Page 3 - Scientifica Communica 15.08.2021

Scientifica Communica 03
Kolkata | August 15, 2021
Why Eco Restoration Turmeric Shows The Way

Ashesh Lahiri: threatened with eco restoraton. Amit Krishna De: The then CSIR's Direc- of rice is grown in the
Ecosystemisacomplex extinction. Restoration, there- It all started in 1995 tor General R.A. foothills of the Hi-
network of intercon- India, like many fore, is a process of when twoAmerican re- Mashelkarwassoelated malayas for thou-
nected system of nature other countries, is assisting recovery of searchers of Indian ori- that he said the victory sands of years. An
whereabiologicalcom- suffering from flood, the ecosystem by tak- gin, Suman K. Das and would send a strong appeal was made in
munity interacts with draught, landslides, ing up appropriate Hari Har P. Cohly of the warning to all those court that Rice Tec’s
physical environment storm, man-animal means of afforesta- University of Missis- bio-pirates of our usage of the name
andregulatesvariouscy- conflict etc. causing tion with indigenous sippi Medical Center, herbal wealth and that Basmati for rice
cles of nature (water, economic loss due to species/aided natural put a claim before the India was ready to which was derived
carbon, nitrogen etc.) unsustainable use of regeneration, pre- US Patent and Trade- take them on. from the Indian rice
The sustainability of land that need to be venting biotic inter- mark Office (USPTO). The victory over but not grown in
ecosystem depends on attended through the ferences, developing The claim covered “a turmeric showed the India, and hence not
health of the ecosystem restorative process. suitable architectural method of promoting way. However, it was of the same quality as
and the physical envi- Urban areas which designs to accommo- healing of a wound by not easy in the case of Basmati, would mis-
ronment. So ecosystem occupy 1% of planets date trees and other administering turmeric Neem and Basmati lead the consumers.
functions ideally in land covering more indigenous vegetation toapatientafflictedwith patents. The patent for The company con-
undisturbed old growth than 30% of the pop- to develop urban wound”.Thispatentwas Neem was granted by tented that its patent
forests,wetlands,andsa- ulation, which by ecology for cities and grantedwhichalsogave theEuropeanPatentOf- covered a novel form
vannas etc., developed 2050 is expected to adopting eco-friendly them the exclusive right fice to the United States of basmati which was
through the process of rise by 50%, are the practices in agricul- to sell and distribute Department of Agricul- an improved form
plantsuccession. harshest habitats be- ture and other land turmeric. This caused a ture and the multina- over its previous vari-
But various ecosys- uses with a pro-nature revolutioninIndiaasIn- tional W.R. Grace in eties. Incidentally,
tems were subjected to mindset and aim to dians have been using 1995. Since then it was India and Pakistan are
unsustainable use after revive functional turmeric since ages for opposed several times the only two coun-
deforestation, and for ecosystem. treatment of inflamma- byIndia-basedResearch tries that produce
expansion of inten- We are currently at tion and wound healing. Foundation for Science, Basmati in the world.
sive agriculture and the very beginning of Immediatelyin1996, Technology and Ecol- On August 14, 2001,
other development U.N. Decade of The Council of Scien- ogy(RFSTE)thatNeem the final decision was
activities which has Ecosystem Restora- tific & Industrial Re- tree is part of the tradi- handed down chang-
resulted in degrada- tion (2021-2030), search (CSIR), India, tionalIndianknowledge, ing the title of the in-
tion of land. Since which was officially NewDelhirequestedthe and that Indian farmers vention from Basmati
1990 our planet has cause of its increasing launched on June USPTO to revoke the have been using Neem Rice and Grains to
lost 80m hectares of sealed surface, prob- 5, 2021. patent. Unfortunately it oil to prevent growth of Rice Lines Bas 867,
forest. Sixty four per lem of water logging, *Former wasdifficultforCSIRto fungus since ages. In RT 117 and RT
cent of world's wet- and increase in heat Chief Conservator provideevidenceofpast 2000, the European 121. This was again a
land has disappeared retention, making the of Forests,
since 1900, and one condition inhospitable. West Bengal &
million species are So there is need for its Consultant, FAO
Kadamba
The Wonder Herb (mg/100g)
Tulika Mukhopad- healers worldwide given in gastric irri-
haya: Underutilized have used cadamba in tability. The tribes of
plants are the richest treatment of eye in- Orissa drink the root
bio-resources for tra- flammation, stomati- paste of kadam duly
ditional medicines, tis, fever, urinary suspended in water to
used as food supple- infections, skin infec- reduce blood sugar in
ments, nutraceuticals tions etc. The useful- the patients with dia-
and pharmaceuti- ness of several parts betes mellitus. It’s
cals. One such un- of kadam tree and its also used in constipa-
derutilized plant is bark has also been tion and thus can be
Kadamba (Neolamar- mentioned in helpful for the gut
ckia cadamba), found Charaka Samhita, health. It has been re- research in India about Patent Office revoked victory for India.
in India, Bangladesh, ported to be used in thewoundhealingprop- thepatentbutthevictory All these three vic-
Nepal, etc which con- different food prepa- erties of turmeric even was short-lived and the tories are not only an
tainsfat(2.4%),proteins rations by tribal peo- though it was known to court upheld the earlier achievement for India
(2.1%), Zn (11.05), Fe ple as chatni, vorta, every Indian household revocation of the patent. but also a protection
(28.297), Cu (4.19 , Ca etc. However, being for ages. However, it However, on March 9, of the traditional uses
(123.7), Mg (71.04), K unfamiliar as a fruit couldprovidedocumen- 2005 India won this of medicinal plants to
(36.7), Na (10.7), Mn or ignorance about its tary evidence of battletoo. foreign companies
(13.7) and provides Sushruta. Sushruta. edibility, such a rich traditional knowledge The story was the who had been poach-
103.7 kcal/100g. Ripe Ancient people used resource of minerals including ancient San- same for Basmati rice ing these plants since
fruits have a good to consume these to has remained neg- skrittextfinally,andalso when in late 1997, an long.
amount of vitamins and treat fever, uterine lected and hence a paper published in American company
minerals compared to complaints, blood needs to be added to 1953 in the Journal of Rice Tec Inc, was *Former
the matured and diseases, skin dis- our meal. the Indian Medical As- granted a patent by Executive Secretary,
immmature fruit. eases, eye inflamma- *M.Sc. student,Food and sociation.Onthebasisof the USPTO to call the Indian Science
The nectar of tion, diarrhoea, NutritionDepartment, this evidence the patent aromatic rice grown Congress Association
kadam is also a good anaemia, stomatitis, UniversityofCalcutta was revoked in 1997, outside India ‘Bas- (Under DST
source of antioxi- etc. Kadam fruit juice tulikamukhopad- after ascertaining that mati.’ It is well estab- Govt. of India)
dants. The traditional with jeera, sugar was hyay99@gmail.com there was no novelty. lished that such a type ade59247@gmail.com