There is a revival of interest in herbal medicines.  This is due to increased awareness of the limited horizon of synthetic pharmaceutical products to control major diseases and  the need to discover new molecular structures as lead compounds, from plant kingdom.

                The rediscovery of virtues of medicinal plants is particularly evident in the developed world from greatly increased publications and  sales of herbal medicaments in health stores and  food stores as nutritional supplements, dietary supplements, neutraceuticals, in U.S.A. and  Europe etc.  Mostly these herbal supplements or raw herbals are exported from China, India, South America and  Africa.

                 Considerable knowledge exists on medicinal plants in India.  Several medicinal plants, about 1500, are  listed in standard  Ayurveda monographs.  In India indigenous people (tribals, who live in forests)  practice medicines derived from plants to cure their ailments.  The knowledge is unwritten being transmitted from one generation to the other.   With the advent of modern medicine, the “tribal medicine” is loosing its importance even in tribal areas.  Apart from this, several rural people use plant remedies to cure their ailments.  Even this household remedies are not properly catalogued.

                  Thus there is a need to extract medicinal plants mentioned in well known in “Ayurveda”,” tribal medicine” and  “house hold remedies”, to find our their efficacy by modern biochemical and pharmacological methods.  Ultimately, the active principle responsible for the activity is to be ascertained.  Afterwards the standardized extract or the pure principle could be used as medicine.

                  Some examples of standardized herbal extracts available in U.S.A.  and  European markets are – St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum), Echinacea purpurea ,Kava Kava (Piper methysticum), Ginkgo extract (Ginkgo biloba), Black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens)  , Ginseng (Panax ginseng),  Cranberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and  Aloe vera.  These are used to promote a sense of well being, emotional balance, calming effect, to improve mental alertness, prostate health, to promote healthy urinary tract and  as antioxidants.

                   In India ,the extracts of  Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi), Centella asiatica (Saraswati), Gynnema Sylvestris (Gurmar),Commiphora mukul (Guggul), Boswellia serrata (salakki),Cassia angustifotia (Senna leaf) are quite popular as to promote a sense of well being, memory enhances, anti-inflammatory, to treat heart troubles and  as  laxatives etc.  These extracts are being exported to western countries as crude extracts or standardized extracts.

                    Although there are several medicinal plants mentioned in Ayurveda, tribal medicine or used as house hold remedies, the chemical investigations, or biochemical studies (enzyme inhibitors, receptor binding studies) or pharmacological studies were not fully made.  Such a study may yield useful results in our quest to discover anti-inflammatoy, hypotensive, hypoglycemic, liver  protective or  sedative compounds or as antioxidants.

                   Some of the plants listed below needs  investigation. Various fractions will be isolated using different solvents of increasing polarity   (Phase I study).  The fractions will be subjected to pharmacological screening or biochemical screening  (Phase II).  The most active fraction will be investigated  further and  pure bio-active compounds will be isolated by chromatographic methods (Phase III).
Plants selected for the study are  given  below:
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a) HYPOGLYCERMIC AGENTS (ANTI-DIABETIC)FROM PLANTS.

1. Syzygium jamboos (Seeds & bark)
2. Pterocarpus marsupium (heart wood)
3. Momordica charantia  (fruits & leaves)
4. Mangifera indica (tender leaves)

B) MEMORY ENHANCERS, BRAIN TONICS

5. Centella asiatica (whole plant)
6. Celastrus paniculatus  (Seeds)
7. Bacopa monnieri  (whole plant)

C) VITILIGO, LEUCODERMA ,PSORIASIS & SUNTAN AGENTS

8. Pongamia pinnata  (seed, oil)

9.  Rubia cordifolia  (root)
10. Psoralea corylifolia   (seed, oil)

D) REMEDIES FOR SKIN DISEASES:

11. Cassia fistula  (bark)

12. Ocimum sanctum (leaves)

13. Plumbago zeylanica  (root)

14. Curcuma longa  (rhizomes)

E) MENORRHAGIA, UTERINE AND  GYNACOLOGICAL DISORDERS:

15. Saraca asoca (bark)

16. Symplocos racemosa  (bark).

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F) LIVER STIMULANTS-TO TREAT  HEPATIC DISORDERS AND  JAUNDICE

17 Eclipta alba  (whole plant)

18 .Picrorhiza kurroa  (rhizomes)

