Changing scenario for promotion and development of Ayurveda - way forward

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Ayurveda, derives from the Sanskrit words Ayus (life) and Veda (knowledge) is the most ancient system of traditional medicine of the world. It has been practiced in Indian peninsula since 5000 BC to offer natural ways to treat diseases and to promote healthcare.

Methodology

We reviewed the literature on the history, principles and current status of Ayurveda. The data have been presented systematically including the initiatives from Government of India. Several aspects of administrative management, education, teaching and related aspects for promotion and development of Ayurveda and other Indian systems of traditional medicine have been discussed.

Results

This paper reviews on different aspects of development of Ayurveda. Presently, there are 2420 hospitals with about 42271 beds, 15017 dispensaries, 429246 registered practitioners, more than 320 educational institutions, 7699 drug-manufacturing units to promote Ayurveda into the health care delivery system in the country. Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India is the official document for single Ayurvedic drugs (540 monographs) and different formulations (152 monographs). Several aspects in this regard for development of Ayurveda have been discussed.

Conclusion

Considering the widespread use and popularity of Ayurveda worldwide, administrative management and infrastructure facilities, indigenous practices and standards for quality control and it’s evaluation have been highlighted. In India, all such efforts for integration of Ayurveda provide potential role in the health care benefits.     

Evidence Based Validation of Indian Traditional Medicine – Way Forward

Evidence based validation of the ethno-pharmacological claims on traditional medicine(TM) is the need of the day for its globalization and reinforcement. Combining the unique features of identifying biomarkers that are highly conserved across species, this can offer an innovative approach to biomarker-driven drug discovery and development. TMs are an integral component of alternative health care systems. India has a rich wealth of TMs and the potential to accept the challenge to meet the global demand for them. Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy(AYUSH) medicine are the major healthcare systems in Indian Traditional Medicine. The plant species mentioned in the ancient texts of these systems may be explored with the modern scientific approaches for better leads in the healthcare. TM is the best sources of chemical diversity for finding new drugs and leads. Authentication and scientific validation of medicinal plant is a fundamental requirement of industry and other organizations dealing with herbal drugs. Quality control(QC) of botanicals, validated processes of manufacturing, customer awareness and post marketing surveillance are the key points, which could ensure the quality, safety and efficacy of TM. For globalization of TM, there is a need for harmonization with respect to its chemical and metabolite profiling, standardization, QC, scientific validation,documentation and regulatory aspects of TM. Therefore, the utmost attention is necessary for the promotion and development of TM through global collaboration and co-ordination by national and international programme.     

Do not put too much value on conventional medicines

About 80% of the population of the developing countries still use traditional medicines for their health care. The rational use of traditional medicines in primary health care should be based on the Guidelines for the Assessment of Herbal Medicines as developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). The protection of intellectual property on traditional medicines should also be based on the guidelines for the protection of intellectual property on traditional medicines to be developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The knowledge of traditional medicines hidden and lost should be researched and the loss of natural resources used as traditional medicines should be prevented. As a new emerging field in ethnopharmacology, treatment guidelines and evidence-based evaluation guidelines for ethnoergogenics, and protection guidelines of intellectual property for ethnoergogenics should be developed and put into practice according to guidelines of the WHO and WIPO, respectively.     

Ethnopharmacology and drug discovery

Ethnopharmacology and natural product drug discovery remains a significant hope in the current target-rich, lead-poor scenario. Many modern drugs have origin in traditional medicine and ethnopharmacology. Traditional Indian Medicine - Ayurveda has a long history and is one of the great living traditions. Considerable research on pharmacognosy, chemistry, pharmacology and clinical therapeutics has been carried out on Ayurvedic medicinal plants. Several preclinical and clinical studies have examined cytoprotective, immunomodulatory and immunoadjuvant potential of Ayurvedic medicines. The ethnopharmacology knowledge, its holistic and systems approach supported by experiential base can serve as an innovative and powerful discovery engine for newer, safer and affordable medicines.     

