Dr. Mahabaleshwar Hegde

The deficiency of omega-3 fatty acids in modern food is largely responsible for the rise of degenerative disease; Prof Hegde for the last fifteen years has focused his efforts,

• To establish the role of omega-3 fatty acids in health and disease
• Promotion of Flax agriculture: in collaboration with AICRP Linseed Kanpur and Nagpur,
• Use flax ALA and bio-convert to EPA, DHA (physiologically more potent omega-3 fatty acids) in chicks (egg, meat), and cattle (dairy products).
• Flax- Biovillage concept to make the flax agriculture more lucrative to the farmers where in flax stalk can be used for handmade paper and biogas.
• To verify and confirm the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidant supplementation in disease outcome along with usual treatment regimen,
• To support farmers for growing authentic high yielding, disease resistant omega-3 rich linseed, PKV.NL260 variety.
• To find ways and means to enrich egg, fish, milk with omega-3 fatty acids.
• To stabilize omega-3 fatty acids in food.
• To validate these omega-3 products for human health.
• To popularize and commercialize omega-3 products.

Completed projects at IRSHA

Ongoing projects:

• Participatory Plant Breading, seed production and commercial production of linseed variety PKVNL- 260 in Nagpur, Chandrapur and Wardha with aim to supply genetically pure seed for linseed value addition and buyback guarantee to farmers of Vidarbha.
  Scientist in charge: Dr. P. B. Ghorpade (Emeritus scientist)
• Developing high oleic safflower genotypes through functional genomics

  The high oleic safflower genotypes developed through this non-transgenic approach can be brought into cultivation much more quickly than the genotypes developed through transgenic approaches. Such “high oleic” varieties will benefit the Indian oil industry due to cheaper availability of indigenous high oleic safflower, which can reduce the market price of the healthier higholeic safflower oil for use as frying / cooking oil as well as for industrial applications. The resulting increased demand will ensure remunerative price to the safflower farmers, boosting the area and production of safflower in the country. Moreover, the “high oleic” safflower will also have high export potential and can turn India from a “safflower importing” to “safflower exporting” country in due course. Thus, there will be many beneficiaries of the “high oleic” safflower.

  Scientist in charge: Dr. P. B. Ghorpade (Emeritus scientist)
  SRF: Mr. Yogesh Badhe
• Exploring the Antimetastatic Breast Cancer Potential of the Flax Lignans.

  About 90% breast cancer deaths are due to the metastatic spread. Enterolactone (EL) and enterodiol (ED) the mammalian lignans derived from flax lignan have a very potent anti-metastatic activity in breast cancer. The objective the present study is to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms to establish the therapeutic value of the flax lignan in reducing breast cancer risk and management of breast cancer by improving prognosis

  In charge: Mr. Aniket Mali (Junior Scientist)
• Coatings and methods for development of infection-resistant medical devices (In collaboration with Columbia University, New York, USA)
• Development of antimicrobial latex urinary Foley catheter
• Development of antimicrobial silicone urinary Foley catheter. There is great demand for effective antimicrobial coating technologies on the surface of medical devices for preventing potential infections. The research objective is to develop a novel antimicrobial coating composition and method of producing affordable, safe and lubricious antimicrobial medical devices, such as urinary catheters, which provide a prolonged and broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy.
• In charge scientist: Dr. Arnab Ghosh (Scientist)
• Cancer program

  Deciphering mechanism of action of various anti-cancer drugs alone or in combination at cell signaling level has been the key focus. Work is being carried out using various cell lines and patient derived clinical samples.
  The evaluation of the utility of the outdated Platelet Concentrate in pre-clinical wound healing models is being done at IRSHA. The clinical evaluation of the same will be done at Bharati Hospital in association with Bharati Blood Bank

  In charge scientist: Ms. Asavari Joshi (Scientist)
• Clinical evaluation of Omega-3 fortified Chinchadi oil in the management of Amavata (Rheumatoid Arthritis) on the basis of various scientific parameters

  In collaboration with Dr. Vedpathak, Dept. of Panchkarma, College of Ayurveda, BV (DU), Pune. The objective is to formulate omega-3-massage oil for Rheumatoid Arthritis using linseed oil and validation of omega-3-fortified massage oil using clinical study based on scientific parameters. This project is designed to study the effect of linseed oil for the management of Rheumatoid Arthritis and thus to find a better and alternative method of treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis.

  In charge scientist: Dr. Anand A. Zanwar (Scientist)
  Dr. Chethana Bhat (Project assistant)

• Scale up and commercialize of omega-3 products.
  At present working to scale up and commercialize of following omega-3 products.
• Manufacturing and marketing of Flaxseed oil emulsion (ALVEL Fortifier) on pilot scale
• Manufacturing and marketing of Enriched Feed Mix (EFM) for Omega 3 Chicken.

  In charge scientist: Mr. L. L. Panse (Managing Director, Real World Nutrition Laboratory Foundation)

Publications

• Publications: 75
• Book chapters: 5
• Patent applications: 6
• Books: 04

PhD awarded

• 02 from IRSHA
• 15 before joining IRSHA

Dr. Anand Zanwar

The main focus includes preclinical pharmacology and toxicology. Evaluating role of medicinal plant in nutrition with special reference to metabolic health. Major focus of research work includes pharmacological and nutritional aspects of flaxseed and omega-3- fatty acid. It includes pharmacological screening with respect to antihyperlipidemic activity, phytochemical analysis, isolation of active constituents by column chromatography of flax lignan and other constituents in flaxseed.

