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Khan MA, Mahato S, Spicer RA, Spicer TE, Ali A, Hazra T, Bera S. Siwalik plant megafossil diversity in the Eastern Himalayas: A review. Plant Divers 2023; 45:243-264. [PMID: 37397603 PMCID: PMC10311196 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The Eastern Himalayas are renowned for their high plant diversity. To understand how this modern botanical richness formed, it is critical to investigate past plant biodiversity preserved as fossils throughout the eastern Himalayan Siwalik succession (middle Miocene-early Pleistocene). Here, we present a summary of plant diversity records that document Neogene floristic and climate changes. We do this by compiling published records of megafossil plant remains, because these offer better spatial and temporal resolution than do palynological records. Analyses of the Siwalik floral assemblages based on the distribution of the nearest living relative taxa suggest that a tropical wet evergreen forest was growing in a warm humid monsoonal climate at the deposition time. This qualitative interpretation is also corroborated by published CLAMP (Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) analyses. Here, we also reconstruct the climate by applying a new common proxy WorldClim2 calibration. This allows the detection of subtle climate differences between floral assemblages free of artefacts introduced by using different methodologies and climate calibrations. An analysis of the Siwalik floras indicates that there was a gradual change in floral composition. The lower Siwalik assemblages provide evidence of a predominance of evergreen elements. An increase in deciduous elements in the floral composition is noticed towards the close of the middle Siwalik and the beginning of the upper Siwalik formation. This change reflects a climatic difference between Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene times. This review helps us to understand under what paleoenvironmental conditions plant diversity occurred and evolved in the eastern Himalayas throughout the Cenozoic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahasin Ali Khan
- Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India
| | - Sumana Mahato
- Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India
| | - Robert A. Spicer
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, PR China
- School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, The Open University, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Teresa E.V. Spicer
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, PR China
| | - Ashif Ali
- Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India
| | - Taposhi Hazra
- Palaeobotany and Palynology Laboratory, Department of Botany, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi Road, Purulia 723104, India
| | - Subir Bera
- Centre of Advanced Study, Department of Botany, University of Calcutta, 35, B.C. Road, Kolkata 700019, India
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Poddar Sarkar M, Biswas Raha A, Datta J, Mitra S. Chemotaxonomic and evolutionary perspectives of Bryophyta based on multivariate analysis of fatty acid fingerprints of Eastern Himalayan mosses. Protoplasma 2022; 259:1125-1137. [PMID: 34787717 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-021-01723-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Bryophyta comprises one of the earliest lineages of land plants that had implemented remarkable innovations to their lipid metabolic systems for successful adaptation to terrestrial habitat. This study presents a comprehensive investigation of fatty acid profiles of mosses from Eastern Himalayas with an aim to trace their chemotaxonomic and evolutionary implications. Fatty acid compositions of 40 random mosses belonging to major families of Bryophyta were explored by gas chromatographic analysis. A diverse array of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids including rare acetylenic fatty acids were detected. Hexadecanoic acid (C16:0), 9,12 (Z,Z)-octadecadienoic acid (C18:2n6) and 9,12,15 (Z,Z,Z)-octadecatrienoic acid (C18:3n3) were the predominant fatty acids in all the mosses. However, quantitative variation of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), specifically 5,8,11,14 (Z,Z,Z,Z)-eicosatetraenoic acid (C20:4n6), among the investigated mosses was the most prominent outcome. The diplolepidous members of Bryidae, especially the mosses of Hypnales, Bryales and Bartramiales contained higher amount of C20 PUFAs compared with the haplolepidous orders. Principal component analyses based on individual fatty acids and other related parameters validated C20:4n6 content and the ratio of C20:4n6/C18:2n6 as the apparent chemotaxonomic discriminants. The prevalent notion of considering 9,12,15-octadecatrien-6-ynoic acid (C18:4a) as the chemomarker of Dicranaceae has also been challenged, since the compound was detected not only in different families of Dicranales, but also in a Pottiales member, Leptodontium viticulosoides. Therefore, an ensemble of fatty acids instead of a single one can be considered as the chemical signature for taxonomic interpretation which may also be vital from an evolutionary standpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mousumi Poddar Sarkar
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, West Bengal, India
| | - Anashuya Biswas Raha
- Department of Botany, Diamond Harbour Women's University, Diamond Harbour Road, Sarisha, South 24 Parganas, Sarisha, 743368, West Bengal, India
| | - Jayashree Datta
- Department of Life Sciences, Presidency University, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata, 700073, West Bengal, India
| | - Souvik Mitra
- Department of Botany, Darjeeling Government College, 19, Lebong Cart Road, Darjeeling, 734101, West Bengal, India.
