The basic chromosome number in the majority of Indian taxa (belonging to subgenus Curcuma) is x = 7; published counts correspond to 6x, 9x, 11x, 12x and 15x ploidy levels. Only a few species-specific C-values were found, but karyological and/or flow cytometric data may support taxonomic decisions in some species alliances with morphological similarities. Close evolutionary relationships among some cytotypes are suggested based on the similarity in homoploid genome sizes and geographical grouping. A new species combination, Curcuma scaposa (Nimmo) Skornick. & M. Sabu, comb. nov., is proposed.

We evaluated nine plastid (matK, rbcL, rpoC1, rpoB, rpl36-rps8, ndhJ, trnL-F, trnH-psbA, accD) and two nuclear (ITS and ITS2) barcode loci in family Zingiberaceae by analyzing 60 accessions of 20 species belonging to seven genera from India. Bidirectional sequences were recovered for every plastid locus by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplicons in all the accessions tested. However, only 35 (58%) and 40 accessions (66%) yielded ITS and ITS2 sequences, respectively, by direct sequencing. In different bioinformatics analyses, matK and rbcL consistently resolved 15 species (75%) into monophyletic groups and five species into two paraphyletic groups. The 173 ITS sequences, including 138 cloned sequences from 23 accessions, discriminated only 12 species (60%), and the remaining species were entered into three paraphyletic groups. Phylogenetic and genealogic analyses of plastid and ITS sequences imply the possible occurrence of natural hybridizations in the evolutionary past in giving rise to species paraphyly and intragenomic ITS heterogeneity in the species tested. The results support using matK and rbcL loci for barcoding Zingiberaceae members and highlight the poor utility of ITS and the highly regarded ITS2 in barcoding this family, and also caution against proposing ITS loci for barcoding taxa based on limited sampling.

Background:Family Zingiberaceae consists of the large number of medicinal plants and is well-known for its use in ethnomedicine and play a major role in Indian System of Medicine, Ayurveda.Objective:The aim of this study is the documentation of Zingiberaceous plants used in Ayurveda, adding information to the systematics, vernacular names and chemistry with experimental data.Materials and Methods:The live plants were collected from wild and successfully conserved at Herbal Garden of Arya Vaidya Sala, Kottakkal. The experimental data of each species has been collected from the various sources. The photographs were taken and all relevant data documented.Results and Conclusion:A total of 13 species belonging to 7 genera of Zingiberaceae were documented. The work will be useful to students and researchers as it provides an easy access to Zingiberaceous plants used in Ayurveda.

BACKGROUND: 'Phytonutrients' have been reported to exert an incredible impact on the healthcare system and offer medical benefits including the prevention or treatment of lifestyle-associated diseases. We chose one of the most common and important plant families, Musaceae, for our present study and explored its antidiabetic potential. RESULTS: Seeds of the edible fruits of Musa balbisianaColla. were investigated for their antidiabetic potential. After estimating the proximate composition, the seeds were extracted with various solvents and evaluated for antidiabetic potential in terms of the inhibition of digestive enzymes, antiglycation activity and in vitro glucose uptake. The acetone extract demonstrated the highest inhibition of -amylase and -glucosidase enzymes with IC 50 values of 36.67 ± 0.367 and 100.61 ± 0.707 g mL -1 , respectively. The extract also exhibited significant glycation inhibition with an IC 50 value of 86.48 ± 0.751 g mL -1 . Furthermore, a major phytochemical, apiforol, was isolated from the acetone extract for the first time, which demonstrated promising -glucosidase inhibition (IC 50 = 48.25 ± 0.255 mol L -1 ), antiglycation property (IC 50 = 114.23 ± 0.567 mol L -1 ) and enhanced glucose uptake in L6 myoblasts. In molecular docking studies, apiforol efficiently bonded to the active sites of -glucosidase enzyme 3A4A. CONCLUSIONS:As dietary intervention is one of the effective strategies for addressing diabetes, special attention is always given to natural food bio-actives or agro-products for better human health. The results of our study suggest that Musa balbisiana has significant potential as an ingredient in health food formulations by reducing postprandial hyperglycaemia.

Larsenianthus W. J. Kress & Mood, gen. nov. is described with one new combination and three new species. Larsenianthus careyanus (Benth.) W. J. Kress & Mood, comb. nov., is widespread in India and present-day Bangladesh; Larsenianthus wardianus W. J. Kress, Thet Htun & Bordelon, sp. nov., is from upper Myanmar in Kachin State; Larsenianthus assamensis S. Dey, Mood, & S. Choudhury, sp. nov., is restricted to Assam, India; and Larsenianthus arunachalensis M. Sabu, Sanoj & T.Rajesh Kumar, sp. nov., has only been found in Arunachal Pradesh, India. A phylogenetic analysis using the plastid trnK intron and nuclear ITS DNA sequence data indicates that the four species of Larsenianthus form a monophyletic lineage that is sister to Hedychium, a geographically widespread genus of about 50 species in tribe Zingibereae of subfamily Zingiberoideae. A dichotomous key and three-locus DNA barcodes are provided as aids for the identification of the four species of Larsenianthus.