Current Science Association

Global promotion of herbal medicine: India's opportunity

Author(s): N. K. Dubey, Rajesh Kumar and Pramila Tripathi
Source: Current Science, Vol. 86, No. 1 (10 January 2004), pp. 37-41
Published by: Current Science Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/24109515
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 GENERAL ARTICLES

Global promotion of herbal medicine:

India's opportunity
N. K. Dubey*, Rajesh Kumar and Pramila Tripathi

Due to side effects of synthetic products, herbal products are gaining popularity in the world
In spite of well-practised knowledge of herbal medicine and occurrence of a large number o
cinal plants, the share of India in the global market is not up to the mark. The present arti
with the measures to be adopted for global promotion of Indian herbal products.

Medicinal herbs are moving from fringe to mainstream Undoubtedly, the plant kingdom still holds
use with a greater number of people seeking remedies and cies of plants containing substances of med
health approaches free from side effects caused by synthetic which have yet to be discovered. India is a land
chemicals. Recently, considerable attention has been paid to biodiversity in which two out of eighteen hot sp
utilize eco-friendly and biofriendly plant-based products world are located. India is also one of the tw
for the prevention and cure of different human diseases. biodiversity countries in the world. The total
Considering the adverse effects of synthetic drugs1'2, the plant species of all groups recorded from Ind
Western population is looking for natural remedies which (the total number may be even close to 60,000
are safe and effective. It is documented that 80% of the parts of India are yet to be botanically explored
worlds population has faith in traditional medicine, parti- seed-bearing plants account for nearly 15,0
cularly plant drugs for their primary healthcare. India enjoys the benefits of varied climate, from
India is sitting on a gold mine of well-recorded and tradi- the Himalaya to tropical wet in the south and ar
tionally well-practised knowledge of herbal medicine. This sthan. Such climatic conditions have given rise to
country is perhaps the largest producer of medicinal herbs varied flora in the Indian subcontinent,
and is rightly called the botanical garden of the world. In order to promote Indian herbal drugs, th
There are very few medicinal herbs of commercial impor- urgent need to evaluate the therapeutic poten
tance which are not found in this country. India officially drugs as per WHO guidelines4. Ironically, not man
recognizes over 3000 plants for their medicinal value. products are available in standardized form, wh
It is generally estimated that over 6000 plants in India minimum requirement for introducing a produ
are in use in traditional, folk and herbal medicine, repre- Western market,
senting about 75% of the medicinal needs of the Third
World countries3. Three of the ten most widely selling Arß harmaceutical firms resp0nsible f
herbal medicines in the developed countries, namely prepa- jow market?
rations of Allium sativum, Aloe barbedensis and Panax
sp. are available in India. There are about 7000 firms . , , . . , . . . „. . ,
1 . . Adulteration in market samples is one of the greatest draw
manufacturing traditional medicines with or without backs in prom
Stan a5. |za|1011, samples in the market are sto
Medicinal herbs have been in use in one form or another, tions over
under indigenous systems of medicine like Ayurveda, g3 lhug
Sidha and Unani. India, with its traditional backgroun
needs to increase its share ,n the world market. But un- adulterated) d
like China, India has not been able to capitalize on this indi s mar
herbal wealth by promoting its use in the developed world, eff
despite their renewed interest in herbal medicines This Desire f
can be achieved by judicious product identification based ^ nQt p
on diseases prevalent in the developed world for which .g the major
no medicine or palliative therapy is available. Such herbal h alsQ adyer
medicines will find speedy access into those countries. herbal produc
the knowledge and skill required in proc
. mon examples which are well known
The authors are in the Department of Botany, Banaras Hindu Univer- . „ . , . , . ,
Sity, Varanasi 221 005, India. the bark of Holarrhena antidysentrica by Wrighti
*For correspondence, (e-mail: nkdubey@banaras.ernet.in) and Saraca indica by Trema orientalis .

