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| PROGRAMME |
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| Year : 2011 | Volume
: 1
| Issue : 3 | Page : 4-9 |
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Programme
| Date of Web Publication | 17-Sep-2011 |
Correspondence Address:
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
How to cite this article:
. Programme. Int J Nutr Pharmacol Neurol Dis 2011;1, Suppl S1:4-9 |
National Seminar on Future Prospective of Natural Products and Food as Medicine
1 st and 2 nd April 2011
Registration : 09.30-10.00 am
Inauguration : 10.00-11.00 am
Welcome Address: : Dr. S.S. Rajendran
Professor and Head, Department of Zoology & Senate Member, Bharathidasan University
Introductory Address : Dr. G. Sridharan
Professor, Department of Zoology
Presidential Address : Professor R. Ambikapathy
Principal
Rajah Serfoji Govt. College,Thanjavur
Inaugural Address : Dr. P. Subramanian
Professor and Head, Dept. of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchriappalli - 24
Vote of Thanks : Dr. P. Krishnamoorthy
Assistant Professor of Zoology
 Natural products and Reproductive health | |  |
P. Subramanian
Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University,
Tiruchirappalli - 620 024 E-mail: [email protected]
We
are living in a plant-dominated world, and all the animals depend on
organic materials, the plants, as food for their survival and growth.
Of course, there exists some selectivity/preference among them in
feeding. On the other hand, there are changes in our surrounding
environment, and the organisms living around us may cause some diseases
when our body becomes susceptible. The curative medicines also present
in the nature, but we have to identify the right source in the right
combination and dose to cure the disease. Thus, our ancestors, by
practice, identified certain plants (vegetables, pulses and cereals)
and animals as their food items, which helped better survival, health
and propagation. At the same time, any insufficiency or excess
nutriments also impair the normal health or cause diseases, leading to
the adage in tamil, " ounave madurubthu and marundae ounavu," which
denotes that our food should be sufficiently nutritive and limited like
medicine and the medicine must be like a food and should be easily
taken up by our body without causing much ill effect. Identically, they
have identified some natural materials to cure or get rid of ailments.
Thereby, while taking Siddha and Ayurvedic medicines, food regulations
are strictly adopted to get a better effect of cure without any
side-effects.
In this line, some traditionally known natural products (two herbs - Pedalium murex and Hybanthus enneaspermus; one animal - Etroplus maculatus
and one mineral - sodium chloride) were tested for their ability to
enhance the reproductive health (aphrodisiac property) in an animal
model.
| Let Food Be Our Medicine | | |
K. Jayaprakash
Department of Zoology, Chikkana Government College, Thiruppur
Our
health status is continuously changing. Among our Indian population,
75% of those below 40 years of age are under various stresses.
Thirty-six percent is developing risk to diseases that affect people of
above 50 plus of age. Both poor nutrition and poverty are contributing
negative impact on the quality of life and health.
Disorders of
sleep, diabetic mellitus, hypertension, immuno diseases, stroke, cancer
and heart attack are becoming common. Stress due to competitive
pressures is also increasing among our student community. New life
style results in the modification of food habits, which include
consuming junk and fast foods. Health issues that are addressed by
synthetic chemical drugs are quiet expensive. There is a fear of
side-effects and total dependency of the drugs treated. Nutritional
supplementation is therefore the solution for health and fitness.
Nutraceuticals,
as against chemical pharmaceuticals, are food-based supplements that
provide healthy living in this present world scenario. After
automobiles and Information Technology, the revolution of
neutraceutical is estimated to bring in the next trillion dollar
industry (Economist: Paul Zane Pilzer, 2005). Nutraceuticals are
neutrals that have no side-effects.
"Let Food Be Your Medicine":
this concept was first introduced by the Father of Medicine, Greek
Physician Hippocrates, before many centuries. The idea is to focus on
prevention. The term "Nutraceutical" was coined by Stephen Defelice
(1989). It is defined as a food or part of food or nutrient that
provides health benefits, which include prevention and treatments.
The
following are some of the examples of functional components derived
from various routine food substances. These are discussed for their
sources and their potential health benefits in this presentation. They
are available in our market. For better health status, manipulating the
food rich with these nutraceutical molecules is suggested. Diet
includes these substances with regular exercise, and maintenance of
body weight should maximize our health and reduce disease risks.
| Veggies and Bio-effective livelihood | | |
V. Aldous. J. Huxley
Biotech
Research Laboratory, Department of Zoology Thiru. Vi. Ka. Govt. Arts
College, Tiruvarur - 613 003 E-mail: [email protected]
Vegetarian
food is good for health. It creates a disease-free situation in the
human system. Complete immunity from disease can be obtained by taking
fresh fruits and vegetables. Fruits build and rebuild body tissues.
