit various physiological activities,

antimicrobial, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-

HIV, neuro-protective etc.

The objective of this paper is to make a collection and summarize the researches conducted in

Zingiberaceae family so that researcher and academician may have better understanding

about variations in chemical properties due to different region, climate and geographical

conditions. The second objective of this paper is to identify the gap in the researches and to

bridge the gaps.

Keywords: Zingiberaceae, rhizomes, natural products, physiological activities


31

20. Effect of Zinc on Growth and Herbage Yield of Ocimum Gratissimum L.

Mamta Bisht and Geeta Tewari

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263002


The genus Ocimum, (family Lamiaceae) is a rich source of aroma chemicals that find varied

application in the food, flavor and pharmaceutical industry. Zinc is an essential micronutrient

for the growth and reproduction of plants and active site of various enzymes that are

responsible for driving many metabolic reactions in all crops. Growth and development

would stop if specific enzymes were not present in plant tissue. Protein, and chlorophyll

formation is significantly reduced in zinc-deficient plants. Therefore, a constant and

continuous supply of zinc is needed for optimum growth and maximum yield. The purpose of

this study is to determine the effect of zinc on growth and yield of Ocimum gratissimum L. A

polyhouse study was conducted to determine the effect of zinc amendment on the growth and

yield of Ocimum gratissimum L.The treatments of zinc were 600, 1000 and 1200 mg kg-1 in

triplicate along with un-amended control .On increasing amendments there is a significant

decrease in growth ( height and weight) of the plant, while yield increases significantly with

unamended control. From the above study, it is suggested that this Ocimum species which

finds wide application in herbal products, can be cultivated in zinc contaminated soil for its

volatile constituents.

Keywords: Ocimum gratissimum L., growth, oil yield, zinc

32

21. Chemotypic Variations in Ageratum Conyzoides L. Collected From Indo-Gangetic

Plains

Bhanu Kumar1, Ankita Misra1, Sharad Srivastava1, Yashwant Singh Rawat2 and Ajay

Kumar Singh Rawat1 1Pharmacognosy and Ethnopharmacology Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute,

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh)

2Botany Department, Kumaun University, Nainital (Uttarakhand)


The present study investigates the chemotypic variations in germplasms of Ageratum

conyzoides L., collected from Indo Gangetic Plains. Twenty-one germplasms were evaluated

for morpho-anatomic variations and chemoprofiling through HPTLC. The morphological and

anatomical variations were slight; however, quantification of biologically active marker

compounds Precocene I (PI) and Precocene II (PII) using Toluene-Ethyl Acetate (9.8: 0.2) as

solvent system revealed significant variation among germplasms. Precocene I and Precocene

II content ranges from 0.001 to 0.082% and 0.001 to 0.078% respectively on dry weight

basis. Cluster analysis based on the correlation matrix of metabolites, bifurcate the

germplasms into two groups, separating NAC-13 with a considerable amount of both

Precocene I and Precocene II. It is noteworthy that a negative correlation (Karl Pearson

coefficient = -0.2329) was observed between the two marker compounds. The results clearly

depict the variations in metabolite content among the intraspecific germplasms. Five elite

germplasms were identified which can be utilised for commercial prospection for the

development of herbal formulation with the desired effect in near future.

Keywords: Ageratum conyzoides L., HPTLC, Indo-Gangetic plain, Precocene-I, Precocene-

II


33

22. Essential Oil Composition of Murraya Koenigii Collected from Three Locations of

North India

Akanksha Rani and Chitra Pande

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263001, Uttarakhand,

India


Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng (family Rutaceae), shows many therapeutic properties such as

anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, antifungal, radioprotective, chemoprotective, analgesic,

anti-diabetic, anti-oxidant, memory enhancer, anti-helminthic, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer.

The essential oil of fresh leaves collected from three Indian locations has been analysed by

Gas Chromatography and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The analyses revealed

the presence of 41-62 compounds. The main compounds in the sample from Ramnagar were,

α-pinene (30.2%), sabinene (23.5%) and (E)-caryophyllene (12.1%) while the major

compounds in the sample collected from Betalghat were α-pinene (41.4%), sabinene (24.5%).

The major compounds found in the sample of Bijnor were α-pinene (40.8%) and (E)-

caryophyllene (10.5%). The volatiles of the plant from all three locations are rich in

hydrocarbons which are highly valued for their anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, neuro-

inflammation, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activities.

Keywords: Murraya koenigii, α-pinene, sabinene, (E)-caryophyllene, essential oil


34

23. Physicochemical Characterization of Soil Collected From Sacred and Non Sacred

Forests of Uttarakhand: A Comparative Study

Brij M. Upreti and Lalit M.Tewari

Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital


Sacred forest plays a crucial role in soil and water conservation due to their high biodiversity.

With a rapid litter decomposition rate, nutrient release in to the soil of these groves is very

high nutrient ratio. The soil itself has little nutrients to support the large biomass of the sacred

grove. The fine root mat developed on the surface of the soil is important for supporting the

large above-ground biomass and for effective recycling of nutrients. The present study was

undertaken to understand soil properties in relation to traditionally protected and non

protected two forests structures “Kalika Sacred forest” and “Chamunda Devi sacred forest”

Uttarakhand.

Walkley and Black’s rapid titration method as modified by Walkley (1947) was adopted for

organic carbon estimation. Available phosphorus was determined in the soil by Olsen

method. Potassium was extracted by neutral normal ammonium acetate method and was

determined by the flame photometer. Total nitrogen was measured by using the standard

Kjeldhal procedure.

Soil samples were collected from Kalika devi and Chamunda Devi sacred forest and non

sacred forest from different depth viz.0-10, 11-30, 31-60 and 61-90 cm. Physiochemical

analysis comprises soil texture (sand 47.88%, silt 39.51% and clay 42.46%, soil moisture

(24.24%), Water holding capacity (54.34%), Bulk density (1.42 g/cm-3), porosity(52.08), pH

(6.6), Organic matter(3.86), Carbon(2.24%), nitrogen (274.72 Kg/h.), phosphorous (0.014%)

and potassium(0.025). While in Chamunda devi sacred forest soil texture (sand 42.91%, silt

33.02% and clay 41.85%), soil moisture (26.27%), water holding capacity (60.9%), bulk

density (1.29 gcm-3), porosity (53.10%), pH (4.8), Carbon (1.45%), nitrogen (158.04 Kg/h),

phosphorous (0.0021%) and potassium (0.003%). Physiochemical results showed that sacred

forests had nutrient rich soil comparatively non sacred forest.

Keywords: Sacred forest, non sacred forests, organic carbon, soil properties


35

24. Confirmation of Interacting Partners of Chickpea DNA Methytransferases Clones

and Their Interaction with AGO Protein

Vandana Jaggi1, Sneha Tewari, 1 and Chetan Sharma2

1G.B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 1 National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi

2 Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Ambala

E-mail: [email protected]

A conserved epigenetic modification, DNA methylation involved in many biological

processes. It plays a crucial role in development of inheritable gene silencing. The three

important DNA methyltransferases (DNAMTases) reported in plants, namely

Methyltransferase (MET), Chromomethylase (CMT) and Domains Rearranged

Methyltransferase (DRM) maintain methylation mainly at CG, CHG and CHH sites. It

regulates the gene expression pattern, genome stability in plants and also controls

transcription of invading and mobile DNA elements, such as transgenes, viruses, transposons

and retroelements. It has been demonstrated that mutation in methyltransferases gene results

in elimination of methylation throughout the genome. However, to our knowledge, no more

studies has been reported the analysis of DNA MTases in legumes, so far. In present study

the interacting partners of DNAMTases have been identified through yeast two hybrid

analysis as well as the interaction of AGO protein with DNAMTase checked. For this

plasmid DNA was isolated from pDEST22 harboring DNAMTases clones, confirmed

through restriction digestion with BSrG1 followed by sequencing. To find the interacting

partners yeast competent cells were prepared using yeast strain AH109 as host for bait

pDEST32 and prey pDEST22. The pDEST22 harboring DNAMTases clones were

transformed into yeast competent cells and positive clones were identified by growing in SD-

Trp media. However the competent cell harboring prey was prepared and bait harboring

cDNA clones of chickpea was transformed and confirmed positive clones were selected by

growing on SD-Leu-Trp medium followed by X-gal screening. Further, to check the

interaction of AGO protein with DNAMTases, the AGO protein was cloned in TOPO entry

vector followed by LR ligation in pDESTGADT7. Yeast competent cells using strain

MaV203 were prepared and bait vector pDESTGADT7 harboring AGO and prey vector

pDESTGBKT7 harboring DNAMTases were cloned. Positive clones were selected on

medium SD-Leu-Trp as well as by colony PCR. This study confirmed that the DNAMTases

identified in chickpea regulate the gene methylation by using AGO protein.

Keywords: DNAMTases, AGO, pDEST22, pDEST32, MaV203


36

25. Heavy Metal Accumulation by Coriandrum Sativum in Cow Dung Amended Soils

Deepshekha Punetha and Geeta Tewari

Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, 263002, India


Coriandrum sativum L. (Family Apiaceae), an aromatic annual herb is extensively cultivated

for its leaves, seeds and essential oil.

A greenhouse pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of manure (cow

dung) on the accumulation of Zn, Cr, Cu and Ni present in the contaminated soil. The soil

was amended with manure at four levels (0 t/h; control, 26, 52 and 104t/h). After 90 days,

heavy metals accumulation in roots and translocation within coriander grown on these soils

were examined. The soil samples were digested using aqua-regia method and DTPA

extraction method, while plant samples were digested using Tri acid.

All manure treatments (26, 52 and 104t/h) showed a decrease in plant and seed

weight, while plant height, pH and EC of soil were increased. With the increase in manure

concentration, accumulation of different metals decreased significantly. The contents of all

metals were lowest in the 104 t/h treatment. This reduction in metal accumulation was 15.2,

12.4, 35.4 and 5.5 % for Zn, Ni, Cu and Cr in the first cutting and 9.0, 16.9, 27.2 and 3.9%

for the second cutting at 104t/h respectively. Copper and zinc transfer was higher in the aerial

parts as compared to the roots, whereas Ni and Cr were mainly accumulated in roots as

shown by translocation and bioconcentration factor. Coriandrum sativum may be cultivated

on polluted soils for green strategies to obtain essential oil used as flavoring agent in food

products, perfumes and cosmetics instead of using the plant for culinary purposes. Whereas,

Coriandrum sativum grown in manure amended soils can be used for culinary purpose.

