Northeast India Research Articles

Additions to the angiosperm flora of Manipur, India

The investigation into angiosperm flora has identified 5 flowering plants as a new record to Manipur state, northeast India: Amorphophallus napalensis (Wall.) Bogner & Mayo and Arisaema nephanthoides (Wall.) Mart. (Araceae), Impateins pulchra Hook. f. & Thomson (Balsaminaceae), Lonicera acuminata Wall. (Caprifoliaceae) and Silene baccifera (L.) Durande (Caryophyllaceae). Notably, the genus Silene is a new addition to the state’s flora. Detailed morphological descriptions and colour photo plates are provided for easy identification.

Timber Assemblage, Militarization, and Entangled People’s Lives at the Indo (Naga)-Myanmar Borderland

The paper engages on the assemblage of timber production and transaction at Indo (Naga)-Myanmar borderland, Manipur state, Northeast India, an emerging tributary of India’s Act East Policy, yet characterized by several marginalities in terms of state development parameters [and governance] entwist in historically militarized setting. The paper primarily looks at different factors, actors, flows, and drivers of timber production and transaction across the Indo-Myanmar border from the Sagaing region, Myanmar, to Manipur, India. Rather, this cycle and flows of timber coalesced with economic and geopolitical intricacies of the borderland thereby engender occupation of multiple authorities and governments. The paper provides an account of how these different authorities negotiate and co-regulate over the production and taxation of timber to meet certain revenue goals and aspirations beyond the normative understanding of legality and illegality – frontier of a kind in its own might. In reference to this network of timber trade, the paper further dwells into conversation of everyday experiences of militarization, livelihoods, village roads, and infrastructures are closely entangled around timber production, transaction, and its allied activities. In a nutshell, the paper argues that timber trade at borderland represent an assemblage of multifaceted realities and practices around the intricate socio-political and economic dynamics.

Organophosphate, carbamate and synthetic pyrethroid pesticide residues in muscle tissues of fish from Loktak Lake, a Ramsar Site in Manipur, India

The muscle tissues of Channa punctatus and Anabas testudineus collected from the Loktak Lake (a Ramsar site) and its three major feeder rivers in Manipur, Northeastern India, were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography for the presence of residues of organophosphorus, carbamate, and synthetic pyrethroid pesticides. Pesticide residues of all the three types were detected in the fish tissues. Pesticide residues in Channa punctatus ranged from 0.002 – 0.043 µg g-1, and from 0.008 –0.027 µg g-1in Anabas testudineus from Loktak lake in pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Pesticide residues were detected only in Anabas testudineus (0.002 – 0.078 µg g-1) in Nambul river, while these were detected only in Channa puctatus (0.001 – 0.032 µg g-1) in Moirang river. In Nambol river, pesticide concentrations ranged from 0.002 – 0.026 µg g-1 in Channa punctatus, and from 0.004 – 0.005 µg g-1 in Anabas testudineus. Among the five pesticides detected, concentrations of dichlorvos residues detected in the present study (0.027 and 0.032 µg g-1 wet weight) exceeded the Codex Alimentarius maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.01 mg kg-1 for animal tissues. The rest of the compounds were within the MRL. None of the pesticide residues was detected in the two fish species collected from the control or reference site. The present study indicates that pesticide contamination is emerging as a threat to the water quality and aquatic biodiversity of Loktak Lake, which calls for more detailed studies on the extent and magnitude of these threats.

Clitoria Ternatea: A Comprehensive Study on Extraction, Phytochemical Characterization, Antioxidant & Antimicrobial Properties, and Inorganic Elemental Analysis

