A memorandum of understanding was signed between the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (ICFRE) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) at the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun on Tuesday. The MoU will pave the way for collaborative efforts of these two councils for phytochemical and pharmacological screening of Indian medicinal plants and medicinal fungi for anti-cancereous and anti-diabetic activity.
The preclinical development of bioactive natural products and their analogs as chemotherapeutic agents will also be another aim of the MoU. The memorandum was signed by ICMR director general Dr Vishwa Mohan Katoch and ICFRE DG K Jude Sekar.
Welcoming the development, Katoch called the signing of the MoU a historical moment and expressed hope that this would pave the way for undertaking purposeful research in developing medicines for human welfare. Sekar said that joining hands with ICMR was a good step in collaborative research from the national perspective. FRI director Dr PP Bhojvaid informed about the background of the memorandum. The ICFRE will undertake activities for identification, collection and preparation of plant material and fungi and characterisation of active known or novel molecules from plants and fungal resources.
The ICMR on the other hand, will be responsible for the screening of extracts/fractions/ pure compounds/biomass for anti-cancereous and anti-diabetic activity and rational drug- design-modification and analog synthesis.
The two organisations will exchange academic material and other information regularly. Components of projects with respective institutes for undertaking these activities will be developed by scientists concerned and exchanged between collaborating partners. It is expected that this collaboration between the two councils will provide a good way of enhancing the in-house scientific capabilities through the exchange of knowledge and experience.
The ICMR deputy director general Dr Vijay Kumar and joint secretary Dr Nagesh Prabhu were also present on the occasion while FRI Forest Pathology division head Dr NSK Harsh proposed the vote of thanks.