They tone up the body and prevent diseases. It is completely false to
believe that for body building, one has to eat meat and other
non-vegetarian animal proteins. Man can depend completely on plant
proteins for a healthy and strong body. This review discusses the
importance of vegetarian food, its requirement, food value and
medicinal value.
| Medicinal plants and herbal utilization for human health | | |
Annamalai Muthusamy
Division of Biotechnology, Manipal Life Sciences Centre, Manipal University, Planetarium Complex, Manipal - 576 104, Karnataka
Humans
have relied directly on plants for food, clothing and shelter, all
produced or manufactured from plant matrices (leaves, woods, fibers)
and storage parts (fruits, tubers). Plants have also been utilized for
additional purposes, namely as arrow and dart poisons for hunting,
poisons for murder, hallucinogens used for ritualistic purposes,
stimulants for endurance and hunger suppression, as well as inebriants
and medicines. Medicinal plants play an indispensable role in human
life in the history of nations and civilization to combat diseases
since time immemorial. Medicinal plants are not only a major resource
base for the traditional medicine and herbal industry but also provide
livelihood and health security to a large segment of the Indian
population. The rural folks and tribals in India even now depend
largely on the surrounding plants/forests for their day-to-day needs.
Medicinal plants are being looked upon not only as a source of health
care but also as a source of income. In view of the innate Indian
strengths, which include diverse ecosystems for the growth of medicinal
plants, technical/farming capacity and strong manufacturing sector, the
medicinal plants sector can provide a huge export opportunity after
fulfilling domestic needs. India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity
centers, having over 45,000 plant species (17,500 flowering plants, of
which 5725 are endemic to India), 8000 of which are medicinal (Rao
2006). The florae of India is rich is biodiversity, being a subtropical
country, and in Himalaya alone over 8000 angiosperms, 44 gymnosperms,
600 pteridophytes, 1737 bryophytes and 1159 lichens have been a source
of medicine for millions of people in the country and elsewhere in the
world. Medicinal plants are estimated to have medicinal usage in folk
and documented systems of medicine, like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and
Homeopathy. The production of medicinal plants being labor-intensive
generates increased employment opportunities for the farmers,
particularly the rural masses/tribals, and enhances their incomes.
Growing medicinal plants is much more remunerative as compared with
growing cereals, horticulture crops, etc. Approximately 960 species of
medicinal plants are estimated to be in trade, of which 178 species
have annual consumption levels in excess of 100 metric tons (National
Medicinal Plant Board, New Delhi). Plant secondary metabolites can be
classified into several groups according to their chemical classes,
such alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolics. Plants have formed the basis
of sophisticated traditional medicine practices that have been used for
thousands of years by people in China, India, and many other countries.
Biosynthesis and storage of plant secondary metabolites:
Biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites (PSM) is cell-, tissue- and
organ- or development-specific in almost all higher plant species. In
most cases, the pathways and, indeed, the genes involved in their
synthesis are tightly regulated and may be linked to environmental,
seasonal or external triggers. Cellular sites of synthesis are
compartmentalised in the plant cell, with the majority of pathways
being at least partially active in the cytoplasm. However, there is
some evidence that compounds such as alkaloids, quinolizidines,
caffeine and some terpenes are synthesised in the chloroplast. The
biosynthesis of protoberberine occurs in cell vesicles and coniine, and
some amines are synthesized in the mitochondria. The synthesis of
lipophilic compounds is usually associated with the endoplasmic
reticulum, as are many of the post-synthetic modifications such as
hydroxylation. Although PSM are often detected throughout the plant,
their initial site of synthesis is often restricted to a single organ
such as roots, fruits or leaves. Thereafter, they can be transported
around the plant via the phloem or xylem or by symplastic or apoplastic
transport and stored in a number of different tissues. The site of
storage often depends on the polarity of the compounds, with
hydrophilic compounds such as alkaloids, glucosinolates and tannins
being stored in vacuoles or idioblasts, while lipophilic compounds such
as the terpene-based essential oils are stored in trichomes, glandular
hairs, resin ducts, thylakoid membranes or on the cuticle. For some
compounds that are present in the plant as defence barriers, e.g.
alkaloids, flavonoids, cyanogenic glycosides and coumarins, storage may
be in the epidermis itself.