Keywords: Manure, zinc, copper, nickel, chromium, translocation, bioconcentration factor


37

26. Oven Dried Volatile Constituents of Ocimum americanum: A Rich Source of

Bioactive Compounds

Sunita Bhatt and ChitraPande

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital


Food-borne diseases growing worldwide very rapidly. Use of various preservation practices

for successful control of food-borne pathogens is needed for storage of food products.

Synthetic food preservatives have several side effects which enhance the need of natural

preservatives to extend the shelf life of a product. Ocimum americanum L. belonging to the

family Lamiaceae is a wild aromatic herb that is native to tropical Africa. The herb is useful

for its anti-diabetic, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities.The leaf contains the essential oil

of therapeutic significance. Fresh O. americanum plants were harvested at flowering stage

from Ranikhet, Uttarakhand and a part was oven dried at 45˚C. Aerial part of fresh and oven

dried plants was hydrodistilled using Clevenger apparatus. The oil samples were analyzed by

Gas Chromatography and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC and GC-MS).The

percentage of methyl chavicol and caryophyllene oxide increases and of β-bisabolene and

(E)-γ-bisabolene decreases in dried sample. Concentration of 1,8-cineole becomes double

after drying which has a significant antimicrobial and antioxidant activity besides enhancing

the flavor and fragrance of the food stuff. The dried plant material can be used as a natural

preservative for increasing the shelf life of packaged products.

Keywords: Ocimum americanumL., drying, 1,8-cineole, preservatives.


38

27. Changes in Biodiversity and Regeneration Pattern in Plant Communities after Eradication of

Lantana Camara L. From the Forest Areas of Uttarakhand

Jitendra Bhatt

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, D. S. B. Campus, Nainital


Preservation of native diversity is one of the biggest challenges in Uttarakhand. Invasive non-

native species are a part of this challenge because they actively contribute to diminish native

biota after disturbance and land use change. Often referred to as ‘biological pollution’ these

non-native invasive species can be found in all taxon levels. In the Shiwaliks and lesser

Himalayas Lantana camara, Parthenium hysterophorus, Ageratum conyzoides and Ageratina

adenophora are the main invasive alien species. Lantana camara L. (Kuri), Mexican native,

is introduced in India as an ornamental and live fence. Keeping the detrimental effects of the

species on ecosystem its eradication programme was started by the Silviculturist Uttarakhand.

Cut Rootstock method was adopted which is developed by CEMDE, Delhi University for the

eradication. The objective of the present study is to assess the regeneration and diversity in

different forest stands after the eradication of L. camara. Four eradicated stands in Garhwal

(Pauri district) and four stands in Kumaun (Nainital district) have been selected for the

detailed inventory. The dominated trees in the Garhwal stands were Dalbergia sissoo and

Shorea robusta whereas Pinus roxburghii and Quercus leucotrichophora were the dominated

species in Kumaun stands. Biodiversity and regeneration was assessed by placing quadrats of

1×1m, systematically after every 50 m in rows and columns in all the selected stands. A total

134 species of grasses, herbs, shrubs and trees were reported regenerating in Kumaun stands

of which 15 trees, 18 shrubs and 101 herbs. In Garhwal stands 163 species of grasses, herbs,

shrubs and trees were reported of which 26 trees, 8 shrubs of and 129 herbs were

regenerating. Recruit density in Kumaun stands varied from 54.08×104 individual ha-1 to

148.88×104 individual ha-1whereas in Garhwal stands varied from 56.14×104 individual ha-1

to 197.21 ×104 individual ha-1. Majority of the species in all the stands showed contagious

distribution pattern. Shannon-wiener diversity index of Kumaun stands range between 3.04

and 3.38 whereas Garhwal stands between 3.68 and 4.80. On the basis of the study it may be

concluded that L. camara infested stands, after eradication, slowly and steadily restoring by

plant species through regeneration. For the effectiveness of eradication programme, the new

recruits of L. camara must be removed periodically.

Key words: Invasive species, biological pollution, cut rootstock method, density, diversity


39

28. Tree Water Relation and Regeneration Status of Treeline Species in Tungnath Area

of Uttarakhand

Nandan Singh and Ashish Tewari

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Kumaun University, Nainital – 263001

The treeline is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing in the high

altitude, governed by frigid environments or snow cover. The Himalayan treelines are

amongst the highest in the world and hence experience a different environment. Trees

growing at the alpine treeline very seldom undergo severe water stress because of high

precipitation during the vegetative period but stress can reach lethal levels during winter.

Regeneration behavior of tree species is characterized by their population structure which

depends upon the presence of adequate number of seedlings and saplings.The study sites is

located at treeline area in Tungnath region of Uttarakhand between 3400 – 3520 m altitudes.

The major tree species in the area were fir (Abies spectabilis), oak (Quercus semecarpifolia),

birch (Betula utilis),and the shrubsRhododendron campanulatumformed the

boundary.Average pre dawn water potential values acrossthe species ranged from -2.0±0.4

bars to -15.6±0.2 bars in tree and -2.4±0.3 to -28.8 ±0.5 bars in seedlings.Winter temperature

is the most critical situation for treeline species when the tree water potentialcan be extremely

low. Regeneration of all tree species was very poor in the treeline area which can be

attributed to heavy grazing and high water stress. The density of R. Campanulatum which

formed krummholz vegetation were 250 individual ha-1 at the treeline, had relatively good

regeneration. At several locations R. Campanulatum appeared to be moving upwards into the

alpine meadows as seedling could be found upto 30 – 40 m from the parent shrubs line.

Keywords: Treeline, Water Stress, Regeneration, R. campanulatum.

40

29. Assessing Regeneration Potential and Developing Reliable Indicators of Seed

Maturity in Myrica esculenta, Buch-Ham. Ex D. Don, in Kumaun Central Himalayan

Region

Shruti Shah and Ashish Tewari

Department of Forestry & Environmental Science, Kumaun University, Nainital


Myrica esculenta, Buch-Ham. Ex D.Don, commonly known, as Kaiphal is a small moderate

sized evergreen dioecious tree in sub-tropical-temperate region of the Himalaya, found across

an altitude between 900-2100masl. This species is well known for its edible fruit and other by

products. The popularity of the species can be judged from the fact that local people of the

region earn over Rs 14.00 lakh/season from selling the fruits of the species. The regeneration

in M. esculenta is poor in natural habitats mainly due to intense biotic pressure on it. In case

of M. esculenta availability of mature seeds is a problem as all accessible locations are

searched by locals for fruits. The study was carried out in 9 sites varying from lower, mid and

high range of species distribution (900-2100 masl). The seedling density across the sites

varied between 44 and 180 indi/ha. The study indicates that M. esculenta stands maintain

significantly high male tree density and average male female ratio was 5:1. The colour

change from green to dark red/ blackish red appears as one of the useful indicator of fruit/

seed maturity. In addition to the colour change seed maturity and maximum germination

occured in seeds when the weight of 100 fruits was between 41 and 60g, fruit moisture

content between 62 and 69% and seed moisture content between 30 and 32%. Seeds treated

with different concentrations and durations of sulfuric acid (H2SO4) failed to germinate

whereas those treated with hot water gave maximum germination ranging between 33% and

57%. The above parameters can be used as reliable indicators of seed maturity before

undertaking major afforestation/ reforestation programmes in the Indian Himalayan Region

(IHR) to avoid failures.

Keywords: Maturity Indices, Germination, Regeneration, Biotic Pressure


41

30. Developing Nursery Techniques for Propagation of Prunus cerasoides D.Don.

Bhawna Tewari and Ashish Tewari



Prunus cerasoides D.Don is a multipurpose tree species which belong to the family Rosaceae

and generally occurs between 1200 – 2400 m altitudes. The regeneration and seedling

establishment of this species was very poor in its natural habitat and varied from 24 – 116

indi/ha. The present study deals with assessing the exact seed maturity time, conditions for

germination and seedling growth. For the study three sites (1740-1800 m) at high elevation

and three sites (1360-1400 m) at low elevation were selected. The seed maturation time was

mid March to mid April. Fruit colour changed from green to red towards maturity. The

moisture content of seed varied between 29.25 ± 2.45% and 31.47± 0.42% across all the sites.

Germination ranged between 55± 1.67% and 63.33± 6.66% across the sites. The moisture

content and germination varied significantly across sites and dates of collection (P<0.01).

There was significantly higher germination in 25˚C temperature when seed was mechanically

treated. The seedlings of all sites were planted out at two leaf stage in different potting

mixtures. The best development of seedling was in the potting mixture soil: sand (2:1) ratio.

The growth (height and collar diameter) varied significantly (P<0.01) across site and growth

media.

Keywords: Seed maturity, Germination, Potting mixture, Seedling establishment


42

31. Antioxidant and Phytochemical Analysis of Two Medicinal Plants of Kumaun

Himalaya

Pritee Pant*and Kapil Khulbe

Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University Nainital-263002 Uttarakhand


The Kumaun Himalayas have a great wealth of medicinal plants and traditional medicinal

knowledge. Medicinal plants have long been the subject of human curiosity and need. They

are rich in a wide variety of secondary metabolites and exhibit antioxidant activities.

Micromeria biflora and Zehneria indica, belonging to family labiatae and cucurbetaceae

respectively, as used in colic, fever and many other skin diseases in traditional medicine

system. The present study was aimed to evaluate antioxidant potential and phytochemical

analysis of Micromeria biflora and Zehneria indica in two solvents. Qualitative analysis of

phytochemical constituents was performed following standard method using methanol and

hexane as extractants. Total phenolics, and flavonoids content were analyzed quantitatively

by FCR and AlCl3 method respectively. The radical scavenging activities of the plant

extracts were also determined by 2, 2 – Diphenyl -1-dsicrylhydrazyl radical (DPPH) assay.

The results of phytochemical screening showed the presence of glycoside, phenol, flavonoid,

terpinoid, volatile oil, and alkoloid in both the extract of M. biflora. In this methanolic extract

also showed the presence of protein, tannin and quinon but found absent in hexane fraction.

Z.indica revealed the presence of alkaloid, phenol, flavonoid, glycoside, volatile oil, and

terpenoid in both the solvents, while protein, tannin, and quinon were absent in hexane

extract of this plant. Total phenolic content of M.biflora was found higher in methanol extract

(635.55 mg GAE/ g dry extract) than hexane extract (166.6mg GAE/ g dry extract)and for

Z.indica the value was also recorded high in methanol extract ( 420mg GAE/g dry extract)

than in hexane extract(148mgGAE / g dry extract).

Total flavonoid content for Z.indica was also recorded higher in methanol extract (440 mg

QE/g dry extract) than hexane extract (360 mg QE/ g dry extract) but for M. biflora hexane

extract showed a very high value (737.7 mg QE/g dry extract) as compared to methanol

extract (158.8 mg QE/g dry extract).

