Context: Scientists at the Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) at Palode have identified the tree as Madhuca diplostemon (family Sapotaceae), a threatened species of the Western Ghats whose specimen was first collected in 1835.

Madhuca diplostemon

• It was in 1835 that Madhuca diplostemon, a threatened species of the Western Ghats, was spotted.
• A tree species, long believed extinct, has been rediscovered after a gap of more than 180 years from a sacred grove in Kollam district.
• Only one mature tree has been found so far, which makes this remarkable rediscovery extremely valuable from a scientific, environmental and conservation point of view.
• The lone mature tree was located at the Koonayil Ayiravilli Siva Temple at Paravur, Kollam. Locally, it was erroneously believed to be the common Attilippa.
• Since the species is represented only by one specimen in a single locality, it is eligible to be categorised ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/extinct-tree-found-after-180-years-in-kollam-grove/article32760018.ece

Now, an alternative to the depleting drug Sarpagandha

Context: A team of researchers from the Centre for Medicinal Plants Research (CMPR) at the Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal, has discovered a viable alternative for a depleting drug widely used for treatment of high blood pressure in Ayurveda.

Rauvolfia serpentina or Indian snakeroot

• The alternative for the famous drug Sarpagandha was found in a study that lasted several years.
• Sarpagandha is taken from the root of a plant named Rauvolfia serpentina or Indian snakeroot, and is a vital drug in Ayurveda used for high blood pressure, asthma, and insomnia.
• It is a critically endangered species belonging to the family Apocynaceae.
• The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has red-listed this plant following its overexploitation.
• The root of Rauvolfia tetraphylla, a plant belonging to the genus Rauvolfia, shared the same biological properties of Rauvolfia serpentina.
• The validating similarity between these plants, suggest Rauvolfia tetraphylla as a viable alternative to Sarpagandha,”.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/now-an-alternative-to-the-depleting-drug-sarpagandha/article32876755.ece?utm_source=kerala&utm_medium=sticky_footer

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