Medicinal plant resources within Indo-Burmese mega-biodiversity region

Jiten Sharma *

Hathei Phanit (chilli festival) at Sirarakhong village , Ukhrul District in September 2017 :: Pix - Oken Sanasam

India's workforce (65% population under 35 years; Average age: 28) at 2020 as per CNBC, TCS and CREDIT SUISSE having greater demographic dividend over China (Average age 37), US (Average age 40) and Japan (Average age 44) needs to maintain good health for global competitiveness. This savvy Indian edge is simultaneously going to supply the global workforce in a much bigger way unprecedented anytime. The economy looks much brighter henceforth, and it's going to excel China particularly under the strong leadership of Narendra Modi.

China's concealing information on covid-19, world's anger towards China, US trade sanctions and tariff issues, shifting of manufacturing infrastructures from China to India, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc. during the post-Covid scenario have backfired greatly to Chinese economy, and it is likely to benefit India in an unprecedented manner soon. This scenario, however, will not go on like this after 2050 as the population will grow older and young India shall face an inconvenient truth and become old with increased life-span, better food consumption and perhaps a slower economic growth.

This eventually shall impose hefty financial liabilities on the country's health care expenses. Are these imminent social burdens affordable ? Of course, revival of the Indian system of traditional medicine using herbal drugs/plant extracts will not only answer these challenges but also usher its people in being more Nationalistic than ever before. WHO's recent approval to open a Global Centre for Traditional Medicine is indeed a significant recognition of our age-old Indian system of traditional medicine.

Inexpensive plant-based drug formulation is the key to salvage this inconvenient truth. For this, the two vast mega-biodiversity regions, viz., Indo-Burmese and Western Ghats need to be very well-protected and conserved. These are the ultimate refuges of the Nation for food, medicine, shelter and economy.

Looming large at our faces is the impending crisis of global warming which is an unequivocal reality going to hard hit India in 2050. Recent UN Report on Food Security vividly depicts decreasing rice, wheat, maize and soybean production threatening India's food security which is the greatest security facing any Nation. This, in turn, will threaten every aspect of National security in all translational forms.

Alternative food as well as non-conventional edible substitutes, therefore, have to be explored more vigorously. Fortunately, we have abundant such alternative foods waiting to be explored in the wild natural habitats such as banana (carbohydrate source) which can sustain global warming as well as non-conventional tree bean (protein source) in the natural forest ecosystems of Manipur within the Indo-Burmese mega-biodiversity 'hotspot' region. Besides, a number herbs and shrubs hitherto unknown to the world outside containing rich minerals/ trace elements (biofortified food) are consumed widely in the region.

Banana, in fact, has its origin in Manipur where till this day, we have the best diploid seed-bearing fruits which are resistant to various viral, bacterial and fungal pathogens. Besides, we have a variety of Citruses including the best oranges and lemons in the world. Similarly, the indigenous tea plant, Thea manipurensis which requires immense investigations has its origin in Tamenglong, Manipur. All these plants have their Vavilonian centre of origin in this rich region. We also have jackfruits and pineapples ('Queen' variety) which are perhaps the best in the world in terms of fruit quality.

It is imperative that scientific investigation as well as advanced policy planning, keeping in view the tremendous potentials be initiated at the earliest in Imphal (international medium for peace, harmony and learning) as has been lovingly coined by Prof Robin Willson, Brunel University, London. Alternative strategies for sustainable development as well as utilization of herbal medicinal plants, particularly belonging to two plant families, viz., Solanaceae and Zingiberaceae besides others must be undertaken.

Whereas, the drugs/crude extracts from members belonging to Solanaceae are more useful for treatment purposes, the drugs/crude extracts from members belonging to Zingiberaceae are more useful for preventive purposes, and have high potentials in terms of nutraceutical development or initiating herbal drinks where one can make concentrates or cocktails of sorts, and create bio-business boom perhaps even competing Chinese herbal drink bio-industry which touches US$ 5 Billion a year. Plenty of job avenues would be generated by this sector alone, if implemented.