- Department of Botany, Taki Government College, North 24 Parganas, Taki, 743429, West Bengal, India.
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Guo CA, Ding XY, Addi YW, Zhang Y, Zhang XQ, Zhuang HF, Wang YH. An ethnobotany survey of wild plants used by the Tibetan people of the Yadong River Valley, Tibet, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2022; 18:28. [PMID: 35361213 PMCID: PMC8973548 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-022-00518-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plant resources gathered from the wild are important sources of livelihood needs, especially for low-income populations living in remote areas, who rely on these plants for food, fuelwood, medicine and building materials. Yadong County is a valley at the border between the China, India and Bhutan in southern Tibet. Yadong is rich in biodiversity and culture, but ethnobotanical knowledge has not been systematically studied. This study aimed to document the ethnobotanical knowledge of Tibetans in Yadong County. METHODS Ethnobotanical data were documented through free listings, key informant interviews, and semi-structured interviews during fieldwork. The culture importance index (CI) and informant consensus factor index (FIC) were used as the quantitative indices. RESULTS In total, 163 informants (46 women and 117 men). A total of 3,031 use reports and 121 plant species belonging to 52 families and 91 genera were included. These use reports were then classified into 20 categories belonging to 9 major categories. The utilisation category that containing the most plant species was food, followed by economic, medicine, animal feed, social uses, other uses, environmental uses, materials and fuels. Among the economic plants, 32 medicinal plants are traditionally used in the local region. Plants with high CI included Fritillaria cirrhosa, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Betula utilis, Rheum nobile, and Urtica hyperborean. CONCLUSION This research demonstrates the diversity of the types and functions of Yadong Tibetan traditional plant knowledge. Knowledge of edible and medicinal plants in this area is prominent, reflecting the ability to cope with the lack of fruits and vegetables and basic family medical care. There were exchanges between the traditional plant culture in the study area and its surroundings. With socioeconomic development, the commercial value of medicinal plants has increased, and locals are also seeking ways to adoptsustainable development to cope with the excessive consumption of plant resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-An Guo
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Yong Ding
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Won Addi
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
| | - Xiao-Qian Zhang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hui-Fu Zhuang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
| | - Yu-Hua Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 132# Lanhei Road, Yunnan, 650201 Kunming China
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Tamang JP, Jeyaram K, Rai AK, Mukherjee PK. Diversity of beneficial microorganisms and their functionalities in community-specific ethnic fermented foods of the Eastern Himalayas. Food Res Int 2021; 148:110633. [PMID: 34507776 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2021.110633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The Eastern Himalayan regions of India, Nepal and Bhutan have more than 200 varieties of unsurpassed ethnic fermented foods and alcoholic beverages, which are lesser known outside the world. However, these ethnic foods are region- and community-specific, unique and some are exotic and rare, which include fermented vegetables, bamboo shoots, soybeans, cereals, milk (cow and yak), meats, fishes, and cereal-based alcoholic beverages and drinks. Ethnic communities living in the Eastern Himalayas have invented the indigenous knowledge of utilization of unseen microorganisms present in and around the environment for preservation and fermentation of perishable plant or animal substrates to obtain organoleptically desirable and culturally acceptable ethnic fermented food and alcoholic beverages. Some ethnic fermented products and traditionally prepared dry starters for production of alcoholic beverages of North Eastern states of India and Nepal were scientifically studied and reported till date, and however, limited publications are available on microbiological and nutritional aspects of ethnic fermented foods of Bhutan except on few products. Most of the beneficial microorganisms isolated from some ethnic fermented foods of the EH are listed in microbial food cultures (MFC) safe inventory. This study is aimed to review the updates on the beneficial importance of abundant microbiota and health-promoting benefits and functionalities of some ethnic fermented foods of the Eastern Himalayan regions of North East India, Nepal and Bhutan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jyoti Prakash Tamang
- DAICENTER (DBT-AIST International Centre for Translational and Environmental Research) and Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Microbiology, Sikkim University, Science Building, Tadong, Gangtok 737102, Sikkim, India.