Storage may be tissue- or
cell-specific, with flowers, fruits and seeds being rich sources of
many PSM, especially in annual plants. In perennial species, PSM are
present in high levels in bulbs, roots, rhizomes and bark of the roots
and stems.
Function of secondary metabolites: Plants,
fungi, sessile animals and bacteria cannot run away when attacked by
herbivores or predators; neither do they have an immune system against
invading bacteria, fungi or viruses. Consequently, plants and other
sessile organisms (e.g., marine animals) have developed biologically
active secondary metabolites during evolution that help them to defend
themselves against predators (insects, mollusks, vertebrates),
microbes, viruses and other competing plants. In order to be effective,
secondary metabolites must be present at the correct site, time and
concentration. The biosynthesis of several secondary metabolites is
constitutive, whereas in many plants it can be induced and enhanced by
biological stress conditions, such as wounding or infection. This
activation can be biochemical, e.g. through the hydrolysis of
glycosides that are stored as "prodrugs" or via the activation of genes
responsible for the synthesis, transport or storage of secondary
metabolites. Plants also use secondary metabolites (such as volatile
essential oils and colored flavonoids or tetraterpenes) to attract
insects for pollination or other animals for seed dispersion. In this
case, secondary metabolites serve as signal compounds. PSM may not be
the end products of metabolism, but may have a regular rate of
turnover. The concentration of some PSMs, such as quinolizidine
alkaloids and some monoterpenes, have also been shown to vary in a
diurnal fashion, suggesting an interplay between synthesis and
turnover, and active transcription of the genes involved.
Mode of action:
To cope up with various stress conditions, especially the biotic stress
from herbivores, predators and microbes in both above and below ground,
the role of secondary metabolites as defense substances must be able to
interfere with molecular targets in the cells, tissues and organs of
the organisms. The major types of molecular targets in both prokaryotes
and eukaryotes include biomembranes, proteins, nucleic acids and
enzymes. PSM also help the plants to protect from UV light.
Drug discovery from medicinal plants: Plants produce and accumulate a
vast number of different natural products, also called secondary
metabolites. Although tens of thousands of secondary metabolites have
been chemically identified, still, the biological roles of most
specialized compounds in the plants producing them are unknown. Many
natural compounds are of commercial and industrial importance,
imparting colors and scents to flowers, fruits and vegetables, and are
also key ingredients in medicinals and nutraceuticals. Many studies
have indicated that natural products accumulated in plants have clear
ecological roles, such as protection against predation, protection
against fungal and bacterial diseases or against adverse climatic
conditions. Additionally, many natural products serve as signal
molecules to attract pollinators and seed-dispersers, or mediate
pathogenic, parasitic or symbiotic interactions. Current research in
drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach,
combining botanical, phytochemical, biological and molecular
techniques. Several natural product drugs of plant origin have either
recently been introduced to the United States market, including
arteether, galantamine, nitisinone and andtiotropium, or are currently
involved in late-phase clinical trials. Although drug discovery from
medicinal plants continues to provide an important source of new drug
leads, numerous challenges are encountered, including the procurement
of plant materials, the selection and implementation of appropriate
high-throughput screening bioassays and the scale-up of active
compounds.
Herbal utilization: The utilization of
medicinal plants and its secondary metabolites in medicines has been in
practice from the early days of mankind. The secondary metabolites used
as crude extract, partially purified, have been used to treat different
infections, health disorders and illness of the people. The natural
medicines have been replaced by synthetic drugs during the past 100
years. The use of plant drugs for medical treatment is possible because
plants have evolved bioactive metabolites directed against microbes and
herbivores (see above). The utilization of such compounds for medicinal
purposes is, therefore, only the other side of the coin. Cardiac
glycosides, for example, are very poisonous as they inhibit Na+ , K+ -ATPase, a central target in animals.