Much more still awaits everyone's attention on agronomic improvement of chillies ('Umorok' hottest in the world) which can boost international trade in an unprecedented scale. Manipur's own Lady's slipper orchid, blue and red Vandas can outsurpass Thailand's flori-business revenues. Rightly said the 'little paradise on earth' by the mighty Japanese Imperial Army, and 'Switzerland of the East' by Jawaharlal Nehru, indeed Manipur shall be a promised land of jewels in the zeitgeist of the great Trans-Asian highway.

Medicinal plants have been the subject of man's curiosity since times immemorial. Herbs may be used directly as tea or extracts and they may be used in the production of drugs. Use of plants for medicinal purposes is as old as human civilization and continuous efforts are being made to improve medicinal plants or produce their products in large amounts through various technologies. Herbal medicine still flourishes and is getting popularized in both the developing and the developed countries due to its natural origin and lesser side effects.

Over 80,000 species of plants are used in herbal medicine throughout the world. Approximately, 80% of the people in the world's developing countries rely on traditional medicine for their primary health care needs, and about 85% of traditional medicine involves the use of plant extracts. Many plant-derived compounds have been used as drugs, either in their original or semi-synthetic form. Plant secondary metabolites can also serve as drug precursors, drug prototypes and pharmacological probes.

Recent developments in drug discovery from plants, including information on approved drugs and compounds now in clinical trials, are widely documented. In future, plant-derived compounds will still be an essential aspect of the therapeutic array of medicines available to the physician. One important aspect in the use of plants and products is to obtain anti-oxidants to combat free radical attacks.

An anti-oxidant has been defined as any substance that, when present in low concentrations compared to that of an oxidizable substrate significantly delays or inhibits oxidation of that substrate. Anti-oxidants are compounds that inhibit or delay the oxidation of other molecules by inhibiting the initiation of propagation of oxidizing chain reactions initiated by free radicals. They can, therefore, prevent biological and chemical substances from oxidative damage induced by free radicals. Free radicals are molecular rogues which exist in nano-to femto-seconds and react with important biomolecules creating havoc in the cellular milieu leading to a number of human ailments.

They react rapidly with other compounds capturing electrons needed to gain stability. Molecules without unpaired electrons themselves become free radicals and the beginning of a chain reaction occurs. A free radical can either obtain an electron by removing it from another molecule or bind itself to another forming adducts or also be donated with a hydrogen atom to stabilize the delocalization of the radical. Free radicals are not all bad as they are involved in several vital biological processes, particularly signalling pathways in vivo but they create a menace when they are left untamed.

Normally, different forms of free radicals optimally exist in the cells to help harmonization of various physiological functions and are quenched by an integrated anti-oxidant system in the body. However, destructive effects leading to various disorders occur due to excess production of these free radicals. Exposure to ionizing radiations such as X-ray, ã-ray, á-ray and ultrasound during medical diagnostic procedures, natural background radiations and cosmic rays knowingly or inadvertently can generate free radicals and lead to associated adverse effects.

People living in areas where there are rich deposits of radioactive elements such as uranium (235U), thorium (232Th) and plutonium (239Pu) are exposed to natural background radiations round the year which causes accumulation of free radicals. Frequent trans-continental fliers are exposed to cosmic rays thereby getting a lot of free radicals generated within their cells in the body. Apart from these ionizing radiations, free radicals can be generated through pollutants, cigarette smoking, tobacco chewing, consumption of marijuana, opium and drugs, consumption of antibiotics, exposure to pesticides and fungicides, etc. Besides, there are high levels of radioactive potassium (40K) present in the materials of the concrete houses we live in.

Reactive oxygen species and reactive nitrogen species are produced which on accumulation in the body can lead to damage of biomolecules such as proteins, lipids and DNA resulting into initiation of oxidative stress. In fact, everyone needs anti-oxidants as we are exposed to a number of ROS and RNS generating factors present in our environment. We need to enrich the anti-oxidant pool within the physiological system so that a better defensive strategy is created.

