Conservation and Scientific Techniques for Improvement of Gum and Resin Yielding Tropical Tree Species RAVINDRA KUMAR DHAKA*, BHUVA DHAVAL C., RAJESH P
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Trends6 4 in Biosciences 10(1), Print : ISSN 0974-8431,Trends 64-67, in Biosciences 2017 10 (1), 2017 REVIEW PAPER Conservation and Scientific Techniques for Improvement of Gum and Resin Yielding Tropical Tree Species RAVINDRA KUMAR DHAKA*, BHUVA DHAVAL C., RAJESH P. GUNAGA AND M. S. SANKANUR Department of Forest Biology and Tree Improvement, College of Forestry, ACHF, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat. *email: [email protected] ABSTRACT forest products also widely used, the terms to classify forest resources i.e. other than major timber and small timber and Indian tropical forests are rich in biological diversity. It is fire wood. Among many of NTFP resources, Indian forests one of the richest and largest exporter countries in the are also rich in gum and resin, oleoresins yielding forest world for gum and resins. Mostly the raw materials are procured from natural sources which play a major role in species and mostly the raw materials are procured from tribal economy and livelihood security. Some important natural sources. Gums and gum resins are commercially highly traded gum and resin yielding trees species of India extracted from different tropical forest species like gum are Acacia nilotica, Anogeissus latifolia, Boswellia products namely gum arabic from Acacia Senegal or Acacia nilotica, gum ghattii from Anogeissus latifolia, gum karaya serrata, Lannea coromandelica, Sterculia urens and Vateria indica, however, the quality of these products may from Sterculia urens, gum katira from Cochlospermum also fetch higher economic returns in the international religiosum, Neem gum from Azadirachta indica, Jingan market. But many of these gum and resin yielding trees gum from Lannea coromandelica, Mesquite gum from like Sterculia urens, Boswellia serrata and Vateria indica Prosopis julifora etc. and resin products namely Halmaddi from Ailanthus malabarica, Salaiguggal from Boswellia are under threat, mainly due to unscientific way of harvesting and anthropogenic pressure. Henceforth, there serrata, Tacamahaca resin from Calophyllum inophyllum, Elemi resins from Canarium hirsutum, Dammar from is an urgent need to improve and conserve these forest genetic resources to ensure sustained yield in perpetuity. Dipterocarpus kerri, Damar kapur from Dryobalanops In this study an attempt has been made to understand its aromatic, White dammar from Vateria indica etc. (Nair, utilization pattern, demand and supply, improvement of 2000; Murugesan et al. 2011, Dwivedi, 1993). tapping techniques, threat of species, need of improvement Among the several gum yielding trees, gum ghatti and conservation approaches for production of quality and (Anogeissus latifolia) and gum karaya (Sterculia urens) quantity of gums and resins. In view of the above said facts are predominate species having national and international it is imperative to select desired germplasm for quality trade (Anon., 1986). Many plant species of economic yield, further its multiplication, domestication and importance grown in the tropics of India, which yield commercialization are essential for effective sustainable valuable economic products. Of these, gum and oleo gum- utilization and conservation of these genetic resources. resin yielding species are important due to high demand, Moreover, it is crucial to consider screening of genotypes, as India is a largest exporter of gums. its age, season, status of tree infestation, reproductive Utilization pattern characters, phenology, pollination and dispersal mechanism, pattern of regeneration while improvement Commercial gums enter the national and international of quality yield and planting materials. Therefore market in the form of dried exudates. The utilization of gums identifying forest genetic resources for higher yield of and resins has expanded tremendously in recent years. They have been used in many related and unrelated gums and resins with the help of local people is one of the best ways for its conservation in the form of gene bank. industries. There are several important uses of natural gums However, gum and resin yielding tropical tree species and resins according to grade, the finer grades are used in should be conserved in their natural range (in-situ) and clarifying liquors, finishing of silk and in the preparation of outside their natural range as a gene bank (ex-situ) through quality water colors and intermediate grades are used in confectionery, pharmaceuticals, printing inks, sizing and the intervention of tree improvement, forest biotechnology and plantation techniques. finishing textile fabrics, dyeing and the paint industry (Nair, 2000). Gums are used as a thickening agent for pigment in printing fabrics in textile industry, as a component in drilling Keywords Gums and resins, Conservation, Tapping fluids in petroleum and gas industry, as emulsifier in many techniques, Tree improvement, Forest flavoring beverage industry and creams, lotions, and biotechnology, Gene bank ointments