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Introduction  Medicinal Plants based Industry  Incentives for cultivation of medicinal plants  Cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants  Pollution reduces the quality of herbal drugs  Herbal remedies against cancer  Common aromatic plants  Medicinal plants slowly going extinct  New Research  Indian herbal market is rising sharply   New developments   Introduction   For thousands of years, in ancient India, China and in other countries,  remedies from medicinal plants have cured a lot of people from all kinds of diseases. Herbal remedies also usually do not cause any side effects. Tradition of medicinal plants use in India is about 4000 years old. In the Ayurveda, about 1400 plants are documented in various texts. In Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtang Hridaya we can find more than 600 plants. Rig Veda (4500 to about 1600 BC) is perhaps the oldest document where medicinal plants have been described. Atharva Veda, also describes medicinal uses of large number of plants. Another treatise Dravya Guna Shastra provides information about medicinal plants from pharmacological point of view. Similarly, Unani and other systems of medicine practiced in India are largely dependent on medicinal plants. The wider acceptance of herbal based formulations is the growing recognition that natural products are non-narcotic and almost without side effects.      The Indian systems of treatment lay adequate stress on balanced diet and on  inclusion of specific items in food to provide immunity against diseases. Also, number of plants products with medicinal properties form constituents of food. Even spices are being found to have medicinal properties. For example, capsicum, garlic, turmeric, onion, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, curry leaf etc. have been found to protect against various health problems as well provide cure from certain  diseases. Tamarind is used in curries, chutneys, sauces etc. as spice. Its unripe fruit is used for seasoning of food. Its pulp is rich in iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, thiamine, niacin, carbohydrates, fiber, invert sugar etc.    Vitamin C is present in substantial quantity in green fruits. Amla has been used as such or for ‘chutney’, pickle, ‘murabba’ etc. ‘Charaka Samhita’ records it as the most potent rejuvenating agent. Modern studies have proved that amla is extremely rich in vitamin C and Pectin, containing more than 150 times vitamin C compared to apple. Amla is an effective anti-ageing agent. It replaces worn out tissues with new ones. Contribution made by the Indian systems of medicines and folk traditions have been acknowledged by the WHO (World Health Organization) as well.   India has about 15000 species of medicinal plants.  Presently about 8000 of these are in use as follows: Ayurveda 1769 species, Siddha - 1121 species , Unani - 751 species Amchi or Tibetan 279, Folk - 4671 species  India ranks second in the world after China in export of medicinal plants. The global trade of medicinal plants stands at $7,592 million in 2011, and of these China and India's share was around $1,329 million and $790 million respectively," Anil Kumar, secretary (AYUSH), told reporters. India has registered a growth of 137 percent in export of medicinal plants in global market from Rs.554 crore in 2005-06 to Rs.1,318 crore.

New York Botanical Garden exhibit will highlight natural medicinal remedies      Over 500 plants that can be  used for medicinal purposes will be on display at the New York Botanical Garden from May 18 to September 8. Plants such as cacao, ephedra, ginseng and ashwagandha are on display at the exhibit, which highlights the healing power of hundreds of the plants people have used to treat maladies throughout the millennia.     Aloe, a thorny green plant  used to treat wounds and as a laxative by the Greeks and Chinese thousands of years ago.     Aloe Vera          Purified components of the humble ginger have properties that can help asthma patients breathe more easily, a new study has found.   Ginger (Zingiber officinale)          Amala        Ashwagandha

