Orchid Biology: Recent Trends & Challenges [electronic resource] / edited by Shaik Mahammad Khasim, Sadanand Nagesh Hegde, María Teresa González-Arnao, Kanchit Thammasiri.

Part 1.Cryopreservation and Biotechnology -- 1.Cryopreservation Development of some endangered Thai Orchid species -- 2.Status of Orchid Industry in India -- 3.Cryobiotechnological studies in Vanilla, the orchid of multi- industrial uses -- 4.In vitro propagation and germplasm conservation of wild orchids from South America -- 5.Postharvest Technology of cut-flowers of Orchids -- 6.Cryobiotechnology of Korean orchid biodiversity: a case study using Cymbidium kanra -- Part 2.Orchid Biodiversity and Conservation -- 7.Species diversity and distribution of Orchids in district Rudraprayag, Uttarakhand, North East Himalaya, India -- 8.Status of genetic diversity and its characterization in genus Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) from North-Eastern India -- 9.Orchid diversity in Darjeeling Himalaya, India: Present status and conservation -- 10.Orchid Diversity in the Eastern Ghats of Northern Andhra Pradesh, India -- 11.History and Scientific Potential of the Orchid Collection of the Stoсk Greenhouse of the Main Botanical Garden RAS (Moscow, Russia) -- 12.Status of Orchid Diversity, Conservation, Research and Development in Arunachal Pradesh - An Overview -- Part 3. Anatomy and Physiology -- 13.Orchid mycorrhizal fungi- structure, function, and diversity -- 14.Orchid Seed Ultra structure: Ecological and Taxonomic Implications with reference to Epidendroideae (Orchidaceae) -- 15.Structural Adaptations of Bulbophyllum and Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) to the Epiphytic Habitat and their Phylogenetic Implications -- 16.Physiological response of Dendrobium cv. Earsakul to plant growth promoters and growing systems -- 17.Anatomical studies in some Indian Coelogyneae (Orchidaceae)., Part 4. Pollination Biology -- 18.Beauty of Orchid Flowers: Are not adequate to lure Indian biologists? -- 19.Evolution of Organismal Female Wasp Mimics in Sexually Deceptive Orchid genus Chiloglottis (Orchidaceae) -- 20.Pollination studies in the genus Habenaria Willd. (Orchidaceae) from Western Ghats -- Part 5. Orchid Chemicals and Bioactive Compounds -- 21.Phytochemical analysis, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of Eria tomentosa (Koen.) Hook. f -- 22.Medicinal orchids: production of bioactive compounds and biomass -- 23.Ethnomedicinal aspects of some Orchids from Darjeeling Himalaya, India -- 24.Evaluation of Phytoconstituents and Antibacterial activity of Vanda tessellata using in vitro model -- 25.Screening of Bioactive Phytochemicals in some Indigenous Epiphytic Orchids of Bangladesh -- 26.GC-MS analysis of organic extracts of Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw. (Orchidaceae) leaves from Eastern Ghats of India -- 27.Anticancer property in Acampe praemorsa and Aerides odorata (Orchidaceae), an in vitro approach -- 28.Phytochemical Screening and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Potential of Dendrobium fimbriatum Hook.

This book on "Orchid Biology: Recent Trends & Challenges" reviews the latest strategies for the preservation and conservation of orchid diversity and orchid germplasm. It is an outcome of the Proceedings of the International Symposium on "Biodiversity of Medicinal Plants & Orchids: Emerging Trends and Challenges" held on 9-11 February 2018 at Acharya Nagarjuna University, India. In addition, eminent orchid experts from around the globe were invited to contribute to this book. All chapters were peer-reviewed by international experts. The Orchidaceae are one of the largest families of flowering plants, comprising over 700 genera and 22,500 species and contributing roughly 40 percent of monocotyledons. They also represent the second-largest flowering plant family in India, with 1,141 species in 166 genera, and contribute roughly 10% of Indian flora. Orchids comprise a unique group of plants and their flowers are among the most enchanting and exquisite creations of nature. Phylogenetically and taxonomically, the Orchidaceae are considered to be a highly evolved family among angiosperms. They show incredible diversity in terms of the shape, size and colour of their flowers, and are of great commercial importance in floriculture markets around the globe. Millions of cut flowers of Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Cattleya, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis, Vanda etc., besides potted orchid plants, are sold in Western Countries and thus, the orchid cut flower industry has now become a multimillion-dollar business in Europe, the USA and South East Asia. Besides their ornamental value, orchids hold tremendous pharmaceutical potential. Root tubers of Habenaria edgeworthii form an important component of the 'Astavarga' group of drugs in Ayurvedic medicine. It is an established fact that tubers of some terrestrial orchids have been used to treat diarrhoea, dysentery, intestinal disorders, cough, cold and tuberculosis. Some orchids, particularly those belonging to the genera Aerides, Arachnis, Cattleya, Cymbidium, Dendrobium, Epidendrum, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Phalaenopsis, Renanthera, Vanda etc. have been extensively used to produce internationally acclaimed hybrids. Yet paradoxically, Indian orchids are victims of their own beauty and popularity. As a result, their natural populations have been declining rapidly because of unbridled commercial exploitation in India and abroad. In fact, some orchids are now at the verge of extinction, e.g. Renanthera imschootiana, Diplomeris hirsuta, Paphiopedilum fairrieanum, Cypripedium elegans, Taeniophylum andamanicum etc. Given the global importance of orchids in terms of securing human health and wealth, this comprehensive compilation, prepared by international experts, is highly topical. Its content is divided into five main sections: (I) Cryopreservation & Biotechnology, (II) Orchid Biodiversity & Conservation, (III) Anatomy & Physiology, (IV) Pollination Biology and (V) Orchid Chemicals & Bioactive Compounds. All contributions were written by eminent orchid experts/professors from around the world, making the book a valuable reference guide for all researchers, teachers, orchid enthusiasts, orchid growers and students of biotechnology, botany, pharmaceutical sciences and ethnomedicine. It will be equally valuable for readers from the horticultural industry, especially the orchid industry, agricultural scientists and policymakers.