Imphal (PTI): A team of scientists from the Institute of Bioresource and Sustainable Development (IBSD) have collected specimens of a locally grown herb in a village in Manipur claimed to have properties to cure cancer.

The herb, locally known as 'zanlung damdei' was discovered by an 82-year old villager named Chawlien Hmar at Saikot village in Churachandpur district, IBSD sources said.

Hmar made a potion from the herb, samples of which were sent to the Chawlien Cancer Medicine Research (CCMR) at Saikot last week, IBSD sources said,

Reports from district said hundreds of people were visiting the CCMR centre daily for Chawlein Hmar's plant extracts.

With the plant becoming popular, many vendors and shops have come up on the roadside near the CCMR centre with the herb and portions made from it being sold in plastic bottles.

The IBSD team led by Project Coordinator Mohindro Singh Khaidem and including Natural Product Scientist Ch. Brajakishore would acertain the medicinal value of the herb and its reported curative properties.

The team also witnessed preparation of the potion from the herb with the traditonal hand pounding method at the CCMR centre.

IBSD sources said an analysis of the medicinal value of the herb wouldbe done by scientists which would take 45 days.

If the scientists were able to ascertain its usefulness in curing cancer and other ailments, the IBSD would propose to the Centre and the state government the need for its extensive cultivation and give credit to Chawlein Hmar for the discovery, they said.

The sources said given the demand for the herb, it could become extinct if it continued to be exploited without replantation being done.

If intellectual property rights for the herb were not registered soon by the state, the herb could be exploited by other people, the sources said.

They also appealed to institutes to conduct a detailed study of the herb.