Anu Rastogi

Amaranth: A New Millennium Crop of Nutraceutical Values

The major staple food crops production is not able to fulfill food requirement of the global population due to relatively higher population growth rate in developing countries. The research on these crops for exploring their ultimate yield potential is currently at a plateau level. To replace the existing pressure on these major crops there is an urgent need to explore other alternative crops having the potential to replace and fulfill the available food demand. FAO statistics reveal that there is a high frequency of low birth weight children in the developing countries, which is primarily due to deficiency of micronutrients in the mothers diet. Amaranth, an underutilized crop and a cheap source of proteins, minerals, vitamin A and C, seems to be a future crop which can substantiate this demand due to its tremendous yield potential and nutritional qualities, also recently gained worldwide attention. Recently, current interest in amaranth also resides in the fact that it has a great amount of genetic diversity, phenotypic plasticity, and is extremely adaptable to adverse growing conditions, resists heat and drought, has no major disease problem, and is among the easiest of plants to grow in agriculturally marginal lands. The present review is an effort to gather the available knowledge on various diversified fields of sciences for the future exploitation of the crop.

Impact of mutagenesis on cytological behavior in relation to specific alkaloids in Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum L.)

Abstract The present study was an effort to identify appropriate dose of mutagens for the elevation of specific alkaloids especially thebaine through induced mutagenesis in opium poppy (P. somniferum L.) using two stable high yielding varieties NBRI-1 and NBRI-5. Simultaneously, the study also deals correlation between cytological aberrations and their effects on alkaloid quantity. Among the two varieties NBRI-1 was more sensitive than NBRI-5. The EMS was reported most potent mutagen for creation of chromosomal abnormalities. The treatment kR 10+0.2% EMS and kR10+0.4% EMS possessed high chiasms frequency. The dose 0.2% EMS in combinations with all doses of gamma accelerates the total alkaloid as well as individual alkaloid content.

Role of micronutrients on quantitative traits and prospects of its accumulation in linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.)

The adequate growth of plants can be achieved only by a balanced ratio of biologically active nutrients in soil along with its readily availability. Linseed seems to be an advantageous secondary oilseed crop widely used in industrial purposes, which can serve additional purpose of phytoextraction of heavily infested soils with heavy metals. In this study, we have made an effort to find out the optimum dose of heavy metals necessary as micronutrients like copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) for the enhancement of linseed yield along with the distribution of heavy metals in different plant parts. Quantitative enhancement in different traits of linseed plant due to Cu, Fe and Zn fertilization especially for capsules per plant after maturity suggested positive association between heavy metal supply and morphological traits, which indirectly enhanced seed yield. There was a positive correlation between Zn supply and seed yield. In the treatments with Cu and Fe fertilization, seed yield was positively correlated to plant height, capsules per plant and seeds per five capsules. According to this study, it is concluded that linseed has the ability to accumulate majorly Fe followed by Cu and Zn.

Opium Poppy: Genetic Upgradation Through Intervention of Plant Breeding Techniques

Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum L.) has its importance as a plant based natural pain re‐ liever from the time dating back to early civilization till today. Its pain relieving properties had been described in various books of unani, allopathy and ayurvedic medication system. Today our pharmaceutical industries solely depend on opium poppy for their crude resour‐ ces for manufacturing of pain killing drugs. The medical practitioners around the world routinely prescribe important life saving drugs, are the secondary metabolites produced as a result of complex plant metabolism. The important life saving drugs are mostly derived from five major alkaloids viz., morphine, codeine, thebaine, noscapine and papaverine which are present in opium latex in ample amount [1]. According to a report from an inter‐ national organization i.e. WHO (World Health Organization), about 85% of the population in developing countries depend on herbal plants for curatives, medicinal and other medico related applications. India being one of the twelve mega biodiversity centers of the world is fully fledged with diverse array of herbal and medicinal plants which makes it “Botanical Garden of World”. About 10,000 different medicinal plant species are found in India among which opium poppy occupies the highest place in terms of food (seeds) and pharmaceuticals (alkaloids). These valuable alkaloids are mainly extracted in India from green unripe capsu‐ les by making incision upto 1-2 mm in the epidermal wall of the capsule (Figure 1), but glob‐ ally it is extracted from the dried capsule which is called CPS (Concentrated poppy straw) system. In CPS system, the dried capsules along with eight inches of peduncle are harvested and seeds are threshed. The remaining husk is used to extract various alkaloids. The whole plant parts of opium poppy are valuable in terms of food, medicine, vegetable and as brew‐

Identification of heterotic crosses based on the combining ability of novel genotypes in opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum L.)

Opium poppy is one of the most important crops in respect to its alkaloids of pharmacopoel value and seeds for edible purposes. Thus it becomes necessary to develop varieties for dual purposes having high opium and seed yield. To find out the appropriate genotypes and their heterotic crosses for opium yield, seed yield as well as specific alkaloid and their different contributing traits, present study was conducted in diallel mating design using distinct novel genotypes with specific characteristics. The results showed that the genotypes BR-222, 58/1 and BR-005 have potentiality to develop heterotic crosses for particular traits. The crosses BR284 × BR-222, BR316 × 58/1, BR-222 × BR-005 and BR-061 × BR-222 were observed promising for most of the traits. Hybridization of cultivars belonging to distinguished commercial groups propitiates higher heterotic values in the segregating population.