Research focus: (High Altitude Himalayan Medicinal Plants)

• Development of cambial cell culture, single cell culture, and tissue culture systems for the sustainable production of bioactive compounds in Himalayan medicinal plants

• Understanding the molecular mechanism linked with enhanced secondary metabolites in single-cell culture using an omics approach

• Aeroponic and Hydroponic farming for metabolite-enriched plant biomass production and understanding of the mechanism of nutrients towards growth and development.

Publication (from IHBT): Citations: https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=5YaCUhcAAAAJ&hl=en

1. Pratibha Jaryal, Promila Pathak, Ashish R. Warghat* (2026) Understanding conservation priorities for Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soo from the Northwestern Himalayas through analysis of morphometrics and population genetics, Volume 312, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-025-01973-y

2. Amit Kumar, Mahinder Partap, Ashish R. Warghat*(2026) From growth to survival: Aux/IAA genes in plant development and stress management, Plant Science, Volume 362, 112750, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112750

3. Kanika, Ashrita, Shiv Shanker Pandey, Pawan Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2025) Insight into hydroponic nutrient solution mediated morpho-physiological, iridoid glycosides accumulation and gene expression modulations in Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth, Volume 19, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11816-025-01016-5

4. Pratibha Jaryal, Promila Pathak, Vandana Jaiswal, Ashish R. Warghat (2025) Identification of an endangered and medicinally important Himalayan orchid, Dactylorhiza hatagirea D.Don Soo using DNA barcodes and development of an efficient in vitro propagation protocol utilizing embryo culture technique, In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology – Plant, Volume 61, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11627-025-10556-y

5. Pankaj Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Shagun Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Ashish R. Warghat (2025) Fritillaria steroidal alkaloids and their multi-target therapeutic mechanisms: insights from network pharmacology, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, Volume 398, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-024-03502-z

6. Mahinder Partap, Amit Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2025) Spectral light treatment and exogenous feeding of precursors enhanced the picrosides content in dedifferentiated cell culture of Picrorhiza kurroa, Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, Volume 64, 103501, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bcab.2025.103501

7. Pratibha Jaryal, Promila Pathak, Ashish R. Warghat* (2025) An efficient clonal propagation of a medicinally important and endangered Himalayan herb, Dactylorhiza hatagirea D.Don Soo using shoot meristem culture and genetic fidelity analysis, Volume 160, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-024-02958-4

8. Mahinder Partap, Amit Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Dinesh Kumar & Ashish R. Warghat* (2025) Elicitors Mediated Enhancement of Picrosides and Their Pathway Precursors in Dedifferentiated Cell Suspension Culture of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, Volume 44, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11537-y

9. Ashrita, Shiv Shanker Pandey, Ashish R. Warghat* (2023) The influence of ex-vitro acclimatization of elicitor-treated Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), on growth biomass, physiological traits, steviol glycosides accumulation, and biosynthesis pathway gene expression pattern. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, Volume 43,  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-023-11109-6

10. Shiv Rattan, Ashish R. Warghat* (2023) Comparative analysis of salidroside and rosavin accumulation and expression analysis of biosynthetic genes in salicylic acid and methyl jasmonate elicited cell suspension culture of Rhodiola imbricata (Edgew.). Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 198, 116667, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.116667

11. Amit Kumar, Mahinder Partap, Ashish R. Warghat* (2025) Jasmonic Acid: A Versatile Phytohormone Regulating Growth, Physiology, and Biochemical Responses, Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, Volume 44, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-024-11376-x

12. Ankita Thakur, Kanika Thakur, Anil Kumar, Ashish Rambhau Warghat, Dinesh Kumar, Shiv Shanker Pandey (2024) Endophyte-based fungal elicitors for enhanced production of valepotriates and sesquiterpenoids in leaf cell suspension cultures of Valeriana jatamansi Jones, Journal of Applied Microbiology, Volume 135, https://doi.org/10.1093/jambio/lxae242 

13. Ankita Thakur, Anil Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish Rambhau Warghat, Shiv Shanker Pandey (2024) Physiological and biochemical regulation of Valeriana jatamansi  Jones under water stress, Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Volume 208, 108476, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108476