| | - Kumaraswamy Jeyaram
- Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Amit Kumar Rai
- Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Pulok K Mukherjee
- Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
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Chen WY, Yang T, Yang J, Qiu ZC, Ding XY, Wang YH, Wang YH. Wild plants used by the Lhoba people in Douyu Village, characterized by high mountains and valleys, in southeastern Tibet, China. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 2021; 17:46. [PMID: 34301287 PMCID: PMC8305498 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-021-00472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Douyu Village, inhabited by the Lhoba people, is situated within the Eastern Himalayas, in southeastern Tibet, China. The village is located among high mountains and valleys, which feature complex terrain with cold and dry climates and distinctive vegetation types and species. The Lhoba people in this village are isolated from other groups in China. The Lhoba people have lived in this village since the 15th century and mainly depended on gathering, hunting, and swidden agriculture before the 1960s. Because they have a long history and live under extreme climatic, geographical, and ecological conditions, the Lhoba people in Douyu Village may have unique traditional knowledge about wild plants. Thus, this research aims to record the traditional botanical knowledge of the Lhoba people in Douyu. METHODS An ethnobotanical study was conducted on the Lhoba people in Douyu Village in Longzi County, Tibet, China. Semi-structured interviews and group discussions with informed consent were used in the study. We interviewed 41 informants (14 key informants) between 18 and 75 years of age. All information was collected, organized, and compiled into "use reports" for quantitative analysis. The informant consensus factor (ICF) was used to determine the homogeneity of the informants' knowledge of medicinal plants, while the cultural importance index (CI) was used to estimate the cultural importance of shared species. RESULTS A total of 91 wild species (90 vascular plants and 1 fungus) belonging to 71 genera and 39 families utilized by the Lhoba people in Douyu were documented. Of these species, Pimpinella xizangense and Wikstroemia lungtzeensis are endemic to Longzi County, while Sinopodophyllum hexandrum and Paeonia ludlowii are endangered species in China. All habitats, from the field vegetation at the valley bottoms to the alpine shrubland and meadows, were used for plant collection, and the numbers of species of plants collected from the various vegetation types (except for fields) decreased with increasing altitude. Our study found that 55 species are edible plants and fungi, 29 species are medicinal plants, and 38 species are used for other purposes. Medicinal plants are used for 11 categories of diseases, among which diseases of blood-forming organs (ICF = 0.96) and gastrointestinal diseases (ICF = 0.95) exhibited the highest ICF values. Based on the CI values, the most important plants in this study area are Berberis xanthophloea, B. kongboensis, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum, Vicatia thibetica, and Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. gyantsensis. Moreover, a comparison of the wild plants used by Lhoba ethnic groups in three counties in China showed significant differences among these regions. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates that the wild plants utilized by the Lhoba people in Douyu Village are highly diverse, at 90 plant and one fungal species, which reflects not only the number of species but also their diversified functions. The extreme climatic, geographical, and ecological conditions of Douyu within the high mountains and valleys of the Eastern Himalayas potentially affect the Lhoba people's culture, including plant utilization practices, and contribute to the rich diversity of the wild plants used by the local people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yun Chen
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
| | - Tao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Jun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
| | - Zhu-Chuan Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Xiao-Yong Ding
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049 China
| | - Yu-Hua Wang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
| | - Yue-Hu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Economic Plants and Biotechnology and the Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 People’s Republic of China
