Traditional use of medicinal plants by the Jaintia tribes in North Cachar Hills district of Assam, northeast India

The study of ethnobotany relating to any tribe is in itself a very intricate or convoluted process. This paper documents the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants that are in use by the indigenous Jaintia tribes residing in few isolated pockets of northeast India. The present study was done through structured questionnaires in consultations with the tribal practitioners and has resulted in the documentation of 39 medicinal plant species belonging to 27 families and 35 genera. For curing diverse form of ailments, the use of aboveground plant parts was higher (76.59%) than the underground plant parts (23.41%). Of the aboveground plant parts, leaf was used in the majority of cases (23 species), followed by fruit (4). Different underground plant forms such as root, tuber, rhizome, bulb and pseudo-bulb were also found to be in use by the Jaintia tribe as a medicine. Altogether, 30 types of ailments have been reported to be cured by using these 39 medicinal plant species. The study thus underlines the potentials of the ethnobotanical research and the need for the documentation of traditional ecological knowledge pertaining to the medicinal plant utilization for the greater benefit of mankind

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Dye yielding plants of Assam for dyeing handloom textile products

166-171Assam is floristically one of the richest states of Northeast India with more than 3,000 flowering plant species. The state is inhabited by five major tribes and nine minor tribes. The people of Assam have been using different herbs to dye their cotton, silk and woolen yarns, and garments. A survey on vegetable dye was undertaken during 2006-2007 in different parts and among different ethnic group of Assam. The paper deals with 47 dye yielding plant species and provides information on their botanical name, family, local names, plant parts used, method of preparation, colour produced, and kind of garments dyed

<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place" downloadurl="http://www.5iantlavalamp.com/"> Traditional Knowledge relating to use of flora and fauna as indicators in predicting annual seasons among <i style="">Karbi</i> tribe of Assam </smarttagtype></smarttagtype>

518-524There exist a sound Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) among Karbis relating to prediction of annual seasons using flora and fauna and physical factors as indicators. Floral characters include leaf fall, formation of new leaves, flowering, fruiting and ripening, formation of tubers, etc. while faunal characters include courtship and mating, egg laying and hatching, aggressiveness, appearance of a particular species and many more. Physical factors comprise of moon, temperature, wind, rainfall, day length, etc. A Folk Calendar consisting of 12 months based on these indicators have been practicing among the people since time immemorial. Karbi New Year however, commences from 1st February, which has already received official recognition of the local government, Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council. Floral and faunal and physical indicators are used primarily for jhum cultivation such as time of selection of the plot, clearing of forest, burning of slash, tilling the soil, sowing and other activities related with jhum and secondly for harvesting forest resources and day-to-day activities. IKS is fast losing its ground among Karbis mainly due to acculturation and destruction of forests, the natural habitat where Indigenous Knowledge was born and evolved and change of habitat from hills to plains

<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> Traditional handloom and handicrafts of Sikkim<b style=""></b> </smarttagtype></smarttagtype>

375-377 Sikkim is a state having very old and deep rooted handloom and handicraft traditions. Handloom weaving, thanka painting, wooden mask making, wood curving are typical of Sikkim. All these traditional handloom and handicrafts are described. </smarttagtype

Ethnobotanical observations on Bamboos among Adi tribes in Arunachal Pradesh

594-597Arunachal Pradesh is inhabited by 25 major tribes and 110 sub-tribes with a rich blend of indigenous culture and traditions. The paper provides information gathered on ethnobotanical uses of bamboos among the Adi tribes of Arunachal Pradesh

<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="country-region"><smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> Medico-ethnobotany of <i style="">Bodo</i> tribals in Gohpur of Sonitpur district, Assam </smarttagtype></smarttagtype>

52-54The paper deals with the results of ethnobotanical survey work carried out during 2005-2006. The information was collected from 13 villages, mostly of remote places near the border area of Arunachal Pradesh. Totally, 20 plant species were collected and recorded for their use in various ailments. The species are short listed giving their plant name, family, vernacular name, and uses

Ethnobotany of biofencing among teagarden and ex-teagarden communities of Nagaon district of Assam

666-668Raising plants as live fencing in home gardens is a traditional practice among the tea garden communities. An ethnobotanical study was carried out in order to document the indigenous knowledge about the plants grown as live fencing. Of 27 plants species documented that included shrubs, succulent shrubs and deciduous climbers, Bambusa sp. and Musa sp. were very common (95 and 80% occurrence), with potential economic value and also strong soil binding properties. The traditional biofencing practice is not only to protect the home gardens but also a part of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity among tea garden communities