14. Ujala, Diksha Sharma, Mahinder Partap, Ashish R. Warghat, Bhavya Bhargava (2024) Hydroponic cultivation enhances the morpho-physiological traits and quality flower production in three cultivars (marigold scarlet red, marigold orange, and marigold yellow) of French marigold (Tagetes patula L.) Volume 327, 112803, Scientia Horticulturae, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2023.112803

15. Shiv Rattan, Ashish R Warghat* (2023) Integration of biotechnological approaches for the production of phenylethanoids and phenylpropanoids in in vitro cultures of Rhodiola sp. a comprehensive review. Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 206, 117625,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.117625

16. Shagun Sharma, Pankaj Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Ashish R. Warghat (2023) In vitro propagation and omics breakthroughs for understanding specialized metabolite production in high-value Himalayan Fritillaria species. Industrial Crops & Products, Volume 205, 117541, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2023.117541

17. Archit Sood, Kanika Thakur, Robin Joshi, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2023) Comparative quantification of dactylorhin among different wild tissues and in vitro cultures of Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soó, an endangered medicinal orchid of Western Himalayas. South African Journal of Botany, Volume 153, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2022.12.024.

18. Shiv Rattan, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2022) The influence of phenylalanine feeding on cell growth, antioxidant activity, phenylpropanoids content, and yield in cell suspension culture of Rhodiola imbricata (Edgew.) Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, Volume 151, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-022-02356-8

19. Mahinder Partap, Shiv Rattan, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2022) Bioprocess development for enhancing cell biomass, differential picrosides accumulation, and gene expression profiling at shake flask levels in suspension cultures of Picrorhiza kurroa. Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 187, 115311 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2022.115311.

20. Shiv Rattan, Pankaj Kumar, Ekjot Kaur, Archit Sood, Vishal Acharya, Ashish Warghat* (2022) Comparative transcriptome and tissue-specific expression analysis of genes reveal tissue-cultured plants as an alternative source for phenylethanoids and phenylpropanoids in Rhodiola imbricata (Edgew.) Gene. Volume 836, 146672 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gene.2022.146672

21. Mahinder Partap, Jyoti Chhimwal, Pawan Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Yogendra Padwad, Ashish R. Warghat* (2022) Growth dynamics and differential accumulation of picrosides and its precursor metabolites in callus cell lines of Picrorhiza kurroa with distinct anti-steatotic potential. Process Biochemistry. Volume 120, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procbio.2022.06.002.

22. Shiv Rattan, Anil Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2022) Enhanced production of phenylethanoids mediated through synergistic approach of precursor feeding and light regime in cell suspension culture of Rhodiola imbricata (Edgew.). Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology. Volume 194,  https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-022-03914-8.

23. Mahinder Partap, Ashish R Warghat*, Sanjay Kumar (2022) Cambial meristematic cell culture: a sustainable technology towards in vitro specialized metabolites. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology. Volume 43,  https://doi.org/10.1080/07388551.2022.2055995.

24. Mahinder Partap, Pankaj Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Probir Kumar Pal, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2022) Fruit derived callus and cell suspension culture as promising alternative sources for mogrosides production in Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey: a zero-caloric natural sweetener. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, Volume 108, 104450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2022.104450

25. Shiv Rattan, Mahinder Partap, Kanika, Shiv Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2022) Nutrient feeding approach enhances the vegetative growth biomass, volatile oil composition, and myristicin content in hydroponically cultivated Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman. Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Volume 26, 100359, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jarmap.2021.100359

26. Akhil Kumar, Seema Chauhan, Shiv Rattan, Ashish R. Warghat, Dinesh Kumar, Bhavya Bhargava (2022) In vitro propagation and phyto-chemical assessment of Cymbidium aloifolium (L.) Sw.: An orchid of pharma-horticultural importance. South African Journal of Botany, Volume 144, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2021.06.030

27. Shiv Rattan, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2021) Growth kinetics, metabolite yield, and expression analysis of biosynthetic pathway genes in friable callus cell lines of Rhodiola imbricata (Edgew). Plant Cell, Tissue and Organ Culture, Volume 146, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-021-02057-8

