The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD) Meghalaya welcomed industry experts from the Zandu Foundation for Health Care (ZFHC), Gujarat, who visited to explore avenues in bioresources, particularly gaultheria fragrantissima (fragrant wintergreen, locally known as jathynrait and lathynrait).
The experts visited the nursery and field trails, laboratory setup and medicinal plant-associated activities of lab-to-land programme in consideration of local farmers under the Himalayan Bioresource Mission.
G fragrantissima is used commercially for its essential oils derived from the plant’s leaves, which are used in perfumes, hair oil and Ayurveda.
The visiting team talked of exploring the economic feasibility of harnessing the potential of the locally available plant in a sustainable way that will benefit local farmers.
This is in keeping with the Himalayan Bioresource Mission, whose activities related to the advancement of locally available and utilisable traditional medicinal plants, their evaluation, efficacy validation, conservation through cultivation and translational research approach for societal development led by Prof Pulok K Mukherjee, the IBSD director.
In this mission programme, the propagation and cultivation of G fragrantissima and swertia chirayita has been taken up with quality planting material and market linkages.