Medicinal plants of India with anti-diabetic potential

Since ancient times, plants have been an exemplary source of medicine. Ayurveda and other Indian literature mention the use of plants in treatment of various human ailments. India has about 45000 plant species and among them, several thousands have been claimed to possess medicinal properties. Research conducted in last few decades on plants mentioned in ancient literature or used traditionally for diabetes have shown anti-diabetic property. The present paper reviews 45 such plants and their products (active, natural principles and crude extracts) that have been mentioned/used in the Indian traditional system of medicine and have shown experimental or clinical anti-diabetic activity. Indian plants which are most effective and the most commonly studied in relation to diabetes and their complications are: Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Cajanus cajan, Coccinia indica, Caesalpinia bonducella, Ficus bengalenesis, Gymnema sylvestre, Momordica charantia, Ocimum sanctum, Pterocarpus marsupium, Swertia chirayita, Syzigium cumini, Tinospora cordifolia and Trigonella foenum graecum. Among these we have evaluated M. charantia, Eugenia jambolana, Mucuna pruriens, T. cordifolia, T. foenum graecum, O. sanctum, P. marsupium, Murraya koeingii and Brassica juncea. All plants have shown varying degree of hypoglycemic and anti-hyperglycemic activity.     

Perspectives for Globalized Natural Medicines

Natural medicines provide valuable resources to meet the requirements for global health care at affordable prices.Therefore,safety and efficacy need to be proven in a comparable manner to conventional drugs.Evidence-based natural and western medicine may merge to a one-world medicine for the sake of all patients in industrialized and developing countries.In the present review,we discuss strategies for (1) preservation of traditional knowledge on natural medicines,(2) sustainability of medicinal herbs and na...     

Traditional Indian medicine and history of acupuncture in India

Acupuncture, a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is well known to have been originated in ancient China and propagated to neighboring countries including India and now throughout the world.India having an ancient civilization had a rich traditional medicine called Ayurveda which consisted of herbal medicine, surgery, yoga and 'Suchi veda' treatment. Ayurveda gained popularity throughout the ancient India and was also disseminated into the neighbors. Suchi veda was like a pricking therapy but there is no record of its consistent practice afterwards throughout the Christian era and Middle Ages.There is record of dissemination of Chinese acupuncture in India in the 6 th century but its use was not persistent afterwards, till it was re-introduced in the mid-twentieth century, by a Chinese trained Indian physician in 1959. Currently practice of acupuncture is fast developing throughout India. some state governments already officially recognized it and recently the central government of India declared state recognition to acupuncture as an independent system of therapeutics in the health care system of the country.     

Intellectual property protection in the natural product drug discovery, traditional herbal medicine and herbal medicinal products

Traditional medicine is an important part of human health care in many developing countries and also in developed countries, increasing their commercial value. Although the use of medicinal plants in therapy has been known for centuries in all parts of the world, the demand for herbal medicines has grown dramatically in recent years. The world market for such medicines has reached US $ 60 billion, with annual growth rates of between 5% and 15%. Researchers or companies may also claim intellectual property rights over biological resources and/or traditional knowledge, after slightly modifying them. The fast growth of patent applications related to herbal medicine shows this trend clearly.This review presents the patent applications in the field of natural products, traditional herbal medicine and herbal medicinal products. Medicinal plants and related plant products are important targets of patent claims since they have become of great interest to the international drug and cosmetic industry.     

Is there an industrial future for phytopharmaceutical drugs? An outline of UNIDO programmes in the sector

Although a substantial proportion of the health-care expenditure of developing countries is spent on the acquisition of drugs, this is only sufficient to serve about a quarter of their population. Therefore it is inconceivable that WHO's goal of HEALTH FOR ALL by the year 2000 could even be approached without consideration being given to the role in health care systems of herbal medicines. In this endeavour, traditional herbal medicines must perforce be granted the benefits of modern science and technology to serve future global needs. Here we are addressing both a contigency situation as well as a long term one. In developing nations there is a dire need for an improved supply of therapeutic agents for a variety of diseases that are characteristic of deprivation and poverty. In addition herbal medicines promise to provide both concepts of therapy, as well as therapeutic agents in areas where modern medicine has few answers. UNIDO's programmes for technical assistance to developing nations aim at the fullest utilisation of traditional herbal-based pharmacopoeias in addressing both these situations. They have employed a multi-disciplinary approach to the industrial production of herbal medicines. The projects endeavour to utilise the natural flora, judiciously, for selection, domestication and crop-wise cultivation of medicinal plant species for industrial processing. National R & D efforts have been strengthened to include the development of expertise in several areas such as instrumental analyses, biological assessment of raw materials as well as products. Process technology development has received special attention. A versatile poly-functional pilot plant has been developed to enable the production of herbal preparations as well as extracts and phytochemicals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Natural products and traditional medicine: turning on a paradigm

