ISSN: 0974-2115 www.jchps.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences July - September 2017 1202 JCPS Volume 10 Issue 3 Paris polyphylla Smith – A critically endangered, highly exploited medicinal plant in the Indian Himalayan region Arbeen Ahmad Bhat 1* , Hom-Singli Mayirnao 1 and Mufida Fayaz 2 1 Dept. of Botany, School of Bioengineering and Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India 2 School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, M.P., India *Corresponding author: E-Mail: sagararbeen007@gmail.com, Mob: +91-8699625701 ABSTRACT India, consisting of 15 agro climatic zones, has got a rich heritage of medicinal plants, being used in various folk and other systems of medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy. However, in growing world herbal market India’s share is negligible mainly because of inadequate investment in this sector in terms of research and validation of our old heritage knowledge in the light of modern science. Paris polyphylla Smith, a significant species of the genus, has been called as ‘jack of all trades’ owing its properties of curing a number of diseases from diarrhoea to cancer. The present paper reviews the folk and traditional uses of the numerous varieties Paris polyphylla along with the pharmacological value. This may help the researchers especially in India to think about the efficacy and potency of this wonder herb. Due to the importance at commercial level, the rhizomes of this herb are illegally traded out of Indian borders. This illegal exploitation of the species poses a grave danger of extinction of its population if proper steps are not taken for its conservation. Both in situ and ex situ effective conservation strategies may help the protection of this species as it is at the brink of its extinction. KEY WORDS: Paris polyphylla Smith, Himalayan region, Medicinal, Endangered, Anticancer. 1. INTRODUCTION Since time immemorial, plant usage has played an important role in the development of mankind and its culture (Petrovska, 2012; Hassan, 2012). Tribal healers used plants for medicinal purposes, either as a whole or extracts. Many plants (including food crops like mint, garlic, turmeric, etc.) are used directly and indirectly as medicines and long term practice leads to the progressive growth of modern medicines, though early uses of treatments are still prevalent today (Tapsell, 2006). Nonetheless, it is no longer limited to indigenous or non- industrialized societies but intensified due to urbanization and globalization in recent few decades. Moreover, non- urbanized folk cultures gained knowledge about its usage and practical implications through steady interactions with the biotic environment. Throughout human history, plants play basic role in medical treatments and such folk medicines are still predominant (Fabricant and Farnsworth, 2001). Indigenous practice has major advantage over modern drugs as it is cost effective in collection and plantations. A large population depends on plant-derived drugs; around 7000 medicinal compounds listed in preparation of modern medicines and drugs are obtained from plants (Caufield, 1991). Medicinal plants designed to produce new drugs are mostly due to the characteristic effects of secondary metabolites present in plants (Meskin, 2002). Isolation, purification, identification and structure of distinguished chemical compounds found in plants, known as phyto chemistry, specifically describe its secondary metabolites (Doughari, 2012). It includes terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, polysterols, amines, glucossinolates, flavonoids, cyanogenic glycosides, phenolics, etc. (Sasidharan, 2011). Indefinite number of the pharmaceuticals currently available like aspirin, digoxin, quinine and opium are derived from plants (viz: Filipendula ulmaria, Digitalis purpurea, Cinchona officinalis and Papaver somniferum) that have millennia-long history drug information of use as folk herbalism (Swain, 1972). The Species Paris polyphylla Smith: Paris polyphylla Smith has manifold local names like Singpan by Manipuris, Satwa by Garhwalis of Uttarakhand, Satuwa by Nepalese is an important member of the genus Paris. It is a perennial herb belonging to the family Melanthiaceae of order Liliales (Stevens, 2001). The word “Paris” is a Latin origin, “pars” which means consistency, often referred to the uniform arrangement of flower and leaves and the word ‘polyphylla’ poly-many and phyla-leaves (Shah, 2012). The plants belonging to this species are 10-100 cm tall and are distributed in an altitudinal range between 100-3500 masl (Fig.1). Rhizome 1-2.5 cm thick. Leaves 5-10 (-22); petiole 1-6 cm; leaf blade variable, usually oblong to lanceolate, 6-15(-30) × 0.5-5 cm, base rounded to cuneate. Peduncle 5-24 (-65) cm. Outer tepals (3 or) 4- 6 (or 7), green or yellow-green, narrowly ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, (3-) 4.5-7 (-11) × 1-4 cm; inner ones usually yellow-green, narrowly linear, shorter or longer than outer ones, 1-1.5 (-5) mm wide. Stamens 2 ± as many as outer tepals, (6-) 8-12 (-14) or sometimes more; filaments 4-10 mm; anthers 5-12 mm; free portion of connective usually 0.5-4 mm. Ovary subglobose, ribbed, 1-loculed, sometimes tuberculate. Short style, base enlarged, purple to white; stigma lobes (4or) 5. Capsule globose, sometimes tuberculate. Seeds enveloped by red, succulent aril. Fl. and Fr. Mar-Nov.