BIODIVERSITY AS A SOURCE OF MEDICINE

BIOLOGICAL PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN USED TO CURE DISEASE SINCE ANCIENT PERIODS OF HUMAN HISTORY. IN INDIA HERBAL REMEDIES ARE USED FOR EVERYDAY HOME CURES. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN MOST MEDICINAL COMPOUNDS CAME FROM PLANTS; THE POTENT HEART STIMULANT FROM FOXGLOVE AND OPIUM FROM THE POPPY PLANT. SINCE OVER PAST FIFTY YEARS, CHEMISTRY TOOK OVER FROM BOTANY WITH MOST NEW DRUGS BEING SYNTHESIZED IN PHARMACEUTICAL LABS. NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN PLANT TECHNOLOGY MAY SOON REVERSE THIS TREND. RESEARCHERS ARE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING PLANT-BASED VACCINES WOULD LIKELY BE CHEAPER AND EASY TO ADMINISTER.

THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES OF THE NORTHEASTERN STATES OF INDIA HAVE ALMOST 47 PER CENT OF FOREST COVER WHICH CONTAIN AN AMAZINGLY WIDE RANGE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS.

ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PLANTS IN MEGHALAYA RAUVOLFIA SERPENTINA WHICH IS USED FOR REDUCING BLOOD PRESSURE, ACTS AS A TRANQUILIZER AND IS USED LOCALLY AS AN ANTIDOTE FOR SNAKE BITE. THE OIL OF THE TARAKTOGENOS KURTZII PLANT IS USED FOR THE TREATMENT OF LEPROSY. THE ROOT OF RAUVOLFIA CANESENCE AND THE LEAVES OF THE TABERNAMONTANA ARE USED TO CURE HEART AILMENTS. THE LEAVES OF TAXUS RACATA ARE EFFECTIVE AGAINST CANCER OF THE STOMACH.

IN 1785, A BRITISH PHYSICIAN ,WILLIAM WITHERING REPORTED THAT INGESTION OF DRIED LEAVES FROM THE FOXGLOVE PLANT EASED DROPSY, AN ACCUMULATION OF FLUID KNOWN TO BE  CAUSED BY HEART'S FAILURE TO PUMP ADEQUATELY DIGITALIS IS USED FOR CARDIAC PATIENTS. TODAY TWO OF ITS COMPONENTS- THE GLYCOSIDES DIGOXIN AND DIGITOXIN ARE WIDELY PRESCRIBED TO MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD. EXPLORATIONS MADE IN THE MEDICINAL USES OF PLANTS BY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN REMOTE PARTS OF THE WORLD ALONG WITH INTRODUCTION OF SOPHISTICATED ASSAYS ABLE TO DETERMINE WHETHER PLANTS EXERT A BIOLOGICAL EFFECT; HAS FACILITATED THE DISCOVERY OF BIOACTIVE MOLECULES MADE BY MEDICINAL PLANTS. SOME OF THESE MOLECULES PROMISE POSSIBLE THERAPIES FOR A RANGE OF DISEASES, INCLUDING, AIDS AND CANCER.

EFFORTS MADE BY MAN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIODIVERSITY

THE GROWING NEEDS OF THE EXPANDING POPULATION OF THE WORLD, FOR MORE FOOD AND RAW MATERIALS HAVE MOTIVATED MAN TO SEARCH FOR WAYS AND MEANS TO TAP VARIOUS SOURCES TO ENSURE A STEADY  SUPPLY OF FOOD AND OTHER RESOURCES. OLD TECHNOLOGIES LIKE FERMENTATION, PLANT, BREEDING, ETC., IS GIVING WAY TO MODERN TECHNOLOGIES LIKE BIOTECHNOLOGY, TISSUE CULTURE,ETC. THE APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING PRINCIPLES IN PROCESSING OF MATERIALS BY BIOLOGICAL AGENTS TO PROVIDE GOODS AND SERVICES IS A BROAD CONCERN OF BIOTECHNOLOGY.

PLANT BREEDING AND CROP IMPROVEMENT DEVELOPMENT OF NEW VARIETIES OF CROPS INCLUDES CREATION OF GENETIC VARIATION BY COMBINING DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS IN ONE PLANT AND THEN MULTIPLYING IT. THE PLANT BREEDER MAKES A SELECTION OF PLANTS WITH DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS, CROSSES THEM AND THEN IDENTIFIES THE OFFSPRING THAT COMBINE THE ATTRIBUTES OF BOTH PARENTS. THE PROGENY IS THEN MULTIPLIED TO BE SUPPLIED TO FARMERS, GROWERS AND PLANTERS. CROP IMPROVEMENT IS ACHIEVED THROUGH SUPERIOR HEREDITY.CREATION OF GENETIC VARIATION CAN BE DONE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING METHODS.

