The setting up of a separate Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology in 1986 gave a new impetus to the development of modern biology and biotechnology in India. The department’s efforts at promoting and accelerating the pace of development of biotechnology in the fields of agriculture, health care, environment and industry are now culminating into products and processes.

Biotechnology of MAPs and plants is a major area under the R&D programmes of DBT. Major Scientific achievements of DBT in this sector are listed below:

I. Conservation and characterization

• A national network of four gene banks on MAPs at TBGRI, Thiruvananthapuram, CIMAP, Lucknow, NBPGR, New Delhi and IIIM, Jammu were further strengthened and now have a total of about 8,500 accessions of prioritized species conserved in different forms.
• A germplasm bank for medicinal plants used in Ayurveda has been set up at Arya Vaidya Sala, Kotakkal, Kerala.

II. Micropropagation

• In vitro propagation protocols for selected MAPs such as Garcinia indica, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Lavandula officinalis, Pterocarpus marsupiam, Chlorophytum borivilianum
• Successful multi-locational field trials on performance of tissue culture-derived crop of Pogostemon cablin carried out on a total of 32 acres involving five centres.
• Field evaluation of the performance of tissue culture-raised elite varieties of large cardamom (Cardamomum subulatum) over a total area of 50 acres in Uttaranchal initiated in association with the spices board.

III. Cell culture production of therapeutic agents

• Generation of podophyllotoxin from Podophyllum hexandrum, hyoscyamine from Hyoscyamus niger, guggulsterones from Commiphora wightii and camptothecin from Ophiorrhyza species.
• Four fast-growing cell cines of P. hexandrum capable of synthesizing podophyllotoxins devoid of α-peltatins were developed.
• A 15 l bioreactor set up for upscaling cell culture production of podophyllotoxin, anthraquinones and other therapeutic agents.
• Cell suspension cultures raised from leaf and hairy root derived callus of Hyoscyamus muticus have been scaled up in bioreactor towards production of hyoscyamine.

IV. Process upscaling for lead compound extraction

• Processes for the generation of 10-Deacetyl-abeo-baccatin from Taxus wallichiana needles, camptothecin from Nothapodytes foetida and silymarin from Silybum marianum have been upscaled for commercial production

V. Cell-based screening systems

• In vitro bioscreen to identify anti-diabetic, anti-cancer and immunomodulatory agents from plants developed and a multi-institutional project implemented on using it along with cell signal targets.
• Using a cell-based screen developed for evaluating anti-amoebic activity of plant extracts, an active extract has been identified for further standardization and product development.

VI. Isolation and characterization of new bioactives/therapeutic agents

• Based on in-vitro screening of 60 traditional medicinal plants a total of 35 lead molecules have so far been identified – anti-cancer-15, anti-diabetic-5, immunomodulatory-15.
• Two anti-cancer lead molecules (from Aegle marmelos and Phyllanthus urinaria) have been patented.
• A patent filed for a plant extract demonstrating osteogenic activity in vitro and in vivo.
• An anti-mycobacterial lead fraction from Piper longum effective against both sensitive and resistant strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been identified.

VII. Development of standardized herbal formulation

• A collaborative project to develop a standardized and safe herbal product for left ventricular dysfunction from Terminalia arjuna based on leads already available is underway.

VIII. Genomic resources and metabolic pathways

• Patent filed for capsaicin synthase enzyme – key enzyme involved in the biogenesis of capsaicin – characterized from the placental tissues of Capsicum species.
• Five lines of Catharanthus roseus hyperproducing serpentine and its product ajmalicine developed through DNA marker assisted pyramidation of the concerned gene loci.