In the antioxidant analysis (DPPH assay) methanol and henxane extracts showed a

concentration dependant activity. At the highest concentration used (100µg/ml) the methanol

extract of M. biflora and Z. indica showed maximum free radical scavenging activity

(92.87% and 88.05%) respectively. Hexane extract of both plants presented similar trends

showing 32.01% and 31.16% inhibition respectively. These results are interesting as

methanol extract showed activity closer to that of the standard used (ascorbic acid) which

showed 98.17%activity at 100µg/ml.

The findings indicated promising antioxidant activity of crude extracts of the above Plants

and needs further exploration for their effective use in modern system of medicines.

Keywords: Antioxidant, phytochemicals, medicinal plants, extract


43

32. Diversity Analysis in Pinus roxburghii Sarg. and Mixed Broadleaf Forest of Central

Hiimalaya, India

Neeta Arya and Jeet Ram

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science Kumaun University, Nainital


Forest diversity is the main source of livelihood of the people living in the Uttarakhand

Himalaya. Forest biodiversity is used for fodder, fuel wood, timber, leaf litter for manuring

crop fields, industrial raw materials and several non-timber forest products. Pinus roxburghii

and mixed broadleaf forest are the major forest forming tree species in this region. The study

area is located between 290 20’ and 290 30’ N latitude and 790 23’ and 790 42’ E longitude

between 1350-2000 m elevations in Uttarakhand Himalaya. The forest were thoroughly

surveyed and identified as Pinus roxburghii, Sarg dominated forest and mixed broadleaf

forest. The greater numbers of tree species were present in mixed broadleaf forest in contrast

to this shrub and herb species were greater in pine dominated forest. Pinus roxburghii Sarg,

forest has low tree and herb density while shrub density was low in mixed broadleaf forest. In

tree, shrub and herb diversity were high in mixed broadleaf forest compared to Pinus

roxburghii forest. These forests are exploited variously for different resources and

consequently the vegetation cover is decreasing. In response to these disturbances the species

richness and diversity are changing, which influence the soil and environmental conditions.

Keywords: Forest, Diversity, Richness


44

33. Solid Waste Management through Vermicomposting and Earthworm Gut

Cellulolytic Bacteria

Neha Rajwar and Satpal Singh Bisht

Department of Zoology, Kumaun University, Nainital-263002, Uttarakhand, India


Earthworms, as they are known as soil engineers are helpful in the reconstruction of the soil.

Due to their selective feeding activities they affect the soil health and their physical

properties, therefore it was globally accepted that soil fertility is of prime importance to

ensure food security. Year 2015 was declared as year of soil to sensitize and aware farmers

and soil ecologists to work on sustainable soil agricultural practices. The gut of earthworm is

known as the unique repository of different bacterial communities. The most important

bacterial community which draws the attention is the cellulolytic bacterial community as they

are beneficial for the decomposition of cellulose leading to various practices of soild waste

management and vermicompostig. Cellulose degradation in nature is a slow process but when

the same process is done by the earthworms with the help of their cellulolytic bacteria, is fast

and beneficial. Vermicomposting and composting is a process that gives the same result but

in different manner, cause here the composting material passes through the earthworm gut

which is loaded with the bacteria helpful in quick biodegradation. It is the integrated

technique of composting. The tropical soils are mainly plant nutrient deficient whereas the

majority of nutrients are entrapped in the kitchen wastes and agricultural by products.

Microorganisms and earthworms are the key source for the nutrient flow from one system to

another. When the same matter is treated with the cellulolytic bacteria along with the

beneficiary earthworm it can provide the vermicompost at its best in turn could be utilised as

an effective tool for various agricultural and agronomic practices.

Keywords: Earthworms, vermicomposting , cellulolytic bacteria, soil fertility


45

34. A Comparison of Canopy Cover Measured Through Transect and Densiometer

Methods in Oak Forest of Central Himalaya India

Poonam Prasad and Jeet Ram



The present study deals with the canopy cover of trees in Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora A.

Camus) forest. The study area is located between 29º36’ latitude and 79º48’ longitude

between 1800 to 1900m elevation in Uttarakhand Himalaya. The vegetation cover is

measured in different means. We use to measure canopy cover in two ways as conventional

transect method and densiometer method (an instrument). In Quercus leucotrichophora A.

Camus forest a total of 90 transect and 90 densiometer reading were taken for analysis. The

transect and densiometer reading were taken across the canopy cover as open, moderate and

close. The data were analyzed by applying t-test. The result showed that across the methods,

the canopy cover is significantly different (t = 1.97, P < 0.01). When it compared in different

canopies, it is significantly different in open (t = 2.00, P < 0.04) and moderate (t = 2.00, P <

0.03) while the canopy cover was not significantly different in close canopied forest. To find

out the most appropriate method, the data need to be analysed in details.

Keywords: Canopy cover, oak, transect, t-test


46

35. Zirconium Doped Iron Oxide Nanocomposite for the Adsorption of Cd(II) :

an Eco-Friendly Protocol

Rajesh Kumar, Shah Raj Ali and Mahesh Chandra Arya

Department of Chemistry, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital 263 002, India


Zirconium doped iron oxide nanocomposite was prepared by precipitation method and their

adsorption potential towards Cd(II) ions has been studied. The synthesized materials was

characterized by energy-dispersive X-ray, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray

diffraction. It was used as adsorbent for the adsorption of Cd(II) ions from aqueous solutions.

Batch adsorption experiments were conducted to investigate the adsorption of Cd(II) ions on

the prepared adsorbent. For adsorption process, A fixed amound of synthesized

nanocomposites was added to a definite volume of Cd(II) ions under optimized physico-

chemical parameters such as adsorption time, concentration of Cd(II) ions, amount of

adsorbent, temperature and pH. The concentration of Cd(II) ions in solution after adsorption

was determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The adsorption data followed

Langmuirian adsorption trends. The synthesized adsorbent exhibits high adsorption capacity

and it shows nearly 90% adsorption of Cd(II) ions under optimum condition. The method

used herein for the synthesis of zirconium doped iron oxide nanocomposite is eco-friendly

because the dissolved material present in the filtered solution was the recoverable sodium

chloride, and that can be disposed of safely.

Keywords: Adsorption, zirconium doped iron oxide nanocomposite, Cd(II) ions,

Langmuirian adsorption trends.


47

36. A Comparative Study on Water Quality of River Saryu for Drinking Purposed In

Bageshwer District

Jeewan Gahtori, S. P. S. Mehta, Garima Punetha and Latika Negi

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, K. U. Nainital


The river Saryu in Uttarakhand is a majaor source of water. The river in hill area is polluted

up to a large extent due to influent, untreated sewage and domestic garbage. A systematic

study has been carried out to access the quality of water in Saryu river of Bageshwer

(Uttarakhand). In this study different water samples from five major sampling stations were

collected and the samples were analyzed for the Physico-Chemical analysis like pH, Electric

Conductivity, Dissolve Oxygen ,Biological Oxygen Demand, Chemical Oxygen Demand,

Total Hardness, Turbidity etc. The samples were analyzed in different seasons. The particular

data of various parameters indicate that some of the parameters like pH, Electric

Conductivity, Total Hardness, Turbidity are found to be in excess than the permissible limit

which clearly indicates the pollution with seasonal changes. The analysis reveals that the

river water of Saryu in the areas of Bageshwar city needs treatment before being used and it

also needs to be protected from the domestic contamination. The drinking water quality

slightly differs in summer and winter seasons than post monsoon seasons.

Keywords: Water pollution, seasonal variation, saryu river


48

37. Density Relationship for Adsorption Capacity of Liriodendron Tulipifera (Hard

Wood) and Cedrus deodara (Soft Wood)

Anita Rana, Mahesh Arya, Vinay Deep Punetha and Ganga Bisht

Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, Nainital-263002, India


The adsorption of water by plants is essential for various metabolic activities. Adsorption

process is used for water waste treatment. The extent of adsorption varies in soft wood and

hard wood. In this report, it has been investigated the density relationship of Liriodendron

tulipifera, hard wood and Cedrusdeodara, soft wood and adsorption capacity of its charcoal.

The collected plants hard /soft woods sawdust first heated in air tight jar for 20-30 minutes

until the charcoal is formed. This charcoal was finely powdered in a grinding machine and

then weighed in an electrical balance. In this experiment the charcoal of soft wood and hard

wood used because both having the good adsorption capacity. The density measurement was

performed by xylometric method. On the basis of experimental data, the density of soft wood

(Liriodendron tulipifesra) was 1.6105 g/cm3 with the extent of adsorption x/m 1.8×10-4 mol

and the density of hard wood (Cedrusdeodara) was 2.8470 g/cm3 with the extent of

adsorption x/m 1.3×10-4 mol. Soft wood having lower density shows higher adsorption

capacity and hard wood having higher density shows lower adsorption capacity. The

adsorption capacity of soft wood charcoal is more than the adsorption capacity of hard wood

charcoal because of its small particle size and increasing surface area. Thus this correlation

shows that the adsorption capacity of soft wood i.e. Cedrusdeodarais more than the

adsorption capacity of hard wood i.e. Liriodendron tulipifera.

Keywords: Adsorption, hard wood, soft wood, xylometric method


49

38. Quantitative Estimation of Total Phenolic Content, Total Flavonoid Content and

Free Radical Scavenging Potential of Himalayan Fir (Abies Pindrow (Royle Ex D.Don)

Royle) : an Ethnomedicinally Important Plant

Urvashi Verma1, Kapil Khulbe1 and Tapan Kumar Nailwal2

1Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital (Uttarakhand) – 263002,

India 2Department of Biotechnology, Bhimtal Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital (Uttarakhand) -

263136, India


Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are a class of highly reactive molecules derived from the

various metabolic activities, ROS including superoxide radical, hydroxyl radicals and

hydrogen peroxide molecules are often generated as by product of biological reactions or

sometimes from exogenous factors. There are various evidences suggest that the compounds

especially from natural sources like secondary metabolites from plants have antioxidant

potential have ability to protect the cell by scavenge free radicals.

In this concern a well known ethno-medicinal Himalayan gymnosperm Abies pindrow

(Royle ex D.Don) Royle was selected to evaluate its total phenolic content (TPC), total

flavonoid content (TFC) and free radical scavenging activity by using four different solvents

(hexane, chloroform, ethanol and aqueous). Radical attenuating abilities of four plant extracts

were ascertained by 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH), 2, 2̍ [azinobis (3 ethyl

benothiazoline- 6 sulphonic acid) di-ammonium salt] (ABTS) assays.

