Integrated Morphological, Histochemical and Essential Oil Profiling of Hedychium spicatum Buch-Ham. ex D. Don from Different Eco-geographical Regions of Uttarakhand, India

The diversification of plant-based resources, particularly under-utilized species, can significantly strengthen human nutrition, livelihood security and ecological sustainability.

In this respect, the present studies was carried out on morphological traits, histochemical analysis and essential oil profiling of Hedychium spicatum Buch-Ham. ex D. Don, an aromatic and medicinal plant of Zingiberaceae family at Shri Guru Ram Rai University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Detailed assessments of vegetative and floral characteristics were conducted to document morphological variability across collected germplasm from different regions of Uttarakhand, India. Histochemical tests were performed on rhizome sections to localize lignin, tannins, starch grains, calcium oxalate crystals and vascular tissues, providing valuable markers for quality evaluation and identification of crude drugs. Essential oil content and composition were analysed from rhizomes.

The present study revealed significant variability in the morphological traits. Histochemical assessments confirmed the presence of lignin, tannins, starch and calcium oxalate crystals. Oil yield showed significant variation, ranging from 0.22%to 1.05%. Maximum % oil content (1.05%) was reported from Giriya (1656 m altitude) followed by 1.0% from Deoria taal and minimum (0.22%) was observed from Ukhimath (1430 m altitude). Gas chromatographic analysis indicated 7-epi-α-eudesmol (28.33%) and 1, 8-cineole (12.12%) as major constituents. Altitude dependent differences in chemical composition highlight the influence of environmental factors on secondary metabolite accumulation. Therefore, the present findings elucidate that the morphological, histochemical and oil profiling traits offering a comprehensive understanding of plant’s phenotype and serve a useful method for identifying and ensuring the quality of plant-based medicines.