Kuthab laba, Uhan on an international map
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 12 2011:
The North-Eastern States (NES) of India are an enchanting colache of undulating landscape covered with mystique forests that hide one of the rarest species of plants and animals.
It is indeed, for these credentials that the NES of India feature as one of the biodiversity hotspot of our blue planet earth.
In keeping with the glorious Indian medicinal system of Ayurveda, NES also boast of some rare species of plants with magical therapeutic properties.
The local population and the scientific world is however, blissfully unaware about the hidden potentials of some of the medicinal herbs.
Ms.Menaka Chanu Thounaojam residing at Khurai Thangjam Leikai, Porompat was aware about this situation and was determined as a research student to make a Hercules efforts to put endemic herbs of Manipur (Kuthab laba (Clerodendron glandulosum) and Uhan (Sida rhomboidea) on an international map.
These herbs are used as a traditional medicine against diabetes and hypertension amongst the Apatani and Nyishi tribes of North eastern states of India.
Also, the local Manipuri people residing in urban areas used decoction prepared from these leaves extract to alleviate symptoms of diabetes and blood pressure.
Under the guidance of Prof.A.V.Ramachandran and Dr.R.V.Devkar at The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, Gujarat, India, Ms.Menaka Chanu Thounaojam burn the midnight lamp in her quest for investigating anti-diabetic, anti-obesity and anti-hypertensive potentials of these medicinal herbs.
�It was indeed heartening and surprising that, Kuthab laba and Uhan were able to successfully mitigate experimentally induced hypertension, obesity and diabetes" said Ms.Menaka during an exclusive interview with Dr.T.B Singh.
Ms.Menaka has also put her findings in several scientific journals of international repute such as Cardiovascular toxicology Journal, Journal of Ethnopharmacology, Journal of health science, Food and Chemical toxicoly, International Journal of Molecular Science publishing from United States of America, Japan, Neatherland, Brazil etc and has won critical acclaim and reputed awards such as �Manjushree pal Memorial Award" for best research presentation at Jadavpur University, Kolkata, to name a few.
�It feels like a dream come true when I see that a herb that is grown in my backyard is now a talk of the scientific community" said Ms.Menaka.