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Li Q, Cheng F, Jackson SM, Helgen KM, Song WY, Liu SY, Sanamxay D, Li S, Li F, Xiong Y, Sun J, Wang HJ, Jiang XL. Phylogenetic and morphological significance of an overlooked flying squirrel (Pteromyini, Rodentia) from the eastern Himalayas with the description of a new genus. Zool Res 2021; 42:389-400. [PMID: 34047079 PMCID: PMC8317177 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The flying squirrels (Pteromyini, Rodentia) are the most diverse and widely distributed group of gliding mammals. Taxonomic boundaries and relationships within flying squirrels remain an area of active research in mammalogy. The discovery of new specimens of Pteromys (Hylopetes) leonardi Thomas, 1921, previously considered a synonym of Hylopetes alboniger, in Yunnan Province, China allowed a morphological and genetic reassessment of the status of this taxon. Phylogenetic reconstruction was implemented using sequences of two mitochondrial (12S ribosomal RNA and 16S ribosomal RNA) and one nuclear (interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein) gene fragments. Morphological assessments involved examinations of features preserved on skins, skulls, and penises of museum specimens, supplemented with principal component analysis of craniometric data. Together these assessments revealed that this taxon should be recognized not only as a distinct species, but should also be placed within a new genus, described here as Priapomysgen. nov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.,Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Feng Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.,Group of Evolutionary Biology & Systematic Zoology, Institute of Biochemistry & Biology, University Potsdam, Potsdam, Brandenburg 14476, Germany
| | - Stephen M Jackson
- Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Orange, New South Wales 2800, Australia.,School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.,Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20013-7012, USA.,Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia
| | - Kristofer M Helgen
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia.,Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia
| | - Wen-Yu Song
- Vector Laboratory, Institute of Pathogens and Vectors, Yunnan Provincial Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Control and Prevention, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan 671000, China.,State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Shao-Ying Liu
- Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu, Sichuan 610081, China
| | - Daosavanh Sanamxay
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, National University of Laos, Xaythany, Vientiane 7322, Lao
| | - Song Li
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.,Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Fei Li
- Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden, Lam Kam Road, Tai Po, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yun Xiong
- Gongshan Management Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Gongshan, Yunnan 673500, China
| | - Jun Sun
- Gongshan Management Bureau of Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve, Gongshan, Yunnan 673500, China
| | - Hong-Jiao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Xue-Long Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China. E-mail:
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Pradhan P, Tamang JP. Probiotic properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from traditionally prepared dry starters of the Eastern Himalayas. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 2021; 37:7. [PMID: 33392833 DOI: 10.1007/s11274-020-02975-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The Himalayan people prepare dry and oval to round-shaped starter cultures to ferment cereals into mild-alcoholic beverages, which contain lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as one of the essential microbiota. There is no report on probiotic characters of LAB isolated from dry starters. Hence, we screened the probiotic and some functional properties of 37 LAB strains isolated from dry starters of the Eastern Himalayas viz. marcha, phab, paa, pee and phut. About 38% of the LAB strains showed high survival rate (> 50%) at pH 3 and 0.3% bile salts. Enterococcus durans BPB21 and SMB7 showed the highest hydrophobicity percentage of 98%. E. durans DMB4 and SMB7 showed maximum cholesterol assimilation activity. About 65% of the LAB strains showed the ability to produce β galactosidase. Majority of the strains showed phytase activity, whereas none of the strain showed amylase activity. About 86% of LAB strains showed an optimum tolerance of 10% ethanol concentration. Genetic screening of some probiotic and functional marker genes have also been analysed. The occurrence of clp L gene, agu A gene (survival of gastrointestinal tract conditions), apf, mub1 and map A gene (adhesion genes) was higher compared to other genes. The occurrence of bsh gene (bile salt tolerance) was detected in Pediococcus pentosaceus SMB13-1 and Enterococcus faecium BPB11. Gene ped B for pediocin with amplicon size of 375 bp was detected in E. durans DMB13 and Pediococcus acidilactici AKB3. Detection of nutritional marker gene rib A and fol P in some strains showed the potential ability to synthesize riboflavin and folic acid. LAB with probiotic and functional properties may be explored for food industry in future.
