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Ethnobotany & Ethnopharmacology

Gender in Plants: do you know male and female plants, and what is your choice while using it for medicine or timber?

More than 15,000 dioecious species in angiosperm occurs in 987 genera (6%) and 175 families (38%). One of the key questions about the dioecious plants is its evolution, and animals eating the plants (herbivory) have been suggested as a pressure that resulted in the origin of separate male and female plants (dioecy), While ecological and phytochemical studies have showcased the variation in male and female plants, there are not that many studies to understand the medicinal properties of dioecious plants with respect to traditional medicine. So we planned a study to understand whether folk healers in India are aware of the existence of male and female plants? if they aware of different sexes of the plant do they have a preference to use any one gender to use for the purpose of medicine and/or food and timber?

I also conducted ethnopharmacological study on Canarium strictum Roxb. (Burseraceae); a polygamodioecious tree. A lead to this was study that male trees produced less resin than the female trees, and studied its anti-inflammatory properties.

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Publications

1.  Seethapathy GS, Ravikumar K, Paulsen BS, de Boer HJ, Wangensteen H. Ethnobotany of dioecious species: Traditional knowledge on dioecious plants in India. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2018 Jul 15;221:56-64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2018.04.011

2.  Seethapathy GS, Wold CW, Ravikumar K, de Boer HJ, Wangensteen H. Ethnopharmacology, biological activities and chemical compounds of Canarium strictum: An important resin-yielding medicinal tree in India. Fitoterapia. 2021 Jul 1;152:104920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2021.104920

DNA based methods to test botanicals in trade

Molecular markers, DNA Barcoding and DNA metabarcoding

DNA barcoding can be defined as the use of short nuclear or organelle DNA sequences for the identification of living organisms. In this project, we studied the extent of adulteration and substitution of majorly traded Indian medicinal plants(herbal raw drugs) using DNA barcoding. To do so, We created Biological Reference Material (BRM) DNA barcode library by collecting authentic plants from the wild (herbarium specimen deposited) and generating species-specific DNA barcodes by utilizing the DNA barcode regions namely nrDNA-ITS, plastid matK, rbcL and psbA-trnH spacer region. To analyze the adulteration, We collected raw drugs (dried plant parts) traded in Indian herbal markets and optimized the suitable DNA extraction method and successful extraction of quality DNA, the DNA barcodes were PCR amplified, sequenced, and analyzed phylogenetically. We used these DNA barcode sequence libraries (BRM) by comparing against the DNA sequence obtained from raw drugs to identify the adulteration and substitution in raw herbal drugs Cassia L., Chamaecrista (L.) Moench., Myristica Gronov., Momordica L., Piper L., Senna Mill., Sida L., Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd, Terminalia L., were a few important medicinal genus and species barcoded in this project. This project revealed varying degree of adulteration and substitution in herbal raw drugs market in India.

​DNA metabarcoding; One of the disadvantages of DNA barcode is that it is exclusively applicable for the authentication of single ingredient herbal products, because of the inability of sanger sequencing technique in detecting DNA in herbal products containing more than one species such as polyherbal products (i.e., products containing more than one species). Hence, I utilized a method called DNA metabarcoding which is combination of high-throughput sequencing and DNA barcoding. In this project, I studied seventy-nine Ayurvedic herbal products sold in Norway (n = 21), Romania (n = 26), and Sweden (n = 32) as tablets (n = 30), capsules (n = 30), powders (n = 16), and extracts (n = 3). The results revealed that the fidelity for single ingredient products was 67%, the overall ingredient fidelity for multi-ingredient products was 21%, and for all products 24%.

Molecular markers; Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) marker is one of the DNA-based molecular markers used for identification of plants, and SCAR marker can be developed from any part of the genomic DNA sequences. I developed species-specific SCAR markers based on the nuclear ribosomal RNA genes and internal transcribed spacer (nrDNA-ITS) sequences for few important medicinal plants such as Aconitum heterophyllum Wall. and Cyperus rotundus L.

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Tubers of A. heterophyllum and C. rotundus

Publications

  1. Seethapathy, G.S., Ancuta-Cristina Raclariu-Manolica, Jarl Andreas Anmarkrud, Helle Wangensteen, and Hugo J. de Boer. "DNA Metabarcoding Authentication of Ayurvedic Herbal Products on the European Market Raises Concerns of Quality and Fidelity." Frontiers in Plant Science 10, no. 68 (Feb 2019). https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00068

  2. Seethapathy, G. S., D. Ganesh, J. U. Santhosh Kumar, U. Senthilkumar, S. G. Newmaster, S. Ragupathy, R. Uma Shaanker, and G. Ravikanth. "Assessing Product Adulteration in Natural Health Products for Laxative Yielding Plants, Cassia, Senna, and Chamaecrista, in Southern India Using DNA Barcoding." International Journal of Legal Medicine 129, no. 4 (Jul 2015): 693-700. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00414-014-1120-z

  3. Seethapathy, G.S., Unnikrishnan R, Urumarudappa SK, Chen X, Peng J. "Value chains and DNA barcoding for the identification of antiinfective medicinal plants. In Medicinal Plants as Anti-Infectives" 2022 Jan 1 (pp. 361-381). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90999-0.00009-4

  4. Masters S, Anthoons B, Madesis P, Seethapathy, G. S., Schermer M, Gerritsen W, Karahan A, Verdoes R, Schwallier R, Van Andel T, De Boer H. "Quantifying an online wildlife trade using a web crawler". Biodiversity and Conservation. 2022 Mar; 31(3):855-69. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-022-02367-z

  5. Santhosh Kumar, J. U., Ramakrishan, M., Seethapathy, G. S., Krishna, V., Shaanker, R.U. and Ravikanth, G. "DNA barcoding of Momordica species and assessment of adulteration in Momordica herbal products, an anti-diabetic drug", 22, p.100227 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plgene.2020.100227

