A review on influence of floral biology, pollination efficiency and conservation strategies of endangered medicinal plant, Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz

Utilization of medicinal plants are being currently increasing drastically in the entire world due to its increasing demand of herbal medicines, natural health products and secondary metabolites of medicinal plants.The current manuscript is mainly emphasized on information based on its botanical description, taxonomical classification, study on floral biology and its pollination efficiency, its global status of conservation, conservation strategies along with methods of propagation including in vitro and ex vitro have been collected and compiled from abundant numbers of scientific literatures. Because of magnificent demand of medicinal properties of Rauvolfia serpentina (L.) Benth. ex Kurz, it has become highly essential to study in depth about floral biology which would further prove to be resourceful for hybridization programme and after all, information of floral biology is a prerequisite in assessing overall reproductive potential of the species. Relatively, pollination is also one of the most important mechanisms confined to preservation and conservation of biodiversity in broad-spectrum life of earth. Since, psychophily mode of pollination is prevalent in R. serpentina due to its tubular flower structure, and hence conservation of these pollinators is a necessity for preventing threatened species from further extinction. In recent years, products of R. serpentina particularly manufactured from roots are adulterated with wild plants since suppliers from wild sources are limited, hence due to an increase in rate of exploitation. It has hindered in continuation of constant and steady supply. Consequently protection of forest based genetic resources has turned out to be a global concern which urges expansion of effective conservation strategies at local, national and international level. R. serpentina can be propagated by several methods involving seeds, root cuttings, root stumps and stem cuttings. However, conventional propagation methods practised in this species seems to face some major constraints indicating poor seed viability and germination. Under these conditions, application of in vitro conservation methods such as in vitro culture and micropropagation along with synthetic seed production and techniques of cryopreservation involving hairy root culture enhanced in liquid nitrogen provides a support for preservation and conservation of this species, thereby facilitating distribution and easy exchange of elite plant germplasm.