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Pradhan P, Tamang JP. Phenotypic and Genotypic Identification of Bacteria Isolated From Traditionally Prepared Dry Starters of the Eastern Himalayas. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:2526. [PMID: 31749787 PMCID: PMC6848222 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Preparation of dry starters for alcohol production is an age-old traditional technology in the Eastern Himalayan regions of east Nepal, the Darjeeling hills, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh in India, and Bhutan. We studied the bacterial diversity in 35 samples of traditionally prepared dry starters, represented by marcha of Nepal, Sikkim, the Darjeeling hills, and Bhutan, phab of Bhutan, and paa, pee, and phut of Arunachal Pradesh, respectively. Populations of bacteria in these starters were 105 to 108 cfu/g. A total of 201 bacterial strains were isolated from starter samples, phenotypically characterized, and their identities confirmed by the 16S rRNA sanger sequencing method. The dominant phylum was Firmicutes (85%), followed by Proteobacteria (9%), and Actinobacteria (6%). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) (59%) formed the most abundant group, followed by non-LAB (32%) and Gram-negative bacteria (9%). Based on the 16S rRNA gene sequencing result, we identified LAB: Enterococcus durans, E. faecium, E. fecalis, E. hirae, E. lactis, Pediococcus acidilactici, P. pentosaceus, Lactobacillus plantarum subsp. plantarum, Lb. pentosus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, and Weissella cibaria; non-LAB: Bacillus subtilis subsp. inaquosorum, B. circulans, B. albus, B. cereus, B. nakamurai, B. nitratireducens, B. pseudomycoides, B. zhangzhouensis, Kocuria rosea, Staphylococcus hominis subsp. hominis, S. warneri, S. gallinarum, S. sciuri, Lysinibacillus boronitolerans, Brevibacterium frigoritolerans, and Micrococcus yunnanensis; Gram-negative bacteria: Pseudomonas putida, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter hormaechei subsp. xiangfangensis, E. hormaechei subsp. steigerwaltii, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia. We characterized diversity indexes of the bacterial community present in traditionally prepared dry starters. This is the first report on the bacterial diversity of traditionally dry starters of the Eastern Himalayas by sanger sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jyoti Prakash Tamang
- DAICENTRE (DBT-AIST International Centre for Translational and Environmental Research) and Bioinformatics Centre, Department of Microbiology, School of Life Sciences, Sikkim University, Gangtok, India
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Thinley P, Norbu T, Rajaratnam R, Vernes K, Wangchuk K, Choki K, Tenzin J, Tenzin S, Kinley, Dorji S, Wangchuk T, Cheda K, Gempa. Population abundance and distribution of the endangered golden langur (Trachypithecus geei, Khajuria 1956) in Bhutan. Primates 2019; 60:437-448. [PMID: 31376052 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00737-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Reliable population estimates are lacking for many South Asian primate species, including the golden langur (Trachypithecus geei), which is endangered and restricted to Bhutan and northeast India. Although well studied in India, few studies exist on this species in Bhutan. In November 2017, we undertook a nationwide survey of golden langurs in Bhutan using double observers along trail-based transects in 17 blocks within its habitat, and modeled its distribution using MaxEnt. A total of 2439 golden langurs in 222 groups were collectively encountered by 17 teams of double observers, from which, an overall population of 2516 ± SE 363 individuals and 236 ± SE 9 groups were estimated. Group sizes varied from 2 to 35 individuals with a mean of 11 ± SD 0.38 individuals. A total of 468 adult males (19%), 924 adult females (38%), 649 juveniles (27%), and 398 infants (16%) were counted. Adult male-to-female sex ratio was 1:1.97 and adult female-to-infant ratio was 1:0.43. We determined 2848 km2 of suitable area for golden langurs in Bhutan and estimated a density of 0.88 individuals/km2. Our population estimate of golden langurs in Bhutan is much lower than the current IUCN estimate of 4000 individuals for Bhutan, necessitating a reassessment of its current conservation status due to threats from road kills, electrocution, and development activities like road construction, hydropower, and electrical transmission lines. We further recommend our refined double-observer survey method to reliably estimate primate populations in rugged terrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phuntsho Thinley
- Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment Research, Department of Forests and Park Services, Lamaigoenpa, Bumthang, 32001, Bhutan. .,Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia.