The ethanol extract observed containing maximum amount of total phenolic content and total

flavonoid content i.e. 488.10±6.30mg GAE/ gm dry extract weight and 255.17±5.27 mg QE/

gm dry extract weight and minimum in hexane extract i.e. 204.76±4.29 mg GAE/ gm dry

extract weight and 106.90±7.18 mg QE/ gm dry extract weight respectively.

The DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging potential was found highest in the ethanol

extract and lowest in hexane extract ranging 75 to 30 % inhibition with significant IC50

values. The present data explains the multiple free radical scavenging capacity and

antioxidant capacity of A. pindrow leaves. The free radical scavenging activity of the plant

extracts were compared with standards (Ascorbic acid, BHA and BHT). The present study

provides evidence that extracts of A. pindrow leaves are a potential source of natural

antioxidants and could serve as a base for future drugs.

Keywords : Abies pindrow, phenolic and flavonoid content, radical scavenging activity


50

39. Economic Upliftment of Local Communities through Cheura (Diploknema butyracea

Roxb.) Plantations in Kumaun

Krishna Kumar Tamta and Ashish Tewari

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital


Cheura (Diploknema butyracea Roxb.) is a large tree belongs to the family sapotaceae occurs

in the sub Himalayan tract between 300-1500m from sea level.The species is a principal

source of edible oil in the remote areas of Nepal and Kumaun region of Uttarakhand. It

commonly flowers during cold season and fruit ripens in June-July.The most important part

of the tree is the seed whose kernels contain upto 65% oil/fat and is locally known as “Cheura

Ghee” or “Phulwara Butter”. The present study was carried out at 6 areas located in Nainital,

Champawat and Pithoragarh district during the year 2015-2016. The sites were located

between 950 and 1246m altitude. The purpose of the study was to assess resource base and to

evaluate the oil content of the species. 10 permanent plots of 10×10 m2 were placed randomly

in the study area. The circumference was measured with help of meter tape and height was

measured with the help of Ravi Multimeter. The continuous extraction process was used for

oil extraction using a soxlet apparatus and hexane which was used as a solvent.The density of

the species ranged between 70-240 individuals ha-1. At several areas absence of seedlings and

saplings was conspicuous and the maximum sapling density was 12-16 saplings ha-1. The

flowering occurred between the month of December-Feb and fruits ripened between May-

July. June was the peak month to harvest seeds for oil extraction. The average fruit yield tree-

1varied between 185.21 and 242.12 kg tree-1 the seed yield 32 - 43 kg tree-1 and kernel yield

23.68 – 31.82 kg tree-1. The fruits size ranged from 308.1 ± 1.08 - 1124.6 ± 2.14 mm2 and

seed size from 155.22 ± 0.24 - 268.94 ± 1.16 mm2, fruit colour was yellowish – green and

elongated-oval shaped and seed colour was light brown. The kernel oil yield percentage of

the studied areas ranged from 47.30 ± 1.25 % to 64.76 ± 1.59%. The mean yield of oil tree-1

ranged from 3.6 to 6.0 kg. The market rate of Cheura Oil/Ghee is 100-130 Rs./Kg. The

results indicate that Cheura seeds have good oil content percentage. It can be a suitable option

for income generation of the local community and may play an important role in self-

sufficiency of vegetable oils production in near future.

Keywords: Cheura, oil content, fruits, kernel, kumaun


51

40. Biomass Status In Ungrazed And Grazed Oak Forest Grazingland In The Himalaya,

India

Kamini Tamta and Jeet Ram

Department of Forestry and Environment Science, Kumaun University, Nainital

Forest grazing land is one of the characteristics feature of Himalayan forest. These grazing

land are utilized variously by the human population. The livestock population has increased

during the recent past and the problem of grazing has acquired serious dimensions, as a result

the vegetative cover is decreasing which has resulted in the loss of top soil due to excessive

erosion. Overgrazing may eventually lead to the loss of vegetative cover. Many natural types

of grassland have been destroyed by cultivation or grazing modified by grazing livestock.

Due to an increase in human and livestock populations and continuous overgrazing, besides

cutting of woody vegetation, community grazing lands have deteriorated adversely. In the

present study the dominant tree species is oak and various disturbances in the forest is

creating the forest grazingland. The present forest include 38 herbs and 22 shrub species .The

herbaceous live shoot biomass varied from479.0 ± 5.50 to1945.0±3.45 kgha-1 and 110.0±2.9

to 1762±3.2 kg ha-1 in ungrazed and grazed site respectively. Total Aboveground primary

biomass was higher on ungrazed forest site (5670.6 kg ha-1) compare to grazed site

(3467.0kgha-1).

Keywords: Livestock grazing, disturbance, biomass, oak forest

52

41. Ethnobotanical Studies of Betalghat Region, Along with Kosi Catchment Area,

Kumaun Himalya

Naveen Chandra Pandey1, G C Joshi1 and Lalit M. Tewari2

1 Regional Ayurvedic Research Institute, (RARI) CCRAS, Ranikhet, Uttarakhand,India

2 Departments of Botany, DSB Campus, Nainital-263002(Uttarakhand) India


The magnificent Himalaya is well recognized for its bio-physical diversity and socio-cultural

heritage, traditional systems and an ample quantity of indigenous knowledge. Uttarakhand is

a part of Indian Himalayan Region, has a vast number of rivers, tributaries and lakes. Kosi is

an important river of Kumaun Himalaya. It flows in the central part of Almora District and

western part of Nainital District. Betalghat is a block of Nainital district located at the bank of

river Kosi. The study was conducted with the help of Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)

technique to document the ethno botanical studies of plants of Betalghat region, along with

Kosi Catchment area. Total 108 ethno-botanical plants species belonging to 56 families, 99

genera, different habitats such as tress (37%), herbs (30%), shrubs (22%), climbers (11%),

were records. Top ten dominant families were Fabaceae (8 species), Caesalpinaceae (5

species), Euphorbiaceae (5 species), Moraceae (5 species), Solanaceae (5 species),

Amaranthaceae, Anacardiaceae, Apocynaceae (3 species), Asteraceae, Combretaceae (3

species). The majority of plant species were used for medicinal purposes (30%), followed by

fodder (21%), fuel (19%), wild edibles (18%), timber (5%), agriculture implements (3%),

religious (2%) and fibre (2%) which were further classify according to plants parts used such

as: leafs (34%), wood (22%), fruit (12%), root (9%), bark (8%), seed (4%), whole plant (3%),

flower, latex (2%), resin, stem, rhizomes, twig (1%). It was found that 80 medicinal plant

species were used by local people for curing 45 diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, fever,

cough, arthritis, cuts and wounds, skin diseases, asthma, jaundice etc.


53

42. Cultivated Exotic Medicinal Plants in Tarai Belt of Uttarakhand, India

Sumita Rana

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities, G.B.P.U.A.&T.,

Pantnagar-263145, Uttarakhand

Email Id: [email protected]

Cultivated exotic flora is important because of dependency of human beings on it for food,

shelter, medicine ecosystem services, aesthetic enjoyment and cultural identity. Exotic

species can also help an ecosystem by providing a missing link in a failing food chain.

Introductions can also be beneficial by conserving species in cases where they are

endangered or threatened in their natural habitats. Exotic plants may be introduce or arrived

there by human activity either deliberately or accidentally, where they do not naturally occur.

These are consider as non native, non indigenous or simply aliens to a particular area. A

survey of such plants was conducted in Pantnagar area of Uttarakhand State. The present

paper deals with study of 91 exotic cultivated medicinal plants of Tarai belt of Pantnagar

region of Uttarakhand. Medicinal plants belong to a big plant group with a great interest due

to its pharmaceutical, cosmetic and nutritional application. In addition, they are also an

alternative to traditional crop with species in high demand at the current international market.

G. B. Pant University is a unique place in Tarai region of Uttarakhand. Tarai region is

situated near the outer Shivalik hills of the Himalaya. Geographically the land area covered

by the University which lies in between the latitudes N 280 59’ 36” – 290 02’ 34” and

longitude E 790 28’ 33” - 790 31’ 12” with an altitude range of 213 to 238 m above sea level.

The present study deals with comprehensive list of exotic cultivated medicinal plant species

at Pantnagar with background information on family, utility, habit and nativity. The present

work involve exploration of exotic cultivated medicinal plants in the entire area of Pantnagar

in different seasons. This is the first assessment of alien cultivated medicinal flora of the

Pantnagar region. There is a lot of scope of these exotic medicinal plants in herbal medicines.

The different parts of the plants are used to cure several kinds of illnesses. The leaf is

predominantly used, and is followed by roots, tubers, and rhizomes. The indigenous

community prefers these plants as home remedy against fever, skin problems, leucorrhoea,

rheumatism, headache, indigestion, etc.

Key words: Exotic, medicinal plants, cultivated, Pantnagar


54

43. Screening for Phosphate Solubilization Potential of Two Rhizospheric Fungi

Prabha Pant, S. C. Sati and P. Kumar

Department of Botany, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001,

Uttarakhand, India


Microbes are known as an important natural phosphate solubilizing agent in

rhizospheric soil. Therefore the phosphate solubilization potential of two selected fungi

viz. Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium oxysporum isolated from rhizospheres of Acer

oblongum and Cupressus torulosa respectively were screened for the present study.

Phosphate solubilization potential of selected fungi was observed by solubilization

index (SI) using Pikovskaya’s (PKV) agar medium. Both the isolated fungi were found

positive for phosphate solubilization. A. fumigatus was found comparatively more

potent to F. oxysporum for the phosphate solubilization. A higher solubilization index

(SI-2.2) was recorded for the former fungus while for latter fungus SI was recorded up

to 1.3 only. The use of phosphate solubilizing microorganisms as a phosphate bio

fertilizer under varied ecosystems may be beneficial to improve the soil fertility and

crop production.

Keywords: Rhizospheric fungi, phosphate solubilization, A. fumigatus, F. oxysporum.


55

44. Phytochemical analysis and Evaluation of Kumaun Himalayan Litsea umbrosa Nees

Bark Extract for its Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Potentiality

Parikshit Kumar and S. C. Sati

Department of Botany, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001, India


Medicinal plants are playing an important role in human life since the ancient time. Kumaun

Himalaya possesses a great wealth of medicinal plants. In recent times due to rapid

development of multidrug resistant pathogens and high cost of new generation antibiotics

forced the interest of scientist to look for the antimicrobial substance from natural sources.

Therefore, the present study was undertaken to explore the antioxidant and antimicrobial

activity of Litsea umbrosa Nees (Lauraceae), an angiospermic plant of Kumaun Himalaya.

The bark of plant was collected in the month of April, 2015 from Nainital, Kumaun

Himalaya. Methanol extract of bark was tested against pathogenic bacteria and fungi for their

antimicrobial activities. Antioxidant activity of L. umbrosa bark extract was also carried out

by employing standard technique. Detection and quantification of the presence of secondary

metabolites was carried out by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry.