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 86, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2004 37

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GENERAL ARTICLES

Mycotoxin elaboration in stored drug samples be documented properly with regard to the
of species and utilization of specific parts of the plant
It has been reported that the stored drug samples harbour Some of the common medicinal plants are kno
mycotoxin-producing fungi in high frequency9"". Degra- rent parts of the country by different names.
dation of alkaloids and medicinally valuable secondary is an important medicinal plant. Differen
metabolites of stored plant drugs due to fungal infestations Clitoria ternatea Linn, in Kerala, Cans
has been reported. WHO has also paid serious attention on Schult, in Bengal, and Convolvulus plu
mycotoxin contamination in herbal drugs, considering it and Evolvulus alsinoides Linn, in other pa
as a global problem. However, its incidence is higher in tro- known as Shankhpuspi14. This type of c
pical and subtropical countries as the harvesting practices met with other medicinal plants. There is
and high temperature and moisture contents are conducive of taxonomic databases of ethnomedicinal plan
to fungal invasion and mycotoxin elaboration12. Some of in joint collaboration by Ayurvedic pract
the powdered drugs bearing trademarks of standard Indian perienced plant taxonomists. Correct ta
herbal firms have been reported to contain high concen- fication of medicinal plants before their
tration of aflatoxin B,. Detection of mycotoxins (aflatoxin drug manufacture is an important aspect. Wro
Bi, ochratoxin, citrinin and zearalenone) is certainly a mat- cation of herbs has led to many cases of poiso
ter of great concern in stored drugs of important medicinal haavia diffusa is used widely as a 'quality of
plants, e.g. roots/rhizomes of Asparagus racemosus (0.16 pg/ in the traditional system of medicine. Howe
g), Atropa belladonna (0.27 pg/g), Withania somnifera diffusa and the plant Trianthema portula
(0.68 pg/g) Plumbago zelanica (1.13 pg/g); fruits of known as 'Punarva', and so both the plan
Emblica officinalis (up to 1.51 pg/g), Terminalia chebula lected at the same time15 (see ref. 8, p. 163
(1.19 pg/g); seeds of Macuna puriens (1.16 pg/g)13. Such Most of earlier plant scientists attracted
herbal drugs containing mycotoxins above the tolerance Indian flora, made extensive surveys and
limit fixed by WHO for human consumption, will be cer- systems of classification. But in the pres
tainly rejected in the global market. This is because of newly born modern disciplines in botany
improper storage and processing of herbal drugs by Indian treated as a neglected discipline. Even in most
firms. The situation is alarming and appropriate quality- any departments of Central Universities, n
control measures have to be taken urgently. It would be, provided for herbaria of regional medicin
therefore, advisable to treat plant drugs with nontoxic is a lack of trained personnel for both pro
chemicals at various stages of storage and processing. tion of plants and to teach plant taxonomy
versity where botany is taught as a subject should have a
Improper harvestation well-maintained medicinal plant garden. Also, it
be their responsibility to conserve the rare medicina
Another major issue requiring immediate attention con- plants of the area. Training the youth of the cou
cerns the harvest of medicinal plants in appropriate sea- onomy of ethnomedicinal plants would h
sons. The medicinal properties of plants vary with respect ing such databases,
to different seasons. These properties may be restricted to
one particular part of the plant. The age of the plant also Safety profile assessment
decides its medicinal potency. Therefore, the authentic
part of medicinal plants of a particular age should be har- Ayurvedic practitioners have not given much
vested in a particular season before processing for drug the evaluation of adverse side reactions. T
manufacture, to avoid any alteration in its medicinal pot- some herbal products is beyond doubt. H
ency. The medicinal potency of an angiospermic taxon genie and carcinogenic effects have been
also varies among its populations occurring in different some of these drugs. Although herbal medi
geographical localities. Besides, the period of storage in used, cases of toxicity reported seem to
sun or shade conditions also affects medicinal properties monly used drug, Licorice is reported t
of the plants. Precautions during harvestation of medici- and hypertension if used for a long tim
nal plants are not observed by most of the firms and it seng, one of the most widely used herb
ultimately results in decline in efficacy of the herbal drugs. hypertension, gynaecomastica and vag
Toxic materials like arsenic, mercury, lead, etc. have been
Responsibility of research organizations and detected from time to time in some herbs.
universities Drug Administration, USA has banned utilization of many
plants by human beings on this ground. Hepatotox
Research needs to be enhanced to identify plants with nephrotoxicity and most critically
potential medicinal value and to isolate compounds of synthetic medicines are common
medicinal importance. Every plant-based product should practices. One of the popular plan
38 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 86, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2004

