Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Efficacy of ‘Harchur raksi’, a traditional fermented beverage of high altitude Darjeeling hills as an anti-inflammatory and antiviral remedy
*Article not assigned to an issue yet
Bhattacharjee Soumita, Sharma Anjana, Lala Mousikha, Gupta Prasant, Ghosh Chandra, Sen Arnab
Research Articles | Published: 26 July, 2023
Online ISSN : 2229-4473.
Website:www.vegetosindia.org
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Keywords:
Raksi, n Viscum articulatum Burm. f.n , GC–MS, Anti-inflammatory, Anti Covid
Abstract
Raksi is a traditional distilled-fermented brew prepared from cereals, fortified with Harchur (Viscum articulatum Burm. f.) leaves. This brew is one of the lesser-known drinks consumed by the natives of the high-altitude regions of the entire Himalayas. The uniqueness of the Harchur raksi (HR) lies in its customary processing practice which is an indigenous knowledge of the Darjeeling-Himalayan tribal community and should be well-documented to preserve the information. Harchur raksi, is considered an anti-inflammatory brew with several ethnomedicinal claims by the local inhabitants, although no scientific evaluation has been carried out. The study for the first time emphasizes the traditional process of the HR preparation along with its medicinal properties. A thorough survey was conducted throughout the entire Darjeeling Himalayan region to excavate the ethnobotanical knowledge of HR. Identification and collection of HR were done from the surveyed region with the help of a local expert. This work aims to evaluate the physical, biochemical and metabolite profiling of the HR with the help of different biochemical tests and Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) experiments. We tried to get an in-depth view of the medicinal properties of this brew through in silico molecular docking studies. The result of the aforementioned analysis revealed that HR with a significantly low alcohol content (about 6–8%), has a high antioxidant activity. GC–MS analysis of the brew displayed 27 bioactive compounds which were further used for the bioinformatics analysis. Molecular docking analysis proved that most of those compounds have inhibitory activity against oxidative stress, inflammation as well as some potent viral proteins related to their pathogenicity. However, studies regarding the medicinal implications of HR are still in the very initial stages and are open for clinical trials.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Lepcha tribe in Sukhiya pokhri, Darjeeling. The authors are also thankful to Ratan Rai, Pema Doma Lepcha and Tshering Lepcha for providing information about the fermented brew and helping throughout the research work. The authors are thankful to Dr. Indrani Sarkar for modifying the changes. AS and SB also acknowledge the Biswa Bangla Genome Center, the University of North Bengal for infrastructural assistance.
Author Information
Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India
Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India
Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India
Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India
Laboratory of Tea Taxonomy and Ecology, Department of Tea Science, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India
Molecular Cytogenetics Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, Siliguri, India
arnab.nbu@gmail.com