LUCKNOW, June 28 -- Lucknow University's botany department will be the nodal institute for a project to standardise and scientifically validate medicinal plants used in homoeopathy funded by Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, ministry of AYUSH, Lucknow. The project worth over Rs 74 lakh is part of a collaboration that aims to strengthen evidence-based research in the AYUSH sector. As part of the project, 18 medicinal plants listed in the National List of Essential AYUSH Medicines (NLEAM) are being systematically collected and ecologically documented. Field surveys and scientific expeditions are being carried out in India's biodiversity-rich zones, including the Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas and the Indo-Burma biogeographic region of Northeast India, shared Head of botany department and principal investigator Prof Gauri Saxena. The aim is to document different ecological forms of each species and build a comprehensive, scientifically authenticated repository of medicinal plants. The study will combine India's traditional medicinal knowledge with modern scientific methods. Each plant will be examined for morphological features like leaves, stem, roots and flowers, along with detailed anatomical studies. "Phytochemical analysis will also be done to ensure only the correct and pure plant material is used for making homoeopathic medicines. Based on these studies, robust identification keys and authenticated reference standards will be developed for each species" Saxena added....