The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology at Hyderabad and the National Products Research (NCNPR), University of Mississippi, United States, have signed a deal to discover new drugs from natural sources.
The US is searching ancient Indian systems of herbal medicine secrets hidden in herbs that can cure modern illnesses. A team of US researchers visited Hyderabad earlier this week to sign the deal for the purpose. Americal scientists will scour Ayurveda, Unani and Sidda drugs to validate the medicinal properties of herbs grown in India. The emphasize will be to discover drugs to treat cancer, malaria and life-threatening diseases, besides natural pesticides for agricultural.
“India has a rich tradition of herbal products but many of them lack scientific validation,” said J.S.Yadav, Director – IICT. Our collaboration will help us understand these natural products in a more scientific way.
Prof. Larry Walker, NCNPR Director, said that natural products have been the mainstay of drug discovery programmes. Although, several other systems have come into being, the desired results could not be obtained, he said. The focus has again shifted to natural products.
According to Prof. Ikhlas Khan, Director, Food & Drugs Administration programme in the United States, Natural products virtually unlimited source of new agents for both pharmaceutical and agro-chemical industries. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, we will be conducting basic and applied multi-disciplinary research to discover and develop natural products for use as pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and agro-chemicals, and to understand the biological and chemical properties of medicinal plants, Prof.Khan said.
Prof. Walker said that Lotus flowers are also medicinal. Their roots and leave are cooked and eaten. A decoction of the lotus leaves and roots, and even their petals become a home remedy for treating fever, in his book “All about Herbal Remedies”. For scanty menstruation, the book recommends a simple shoe flower remedy. Grind three flowers, mix with one fourth cup of lemon juice or one cup of milk and drink it. For vaginal discharge, you can try out this shoe flower decoction. Boil a few cut pieces of ginger and a few flowers or buds of hibiscus in a glass of cow’s milk. Add equivalent amount of water and reduce it to half. So that the U.S is searching ancient Indian systems of herbal medicine for secrets hidden in herbs that can cure modern illnesses.
Prof. Walker said that emphasis would be on agents that control certain infectious diseases, Cancer and Immune disorders. Current products includes the development of anti-fungal agents for life-threatening infections, anti-cancer agents that target specific critical processes in the cancer cell, antibiotics effective against bacteria that are resistant to many current antibiotics, drugs for Tuberculosis, Malaria and other tropical parasitic diseases, antioxidants for cancer prevention, immuno-stimulatory botanicals, anti-inflammatory botanicals, and the development of Dronabinol Hemisuccinate Suppositories to control Nausea due to Chemotherapy and for Pain Management.
“Our goal is to identify botanical products with the potential to improve health and to conduct applied research that will enhance the safe use of botanical products,” said, Prof.Khan. The shoe-flower is a very good medicine for treating anaemia. The Catholic Health Association of India has brought-out a very useful book of home remedies written by Fr.Melloo S.J. who is in-charge of the alternative systems of medicine cell in the Community Health Department of Chai. It lists several interesting home remedies using the Hibiscus, also known as the Shoe flower. This book is used as a manual for training in herbal medicines. To make a shoe flower tonic, you must get enough shoe flowers and jaggery powder. Although, Pharmacognosy – A study of medicines from natural sources – is enjoying a vigorous renaissance, Dr.Yadav said that challenges are being faced to authenticate and standardize these products.
The US is searching ancient Indian systems of herbal medicine secrets hidden in herbs that can cure modern illnesses. A team of US researchers visited Hyderabad earlier this week to sign the deal for the purpose. Americal scientists will scour Ayurveda, Unani and Sidda drugs to validate the medicinal properties of herbs grown in India. The emphasize will be to discover drugs to treat cancer, malaria and life-threatening diseases, besides natural pesticides for agricultural.
“India has a rich tradition of herbal products but many of them lack scientific validation,” said J.S.Yadav, Director – IICT. Our collaboration will help us understand these natural products in a more scientific way.
Prof. Larry Walker, NCNPR Director, said that natural products have been the mainstay of drug discovery programmes. Although, several other systems have come into being, the desired results could not be obtained, he said. The focus has again shifted to natural products.
According to Prof. Ikhlas Khan, Director, Food & Drugs Administration programme in the United States, Natural products virtually unlimited source of new agents for both pharmaceutical and agro-chemical industries. As part of the Memorandum of Understanding, we will be conducting basic and applied multi-disciplinary research to discover and develop natural products for use as pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and agro-chemicals, and to understand the biological and chemical properties of medicinal plants, Prof.Khan said.
Prof. Walker said that Lotus flowers are also medicinal. Their roots and leave are cooked and eaten. A decoction of the lotus leaves and roots, and even their petals become a home remedy for treating fever, in his book “All about Herbal Remedies”. For scanty menstruation, the book recommends a simple shoe flower remedy. Grind three flowers, mix with one fourth cup of lemon juice or one cup of milk and drink it. For vaginal discharge, you can try out this shoe flower decoction. Boil a few cut pieces of ginger and a few flowers or buds of hibiscus in a glass of cow’s milk. Add equivalent amount of water and reduce it to half. So that the U.S is searching ancient Indian systems of herbal medicine for secrets hidden in herbs that can cure modern illnesses.
Prof. Walker said that emphasis would be on agents that control certain infectious diseases, Cancer and Immune disorders. Current products includes the development of anti-fungal agents for life-threatening infections, anti-cancer agents that target specific critical processes in the cancer cell, antibiotics effective against bacteria that are resistant to many current antibiotics, drugs for Tuberculosis, Malaria and other tropical parasitic diseases, antioxidants for cancer prevention, immuno-stimulatory botanicals, anti-inflammatory botanicals, and the development of Dronabinol Hemisuccinate Suppositories to control Nausea due to Chemotherapy and for Pain Management.
“Our goal is to identify botanical products with the potential to improve health and to conduct applied research that will enhance the safe use of botanical products,” said, Prof.Khan. The shoe-flower is a very good medicine for treating anaemia. The Catholic Health Association of India has brought-out a very useful book of home remedies written by Fr.Melloo S.J. who is in-charge of the alternative systems of medicine cell in the Community Health Department of Chai. It lists several interesting home remedies using the Hibiscus, also known as the Shoe flower. This book is used as a manual for training in herbal medicines. To make a shoe flower tonic, you must get enough shoe flowers and jaggery powder. Although, Pharmacognosy – A study of medicines from natural sources – is enjoying a vigorous renaissance, Dr.Yadav said that challenges are being faced to authenticate and standardize these products.