GC-MS analyses of methanol bark extract of L. umbrosa, revealed the presence of sixty six

identified components representing 100% of the total extract composition. 5-

Benzofuranacetic acid, 6-ethenyl-2,4,5,6,7,7A-hexahydro-3,6-dimethyl-ᾳ-methylene-2-oxo,

methyl ester (19.04%), 4-Methyl-4-[2-(5-methyl-furan-2-yl)-cyclopropyl]-pentan-2-one

(9.78%), 4-Methyl-7,7A,8A,9-tetrahydro-2H-[1] benzoxireno [3,4-h] chromen-2-one

(8.75%), as major components. Antioxidant activity showed higher DPPH scavenging,

moderate hydrogen peroxide scavenging and lower ferric reducing activities of the plant. The

antimicrobial activity of the methanol extract was found most active against all the tested

pathogens and this inhibitory effect indicates its broad spectrum activity against a panel of

microbes and can be exploited for the management of the most common human and plant

bacterial diseases.

Keywords: Litsea umbrosa, GC-MS, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity and plant

extracts


56

45. Impact of Winter Water Stress on Seedlings of Quercus Leucotrichophora A.

Campus and Rhododendron Arboreum Wall

Amit Mittal and Ashish Tewari

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001

Tree water potential was monitored over the winter season in Q. leucotrichophora and R.

arboreum seedlings. The rainfall and temperature data were taken from ARIES (Nainital),

two study sites were selected for the study located at Kailakhan 1760 m and Kilbury 2160 m.

The rainfall and temperature data of last five years (2011-2016) when compared with earlier

years data (2005-2010) indicates that winter rainfall has declined and winters have become

milder. The study commenced from the Ist week of December 2014 and continued till

February 2015. The tree density of Q. leucotrichophora and R. arboreum varied between 70

to 250 trees/ha and seedlings 40 and 80 seedling/ha across the sites. The pre-dawn water

potential in seedling of Q. leucotrichophora started to decline from Ist week of December and

values ranged between -1.2 MPa to -1.36MPa. The stress intensified and by mid-January the

seedling had became highly stressed and browning of leaves was visible with pre-dawn water

potentials varying between -2.8 MPa and -3.1 MPa. In R. arboreum seedling in December Ist

week the Pre-dawn water potential values were -1.39 MPa and had decline to -2.6 MPa by

mid-January end. It appears that increasing stress level due to decline in winter rainfall by

over 45% can have a severe impact on regeneration of these two important Himalayan

species.

Keyword: Water Potential, water stress, himalayas, regeneration, seedling

57

46. Ethnobotany and Indigenous Uses of Urtica dioica L. in Uttarakhand Himalaya

Kanchan Upreti and Y. P. S. Pangtey

Department of Botany, D.S. B. campus, Kumaun University, Nainital- 263002, Uttarakhand


Urtica dioica L. locally known as Shisoon, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant and is

the best –known member of the nettle genus Urtica. Uttarakhand is an ethnic region where

the plant is a part of the local culture. There is historical evidence of use of species being

used in folk medicine, cooking and fibre production. Urtica dioica L. is the main species used

for these purposes. This paper deals with the indigenous uses and ethnobotany of its stem,

leaves, root, fibre and aerial parts. It is concluded that in the light of present commercial and

industrial uses of Urtica dioica L. its cultivation should be promoted in Uttarakhand and

other parts of the Himalayan region of India for folk uses.

Keywords: Ethnobotany, fibre, medicine, Urtica, Uttarakhand.


58

47. Essential Oil Composition and Antifungal Activity of Pimpinella Achilleifolia (DC)

Clark

Kiran Tiwari, Geeta Tewari, Gitu Kunwar, Chitra Pande

Department of Chemistry, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India


The need for alternatives to synthetic fungicides has necessitated the search for effective

biodegradable natural products from plants. The genus Pimpinella is agronomically important

as they possess distinctive aromas and flavours and are cultivated for their aromatic seeds

used in medicine and as spice. In the present investigation, essential oil components of

Pimpenella achilleifolia have been identified and mycelium growth inhibition potential of the

oil was evaluated against-three plant pathogenic fungi. Seventeen compounds were identified

representing 97.23% of the total oil. Monoterpene hydrocarbon was the dominating class

comprising terpinolene (36.3%), γ-terpinene (21.5%), β-pinene (13.1%), limonene (7.1%)

and p cymene (6.7%) as major compounds. E-(β)-Farnesene, germacrene D and isodausene

have been observed for the first time in the oil from this plant. γ-Terpinene and terpinolene

have not been reported as major compounds in P. achilleifolia in previous reports. The oil

showed strong inhibitory effect on the mycelial growth of Rhizoctonia solani followed by

Sclerotonia sclerotiorum and Fusarium oxysporum.

Keywords: Pimpinella achilleifolia, essential oil, Apiaceae, terpinolene, γ-terpinene,

antifungal activity


59

48. Nutraceutical Plant Diversity in Kumaun Himalaya of Uttarakhand, India

Neelaxi Pandey and Satpal Singh Bisht

Department of Zoology, D.S.B.Campus, Kumaun University Nainital, Uttarakhand, India.


Kumaun Himalayas are mostly covered with forest resources, including still untrapped flora.

The flora present within this hot spot of biodiversity rich area is utilized as food, fodder, fuel,

timber, agricultural, medicine and many other folk practices by the local inhabitants. Among

these, wild edible plants play an important role in food supplement during scarcity for local

inhabitants, which have great nutraceutical value. The information is based on traditional

knowledgesystem (T.K.S), Vedic and Ayurvedic literature available. During the study it was

observed that Myrica esculenta (kafal), Rubus ellipticus(hisalu),Pyracantha crenulata

(ghighharu),Ficus auriculata (timul) are the commonly utilized as wild edible fruits.

Conserving wild fruit can be a good source of livelihood for the local community. It can be

encouraging step toward conserving species of wild plant which are endemic to Kumaun

region of Uttarakhand for nutritional and therapeutic applications.

Keywords: Kumaun Himalaya, livelihood, nutraceutical, wild edible fruit, traditional

knowledge system


60

49. Biotechnological Traditional Knowledge and Related IPR Issues

Pankaj Kumar1, Dr. Ameeta Sharma1, Dr. Shalabh Gupta 2 and Dr. A.K. Paliwal2

1The IIS University, Jaipur-302020

2S. B. S. Govt. P. G. College, Rudrapur, Uttarakhand


In view of numerous biotechnological inventions based on biological traditional knowledge

in India and the applications for patent filed for some of them. Although an invention to get

patentable, needs to qualify certain criteria including novelty and inventiveness. Some

traditional knowledge sometimes may not be found codified and so such inventions

sometimes escape during prior-art search establishing patentability particularly novelty and

inventiveness. Some of the earliest such examples are neems, haldi, basmati etc. Many times

such granted patents were objected and revoked after establishing its availability in public

domain being a part of traditional knowledge at any of the corner of the world. In view of

huge cost and time involved revoking such granted patents, India have been developed a

TKDL which has been made accessible to patent examiners authorize for international patent

search.

Another related issue in the subject is bio-piracy as hardly any benefit sharing out of

commercialization of such invention based on such biodiversity and the traditional

knowledge. This work intended to analyze the number of such patent application accepted

and rejected, study impact of TKDL rejecting of patent applications along with some case

study, analyzing the particular ground of the rejecting such applications for patent, arranging

some case studies of successful commercialization of such patents, study the benefit sharing

with the traditional society out of commercialization of inventions based on their traditional

knowledge.

Keywords: Benefit sharing, biodiversity, biological traditional knowledge, bio-piracy,

patentability, public domain, TKDL


61

50. Litter Decomposition in a 18-Year Old Holoptelea Intrigrifolia Planch Plantation in

A Sub-Tropical Forest of Tehri Garhwal

Pramod Kumar and R.B. Kuniyal

Department of Botany, HNBGU Campus Badshahithaul, Tehri

The present study was conducted in an 18 year old Holoptelea integrifolia plantation in a

foot-hill forest near Dhalwala village of Tehri District of Garhwal Himalaya. The period litter

after 12 months of decomposition amounted 2.27% for this species. The period from May to

November exhibited rapid loss in litter weight. The removal of litter weight was significantly

related with time elapsed. The value of decomposition constants (K’) was 0.977. The litter

decomposition process which is caused of microbes was maximum during rainy season due

to favorable conditions of temperature and moisture. The paper discusses details of seasonal

leaf decomposition of this species.

62

51. Exploration of Plant Derived Neutraciticals against Lung Cancer Using

In Silico Tools

Priyanka Maiti1, Mahesha Nand2, Hema Joshi1 and Subhash Chandra1

1.Department of Botany, Kumaun University, S.S.J Campus, Almora, Uttarakhand, India.

2.Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Bhimtal Campus, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand, India.


Nutraceuticals have established their potential roles in the protection of human health against

various diseases. The present investigation aims to explore some novel plant derived

neutraciticalsagainst lung cancer by using in silicotools. In this context a library of 150

phytochemicalswere screened against vital targets involved in lung cancer. Nine

phytochemicals were screened namely Betulin, Betulinic acid acetate and 3-B-acetoxyurs-11-

en-13-B from the plant Rhododendron arboreum Sm. (Ericaceae), 4-(-L-

rhamnopyranosyloxy) benzyl isothiocyanate from Moringa oleifera Lam. (Moringaceae),

Germacrene-B and 2''-(S)-α-methylbutyrylalkannin from Artemisia indica Wild (Asteraceae),

Murrayanol, Girinimbine and Mahanimbine from Murraya koenigii (L.) Spreng.L.

(Rutaceae). All the screened moleculesshowed efficient binding capacity with thirteen

different target proteins in terms of H bonding that were evaluated via Lig plot interaction of

the protein ligand complex. Druglikeness and toxicity profile of the screened molecules were

checked by using FAF-Drug3 and admetSAR server where all the hits showed acceptable

results. Therefore findings of the present study suggest that these hit molecules may be used

as neutraciticals for further drug development against lung cancer.

