Gamosa: Unique symbol of Assamese culture

Gamosa woven with the aspirations of Assamese folk women, stands as a significant traditional textile item among the Assamese people. The original Assamese Gamosa is the special one with red colour border, white background and a horizontally placed floral design in one end and another end is woven with red colour stripes. While the origin of this age-old textile item of Assamese culture remains untraceable to date, it has deep roots in the local heritage. Now-a-days, its popularity is highly increased due to its utility and attractive colour combination. It enters the fashion market with its diversified application in both apparel and household sectors. This paper delves into various traditional Gamosa types, highlighting the importance of preserving their cultural essence and exploring future prospects and explores the pivotal significance of Geographical Indication (GI) tagging in safeguarding and promoting the cultural heritage of Assamese Gamosa, shedding light on the unique characteristics and historical resonance encapsulated in this traditional textile.

Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used for the treatment of malaria by tribal communities of Anuppur district, Central India

Medicinal plants are abundant sources of bioactive secondary metabolites and play a crucial role in the treatment and management of various diseases. The present research involves the documentation of ethnomedicinal plants used by tribal people residing in the district of Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, Central India. To obtain data on ethnomedicinal plants, a semi-structured interview schedule was conducted with the local tribal people, who have engaged in the folk practice and use ethnomedicinal plants to treat malaria disease. The obtained data were analyzed using statistical parameters like Relative Frequency Citation (RFC), Relative Importance Index (RI), Frequency Citation (FC), and Jaccard Coefficient of Similarity (JCS) etc. In the present study, a total of 44 respondents were exclusively interviewed, who revealed information about the medicinal plants used to treat malaria. A total of 24 medicinal plants, belonging to 20 plant families were documented, in this study. In conclusion, the majority of plants used by the tribal communities were used in combination form (24%) rather than a single plant. In order to conserve this important traditional knowledge, documentation is necessary which may provide new lead(s) for drug discovery in the future. Thus, the present research aims to demonstrate and document the importance of folk medicine in the study region as a novel source of anti-malarial drug(s)

Morphological and biochemical traits of some selected underutilised wild edible fruits used by the Sahariya – A PVTGs of Rajasthan

The purpose of the study is to document the wild edible fruits consumed by the Sahariya tribe through open ended questionnaire and morphological and biochemical analysis of four underutilised fruits viz., Buchanania lanzan Spreng., Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb., Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr. and Miliusa tomentosa (Roxb.) Finet & Gagnep. The study had been carried out in and around villages of Shahabad and Kishanganj blocks of Baran district under South Eastern Rajasthan. A total of 39 wild edible fruits from 22 plant families were recorded and documented. Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. with higher fruit weight and diameter of 23.55 g and 34 mm respectively and high pulp percentage (>50%) in fruits indicate that wild fruits have a significantly higher amount of consumable portion with a good shelf life (3-7 days at room temperature and 6-15 days in refrigerator). Buchanania lanzan Spreng., Diospyros melanoxylon Roxb. and Flacourtia indica (Burm. f.) Merr. with total soluble solids 26, 22 and 22 (oBrix) respectively and total sugar content 28, 27 and 23% respectively. Buchanania lanzan Spreng. contained the ascorbic acid/vitamin C of 120 mg/100 g which is usually higher than commercially cultivated fruits. The species with the highest pH was Miliusa tomentosa (Roxb.) Finet & Gagnep. (5.4), resulting in the lowest titratable acidity content (0.25%), while Buchanania lanzan Spreng. had the lowest pH (3.9), resulting in the highest titratable acidity content (1.3%). The study shows that wild edible fruits are nutrient rich and well comparable with various commercial fruits

Traditional knowledge research in India: A bibliometric-based review and thematic analysis

Traditional knowledge (TK) has gained substantial recognition for its utility in solution-seeking approaches to contemporary issues such as climate change, disaster risk resilience, and preservation of cultural identity. This makes it imperative to scrutinize the evolution of TK as a research field. However, there is a dearth of scholarly articles offering a holistic overview of TK-related research. The initial finding indicates that India is leading the field in such research among Asian countries. Consequently, the present study analyses the evolutionary trajectory of this research field in India, encompassing past, present and anticipated future discourse of such research. The present study employs insights from a bibliometric analysis of 836 literatures. Additionally, in-depth thematic analysis is based on the full-text review of 107 research papers. The study uncovers three prominent research themes emerging through the thematic analysis: (a) recording of TK through collation and documentation, (b) traditional medicinal systems, and (c) environment and sustainability. This critical exploration underscores the need for future research towards widening the scope of TK research, exploring the alternate forms of conservation, and deliberating on the efficient legal and policy measures aimed at uncovering the research field of TK while informing contemporary developments