Sub Programme Area 302
Bioprospecting research serves as a base for industries that include pharmaceuticals, traditional botanical medicines, crop protection and improvement, and cosmetics and environmental monitoring. Hence, MSSRF is involved in bioprospecting of secondary compounds from lichen cultures. In addition, the group is also involved in assessing the socioeconomic profiles of non-timber forest product (NTFP) collectors, including lichen collectors in the lower Palani Hills.
302.1 Bioprospecting of Secondary Compounds
Lichen Culture Repositories and Secondary Compound Biosynthesis: MSSRF has established the mycobiont cultures of Glyphi scicatricosa, Graphis caesiella, Graphis lineola, Graphis scripta, Platygramme caesiopruinosa and Trypethelium eluteriae for the biosynthesis of secondary compounds. In addition, co-cultures, such as Buellia subsororioides, Diorygma junghuhnii and Roccella montagnei, were also successfully established. The molecular identity of these cultures was confirmed by PCR amplification and sequencing of conserved regions of the mitochondrial small subunit (mtSSU) and nuclear small subunit (nrSSU) rDNA. The sequence data were confirmed by comparing with the existing sequence available at the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The mycobiont cultures were treated on MY0% (MY medium without sucrose) and MY6% (MY medium supplemented with 6 per cent sucrose) for 4 months and their secondary metabolites analysed using analytical High-performance liquid chromatography HPLC equipped with photodiode array (PDA) detector. The secondary compounds were identified by matching the ultraviolet spectral data with the reference substances from the library and literature survey. The study also quantified the biomass of mycobiont cultures at various time intervals.
302.2 Conservation of NTFP Lichens and Dependent Tribal Livelihoods
Lichens are extensively collected as non-timber forest produce (NTFP) for livelihood by more than 3000 people belonging to the Paliyan tribe of the lower Palani Hills (a biodiversity hotspot), Western Ghats, India. At a time when global multidisciplinary efforts are on to understand, and strengthen, the linkage between NTFP and livelihood and poverty reduction and study extensive NTFP extraction and its impact on ecology and associated biodiversity, implementation of remedial conservation measures and the current markets and opportunities for NTFP to enhance the income of tribal communities by implementing quality control, product diversification and expansion of market, the NTFP lichen collection by the Paliyan tribe has hardly received any attention. Hence, the MSSRF programme assesses the extent of dependency on lichen species for livelihoods by both men and women vis-à-vis the impact on lichen biodiversity in the region and for establishing lichen culture protocols for the biosynthesis of compounds used in food flavouring.
Assessment of the Extent of Lichen Species Dependency for Livelihoods: During this year, MSSRF has carried out the baseline survey on NTFP lichen collectors of Kodaikanal Block in the lower Palani Hills. A total of 23 villages were surveyed and about 110 NTFP lichen collectors included in the study. Paliyars and Pulaiyars were identified as the main NTFP lichen collectors in the surveyed villages. These tribal households solely depend on NTFP lichens as their major source of family income. NTFP lichens were collected throughout the year except during the rainy season (3–4 months). Each person collects approximately 1–5 kg of lichens per day from the forest. These lichen materials were procured by an intermediary at a cost of Rs 100–250/kg based on the size of the thalli and its purity (without tree bark and with the dust particles removed). The intermediary would decide the cost for procuring the collection and marketing the lichen material. In addition, MSSRF also analysed the species composition of NTFP lichens in a commercial spice product (garam masala) collected from the different locations of Kodaikanal Block. Parmotrema tinctorum (Despr. ex Nyl.) Hale dominated in all the commercial spice products.