Ph.D Projects :
Exploring ‘Vidanga’ (Embelia spp.) and its substitute with respect to its pharmacological activities
‘Vidanga’ is one of the herbs commonly used in Ayurveda. It is considered to support the intestine to keep the digestive system healthy. There several local names for ‘Vidanga’ and are known for their medicinal use for thousands of years. ‘Vidanga’ has a strong traditional as well as an experimental base for its use such as in skin ailments like acne and pimples, in constipation, digestive track in piles, as a brain tonic, etc. Taxonomically, all the species under the name ‘Vidanga’ belong to the genus Embelia and Maesa of the family Myrsinaceae. Four species are Embelia ribes Burm.f., E. tsjeriam-cottam (Roem. & Schult), E. drupacea (Dennst.) M.R. Almeida & S.M. Almeida and Maesa indica (Roxb.) A.DC. There is confusion in market samples of 'Vidanga' as they are available single or in mixtures of allied species, hence there is an ambiguity in the identification of authentic drug as 'Vidanga' and considering the utmost condition, related parameters will be studied to find out most potent species from the genus Embelia & Maesa as a drug Vidanga.
Chemometric analysis and Development of Methodology for quality standardization of ‘Vidanga ’
Plants synthesize a bulk amount of secondary metabolites or bioactive principles which are accountable for the therapeutic activities of medicinal plants and provides unlimited opportunities for new drug leads. Herbal medicines would be accepted readily for treatment only if they could successfully pass through a full regimen of standardization parameters, which requires safety and efficacy data. Pharmacologically active components or biomarkers are currently employed for evaluating the quality and authenticity of herbal medicines. Metabolic fingerprinting of complex biological and herbal samples has the potential to enhance the quality, safety, and efficacy of herbal medicine by providing a comprehensive view of a multitude of quality-determining compounds. Considering the demand for drug ‘Vidanga’, the potential to cure a variety of diseases, and ambiguity in supply of the authentic drug in the market, its chemometric study is essential. Therapeutic properties of the genus Embelia are attributed by Embelin or Embolic acid present in berries of plants which is a major secondary metabolite. Recent advances in chemometrics to identify markers compounds and chemometrics by standardization can be applied for ‘Vidanga’ to create biomarker based identification of the genuine drug.
Development and evaluation of new synbiotic formulation against candidal inflammation of intestine
Prebiotics have been discussed with respect to the systemic effects they exert on the host’s health, metabolism, and immune system. The ability to regulate the composition of the gut microbiota by prebiotic dietary substances and probiotic microorganisms is an interesting approach in the control and treatment of some major diseases. Prebiotics are emerging as promising nutraceuticals in various medical conditions, including IBD. Since prebiotics are easy to administer, inexpensive, and lack significant toxic side effects they may become an attractive alternative or adjunct to standard therapeutics in inflammation conditions. Hence, here we are studying wild and organic vegetables as a potential source as prebiotics which in combination with probiotics will lead to the development of probable symbiotic formulations.