Paradigm shifts in the strategies and the sciences that would enhance the quality, safety, and efficacy of traditional medicines and dietary supplements in global health care are discussed. Some of the challenges facing traditional medicine in health care are described, and the importance of defining clear goals and directions for the information systems, botany, chemistry, and biology related to plants and health care, including for drug discovery and quality control, is indicated.     

Revisiting kinos—An Australian perspective

The use of kinos, a class of polyphenol-rich, characteristically coloured astringent plant exudates, is a feature of many ethnomedical systems. Though once well-regarded in formal health care systems, since the mid 20th century they have declined in popularity. In view of the current interest in traditional medicines as a source of new therapeutic agents and the information published in the past 30 years in respect of the bioactivity of compounds known to occur in kinos, a review of the current knowledge of this class of plant exudates is overdue. This paper therefore presents information on the history, botany, natural formation, chemistry and pharmacology as well as technical and potential medical applications of kinos, with particular reference to those of Australian Eucalyptus species and Aboriginal ethnomedical and also early European settlers’ practices.     

内蒙古自治区第四次与第三次全国中药资源普查药用植物资源物种变化分析

对内蒙古自治区中药资源普查现状进行系统性概述。通过对比内蒙古自治区第四次与第三次全国中药资源普查药用植物资源物种变化情况发现,第四次全国中药资源普查内蒙古自治区药用植物增加了24科203属770种,减少了25科53属108种。从技术方法、条件限制、自然因素、人为因素等方面对第四次与第三次中药资源普查物种变化原因进行系统性分析,结果表明,人员配置、技术方法、仪器设备、政策体系等方面的改进和提升使普查到的药用植物数量大幅增加;气候变化、外来物种入侵、道路建设、掠夺式开采等因素使部分物种的适宜生存区域减小或使部分物种处于濒危状态,导致这些物种未被调查到。根据第三次与第四次中药资源普查物种变化情况提出药用植物资源保护策略,以期为中医药产业现代化发展提供参考。     

两种传统医学:中医学和阿育吠陀的基本原理比较

阿育吠陀是印度的传统医学,在梵文中意为生命的科学。阿育吠陀与中医有相似的特点,这两种系统与其说是科学倒不如说都是旨在提高生活质量的哲学。这两种亚洲传统医学中最常用的草药在使用和特点解释上是相同的,比如药物都有寒热的属性。中医有阴阳五行、脏腑、气血津液的理论体系,阿育吠陀医学有三元体液理论。中医有古代医学典籍《黄帝内经》,包括《素问》和《灵枢》两部分,阿育吠陀有《遮罗迦集》和《妙闻集》。《遮罗迦集》的主要内容是基本理论、草药、治疗原则和预防,这点和《素问》以中医基础理论为主很相似。中医有阴阳理论,而阿育吠陀的理论基础是三个dosha。阿育吠陀的术语如同中医术语一样难以用英语解释。Pitta大概对应中医术语"火"比较合适,Kapha可以对应"痰",Vata可以对应"风",Rasa和中医的"谷气"相似。中医伤寒有六经传变,温病学理论有卫气营血传变。阿育吠陀认为疾病的发展有doshas的积累、doshas加剧发展和doshas溢出三个阶段。中医所重视的血瘀理论,在阿育吠陀看来不是内科的重点问题。针灸在西方的推广、中医师在发达国家开业、中国政府中药出口政策和海外人员来中国学习中医使中医的海外加速发展成为可能。相比而言,印度传统医学阿育吠陀做的还不够。     

