CMFRI scientists develop herbal remedy for fatty liver

| | New Delhi
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CMFRI scientists develop herbal remedy for fatty liver

Wednesday, 28 September 2022 | Pioneer News Service | New Delhi

Indian scientists from the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) have developed a herbal remedy from seaweeds, also known as “wonder herbs of the ocean”,  to treat  non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition in which excess fat deposits in the liver.  A leading cause of chronic liver, NAFLD prevalence in India is about 9 per cent to 32 per cent.

Named as CadalminTM LivCure extract,  the  product is a unique blend of 100 percent natural bioactive ingredients extracted from seaweeds with an eco-friendly green technology to improve liver health, said Kajal  Chakraborty, Principal Scientist at the Marine Biotechnology, Fish Nutrition and Health Division of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), a CSIR lab. Pre-clinical trials showed that LivCure extract proved to have the potential to inhibit different enzymes and various target receptors associated with dyslipidemia and pathophysiology leading to NAFLD, he said.

Bioactive pharmacophore leads from seaweeds were used to develop the nutraceutical product. "This helps improve liver health, reduce the disposition of fatty substances, and maintain other liver/lipid parameters within the clinically acceptable limits”, the expert explained.

The nutraceutical does not have any side effects as established by detailed preclinical trials. “It has proved that long-term oral administration of this product will not lead to general organ or systemic toxicity”, Chakraborty added.

The CMFRI will soon transfer the technology to the interested pharmaceutical firms for commercial production of the nutraceutical, A Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI said. He added that “Seaweeds are often termed as the wonder herbs of the ocean due to their potential pharmaceutical properties. Recently, this marine macroflora is gaining immense attention in nutraceutical industries due to its protective function against various chronic diseases”, he said.

CMFRI scientists have been developing a plethora of nutraceuticals based on marine plants aiming to combat a series of lifestyle diseases, such as type-2 diabetes, arthritis, cholesterol, hypertension, hypothyroidism and osteoporosis, and to improve immunity, an official statement said here. Out of these nutraceuticals, eight products are from seaweeds and one from green mussels.

In a bid to cash in on the huge potential of seaweed farming, India has already launched various seaweed cultivation plans in several coastal states, aiming to provide employment to 6-7 lakh people, particularly women. Known as ‘miracle plants of sea’, seaweeds can be used for medicine, fertilizer, animal feed and food and in many other sectors.

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