Kochi: Seaweed product to combat Blood Pressure

Kochi: In a major development, the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) here has come up with a nutraceutical product from seaweeds to combat hypertension. The product, CadalminTM Antihypertensive extract (CadalminTM AHe), is developed from medicinal seaweeds commonly present in the Indian coastal waters.

Bioactive pharmacophore leads from seaweeds have been used to develop the product which can be administered orally to regulate hypertension that is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and arterial aneurysm, and is a leading cause of chronic kidney failure. This is sixth in the series of the nutraceutical products developed by CMFRI. The institute had developed and commercialised natural products for diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, cholesterol and hypothyroid.

Dr Trilochan Mohapatra, Secretary, Department of Agriculture Research and Education and Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) released the product at a function held at CMFRI on Tuesday.

“The extract contains 100% natural marine bioactive ingredients from selected seaweeds and would be available in 400 mg capsules. The technology is patented. This nutraceutical does not have any side effects as established in detailed preclinical trials,” said Dr Kajal Chakraborty, senior scientist at CMFRI who developed the product.

Dr A Gopalakrishnan, Director, ICAR-CMFRI said that entrepreneurs and start-ups are welcome to upscale and market this product by expression of interest (EOI) with CMFRI.