Medicinal and aromatic orchids -an overview

There are about 25,000 species of orchids estimated to occur in the world. In India, about 1350 species belonging to 186 genera represent approximately 5.98% of the world orchid flora and 6.83% of the flowering plants in India. The Eastern Himalayas and North Eastern, North West Himalayas, Peninsular India and Andaman & Nicobar Islands are the major orchid regions of India. Some orchid species like Dendrobiumnobile, Eulophiacampestris, Orchislatifolia, Vanda roxburghii and Vanda tessellate have been documented for their medicinal value. Phytochemically, orchids have been reported to contain alkaloids, triterpen¬oids, flavonoids and stilbenoids. Ashtavarga, a group of eight medicinal plants, is a vital part of Ayurvedic formulations like Chyvanprasha and four of these plants viz,Riddhi, Vriddhi, Jivaka and Rishbhaka belong to the family Orchidaceae. In the present study, medicinal parts and properties of more than 30 orchid species and importance of a number of aromatic orchids have been reviewed.