Keywords: Virtual screening, druglikeness, lig plot, admetSAR, lung cancer, phytochemicals


63

52. Ecotoxic Investigations on Agro Ecosystems with Special Reference to

Earthworms

Rashi Miglani and S. P. S. Bisht

Department of Zoology, D.S.B Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001


Earthworms maintain the vitality of soil and provide key functions that favour many positive

ecosystem services such as nutrient value of soil by converting biodegradable material and

organic waste into rich vermicast and with these properties it also enhances decomposition,

formation of humus, development of soil structure physical fragmentation, soil aeration ,

chemical degradation, transformation and translocation of organic matter therefore they are

considered as an important soil organism in development and maintenance of soil fertility

providing sustainability to agro ecosystems. These services are important for sustainability of

agro ecosystems but are degraded by intensive and irrational use of practices such as use of

pesticides which often result in loss of biodiversity. Earthworms represent a large fraction of

soil living biomass in many temperate ecosystems and play an important role in soil

functioning and also increase soil structure via burrows or casts and enhance soil fertility

through partial digestion and communities of soil organic matter. Therefore they are

considered as one of the most suitable animal for testing the toxicity of chemicals in soils and

have been adopted as standard organism for eco toxicological testing. Acute and chronic

toxicity test have been used to assess the toxicity of contaminants, with changes in mortality,

biomass, reproduction rates and behavioral response representing the endpoints of the toxicity

testing in various soil ecosystems.

Keywords: Earthworms, eco toxicity, pesticides, agro-ecosystem, ecosystem services


64

53. Epiphytic Orchids and their Host Species in Baliyanala Catchment Area of Nainital,

Kumaun Himalaya

Renu Suyal1, Jeewan S. Jalal2 and Lalit M. Tewari3

1GBPNIHESD, Kosi, Kataral, Almora, 2B. S. I. Pune, 3Botany Department, D. S. B. Campus,

Kumuan University, Nainital

Nainital catchments lies between 29° 19′-29° 28′ N latitudes and 79° 22′-79° 38′ E longitudes

in the Kumaon Himalaya. The entire area is hilly and covers approximately 208.5 sq kms and

has an altitudinal range from 500 to 2600m asl. To document the epiphytic orchids and their

host species Balianala catchment (300 – 1600 m) area was surveyed. A total 22 epiphytic

orchids were recorded in the Baliyanala catchment area of Nainital region having 19 host

species. Quercus leucotrichophora (6) and Sapium insigne (5) supported maximum number

of orchid species followed by Syzygium operculatum, Bombax ceiba and Pyrus pashia (4).

The occurrence of Coelogyne cristrata and Pholidata articulata on both the angiospermic

host as well as gymnospermic host indicates their wide range of adaptability.

65

54. Impact of Forest Fires on Stand Structure and Regeneration

Ripu Daman Singh

Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital


Fire is a widespread process in earth system and plays a key role in ecosystem composition

and distribution. Ecologists, bio-geographers and paleo-botanist have long ignored fire as a

key ecosystem process; its importance is now being revealed more than ever by attempts to

model global vegetation change. Recurrent forest fires decreases the green cover through

prevention of regeneration and leads to the slow death of the forests. While the relative

importance of fire in modifying the global climate is increasing our understanding of how

forest fires might affect regional climate (micro climate) is still rather limited, probably

because of lack of systematic monitoring of the fire cases. So far enough studies have not

been carried out on the impact of forest fires on the vegetation of the Central Himalaya. In

context to soil, low to moderate severity fires; promote renovation of the dominant

vegetation through elimination of undesired species and transient increase of pH and

available nutrients. Fires also have several negative effects on soil, as they cause significant

removal of organic matter, deterioration of both structure and porosity, considerable losses

of nutrients through volatilisation, ash entrapment in smoke columns, leaching and erosion,

and marked alteration of both quantity and specific composition of microbial communities.

This work is a review of the up-to-date literature dealing with changes imposed by fires on

stand structure and regeneration and properties of forest soils. Ecological implications of

these changes are described.

Keywords: Central Himalaya, forest fire, soil properties, tree structure and regeneration


66

55. Radiation Absorber Plants

Shalini Rawat

Government P.G. College, New Tehri, Tehri Garhwal


Radioactive substances from nuclear program me structures are one of the major toxicant

causing serious health hazard. These manmade radiations include X-ray machines radioactive

fall-outs, nuclear reactor waste, TV, computers etc. Effect of radiation may be somatic and

genetic. Most genetic effects are brought by manmade radiations.

Plants on one hand using the electromagnetic radiation from sun for one of the most

important vital activity of earth called Photosynthesis and on the other hand protecting us

from harmful radiations. There are however, many natural compounds with radio-protective

activity. Such compounds include sulfhydryl-containing compounds and anti-oxidant

nutrients such as vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, N-acetyl cysteine and selenium, along with

a range of phytochemicals found in plants such as Ginkgo biloba, Vitis vinifera (Grape),

Ocimum sanctum (Tulsi or holy basil). Some pants have capacity to absorb harmful radiation

of computers like Aloe, Cactus, etc. Such study can be helpful in minimizing radiation

pollution. Present review paper emphasizing Botanical, Ecological and Economic aspects of

some plants.


67

56. Fire Adaptations in Some Important Tree Species

Surabhi Gumber1 and Jeet Ram2

1Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences,

2Department of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University,

Nainital


Fire is a widespread phenomenon and recurrent disturbance factor on our planet since the

origin of terrestrial plant. Plant attributes such as bark thickness, serotiny (late to open),

branch shedding, resprouting capacity and germination by heat and smoke are widely

recognized as fire-adapted in fire-prone environment. Responses of plants to fire are

dependent on physical properties of fire. Changes in fire regime often by increase or

decrease in fire frequency and intensity can be threatened by plant species attributes.

Literature review reveals that the ecological significance of annual fires on forest formations

is significant. Frequent and uncontrolled fires adversely affect on vegetation and plant

diversity. In tropical forests, it is reported that due to frequent fires tree species exhibit

adaptive traits such as bark thickness, ability to repair fire scars, resprouting capability and

seed adaptations. It has been reported that in Eucalyptus regnans regeneration has been

recorded high at fire affected sites in temperate Australia. In this review, we have gone

through several research works, projects and books, having an aim to identify functional

attributes, which are adapted to fire in several plant species, such as Pinus etc. The literature

compiled in the present review, helps in identifying the fire adaptive species and their

characters for rejuvenation.

Keywords: Adaptations, adaptive attributes, fire regime, vegetation composition


68

57. Study on the Ecological Importance of Aquatic Avian Fauna of Wetlands of

Kumaun Region, India.

Vinay Singh, Aman Verma and Satpal Singh Bisht

Department of Zoology, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001


The wetlands of Uttarakhand provide shelter to about 175 wetland avian species, out of

which 134 species are water birds and the remaining 41 species are water dependent birds.

Wetlands both natural and artificial, supports a high diversity of resident and migrant water

birds. Water birds act as an important indicator of the health of ecosystem. At the global

level, water birds form an important link in food web and nutrients cycle. In this study, we

especially address the water birds, which play key functional role in many aquatic

ecosystems, as predators, herbivores and vectors of seeds, invertebrates and nutrients.

Although these activities have often been overlooked by researchers. Water birds can

maintain the diversity of other organisms, control pests, act as effective bio-indicator of

ecological conditions and act as sentinels of potential disease outbreak. They also provide

important provisioning (meat, feathers, eggs, etc.) and culture services to society. In this

study, we exclusively focus on water birds and aim to examine how water birds provide the

important services to ecosystems. It has been reported that the population of wetland water

birds has been declined significantly. However, the studies on ecological importance of

wetland water birds in Uttarakhand region are scanty as per available literature.

Keywords: Bio-indicators, herbivores, migrant birds, pest, predators, wetland


69

58. New Horizons in the Field of Lichenology: Case Study from Kumaun Himalaya

Yogesh Joshi

Lichenology Laboratory, Department of Botany, S.S.J. Campus, Kumaun University Almora, 263

601, Uttarakhand, Iindia

A lot of work has been done on floristic diversity of lichens of Kumaun Himalaya and

approximately 700 species have been reported from the study region. In the present study the

author has tried to summarize the work done by him and his team during the last five years

and tried to open up some unexplored aspects in the field of lichenology viz. secondary

fungal diversity associated with lichens (lichenicolous and endolichenic fungi), lichens as

biomonitoring tool to assess the health of Kumaun Himalaya, and a lot more. Though a lot

need to be done in this field, but the preliminary data generated during the present study will

not only act as a baseline data but will also be of immense importance to young botanists,

environmentalists, ecologists.

Keywords: Biomonitoring, climate change, diversity, fungi, india, lichens

70

59. Watershed, West Himalaya, India

Bhaskar Ch. Joshi, R.S. Rawal and K. Chandra Sekar

G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development,

Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, Uttarakhand

As major food for livestock, fodder plants are considered integral for rural livelihoods. These

plants are mainly harvested from forests, grasslands, and agriculture and agro-forest area. In

Kumaun, West Himalaya, fodder is mainly collected from forests by way of harvesting

vegetative biomass of selected trees, shrubs, climber and herbs. Present study was analyse the

diversity, utilization pattern, energy budget of fodder collection from forest and agro-forest

landscapes at different altitude zones of Hat-Kalika watershed in Gangolihat (Pithoragarh)

Uttarakhand. A total of 57 fodder species trees (29), shrubs (9), climbers/lianas (6) and herbs

(13) were recorded. On an average the collection of leaf fodder (Green) from forest system

ranged 21.7-25.6 kg/hh/day, whereas from agro-forest system it ranged between 3.4-4.5

kg/hh/day. Fodder collection was higher in warmer (March to October) than cooler

(November to February) month. The energy budget for collection varied from 251.04-439.32

MJ household-1 year-1 and total collection days spent in month HH -1 range 7.5-13.1 days. The

present study provides an insight on species under pressure as well as the average time spent

for fodder collection. The data sets along with other energy budgets viz. fuel wood and water

collection would be helpful in designing suitable strategies to reduce drudgeries of rural

populace and promotion of natural resource management in the Watershed.