Quality assessment of South African herbal medicines by means of HPLC fingerprinting

An estimated 70% of South Africans regularly use traditional plant medicines. Incorporation of these medicines within the formal health care system, which is the stated intention of the Health Ministry, requires the establishment of standards for quality control. Except in the case of a handful of South African plant species, such standards are lacking. Of central importance with respect to quality control is correct identification of the species concerned, whether in the fresh, dried or powdered state. In cases where botanical identification is impossible, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection (DAD), offers an alternative qualitative profile and is being increasingly used for the authentication of crude drugs or their extracts. As a contribution to establishing quality standards for South African plant species used as traditional medicines, HPLC-DAD "fingerprints" of 60 commonly-used species have been generated in our laboratory. One of these species is presented here, together with UV spectra of individual components represented by major peaks in the HPLC profiles.     

亚洲的两种传统医学基本原理比较:中医学和阿育吠陀

阿育吠陀是印度传统的医学,在梵文中意为生命的科学。阿育吠陀与中医有些相似的特点,这两种系统与其说是科学倒不如说都是旨在提高生活质量的哲学。这两种亚洲传统医学中最常用的半数草药在使用和特点解释上是相同的,比如药物都有寒热的属性。中医有阴阳五行、脏腑、气血津液的理论体系,阿育吠陀医学有三元体液理论。中医有古代医学典籍《黄帝内经》,包括《素问》和《灵枢》两部分,阿育吠陀有《遮罗迦集》和《妙闻集》。《遮罗迦集》主要内容是基本理论、草药、治疗原则和预防,这点和《素问》以中医基础理论为主很相似。中医有阴阳理论,而阿育吠陀的理论基础是三个dosha。阿育吠陀的术语好像中医术语一样难以用英语解释。Pitta大概对应中医术语火比较合适,Kapha可以对应痰,Vata可以对应风。Rasa和中医的谷气相似。中医伤寒有六经传变,温病学理论有卫气营血传变。阿育吠陀认为疾病的发展有doshas的积累、doshas加剧发展和doshas溢出三个阶段。中医所重视的血瘀理论,在阿育吠陀不认为是内科的重点问题。针灸在西方的推广、中医师在发达国家开业、中国政府中药出口政策和海外人员来中国学习中医使中医的海外加速发展成为可能。相比而言印度传统医学阿育吠陀做的还不够。     

Folk pharmaceutical formulations in western Mediterranean: Identification and safety of clays used in pelotherapy

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Clays are naturally occurring ingredients of many natural health products, being included in most of ancient Mediterranean/European medical texts and currently used to prepare therapeutic hot-muds (peloids) in several thermal stations of the Mediterranean region. Clays are included in the formulation of peloids as vehicles of the mineral-medicinal water, to obtain inorganic gels with rheological and thermal properties suitable to be topically applied. Knowledge about formulations and preparation procedures of these traditional medicines has been orally transmitted since ancient times. Increasing recognition of the therapeutic utility of these traditional and natural health care substances make necessary a full ethnopharmaceutic research to ascertain those compositional characters that allow to establish quality attributes and corresponding requirements for these materials and products, including identity, purity, richness and safety.

Materials and methods

Five clay samples (A, B, C, D and E) currently used in various spa centers of southern European/Mediterranean countries were studied. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data were used to asses sample identity and richness. Elemental impurities and microbiological contaminants were also determined and compared to normative limits. Particle size distribution was related to their safety as powder materials.

Results

Samples A, C, D and E were identified as “high purity clay”, while sample B was identified as a mix of clay minerals and carbonates. The presence of carbonates in this sample could compromise its suitability for pelotherapy. The studied clays meet the main normative limits for metals impurities, with the exception of arsenic in sample A and nickel in sample B. The samples comply with the microbiological limits proposed by European legislation for medicinal products. According to the particle size of the studied samples, prevention and control of dust exposure must be considered.

Conclusions

Despite their demonstrated longevity, the use of clays in traditional medicine formulations as peloids greatly requires comprehension of their identity and safety attributes. Continuity of these mineral substances as recognized health care ingredients oblige to conduct interdisciplinary research to know the features that sustain their traditional use in the preparation of medicines (ethnopharmaceutics).     