North-eastern India is having rich biodiversity. Phytochemical are non-nutritive, chemical compounds occurs naturally on plants during metabolic processes and they have diverse proactive properties or disease preventive properties. Plants are known to produce these chemicals to protect them. While recent research demonstrates that they can also play an important role in protecting humans against diseases. Even some of these plants are in use as traditional medicine for centuries. Methanol extract showed the presence of most phytochemicals. Distilled water and acidified water extracts showed moderate phytochemical diversity. Ether extract showed presence of lipophilic phytochemicals like lipids, steroids, terpenoids, and triterpenoids. The TPC values for Clitoria ternatea range from 50-350 mg GAE/g. The methanolic extract of Clitoria ternatea showed higher total phenolic content of 209.2 mg GAE/g compared to the aqueous extract, which shows 122.1 mg GAE/g. The results indicate that methanol is a more efficient solvent for extracting phenolic compounds from Clitoria ternatea. The inorganic composition of plants, in a solid state, was determined using ED-XRF. The amount of silver, barium, cadmium, chromium, iron, nickel, lead, zinc, calcium, potassium, sodium, magnesium in plants were determined using ICP-OES. The most significant findings in this section include high concentrations of Potassium (K) in Asian pigeonwings followed by Calcium (Ca). According to the toxicity level, Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb) levels are within safe limits. Hence, further research should be carried out to identify the active biomolecules or Phyto-molecules from the plants and determine the effects of them in vitro as well as in vivo.

Essential fatty acid content in the ethnozoological products used in the folklore medicines by the Tangkhul tribe of the North East India

Tangkhul tribes are main habitant of the Ukhrul district of Manipur, a north eastern state of India and popular for using the products of animal fauna in the folklore medicines for curing certain human ailments. To our knowledge, no investigation has been done on the essential fatty acids content in the animal products used in the traditional medicines by the Tangkhul tribe of Manipur. The objective of the study is to determine the essential fatty acids concentration in the selected ethnozoological products namely, Periplaneta americana, Upupa epops, Scolopendra gigantea, Pheretima posthuma, Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, Sus scrofa domesticus, and Tylototriton verrucosus by Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) methods. The result of the study revealed that unsaturated fatty acids are found to be contained generally higher than saturated fatty acids in the seven-ethnozoological products studied. Among the monounsaturated fatty acids, Oleic Acid (7579.19 ± 70.23 mg/100g) is found to be highest in concentration and is recorded in the P. americana. Some of the common essential PUFAs recorded in the samples of the ethnozoological products studied were Linolenic Acid, Linoleic acids, Erucic Acid, Oleic Acid, Elaidic Acid, Palmetoleic Acid, Myristoleic Acid etc. with the highest concentration of linolenic acid (5518.03mg/100g) found in the P. americana. The used of seven ethnozoological products mentioned per se by Tangkhul Tribes of Manipur in their folklore medicines for the treatment of various human ailments may be attributed to the presence of various polyunsaturated fatty acids especially high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, palmetoleic acid, ecosapentanoic acid in them.

Notes on the taxonomic status and re-lectotypification of Litseaiteodaphne (Lauraceae)

Litseaiteodaphne (Nees) Hook.f., known endemic to Sri Lanka, is now synonymized with L. saligna (Nees) N.P. Balakr. of northeast India and Bangladesh, and thus revealing a curious disjunct distribution. The name Tetrantheraiteodaphne Nees the basionym of L. iteodaphne has been re-lectotypified.

Studies on combining ability of half diallel derived rice hybrids generated using landraces x advanced breeding lines of North East India

North East (NE) India, the centre of origin of rice is blessed with landraces like Kala Joha, Chakhao Poireiton (CP) and Mynri, Jwain from Assam, Manipur, and Meghalaya respectively. NE India is a hotspot for rice blast disease and it can cause a loss in grain yield from 30-100%. Rice breeding in NE India should focus on developing rice varieties/ hybrids utilizing the local landraces and their diverse gene pool. Hence, six landraces and four advanced breeding lines were crossed in half diallel fashion and the F1s were evaluated for ten agro-morphological and two rice blast disease related traits. Half-diallel analysis using Griffing's numerical method was adopted to obtain combining ability effects. Significantly high general combining ability (GCA) effects for grain yield per plant (GYPP) were observed in Mynri (2.7**) and CAUS107 (2*), whereas it was negative for CP (-2.2**). Crosses between landraces and advanced breeding lines gave high GYPP like, CAUS103 x Kasalath (24.3±4g) and CAUS107 x Kala Joha (21.4±1.5g), they also showed higher SCA effects of 10.3 and 6.4 respectively. Lowest disease affected spikelets per panicle (DSPP) was observed in Mynri x CAUS126 (0.2±0.03) and lowest leaf blast (LB) scores (1) were recorded in Jwain x CAUS107, Blm x CAUS107 and Blm x CAUS103.

