Arti Jamwal Sharma

Main conclusion Smart farming technologies significantly enhance medicinal plant cultivation by improving yield, quality, and sustainability, while addressing traditional challenges through precision, automation, and data-driven decision-making. Abstract Medicinal plants have played a vital role in healthcare and the pharmaceutical industry. However, traditional cultivation methods face challenges, such as variable yield due to environmental stress and suboptimal resource use. While pharmacopeias already define strict quality parameters for medicinal plant material, smart farming technologies can further support consistency, sustainability, and efficiency in cultivation. This review critically examines the integration of smart farming technologies to optimize the biological mechanisms governing the growth and phytochemical production of medicinal plants. This paper focuses on key physiological processes including photosynthesis regulation, nutrient uptake, stress response, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis, which are directly influenced by precision irrigation, AI-driven nutrient management, and controlled-environment agriculture. Countries such as the Netherlands (80%), Japan (75%), and the USA (70%) are leading adopters, using automated greenhouses, artificial intelligence crop analytics, and drones. Key medicinal crops benefiting include Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, Panax ginseng Makino, Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, Lavandula angustifolia Mill., Ocimum sanctum L., Hypericum perforatum L., Cinnamomum verum J.Presl, and Coriandrum sativum L. Techniques, such as precision irrigation, soil health monitoring, artificial intelligence-based pest detection, controlled-environment agriculture, and drone surveillance, have shown major improvements. Empirical studies report improvements in water efficiency and phytochemical yields in these plants, with the results derived from empirical trials conducted in controlled settings. However, scalability and economic feasibility of these technologies in diverse climatic regions remain challenges. Despite these gains, barriers like high costs, limited tech literacy, infrastructure gaps, and regulatory hurdles remain. Addressing these through funding, education, and policy change is essential. Future integration of genomics and metabolomics could further boost yield, quality, and sustainability. This review advances the field by providing a comprehensive framework for adopting smart farming in medicinal plant cultivation, linking technology trends with practical outcomes and global adoption insights.

Background: Since the dawn of history, humans have depended on wild edible plants as a vital source of food and nutrition. In the present time, these plants have been neglected by the people, but rural people still rely on wild edible plants not only as food but also for their therapeutic properties. Methods: Fieldwork was carried out with local informants and data was collected through focus group discussions, questionnaires, and interviews. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) and Use Value (UV) were calculated to assess the cultural significance, medicinal relevance, and overall importance of wild edible plants in the daily lives of the local communities. Results: It was found that 51 species of medicinal plants from 28 families were utilized to cure 52 ill-nesses in 10 different disease categories. The most widely utilized plant part was leaves, while the most prevalent life form was herbs (72%). The Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) values were recorded for skin disorders (0.73), respiratory disorders (0.79), sexual disorders (0.97), metabolic disorders (0.93), digestive disorders (0.75), ophthalmic disorders (0.97), infectious disorders (0.84), muscular and joint disorders (0.94), cardiovascular disorders (0.98) and nutritional deficiency disorders (0.97). With the greatest usage value (0.95), Urtica dioica demonstrated its nutritional as well as medicinal significance. Conclusions: The study reveals that rural communities possess rich traditional knowledge and rely heavily on wild plants for food, medicine, and cultural practices. However, this heritage is under threat due to lifestyle changes and declining transmission of knowledge to younger generations. Keywords: Biodiversity, Informant consensus factor, Traditional knowledge, Use value

A sustainable and eco-friendly method for eliminating contaminants from soil and water is called phytoremediation, and it involves using plants. The low bioavailability of contaminants, restricted rates of degradation, and decreased plant tolerance under high pollution stress, however, frequently limit its use. The use of nanomaterials to improve phytoremediation efficiency has become possible thanks to recent developments in nanotechnology. With a focus on the role of different nanomaterials such as metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, graphene-based materials, and nano-bio composites in the remediation of heavy metals, organic pollutants, pesticides, dyes, and microplastics, this review offers a thorough summary of the latest developments in nanomaterial-facilitated phytoremediation. In addition to making pollutants more mobile and soluble, which increases their bioavailability to plants, nanomaterials also improve plant growth, metabolism, and stress tolerance. Additionally, they serve as catalysts to help the plant system’s detoxification processes and speed up the breakdown of complicated pollutants. Studies conducted in labs and greenhouses have demonstrated encouraging outcomes when nanomaterials are combined with phytoremediation. Concerns about the long-term stability, bioaccumulation, and environmental toxicity of engineered nanomaterials, however, continue to be major obstacles. This review also emphasizes the significance of field-based validation for real-world applications, green nanomaterial synthesis, and risk assessment. Future studies must concentrate on creating safe, affordable, and sustainable nanomaterials as well as comprehending the molecular interactions between plants, nanomaterials, and pollutants.

Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are eco-friendly and sustainable options for agrochemicals, particularly for enhancing crop productivity under stress conditions. The present research aims to isolate and characterize native PGPR from tomato rhizospheric soil and to evaluate their effectiveness as a dose-dependent response to enhance the growth of tomato seedlings. Out of 112 isolates, 10 bacterial strains were selected based on key PGPR traits, including indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), ammonia production, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), exopolysaccharide (EPS) synthesis, hydrolytic enzyme activity, potassium solubilization, antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, and tolerance to pH and heat stress. Molecular identification via 16S rRNA gene sequencing confirmed that these isolates belong to the genera Serratia and Enterobacter. S. marcescens So-1 and Enterobacter sp. So-12 produced the highest levels of IAA (2.6–24.1 µg/mL). In vitro tomato seed germination tests using bacterial suspensions at three concentrations (10⁶, 10⁷, and 10⁸ CFU/mL) showed dose-dependent improvements, with T1 increasing germination up to 108.3% compared to the control. In polyhouse trials using cocopeat formulations, seedling growth improved noticeably. T2 increased the root length (28.3 ± 2.98 cm) by over 1560%, and the shoot length (35.7 ± 0.57 cm) increased by 55% against the control, whose root length is 1.7 ± 0.47. The chlorophyll amount of the treated leaves further showed significant results over the control. Collectively, these findings suggest that using native PGPR in a dose-dependent way can help tomato seedlings grow better and promote more sustainable crop production.

Proline, an organic compatible solute that acts as an osmoprotectant, is a crucial part of many plant's responses to water stress. In the current study, the impact of proline on enzymatic, non-enzymatic antioxidant and biochemical parameters in Lepidium sativum L. growing under water stress was examined. Plants were raised in controlled environments with a temperature of 25°C 16 h of light and 8 h of darkness. The concentrations of 50 ?g/L, 100 ?g/L and 250 ?g/ L proline were standardized and applied to plants grown under different water potential of -0.01?w MPa, -0.02?w MPa and -0.03?w MPa through foliar spray. After 35, 75 and 110 days of plant growth, the enzymatic antioxidants catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-s-transferase activity and non-enzymatic antioxidants like phenols, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, flavonoid content, were measured. The foliar application of proline increased enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant assay activity in stressed growing plants compared to control plants. However, lipid peroxidation was reduced in water stressed plant due to proline application. The present study investigated that proline played a significant role in overcoming water stress in L. sativum. Moreover, this study supported that L. sativum plant copes with water stress by foliar application of proline.

Probiotics are the good microbes naturally found in the human stomach that keep our digestive health balanced. Probiotics are significant because they have both an application in industrial product development and a favourable influence on human health. In this regard, probiotic microbes have been widely introduced to yogurts and other fermented milks, which are functional food leaders, accounting for nearly 65% of the global functional food market. This review paper explores the world of probiotics and their various roles in promoting health and well-being. Probiotics have been an area of keen interest in recent years for their unbeatable therapeutic applications. This paper empashizes current research findings and examines the impact of probiotics on human health, with a focus on, the immune system, and metabolic balance. The paper also evaluates challenges and considerations in probiotics research, including strain-specific effects, dosage optimization, and the influence of individual variations in the host microbiome. Through a comprehensive analysis of current literature, this review aims to provide an understanding of probiotics, offering insights into their therapeutic effects and future research directions. As the field of probiotics continues to evolve, this review paper serves as a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, and health enthusiasts seeking a refined perspective on the promises and challenges of utilizing microbes for human health and more.

Women of tribal communities and rural areas are hesitant to freely discuss their reproductive health issues. The lack of awareness and access to basic medical care make them more prone to gynaecological disorders and traditional medicine is their sole source of treatment. Aim of this work is to identify and document the herbs which are used by ethnic women to cure gynecological disorders in the Nurpur valley of district Kangra in Himachal Pradesh, India. Semi-structured questionnaires were employed to gather ethnogynaecological data. Quantitative analysis of collected data was done through Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), Use Value (UV), Fidelity Level (FL%), and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). A total of 25 medicinal plants from 24 genera and 18 families are being used for the treatment of different gynecological problems. Maximum number of medicinal plants recorded in Fabaceae and Asteraceae families. Hence, the recorded plant data would act as a foundational reference for subsequent advanced investigations on nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals agents against gynaecological problems.