GUWAHATI: Researchers of the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati (IITG) have developed a low-cost technology to produce psychoactive drugs and anti-aging compounds from agricultural resources. It was developed by Professor Mihir Kumar Purkait, Head of Centre for the Environment, and Professor of Department of Chemical Engineering along with his M Tech student V L Dhadge.
The membrane technology produces psychoactive drugs and anti-aging compounds from wide range of agricultural resources like camellia sinensis, citrus fruits, and peels especially orange peels, berries, ginkgo biloba, parsley, pulses, tea, sea buckthorn, and onions.
It doesn’t use any organic solvents.
The health-related benefits of psychoactive drugs (caffeine) and anti-aging compounds (flavonoids) are attributed to stimulating detoxification of enzyme activity and inhibition of cell invasion and angiogenesis, and have gained popularity as ingredients in pharmaceutical industry.
India is the largest consumer (20% of the global production) and second-largest producer of camellia sinensis. The developed technology will support the “Make in India” initiative of the Government of India by producing these compounds in the country. This will definitely reduce the import of said polyphenolic compounds. Implementation of the said technology will also create job opportunities in the agriculture sector of the country, stated IIT Guwahati in a statement.