Keyword: Budget, conservation, diversity, energy, native, resource management, utilization

71

60. Significance of Community Participation in Promoting the Conservation of Musk

Deer and its Preferred Fodder in Uttarakhand, in Uttarakhand Himalaya

Ira Tewari

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, D. S. B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-

263001 (Uttarakhand)


The mighty Himalaya is blessed upon by Mother Nature as she has bestowed an immense

wealth of natural resources in its cradle. Himalaya is beautiful but environmentally fragile

youngest mountain belt. It is prone to ecological unstability, intense seismicity but is ushered

with tremendous natural resources, both renewable and non-renewable. Himalaya is marked

by a variety and complexity of natural phenomenon like terrain, geology, hydrology, climate,

vegetation, soil, wildlife: the region has its own distinctive aura. Along with several natural

resources, one of the prized assets of the Himalayan region is – the Musk deer, which also

happens to be the state animal of Uttarakhand. Musk deer is a prized asset of the globe and its

population is depleting alarmingly, especially in the Himalayan region. In the Red Data Book

of International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, the species is listed

as endangered (IUCN 1974). The 1972 Wildlife Protection Act of India and the Wildlife

Protection Amendment Act of India, 1991, has placed it in the Schedule I of ‘Endangered and

Rare” species. The CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of

Fauna and Flora) has listed the Himalayan Musk Deer in Appendix I and prohibited musk

trade in the international level. In the Himalayan region Poaching and habitat destruction are

the main reasons for the sharp decline in the population of this species. To stop the further

depletion of this species, the need of the hour is to conserve it by structuring of confined

farms in appropriate elevations. Community participation is an important aspect in the

conservation of this animal. For the smooth structuring of the confined farms, the availability

of the, presently, depleting fodder is of utmost importance. The musk deer prefers around

fifty varieties of plant species as its fodder. Due to the accelerating rate of thinning of forests

in the Himalayan region, the availability of the fodder species is also diminishing. So, with an

active participation of the community fodder availability can be meted out. Therefore, the

Structuring of these confined farms shall go a long way in conserving this endangered animal

species as well as shall pave way for boosting the eco-tourism and ultimately strengthening

the economy of the state as well.

Keywords: Himalaya, endangered, poaching, community participation, fodder


72

61. Synthesis of Some New Azetidinones Derivatives with Possible Biological Activities

Jagmohan Singh Negi

Department of Chemistry, L. S. M. Govt. P. G. Collage Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand(INDIA)


The present study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activity , many phenols and

compounds with phenolic groups have antifungal potency A large number of fungicides are

formulated as wettable powders; this is the form most commonly used for spray

mixes.Nodern wettable powerders are easily wetted and disperse well in water . In the

present review, emphasis is given on diverse pharmacological properties associated with

substituted thiazolidinones and structurally related thiazolidines. Such a chemical is called a

‘’fungistat” and the phenomenon of temporarily inhibiting the growth is ‘’fungistasis”. Some

other chemicals, like certain phenanthrene derivatives and Bordeaux mixture, may inhibit

spore production without affecting the growth of vegetative fungistate hyphae. They simply

inhibit fungus growth temporarily.If the fungus is freed from such substance, it would revive.

These are called ‘’antisporulaaaaants’’. 2-amino 4-Phenyl Oxazole is condensed with

appropriate aromatic aldehyde in methanol was refluxed on water bath for 1 hr.Various.

obtaining gave 2 Substituted N-[4-Phenyl-2-thiazolyl]-2-imino (4I-hydroxy phenyl)

methylene Which were converted into N-(4-Phenyl thiazolyl ) 3-Chloro-4ll-(4l-hydroxy

phenyl )-2-azetidinones and by reaction with chloroactyl chloride respectively and

synthesized compounds showed moderate to good antifungal activity with respect to standard

drugs

Keywords: 2-Amino 4-phenyl oxazole, EtOH, antimicrobial activity.


73

62. Development of a Reporter System for Screening and Characterization of

Aromatase Inhibiting Potential in the Phytoextracts/Phytochemicals from Uttarakhand

Flora

Ankita H. Tripathi1, Rekha Gehtori1, Ashutosh Paliwal1, Penny Joshi2 and Santosh K.

Upadhyay1

1 Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Bhimtal Campus, Bhimtal

2 Department of Chemistry, D.S.B. Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital


Aromatase is an enzyme of cytochrome P450 group, responsible for catalyzing the conversion of

androgens to estrogen. In human this protein is encoded by CYP19A1 gene and is expressed in

numerous tissues of the body including breast, skin, brain, adipose, muscles and bone tissue.

Significantly higher expression of CYP19A1 in breast cancer than in circulating plasma, suggests

locally increased aromatase expression for estrogen biosynthesis near or within cancerous tissue.

Numerous studies now implicate increased Aromatase activity with cancer progression; however,

only limited studies till now have explored the role of Aromatase in Epithelial-mesenchymal

transition (EMT). EMT is a biological process where well differentiated epithelial cells undergo

various biochemical changes and attain properties of mesenchymal cells those include attaining higher

invasive and migratory potentials. Importantly, in cancer, EMT is known to promote metastasis and

therapeutic resistance as well. In a previous study, our group has identified Small molecule inhibitors

(SMIs) capable of EMT reversal in NSCLC using a 'connectivity map' approach, and in the list of

predicted potent inhibitors/reversing-agents of EMT, a very impressive representation of Aromatase

inhibitors was observed. Therefore, the aromatase inhibiting (AI) property of any

drug/phytochemical/phytoextract may also be suggestive of its EMT-inhibiting potential and was

further validated by certain already published studies. So, owing to the EMT association of Aromatase

and importance of EMT-inhibition in the prevention of metastasis and drug resistance, identification

of novel inhibitors of EMT is crucial.

Uttarakhand is well known for its medicinally important floral diversity. Many plants of this region

are known to have AI-activity, such as Angelica glauca, Oroxyllum, Linum usitatissimum, Nigella

sativa, Trifolium pratense, Camellia sinensis, Aconitum heterophyllum etc., whereas, for few other

(related) plant species, the AI-activity is yet to be identified / characterized. The present study

therefore aims at developing an efficient and cost-effective screening system for identification and

characterization of AI-potential in the phytochemicals/phytoextracts. In the first part of this study we

cloned CYP19A1-promoter in pGL3-basic reporter vector, which on transfection in suitable cancer

cell-line would enable it to reflect the impact of phytoextract on expression of aromatase. Further, to

characterize the Aromatase-inhibition in enzymatic term, we identified the markers specifically

associated with inhibition by mining microarray data of breast cancer cell-line MCF7 exposed to

commercially available inhibitors of Aromatase. This study led to identification of total 24 markers

(12 upregulated and 12 downregulated) in breast cancer transcriptome, which in different subsets

could be used to detect enzymatic inhibition of Aromatase.

The AI-screening system developed in this study would be useful for identification of AIs, those may

help in targeting metastasis and drug resistance in cancers as inhibitors of EMT. The present screen is

unique in terms of mechanistic evaluation of AIs (Inhibition of CYP19A1 expression vs. inhibition of

Aromatase-enzymatic activity), possible with this. Furthermore, unlike previously known radioisotope

based, costly protocol based on direct evaluation of aromatase (enzymatic) activity, the present

method is cost-effective and non-hazardous.

74

63. Genetic Diversity in Black-Seeded Soybean (Glycine max L.) Landraces of

Uttarakhand State

Ranjana Singh1, Rajni Rawat1, P.S. Mehta1, S.K. Verma1, L.M. Tiwari2 and I.S. Bisht1

1ICAR-NBPGR Regional Station, Niglat (Bhowali), Uttarakhand-263132

2 Department of Botany, DSB Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital-263001

Black-seeded soybean (Glycine max L.) or bhat is widely cultivated in Uttarakhand hills. Soybean is

considered to be a source of complete protein that contains significant amount of all the essential

amino acids that must be provided to the human body because of the body’s inability to synthesize

them. It is also an important component of local food culture of Uttarakhand hills and dominates

kitchens in the Garhwal and Kumaon regions of the state with several preparations. The present

communication describes the range and pattern of diversity of about 200 native landraces of soybean

maintained at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Niglat

(Bhowali), assembled from different agro-ecologies of Uttarakhand hills. The entire landrace diversity

was characterized for a set of 15 morphological traits, 10 quantitative and 5 qualitative. Besides, the

oil and protein analyses were also done for selected representative accessions. Wide range of

variations for different traits was recorded. Promising accessions were identified for different traits to

facilitate use of conserved germplasm in crop improvement and other biological researches.

Keywords: Soybean (Glycine max L.), native landraces, genetic diversity, germplasm

characterization

75

64. Taxononomic and Ecological Studies on Catamixis baccharoides Thomson Endemic

Species of Uttarakhand in Dehra Dun & Adjacent Siwaliks

Pooja Chauhan and S. K. Agarwal

D. B. S. (P.G.) College, Dehra Dun 248001

The paper deals with the distribution and ecological status of the endemic plant Catamixis

baccharoides Thoms. This plant is belongates family Asteraceae is reported from foothills of

Dehra Dun and adjacent siwaliks Uttarakhand.

Keywordes: Catamixis baccharoides Thomes., Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, endemic

76

65. Lichens: A Promising Source of Nutraceuticals and Pharmaceuticals

Vartika Pant and P.B. Rao

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities

G.B. Pant Univ. of Agric. &Technology, Pantnagar, US Nagar


Lichens represent a unique division in the plant kingdom. They have been used in Traditional

systems of medicine including Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM), Traditional Chinese

Medicine (TCM), Homeopathic and Western Medical Herbals. Lichens have been using in

the treatment of diverse diseases like arthritis, alopecia, constipation, kidney diseases,

leprosy, pharyngitis, rabies, infection, worm and infestation as reported in traditional systems

of medicine. The medicinal utility of lichens is due to the presence of secondary metabolites

such asusnic acid,atranorin and etc. Lichens are an untapped source of biological activities of

industrial importance and their potential is yet to be fully explored and utilized. Lichen-

derived bioactive compounds hold great promise for biopharmaceutical applications as

antimicrobial, antioxidant and cytotoxic agents and in the development of new formulations

or technologies for the benefit of human life. The present study is made on investigation of

different antioxidants, mineral elements and bioactive compounds in different species of

lichens collected from Kumaun region of West Himalaya.

Keywords: Lichens, antioxidants, secondary metabolites, Kumaun Himalaya


77

66. Age of Rhizome Segments Determine Ramet Regeneration and Growth of

Hedychium spicatum Sm.

S. S. Koranga1, 2, 3, K. S. Negi2, L.M. Tiwari3, A.K. Negi4, M.M. Pandey5, S. Srivastava5 and

A.K.S. Rawat5

1National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH, Govt. of India, New Delhi, India

2ICAR- National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, R/S Bhowali, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India 3Kumaun University Nainital, Dept. of Botany, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India 4HNB Garhwal University, Dept. of Forestry, Srinagar, Uttarakhand, India

5CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Dept. of Pharmacognosy&Ethnopharmacology,

Lucknow, India

Hedychium spicatum (Zingiberaceae) is a perennial rhizomatous herb and its rhizomes are

source of essential oil and several natural secondary metabolizes. High industrial demands for

herbal products have over exploited its natural populations and have created a danger for its

genetic erosion. Itreproduces through seeds as well as successive vegetative growth of

rhizomes. Albeit, the direct sowing of rhizome segments is much popular than seed sowing

for early crop maturity, still it is expensive and labour intensive method of crop establishment

as the age of mother rhizome segments of H. spicatum affected the plant growth and

development.

An experiment was designed to determining the optimum age of rhizome segments for crop

production for which spherical rhizome segments of equal weight (50±2.5g, p>0.05) having

different age (1 to 5 year old segments) were sown The crop was harvested after 6 months

when it was in the complete senescence.