| | - Tshewang Norbu
- Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment Research, Department of Forests and Park Services, Lamaigoenpa, Bumthang, 32001, Bhutan
| | | | - Karl Vernes
- Ecosystem Management, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, 2351, Australia
| | - Kezang Wangchuk
- Ugyen Wangchuck Institute for Conservation and Environment Research, Department of Forests and Park Services, Lamaigoenpa, Bumthang, 32001, Bhutan
| | - Karma Choki
- Sarpang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Sarpang, 31002, Bhutan
| | - Jigme Tenzin
- Sarpang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Sarpang, 31002, Bhutan
| | - Sangay Tenzin
- Sarpang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Sarpang, 31002, Bhutan
| | - Kinley
- Tsirang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Tsirang, 36001, Bhutan
| | - Shacha Dorji
- Tsirang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Tsirang, 36001, Bhutan
| | - Tshering Wangchuk
- Tsirang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Tsirang, 36001, Bhutan
| | - Karma Cheda
- Tsirang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Tsirang, 36001, Bhutan
| | - Gempa
- Tsirang Forest Division, Department of Forests and Park Services, Tsirang, 36001, Bhutan
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Devi SB, Sherpa SSSS. Soil carbon and nitrogen stocks along the altitudinal gradient of the Darjeeling Himalayas, India. Environ Monit Assess 2019; 191:361. [PMID: 31079209 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-019-7470-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Soil is the largest terrestrial carbon pool and has been increasingly recognized to play crucial role to mitigate global warming resulting from climate change and land use and land cover change. The carbon cycle is closely linked with nitrogen cycles and needs to be studied together for their important implications for mitigating land degradations and associated declining productivity. Within the global biodiversity hotspot of Himalayas, which constitutes more than one third of India's carbon pool, the Eastern Himalayas in spite of having highest forest cover, protected area network coverage, biodiversity, and endemicity have been understudied for soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics. The present study was designed to assess the patterns and determinants of soil carbon stock, SOC stocks, nitrogen stocks, and carbon/nitrogen (C:N) ratio along the altitudinal gradient, forest type, and depth in Darjeeling Himalayas, India. We followed standard protocol for soil sampling and analysis. The soil carbon stocks (257.02 to 527.79 MgC ha-1), SOC stocks (152.55 to 398.88 MgC ha-1), and soil nitrogen stocks (15.10 to 32.38 MgN ha-1) increased (but C:N ratio 15.13 to 19.12 declined) along the altitudinal gradient (154 to 3170 m), forest types (tropical moist deciduous forest: MWLS < East Himalayan temperate forest: NVNP < East Himalayan sub-alpine forest: SNP) and annually (year 1 < year 2); however, opposite pattern was observed with increase in depths. The soil carbon stocks, SOC stocks, soil nitrogen stocks, and C:N ratio showed strong effects of forest type, depth, elevation, NDVI, bulk density, MI, and AET. Additionally, there was strong relationship of MAP with soil carbon stock and SOC stock, MAT with C:N ratio, and year of sampling with SOC stocks and C:N ratio. The soil carbon stocks, SOC stocks, and soil nitrogen stocks showed negative correlation with different environmental factors (MAT, MAP, NDVI, MI, AET), but positive correlation with elevation, however, C:N ratio had weak positive correlation. We conclude that the different forests types of Darjeeling Himalayas encompassing wide elevation gradient have high levels of soil carbon stocks, SOC stocks, soil nitrogen stocks, and C:N ratio, and hence must be properly managed to maximize their soil carbon sequestration potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samjetsabam Bharati Devi
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Puducherry, 605014, India.
