Vascular epiphytic medicinal plants as sources of therapeutic agents: their ethnopharmacological uses, chemical composition, and biological activities

This is an extensive review on epiphytic plants that have been used traditionally as medicines. It provides information on 185 epiphytes and their traditional medicinal uses, regions where Indigenous people use the plants, parts of the plants used as medicines and their preparation, and their reported phytochemical properties and pharmacological properties aligned with their traditional uses. These epiphytic medicinal plants are able to produce a range of secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, and a total of 842 phytochemicals have been identified to date. As many as 71 epiphytic medicinal plants were studied for their biological activities, showing promising pharmacological activities, including as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents. There are several species that were not investigated for their activities and are worthy of exploration. These epipythes have the potential to furnish drug lead compounds, especially for treating cancers, and thus warrant indepth investigations

Medicinally important orchids of Northeast India: traditional knowledge and scientific validation

Northeast India, comprising eight states, harbors a rich gene pool of orchids vital to local culture, economy, and medicine. These plants, with 145 documented species used across the region, are valued for treating diseases like cancer, tumors, nervous disorders, and skin ailments. Key genera include Acampe, Aerides, Anoectochilus, Bulbophyllum, Calanthe, Coelogyne, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, and Vanda, known for their diverse secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, and polyphenols that contribute to their healing properties. However, scientific exploration has been limited, with only 54 species reported to contain active compounds. Future research should focus on identifying new bioactive compounds, validating efficacy through animal and human studies, and exploring traditional knowledge for potential new species, aiming to harness these plants for commercial medicinal applications