Medicinal Plants based Industry  Medicinal plants based industry in the country has an annual turn over of about Rs.42,000/- million per year and it is estimated to grow at the rate of about 20 per cent per year. There are hundreds of manufacturers and exporters in the country who are benefiting and large number of people is getting direct and indirect employment in these activities.  About 800 to 900 medicinal plants are in all India trade, about 700 are obtained from the forests and many of these are harvested in large quantities. Common examples are neem, sena, amla, asoka, harra, gulancha, khas, ashwagandha, sarpgandha etc. Due to excessive and unscientific harvesting, large numbers of medicinal plant species are under threat.   There are approximately 1250 Indian medicinal plants which are used in formulating therapeutic preparations used in traditional systems of medicine. Recent surveys have shown that the percentage of natural products in the modern drug armamentarium is fairly high and is estimated to be varying from 35 per cent to 50 per cent. Almost every class of drug includes a model structure derived from nature, exhibiting the classical effect of that specific harmacological category.       Medicinal herbs can be used in many ways: dried and decocted as tea, infused in alcohol as a tincture, steeped in vinegar or honey. Herbs can also be steeped in oil and rubbed into the body for healing. When medicinal herbs are steeped in oil their healing qualities are infused into the oil. They are absorbed into the body through the skin. Oils created with St. John's Wort, Calendula and Plantain can be used to soothe muscles, heal the skin and take away itchiness.    Incentives for cultivation of medicinal plants   Existing Initiatives to Conserve Medicinal Plants Export of 29 types of plants, plant portions and their derivatives and extracts from plants obtained from the wild except in formulations has been banned. A National Medicinal Plants Board has been constituted. The Central Board has selected 28 plant species for development and promotion in first phase. Incentives are also available for cultivation of medicinal plants to ease pressure on the wild resource.      Another initiative is to declare forest areas rich in medicinal plants as Medicinal Plants Conservation Areas (MPCAs), which are legally protected. Plants cannot be removed from there for trade. Fifty-five such MPCAs exist now.  Four National Gene Banks have also been set up for collection and conservation of important medicinal and aromatic plants of the country. These banks maintain the plants as live materials, seeds, and genetic material and also under cryogenic conditions.   An ayurveda industry cluster and common facility centre will be built at Kolawadi near Pune at a cost of Rs 16 crore, with the work expected to commence in 2011.  The city-based Maharashtra Ayurveda Centre Private Limited (MACPL) is building the cluster, which will have world-class raw material standardisation and processing centres, quality control laboratories, research centres, manufacturing centres for entrepreneurship and skill   Sunita Belgamwar, chairman, MACPL, said, “The cluster will come up at Kolawadi near Pune on the Pune- Bangalore highway. Belgamwar said the Union government has sanctioned two ayurveda clusters for the state and the other one will come up in the Konkan area. She said the Centre will also provide subsidy for cultivation of medicinal plants, which farmers will supply as raw material. In fact, the Centre recently gave subsidy to farmers from Vidarbha for cultivating medicinal plants.     Cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants   With aroma therapy and spas becoming an upcoming trend, cultivation of aromatic and medicinal plants has also gained in importance. The Fragrance and Flavour Development Centre (FFDC)-- a ministry of MSME body-- in Fazalganj is supplying various aromatic and medicinal herbs to commercial sectors in the city. Instituted in the year 1998 as an extension unit of FFDC Kannauj, the Kanpur centre of FFDC aims at providing technical consultancy and carries out extension work of aromatic and medicinal plants .    FFDC is home to plant and herbal sources to some key medicinal compounds: Cyprus rotundas (sarpgandha-- used for anti-cancer drug), lamiacea (pathar chur-- used for stone), withania somnifera (ashwagandha-- used for blood pressure and weight loss), rauvolfia serpentina (serpgandha -- in treatment of cardiac problem).. The centre also has plants used as flavours in food items and fragrances used in soaps, shampoos and incense stick.

Pollution reduces the quality of herbal drugs    Dr Venkitaraman, the general secretary of the Indian Herbal Conference said pollution is one factor that reduces the quality of herbal drugs at present. The plants have to be grown in an unpolluted environment. If it is planted on the roadside, it is likely to absorb heavy metals like lead. Even if it is cultivated in a modern agricultural scientific way, it will have heavy metal and pesticide pollution, he said while speaking to Pharmabiz.     Plants that have the potential for treating migraines, fever, and even cancer could wind up disappearing in the near future, with countries such as China, India, Kenya, Nepal, Tanzania, and Uganda reporting shortages. Some of the plants at risk include:  1. Himalayan yew, an anti-cancer drug  2. Yew tree, the cancer drug paclitaxel comes from the tree’s bark  3. The African cherry, extract treats prostate problems  4. Magnolia, which fights cancer, dementia and heart disease  5. Hoodia, which suppresses appetite, and could be the next “miracle” weight loss drug  6. Autumn crocus, which was once used as poison, but is now used for gout and  leukemia   The solution, says the report’s author, Alan Hamilton, is to provide communities with incentives to protect these plants. Ten projects in India, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Uganda and Kenya showed this approach can succeed.