| | - Suratna Sur Shan Sher Sherpa
- Divisional Forest Officer, Working Plan (North), West Bengal Forest Department, Government of West Bengal, Darjeeling, West Bengal, 734101, India
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11
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Chakraborty T, Saha S, Bisht NS. First Report on the Ethnopharmacological Uses of Medicinal Plants by Monpa Tribe from the Zemithang Region of Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalayas, India. Plants (Basel) 2017; 6:E13. [PMID: 28257092 DOI: 10.3390/plants6010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Himalayas are well known for high diversity and ethnobotanical uses of the region’s medicinal plants. However, not all areas of the Himalayan regions are well studied. Studies on ethnobotanical uses of plants from the Eastern Himalayas are still lacking for many tribes. Past studies have primarily focused on listing plants’ vernacular names and their traditional medicinal uses. However, studies on traditional ethnopharmacological practices on medicine preparation by mixing multiple plant products of different species has not yet been reported in published literature from the state of Arunachal Pradesh, India, Eastern Himalayas. In this study, we are reporting for the first time the ethnopharmacological uses of 24 medicines and their procedures of preparation, as well as listing 53 plant species used for these medicines by the Monpa tribe. Such documentations are done first time in Arunachal Pradesh region of India as per our knowledge. Our research emphasizes the urgent need to document traditional medicine preparation procedures from local healers before traditional knowledge of tribal people living in remote locations are forgotten in a rapidly transforming country like India.
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12
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Jiang K, Wang K, Zou DH, Yan F, Li PP, Che J. A new species of the genus Scutiger (Anura: Megophryidae) from Medog of southeastern Tibet, China. Dongwuxue Yanjiu 2017; 37:21-30. [PMID: 26828031 DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2016.1.21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
A new species of Scutiger Theobald, 1868 is described from Medog, southeastern Tibet, China, based on morphological and molecular data. The new species was previously identified as Scutiger nyingchiensis, but it can be differentiated from the latter and all other congeners by the following combination of characters: (1) medium adult body size, SVL 50.5-55.6 mm in males and 53.8-57.2 mm in females; (2) maxillary teeth absent; (3) web rudimentary between toes; (4) prominent, conical-shaped tubercles on dorsal and lateral surfaces of body and limbs; (5) tubercles covered by black spines in both sexes in breeding condition; (6) a pair of pectoral glands and a pair of axillary glands present and covered by black spines in males in breeding condition, width of axillary gland less than 50% of pectoral gland; (7) nuptial spines present on dorsal surface of first and second fingers, and inner side of third finger in males in breeding condition; (8) spines absent on the abdominal region; (9) vocal sac absent. In addition, the distribution and conservation status of the new species are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Kai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China; Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman OK 73072-7029, U.S.A
| | - Da-Hu Zou
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China; Tibet University, Lhasa Tibet 850000, China
| | - Fang Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Pi-Peng Li
- Institute of Herpetology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang Liaoning 110034, China
| | - Jing Che
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Yunnan 650223, China.
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Shi W, Tong X. First record of the genus Gratia Thomas (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae) from China with the description of a new species. Zookeys 2015:129-37. [PMID: 25685011 PMCID: PMC4319053 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.478.8995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A new species of Baetidae, Gratiabaibungensissp. n., is described and illustrated based on nymphal stage collected from the southeastern Tibet (Xizang) and the genus is reported for the first time from China. This new species can be readily differentiated from its congeners by the absence of a protuberance on the posterior margin of the abdominal tergum X, glabrate simple submarginal setae on the labrum, and the posterior margin of sterna VI–IX having much longer spatulate setae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weifang Shi
- Department of Entomology, College of Natural Resources & Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiaoli Tong
- Department of Entomology, College of Natural Resources & Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
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