in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry, as cream stabilizer in diary product industry, as a stabilizer in Tropical forests are rich in biological diversity and meat product industry etc. (Nair, 2000; Dwivedi, 1993). Many composed of numerous plants, which are used for gums add body and bulk to foodstuffs (e.g., commercial ice livelihood. India is one of the richest countries in the term cream) (Naude, 1994). The gum is edible, nutritive and acts of forest genetic resources as well as one of the 12 mega- as a demulcent to soothe irritated mucous membranes. It is biodiversity countries of the world. These forest resources also an ingredient in medicinal compounds for diarrhea, have been classified into timber and non-timber forest dysentery, coughs, and catarrh (Dwivedi, 1993). Gum from resources. However, minor forest produce and non-wood DHAKA et al., Conservation and Scientific Techniques for Improvement of Gum and Resin Yielding Tropical Tree Species 6 5 L. coromandelica has been found to be used as a partial Quality) and dust colour (IV Quality), whereas Bureau of substitute for jigat in making agarbathi (Theagarajan et al., Indian Standards described the quality of gum on the basis 1997). of percentage of Bark and Foreign Organic Matter (B.F.O.M) Resins are used in the manufacture of lacquers and and Viscosity (in centipoises) into 6 grades (Table 1) such varnishes. They dissolve readily in alkali to form soaps and as HPS (Pure white with BFOM 0.3-0.5% and velocity of are used in medicines, for sizing paper, for incense and in 1200-1500 cps), Grade I (white to amber with BFOM 0.5% the preparation of sealing wax and other products. Important and velocity of 1000 cps), Grade II (reddish pale yellow oleoresins are turpentines, balsams, copaiba and elemi. with BFOM 1.5% and velocity of 600-1000 cps), Grade III These are used in perfumery and medicines, for making (brown to black with BFOM 3% and velocity of 200-600 varnishes, lacquers, as fixatives and in scenting soaps (Nair, cps), Siftings-1 (brown with BFOM 6%) and Siftings-2 2000; Dwivedi, 1993). (brown and dark with BFOM 8-10%). Several tapping techniques have been used to collect Demand and supply gums from different forest trees. In the case of gum Karaya, Many gum and resin yielding species discussed in there are five methods developed from traditional tapping the paper have high medicinal important. Medicinal plant to ethephon tapping (Table 2). species are major NTFP resources of the country. Majority The commercial gum tapping is done by blazing, of species are grown in its natural habitat, however, very peeling, or by making deep cuts at the base of the bole few medicinal species are grown under cultivated condition. using an axe. These methods often lead to the death of the In the present scenarios, the industrial demand for the tapped trees (Nair et al., 1995). On account of crude tapping medicinal and aromatic plants has increased tremendously, methods and over exploitation, the species population has due to herbal use in the form of health care formulations, markedly declined. In the absence of cultivation of these cosmetic and nutritional supplements. As per Ved and trees in regular plantation, there is a grave concern about Goraya (2007) described the information regarding demand the loss of wild germplasm. Therefore traditional method of and supply of traded medicinal plants of India. As per this gum tapping is very wasteful up to as much as 40% of the report, total 960 traded medicinal plant species are recorded precious gum material (Table 2). Several agencies have and among these, 178 species (70 species of tropical explored methods of of tapping of gum from the trees to forests) are consumed in volumes exceeding 100 MT per maximize gum yields (both qualitatively and quantitatively) year with accounting for about 80 per cent of the total without killing the precious tree resource. One of the recent industrial demand of all botanicals of India. For example, interventions is ethephon tapping technique. Use of plant annual world production of karaya gum is estimated at 5500 regulator like ethephon, has increased exudation of gum/ metric tons, while India’s share is around 3000 – 3500 MT in gum resin in certain plants such as Mangifera indica, Sterculia urenus. Once its annual potential was around Acacia senegal, Commiphora wightii and Sterculia urens. 5000 MT, while its present potential is estimated around By using these improved methods in tapping of the gum/ 3000 metric tons per year (www.zauba.com) in India. Acacia gum resins, sustained yield, regeneration and survival of nilotica (Babool), Anogeissus latifolia (Dhawada), the tapped trees were observed by several authors (Bhatt Boswellia serrata (Salai guggul), Lannea coromandelica et al., 1989; Bhatt and Mohan Ram, 1990). As the technique (Jhingan jingini), Sterculia urens (Karaya) and Vateria of ethephon application is simple and requires no indica (Manda dhoopa) are high traded important gum and specialized skills, it can be easily taught to unskilled tribles gum-resin yielding trees species of India (Ved and Goraya, dwelling in the forests. Ethephon is inexpensive, 2007). indigenously manufactured, easily available and safe.