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 GENERAL ARTICLES

been banned due to the presence of B-asarone, which has biopiracy or gene robbing by biotechnologi
shown carcinogenic properties16. This plant is popular among loped countries and would be helpful in many f
Ayurvedic practitioners. The toxic effects of herbal drugs ment of Indian herbal medicine in the global
may also be because of adulteration, contamination by quick and urgent steps are not taken in biopr
pesticides and their diseased state. WHO has laid down our ethnomedicinal plants, the fate of some o
guidelines for determination of adverse reactions as essential able Indian plants will be like that of neem and
requirements for human application. Keeping these facts in
view, the safety limit profile of the herbal drugs should be Synergy in relation to pharmacological
recorded in order to popularize Indian pharma in the glo- phytomedicines
bal market. The government and drug industry must come
There is no doubt that most herbs exhibit their effects on
forward in funding and undertaking this task, so that
, ... . c , , , . .. a variety of constituents and the idea of synergy within
good quality and safe herbal preparations are a reality.
and between them is also, gaining
, , . . acceptance
J ,7 t . . It is not
well-documented in most of the herbal medicines whether
Active principle identification and they are acting truly in a synergistic way or by additive
standardization effects. Clinical evaluation is also difficult, without know
™ ., . ... , „ . . . ing the extent to which synergy occurs within the herbal
I he identification of biologically active compounds is an „ . , , , ,
preparations. Some of the components of the cr
essential requirement for quality control and dose deter
may not have any biological activity, but m
mination of plant-based drugs. A medicinal herb
enhancers of can be
potency of the active components
viewed as a synthetic laboratory as itwort
produces and eon
(Hypericum perforatum, family Hyper
tains a number of chemical compounds. These compounds,
one of the most important herbs of proven clin
responsible for medical activity of the herb, are secon
cacy as an antidepressant. Its activity is due to
dary metabolites. For example, alkaloidswhich
whichareare napthodianthrones.
nitro It has also been
genous principles of organic compounds combine with
that pure hypericins are very weak and the posi
acids to form crystalline salts. In addition, herbs may
are due to impurities in the fraction used, which
contain saponins, resins, oleoresins, lactones
gest someand volatile action as well as synergy.
polyvalent
oils. Complete phytochemical investigations of most
wort thus representsof a good example of a herb
the medicinally important herbs of exhibit India have not been
synergism .... . , . ,action
and polyvalent . is . . Ginger (Zin
carried out so far. This would be beneficial in standardi
ber officinale) is another example of a chemically unstab
zation and dose determination of herbal drugs. Further,
range of compounds being responsible for the activit
there should be a quality control test for the entire prepa- • .• ,, 19
, ;. . , . and probably acting synergistically .
ration to ensure the quality of the drug. _ . , „ f .. .. ,, , , .
M J b Synergism or enhancement of activity of herbal drugs
is also possible using combinations of herbs. In case of
Bioprospecting of indigenous medicinal flora multiple herb extracts, some of the herbs enhance t
_ , ,, . j , potency of the real effective herb. Besides, in some cases,
Gene technology has given unlimited powers to developed f , ' , . . . . . . ce . e
b\ . , v . herbs or their constituents reduce the toxic effects of the
countries to exploit the genetic resources ot poor nations, ,. . ,, , ,. . 1 u- .• e
, ,. " . . , , , , main medicinal herb, making the herbal combinat
leading to a situation of biopiracy and gene robbing , , .20^ • . » j
, „, , . .. . for the human system . Our ancient Ayurvedic system
A number of herbs, viz. neem, haldi and ashwagandha and .. .. .... , . , , ,
. . , , , & ., relies on this principle. In order to promote Indian herb
plant drugs of India have been patented by outsiders on preparations in the globai market, care shouid be taken
the basis o secon ary researc es. during drug standardization. Appropriate proportions of
In such a putative situation, it ,s extremely important ^ herb used in the formu,ation of more efficacious
for the biodivers,ty-rich nations to build capabilities at d shou,d be takgn> SQ as tQ effective chemothera.
least to know their biodiversity and prevent biopiracy. To ^ Synergism between herbal drugs may be
achieve such a capability, ,t is a prerequisite to inventorize a]so benefidal in the treatment of a disease caused due t0
and document the bioresources, putting a price tag to le factors in herbal medicine may lead t0
them. More recently, the term bioprospecting has been ved ^ and k wou,d be better if new and impro.
widely used to assess the economic potential of different yed formulations are prepared with some of the ge
plant species. It would involve economics of sustainable demanded drugs of Indian medicinal plants so that
utilization of our biodiversity. It can throw light on new India Qccupy a lgading posUion jn ^ WQrld market
classes of materials. Bioprospecting would be one of the ^ berbaj drugS
challenging areas for future research in the 21st Century.
It would enable us to make use of our rich biological heri- Conservation and sustainable exploitation
tage. Bioprospecting can enhance the conservation value
of Indian medicinal plants. In addition, this would check The unscrupulous collection of medicinal plants from wild
illegal exploitation of such indigenous plants through habitats by traders has threatened the very existence of
CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 86, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2004 39