On the ethnomedical significance of the Arjun tree, Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wight & Arnot

Terminalia arjuna is an important cardiotonic plant described in the Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medical science. It is also believed to have the ability to cure hepatic, urogenital, venereal and viral diseases. An attempt is made here to analyse the available drug recipes using this plant from Sanskrit literature in the light of modern scientific knowledge. The chemistry and pharmacology of T. arjuna are also discussed, and areas of future investigations are identified.     

A survey on medicinal materials used in traditional systems of medicine in Sri Lanka

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Sri Lanka has rich traditional systems of medicine, which cater to 60–70% of the rural population?s primary health care needs. However, development of existing systems has been hindered by the unavailability of up-to-date information on medicinal materials and other related issues. For streamlining purposes, we investigated the present-day scenario of country?s medicinal plant industry by gathering up-to-date information on the types of raw materials required, their aggregate quantities, heavily used and rare materials, family wise distribution, challenges faced by stakeholders as well as other pertinent issues.

Materials and methods

The present survey covered the selected government Ayurveda hospitals, traditional and Ayurveda practitioners, large and small-scale herbal drug and cosmetic manufactures, importers, collectors and Ayurveda commissioners throughout the country. A systematic questionnaire was distributed and face-to-face interviews were conducted. Collected data were tabulated and analyzed.

Results

A diverse range of medicinal materials, including 290 species (64.73%) from dried plants, 59 (13.17%) from fresh plants, 69 (15.40%) from minerals, 18 (4.02%) from animal sources and 12 (2.68%) from other sources were recorded. A total of 302 plant species belonging to 95 families, dominated by Leguminosae family, was listed. Out of these, 46 species belonging to 35 families were used intensively. A large portion of herbal materials was of completely local origin (71.13%) while 26% were imported and the rest (2.87%) can be obtained by both routes. Leaves were the most highly used part of the plant (22.2%). High price, poor quality, insufficient or totally absence of continuous supply and adulteration were the main constraints faced by the stakeholders. The unavailability of systematic cultivation and processing protocols, incorrect identification, and lack of proper quality control methodologies were identified as major challenges of the industry.

Conclusion

The present study revealed a currently bleak scenario of the medicinal material industry in Sri Lanka. The results clearly demonstrated the need to implement a national strategy to address the major challenges faced by different stakeholders. Information generated through this study could be effectively incorporated for the formulation of a sustainable development strategy for this industry.     

Medicinal plant diversity and use in the highlands of Dolakha district,Nepal

This paper presents the ethnomedical uses of wild species among nine rural communities managing local forest resources in the Bonch Village Development Committee (VDC), Dolakha district, Nepal. Local communities possess knowledge of 113 medical remedies derived from 58 species belonging to 40 families to treat a wide range of ailments. A review of literature indicated that 56 medical remedies reported in this paper are new. Most medicines were prepared in the form of juice and were administered orally. Roots and leaves were the most frequently used plant parts. Local people were familiar mostly with the species dealing with common ailments particularly cough/cold, digestive problems, fever, headache, and skin infections. Complex ailments were treated by traditional healers. Haphazard harvesting and over-exploitation of commercial species were also reported. Sustainable harvesting methods and domestication of potential commercial species require attention in the local forest operational plans. The present study indicates that the area harbors a high diversity of medicinal plants. Despite gradual socio-cultural transformation, local communities still possess substantial knowledge of plants and their uses. The reliance on folk medicines for health care is associated with the lack of modern medicines and medication, poverty and the traditional belief of its effectiveness. Since there is a lack of phyto-therapeutic evidence for many of the species, we recommend that phytochemical and pharmacological studies be carried out in order to confirm the validity of properties attributed to these species: this is particularly relevant for species with market potential beyond the district. With setting up management plans for their extraction, these medicinal resources can provide for both subsistence needs and income. This, however, requires detail assessment of resource quantities, productivity potential, sustainable harvesting methods, domestication possibilities, market value of potentially promising species, and importantly, equitable benefit sharing regimes.