Ms. Madhu Sharma, a final year postgraduate student of B.Sc.-M.Sc. Biotechnology Program, from the Tissue Culture Laboratory, School of Biotechnology, participated in the International Conference on Recent Advances in Plant and Environmental Sciences organized at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab on 25 February, 2026.
During the conference, Ms. Madhu Sharma presented a scientific poster entitled “In Vitro Propagation and Medicinal Importance of Cheilocostus speciosus– an Important Herbal Insulin Plant”. The study focused on the development of an efficient micropropagation protocol using plant tissue culture techniques for the rapid and large-scale multiplication of Cheilocostus speciosus, a crucial medicinal plant commonly known as the herbal insulin plant. The work also emphasized the conservation of this valuable species and its sustainable utilization in herbal medicine. The work included detailed standardization of culture media, preparation of Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and optimization of plant growth regulators for callus induction, shoot regeneration and rooting under controlled in vitro conditions.
The poster highlighted the medicinal and pharmacological significance of the plant, particularly its antidiabetic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and therapeutic properties. Special emphasis was given to the presence of bioactive compounds such as steroidal saponins, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which contribute to blood glucose regulation and reduction of oxidative stress.
Ms. Madhu Sharma expressed her sincere gratitude to her supervisor Dr. Sharada M. Potukuchi for her constant guidance, motivation and academic support. She also acknowledged the support and research ecosystem provided by the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, whose state-of-the-art facilities enabled the successful execution of this work. Furthermore, she extended respectful thanks to Prof. Pragati Kumar, Honourable Vice- Chancellor of SMVDU, whose visionary leadership and commitment to research excellence continue to inspire students.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University congratulates Ms. Madhu Sharma for representing the university on an international platform and wishes her success in her future academic and research endeavours.