jyotsna singh

Herbal formulations are getting popularity throughout the world and commercialized extensively for various medicinal properties. WHO has emphasized the need for quality assurance of herbal products, including testing of heavy metals and pesticides residues. ‘Dashmoola’, a popular herbal formulation, with immunomodulator and febrifugal properties, consists of ten single root drugs. In view of WHO guidelines, single herbal drugs used in ‘Dashmoola’, were collected from different places of India for testing heavy metals and persistent pesticides residue. Although use of roots in ‘Dashmoola’ is prescribed in original ayurvedic literature but now many pharmacies use stem in place of roots. Therefore, in the present study both roots and stems were selected for estimation of six heavy metals namely arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). Apart from these, the organochlorine pesticides residue viz. different metabolites of DDT, DDE, isomers of HCH and α-endosulfan were checked in total 40 samples of single crude drugs. Heavy metals except Hg, were present in most of the samples. In few samples Pb and Cd concentration were beyond the WHO permissible limits. Although α-HCH and γ-HCH were present in almost all the samples, but other pesticides were not detected in these samples. DDT and DDE were found only in two samples.

Shoot tip expiants of nine sugarcane varieties(Saccharum species hybrid.), CoLk 8102, CoLk 8001, CoS 767, CoLk 9606, CoLk 9617, CoS 95255, BO 91, CoJ 64 and Co 1148, were established on a solid MS medium containing 0.8% agar, 3% sucrose and 0.05mg/l of IAA, BAP and kinetin. Shoot regeneration has been achieved in liquid MS medium containing 0.5mg/l each of IAA, BAP and kinetin. Multiple shoots were obtained on liquid MS medium containing 0.01mg/l IAA, 0.5mg/l each of 6- benzyl aminopurine (BAP), kinetin and rooting occurred in 1/2 strength liquid MS medium with 5.0 mg/l NAA and 0.01 mg/l each of BAP and kinetin. To detect the genetic purity of in vitro raised plantlets, expression of iso-peroxidases in donor plants andin vitro raised plantlets was compared through native PAGE. Different genotypes showed marked variation regarding number, position and intensity of bands. Micropropagated plantlets showed identical pattern of peroxidases to their parental clones. The genetic stability of micro propagated plantlets was also tested by RAPD analysis. The banding pattern of PCR amplified products from micro propagated plantlets was monomorphic based on RAPD profile in all the varieties. RAPD analysis and peroxidase isozyme pattern confirmed the genetic purity of sugarcane plantlets derivedin vitro.