Bulletin of Arunachal Forest Research, Vol. 32(1&2), 1-16: 2017 ISSN 0970-9487 MEDICINAL ORCHIDS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH: A REVIEW Jambey Tsering*1, Ngilyang Tam2, Hui Tag3, Baikuntha Jyoti Gogoi4, Ona Apang2 1Orchid Research Centre, Tipi, Bhalukpong- 790114, Arunachal Pradesh, India 2State Forest Research Institute, Van Vihar, Itanagar- 791113, Arunachal Pradesh 3Rajiv Gandhi University, Doimukh- 791112, Arunachal Pradesh, India 4Defence Research Laboratory, Post Bag No. 2, Tezpur- 784001, Assam, India *Email: [email protected] Abstract Orchids are one of the largest groups of Angiosperms belonging to the family Orchidaceae. Orchids are extremely popular as ornamental plant and lesser is the known about their ethnomedicinal uses. Since from the primitive periods, medicinal plants including orchids have occupied a distinct place in human’s life for treatment of variety of ailments. The present review paper deals with the enumeration of such medicinal orchids found in Arunachal Pradesh. 112 orchid species belonging to 53 genera are presented here with their references. This paper also discusses uses of orchids in traditional medicine, their threat status and in-situ conservation in Arunachal Pradesh. Keywords: Medicinal orchids, Arunachal Pradesh INTRODUCTION there is a lack of phytochemical and pharmacological studies on medicinal orchids. The literal meaning of the term orchid Limited information on medicinal values of (orkhis) in Greek is testicles and it was orchids regarding their therapeutic properties in Theophrastus who first coined the term as the different parts of the world is available and anatomy of plant resembles testicles (Steward specifically corresponded to particular regions and Griffith, 1995). Orchids are one of the and community. Compilation of such largest and most diverse groups of angiosperms information is very important to provide the consisting of nearly 25,000 – 30,000 species reference for the drug development of many belonging to 750 – 800 genera (Dressler, 1993). problematic diseases at present. They are found in virtually all regions around the world except Antarctica, but their greatest In Himalaya region, large number of diversity occurs in tropical and sub-tropical orchids are reported to be used in regions. Orchids are the flowers of most ethnomedicine. Some common Ayurvedic fascinating and gorgeous of all nature’s drugs like Jivanti and Rasna are of orchid’s flower’s and exhibit a wide range of diversity in origin (Uniyal, 1975). However, Chinese were form, size, colour and texture that make them the first to present documentary evidence for unique among the ornamentals. They are medicinal uses of orchids. Some common generally cultivated for beautiful flowers and orchids used in Chinese Ancient System of are widely known for their economic medicine includes Dendrobium nobile, importance and very less for their medicinal use Gastrodia elata, Bletilla striata, etc., (Bulpitt et (Singh et al., 2012). al., 2007). India is the richest habitat of orchids. India comprise of about 2500 species in 167 In Himalaya region, studies on orchids are genera, out of which 550 species are reported mainly focused on their documentation but BULLETIN OF ARUNACHAL FOREST RESEARCH, 32(1&2): 2017 from Arunachal Pradesh which is highest in edgeworthii (Singh and Duggal, 2009). Also, number reported from any single state. In India, Dendrobium macraei is used as a source of an some orchids like Eulophia campestris, Orchis important Ayurveda drug called ‘Jivanti’ latifolia and Vanda roxburghii have drawn the (Kasera and Shukla, 2001). Dendrobium attention of scientific community because of fimbriatum, Papilionanthe teres, Eria their medicinal properties (Stuart, 1984; Singh musicucola, Eulophia compestris, Satyrium and Duggal, 2009). Arunachal Pradesh is the nepalense, Laparis odorata, Orchis latifolia, richest both in terms of diversity and abundance Vanda cristata, V. tessalata, V. coerula, V. of orchids, however, limited number of spathulata, Cymbidium gigantieum, C. medicinal orchids were reported till date. This aloifolium, C. williomsoni, Dendrobium nobile, review article deals with the ethnomedicinal D. moschatum, Phaius tancarvilleae are some uses of orchids native to Arunachal Pradesh. A of the important medicinal orchids used by list of 112 orchids are presented with their traditional healer in Indian subcontinent traditional uses in medicines. (Suresh et al., 2000; Kong et al., 2003; Hossain et al., 2009; Medhi and Chakrabarti, 2009). USE OF ORCHIDS IN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE Orchids like Brachycorythis obcordata, Coelogyne cristata, Dactylorhiza hatagirea, In many countries, orchids have been used Otochilus porrectus, Rhynchostylis retusa, as traditional drugs for a very long time (Bulpit Satyrium nepalense and