Itanagar, July 28: A small, aromatic, evergreen wonder plant found in Arunachal Pradesh may help bolster India’s medical arsenal against bird and human flu.

The plant, Illicium griffithii, found in three districts of the Himalayan state, is a source of shikimic acid, the raw material used to manufacture oseltamivir, an anti-viral drug for influenza. Most of the world’s supply of shikimic acid currently comes from China.

Illicium griffithii, locally known as lissi in Monpa dialect, grows in large quantities at an elevation of 2,500 meters and above in Tawang and West Kameng districts. The Botanical Survey of India recently spotted it in Talle Valley wildlife sanctuary of Lower Subansiri district.

Studies suggest that this botanical marvel in Arunachal Pradesh has slightly higher levels of shikimic acid than the plants used to extract this chemical in China.

A scientist at the G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Itanagar, Shivaji Chaudhry, who has compared several species from the Illicium family, said the Illicium griffithii found in Arunachal Pradesh had exceptionally high levels of shikimic acid.

A 10.5 per cent level of shikimic acid is sufficient to support commercially viable production. The Arunachal Pradesh variety contains 12 per cent to 14 per cent, he said.

The local population has already discovered its economic value. The plant is conserved by the Monpa tribe and sold to village middlemen who collect it from tribal villagers at rates ranging from Rs 80 to Rs 100 per kilogram. Chaudhry said about 30 to 40 tonnes of shikimic acid has been extracted in the two districts and sold to middlemen over the past two years.

While plants from the Illicium family are found elsewhere in the world, the shikimic acid content typically varies from one to five per cent, making them non-viable for commercial use. The variety found in China is commercially viable with shikimic acid levels of between eight and 10 per cent.

Last year, scientists at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, had reported finding two trees in the Western Ghats that contained only between four per cent to five per cent of shikimic acid.

“Illicium griffithii, which is found in large numbers in Tawang and West Kameng districts, is lying in neglect. It can contain more shikimic acid than Illicium verum, a much larger shaped Chinese variety used to produce Tamiflu,” Chaudhry said.

At present, India banks heavily on Tamiflu exported from China to contain the dreaded bird flu. “It is a pity that Illicium griffithii is not cultivated in an organised manner. Our scientific communities should take prompt measures for its commercial production before it is too late,” Chaudhry said.