Research Projects

India's rich biodiversity is attributed to its diverse climatic and altitudinal variations and ecological habitats. The Western Ghats, covering only 5% of India's total geographical area, is a major center of biodiversity, containing 27% of the country's plant species. With 7400 flowering plant species reported, 2100 are endemic, many of which are economically significant. However, there is a significant gap in studying the distribution pattern, population size, population fragmentation, threat status, and chemical diversity of many endemic species. Pogostemon, an aromatic genus in Lamiaceae, is endemic to India, with 38 taxa distributed in this region. A proposal has emerged from preliminary investigations on Pogostemon species, with Pogostemon speciosus being endemic to the southern Western Ghats. Preliminary studies show a high content of alpha-bisabolol, which is widely used in cosmetic products. The chemical composition of plant species changes with climatic and altitudinal variations, making it crucial to understand intraspecific chemical diversity and patterns in different seasons and altitudes. Investigating the chemical diversity in P. speciosus in different seasons and altitudes is also vital.