During the last six decades many research projects which were related to drug development (including Herbal) have been completed by the Laboratory with the financial assistance from various institutes such as ICMR, CCRAS and CSIR. Postgraduate students of M. Pharm. from Pune and Bharati Vidyapeeth have completed their projects and laboratory work from this laboratory. As a result several research papers and books have been published in reputed journals.
Present activities carried out at the IDRAL are : - Research on indigenous drugs of plant origin. A short list of some of the projects carried out here will give an idea of the nature of research work. (As per list attached)
- Training in laboratory work and opportunity of practical experience for Postgraduate students in any system of medicine, students of botany, pharmacy and sponsored candidates from drug industry.
- Testing work on drugs, cosmetics and food material is carried out with very reasonable fees. The types of studies available for this work are :
Botanical Analysis : identification of crude plant material with macro and microscopic analysis and chemical tests.
Physical and Chemical Analysis : of crude dugs, formulations, water samples; proximate analysis of food samples. Spectrophtometric, titrimetric, gravimetric, polarimetric and viscometric studies. Thin layer chromatography for finger - printing of ingredients.
- Stability studies on crude materials and formulations with a view to determine "use before" periods. Ayurvedic formulations or bulk materials.
- Pharmaceutical tests usually needed for the development of formulations e.g. Disintegration, Dissolution, Hardness, Friability and Weight variation tests for tablets and capsules.
- Microbiological studies to determine total microbial load, antimicrobial and antifungal activity, presence of Yeast & Moulds, coliform bacteria.
- Toxicological work : in the animal house approved by the CPCSEA, acute, sub acute and chronic toxicity studies on small animals as per OECD guidelines. Also, mucous membrane and skin irritation tests.
Ph. D. Theses :
- Oxidation and other studies in Steroids and Related compounds.
- Comparative Studies on Food and Fodder yeasts of indigenous origin.
- Studies on Microbial Conversion of Manganese.
- Studies on yeasts& some tropical fruits.
- Studies on organophosphate insecticides.
- Studies in Isoprenoids and their rearrangements.
- Studies on Scirpus Kysoor Roxb for Antioxytocic principle.