28. Kanika Thakur & Ashrita & Archit Sood & Pawan Kumar & Dinesh Kumar & Ashish R. Warghat* (2021) Steviol glycoside accumulation and expression profiling of biosynthetic pathway genes in elicited in vitro cultures of Stevia rebaudiana. In vitro cellular and Developmental Biology, Plant, Volume 57, 10.1007/s11627-020-10151-3 

29. Pankaj Kumar, Ashrita, Vishal Acharya, Ashish R. Warghat* (2021) Comparative transcriptome analysis infers bulb derived in vitro cultures as a promising source for sipeimine biosynthesis in Fritillaria cirrhosa D. Don (Liliaceae, syn. Fritillaria roylei Hook.) - High value Himalayan medicinal herb, Phytochemistry, Volume 183, 112631, 10.1016/j.phytochem.2020.112631

30. Mahinder Partap, P Kumar, A Kumar, R Joshi, D Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2020) Effect of elicitors on morpho-physiological performance and metabolites enrichment in Valeriana jatamansi cultivated under aeroponic conditions. Frontier in Plant Science, Volume 11, 01263 https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2020.01263

31. Mahinder Partap, P Kumar, Ashrita, P Kumar, D Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2020) Growth kinetics, metabolites production and expression profiling of picrosides biosynthetic pathway genes in friable callus culture of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Volume 192, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-020-03391-x

32. Shiv Rattan, Archit Sood, Pankaj Kumar, Anil Kumar, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2020) Phenylethanoids, Phenylpropanoids, and Phenolic acids quantification vis-a-vis gene expression profiling in leaf and root derived callus lines of Rhodiola imbricata. Industrial Crop and Products, Volume 154,112708, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2020.112708

33. Pankaj Kumar, Mahinder Partap, Ashrita, Divya Rana, Pawan Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2020) Metabolite and expression profiling of steroidal alkaloids in wild tissues compared to bulb derived in vitro cultures of Fritillaria roylei - high value critically endangered Himalayan medicinal herb, Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 145, 11945, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.111945

34. Kanika Thakur, Mahinder Partap, Dinesh Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2019) Enhancement of picrosides content in Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. mediated through nutrient feeding approach under aeroponic and hydroponic system. Industrial Crops and Products, Volume 133,  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.03.021

 Books/Chapters

1. Amit Kumar, Mahinder Partap, Shiv Rattan, Pankaj Kumar, Ashish R Warghat* (2025) Soilless Cultivation for the Production of Spice and Essential Oil-Bearing Plants. Biotechnology for Fruit, Vegetable and Spice Crops, CRC Press, ISBN: 1040414648, 9781040414644.
2. Shashi Rani, Amit Kumar & Ashish R. Warghat* (2025) Role of Nanotechnology in Aeroponics and Hydroponics. Nanobiotechnology in Agri-food Sector, pp. 81-102, Springer, ISBN: 978-981-96-7756-6.
3. Rakesh Kumar, Shalika Rathore, Kanchan Kundlas, Shiv Rattan, Ashish R. Warghat* (2023) Vertical farming and organic farming integration: a review. Organic Farming (Second Edition), Global Perspectives and Methods, Woodhead Publishing Series in Food Science, Technology and Nutrition. pp. 291-315, ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-323-99145-2.
4. Mahinder Partap, Abhishek Kumar, Pankaj Kumar, Shiv Shanker Pandey, and Ashish R. Warghat* (2023) Metabolomic studies of medicinal plant-fungi interaction. Plant-Microbe Interaction—Recent Advances in Molecular and Biochemical Approaches. Volume 2: Agricultural Aspects of Microbiome Leading to Plant Defence, Elsevier, pp 1-407, ISBN: 978-0-323-91876-3.
5. Shiv Rattan, Mahinder Partap, Ashrita, Kanika, Pankaj Kumar, Archit Sood, Ashish R. Warghat* (2022) Callus culture approach towards production of plant secondary metabolites. Agricultural Biotechnology: Latest Research and Trends, Springer, pp 171-183, ISBN: 978-981-16-2338-7.
6. Mahinder Partap, Shiv Rattan, Kanika, Ashrita, Archit Sood, Pankaj Kumar, Ashish R. Warghat* (2022) Hydroponic and Aeroponic Cultivation of Economically Important Crops for Production of Quality Biomass. Agricultural Biotechnology: Latest Research and Trends, Springer, pp 573-585, ISBN: 978-981-16-2338-7.
7. Pankaj Kumar, Ashrita, Mahinder Partap and Ashish R. Warghat* (2021) Fritillaria roylei; Himalayan Medicinal Plants, Advances in Botany, Production & Research Elsevier, pp 57-64. ISBN: 9780128231517.
8. Pushpender Bhardwaj, Shiv Rattan, Avilekh Naryal, Ashwani Bhardwaj and Ashish R. Warghat* (2021) Valeriana jatamansi, Himalayan Medicinal Plants, Advances in Botany, Production & Research Elsevier, ISBN: 9780128231517, pp. 259-268.

