Pharmacological Significance and Curative Potential of Seabuckthorn-A Traditional Tibetan Medicinal Plant in Cold Desert Himalayas

Abstract

The Himalayan region, including the cold deserts, contains India's richest storehouse of medicinal herbs. Cold deserts of India occur mainly in Lahaul-Spiti regions, upper parts of Chamba and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir. The thorn plant naturalizes during snowfall period in upper Himalays. In Himachal Pradesh, it is locally known as ‘Chharma’ and grows wild in Lahaul-Spiti and upper parts of Kinnaur. The plant is a shrub that produces an orange-yellow coloured edible berry. The berry has a sour taste, but is rich in vitamins, especially vitamin C, E and K. This thorn plant contains various bioactive elements including vitamins, carotenoids, flavonoids, phenolic acids, flavones and fatty acids etc.  These components have a wide range of health benefits due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties. In addition, the thorn plant is a soil-binding plant that helps preserve floral diversification and stops river siltation and soil erosion.