Genetic resources of Podophyllum hexandrum Royle, an endangered medicinal species from Garhwal Himalaya, India

摘要

Podophyllum hexandrum Royle is a herbaceous and rhizomatous species of great medicinal importance that has endangered status in India. It is distributed in very restricted pockets in the Himalayan zone at altitudes ranging from 2000 to 4000 m a.s.I. Several lignans have been isolated from its rhizomes, the most important being podophyllotoxin which has cytotoxic and antitumour properties and has been used in the treatment of certain forms of cancer. In the recent past, the frequency of this species in nature has declined considerably because of exploitation to meet the ever-increasing demand of pharmaceutical companies. In the natural habitat, seed germination and seedling establishment are very poor and propagation is mostly through rhizomes. Because the species is already endangered, and exploitation of its underground parts continues to exceed the rate of natural regeneration, it needs immediate attention for conservation. Studies of its population biology and genetic diversity are important forsuccessful development of conservation strategies. This paper describes the characteristics of various populations of P. hexandrum collected from Garhwal Himalaya and presents future conservation strategies for this important species.