Thiruvananthapuram: Two scientists at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) here have made a path-breaking finding that could go a long way in treating liver cancer. They found that a compound separated from the leaves of the berry-bearing shrub ‘Manathakkali’ is effective in cancer therapy.
Senior scientist at the RGCB, Dr Ruby John Anto and her student Dr Lekshmi R Nath found that the leaves of ‘Manathakkali’ (Solanum nigruma) contained the qualities to save human liver from the uncontrolled growth of cells. They isolated the drug molecule, Uttroside-B, from the plant and found that it is good for treating liver cancer.
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), while noticing its potential to treat liver cancer, has given an "orphan drug" status to the compound which the two scientists separated from ‘Manathakkali'.
The medicine has already been given patent rights by the USA, Canada, Japan and South Korea. The technology the two scientists patented has been bought by US pharma company QBioMed.
The technology transfer was done through Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation. This medicine is found to be more effective than the medicines available now for liver cancer.
Im Kerala Manathakkali is often found in the backyard of houses.
Solanum Nigrum is a species of flowering plant in the genus Solanum. It is widely known as the European black nightshade or black nightshade or blackberry nightshade.