Kohima: International University Nagaland is starting a new project to scientifically map and validate traditional Naga medicinal plants. The effort seeks to protect tribal knowledge from biopiracy while creating standardized health supplements for the global market.
Nagaland holds a vast, untapped library of traditional cures. Tribes have used these plants for centuries to treat everything from infections to inflammation. Now, the university wants to lock that data into a digital, protected repository.
"Nagaland sits within a global biodiversity hotspot, and our traditional healers possess extraordinary wisdom that has never been properly cataloged under modern laboratory conditions," said Dr. Roopam Bachhil, the university registrar. She and Director Prof. Zavise Rume are leading the charge.
The research team will scour various climatic zones to collect plant samples. Back in the lab, they will extract chemicals and run rigorous tests for antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. They want to find new compounds that can fight drug-resistant infections.
The university is also inviting local healers into the fold. They plan to hold workshops across the state. These traditional experts are viewed as partners rather than just subjects. By blending ancient methods with modern science, the school hopes to build a new economic sector for the state.
Faculty members will use the data to update pharmacology and botany courses. The project could lead to local manufacturing of ointments and natural medicines. University officials now urge village elders and conservationists to join the upcoming collection drives.
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