ANNUAL REPORT - Department of Biotechnology

Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, Lucknow; Indian
Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar; Tamilnadu
Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai
and G. B. Pant University of Agriculture and
Technology, Pantnagar.
Isolation and Characterization of Novel
Therapeutic Agents
Five compounds (K-051, K-052, K-054, K-080) have
been identified from plant extracts showing
promising osteogenic (bone forming) activity at the
CDRI, Lucknow. An Indian patent has been filed on
anti-osteoporosis activity of Butea species. Work on
in vivo efficacy of pure compounds showing
promising osteogenic activity and molecular
mechanism of osteogenic action is planned to be
initiated. A plant extract has been identified which
inhibit the differentiation of pre-osteoclastic cells to
osteoclasts at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for
Biotechnology, Thiruvananthapuram. It is also found
to stimulate collagen synthesis in osteoblasts.
Ethanol extract of Phyllanthus rheedii inhibited
Hepatitis-B (HBs Ag level) up to 68% at RGCB,
Thiruvananthapuram. At TBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram,
ursolic acid was identified as the marker
compound in Ixora coccinia and flavonoids and
coumarins in Rhinacanthus nasuta extracts showing
hepatoprotective activity.
Potential anti-bacterial activity has been recorded in
leaf extracts of Callistemon rigidus against standard
strain of Staphylococcus aureus NCTC-65-71 at
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Patiala. Bio-activity guided fractionation of the active
extract has also been carried out. Purified pectic
polysaccharide from Aegle marmelos (Bael) have
shown significant in vivo anti-leishmanial activity
using BALBc mice models infected with Leishmania
donovani at IICB, Kolkata.
Root extract of Clitorea ternatea and taraxerol
showed significant inhibition of acetyl cholinesterase
activity and cognitive enhancing activity at Jadavpur
University, Kolkata. Similarly, rhizome extract of
Acorus calamus and β-asarone isolated from it also
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Leishmania donovani infected BALB/e mice liver cells control (left); After
treatment with the pectic substance from bael fruit for 10 days (IICB,
Kolkata)
Leishmania donovani infected BALB/e mice spleen cells control (left);
After treatment with the pectic substance from bael fruit for 10 days (IICB,
Kolkata)
showed marked inhibition of acetyl cholinesterase
effect and cognitive enhancing activity. A set of p 300
histone acetyl transferase (HAT) specific inhibitors
have been synthesized and characterized from
garcinol for cancer therapy and diagnostics
purposes at JNCAR, Bangalore. A polyhydroxylated
aromatic compound has been identified as a novel
specific inhibitor of histone methyl transferase
(HMTase) which was found to be toxic to cancerous
cells but no effect on the normal cells. Hydroethanolic
extracts of Citrus sinensis, Emblica
officinalis and Ocimum sanctum have been found to
inhibit farnesyl transferase enzyme activity at Jamia
Hamdard, New Delhi.
Genomics and Metabolic Engineering
Efforts have been initiated to construct a high
precision genetic linkage map of Catharanthus
roseus at NCPGR, New Delhi. The Inflorescence
architecture (ia) locus has been mapped on the
linkage group 2 (LG2) of C. roseus using bulk
segregant anlaysis of a population of recombinant
inbred lines (RILs) and a series of RAPD, ISSR, SSR
and sequence specific molecular DNA markers.
Research and Development