C R Harisha

Securinega leucopyrus (Willd.) Muell has long been used by the tribes of Sri Lanka traditionally known as ‘Katupila’and also in India as ‘Humri’. Common in scrub jungls, limited to India, Sri Lanka and Burma. DNA fingerprinting for cultivar or varietal identification has become an important tool for genetic identification in plant breeding and germplasm management.Several different PCR based techniques have been developed during the last decade, each with specific advantages and disadvantages. The Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker technique is quick, easy and requires no prior sequence information.Pharmacognostical evaluation of leaf and stem of Securinega leucopyrus (Willd.) already established but no research work have been established on its roots and DNA fingerprints; for the first time leaf samples were subjected to fingerprints and studied the pharmacognostical aspects of roots. Pharmacognostical study showed that presence of oil globules, rosette crystals and uni to multiserriate medullary rays. DNA finger prints showed that OPC 6, OPD 8 and OPB 10 showed that merging 2 bright bands and one light band.

In the current status there is no explicit demarcation methodology on finding of substitutes (Pratinidhi Dravya). Thus here an attempt has been made to find out substitute by DNA fingerprinting on the basis of similarity and dissimilarity. In this study two samples Alysicarpus longifolius W. & A.Prodr.- Fabaceae, Desmodium laxiflorum DC i.e. of same family, same genus with different species were subjected to fingerprints. In this data we find a more similarities characteristics in both the plants i.e. up to 63%. As per the knowledge of research scientist this is a first moral attempt which throwing lights on concept of Pratinidhi Dravya (Substitution) in Ayurvedic science.