Several
secondary metabolites from plants are used medicinally as isolated
compounds, including many alkaloids such as morphine (pain killer),
codeine (antitussive), papaverine (phosphodiesterase inhibitor),
ephedrine (stimulant), ajmaline (antiarrhythmic), quinidine
(antiarrhythmic), quinine (antimalarial), paclitaxel (tumor therapy),
vinblastine (tumor therapy), podophyllotoxin (tumor therapy),
camptothecine (tumor therapy), reserpine (antihypertensive),
galanthamine (acetylcholine esterase inhibitor; Alzheimer's disease),
aconitine (pain killer), physostigmine (acetylcholine esterase
inhibitor), atropine (spasmolytic; mydriatic), scopolamine (travel
sickness), berberine (psoriasis), caffeine (stimulant), theophylline
(antitussive), capsaicin (rheumatic pains), colchicines (gout),
yohimbine (aphrodisiac) and pilocarpine (glaucoma). Other secondary
metabolites include cardiac glycosides, genistein (tyrosine kinase
inhibitor, phytoestrogen), khellin (angina pectoris), artemisinin
(antimalarial), menthol (spasmolytic) and thymol (antiseptic). A wide
range and variety of bioactive molecules has been synthesized by
different groups of plants and stored in specific tissues/organs. We
need to understand the physiology, biochemistry and ecology of plant
secondary metabolism and its leads to design the methods and techniques
for the breeding of plants for better protection against the enemies in
both above and below ground. More importantly, understanding their
molecular pharmacology represents a key to utilize natural
phytochemicals in a rational way in medicine and agriculture (Wink
2007).
| Food as Medicine | | |
Chellam Balasundaram
UGC Emeritus Fellow Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli Email: [email protected]
Medical
science continues making rapid progress in an unending fashion. But,
all modern medicines treat only the symptoms and not the cause. The
Indian medical system has paved the way for holistic health as a person
with sound body and sound mind is qualified to go for the next stage of
exploring one self. The ancient yogis concentrated and developed the
siddha medical system. Many yogis extensively studied the herbs and
their effects in the treatment of various diseases.
They
developed the concept of "food is medicine," which defines that
disorders can be healed by food itself. In this line, they documented
the properties of various foods and their effect on health. It is to be
reckoned that modern medicine accepts the fact that what we eat
influences our mind. In India, food was classified as rajasic
(stimulating), thomasic (that which promotes dullness) and sathvic
(that which calms the mind).
The classification of various foods
and their role in restoring and maintaining health will be discussed.
The common food-based recipes to control obesity, diabetes and stress
will be presented.
| Evaluation of Herbal Drugs | | |
M. Jegadeesan
Department of Environmental and Herbal Science, Tamil University, Thanjavur - 613 010 E-mail: [email protected]
Herbal
drugs, or Phytomedicine, is emerging as a part and parcel of healthcare
delivery system throughout the world. Since the World Health
Organization had recommended Traditional Medicine to be included in the
world healthcare methods to achieve health for all, herbal drugs and
trade had poised to a greater height together with research and
development in the field. New herbal drugs have been flooding the
market, from cosmoceuticals, nutraceuticals to pharmaceuticals.
Development and spread of herbal drugs bring with it the need for
standardization and quality control, to vouch for their quality,
efficacy and safety. Many countries have evolved their own standards of
Phytomedicine, e.g. German E-Commission, European Commission, FDA (USA)
etc.
In India, standardization of herbal drugs has begun,
although in a low profile. Scientific validation of Indian herbal drugs
used in Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani has been carried out in a number of
research laboratories, both in government and educational and research
institutes. Although Indian Traditional Medicines stood the test of
time, globalization and free trade necessitated herbal drugs to be
evaluated by throughput screening methods to face global market and
acceptability. The present lecture would discuss the methods of
evaluation of herbal drugs from identification to manufacture, citing
examples of some herbal single drugs and herbal formulations evaluated
in our laboratory.
| Yogic Diet for Good Health and Long Life | | |
A. Uthirapathy
Department of Physical Education, Thiru Vi Ka Government Arts College, Thiruvarur - 613 005, Tamilnadu, India
Yoga
is the connection between body and mind. It focuses on the mental,
emotional and physical well being of an individual. Yoga inspires
individuals to embark upon a journey that brings a healthy,
disease-free, long, contented and spiritual life ahead. Yoga is the
only science that has laid great emphasis on food over centuries. In
fact, there is a whole branch called Anna Yoga devoted to food for
health and happiness. Yoga, over centuries, has developed a concept of
balanced whole food, diet and an eating philosophy. These principles of
good eating use powerful techniques that help in maintaining a strong
and healthy body, a stress-free mind and a positive spirituality within
this mixed-up world. Yoga diet philosophy does not believe in the
calorie count of foods or the amount of vitamins, minerals or proteins
we get from the food. Instead, stress is laid on the type of food and
its quality. Yoga classifies food into three categories, similar to the
classification of human beings. A balanced diet, therefore, according
to yoga, is that diet that restores balance at all levels. Such diets
could aid in a "holistic way of living."
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