Research Projects

Giloy, also known as Tinospora cordifolia, is a medicinal shrub with significant therapeutic potential. It is used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine and is considered a plant-based immunomodulator due to its adaptogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, hepatoprotective, and aphrodisiac activities. The plant's secondary metabolic compounds, including alkaloids, phenolics, steroids, diterpenoids, chalcones, and steroids, are mainly found in its stem. The commercial value of giloy plants is unequal due to the unequal commercial value of male and female plants. The reproductive phase of T. cordifolia lasts only two months, making it difficult to distinguish gender. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a system for sex determination at the juvenile stage and identify markers for diagnosing gender in the vegetative phase. Understanding reproductive biology and sexuality of the species will help in understanding mating/breeding systems and sexuality. Comparative transcriptome analysis will help identify differentially expressed genes in the sex-determining stage of female and male flowers. This study will provide valuable information for establishing regulatory networks and facilitating further genetic and genomic studies, as well as genetic improvement and conservation of medicinally important genetic resources.