Herbal remedies against cancer   Modern-day research is beginning to focus on the usefulness of herbal drugs in cancer. Many herbs are a storehouse of ingredients that can have a cancer preventive action and for people diagnosed with cancer. These herbs alone or in combination with allopathic drugs may prove useful in combating the disease.   Turmeric : Turmeric contains an ingredient called curcumin and research shows that this may have a preventive action against cancer. It has been found to show an ability to differentiate between normal and cancerous cells and can create apoptosis selectively in the latter; besides, it also helps the normal cells stay healthy and thrive. In laboratory studies, turmeric shows best results against cancers of the bowel, skin, breast and stomach. Some studies have also found that curcumin suppresses a mechanism that is responsible for growth of tumours in cancer of the head and neck.    Holy Basil (Tulsi): Tulsi is well known for its expectorant properties, making it a valuable ingredient for home remedies for cough and cold. However, researchers are now finding that it is a rich source of antioxidants that helps prevent the negative effects of oxidative stress in the body. One of its components, carnosol, has shown promising results in liver, stomach and prostate cancer as well as leukaemia; it is believed to reduce the size of the blood vessels that supply the tumour and this slows down its growth.  Saffron : Saffron has been found to reduce tumour growth in animal experiments. Saffron contains a carotenoid called crocin that reduces the rate of tumour growth probably by inhibiting the synthesis of DNA and RNA in the cancerous cells or by exerting an antioxidant action. In liver cancer studies, saffron was found to stimulate apoptosis and blocking the inflammatory response.   Ginger: Ginger is most well-known for its use as a digestive and the important role it plays in combating nausea. Now, researchers are finding that ginger tends to cause apoptosis in breast and ovarian cancer and leukaemia. More importantly, it has been found that this ability to kill cells is a selective one – only the cancerous cells are attacked, while the normal cells are left unaffected. Some research studies also show that ginger stops the action of enzymes associated with cancer and causes the body to synthesise a greater number of proteins with cancer-fighting properties   Garlic : Garlic has been recognised for its action as a digestive, an expectorant, and a cholesterol-lowering agent. Now, preliminary research is showing that consuming garlic may prevent the development of cancer in the gastrointestinal tract – the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon and rectum – the breast and pancreas. Aloe Vera: Researchers have found that aloe contains an ingredient called acemannan that has antiviral and anti-inflammatory action as well as the ability to stimulate the immune system; this, along with its lack of toxic effect even at high doses has spurred further investigation into its use against cancer.    Common aromatic plants    Common Aromatic Plants are:   Lemongrass, Java Citronella,  Palmorosa, Jamrosa, Japanese Peppermint, Bergamot Mint,  Spearmint, Geranium,   Vetiver,  Rose,  Clocimum,  Ocimum Canum,  Celery,  Cinnamon,  Clary Sage, Patchouli, Linaloe,  Screwpine, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Hops, Davana, Linaloe    Medicinal plants slowly going extinct    Medicinal plant resources in the country are threatened by over exploitation to meet the demand of herbal industries. As per the information received from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, about 95% of medicinal plants used by the herbal industries are harvested from the wild primarily from forests.    The total annual demand of botanical raw drugs in the country for the year 2005-06 has been estimated as 3,19,500 MT with corresponding trade value of Rs. 1,069 crores as per the collaborative study conducted by the Department of AYUSH with the assistance of the Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT). In addition to above, rapid threat assessment exercises for the wild medicinal plants species occurring in different states have also been taken up.    These assessments have involved conducting Conservation Assessment and Management Prioritization using International Union for Conservation of Nature and  Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List Categories. These exercises have involved undertaking assessments for a total of 359 prioritized wild medicinal plant species.    Some of the rare medicinal plants reported to be threatened have been relocated during the last decade including Utleria salicifolia and Hydnocarpus pentandra in Western Ghats, Gymnocladus assamicus and Begonia tessaricarpa from Arunachal Pradesh and Agapetes smithiana in Sikkim  by the Botanical Survey of India.    National Medicinal Plants Board which was constituted on 24th November, 2000 has been implementing a Central Sector scheme for development and cultivation of medicinal plants since the year 2000-01. This scheme was revised and renamed as “Central Sector Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants” during 2008-09. Projects for setting up of 29 Medicinal Plants  Conservation Areas (MPCAs) have also been implemented in the states covering mainly the medicinal plants viz. Asoka, Guggal and Dashmool varieties. The scheme is being implemented with an outlay of Rs. 321.30 crores during the 11th Plan.    In addition to above, a new “Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Mission on Medicinal Plants” with a total outlay of Rs. 630 crores is being implemented since 2008-09 by the National Medicinal Plants Board. A total number of 24 states viz. Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana,  Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal have been covered so far under the scheme. Since the implementation of the Mission started only in the year 2008-09, it is too early to make any impact assessment. This information was given by Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad in written reply to a question raised in Rajya Sabha on March 09, 2010

