National Research Laboratories in medicinal plant research - NBRI, CDRI, CIMAP

1. Herbal Cultivation
NATIONAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES IN MEDICINAL PLANT RESEARCH
CDRI (Central Drug Research Institute)
 CDRI is one of the 32 research laboratories of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research)
 The initial idea for establishing CDRI was given by Dr.B.Mukherjee, Dr.J.N.Mehta, and
S.S.Bhatnagar and was established first at the royal monument "Chattar Mahzil", Palace of
Nawab of Oudh.
 Now, its headquarters is in Lucknow.
 It is one of the first laboratories to be established in India after Independence.
 The research institute was formally inaugurated on 17th
February 1951 by the former prime
minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru.
 It is one of the multidisciplinary research institutes.
 This institute was mainly developed to strengthen drug research and development. It has
two data centers and one field station.
 The present director of CDRI is Prof. Tapas Kumar Kundu.
 CDRI has transformed more than 133 indigenous technologies to pharmaceutical
companies. Some of them include :
Name of the Product Use License
Cyprohepatadine Antiallergic Kembiotic Collaborator, Bombay
Hesperidine from
orange peels
Vitamin Nath Laboratories, Hyderabad
Indomethacin Analgesic,
AntiInflammatory
Kembiotic Collaborator, Bombay

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Peptone and Meat
Extract
Culture Media Biochemical and Synthetic
Products, Hyderabad
Thiaacetazone Tuberculostatic Gujarat Pharmaceutical Labs,
Ahmedabad
Dapsone Antileprotic Gujarat Pharmaceutical Labs,
Ahmedabad
Dexamphetamine CNS Stimulant Unichem Laboratories, Bombay
Methamphetamine CNS Stimulant Unichem Laboratories, Bombay
Psoralene form
Psoralea seeds
Pigmentogenic Agent Unichem Laboratories, Bombay
Paracetamol Antipyretic, Analgesic Citadel Fine Pharmaceuticals,
Chennai
 They have published more than 10,000 articles and have 350 Indian patents and 90
International Patents.
 They Provide employment opportunities to Life Science graduates.
 For administrative and scientific purposes, the institute manpower has been grouped into
17 research and development divisions. They are
1) Division of Biochemistry
2) Division of Botany
3) Clinical and Experimental Medicine
4) Division of Cancer Biology
5) Division of Endocrinology
6) Fermentation Technology
7) Medicinal Chemistry
8) Division of Microbiology
9) Division of Neuroscience
10) Division of Parasitology
11) Division of Pharmaceutics
12) Division of Pharmacokinetics and Metabolism
13) Division of Pharmacology
14) Division of Toxicology
15) Division of Laboratory Animals
 They conduct 6 training programs or certificate courses for life science graduates at an
affordable fee. They are
a) Data Analysis and Interpretation
b) Advanced Spectroscopic Techniques (NMR, HPLC, UV, IR, LC-MS)
c) Computational approaches to drug design and development

3. Herbal Cultivation
d) Pathological Tools and Techniques for biomedical application
e) Advance course on Care, Management of Laboratory Animals and Experimental
Techniques.
f) Electron Microscopy Techniques for life sciences.
 At present, CDRI has developed 12 new drugs, of these E-MAL (for Malaria), Memory Sure
(for memory power and to reduce stress) and Saheli (Female contraceptive) are available
in the market.
CIMAP (Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants)
 CIMAP is one of the 32 research laboratories of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research)
 Earlier in 1959, it is called as Central Indian Medicinal Plant Organization (CIMPO)
 It is engaged in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants.
 The Present Director of CIMAP is Anil Kumar Tripathi
 Its headquarters is in Lucknow and CIMAP has four research centres situated in Banglore,
Hyderabad, Patna Nagar, and Purara.
 CIMAP, Lucknow houses the National Gene Bank of medicinal and aromatic plants, seed
gene bank, tissue and DNA bank. Further, Field Gene Bank of different varieties of MAPs is
maintained at CIMAP Lucknow and its four research centres situated across the country.
 The research centres are aptly situated in different agro-climatic zones of the country to
facilitate multi-location field trials and research.
 CIMAP is a unique lab with multidisciplinary laboratories, ultra-modern instrumentation
facilities, and scientific expertise in Agriculture, Genetics, Plant Breeding, Molecular
Taxonomy, Structural Biology, Plant Biotechnology, Microbiology, Bioenergy, and
Chemical Sciences.

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 CIMAP has been designated by PPV&FRA (Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer's
Rights Authority) as a Nodal laboratory for developing National Test Guidelines for plant
varieties protection and DUS (distinctiveness, uniformity, and stability) testing of
medicinal and aromatic plants and seed species.
 CIMAP Bio-village Mission is currently expanding the industrial cultivation of appropriate
medicinal and aromatic plants nationwide from North to South India, and in Uttar
Pradesh, from Lucknow in all directions.
 National Biodiversity Authority of India has recognized CIMAP as a Designated National
Repository (DNR) under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, to keep in safe custody,
specimens of different categories of biological material.
 CIMAP has been recognized as Focal Point for South East Asia by International Centre
for Science and High Technology- United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(ICS-UNIDO).
 CIMAP has been documenting and creating scientific knowledgebase relevant to MAPs
for their efficient utilization, facilitating the lab to market journey of medicinal and
aromatic crops (MACs) through several important publications.
 CIMAP has an IP portfolio of more than 135 foreign and Indian Patents granted in
medicinal and aromatic plants.
 The research centres of CIMAP regularly organizes training programs, Entrepreneurship
building programs, need-based industrial training, and awareness program all over the
country.
NBRI (National Botanical Research Institute)
 It is one of the 32 research laboratories of CSIR(Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research)
 It is established in 1789 AD as a Royal Garden by the Nawab of Oudh. It acquired its
present name in the year 1978.
 It is engaged in the field of Taxonomy and Modern Biology.

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 The present director of NBRI is S.K.Barik.
 This institute is well known for its outstanding contribution to Plant Biodiversity,
Biotechnology, Microbial technology, Herbal Products, and Plant Databases.
 This institute is involved in raising different plant species of commercial importance.
 The Government of India acknowledged this institute as a ‘National repository for plants’
under Indian Biodiversity Act, 2002.
 NBRI also maintains a famous historic pleasure botanical garden "Sikandar Bagh" of about
65 acres which is the third-largest botanical garden in India.
 NBRI has 2, 53,000 herbarium of different plant varieties and is the second-largest in the
country.
 NBRI helps the higher education system of the country by designing and periodically
updating the plant science syllabus for the universities.
 They survey unexplored areas of the country for new plant species.
 NBRI improves crop varieties through conventional and molecular breeding and develops
transgenic plants with desired traits for enhanced productivity.
 NBRI conserves several threatened plant species which are on the verge of extinction.
 The scientists of NBRI have developed Sustainable land models for sodic soil affected areas
and shifting cultivation areas. These models are being upscaled to provide livelihood
support to millions of farmers who are suffering due to low productive lands.
 The institute imparts a plant-based skill development program in 10 areas, as a part of the
Skill India Initiative.
 They promote some of the extension activities for rural women and farmers such as
1. Floriculture
2. Agrotechniques
3. Herbal Garden
4. Kitchen Garden
5. Organic Farming
6. Bioremediation
7. Cultivation methods of locally adapted plants
 NBRI is also called the state botanical research institute of South Africa
 Their achievements include a new variety of bougainvillea (Los Banos Variegata) and pest-
resistant cotton against whiteflies.
M.Priyadharshana
15/3/21