Odia Scientist Dr. Sanjeeb Sahoo Invents Turmeric Bandage

Odia Scientist Dr. Sanjeeb Sahoo Invents Turmeric Bandage

The COVID-19 pandemic has indeed changed the perspective of people tending to their health. The traditional home-made kadha was among the most sought-after immunity drinks during the peak of the pandemic in 2020.

Similarly, the anti-bacterial and healing properties of turmeric are not unknown to anyone. Meet Dr. Sanjeeb Sahoo, a senior scientist at Bhubaneswar-based Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), who has used the herb’s wound-healing properties to create a bandage. He has developed a prototype of an adhesive bandage that puts curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, in a sturdy, reliable base that can be used as a band-aid.

Sanjeev emphasized the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties of turmeric in the Indian kitchen and said that due to lack of a reliable application, the great healing power of turmeric could still not be fully put to use.

He has developed a curcumin formulation that can be easily absorbed in the wound site and accelerate the healing process. Unlike existing bandages in the market, the nanoparticulate curcumin (molecule of turmeric) formulation is prepared as a biodegradable polymer that can be absorbed in the wound site itself. This results in the wounds healing more quickly. Studies have found that turmeric can positively affect tissue and collagen as well.

Turmeric has been used as herbal medicines for the treatment of a variety of ailments since centuries. Sanjeev has taken the traditional turmeric and put it together with advanced technology to create a modern solution.

The polymer developed is non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible. It is very thin and will gradually be absorbed in the wound while it heals and there will be no need to remove the bandage.

A native of Jajpur district, Sanjeeb had served as a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Microbiology in Japan-based Kumamoto University and US-based Nebraska Medical Centre before joining Institute  of Life Sciences (ILS) in 2005.

In 2018, he made it to the list of 10 scientists from India to be featured among 4,000 researchers of the world. He was also the mind behind the indigenous technology of magnetic cell separation kit, which helps researchers separate particular types of cells for further study.

My City Links congratulates Sanjeeb for this wonderful invention and wishes him success in all such future research.