Abstract
Trans-Himalayan region has been a major component of the India’s opulent medicinal
plant heritage that encompasses numerous critically endangered plant species.
Arnebia euchroma (Royle ex Benth.) Johnston (common name: Ratanjot), a Trans-
Himalayan native, is amongst them, and it belongs to the family Boraginaceae. Ratanjot
has long been used as a colourant in food and cosmetics besides a major ingredient of traditional
remedies prescribed for curing mild constipation, dermatitis, frostbite, and eczema
like health disorders. Though principally harvested for its roots, almost all the parts of this
plant have been used in pharmaceutical products, food, dyes and beverages since prehistoric
times. Its roots are a rich source of naphthoquinone pigment(s) mainly shikonin, acetylshikonin
and deoxyshikonin, accountable for its medicinal value as antimicrobial, wound
healing, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antioxidant agent(s). Considering the medicinal
importance and critically endangered status of this taxon, the need of the hour is to conserve
and propagate it for supplying sufficient raw materials for its commercial exploitation.
Keywords:
Arnebia euchroma, ratanjot, medicinal prominence, shikonin, critically endangered, medicinal plant.
Graphical Abstract
[5]
Verma RK, Tewari VP. Some important medicinal plants of cold desert regions of district Kinnaur of Himachal Pradesh state in India: Their uses and chemical ingredients. J Plant Chem Ecophysiol 2016; 1: 1-9.
[6]
Butola JS, Badola HK. Threatened Himalayan medicinal plants and their conservation in Himachal Pradesh. J Trop Med 2008; 9: 125-42.
[9]
Singh KN, La LB, Chand G, Todaria NP. Ecological features and conservation of Arnebia euchroma. A critically endangered medicinal plant in Western Himalaya. Int J Conserv Sci 2012; 3(3): 189-98.
[10]
Singh H, Chauhan R, Raina R. Population structure, ecological features and associated species of Arnebia euchroma. J Pharmacogn Phytochem 2017; 6(4): 2005-7.
[11]
Nayar MP, Shastry ARK. Red data book of Indian plants, botanical survey of India, I-III. Calcutta; 1987-90.
[12]
Tandon V. Need for CAMP for Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh, the conservation of medicinal plants. In: Ved DK, EdsConservation Assessment and Management Plan Workshop for High Altitude Medicinal Plants of North West Himalayas Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions Bangalore. 1998.
[14]
Aswal BS, Mehrotra BN. Flora of Lahaul-Spiti: A cold desert in North West Himalaya. Dehra Dun, India 1994.
[15]
Vedand DK, Tandon V. CAMP report for high altitude medicinal plants of Jammu-Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, foundation for revitalization of local health traditions. Bangalore, India 1998.
[21]
Pirbalouti AG, Yousefi M, Nazari H, Karimi I, Koohpayeh A. Evaluation of burn healing properties of Arnebia euchroma and Malva sylvestris. Electron J Biol 2009; 5: 62-6.
[24]
Harborne JB, Baxter H. Dictionary of plant toxins New York John Wiley and Sons. 1996.
[30]
Çalhan SD. Gündoğan M. Evaluation of changes in the biological activity of Onosma sericeum willd (boraginaceae) based on collection time and extraction solvent, and determination of its mineral and trace element composition. J Turkish chem Soc 2019; 6(3): 355-64.
[33]
Ozgen U, Coskun M, Kazaz C, Secen H. Naphthoquinones from the roots of Onosma argentatum Hub.-Mor (Boraginaceae). Turk J Chem 2004; 28: 451-4.
[39]
Gharehmatrossian S, Popov Y, Ghorbanli M, Safaeian S, Iranbakhsh A. Phytochemical and morphological evidences for shikonin production by plant cell cultures of Onosma sericeum willd. Braz Arch Biol Technol 2016; 59: 1-7.
[42]
Tepe M, Atilla D, Çiftçi YÖ. Phytochemical analysis of shikonin derivative which is produced from Echium italicum l. Hairy roots. Uluslararasi Malatya Uygulamali Bilimler Kongresi 2019; 20(22): 369-76.
[45]
Davydenkov VN, Patudin AV, Popov YuG, Rabinovich SA, Miroshnikov AI. Cell culture of Arnebia euchroma (Royle) Jonst. novel source of shikonin production. Him Farm Zh 1991; 1: 53-5.
[48]
Pimenova ME, Tareeva NV. Shikonin content variability in the underground organs of macrotomia dyeing. Rastit Resur 1980; 16: 82-6.
[50]
Kumar AP, Shruti A, Kumar VS, Kumar SS, Prashad SK. Characterization of plant growth promoting bacteria from soil of central and upper Himalayan region. Int J Appl Biol Pharm Technol 2011; 2: 363-9.
,
Pooja Sharma,
Rohini Sharma and
Meena Thakur
Download PDF Flyer