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GENERAL ARTICLES

valuable medicinal plant resources. Due to biopiracy and coast and it should develop agrotechnologi
over exploitation, some of the ethnomedicinal plants are to use such land for cultivation of medicin
becoming rare. Reserves of medicinal plants are dimini
shing and are in danger of extinction due to unfriendly
Quality control during collection an
harvesting techniques, loss of growth habitat and their
unmonitored trades. Coleus forskohlii, an Indian species
The season at which each drug is collecte
is now listed as vulnerable to extiction in the wild as a ,, . , .
c ... „. . r considerable importance. The amount and nature of active
result of indiscriminate collection for the isolation of . . , , , ™
constituents is not constant throughout th
forskolin, a diterpenoid used in the treatment of glaucoma
of the plant is also of considerable importance and governs
and heart disease21. Some important species that need
immediate attention for conservation in India are Aconi
not only the total quantity of the active constituents pro
duced, but also the relative proportions of the active princi
tum deinorrhizum, A. heterophyllum, Angelica glauca,
ples. Duration of the drying conditions of the harvested
Arnebia benthemii, Artemisia brevifolia, A. maritime,
medicinal herb also varies from a few hours to many
Atropa acuminata, Berberis aristata, Colchicum luteum,
weeks21'23. If enzyme action is to be encouraged, slow
Corydalis govaniana, Dactylorhiza hategirica, Dioscorea
drying at moderate temperatures is necessary. Storage of
deltoidea, Ephedra gerardiana, Ferula jaeschkeana,
the harvested plant parts under hygienic conditions is
Gentiana kurroa, Hedychium spicatum, Jurinea dolomi
another important factor to be considered during processing
aeae, Nardostachys jatamansi, Orchis latifolia, Picror
of the drug. Drugs such as Indian hemp and sarsaparilla
rhiza kurroa, Podophyllum hexandrum, Rheum emodi,
„ . ,. , -v , , deteriorate even when carefully stored. It has been repor
bwertia chirata, Valeriana wallichu and Zanthoxylum ,,, . , . _ , , ,
22 • ,. . , « . ted that the content of taxol in Taxus baccata leaves and
alatum . These are important medicinal plants and their
extracts stored at room temperature for on
conservation in sustainable environment is urgently needed,
ased by 30-40% and 70-80% respectively, w
keeping in view the demand of their drugs in the global
in a freezer and out of direct sunlight produce
market.
deterioration24. Such information regarding s
tions for storage of most of our medicinal
Cultivation of wild medicinal plants available. Careless processing
considering these points is a major reason
Both wild and cultivated plants are used for drug formu
tiveness of some of our traditional medicines. Such deterio
lation. However, in many cases cultivation is advisable
rated drugs will definitely not be accepted in the global
because of the improved quality of the drug. The efficacy
market. The drug-manufacturing firms in India should
of medicinal herbs is affected by different environmental
- « take care during processing of medicinal herbs like some
factors. Temperature, rainfall, day length and soil charac- ,. . . ... ,
- , , , . , .- . firms in other Asian countries which are our real com
teristics are some of the factors which affect the potency
Petitors in the global market.
of the medicinal plants. A plant may grow well in different
situations, but fail to produce the same constituents (e.g.
Cinchonas growing at altitudes and in plains). The culti- Plant cell and tissue cu
vation of some medicinal plants in demand under appro- conversions and clonal
priate environmental conditions will provide (i) better indigenous medicinal pl
development of plants owing to improved conditions of
the soil, pruning, and control of insect pests, and (ii) bet- Low seed set, poor seed viab
