ANNUAL REPORT - Department of Biotechnology

patchouli were found to be similar to those of tissue
culture and rooted cutting plants.
Evaluation of field performance of tissue culture
plants vs open pollinated seedlings of large
cardamom (Amomum subulatum) planted over an
area of 55 ha in farmers' field in Sikkim and Darjeeling
district of West Bengal continued at the Regional
Research Station, Indian Cardamom Research
Institute, Gangtok. A substantial increase of growth
and yield were recorded in tissue culture plantlets as
compared to open pollinated seedlings. The clone
SBLC-47 A (Varlangey) planted during 1998 season
recorded maximum yield of 540 kg/ha. Fifteen
farmers' training programmes and group meetings
were organized during the year on various aspects of
large cardamom production.
Evaluation of the performance of elite tissue culture
plantlets vis-à-vis stem cuttings of vanilla (Vanilla
planifolia) in farmers' field over an area of 20 ha in
Tripura state has been initiated jointly by the Tripura
Biotechnology Council, Agartala and the Indian
Cardamom Research Institute (Spices Board),
Myladumpara. An area of 5 ha has been planted
during 2006 planting season with tissue culture
plantlets and stem cuttings of vanilla (in 80:20 ratio).
Production of secondary metabolites
Cell-cultures of Commiphora wightii were grown in 2-
L stirred tank and 6-L airlift bioreactor towards
developing technology for guggulsterone production
at M. L. Sukhadia University, Udaipur. Various
empirical approaches were used for guggulsterone
enhancement in embryogenic and non-embryogenic
callus and cell suspension in C. wightii. At the Indian
Institute of Technology, New Delhi, out of several root
lines of Azadirachta indica developed, high yielding
hairy root cell-lines have been selected on the basis
of growth index and azadirachtin content. Effect of
various elicitors, precursors, growth regulators and
permeabilizing agents was studied on hairy root
growth and azadirachtin production. Development
and selection of a suitable bioreactor configuration
for mass production of hairy roots has been carried
out.
DBT Annual Report 2006-07
72
Herbal Formulation
Pre-clinical studies on a herbal preparation from the
stem bark of Terminalia arjuna for left ventricular
dysfunction continued jointly at AIIMS, New Delhi and
B. V. Patel PERD Centre, Ahmedabad. The 50%
effective dose (ED50) value of the standardized
extract was determined as 169.8 mg/kg in rat models.
Preventive effect of the standardized extract of T.
arjuna on the development of heart failure was also
studied in rat models. No significant change in the left
ventricular wall thickness (both systolic and diastolic)
on echocardiography and left ventricular dysfunction
was observed in extract treated group as compared
to normal rats. Ninety-day toxicity study of aqueous
extract of T. arjuna has been initiated.
Two compounds-Daidzein and Genistein 8-C
glucoside isolated from root extract of a legume have
shown considerably high anti type-2 diabetes activity
in vitro jointly at Viswa Bharati, Santi-Niketan and the
IICB, Kolkata. Work on developing a standardized
herbal formulation from a common weed having anti-
Entamoeba histolytica activity continued jointly at
Bose Institute, Kolkata and IICB, Kolkata. Two
separate collections of the plant have been analysed
by activity-guided purification. Active principles were
identified to be saturated fatty acids, their esters and
an ester of the unsaturated fatty acid linolenic acid. At
C.U. Shah College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, efficacy
and safety studies of root extract of Cyperus rotundus
and Aloe vera gel for anti-atherosclerosis activity
have been taken up. Significant hypolipidaemic
activity has been recorded in hydroalcoholic and
alcoholic extracts of C. rotundus in hamsters.
Aqueous, hydro-alcoholic as well as alcoholic extract
of C. rotundus were found to be non-toxic in acute
toxicity studies. Studies have been initiated recently
to develop a standardized anti-diabetic herbal
formulation from Annona squamosa jointly at
Bombay College of Pharmacy, Mumbai and BYL Nair
Charitable Hospital, Mumbai. A network project on
development of standardized herbal product for
bovine mastitis has been initiated recently involving
five institutions: Maharashtra Animal and Fishery
Sciences University, Nagpur; Central Institute of