The Kerala Agricultural University has been granted an Indian patent along with Arjuna Natural Private Ltd., Aluva, for developing a stable gingerol product from the ginger variety Karthika released by the KAU.
Ginger finds a wide range of applications in traditional medicine and also in the nutraceutical and health food industries. Of the various bioactive compounds present in ginger, gingerol is the most potent and pharmacologically active compound and possesses anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, gastroprotective, cardiotonic and antihepatotoxic activities, says M.R. Shylaja, Professor and Head (Rtd.), Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, College of Agriculture, Vellanikkara, a leading scientist involved in the project. “But the industry involved in product development with gingerol faces problems of low recovery of gingerol from raw materials and non-stability of gingerol in the final product,” she says.
8-9% gingerol
In Karthika, the ginger developed by the Kerala Agricultural University, the purity of gingerol is good for developing a stable product with 8-9% gingerol. The patent has been granted for a dry gingerol product in powder form and for the process of developing the product for 20 years commencing from May 17, 2018.
“With the development of the new product, the problems faced by the industry in product development can be rectified and the cost of production of standardised gingerol composition can be reduced,” says Dr. Shylaja.
Market potential
The product developed, if commercialised, can be used as a nutraceutical / pharmaceutical ingredient, which has high market potential in the country and abroad. ‘Karthika’ opens up huge scope for agripreneurs. “For commercialisation of the product, dry ginger of the Karthika variant is required in bulk quantities without any pesticide residue. The patent thus opens up entrepreneurship opportunities such as production of planting material and quality dry ginger without pesticide residue and production of value-added products. Once the product is commercialised, there will be a sustainable income for farmers /SHGs/ FPOs/ startUps involved in the production process,” she says.
Collaborative reseach
This patent is the outcome of a collaborative research project undertaken by the KAU and Arjuna Natural, a leading manufacturer of plant-based active compounds, with funding from the Department of Biotechnology, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council of the Union government. This is the first patent to the KAU from institute-industry partnership research.
The other scientists involved in the development of the product are Merina Benny and Benny Antony from Arjuna Natural Private Ltd.; and Samuel Mathew, P.A. Nazeem and E.V. Nybe from the KAU.