Turmeric              Tulsi (Holy Basil)            Terminalia Arjuna tree        Anar (Pomegranate)         Brahmi

New Research    According to National Institute of Industrial Research (NIIR). Nearly, 500 plants were screened for antitubercular activity, among which 40 plants have been formulated in the systems of Ayurveda and Siddha. Besides, nearly 55 plants having folklore claims are attributed efficacy for the treatment of tuberculosis. Research work has been conducted on the leaf extract of Pithecellobium dulce to prove the efficacy of the plant against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In the near future, this plant's extracts would help conquer tuberculosis and save lives.   To cure swine flu:  In the increasing spread of diseases such as swine flu, dengue and chikungunya, greater part of the people are leaning towards natural cure thereby opting for medicinal plants that boost their immunity system and thus brace themselves to fight the diseases. One of the most sought after medicinal plants is Amrutaballi or Tinospora Cordifolia also known as Gudichi, Madhuparni, Amruta or Kundalini especially after yoga guru Baba Ramdev and Sri Sri Sri ravishankar of Art of Living exhorted its use to cure swine flu.    Herbal remedy for leprosy:  Thankuni (Thol-kuri) is a very popular small herbaceous plant belonging to the Umbelliferae, and comprising about 70 species which are found in wet  places in temperate and tropical regions, more especially of the Southern hemisphere. The plant is considered a useful alterative and tonic in diseases of the skin, nerves, and blood. The people are in the habit of taking the powdered dried leaves with milk for improving their memory, and as an alterative tonic. The leaves are said to be useful in syphilitic skin diseases both externally and internally; and on the Malabar Coast, the plant is one of the remedies for leprosy.  New anti-malarials: The increasing number of multidrug-resistant Plasmodium strains warrants exploration of new anti-malarials. Medicinal plant research has become more important, particularly after the development of Chinese anti-malarial drug artemisnin from Artemisia annua.The present study shows evaluation of anti-malarial effects of two plants commonly used against malaria in the Garhwal region of north-west Himalaya, in order to discover the herbal-based medicine.  Red clover (Trifolium pratense): Red clover flowers can be made into a tea to cleanse the blood, soothe the nerves and promote sleep. They are also used for coughs and bronchitis as they have expectorant and anti-spasmodic properties. The tea, drunk  over several weeks, can also help to clear skin conditions    HIV/AIDS treatment:  Medicinal plants such as tulsi, ashwgandha and shilajit, which have so far been used as home remedies for cough and cold, may hold the key to the treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS. The Department of Virology in Haffkine Institute for Training, Research and Testing in Parel, conducted in-vitro tests (tests done outside living systems) on the herbal extracts of the three plants against Reverse Transcriptase, an enzyme that is found in the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) and causes it to multiply. The tests showed that these herbs have the potential to act effectively against the enzyme.  Indian herbal market is rising sharply     The Indian herbal market is rising sharply and is expected to hit Rs 14,500-crore mark with exports reaching Rs 9,000 crore by the year 2012. The herbal market has an annual compounded growth rate of 20 and 25 per cent, respectively. India is followed by China as the largest producer of medicinal plants having more than 40 per cent global diversity, Ayushkati Ayurved's promoter Pankaj Naram said. Worldwide, the ayurvedic industry is put at $3 billion and is slowly gaining acceptance as an alternative system of medicine and health care, Naram said. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has projected that the global herbal market will grow to $5 trillion by 2050.    New developments    International initiative to conserve medicinal plants launched    A unique international initiative to conserve medicinal plants and promote traditional knowledge related community level health was launched at the ongoing United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity on October 19, 2012. The initiative was launched in collaboration with the UN University Institute of Advanced Studies, Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, UN Development Programme's Equator Initiative, UN Environment Programme, Secretariat of Convention on Biological Diversity, National Biodiversity Authority of India, Biodiversity International, The Wildlife Trade Monitoring Network and Comparing and Supporting Endogenous Development.     World`s largest medicinal botanic garden in China       A medicinal botanical garden in China, largest of its kind in the world    A medicinal botanical garden in southwest China has been confirmed by Guinness World Records as the largest of its kind in the world, a garden official said on December 8, 2011. Located in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and spread over an area of 202 hectares (over 2 square kilometres), the garden has been confirmed to be containing the most varieties of medicinal plants and the largest cultivated area of medicinal plants in the world, Xinhua reported.   The garden, till date, has saved over 6,000 kinds of living medicinal plants (including more than 100 endangered varieties and over 30 new varieties), more than 3,200 kinds of medicinal plant seeds and 100,000 medicinal plant images. Built in 1959 by Guangxi`s health department, its objective is to cultivate, collect and save medicinal plants besides conducting research. The garden is expected to be built into an advanced international medicinal plants conservation base and a centre for traditional Chinese medicine culture and science. Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region is one of China`s most undeveloped provinces. But it is known for its large variety of herbal medicines and the ethnic minority cultures of Zhuang and Yao. A botanical garden is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names. It may contain special plant collections.(Source: IANS)

