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The departmental research activities are concentrated in the following areas:

1. Discovery of new chemical entities (NCEs) from natural products of terrestrial, microbial and marine origin in the following therapeutic areas:

1. Discovery of anti-HIV, antimycobacterial and antiprotozoal mainly anti-leishmanial agents. Discovery and development of anti-diabetics, antioxidants and immunomodulating agents, adaptogens, anti-inflammatory agents, gynaecology and endocrine dysfunction studies and anticancer agents with apoptotic molecular basis.
2. Development of in vitro testing models for screening of natural products, in the above mentioned therapeutic areas.
3. Semisynthesis and synthesis of biologically active compounds alongwith generation of pseudonatural products.

2. Traditional Medicine development programmes: Standardization and quality control of herbal drugs and products.

1. The overall objective and aim of this traditional medicine programme shall be to meet the demand of cost effective medications and biological agents from sustainable medicinal plant resources with the following steps:-
    
   • To lay down standards and effective quality controls on the Herbal Medicinal Products
   • To create databases for identification and authentication of materials with well defined botanical and phytochemical characteristics
   • To create libraries of marker/characterizing constituents for positive chemical identification of materials through chemoprofiling
   • To create quantitative standards for extracts and their formulations through chemo- and bio-profilings
   • To create standard protocols for establishing purity of materials, identification of adulterants, substitutes, pathogenic bacteria & fungi, heavy metals and pesticide residues
   • To develop dosage forms of the herbal products and their stability studies
   • To develop bioavailability protocols for herbal medicinal products with the help of biomarkers
   • Finally, to conduct clinical trials of the scientifically developed formulation and validate the traditional claims
      
2. Understanding synergy between components of a medicinal plant, that have been described at a molecular level giving credence to the biomarker concepts apart from well understood chemical marker concepts

3. Process technology programmes: Development of chemical process technologies for important natural products involving isolation, semisynthesis or synthesis.

4. Other areas of interest:

1. Agrotechniques for the development of commercially important medicinal plants with high active component
2. Development of tissue/cell suspension cultures for production of secondary metabolites
3. Development of analytical methods for phytochemicals
4. Development of nutraceuticals with the clear cut structure-function relationships for quality dietary supplements