A three day International Conference on Traditional Medicine and Phytopharmaceuticals and the 11th International Congress of the Society for Ethnopharmacology from 16.02.2024 to 18.02.2024 concluded here today at CSIR-IIIM. The event, first of its kind, deliberating and brainstorming on the advances and cutting edge research in the traditional medicines and phytopharmaceuticals was organized by CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu in collaboration with Society for Ethnopharmacology, India (Jammu Chapter). The conference was inaugurated on 16th February by Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Science and Technology and Vice President, CSIR, the Chief Guest, in presence of Dr N Kalaiselvi, DG CSIR and Secretary, DSIR, GOI, Padma Shri Prof. Vinod K Singh, Chair Professor, Gautam & Namita Chair, Deptt. of Chemistry, IIT Kanpur & Chairman, CSIR-RAB, Dr. Pulok K. Mukherjee, Director IBSD and Chairman, Scientific Services, SFEC-2024, Dr. DS Reddy, Director CSIR-IICT, Dr. CK Katiyar, CEO Emami Healthcare Ltd., Dr. RN Acharya, Director General CCRAS, Dr. Subhra Chakraborty, Director NIPGR, Dr. Lal Hingorani, Managing Director, Pharmanza Herbal Pvt Ltd., Dr. UV Babu, Director R&D Himalaya Wellness Company, Dr. Marco Leonti, Secretary, International Society of Ethnopharmacology besides more than 100 distinguished scientists of eminence, technologists, policy makers, industrialists, academicians, clinicians, researchers, from India and abroad including USA, Malaysia, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, Australia, Italy and Ghana. Dr. Ashutosh Gupta, Principal Govt. Medical College, Jammu, the Chief Guest while delivering the valedictory lecture said that the conference organised by CSIR-IIIM Jammu and SFE featuring the deliberations and meetings among traditional healers, researchers, scientists, industrialists and policy makers would have far reaching impact on the global positioning of the traditional and phytopharmaceutical drugs.
He further asserted that we would enhance the research collaborations with the organisations like CSIR-IIIM and also mentioned that the IIIM, Jammu has beaconed research and developmental pursuits and accomplishments in the area of discovery of novel drug molecules sourced from plants. While commending the scientists of the Institute, Dr. Gupta, said that the conduct of the conference on traditional medicine and ethnopharmacology at CSIR IIIM Jammu assumes much significance due to the abundant plant biodiversity found in the region that possess multiple phyto-pharmaceutical properties and offer huge opportunities for researchers, startups and industries to explore for the new frontiers in pharmacology and discovery of novel phyto-medicines. Dr. Amarjeet Singh Bhatia, Principal and Dean, Govt. Medical College, Rajouri, guest of honour at the session said that that there are huge challenges and constraints in ensuring the delivery of optimal healthcare services, plant-based medicines and phytopharmaceuticals have found a unique niche in the national and global healthcare arena owing to their efficacy, safety in use and predominantly increased consumer consciousness for using drugs derived from non-synthethic sources and manufacturing processes. Earlier, in his address, Dr. Zabeer Ahmed, Director CSIR-IIIM, said that the Institute has a very robust system for scientific study, validation, and legalization of phytopharmaceuticals and organizing a conference on the futuristic theme “Ethnopharmacology for Development of Phytopharmaceutical Drugs,” symbolises our strong desire and effort to push for the new frontiers of knowledge and innovation in the field of traditional healthcare and drug development using phytopharmaceuticals.
The recommendations on the different approaches to sustainably leverage the traditional knowledge and methodologies in medical systems and ethnopharmacology made by the policy makers, industry, scientific fraternity and societies participating in around 20 intriguing scientific sessions at the conference since last three days are going to define the future discourse in planning and execution of the novel and tangible research methodologies to touch the new heights in ethnopharmacological research and development, he said. Pertinently around 700 delegates participated in the conference that besides I-Connect program: Business Meet, included scientific sessions on the theme’s “Development of Phytopharmaceutical Drugs: Tradition to Translational”, “Phytopharmaceuticals: Drug Development from Traditional Medicine”, “Evidence-Based Validation of Traditional Medicine”, “Traditional Ethnopharmacology Inspired Drug Discovery and Development”, “Development of Botanical/Herbal Drugs: Global Perspective”, “Global Positioning of AYUSH Products: Standardization and Validation”, “Natural Products Inspired Modern Drug Discovery”, “Network/ Reverse Pharmacology in Herbal Drug Discovery”, “New Approaches for Phytopharmaceutical Drugs Development”, “Ethnomedicine: an Invaluable Source of Novel Drug”, “Regulatory Aspects of Phytopharmaceutical Drugs (US FDA/EMA)”, “Opportunities and Challenges in Cannabis Research”, “Bioprospecting Plants and Microbes for Development of Therapeutics”, “New Approaches in Natural Product Drug Discovery”, “Young Ethnopharmacologist Award Function”, “American Chemical Society (ACS) Best Oral Presentation Award Session”, “SFE Best Poster Presentation Session”. The ACS Poster presentation award was given to Srijon Gayen, Rubina Chowdhary, Sheetal Bhat and the ACS oral presentation award was given to Norein Khantwal, Mahir Bhadwaj and Priyamvada Gupta. The RSC best poster presentation award was given to Laetita Meuyou Youmbi, Mandeep Kour and Haseena Shafeeq and the RSC best oral presentation award was given to Lokesh Dev, Dhivya Dheer and Nagma Banjare. The Himalayan awards were given to Tusharika Kotra, Suhail Maqbool, Shweta Sharma and Anita Kumari Rai. The ACD Best Research Awards were given to V Badireenath Konkimalla, Bashir Ahmed and Kapil Dev. Dr. Gurleen Kour, Scientist conducting the proceedings while as Dr. Parsoon Gupta presented the formal vote of thanks.