Neem
  



   
       Tulsi (Holy Basil)





          Amala:A Plant




  
     Ashwagandha Plant
  


 
    Aloe Medicinal  Plant

     

  
     Isabgol Plant

   


   
        Mushroom

   
           Mango (आम)      

Banyan tree a kalpavriksha      Sahijan (Moringa oleifera)              Tamarind (Imli)        Khejri(Prosopis cineraria)          Rauvolfia serpentina      Indian bdellium or gugal

 

Introduction  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.   As per estimates India has about 15000 species of plants with medicinal properties. 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    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 pharmacological category.   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.

Common  Medicinal plants in India    Common Indian Name  Botanical Name English Name Contents/Alkaloids Amla  Emblica officinalis  Amla Tannin, Vitamin-C Arjuna Terminalia arjuna Arjuna Arjunetin, Lactones Ashwagandha Withania somnifera Winter cherry Withanin, Somniferine Babchi Psoralea corylifolia Psoralea fruit Psoralen & Isopsoalen Baheda Terminalia belerica belleric myroblan Tannin, Saponin Brahmi Bacopa monnieri bacopa, Indian pennywort Bacosaponin Chopchini Similax china Sarsaparilla, China root Flavonaid,Glycosides, Gallic acid. Ghritkumari Aloe vera  Aloe Aloin Geloy Tinaspora cordifolia   Cordifol,Tinosporidine Harad Terminalia chebula Chebulic myroblan Anthraquinones, Tannins, Chebulic acid Kucchila Strychnos nuxvomica Nux vomica Strachnine and Brucine Lasun  Allium sativum Garlic Alayal Sulphate Neem Azadirachta indica Margosa Azadirachtin Pappli Piper longum Lindipipper Piperine Safed Musali Chlorophytum borivilianum   Carbohydrates, Protein, Saponins Sarpagandha Rauvolfia serpentina Serpiria Reserpine Seetaphal Annona squamosa Custard apple Annonine Sunth (Adrak) Zingiber officinale Ginger Gingerols Talispatra Taxus baccata Himalayan yew Taxol Tulsi  Ocimum sanctum Basil Eugenol, Luteolin Apigenin Vach Acorus calamus Sweet flag Sesquiterpenes, Asarone, Acorin, Saponin

 

Medicinal plants slowly going extinct   The health of millions could be at risk because medicinal plants used to make traditional remedies, including drugs to combat cancer and malaria, are being overexploited. Most people worldwide, including 80% of all Africans, rely on herbal  medicines obtained mostly from wild plants. But some 15,000 of 50,000 medicinal species are under threat of extinction, according to a report this week from international conservation group Plantlife. Shortages have been reported in China, India, Kenya,  Nepal, Tanzania and Uganda.    Commercial over-harvesting does the most harm, though pollution, competition from invasive species and habitat destruction all contribute. "Commercial collectors generally harvest medicinal plants with little care for sustainability," the Plantlife report says.     Urgent measures are required to preserve the century old and time tested healthcare system of the country as India is losing the herbal wealth in naturally grown in wild habitat, said Dr Venkitaraman, the general secretary of the Indian Herbal Conference and the former dean and professor of Pharmacology at the PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences in the University of Madras. He said deforestation is the biggest handicap for herbal development in India. Previously ninety percent of the extracts and roots used in the preparation of herbal medicines were collected from forests.    He 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.    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.   Indian herbal market to cross Rs 14,500-cr mark by the year 2012    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.

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