Women’s Health in Northeast India: A Study of the Challenges in Promoting Gender Equity and Well-being in Assam

Women’s Health in Northeast India: A Study of the Challenges in Promoting Gender Equity and Well-being in Assam

Insect Diversity of Freshwater Ecosystems in Meghalaya, Northeast of India

Insect Diversity of Freshwater Ecosystems in Meghalaya, Northeast of India

Patient satisfaction with quality of care across different health facilities in Manipur, North-East India

Background: The study of patient satisfaction with care received is of paramount importance in the context of providing quality of care services, be it a public or private sector institution. This study planned to assess the satisfaction and associated factors among patients attending government and private health facilities in Manipur, North East India. Methods: A cross-sectional study among eligible OPD attendees of both government and private healthcare facilities was conducted between October 2023 and January 2024 using a semi-structured questionnaire on eight patient care domains. Descriptive statistics, t tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression analyses were employed to examine satisfaction levels and associated variables. Ethical approval was secured from institutional ethics committee. Results: A total of 521 patients were interviewed with more than half of the participants (55.1%) being females. Majority of the participants (88.7%) were satisfied with the overall care provided in the health facilities. Participants who attended OPD in private hospitals had significantly higher satisfaction level (p<0.001) as compared to those who visited government hospital. Conclusions: Improving patient satisfaction relies on essential amenities, wait times, quality of care from physicians and nurses, staff attitude, cleanliness, and affordability. Regular supervision and assessment are crucial for enhancing overall care quality.

Presence of multiple van genes among glycopeptide non-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus exhibiting in vitro MIC creep phenomenon: A study from north-east India.

Background & objectives The global prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) has increased two fold since 2010, accounting for 2.4 per cent of S. aureus infections. The emerging hVISA isolates and their increasing trends pose a serious therapeutic challenge. The present study investigated in vitro vancomycin and teicoplanin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) creep in S. aureus and assessed their revertants. Methods A total of 845 isolates were collected for this study, and 246 were confirmed as S. aureus. Molecular characterization of vancomycin resistance was carried out by PCR assay targeting genes types viz: vanA, vanB, vanC, vanC2/C3, vanD, vanE, and vanG. MIC was determined for vancomycin and teicoplanin by agar dilution method. MIC creep and revertant analysis were done by broth dilution method in the presence and absence of antibiotics. Results PCR assay confirmed 12 isolates were harboured vanA, followed by vanD (n=8) and vanB (n=7). The study showed 69 isolates were screened positive for glycopeptide non-susceptibility. While analyzing vancomycin MIC creep, four isolates showed a significant increase in MIC, whereas no creep phenomenon was observed for the rest. In the case of teicoplanin, seven isolates showed the MIC creep phenomenon. Revertant analysis of all the isolates that showed MIC creep phenomenon for vancomycin and teicoplanin reverted to their original MIC when the antibiotic pressure was withdrawn. Interpretation & conclusions In the present study setting, glycopeptide non-susceptibility was found in eight per cent of the isolates, and the present study found the occurrence of multiple van genes from isolates calculated from a single study center will impose a serious challenge in infection control and antibiotic policy. This study also underscores that heterogenic resistant isolates, upon exposure to vancomycin and teicoplanin at a minimum level, exhibited an increase in MIC, which will impact individuals receiving glycopeptide therapy.

Nocturnal pollinators significantly contribute to tree bean (Parkia timoriana (DC.) Merr.) reproductive success compared to diurnal pollinators

The prevailing scientific research in agricultural pollination is primarily focused on diurnal pollinators. However, the active role of pollinators during the night hours, such as moths and bats, is gradually expanding. Parkia timoriana (tree bean) was selected for the present study to test the significance of nocturnal pollinators in reproductive success. Tree bean is a highly valuable tree species of ecological and socio-economic importance on agricultural farms in Southeast Asia. We examined the contributions of nocturnal and diurnal floral visitors to the reproductive success of P. timoriana via an exclusion bagging experiment in the Mizoram, north-east India. A comparison of the relative contributions of nocturnal and diurnal pollinators to the fruit production of P. timoriana was performed by quantitative parameters. We found that nocturnal pollinators outperformed diurnal pollinators in terms of all the quantity parameters and were significantly different (p < 0.05) from each other. The nocturnal pollinators have clearly facilitated fruit production in P. timoriana, which was statistically similar to the levels of pollination observed in the open pollination treatment. The results of the present study suggest that the nocturnal pollinators significantly affect the reproductive success of P. timoriana (tree bean) in an agricultural land setting.

