A scientist from Odisha has developed a turmeric-based adhesive bandage that can be applied on cuts and wounds.
Dr. Sanjeeb Sahoo, a senior scientist at the Bhubaneshwar-based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), has developed a prototype of an adhesive bandage that puts curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, in a reliable base that can be used as a band-aid.rm
Speaking on the medical benefits, Dr. Sahoo mentioned that turmeric is used in India as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal medicine.
He added that the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric could not be utilised fully so far due to the lack of a reliable application system.
The anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial concoction has to be applied topically but the problem with turmeric is its insolubility with water.
Dr. Sahoo said that he has come up with a lipid-curcumin emulsion and blended it using nanotechnology in a sponge-like frame of alginate and chitosan, two biocompatible and biodegradable polymers that have long been used successfully in drug delivery.
Several laboratories in the world have been working to increase the stability of curcumin in blood, but due to poor kinetics, curcumin breaks down fast in blood and loses its properties. The band-aid developed by Dr. Sahoo ensures that curcumin works better than curcumin ointments and gels.
The technology of the band-aid was transferred last year to Golap Pharmaceuticals, a Rajasthan-based company. Mass production is likely to begin by the end of this year after the necessary approvals are obtained from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
Dr. Sahoo hails from Odisha’s Jajpur district. Before joining the ILS in 2005, he was a post-doctoral fellow at Japan’s Kumamoto University and the Nebraska Medical Centre in the USA. He was among the ten Indian scientists featured among the world’s 4000 promising researchers of 2018.
Click here to subscribe to The Commune on Telegram and get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.