  6. Santhosh Kumar, J. U., V. Krishna, Seethapathy, G. S., R. Ganesan, G. Ravikanth, and R. Uma Shaankar. "Assessment of Adulteration in Raw Herbal Trade of Important Medicinal Plants of India Using DNA Barcoding."8, no. 3 (February 2018): 135. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13205-018-1169-3

  7. Srirama, R., J. U. Santhosh Kumar, Seethapathy, G. S., S. G. Newmaster, S. Ragupathy, K. N. Ganeshaiah, R. Uma Shaanker, and G. Ravikanth. "Species Adulteration in the Herbal Trade: Causes, Consequences and Mitigation." 40, no. 8 (Aug 2017): 651-61. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40264-017-0527-0

  8. Santhosh Kumar, J. U., N. Gogna, S. G. Newmaster, K. Venkatarangaiah, R. Subramanyam, Seethapathy, G. S., R. Gudasalamani, K. Dorai, and U. S. Ramanan. "DNA Barcoding and NMR Spectroscopy-Based Assessment of Species Adulteration in the Raw Herbal Trade of Saraca asoca (Roxb.) Willd, an Important Medicinal Plant." 130, no. 6 (Nov 2016): 1457-70. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00414-016-1436-y

  9. Santhosh Kumar, J. U., V. Krishna, Seethapathy, G. S., U. Senthilkumar, S. Ragupathy, K. N. Ganeshaiah, R. Ganesan, Steven G. Newmaster, G. Ravikanth, and R. Uma Shaanker. "DNA Barcoding to Assess Species Adulteration in Raw Drug Trade of “Bala” (Genus: L.) Herbal Products in South India." 61 (August 2015): 501-09. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bse.2015.07.024

  10. Balasubramani, S. P., Seethapathy, G. S., and Padma Venkatasubramanian. "Nuclear Ribosomal DNA-Its Region Based Molecular Markers to Distinguish Botanical Entities Traded as Vidari‟. 1, no. 3-4 (Dec 2011): 83-89. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hermed.2011.09.003

  11. Seethapathy, G. S., S. P. Balasubramani, and P. Venkatasubramanian. "Nrdna Its Sequence Based Scar Marker to Authenticate Aconitum Heterophyllum and Cyperus Rotundus in Ayurvedic Raw Drug Source and Prepared Herbal Products." Food Chemistry 145 (Feb 2014): 1015-20. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.09.027

Chemical methods to test botanicals in trade

Thin-layer chromatography (TLC; HPTLC) and Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)

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TLC fingerprint of plant; a varying ratio of solvents (mobile phase) results in varying pattern of separation of chemical compounds

HPTLC (high-performance thin layer chromatography) is a sophisticated form of TLC. HPTLC is one of the chromatographic method employed widely in pharmaceutical industries for process development, identification, and detection of adulterants in herbal products. I am developing HPTLC fingerprints for few important plant groups for my post doctoral research.

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NMR (Nuclear magnetic resonance) is concerned with the magnetic properties of certain nuclei. Proton (1H) and 13C-NMR have been the most common used nuclei in NMR. I have used qNMR method to quantify (−)-hydroxycitric acid and (−)-hydroxycitric acid lactone in Garcinia fruits and food supplements hat claim to contain Garcinia extract. Analysis of ten Garcinia food supplements revealed a large variation in the content of (−)-hydroxycitric acid, content per capsule or tablet.

Currently involved in developing NMR fingerprints for selected medicinal plants for my postdoctoral research.

Publications

  1. Seethapathy, G. S., M. Tadesse, S. K. J. Urumarudappa, V. Gunaga S, R. Vasudeva, K. E. Malterud, R. U. Shaanker, H. J. de Boer, G. Ravikanth, and H. Wangensteen. "Authentication of Garcinia Fruits and Food Supplements Using DNA Barcoding and NMR Spectroscopy." Scientific Reports 8, no. 1 (Jul 2018): 10561. https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-28635-z

  2. Zhao J, Wang M, Seethapathy, G.S., Ikhlas Khan. “NMR technique and methodology in botanical health product analysis and quality control”. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis. 207:114376 (Jan 2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpba.2021.114376

Predatory Journals

Mis-users of Articles Processing Charges among the Open access journals

The mode of publication by academic journals/publishers can be broadly classified into two models, i.e., “Reader Pays Model”, and "Author-side Pays Model". Reader pays is a traditional model of publication in which mostly the society journals and commercial journals obtain their revenues from subscription fees charged to libraries and individual users. Author-side pays is a relatively new model which has arisen due to the combination of advancement in internet and open access movement. Most open access (OA) journals adapt this model, in which the OA journals obtain their revenues through ‘Article Processing Charges’ from the authors who pay to make their articles open access to everybody. However, a class of OA journals who utilizes the "Author-side Pays Model" only to collect article processing charges paid by authors as an opportunistic business trick to make profit without proper peer of review articles, these journals/publishers are termed as “predatory journals/publishers”.

Publications

  1. Seethapathy, G. S., J. U. S. Kumar, and A. S. Hareesha. "India's Scientific Publication in Predatory Journals: Need for Regulating Quality of Indian Science and Education." Current Science 111, no. 11 (Dec 2016): 1759-64. https://dx.doi.org/10.18520/cs/v111/i11/1759-1764

  2. Seethapathy, G.S., Ingvild Austarheim, and Helle Wangensteen. "Skyggesidene Ved Åpen Publisering: Indiske Forskere Utnyttes Av Røvertidsskrifter." Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift 34, no. 02 (2017): 165-73. https://dx.doi.org/10.18261/issn.1504-3053-2017-02-05

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