Cancer Tree or Tree of Life    The “Cancer Tree,” a member of the tupelo family, is known by several additional non-scientific names: the Happy Tree and the Tree of Life. Those names are honestly earned. This is the tree that gave us the anticancer compound camptothecin, a substance found in the tree’s bark.   The resulting drugs, topotecan and irinotecan hydrochloride are useful in treating breast cancers, ovarian cancer, colon cancer, malignant melanoma, small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancers, lymphomas and leukemias. The compounds, which have antiviral as well as anti-tumor properties, are also used for the treatment of AIDS.   The Cancer tree is native to China, growing up to 75 feet tall in warmer climates.   Finding remedies in native plants  Associate Professor Palombo heads the environment and biotechnology centre in Swinburne's says more than 800 plants are used as traditional remedies in various countries for treating diabetes but that achieving successful treatments without any side effects remains a challenge.

Texas A&M Biologists Helping to Harness Medicinal Benefits of Plants   Scientists at Texas A&M University, together with colleagues at seven other institutions around the country and the world, have developed new resources poised to unlock yet another door in the hidden garden of medicinal compounds found in plants. Some well-known medicines have come from plants. For instance, the foxglove plant gives us the cardiac muscle stimulant digoxin, and the periwinkle plant offers a source for the widely used chemotherapy drugs vincristine and vinblastine.   Work in the McKnight laboratory at Texas A&M focused on "Camptotheca acuminata", a Chinese tree that produces camptothecin, the basis of several new anti-cancer drugs. This initiative is funded through a $6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study how plants produce pharmaceutically useful chemicals. Among the major outcomes from this project are extensive databases detailing the genes and metabolic chemicals found in 14 medically important but difficult-to-study plants.

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