Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology ©2007 Global Science Books Medicinal Plants from Deccan Ecoregion, India: Traditional Knowledge, Ethnopharmacology, Cultivation, Utilization, Conservation and Biotechnology – Opportunities and Impediments M.N.V. Prasad1* • K. Padmalatha1,# • K. Jayaram1,# • N.L. Raju1 • Jaime A. Teixeira da Silva2 1 Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 500 046, India 2 Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Miki-cho, Ikenobe, 2393, Kagawa, 761-0795, Japan # These authors contributed equally to this manuscript Corresponding author : * [email protected] ABSTRACT An annotated synopsis of prominent Medicinal and Aromatic plants (MAPs) from the Deccan ecoregion of India viz., Aegle marmelos, Andrographis paniculata, Argyreia nervosa, Aristolochia indica, Asparagus racemosus, Azadirachta indica, Bacopa monnieri, Bixa orellana, Boswellia serrata, Butea monosperma, B. superba, Centella asiatica, Celastrus paniculatus, Chlorophytum arundinaceum, C. tuberosum, Commiphora wightii, Costus speciosus, Curcuma pseudomontana, Cycas circinalis, Decalepis hamiltonii, Drosera burmanii, D. indica, Embelia ribes, Entada pursaetha, Fagonia cretica, Gardenia gummifera, Gloriosa superba, Gymnema sylvestre, Ocimum sanctum, Oroxylum indicum, Piper longum, P. nigrum, Plumbago rosea, Pterocarpus marsupium, P. santalinus, Pueraria tuberosa, Rauvolfia serpentina, R. tetraphylla, Santalum album, Saraca asoka, Schleichera oleosa, Sterculia urens, Strychnos nux-vomica, S. potatorum, Terminalia arjuna, T. chebula, T. pallida, Tinospora cordifolia, Urginea nagarjunae, Vanda tessellate, Vitex trifolia, V. negundo, Withania somnifera, and Zanthoxylum alatum, ethnopharmacological utilization and conservation are presented in this paper together with the issues and challenges to achieve this goal. Ex situ conservation and cultivation of selected Redlisted plants of the Deccan ecoregion was initiated in 2000 at the University of Hyderabad and are being maintained in a field gene bank and seed bank. A special feature of the medicinal flora in the Deccan ecoregion is the preponderance of plants that provide raw material for addressing a wide range of medical disorders and pharmaceutical requirements. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Keywords: biodiversity, phytomedicine, plant resources CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................................................................................... 156 PROMINENT MAPs OF THE DECCAN ECOREGION.......................................................................................................................... 156 1. Aegle marmelos Corr. - Rutaceae ...................................................................................................................................................... 156 2. Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Wallich ex Nees - Acanthaceae ................................................................................................ 160 3. Argyreia nervosa (Burm. f.) Boj. - Convolvulaceae .......................................................................................................................... 160 4. Aristolochia indica L. - Aristolochiaceae .......................................................................................................................................... 160 5. Asparagus racemosus Willd. - Liliaceae............................................................................................................................................ 162 6. Azadirachta indica A. Juss - Meliaceae............................................................................................................................................. 162 7. Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Pennel - Scrophulariaceae ......................................................................................................................... 163 8. Bixa orellana L. - Bixaceae ............................................................................................................................................................... 164 9. Boswellia serrata Roxb. ex Colebr. - Burseraceae............................................................................................................................. 164 10. Butea monosperma (Lam.) Taub. - Fabaceae................................................................................................................................... 165 11. Butea superba Roxb. - Fabaceae...................................................................................................................................................... 166 12. Centella asiatica (L.) Urb. - Apiaceae ............................................................................................................................................. 166 13. Celastrus paniculatus Willd. - Celastraceae .................................................................................................................................... 166 14. Chlorophytum arundinaceum Baker. - Liliaceae ............................................................................................................................. 168 15. Chlorophytum tuberosum (Roxb.) Baker - Liliaceae ....................................................................................................................... 168 16. Commiphora wightii (Arnott.) Bhand. - Burseraceae ...................................................................................................................... 168 17. Costus speciosus Sims. - Zingiberaceae .......................................................................................................................................... 169 18. Curcuma pseudomontana Graham. - Zingiberaceae........................................................................................................................ 169 19. Cycas circinalis L. - Cycadaceae..................................................................................................................................................... 169 20. Decalepis hamiltonii W. & A. - Asclepiadaceae .............................................................................................................................. 170 21. Drosera burmanii Vahl. and D. indica L. - Droseraceae.................................................................................................................. 170 22. Embelia ribes Burm.f. - Myrsinaceae .............................................................................................................................................. 171 23. Entada pursaetha DC - Mimosoideae ............................................................................................................................................. 172 24. Fagonia cretica Linn. - Zygophyllaceae.......................................................................................................................................... 172 25. Gardenia gummifera L. f. - Rubiaceae ............................................................................................................................................ 172 26. Gloriosa superba L. - Colchicaceae ................................................................................................................................................ 173 27. Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Schu. - Asclepiadaceae.......................................................................................................... 173 28. Ocimum sanctum L. - Lamiaceae..................................................................................................................................................... 174 Received: 25 January, 2007. Accepted: 21 December, 2007. Review Medicinal and Aromatic Plant Science and Biotechnology 1(2), 155-208 ©2007 Global Science Books 29. Oroxylum indicum Vent. - Bignoniaceae.......................................................................................................................................... 174 30. Piper longum L. - Piperaceae .......................................................................................................................................................... 175 31. Piper nigrum L. - Piperaceae........................................................................................................................................................... 176 32. Plumbago rosea L. - Plumbaginaceae ............................................................................................................................................. 177 33. Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb. - Papilionaceae............................................................................................................................... 178 34. Pterocarpus santalinus L. f. - Papilionaceae ................................................................................................................................... 178 35. Pueraria tuberosa DC - Papilionaceae ............................................................................................................................................ 178 36. Rauvolfia serpentina (Linn.) Benth ex. Kurz - Apocynaceae .......................................................................................................... 179