M A I N   N E W S

Rare Ladakh shrub to help soldiers combat radiation? 
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Leh, August 11
A hardy mountain shrub found in the upper reaches of the Himalayas could well become the soldier’s weapon to combat the adverse effects of radiation in a nuclear contaminated battlefield.

Ongoing research by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has revealed that the plant, Rhodiola, has certain radioactive properties that can absorb radiation.

The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) at Leh and the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science at New Delhi (INMAS) are exploring the unique properties of the plant.

“Rhodiola is a wonder plant. It has immunomodulatory, adaptogenic and radio-protecting abilities due to presence of secondary metabolites and phytoactive compounds which are unique to this plant,” Dr RB Srivastava, Director, DIHAR, said. “While INMAS has revealed the radioprotective potential and immunomodulatory property of Rhodiola, DIHAR’s research has also discovered its potential for anti-ageing, tissue regeneration, hypoxic neuroprotection and cognitive improvement,” he added.

Scientists associated with the project said the extract from the plant could be used to make capsules or gels that could be eaten or applied to the body as a protective measure or antidote for radiation.

Rhodiola, which grows in cold climate, is also found in other parts of the world. Several countries, including the US and China, are engaged in researching its medicinal and nutritive properties. The plant has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to combat high-altitude sickness and stress as well as added to salads in some Central Asian countries.

The shrub is, however, said to be critically endangered and is difficult to propagate. “A field gene-bank and Rhodiola plantation of about two acres has been established at DIHAR and we are attempting invitro propagation of this plant to increase its population and create a sustainable resource for exploring its potential,” Dr OP Chaurasia, an ethnobotanist involved in DRDO’s decade-long research on Rhodiola said.

Rhodiola — The wonder plant

* Rhodiola is a mountain shrub found in the upper reaches of the Himalayas

* The Defence Institute of High Altitude Research at Leh and the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Science at New Delhi are exploring the unique radioprotective properties of the plant

* Scientists associated with the project said the extract from the plant could be used to make capsules or gels that could be eaten or applied to the body as a protective measure or antidote for radiation