The herb is used for treating diabetics, bronchitis, piles, jaundice, and fever. It is considered as a blood purifier and used for the treatment of skin diseases.
ICAR-Directorate of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research has been granted an Indian Patent for the development of a novel drug formulation using Kalmegh (Andrographis paniculata). The patented formulation, entitled ‘Development of microencapsulated formulation based on Andrographolide and Method of Preparation,’ improves the bioavailability and sustained release of Andrographolide, the active compound in Kalmegh, for enhanced therapeutic efficacy. The technology was developed by Dr Narendra A. Gajbhiye and Jitendra Kumar of ICAR-DMAPR.
Kalmegh [Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Wall. Ex Nees], an important medicinal plant used in Ayurveda. Kalmegh is a branched annual herb of the family Acanthaceae and is about 30-100 cm tall. Andrographolide is the active principle having the therapeutic action. The herb is used for treating diabetics, bronchitis, piles, jaundice, and fever. It is considered as a blood purifier and used for the treatment of skin diseases. It is cultivated as a kharif season crop in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
The invention also describes the method of obtaining the enriched Andrographolide extract from Kalmegh. The key benefits of the technology include improved bioavailability and sustained release of the bioactive compound Andrographolide for better efficacy due to its diverse biological activities.
Dr Manish Das, Director, ICAR-DMAPR, highlighted that the microencapsulated formulation is expected to have greater demand in the pharmaceutical industry due to its enhanced properties.