ter facilities for treatment after collection. For example, percentage of seed germinat
drying at a correct temperature in the case of Colchicum, in propagation of some med
belladonna and valerian. mely poor in safed musli. Seed germination is poor in
For success in cultivation it is necessary to study the Swertia. Although, tissue culture pro
conditions under which the plants flourish in the wild guggul and some other medicinal pla
state and reproduce these conditions or improve on them. ted, none of them has been commercial
India is satisfactorily cultivating some wild medicinal The production of crude drugs is su
herbs. Several research institutes have undertaken studies of the climate, to crop disease, to v
on the cultivation practices of medicinal plants, which were lection and drying which influe
found suitable and remunerative for commercial cultiva- inherent variation of active const
tion. The agronomic practices for growing poppy, senna, plants of the same species having
cinchona, belladonna and a few other plants have been racteristics. To overcome this prob
developed. One should start cultivation of some more the rapidly expanding areas of phar
globally important medicinal herbs which are endemic to ved the application of tissue cultur
India or comparatively grow more luxuriantly in this and organs in the study of medicinal
country. India has a huge unused saline land in its sea development of commercial product
40 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 86, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2004

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 GENERAL ARTICLES

medicaments, discovery of new metabolites, selection of
superior strains of medicinal plants and improvement of
medicinal plant species by genetic engineering. In some
laboratories of India like the Regional Research Labora
tories Bhubneshwar, research work is in progress on the
enhancement of valuable secondary metabolites of some
medicinally important aromatic plants (e.g. geraniol content
in Cymbopogon martinii oil) which are produced in
plants in low levels . This would definitely attract foreign
firms towards such indigenous medicinal plants. Some of
the plant tissue-culture laboratories in India have publi
shed their research findings in this aspect. However,
looking into the number of medicinal plant species in this
country, coordinated research projects should be launched
on this aspect, which would not only have high industrial
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447.
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(Indian Materia Medica), Chaukhambha Bharati Academy,
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The prevalence of a variety of climatic conditions puts
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p. 52.
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India
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21. Evans,
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substitutions. Efforts should be made to cultivate potential
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medicinal plants as field crops. Their conservation should
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be done in appropriate ecological conditions. In order to
43, 25-27.
push India as a significant player in the global herbal
product market, herbal products should be standardized
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. We thank Prof. J. S. Singh, CAS in Botany,
as per WHO guidelines. Banaras Hindu University for critically reviewing the manuscript and
for valuable suggestions.

1. Gijtenbeek, J. M. M., Vanden Bent, M. J. and Vecht, C. J., Cyclo

sporine neurotoxicity. J. Neurol., 1999, 246, 339-346. Received 13 February 2003; revised accepted 1 October 2003

CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 86, NO. 1, 10 JANUARY 2004 41

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