E-Paper
CSIR-CIMAP helps Puri farmer develop Tulsi immunity booster
Scientists from CSIR-CIMAP and a farmer from Odisha have developed a Tulsi-based immunity booster called 'ocimmune', which is a combination of five different Tulsi plants. The technology was transferred to a farmer in Puri for mass production.
A group of scientists from CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP), Lucknow in collaboration with a farmer from Puri in Odisha, has developed a Tulsi-based immunity booster ‘ocimmune’. The product developed with over two years of research is a combination of five different Tulsi plants.
With Tulsi grown in abundance in Puri, the farmer Ashok K Patra who is a beneficiary of the aroma mission of the institute, was already extracting the essential oils from the plant. Claiming that he found it to be quite effective during the Covid pandemic, he reached to the scientists here.
“Since Tulsi is grown in abundance in Puri for its use as offerings at Jagannath Temple, my company’s production facility is established here itself. I started extracting oil from the plants that were surplus after being used in temples. The oil extracted proved beneficial to many people during the Covid pandemic. Thus, I contacted the CIMAP scientists who further guided me scientifically and technically to develop this product,” said Patra.
“The technology was transferred to a Puri-based farmer who is also one of the beneficiaries of the institute’s aroma mission for mass production. The product will be mass produced by him as he has already organised the needed setup and the machinery installation work has already been completed,” said institute’s director Prabodh Kumar Trivedi.
The product developed by Patra is a combination of five distinct varieties of Ocimum Genus (basil) traditionally known as Tulsi. The five varieties are Ocimum Sanctum (CIM Angna), CIM Shishir, CIM Soumya, CIM Suvaas and CIM Jyoti developed by CIMAP.
The technology of the newly developed formulation was transferred to ‘Big M Healthcare Pvt. Ltd.’ of Odisha during the 45th annual day celebration of CSIR-CIMAP Lucknow on Friday.
The team of scientists from CIMAP are Anirban Pal, Prasanta Kumar Rout, Chandan Singh Chanotiya, Debabrata Chanda, Dharmendra Saikia, Narayan Prasad Yadav, RK Lal, and Ajit Kumar Shasany.
Meanwhile, CSIR-CIMAP Lucknow celebrated 45th annual day of CIMAP on Friday.
Anil Prakash Joshi, environmentalist and Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee was invited as the chief guest along with GN Singh, advisor to chief minister, and Awanish Kumar Awasthi, administrative advisor to the chief minister as the guest of honour.
Technology transfer of two other products developed by the institute also took place which were a sanitary napkin and aroma value kit.
Later, a scientific and industry meet was conducted to discuss problems faced by industries in the production of essential oils and aromatic products.