Characterisation and depositional pattern of the modern pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, India, and its implications for palaeoecology and palaeoherbivory analysis

This study documents the depositional pattern of modern pollen and fungal spores in relation to the different vegetation types and wildlife activities in Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary, located in north-east India. The pollen data accurately matches the extant vegetation types and provides additional evidence on the representation and relative abundance of the major pollen taxa in the pollen assemblages. The forest habitat is characterised by the abundance of Bombax, Lagerstroemia, Barringtonia, and Albizia pollen in the pollen assemblage. The swamp habitat is characterised by Cyperaceae, Onagraceae, Nymphaea, and Potamogeton, while the grassland habitat is characterised by the dominance of non-cereal (Poaceae), Asteroideae, Cyperaceae, and Bombax pollen. Also, coprophilous fungal spores were observed and identified. Their presence varies in relation to the different vegetation types and level of wildlife activity in each habitat in the wildlife sanctuary. Rhododendron pollen in the palynoassemblages is indicative of seasonal flooding during periods of high rainfall in and around the study areas. Principal component analysis applied to the quantitative data obtained from the pollen frequency analyses revealed a significant variation that distinguished the three different vegetation types in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. This modern pollen and fungal spore data serves as a reliable baseline for the reconstruction of the palaeoecology and palaeoherbivory in the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary and to correlate the types of vegetation present in other parts of the tropical region of Indo-Burma.

A Review on Ethnic Manipuri Cuisine of Northeast India: A Description of its Traditional Ingredients, Therapeutic Potential and Food Preparation Techniques

A Review on Ethnic Manipuri Cuisine of Northeast India: A Description of its Traditional Ingredients, Therapeutic Potential and Food Preparation Techniques

Can cultural distance be a factor in bilingual processing? Report from primed translation recognition task of Rongmei–Meitei bilinguals

Abstract Bilingual language processing literature has pointed out that all bilinguals are not equal and many of the differences in processing strategies can be traced to ‘the bilingual experience’. This is true for the famed bilingual advantage debate as well, as the control process associated with bilinguals can be dependent on many factors in the behavioural ecology of the bilingual groups. In this light, the current study investigates bilingual language processing in the Rongmei Naga community in Manipur, North East India. The Rongmeis speak two indigenous/heritage languages as their first and second language: Rongmei and Meitei. These two languages belong to the same language family and the communities speaking them live side by side. The paper investigates the effect of community specific cues on language processing through a primed translation recognition task. The task is carried out on two groups of bilinguals: (educated, urbane) young group and (less educated, rural) old group. The result of the study shows that the mismatch condition has an adverse effect on the response latency across groups and translation directions, thus pointing to the possibility that in spite of cultural and linguistic closeness, prevailing social dimensions may be pointers for possible impact of such cues.

Exploring the anticancer potential of Cytotoxin 10 from Naja kaouthia venom: Mechanistic insights from breast and lung cancer cell lines