19. Phyllanthus amarus  (whole plant)

20.  Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) ( leaf juice  and  gel)
 

G) EXPECTORANTS, BRONCHODILATORS  AND ANTIALLERGIC AGENTS:

21. Adhatoda vasica  (leaves)

22. Cassia siamea  (flowers and  pods)

23. Solanum Xanthocarpum (fruits)

24. Piper longum   (fruit and root )

25.Piper nigrum  (fruit )
.
 

b) Very popular “tribal medicines” - plants available in the forests of Andhra Pradesh - will  also  need  chemically investigation with a view to discover new medicinal agents.  Intellectual property rights, patent protection, rewarding tribals who have provided information is envisaged.
 The list of plants provided herein is representative but not exhaustive.  Several Indian plants were also reported to have anti-HIV activity.

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HERBAL EXTRACTS, THEIR SPECIFICATION AND ACTIVITY
STANDARDISED HERBAL  EXTRACTS AVAILABLE
IN INDIA  TO TREAT VARIOUS HUMAN AILMENTS
 

Name of the plant                                                                          Active ingredient

1. Andrographis paniculata                                                          10-15% Andrographolide

2. Curcuma longa                                                                           Essential oils

3. Bacopa monnieri                                                                        35-38% Bacoside- A-and -B

4. Centella asiatica                                                                        10-15% Asiaticoside and other   triterpenoids

5.Withania   Somnifera                                                                  1.5 to 2% withanolide and 1-3% Alkaloid

6. Curcuma longa                                                                          95-97% curcumin (mixture of curcumins)

7. Embelica officinalis                                                                  45% tannins and 6-10%  ascorbic acid

8.  Commiphora mukul                                                                   6-7%  guggul sterones (steroids)

9. Cassia angustifolia leaves                                                   45% sennoside calculated as sennoside –B

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10. Acacia catechu                                                           Positive  test for  catechins and procyanidins

11. Symplocos racemosa                                                   Alkaloids Positive

 12. Glycyrrhiza glabra                                                   20% Glycyrrhizin

 13. Gymnema Sylvestre                                                           30-33% gymnemic acid

14. Ocimum Sanctum                                                                 4-5% volatile oil

15.  Picrorhiza Kurroa                                                             7-8% kutkin

16. Triphala *                                                                            45% tannins
*fruit rinds  of Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula  and  Embelica officinalis in equal amounts and pulverised powder .

17. Tribulus terrestris                                                             40-45% saponins.

18. Asparagus racemosus                                                         20% saponins(satavarins)

19. Boswellia serrata                                                             60% Boswellic acid

20. Capsicum annum                                                               8% capsaicin

21. Coleus froskolii                                                                    3% Forskolin
   (hypotensive drug)

22. Garcinia gambosia                                                    55% Hydroxy citric acid,(as Calcium or potassium salts)

23. Allium sativum                                                                           Allin 1.5%

24. Holarrhena antidysentrica                                                  5% Alkaloids
                                                                                                 (Connesine and related alkaloids)
25. Piper nigrum                                                                             95% Piperin

26. Terminalia chebula                                                                  50% Tannins

27. Tinospora cordifolia                                                                   5% Bitters

28.  Terminalia bellerica                                                             25%Tannins.

29.  Terminalia arjuna                                                                 25%Tannins.

30.  Pueraria tuberosa                                                                   5% Isoflavones

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31.  Mucuna pruriens                                                                      10%Levodopa.

32. Tephrosia purpurea                                                                5% Rutin.

33. syzygium cumini                                                                         3% Bitters.

34.Grape seed extract                                                                contains catechins and procyanidins.

35.Glycine max beans                                                              soy standardized extract (30%genestein
                                                                                                    and diadzein etc.)
36.Fagopyrum esculentum                                                                   5% Rutin.
     (Buck Wheat)

37.Bixa orellana                                                                         Bixin and norbixin 
      (Annato seeds)

38.chlorophytum borivillinium                                                 Hydro alcholic extract

39.Azadiracta indica                                                                 10-13%Azadirachtin from seeds.
     (Neem seeds and leaves)                                                    Hydro alcholic extract of leaves.

40.Acorus calmus                                                                      Essential oils.

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41.Lemon grass oil,                                                                   Essential oils .
    Citronellol oil and
     Palmrosa oil

42.Zinziber officinale                                                       Essential oils 

43.Phyllanthus amarus                                                                 3% Bitters.