The Madras University has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu state ISM Directorate to undertake a project of standardization and scientific validation of 15 proprietary Siddha medicines.

The project is proposed by the government with a view to help Siddha drug manufacturers in the state to tap its potential in the global markets.

As per the MoU on research and development support to the Indian Systems of Medicine, the university will undertake toxicological, efficacy and scientific validation studies of the identified popularly used traditional drugs of the Siddha system of medicine, through tissue culture and other experiments.

The University is in the process of developing protocols and product standardization yardsticks or markers for scientific validation and efficacy studies, according to Dr. S.P.Thyagarajan, vice chancellor, Madras University.

Inaugurating a one-day symposium on 'Current Trends in Herbal Science Research' jointly organized by the Madras University and the Voluntary Health, Education and Rural development Society (VHERDS) in Chennai on Thursday, Dr Thyagarajan stated that the drugs identified as part of the MoU were an integral part of the Siddha tradition in treating many chronic diseases.

He noted that the Indian herbal medicines and treatment methodologies have become hugely popular in the west. Scientific studies using modern tools are a necessity to prove the efficacy and reliability of these time tested traditional medicines. Research and development initiatives of traditional drug makers should have a holistic approach incorporating the latest available resources in terms of technology to prove the quality, reliability and efficacy of drugs, said the vice chancellor.

Currently the Madras University is also in the process of developing a seed bank, which at present has a collection of 23 near extinct and endangered medicinal plants. The university is undertaking studies to authenticate the therapeutic properties of these plants with the help of modern tools and protocols.

The idea behind the seed bank, coming up at a seven acre 'Janakiammal Herbal Garden at Madura Vayal near Chenni, was to regenerate the plant and offer it to researchers, traditional drug manufacturers and practitioners who require such medicinal herbs.

The University would also offer information on technical and therapeutic properties of the plants and would educate the farmers on cultivation practices to be followed in rearing these medicinal plants, said Dr. Thyagarajan.