Sanjivani has Special immortality DNA

Indian mythology's most famous medicinal herb, Sanjivani booti, is now being studied by scientists for its most gifted quality, being able to survive even without water. Sanjivani booti is aspesiously considered as Hindu Drink of Immortality since ancient times. In Hindu mythology Amrita means immortality; also, the ambrosial drink which produced it. Hindus belive that the the drink of Immortality Amrita was produced by churning of the Ocean of Milk by the gods.

The booti, that finds mention in the Ramayana for resurrecting Laxman, does not die, even without water. It just curls up and loses colour, becoming brown in the absence of moisture.

It, however, regains its original green colour within hours of coming in contact with water.

Unable to pinpoint what helped this four-inch fern to stay alive for the last 300 million years, scientists from the National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI) have embarked on a five-year programme to actually identify the gene responsible for the plant's drought tolerance property.

The five-member research team, led by senior scientist P V Khare, hopes to inject the same gene into the country's food crops to make them naturally resistant against famine, drought and snow.

Found in many parts of the country, the plant is exhaustively used by tribals to treat heat stroke, jaundice and menstrual irregularities.

Speaking to TOI, Khare said a 10-member NBRI team has collected a large number of Sanjivani plants from Mirzapur forests for use in the experiments.

"We want to identify the exact gene that gives the plant its survival and remarkable resurrection capabilities. The gene, once identified, will be injected into our food crops so that similar survival properties develop within crops like rice, which need large quantities of water," Khare said.

At present, the team is worried about the plant's over-exploitation. Another scientist added: "Because the plant is known for its tremendous medicinal uses, tribals in UP, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and West Bengal soak a huge quantity of this plant in water overnight.

The plant is then discarded and the water drunk to cure burning sensation during urination, dysentery and venereal diseases.

'Sanjivani' (scientific name Selaginella Bryopteris) belongs to the Pteridophyta group of ferns.

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