Apart from this various projects related to anti-inflammatory, wound healing, hepatoprotective, diabetes, anti-hypertensive, cardioprotective activity and complication of cardiovascular disease in pre-clinical screening of various medicinal plants/herbal extracts are also being carried out.

Current Research projects

• ICAR-AICRP- Linseed Value Addition Centre

  AICRP-Linseed Value Addition Centre has been granted to BV (DU) by ICAR in recognition of excellent work done in two major NAIP projects. It has been shown that linseed value addition can provide better price to the farmer and utilization of high yielding linseed varieties developed by different AICRP centers can promote the linseed agriculture. Value addition in linseed will lead to assured a good price to the linseed growing farmer and also high value health product to the consumer.

  Nutritionally important linseed value added products developed under AICRP-BV(DU) will result in better returns to linseed growing farmers. The economically viable technologies developed by AICRP-BV(DU) will be implemented at national level with the help of remaining AICRP centers in the country. These technologies are not only valuable to linseed farmer but also to bakery, dairy, pharmaceutical, neutraceutical and poultry industry importantly for human health.

• Topical cream containing silversulfadiazine along and in combination with omega-3- fatty acid for topical antimicrobial and wound healing. In collaboration with University of Columbia, New York, US.

  Objective of the investigation is to evaluate of wound healing activity of silver sulfadiazine alone and in combination with omega-3- fatty acid in rats. Method: Excision wound model. Expected outcome: Novel topical formulation containing silver sulfadiazine and omega-3- fatty acid for wound healing with potential antibacterial and anti-inflammatory action.

• Evaluation of efficacy of novel stabilized omega-3-fatty acid and antioxidants formulation for the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome funded by: Dept. of Science and Technology-SERB (Duration: June 2017-20)

  Metabolic syndrome is the cluster of metabolic complications influenced by environmental factors including lifestyle and diet (Johnson et al., 2013). High prevalence of metabolic syndrome is world health problem. Indian population of 30 and below, the overall prevalence is 25.6 % (Beigh and Jain, 2012). Reports in the literature suggest that human beings evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6: omega-3 of 1:1 (Simopoulos, 2002). Bring back Omega 3 into food chain has been a global cry. Omega-3-fatty acids have favorable effect in several pathological conditions eg. hypertension, arthritis, atherosclerosis, diabetes, myocardial infarction and thrombosis (Horrocks and Yeo, 1999). In the present proposal, omega-3 fatty acid based novel formulation will be prepared along with antioxidants other important essential nutrients. Pharmacological efficacy study will be carried out in animal model of metabolic disorder. Nutrient enriched Food based approach is in line with current pharmacological approach for the treatment of metabolic disorders.

Publications

• International publications: 22
• Book chapters: 12
• Patent applications: 02

PhD Awarded: Nil

Current Team

• Mr. Pramod Farde (B.Pharma - Technical Assistant)
• Mr. Amit Jagtap (Junior Research Fellow)

Dr. Arnab K Ghosh

The major focus of the research is to develop a novel antimicrobial composition and method of coating to produce an affordable, safe and lubricious antimicrobial coated Foley urinary catheters, which would provide a prolonged and broad spectrum efficacy against uropathogens.

Current research projects

Coatings and methods for development of infection-resistant medical devices

• Development of antimicrobial latex urinary Foley catheter
• Development of antimicrobial silicone urinary Foley catheter

Publications:10

Dr. P B Ghorpade

• Participatory Plant Breading, seed production and commercial production of linseed variety PKVNL- 260 in Nagpur, Chandrapur and Wardha with aim to supply genetically pure seed for linseed value addition and buyback guarantee to farmers of Vidarbha.
• Developing high oleic safflower genotypes through functional genomics

Title: Developing high oleic safflower genotypes through functional genomics

The high oleic safflower genotypes developed through this non-transgenic approach can be brought into cultivation much more quickly than the genotypes developed through transgenic approaches. Such “high oleic” varieties will benefit the Indian oil industry due to cheaper availability of indigenous high oleic safflower, which can reduce the market price of the healthier higholeic safflower oil for use as frying / cooking oil as well as for industrial applications. The resulting increased demand will ensure remunerative price to the safflower farmers, boosting the area and production of safflower in the country. Moreover, the “high oleic” safflower will also have high export potential and can turn India from a “safflower importing” to “safflower exporting” country in due course. Thus, there will be many beneficiaries of the “high oleic” safflower.

PhDs awarded

• 4 students from PDKV, Akola

Current Team

• Dr. Santosh Devkar (ICAR-NASF Project)

Mr. M.L. Panse

The current programmes of scale up and commercialization are given below :-

• Manufacturing and marketing of Flaxseed oil emulsion (ALVEL Fortifier) on pilot scale
• Manufacturing and marketing of Enriched Feed Mix (EFM) for Omega 3 Chicken.

Current Team

• Real World Nutrition Laboratory Foundation, Pune.

Mrs. Asavari Anirudha Joshi

Deciphering mechanism of action of various anti-cancer drugs alone or in combination at cell signaling level has been the key focus. Work is being carried out using various cell lines and patient derived clinical samples with emphasis on breast cancer and flax lignan.

The evaluation of the utility of the outdated Platelet Concentrate in pre-clinical wound healing models is being done at IRSHA. The clinical evaluation of the same will be done at Bharati Hospital in association with Bharati Blood Bank.

Team Member

• Mr. Aniket Mali (Junior Research Scientist)