Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has set up a project review committee to monitor all the ongoing projects funded by it and also developed an electronic tracking system for ensuring fast track approvals and for monitoring of extramural projects.

The Council was taking several steps to streamline the process of approvals and monitoring of all projects. The review committee would meet in every 3-4 months and assess the progress with regard to the process of approval. It would also make sure that approval as well as the projects would be done within the stipulated time, sources said.

A recent meeting of the review committee took stock of as many as 48 projects being funded by ICMR in the traditional medicine. “Successful micro-propagation has been taken up for Bijasal (Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb), an endangered medicinal leguminous tree whose bark is used as a potent anti-diabetic medicine so that enough wood is available for medicinal purpose and the species does not become extinct. Monograph of medicinal plants having various therapeutic values at Ramgarh area of Rajasthan has been prepared,” according to the review done.

Three medicinal plants (Ammania baccifera, Annona squamosa and Lycopersicon esculentum) showed good antioxidant activity and anti-proliferation activity in cancer cell lines. Leaves and testa of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) have been studied for anti-diabetic activities of their phyto-constituents by various in vitro and in vivoparameters. Catechin, a polyphenol which can be used as a nutraceutical has been successfully obtained.  Fruit of plant Withania coagulus (Doda Paneer) had shown glucose lowering effect in animals, according to the review.

Under the Golden Triangle Partnership, integrated protocols for conducting clinical trials of seven diseases (Benign Prostate Hypertrophy, Osteoporosis, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, HIV/AIDS, Anxiety Neurosis, and Oligospermia) were finalised. The clinical trials on formulations made available by the Department of AYUSH will be undertaken on the basis of these protocols.

As part of the collaboration between ICMR and the National Innovation Foundation, five herbal practices have been selected for the validation.  Extramural research projects have been sanctioned on anti-hepatotoxic activity of Abelmoschus esculentus and Datura metel used by the herbal healers, anti diabetic activity of Convolvulus arvensis and Nicotiana tabacum used by herbal healers, and evolution of anti-typhoid activity of Shorea robusta L., an ethno-medicine of the Kaatabhai Tribes of Maharashtra, the review panel was told.