• SELECTION  : - THE DIFFERENTIAL REPRODUCTION OF INDIVIDUALS IN A POPULATION .
• HYBRIDIZATION : - THE CROSSING OF TWO VARIETIES SPECIES OR GENERA HAVING DESIRED GENES AND BRINGING TOGETHER THE USEFUL CHARACTERS OF THESE INTO ONE PROGENY, THE HYBRID. BOTANISTS GENERALLY USED THE TERM HYBRID TO SPECIALLY REFER TO CROSSES MADE BETWEEN SPECIES BUT GENETICISTS USE THE TERM TO REFER TO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE HETEROZYGOUS EVEN FOR A SINGLE.
• POLYPLOID BREEDING : - IT OCCURS IN ORGANISMS WHEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLETE CHROMOSOME SETS IS HIGHER THAN TWO.POLYPLOIDY IN SEXUALLY REPRODUCING ORGANISMS MAY ARISE BY THE FERTILIZATION OF AN EGG BY MORE THAN ONE SPERM.
• INDUCED MUTATIONS : - GENE AND CHROMOSOME MUTATIONS MAY BE INDUCED BY SEVERAL MUTAGENS, WHICH ARE ALL FORMS OF ENERGY THAT DISRUPT THE CHEMICAL STRUCTURE  OF CHROMOSOMES, EXAMPLE X-RAYS, UV RAYS, GAMMA  RAYS AND COSMIC RAYS.
• TISSUE CULTURE : - THE ABILITY TO INDUCE MORPHOGENESIS AND REGENERATE WHOLE PLANTS BY CULTURING A FEW CELLS OR TISSUES.
• GENETIC ENGINEERING : - IT COMPRISES POWERFUL TECHNIQUES WHICH THEORETICALLY  ALLOW ANY GENE TO MOVE FROM ONE ORGANISM TO ANOTHER. RECOMBINANT DNA HAS THE POTENTIAL TO TRANSFORM THE GENES INTO A GLOBAL RESOURCES THAT CAN BE USED TO SHAPE NORMAL LIFE FORMS.

 THE GENETIC ENGINEERING IS PROMOTING A TECHNO-CENTRIC VERSION OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WITH INCREASED PRODUCTIVITIES ACHIEVED THROUGH IMPROVED VARIETIES, AS WELL AS DECREASED INPUT COSTS AND DECLINING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS.

LATHROUGH VARIOUS MODERN TECHNIQUES, TODAY THE FARMERS CAN PRODUCE LARGER YIELDS THAT COULD GO A LONG WAY IN MEETING GLOBAL FOOD REQUIREMENTS. PEST RESISTANT VARIETIES OF CROPS WILL PROMISE SUSTAINED PRODUCTIVITY. THE QUALITY OF CROPS CAN BE INCREASED IN POOR SOILS BY USING MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI  THAT ENHANCE MINERAL ABSORPTION BY PLANTS. INTRODUCTION OF QUICK-GROWING VARIETIES OF CROPS HAS NOT ONLY INCREASED PRODUCTION OF CROPS BUT HAS MADE THEM LESS PRONE TO DISEASE AND DAMAGE FROM ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES. BIOTECHNOLOGY MIGHT HELP COUNTRIES IN DEVELOPING HIGHER YIELDING CROPS THAT ARE ADAPTED TO VARIOUS FARMING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENTS. DROUGHT RESISTANT VARIETIES WILL REDUCE PRESSURE ON SCARCE WATER SUPPLIES. GENETIC MODIFICATION IN PNT CROPS HAS HELPED IN ACHIEVING HIGHER YIELDS AND BETTER QUALITY OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES WITH ENHANCED NUTRITIONAL VALUE , THAT STAY NOT ONLY FRESH FOR LONGER PERIODS BUT TASTE BETTER THROUGH AGRI-HORTICULTURE AND AGRO-BOTANICAL PRACTICES. TODAY OIL CROPS HAVE AN INCREASED IN MONOUNSATURATED AND POLYUNSATURATED FATS FOR BETTER HEALTH IN HUMAN CONSUMPTION.

ADVANCEMENT IN BIOTECHNOLOGY CAN ALSO HELP IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF ANIMAL FEED IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THEIR NUTRITION. IT CAN ENSURE BETTER INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS WHICH WILL BE MORE ECO-FRIENDLY AND SAVE THE EARTH FROM HARMFUL ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION AND POLLUTION , SUCH AS USE OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS MADE FROM PLANT STARCHES. DEPENDENCE ON PETROLEUM BY-PRODUCTS CAN BE REDUCED BY USING OILSEED CROPS WHICH COULD PROVIDE NECESSARY RAW MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF VARIOUS PRODUCTS LIKE LUBRICANTS, POLYMERS, LINKS, COSMETICS AND PHARMACEUTICALS.