Vanda cristata are still et al., 2007). There is no doubt that the Chinese largely used in Trans-Himalayan region, while were the first to cultivate and describe orchids, orchids like Cypripedium himalaicum, and they were almost certainly the first to Dendrobium densiflorum, Gymnadenia describe orchids for medicinal use. The Chinese conopsea and G. orchidis are commonly used were also the first to write books devoted to in Sowa-Rigpa system of traditional medicine orchids (Jalal et al., 2008). Orchids particularly (Joshi and Joshi, 2006; Dakpa, 2007). Vanda Dendrobium species have been used as has a long history of use by the native medicinal herbs in different countries for population for anti-inflammatory properties centuries. About 40 Dendrobium species are (Kumar et al., 2005). Indian Vanda does indeed still used in traditional Chinese medicine. Other express anti-proliferative effects against genera of medicinal orchids which are heavily various types of cancers, including carcinoma, exploited includes Acampe, Aerides, lung and stomach (Ho and Chen, 2003). Some Coelogyne, Crepidium, Dactylorhiza, orchid species have been in use as an anti-dote Gastrodia, Eulophia, Flickingeria, Otochilus, against scorpion, snake and insect bites such as Pholidota, Satyrium and Vanda (Subedi, et al., Habenaria fusifera, Habenaria pantlingiana 2013). and Habenaria roxburghii (Jalal et al, 2008; Indian system of traditional medicine has Behera et al., 2013). also long history of orchid use. Ashtavarga Other Asian countries such as Indonesia, known as the ‘herb of immortality’ is an Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, Shri important ingredient of various classical Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, etc. have been Ayurvedic formulations like Chavyanprasa, using orchids in traditional medicine since the which consists drugs of orchid’s origin such as ancient time till date (Basu et al., 1971; Kumar Crepidium acuminatum, Malaxis muscifera, et al., 2000; Hernández-Romero et al., 2005; Habenaria intermedia and Platanthera Luo et al., 2007). Similarly, use of orchids in 2 Tsering et al., 2017: MEDICINAL ORCHIDS OF ARUNACHAL PRADESH Africa, America and Europe has a long history the energy of muscular systems since 15th and is being used even today in various century. In Europe significant medicinal preparations. In Africa, the Zulus used several orchids includes Ophrys apifera, O. muscifera, orchids for therapeutic purposes such as O. fuciflora, O. sphegodes, Orchis simia, O. Bulbophyllum maximum, Cyrtorchis arcuata, mascula, Himantoglossum hircinum, Serapias Eulophia flaccida, E. cucullata and Galeola vomeracea, S. lingua, Dactylorhiza majalis, D. foliate. In America, Vanilla planifolia was used majalis and foliosa. These species are mainly as useful herb for the treatment of hysteria, used as aphrodisiac and for healing properties fevers, impotence, rheumatism and to increase (Pant, 1568). Figure 1: Medicinal Dendrobiums- (a) D. chrysanthum; (b). D. moschatum; (c) D. fimbriatum; (d) D. densiflorum; (e) D. crepidatum; (f) D. devonianum; (g) D. nobile; (h) D. jenkinsii ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND ITS global mega biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al., MEDICINAL ORCHID DIVERSITY 2000) and is among the 200 globally important Arunachal Pradesh lies between the 26°28' Eco-regions (Olson and Dinerstein, 1998). The N to 29°30' N latitude and 91°30' E to 97°30' E altitudinal range is wide starting from 130 m at longitude. It is situated in the transition zone foothills regions up to 6000 m and above in between the Himalaya and Indo-Burmese higher mountains. The state harbors the world’s regions surrounded by Bhutan in the West, northernmost tropical rainforest and is Tibet in the North, Myanmar in the East and the estimated to have nearly 50 % of the total North East states of Assam and Nagaland in the flowering plant species of India (Rao and Hajra, South (Mani, 1974; Rodgers and Panwar, 1988; 1986; Chowdhury, 1998; Procter et al., 1998; Singh et al., 2007). The state is located within Whitmore, 1998). More than 600 species of the Eastern Himalaya global biodiversity orchids were reported from the state so far. hotspot which is recognized as one of the 34 Most of the orchids are found in between sub- tropical to lower temperate regions. 3 BULLETIN OF ARUNACHAL FOREST RESEARCH, 32(1&2): 2017 At present the state have 550 confirmed species i.e. 53 %). Thirty-five medicinal species, of which 112 species belonging to 53 orchids were recorded only from west part, genera were found to be used in different eight only from eastern part and two only from traditional medicine system. These includes 71 central part of the state. Though Arunachal epiphytes, 40 terrestrials and 01 mycotroph. Pradesh has huge number of medicinal orchids, Dendrobium (18