Dr. Namita Khantwal | Phytochemistry | Young Scientist Award
Project Associate at Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University | India
Dr. Namita Khantwal is a botanist and plant biochemist specializing in phytochemistry, plant secondary metabolites, and bioactivity assessment, holding a doctoral degree in Botany from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, where her research explored the phytochemical diversity, antioxidant capacity, and antibacterial potential of Aesculus indica across varying altitudinal gradients of the Garhwal Himalaya; she currently works as a Project Associate at the High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre on a Department of Science and Technology–sponsored project investigating socio-ecological vulnerabilities and community responses in climate-sensitive Himalayan ecosystems, demonstrating strong expertise in phytocompound and essential-oil extraction, GC-MS analysis, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, antioxidant assays including DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP, and antibacterial testing through agar well diffusion, MIC, and MBC methodologies; her research background includes detailed palynological studies on allergenic taxa, extensive laboratory work on medicinal plants, and a deep interest in metabolomic profiling, environmental influences on plant biochemical pathways, essential-oil characterization, and the integration of traditional knowledge with modern biotechnological approaches for Himalayan flora conservation; she has authored multiple research and review papers on phytochemistry, chemodiversity, nutraceutical potential, and bioactivity of Himalayan plant species, contributed to national and international conferences through oral and poster presentations, received recognition for scientific communication, and served as an invited reviewer for reputed journals, while professionally handling a wide range of laboratory instruments, participating in workshops on IPR and nutraceutical formulation, and maintaining a strong commitment to advancing research in plant biochemistry, medicinal plant biodiversity, and ecological resilience in mountain environments.
Featured Publications :
Khantwal, N., Asha, & Kumar, A. (n.d.). Variation in secondary metabolite content in Aesculus indica (Wall. ex Cambess.) Hook. leaves along the altitudinal gradient in Indian Central Himalaya. Vegetos, 38(1), 111–120.
Khantwal, N., & Sharma, C. M. (n.d.). Influence of different altitudes on antibacterial potential of Aesculus indica crude extracts against multidrug-resistant strain Klebsiella pneumoniae. Biochemical & Cellular Archives, 24(1).
Khantwal, N., Sharma, C. M., & Ranout, A. S. (n.d.). Phytochemistry, nutraceutical potential, and metabolomic insights into Aesculus indica: Bridging traditional uses with modern applications. Natural Product Research, 1–20.
Khantwal, N., Sharma, C. M., & Gairola, S. (n.d.). Antibacterial and antioxidant potential of Aesculus indica (Wall. ex Cambess.) Hook. leaf extracts along an altitudinal gradient in the Garhwal Himalaya. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 123, Article 105064.
Khantwal, N., Sharma, C. M., Gairola, S., & Jugran, A. K. (n.d.). Antibacterial, antioxidant potential, and chemodiversity of Aesculus indica bark extracts along the Garhwal Himalayan altitudinal gradient. Chemistry & Biodiversity, e02216.