biotechnology & bioprospecting for sustainable development

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The megadiversity countries with 60-70% of the world`s known biological diversity have significant stake for harnessing the potential of biotechnology and bioprospecting for achieving sustainable economic development. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the first international treaty provides opportunities to biodiversity rich countries to realize benefits arising out of the utilization of their bioresources. The CBD states that national governments have authority to determine access to their genetic resources, and calls on governments to provide for conservation, sustainable use and equitable sharing of benefits from commercial use of those resources. However, despite the clear articulation of equitable sharing of benefits by CBD, this has not been furthered and clouded by issues such as IPRs, conflicts between CBD and TRIPs, and lack of conducive international environment and commitment. This paper, based upon some case studies and experience gained in formulation of biodiversity legislation in India presents a policy framework for bioprospecting at national level and international action towards linking bioprospecting and sustainable development. 2. Bioprospecting In recent years bioprospecting has acquired increased attention as countries seek to conserve their biodiversity and also share the benefits from bioprospecting. Agreements in this field are seen as “a means of improving national capacities to add value to natural resources, to share benefits with developed countries at the same time ensuring that these resources are protected and used sustainably” (Sittenfeld 1997) While bioprospecting offers, in theory, a potentially interesting approach for linking biodiversity conservation with the biotechnology sector, its success in practice will depend upon the ability of these efforts in isolating useful compounds at a cost comparable to other techniques for drug development. There continues to be great interest in bioprospecting from the academic, industrial and conservation communities, as well as the general public, and there have been some significant results in the bioprospecting programmes to date. However, it is still too early to say how much bioprospecting can contribute to conservation and economic development ( Sagar and Daemmrich 2000, Rojas 1999). Bioprospecting is fundamentally tied to scientific interest and commercial success of natural product derivatives. In the rapidly changing and complex world of drug discovery, the perceived value of natural products seems to wax and wane every few years with the entrance of a new technology and the time since a major new natural product drug has hit the market. Combinatorial chemistry is the latest perceived replacement for natural products( Service 1999). However, the very limited number of important leads that combinatorial chemistry has provided has led some scientists and organizations to seek means of
integrating this technology and rational drug design with natural product leads in order to gain the best results ( Lahana 1999, Nicolaou et al., 1999) Success of bioprospecting efforts in megadiversity countries and other developing countries will depend on the ability of these countries to effectively monitor and enforce bioprospecting agreements. 2.1 Bioprospecting Case Studies ( a ) The Kani experience- India In India, a well-known documented example of bioprospecting and benefit sharing is the Kani - TBGRI - model in Kerala. Kani is a tribal community inhabiting the Southern Western Ghat region of Kerala State in India. In 1987, a team of scientists from the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) undertook an ethnobotanical field study in the tribal inhabited Western Ghat region of Kerala. During this expedition, they came across an interesting ethnomedical information on a wild plant Trichophus zeylanicus, locally called as “Arogyapacha” by the Kani tribe. The scientists noticed that the Kani tribals accompanying the team frequently ate some fruits which kept them energetic and agile. When asked about the source of the fruit, the Kani men were initially reluctant to reveal the information. The team convinced the Kani men that information would not be misused and that, they would conduct scientific investigation. If any marketable drugs/products got developed, the benefits accrued would be shared with the tribe. The Kani tribe then showed the plant, which was identified as Trichophus zeylanicus. Pharmacological investigations of the fruit confirmed its anti-fatigue properties. Detailed chemical and pharmacological investigations showed that the leaves contained various glycolipids and some other non-steroidal compounds with anti -stress and anti-hepatoxic properties. The team developed a polyherbal formulation by Arogyapacha Ayurvedic pharmaceutical methods which was named “Jeevni”. After satisfactory clinical evaluation this herbal drug was released for commercial production. Many pharmaceutical firms approached TBGRI for getting the licence for the production of “Jeevni”. After negotiations with various interested parties, the manufacturing licence of “Jeevni” was transferred to the Aryavaidya Pharmacy Coimbatore Ltd. for a licence fee of Rs. 10 lakhs for a period of 7 years . The TBGRI in consultation with the tribal community has worked out an arrangement for benefit sharing. According to this arrangement, the TBGRI has agreed to share 50% of the licence fee and royalty with the tribal community. In November 1997, a number of Kanis got together, and with assistance from the TBGRI, registered a trust called the Kerala Kani Samudaya Kshema Trust, comprising nine members, all of them tribals. The President and Vice President of the trust
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biotechnology & bioprospecting for sustainable development

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