Research Projects

The genus Hypericum L. (Hypericaceae Juss.) is a substantial part of the western traditional medicine: British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1996), the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1997), and the European Pharmacopoeia (2008), representing the most important and commercially recognized species, Hypericum perforatum L. (Brunáková and Cellárová, 2016). The genus, though being mentioned in the system of Indian medicine like siddha, and folk medicine, has not yet gained a limelight in the scientific community of India. Hypericum is one of the 100 largest and most diverse angiosperm genera of the world with high medicinal and taxonomic significance (Meseguer et al., 2013). The largest diversity of the genus is found in the temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere, Eurasia and North America, comprised of ca. 500 species globally (Robson, 1996, 2012). India harbors 25 species and 5 subspecific taxa from sub-tropical, temperate to alpine regions (Biswas, 1993). There is no detailed countrywide taxonomic account of the genus available in India except the systematic treatment of the family Hypericaceae by Biswas (1993). It was primarily based on herbarium specimens and available literature and lack a detailed field observation, phenotypic variation pattern, phylogenetic relationships, distribution records and threat assessment in the Indian region. Moreover, the post-1993 sectional reclassification of Hypericum by Robson (2012) necessitates a critical reappraisal of endemic taxa of India, several of which have been synonymized (Hypericum filicaule, H. humifusum subsp. suborbiculatum, and H. hookerianum var. lobbi) without supporting field-based evidence. Many representatives of the genus are known to contain pharmacologically active compounds like hypericin, pseudo-hypericine, hyperforin- effective as painkillers, antidepressants or anticancer treatments (Dauncey et al., 2017). Butola et al. (2007) reported the ethnomedicinal uses of 17 Hypericum species in India. Certain species like H. hookerianum, H. tenuicaule and H. williamsii are facing a major threat, while H. japonicum, H. gaitii, and H. perforatum have been pushed to the extent of threat status (Ather et al., 2008; Biswal & Nair, 2008). Some endemic species, viz., H. benghalense, H. assamicum, H. gracilipes, etc., with a narrow range of distribution, are facing threats mainly due to habitat loss and exploitation. In view of this, the genus requires a well-focused exploration and research for assessing the morphological attributes, reinforced with a phylogenetic study based on cpDNA (psbA-trnH, trnS-trnG, trnL-trnF) and nrDNA (ITS) markers. Furthermore, there is a need to assess the IUCN status of rare and endemic taxa at global and regional levels using IUCN threat criteria. Besides, employing multi-model species distribution analyses to predict suitable habitats under various Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, enables to identify priority conservation areas and regions suitable for ex-situ conservation.