Physiological system contains defensive mechanisms against free radical attacks such as the superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase as well as host of small anti-oxidant molecules such as vitamins A,C,D,E, glutathione, thioproline, curcumin, methylxanthines, flavonoids, phytosteroids and phenolic compounds. However, these molecules alone cannot destroy the reactive species altogether. Reinforcements have to be made through dietary intakes to create a proper defensive balance within the cellular environment.

We consume various plant products which are rich in anti-oxidant without even knowing which phyto-nutrients are contained in them. Spices and herbs provide foods with flavors and food preserving power, including antiseptic and anti-oxidative activities. Natural anti-oxidants of spices and herbs are generally classified as vitamins, phenolic compounds including flavonoids and phenolic acids, and volatile compounds. Extracts of various spices and herbs possess anti-oxidative activities, and many antioxidative compounds have been identified.

Fruits and vegetables are known to contain a variety of differentanti-oxidant compounds such as ascorbic acid, tocopherol, glutathione and carotenoids which may all contribute to protection against oxidative damage. It has been known that phenolics from edible fruits are effective in vitro anti-oxidants. Some reducing compounds or anti-oxidants such as ascorbic acid and glutathione are very efficient in controlling enzymatic browning.

With the increasing realization of health hazards and toxicity associated with indiscriminate use of synthetic drugs and antibiotics, interest in the use of plants and plant-based drugs has been in vogue throughout the world. Therefore, plants play an important role in the introduction of novel therapeutic agents, and also drugs from the higher plants continue to occupy an important niche in modern medicine.

The Indo-Burmese mega-biodiversity region has several plants which could be used in preventive aspects of free radical induced damages are wildly and widely distributed. The comparison of aesthetic values of these plant families makes us realize the role of biodiversity in tailoring the functions of its elements according to the various needs of mankind. Apart from these plants, there are a lot more plants in which phytochemicals are distributed in the form of bio-active molecules which have anti-oxidative as well as other healing properties.

Free radical research or redox biology has led the role in the screening of anti-oxidative properties, understanding the mechanisms of free radical reactions, particularly anti-oxidant interactions and taming the molecular rogues present. New avenues in mining the treasures scattered in the wilderness of biodiversity rich areas in the form of biomolecules which are considered to be solutions to a number of human ailments.

Principal bioactive molecules from plants (found in Manipur) such as
Acorus calamus, Aegle marmelos, Alstonia Scholaris, Alpinia allughas,
Averrhoa carambola, Boesenbergia rotunda, Centella asiatica,
Costus Speciosus, Curcuma longa, Emblica officinalis,
Hedychium coronarium, Kaempferia galanga, Mentha piperita,
Ocimum sanctum, Oroxylum indicum, Paris polyphylla,
Parkia timoriana, Panax pseudoginseng, Phyllanthus niruri,
Rosemary officinalis, Syzygiumcumini, Terminalia arjuna,
Terminalia chebula, Tinospora cordifolia, Trigonella foenumgrecum,
Zanthoxylum armatum and Zingiber montanum
have been medicinally utilized but their molecular mechanisms remain yet to be fully investigated.

It has been considered that Mediterranean food is the most nutritious food. However, only a few major food plants are incorporated in it. On the other hand, people living in the north-east India and especially in Manipur are reported to consume more than a hundred foodplants including non-conventionals either raw or cooked. This points to the fact that these people consume a rich diet containing phytonutrients which contain ascorbic acid, polyphenols, flavonoids, phytosterols, tocopherol, carotenoids and a variety of other bio-active compounds round the year. Perhaps, this may be one of the reasons that the people in this region are more agile, sportive and energetic having potential to lead in different arenas.

During the past, the importance of anti-oxidants and other phytonutrients were not felt the way it is today. Today, we have gone very far from nature, shifting our niches to concrete forests and dependent upon junk foods which have created a deep impact on our lifestyles in terms of health and disease resistance.

Human beings have become more prone to number of diseases/ disorders, and we have acquired low resistance towards adverse environmental conditions. Before it is too late, we just need to go back to the wilderness in search of the elixir of life with the updated knowledge and skills and harness it without over-exploiting the riches of biodiversity.