Please tell us about the CSIR and in particular , the NBRI ’ s relevance in context of plant based research and product outcomes ?
The CSIR as we know has got 37 laboratories across India . Each laboratory is working on various scientific areas that are relevant to its mandate . At the same time these different research institutes are working on multiple aspects of research and development from basic to the translational one . NBRI in particular is a premier institute dedicated to the plant science . Its primary objective is to conduct basic and applied research on plant diversity and prospection , plantenvironment interaction and biotechnological approaches for plant improvement . Its major work area also includes the development of technologies for new plant and microbial sources of commercial importance .
Not only in India but nowhere in world , you will find so many plant experts at one place . There are experts working on both flower bearing plants as well as nonflower bearing plants . It is complimented or supplemented by cutting edge science including biotechnology , environment sciences including pollution and climatic change . As an institute , we promote direct association with farmers . If we develop some plant varieties , it should go to the field . CSIR institutes that have been working on various plants of importance , have developed varieties for better yield and given to them to farmers for better prospects .
What kind of farmer driven technologies have been commercialized by your institute ?
We are very much involved in horticulture and floriculture research and developed many varieties . We have built the extensive germplasm repository of plants of indigenous and exotic origin , including rare , endangered and threatened species . Recently we have developed a new variety of Bouaginvillea which was named “ APJ Abdul Kalam ”, dedicated to Late President Dr Abdul Kalam by CSIR-NBRI .
Any example of a technology in particular related to health that has benefited farmers as well ?
In the eastern parts of country particularly in West Bengal , we have the problem of arsenic . The contamination through the flow of this arsenic into plants and vegetables , leads to hazardous effects on health . We have developed the new rice plant variety in coordination with the Department of Agriculture , Government of West Bengal to tackle that . It is already released commercially and named as
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The popularity of this drug is immense and surely perceptions are changing . Besides that , it can be taken along with allopathy medicines for diabetes . Particularly the beginners in age group of 40-45 years who are prone to diabetes can use this .
Mukhtashri ’’. In this low grade arsenic variety , the rice grains are not affected . We have developed this technology in our laboratory and disseminated it in a widespread way .
Please tell us about BGR-34 and its edge over other such drugs in market ?
It is a combination of six different herbs . Our phytochemistry lab has developed this drug jointly with the CIMAP researchers . The scientists namely Dr Chandra Shekhar Nautiyal , Dr A K S Rawat , Dr Ch V Rao and Dr Sanjeev Kumar Ojha were involved in the project .
The formulation [ NBRMAP-DB ] from six known herbs was developed by NBRI and that patent was held by us . AMIL Pharma has come up with BGR- 34 which means Blood Glucose Reductant due to which 34 parts of body system get benefitted . They are further working on its efficacy improvement . The value addition has been done by them but it is their trade secret and hence the final formulation can ’ t be revealed .
We have thousands of Ayurvedic medicines for diabetes already there but the combination of ingredients and product efficacy matters . Our target is Rs 100 crore market which is already growing .
Has the perception about the Ayurvedic formulations changed with the introduction of the BGR-34 ?
See the popularity of this drug is immense and it can be taken along with allopathy medicines for diabetes . Particularly the beginners in age group of 40-45 years who are prone to diabetes can use this . It would be helpful . It has been distributed across India due to the response it has received . One of the groups working on the formulation has done an outstanding job and thus has helped . While there are many drugs in the market to control diabetes , this one has got specificity .
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