Technology transferred-08

Incubatee under CM-Start-Up Scheme of Himachal Pradesh

Technical Expert Review Committee

DST (AWSAR)

Editorial Board Member:

BMC Plant Biology and BMC Biotechnology

Awards/recognition

1. Shiv rattan, Ashish R. Warghat* got 2nd prize in poster presentation Entitled “In vitro propagation of Rhodiola imbricata (Edgew.): a high value rare medicinal herb” in International conference on conservation and sustainable use of high altitude medicinal and aromatic plants for the socio-economic development, Dehradun (29th-30th Nov., 2020).

2. Kanika Thakur, Ashish R Warghat* awarded as Best research scholar award for the paper presented entitled “Enhancement of picrosides content in Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. mediated through nutrient feeding approach under aeroponic and hydroponic system” in Recent advances in Agricultural, environmental and applied Sciences for Global development, Nauni University, Solan (27th-29th Sept., 2019).

3. Research Associate ship, DIHAR (DRDO), Chandigarh, 2014

4. Travel grant received from Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Human Resource Development Group, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to attend World Orchid Conference, at Singapore, 2011.

5. JRF and SRF- DIHAR (DRDO), Leh, 2009 and 2011.

Nil

Interested and highly motivated students with independent fellowship like CSIR/UGC/DBT/INSPIRE are welcome to contact for PhD. Also candidates seeking for post doctoral research are encouraged to write their own research proposals for suitable funding of agencies like DST,CSIR, DBT etc.

 Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory Team:

1. Ms. Kanika Thakur, Ph. D. Scholar, Thesis title: Enhancement of biomass and specialized metabolites biosynthesis in Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. under soilless conditions

2. Mr. Amit Kumar, Ph. D. scholar, Thesis title: Understanding Growth Enhancement and Specialized Metabolite Biosynthesis in Valeriana jatamansi Jones Under Aeroponic Condition

3. Ms. Shashi Rani, Ph. D. scholar, Thesis title: Deciphering the molecular basis of cambial meristematic cells (CMCs) differentiation and picrosides production in Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex. Benth  

4. Ms. Seema Devi, Ph. D. scholar, Thesis title: Development of root cell culture for salidrosides and herbacetin production in Rhodiola imbricata  

5. Ms. Jasmine Sharma, Ph. D. scholar, Thesis title: Bioprocess development for mogrosides production in cell culture of Siraitia grosvenorii  

6. Ms. Jyotsna Pathania, Project Associate-I- Worked on Hydroponic farming of Withania somnifera 

Lab attendant:

1. Mr. Pawan Kumar: Helps in the execution of research activities in the vertical aeroponic facility 

2. Mr. Praveen Kumar: Helps in the execution of research activities in the plant tissue culture facility

3. Mr. Manish Kumar: Helps in skill development activity and research executed under the hydroponic and aeroponic facility 

Past researchers:

Dr. Archit Sood (Working as Post Doc, at Institute of Plant Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Rishon Lezion, Israel)

Dr. Pankaj Kumar (Working as an Assistant Professor at Dr. Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry, Solan, HP, India)

Dr. Shiv Rattan (Working as a Post-doctoral, at the Institute of Plant Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Rishon Lezion, Israel)

Dr. Mahinder Partap (Working as a Post-doctoral at the Institute of Plant Sciences, Volcani Center, Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Rishon Lezion, Israel)

Dr. Ashrita (Working as Assistant Professor) at Gaya College, Gaya