Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), which is part of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is gearing up to increase its focus to identify medicinal plants that help tackle specific disease conditions. This will include plants used for development of the malaria drug, anti microbials and bio-enhancers. While it intends to increase its research and development, it will also develop a comprehensive bio-molecular library.

In this connection, CIMAP has identified Artemisia annua for cultivation. This plant contains the active ingredient for the anti-malarial combination therapy. It will develop variety of Artemisia annua which will be grown under suitable agro-climatic conditions to be able to extract Artemisinin. Not all plants of this species contain Artemisinin because it is only produced when the plant is subjected to certain conditions.

A key area of research at CIMAP would be to assess the molecular mechanism of Artemisinin and its derivatives. We will provide complete solutions from plant to products and look at well defined plant extracts used for specific illnesses, Prof. Ram Rajashekaran, director CIMAP, Lucknow told Pharmabiz.

For this fiscal, CIMAP will isolate active component and undertake pre-clinical validation. In addition, the setting up of the bio-molecule library will help its scientists screen the drug targets in the plants. It will ensure that the chemical entities are saved to increase the number of bio-molecules.

We need to bring in modern science into traditional knowledge. The biggest challenge in plant medicine is the toxicology studies and if this is successful it is easier to commercialize plant-based drugs, said professor Rajashekaran who was here in Bangalore in connection with the golden jubilee celebrations of CIMAP.

The Institute has also found that there is now increasing focus on adapting cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants under varied agro climatic zones. It will be carried out its centres located at Lucknow, Bangalore and Uttaranchal.

The Institute is gearing up to utilize modern techniques and will further strengthen its existing research and development centre at Pantnagar in Uttaranchal for effective distribution of improved aromatic plant varieties. It will also create more resource centres to reach the farmers. Plans are underway to open a fifth CIMAP centre at Tamil Nadu.

The focus on high yielding MAPs has seen increased demand from the pharma, nutraceutical industry and essential oils are used for aromatherapy and fragrance sector.