ROING, Jul 19:

 

“Nature holds the key to treating and curing cancer. For 80% anti-cancer drugs are from Nature, with over 3000 plant species yielding valuable biochemical components”, said Prof. Anupam Bishayee, Prof of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Larkin University, Miami (USA), as he delivered the keynote address in the one–day seminar “Traditional medicinal plants for cancer prevention and therapy: Progress and Promise” organised by RIWATCH, Roing.

 

Dr. Nandini Dolepat from FRLHT Bangalore, Dr. Bibhuti Kakoti from Dibrugarh University and Dr. Bichitra Kr. Doley from Assam Medical College were the other experts who presented papers in the seminar attended by participants from Roing Health Dept, Agriculture Dept, IG College, Tezu and community elders.

 

Pointing to the shocking facts that imbalanced dietary practices like fast foods contribute to 35% cancer deaths all over the world, while another 30% deaths are due to tobacco use, Dr. Bishayee hoped that scientists and farmers of Arunachal Pradesh would take advantage of their rich biodiversity to make vital contributions to the battle against cancer. He elaborated with scientific data, how common plants black currant (Ribes nigrum L), pomegranate (anar fruit) and amoora (Amoora rohitua) provided abundant anti-cancer components that could block the cancer cells’ pathways.

 

Prof. Bibhuti Kakoti, Assoc. Professor, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Dibrugarh University, elaborated the various methods of studying local herbs that demonstrate anti-carcinogenic properties. He listed common plants from the NE region like Tagor (Ervatamia coronaria), studies of which yielded very promising results. Lauding an Arunachali girl–scholar who did innovative M.Tech studies on body-fluids of an insect, he appealed to Arunachali students and teachers to take up exploratory studies from their environment and hoped that RIWATCH would be an ideal platform to identify new plants with disease-resistant properties.

 

Dr. Bichitra Kr. Doley, Dept. of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, elaborated on bio-chemical studies of ‘Dimaru’ (Ficus auriculata),a plant widely used by the Mishing tribe of Assam.

 

Declaring that “Gardening can heal”, Dr Nandni Dolepat, Consultant, FRLHT, Bangalore & Guest Faculty, RIWATCH, explained how a medicinal garden of selected herbs set up in a hospital, hostel or home, would be valuable in treating various physiological & psycho-somatic diseases. She also appealed to Arunachal institutions and youth to set up such gardens, for which FRLHT would be able to offer support.

 

The seminar was coordinated by Dr. Ista Pulu, Medical Suptd, Roing Hospital, and member RIWATCH.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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