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Andaman and Nicobar islands has a new dimension to it — a treasure home for medicinal flora and fauna. And, the latest from the hove is an anti-diabetic (anti-hyperglycemia) drug.

Initial investigations by Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow, of the drug on humans has been a success. “The single-dose of phase-I clinical trial, through oral route has been completed on 31 volunteers successfully,” Earth Sciences minister Minister Kapil Sibal told Parliament last week. All the volunteers have tolerated the drugs very well and no side effect was observed, he informed.

The indigenously developed herbal drug helps in controlling the sugar level in the body and prevents its fluctuation in the body. Scientists say the drug has no side effects on the body unlike many other medicines.

According to ministry officials, the medicine has been derived from mangrove trees that protected many from devastating Tsunami in 2004 in the coastal areas of the islands in Andaman and Nicobar. It took over two years for scientists to prepare anti-diabetic medicines from the compound (CDR-134-D123) extracted from mangrove trees, thus once again proving their medicinal value.
 
The government is now conducting multi-dose trial of the compound on the volunteers, likely to be completed, in a few months. Thereafter, the government would seek permission for commercial utilisation of the drug in a large scale. “Once that happens, it will give boost to mangrove cultivation in the country in a bid way,” a ministry official told HT.

Mangrove trees have also provided for two more compounds believed to be anti-hyperglycemic, the condition of high sugar level in the blood and anti-hyper-lipidemic, condition of excess lipids in the blood increasing the risk of heart illness. “Efficacy and safety of both these compounds have been successfully tested on rodents and monkeys and the government is in the process of seeking permission of the Drugs Controller General of India for conducting clinical trials,” Sibal said.

The ministry is confident that Indian seas would soon provide an effective anti-cancer drugs for which research has already started. The Mumbai based Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in cancer is working on developing anti-cancer drugs from marine flora and fauna.   

CDRI is also collaborating with seven leading laboratories and universities in India for developing effective drugs from sea organisms. As much as Rs 30 crore has been allocated for the project, ministry officials said.

Email author: chetan@hindustantimes.com