INTRODUCTION
The present study is focussed on storage dependent changes 
in the viability of seeds of Elsholtzia eriostachya which is a 
strong scented annual herb. This plant is present in pattan 
valley of Lahaul and Spiti is an aromatic erect mint like annual 
herb .The leaves are oblong to lanceolate in shape.the owers 
are tiny and yellow in colour. The seeds of E.  eriostachya are  
ovoid, oblong and ellipsoid in shape. Fruits usually 4 dry 
nutlets. The nutlets are sparsely hairy, tuberculate or smooth. 
The seeds are very scented with or without endosperm. The 
seeds of E. eriostachya is harvested in month July-September. 
All the body parts are used as a medicine. Elsholtzia sps are 
used to treat cuts and burns by the people of Lahaul and Spiti 
(Melkani et al., 1994).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:
The seeds of Elsholtzia eriostachya were collected from the 
wild and separated manually. The seeds were air dried for a 
fortnight and were stored in plastic air tight jars for further 
studies. Seeds of this medicinal plant species were collected 
from Pattan valley located in Himachal Pradesh, during 
August-september.Seed viabil i ty was determined, 
qualitatively using a biochemical test “Topographical 
Tetrazolium Test”. In this reduction process, the living cells are 
made visible by the reduction of an indicator. The indicator 
used is a colourless solution of 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium 
chloride. The seeds were surface sterilized with 0.1% aqueous 
solution of mercuric chloride for 3 min. Thereafter, they were 
washed thoroughly under tap water and soaked in distilled 

owater for 24 h at 25±2 C. Thereafter, the seeds were cut off 
1/3rd at the broad end opposite the radicle in order to expose 
the embryos. Then the seeds were soaked in 0.1% aqueous 

osolution of TTC at 25± 2 C in dark. After 24 h, qualitative 
viability was determined by counting the coloured embryos. 
Seeds having a completely stained embryo were considered 
viable. The experiment was done in triplicate taking 30 seeds 
of each species studied. The measurements were taken as 
percent viability.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: 
The viability status was assessed after a regular interval of 6 
months and up to a storage period of 24-months.Freshly 
harvested seeds of E. eriostachya exhibited 100% viability 
when incubated with 0.1% TTC solution for 24 h in dark. The 
described viability (100%) status was maintained for a period 
of 6 months and thereafter, a slow but steady decline in 
viability was observed. After 6, 12, 18 and 24-month storage, a 
2, 8, 14 and 18% decrease in seed viability was recorded as 
compared to freshly harvested seeds. The freshly harvested 
seeds exhibited 100% viability, while 6, 12, 18 and 24-month 
storage seeds showed 98, 92, 86 and 82% viability respectively 
(Fig. 1).
      
The essential oil of Elsholtzia plants exhibited antibacterial 
and antifungal properties (Bestmann et al., 1997). Essential 
oils extracted from E. splendens possess good antibacterial as 

well as anti-inammatory activities against acne-inducing 
bacteria, whereas inducing no cytotoxicity with human cell 
lines (Kim et al., 2008). E. splendens also possesses 
antioxidant effect (Jeong et al., 2005). Thus this is a very 
important medicinal species and possesses a high viability 
status which is maintained for a storage period of 24 months. If 
proper research is done on this medicinal plant, then It would 
be a good alternate in the treatment of many diseases.

Fig.1 

REFERENCES
1. Bestmann H.J., Rauscher J., Vostrowsky O., Pant A.K. and Mathela C.S. 1997. 

The volatile constituents of Elsholtzia ava. Planta Medica. 63(1): 88-90. 
2. Jeong J.H., Sohn H.O., Shin H.J., Hyun H.C., Lee D.W. and LimH.B. 2005. 

Biological activities of avor components extracted from Elsholtzia ciliate and 
Elsholtzia splendens.J. Kor. Soc.Tobacco Sci. 27: 19-30. 

3. Kim S.S., Jeong H.O., Jeong S.P.,Tai H.O., Pil Y.Y., Kim S.C.,Lee H.N. and 
Chang G.H. 2008. Chemical composition and biological activities of 
Elsholtzia splendens essential oil. J. Appl Biol. Chem. 51(2): 69-72.

4. Melkani A. B., Beauchamp P.S., Dev V., Whalen C., Mathela C.S.  and Dev. V. 
1994. Rosefuran epoxide from Elsholtzia densa Benth. J. Essen. Oil Res. 6(5): 
475-479.

STORAGE DEPENDENT CHANGES IN THE VIABILITY STATUS OF SEEDS 
OF ELSHOLTZIA ERIOSTACHYA (BENTH.), A MEDICINAL HERB OF PATTAN 

VALLEY OF LAHAUL AND SPITI, HIMACHAL PRADESH

Original Research Paper

Vivek Kumar Mlsm Pg College, Sundernagar, Mandi, H. P. 175018

Botany

Elsholtzia eriostachya (Benth.) is an important medicinal herb which is present in a cold desert of Himchal 
Pradesh . The elsholtzia sps. is used to treat cuts and burns by the native population of Lahaul and Spiti. 

All the parts of the plant is used as medicine. The present study is based upon assessment storage dependent changes of viability 
status of seeds of this medicinal plant.

ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS : Medicinal Plant, Storage, Population, Viabilty, Seed

VOLUME-8, ISSUE-9, SEPTEMBER-2019 • PRINT ISSN No. 2277 - 8160 • DOI : 10.36106/gjra

38 X GJRA - GLOBAL JOURNAL FOR RESEARCH ANALYSIS