Trans-Disciplinary University (TDU), School of Life Sciences is now all set to support the herbal, Ayurveda, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industry to undertake small organisms and in-vitro assays for drug formulations and plant extracts. The university which comes under the umbrella of the public trust, Foundation of Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), is armed with the expertise to evaluate drugs for various bioactivities.
The university has just completed a grant of Rs. 5 crore from the department of science and technology (DST) to set up a national facility for R&D in Rasayanas. Rasayana is one of the eight clinical specialties in Ayurveda focusing on methods to enhance lifespan and health span. The facility has invested in the latest instruments, which makes it ready to chip in its expertise for screening, research and evaluation of herbal extracts and formulations.
“This facility has now set up comprehensive and advanced scientific research centre. We have established bioassay models to study concepts and functions of Rasayana using small-whole organisms and in-vitro human cell lines. These models were used by us to scientifically validate selected Rasayana formulations for iron deficiency anemia, memory, cognition, stress and immunity. We have also built a comprehensive, referenced database of Rasayana drugs that include plants, animals, metals and minerals,” Prof. Padma Venkat, advisor, School of Life Sciences, TDU told Pharmabiz.
The key objective is to assess materials of interest not only to the herbal and Ayurveda sector but also to the nutraceutical and pharma industry. For e.g., our team of 18 scientists have worked on amla or Indian gooseberry and proved using the models that it has the properties for anti-ageing, increasing longevity, and improving bioavailability. Similarly we have demonstrated that a Rasayana herb like brahmi prevents neurodegeneration and has the potential to thwart conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, she added.
The models established at the centre are Drosophila melanogaster or fruit fly, C. elegans (a worm) and yeast. These are well accepted models in modern biomedicine. They have a substantial genetic semblance to human beings and conserved metabolic pathways. They can be grown in a petri dish or test tubes. This is significant because the models are ideal not only for testing or screening but also for understanding the mode of action of complex herbal/ayurvedic mixtures, said Prof Venkat.
A visible trend is that global companies are weaning away from animal studies like mice and preferring to opt for non-animal models. Even the Drugs Control General of India has banned the animal studies for cosmetics. This gives DST National facility to offer the industry a detailed analysis on skin care products as well, she said.
With regards to access on the database, companies can approach us and our intent is to share this know-how for better patient care. This project has been gratifying for the team of researchers from the National Facility for Rasayana because it has created under one roof, a centralized space offering a battery of assays and testing models that can be accessed by the industry and academia, said Prof. Venkat.