Breast and lung cancers are the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the world. Although considerable progress has been made in the field of cancer therapy, quest to discover potent, safe and cost-effective alternatives especially from natural sources is being pursued. Snake venom, which is a treasure trove of various peptides and proteins including natural toxins that specifically target tissues and receptors in the envenomated victims. Many such proteins are being explored for their therapeutic potential against various diseases including cancers. Here, we report the mechanism of cytotoxic activity of crude venom and a purified protein, Cytotoxin from the monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia), an elapid snake with neurotoxic venom prominently found in the North-East India. The crude venom showed significant cytotoxicity against breast (MCF-7and MDA-MB-231) and lung (A549, NCI–H522) cancer cell lines. Bioassay-guided fractionation using RP-HPLC showed highest cytotoxic activity in peak P9. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-LC-MS/MS) analysis was employed and the fraction is identified as Cytotoxin 10 which showed comparable cytotoxicity against the experimental cell lines. Cytotoxin 10 also exhibited apoptosis in MCF-7 and A549 cell lines using AO/EtBr and flow cytometry analysis. Expressions of apoptosis related proteins e.g. Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase-7 and PARP were also studied following Cytotoxin 10 treatment in both cell lines. Molecular docking experiments performed to investigate the interactions between Cytotoxin 10 and the apoptotic proteins revealed favourable binding scores compared to their corresponding inhibitors. Interestingly, Cytotoxin 10 inhibited migration and adhesion in a time and dose-dependent manner in both MCF-7 and A549 cells. This is the first report elucidating the mechanism of cytotoxic activity of Cytotoxin 10 purified from Naja kaouthia venom of North-East India origin and could pave the way for development of potential therapeutic strategies against breast and lung cancer.

Identity of the freshwater crab Indochinamon beieri (Pretzmann, 1966), with the description of a new genus and four new species from northeastern India (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae)

Identity of the freshwater crab Indochinamon beieri (Pretzmann, 1966), with the description of a new genus and four new species from northeastern India (Decapoda, Brachyura, Potamidae)

Garra zubzaensis, a new fish species (Cyprinidae: Labeoninae) from the Brahmaputra River basin, Nagaland, North-Eastern India

A new species of Garra (Labeoninae) is described from the Zubza River, a headwater of the Brahmaputra River basin, in Kohima district of Nagaland, North-eastern India. The new species is distinguished by the following combination of characters: a black spot located on the principal ray and first three branched rays of the dorsal (upper) lobe distal part, as well as a black submarginal V-shaped band on the principal ray and whole branched rays of the ventral (lower) lobe of caudal fin; snout with weakly-developed proboscis represented by slightly upwards elevated hump, with no transverse groove and no transverse lobe, and with 10–12 small tubercles on anterodorsal marginal aspect; 34 lateral-line scales including two pored scales on caudal fin; absence of scales on chest and presence of poorly developed scales on belly; relatively shorter caudal peduncle (10.7–12.5 % SL), and snout (34–35 % HL); and relatively larger eye (31–32 % HL).

Miltochrista taiwania, a new species from Taiwan Island (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)

A new species of the genus Miltochrista Hübner, [1819], Miltochrista taiwania sp. n. is described from the island of Taiwan. The diagnostic comparison is made with the recently described Miltochrista tenuiprocessa Volynkin, Černý, S.-Y. Huang &amp; Saldaitis, 2023 widely distributed from Northeast India to Northern Vietnam and the island of Hainan. Adults, as well as male and female genitalia of the new and similar species are illustrated.

Comprehensive groundwater potential mapping in Nagaland, India using integrated geo-spatial techniques

Groundwater is essential for a sustainable future, yet identifying potential groundwater zones remains challenging in regions with varied hydro-geological conditions. Nagaland is a state in north-eastern India characterized by diverse terrain, complex geological formations, and seasonal variations in rainfall. The objective of the present study is to evaluate groundwater potential zones in Nagaland using an integrated Geographic Information System (GIS) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) methodology, resulting in the first comprehensive map addressing the region's diverse hydro-geological conditions. Several attributes like geomorphology, geology, slope, soil, rainfall, drainage density, and Land use/Land cover (LU/LC) were generated from available data resources like Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 satellite imageries, the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Climatic Research Unit (CRU). These datasets are extracted using the Arc-GIS (Arc-GIS Desktop 10.8.1), with weights assigned according to Saaty's scale, and subsequently normalized through the AHP. The findings reveal that 14% (2240km2) of the state has very good groundwater potential, 42% (6720 km2) is classified as good, 9% (1440 km2) as moderate, 27% (4320 km2) as poor, and 8% (1280 km2) as very poor. These insights are significant for regions like Mokokchung, Longleng, and Wokha, which require urgent intervention. Conversely, the study identifies Dimapur and Chumoukedima as areas with significant groundwater potential, capable of meeting rising water demands. The validation of these results using well discharge data from 12 monitoring wells supports these findings.