The 1-year-old rhizome segments revealed 100% sprouting of vegetative buds within

25.57±0.75 days, whereas, significant (p<0.05) and prolonged sprouting (68.77±3.66 to

96.00±1.44 days) with gradual decrease in sprouting (76.67±4.33 to 24.33±3.21%) was

observed for older rhizomes. The total aboveground and belowground fresh biomass

(220.33±12.91g and 124.7±12.62g, respectively) were also found significantly higher

(p<0.05) from 1-year-old mother rhizomes. In the ramets, the terminal 1-year-old rhizome

segment of H. spicatum revealed the best potential for successive growth and development.

Keywords: Hedychium spicatum, rhizome, age, ramet, sprouting, biomass

78

67. Seed Parameters and Regeneration Potential in Ficus palmate Forssk in

Nainital District of Kumaun

Jyotsna and Ashish Tewari

Department of Forestry and Environmental Science, D. S. B. Campus Kumaun University Nainital

Email: [email protected], [email protected]

The genus Ficus commonly known as fig belongs to the family Moraceae (Mathew et al.,

2011) and it is one of the largest plant genera, with more than 750 species distributed

worldwide (Corner, 1965). Ficus palmata is commonly known as ‘Bedu’. It occurs wild in

the Himalayan region between 1300 and 2000m elevational range. The present study was

carried out to study the vegetational parameters and regeneration of Ficus palmata in Nainital

District of Kumaun Himalaya across 2 selected sites. 9 permanent circular plots of 5.65cm

were placed randomly in the selected area. The total tree density at Site- I was 410indi/ha

with total basal area of 12.75m²/ha and at Site- II was 275 indi/ha withtotal basal area of

26.17m²/ha. Absence of seedling and sapling of Ficus palmata was conspicuous across all

sites. %. The fruit size varied between 179.35 to 127.57 mm² and the size of seed 0.819 to

0.211 mm².The seed germination in laboratory at room temperature varied between 31- 35.

The vegetational parameters indicate that natural regeneration of Ficus palmata is very low

because the fruit is edible for animal and human as a result fruit are collected or eaten before

maturation time.

Keywords: Germination, vegetational parameters, edible fruit



79

68. Effect of Silicon Solubilizer in Improving the Yield and Stress Tolerance in Rice

Genotypes

Babita Joshi

Department of Plant Physiology, G. B. P. U. A. &T., Pantnagar


Rice is one of the most important food crop all over the world. Two- third of the global

population widely consume rice as a staple food. According to the global population growth

estimates indicates that by 2050 we will face the daunting prospect of feeding 9 billion

people and even over the next 20 years, demand for cereal grain is likely to increase by 50%.

To meet these burgeoning demands, improvements in cereal grain yield are required. Despite

of this large requirement the production of rice is not much increased due to declining in rate

of growth yields, depletion of natural resources, biotic and abiotic stress faced by the plant.

Among biotic stress insect infestation resulted in 10-15% of crop loss. Using nitrogen

fertilizer by farmer to increase the yield, the cost of production is increased but the decrease

in production observed due to enhance risk of disease especially blast and stem borer

infestation. To cope up with this situation there is need to enhance the production by

decreasing the yield losses through disease and pest infestation. Silicon is a beneficial

element for plant growth. It brings improvement in the rice yield cultivar without any genetic

improvement and also significantly help the plant in increasing the tolerance against biotic

and abiotic stress.

A field experiment was conducted at Norman E. Bourlog Crop Research Centre of G. B. Pant

University of Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar, India in June 2014. Six different

genotypes of rice with three replication each for control and treatment were taken for the

evaluation. The genotypes were DRRH-3, PA-6129, PA-6201, PA-6444, PHB-71 and BPT-

5204. Experiment was carried out in three separate split plot design. Soil application of

Silicon solubilizers applied at maximum tillering and panicle initiation stage.

Leaf area index, 1000- grain weight and economic yield, in almost all the rice genotypes were

significantly increased by silicon solubilizer treatment. The number of dead heart at panicle

initiation by stem borer larva has been reduced from 25-63% by silicon solubilizer treatment

with respect to control.

Using silicon solubilizer one would expect to raise the yield many fold, decrease insect

infestation in rice fulfilling the demand of overgrowing population.


80

69. Biology and Control of Three Problematic Weed Species of Winter Season

Prinsa Ramola and S. K. Guru

Department of Plant Physiology, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities. G. B. Pant University of

Agriculture and Technology Pantnagar-263145, U. S. Nagar, Uttarakhand, India


Weeds are the most underestimated crop pests in tropical agriculture although they cause

maximum reduction in the yield of crops than other pests and diseases (Yaduraju, 2006).

They compete with crop for space, light, moisture and nutrients, and reduce the crop yield by

17 to 25%. (Shehzad et al., 2011). The investigation was conducted during the winter season

of 2014-15 to study the growth and development of three problematic weed species viz.,

Phalaris minor, Medicago denticulata and Anagallis arvensis and their competition with

crops. The field experiment was conducted at Norman E. Borlaug Crop Research Centre, G.

B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. The bio-efficacy of different

herbicides for controlling these weeds species were also evaluated in another experiment. The

treatments consisted of clodinafop @ 60 g/ha, clodinafop+ mesosulfuron methyl @ 60 g+4.0

g/ha, sulfosulfuron @ 25g/ha, metribuzein @ 250 g/ha, pendimethalin @ 1 kg/ha and

trifluralin @ 1 kg/ha. This experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with three

replications.

It was observed that P. minor drastically affected the growth of both the crops under weedy situation.

Among the herbicides tested in the present study, the pre-emergnce herbicides pendimethalin and

trifluralin effectively controlled the germination of P. minor and A. arvensis. Among post emergence

herbicides, ready mix of clodinafop+MSM successfully controlled all the three weeds. Application of

clodinafop alone seems to be effective against only P. minor whereas, sulfosulfuron and metribuzin

were effective against the broad-leaved weeds. Phytotoxicity effect was observed in wheat in

trifluralin treatment whereas


81

70. Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of the Genus Thalictrum

(Ranunculaceae): A Review

Priyadarshini Chanyal, Deepshikha Joshi, Rajendra Prasad and Anand B. Melkani

Department of Chemistry, Kumaun University, Nainital, India

The genus Thalictrum (Ranunculaceae) is used as folklore medicine in China and India

amongst several countries in the world. It is commonly known as “meadow rue” and has been

a subject of several chemical and pharmacological studies. The genus grows wild in

Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, viz., T. elegans, T. platycarpum, T. cultratum, T.

chelidonii, T. neurocarpum, T. pauliflorum, T. virgatum, T. alpinum, T. punduanum, T.

saniculaeforme, T. javanicum, T. foliolosum and T. minus var foetidum.

The plant is used as traditional medicine, especially for the treatment of stomach discomforts,

snake bites, jaundice, rheumatism, skin rashes, to accelerate wound healing, to treat lung

cancer, cough, dysentery and to treat different microbial infections. Plants of this genus have

been reported to be used as sources of tonics, diuretics, antiseptics. More than 200 alkaloids

have been reported from the genus in which almost all belongs to isoquinoline group and

shows biological activities as hypotensive, antimicrobial and antitumor properties.

T. javanicum Blume could be used for the commercial production of drugs to treat dreadful

diseases caused by various pathogens, as it had potential antimicrobial activity. The solvent

extracts of different parts of T. rhyncocarpum have been reported as antimicrobial. Among

the volatile constituents of the essential oil of T. minus L., thymol (66.6%) and p-cymene

(13.0%) are reported as major components. The volatile extracts of T. reniforme Wall from

Ghanghariya (district Chamoli), Chopta (district Rudraprayag) and Drona village (district

Chamoli) have been reported terpenyl acetate (42.9%), epi-laurenene (40.2%) and α-bisabolol

(26.1%) as major components. In this review, we have explored the phytochemistry and

pharmacological activities of Thalictrum.

Keywords: Isoquinoline, pharmacological activities, phytochemical constituents,

Ranunculaceae, Thalictrum

82

71. Ethnomedicinally Important Wild Edible Plants of Nainital, Uttarakhand

Neha Chopra and Lalit M. Tewari



The present study was conducted in the Nainital region of Uttarakhand to document the

ethnomedicinal uses of wild edible plants. A total of 22 species belonging to 19 genera and

15 families was recorded. Plant species commonly used by local inhabitants for food,

medicine and in other fields of their lives were enumerated. A list of plant species along with

their family, habit, local names, plant parts used and mode of application was documented.

Fruit is the mostly used plant part (15) followed by leaves (11), flower (3), stem (2), berry

(2), whole plant (1), tuber (1), root (1), wood (1). These plant species are utilized by local

people against various ailments such as cuts and wounds, fever, joints pain, constipation,

diarrhea, eye disorders, skin problems, cough and cold, jaundice, asthma, bronchitis, etc. The

present study indicates conservation value of the area and the documentation will help the

foresters and policy makers to develop a suitable strategy and action plan for overall

development of the area as well as our nation.

Keywords: Ethnomedicine, wild edible, local people, Nainital


83

72. Impact of Alien Invasive Species on Soil physiochemical Characteristics in Sal

(Shorea robusta) and Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) forest, Uttarakhand, India :A

Comparative study

Mamta Bharti and Lalit M.Tewari


Lantana camara. L is an obnoxious exotic weed species (shrub) of global concern in the

conservation of biodiversity. The Invasive alien species (IAS) has profound impact on soil

ecosystem due constituting an advantage of allelopathic effects. The study concentrated on

analysis the impact of Lantana camara on physiochemical properties of soil in high and low

density Lantana invaded sites in Shorea robusta (Sal) forest and Pinus roxburghii (Chir-pine)

forest sites. Within each forest one highly invaded and one least invaded site was identified

and 15 plots were laid in each site. Soil were collected from three random places within these

sites and soil sample were collected from three layers i.e (0-10) (11-30) and (31-60) cm

depth. Two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) result showed that their exist a remarkable

differences in the concentrations of soil macronutrient i.e soil pH, carbon (C), nitrogen (N),

phosphorous (P) and potassium (K) concentrations between highly invaded and least-

invaded sites and the nutrient availability were found to be higher in invaded sites. The soil of

these two forest were found to be sandy-loam and acidic in nature. Among these two forest

communities pine forest had higher macronutrient level in higher invaded sites than sal forest.

The overall result revealed that L. camara can improve the nutrient pool of soil and

increasing the soil macronutrient level for its successful establishment and growth.

Keywords: Invasive alien species, allelopathic effect, soil macronutrients, nutrient pool,

nutrient availability

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