Quality Seed Production in Two Medicinal Herbs: Osmium Sanctum (TULSI) and Solanum nigrum (MAKOY)

India has rich diversity of medicinal plants. The supply base of ninety percent herbal raw drugs in manufacture of Ayurveda, Sidha, Unani and Homoeopathy system of medicine is largely from the wild. This wild source is speedily shrinking day-by-day. Therefore, there is a need for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants Cultivation of medicinal plants is clearly a sustainable alternative to the present collection from the wild. The best way to provide the plant material needed for medicine is to cultivate the plants with the help of quality seed production. This is far better than collecting the plant material from the wild, since it does not deplete wild stocks. Cultivation also has pharmacological advantages over wild collections because wild plants normally vary in quality and composition due to environmental and genetic differences. In cultivation through plant breeding techniques, variations and the uncertainty of therapeutic benefits are much reduced. The plants can be grown in areas of similar climate and soil to optimize the quality of drugs and its production. Quality production also greatly reduces the possibility of misidentification and adulteration. The National Medicinal plant Board (NMPB) in the Ministry of Health and family welfare, Govt. of India, has prioritized thirty two medicinal plants for their promotional projects and Tulsi (Ocimum sanctum Linn.) and Makoy (Solanum nigrum Linn.) are two such herbs which need special attention. Ocimum sanctum is native to India and is known Vedic period. Hindus worship this sacred plant and grow into earthen pots in most of their homes. Realizing its medicinal properties this herb reached Europe in the sixteenth century (Bakru,1990). The leaves as well as whole plants are in great demand because of its healing and curative properties. Solanum nigrum, a herbaceous weed of family Solanaceae, is found throughout India in dry parts upto an elevation of 2,100m. There are three different forms of this herb with basic chromosome n=12,24 &36.The hexaploid form occur mostly in the temperate climate and very rarely in the warmer regions. This herb has antiseptic and antidysentric properties. Berries are considered to possess tonic, diuretic and cathartic properties and are useful in heart diseases (The Wealth of India; 1952).

Pattanik S., and P.k. Chand., (1996) .In vitro propagation of the medicinal herbs Ocimum americanum L. journal – article, 15 (11): pp. 846-850.

Assistant Professor, Botany, PKSD College Kanina, Mahendergarh, Haryana

mukeshakoda@gmail.com