Herbal technology

1. Herbal technology
All technologiesforthe manufacture of value addedplantproductscanbe calledas herbal technology
 Herbal drugs and pharmaceuticals,
 Nutraceuticals,
 Functional foods,designerfoodsorhealthfoods and healthdrinks
 Cosmaceuticals
 Biocontrol agents
 Biopesticides
Some featuresof international health care
 Healthcare policieslargelymarketdrivenbythe pharmaceutical industrydivertingattention
fromhealthpreservationtoillnesscure
 Preventionanderadication of diseasesunderminesthe economicbasisof thisindustry
 No satisfactorydrugsavailableformostof the degenerativedisorderscharacteristicof graying
populationandforre-emergingresistantinfections
 Many currentlyusedmoderndrugsdonot have validprovenclinical utility.
 USA has amongthe highestpercapitaannual expenditure onhealthcare ($3600) butstill about
15% populationisdeniedevenbasiccare facilities(the bestIndianstate likeKeralahave an
annual percapita expenditure ~$15)
Herbal drugs in international healthcare
 Economicaspects:
Global marketof herbal drugs,Nutraceuticals~$60 billionwith6% annual growthrate.Major
share of Chinese andKoreans.Indianshare variouslyestimatedat0.35-3.0%. Chinese production
increased200% between1995-1999.
 Local acceptance:
Developed
USA: 42% use CAMspendingover29 billionUS$and 629 millionvisitsin1998.
UK: 28% use,spent1.6 billionpoundsand127 millionvisitsin1998.
Australia:60% use,A$ 620 billionin1999.

2. Developing
Malaysia:Percapita consumptionof traditional drugs,more thandoubleof
modernpharmaceuticals.
S.Korea:Percapitaconsumptionof traditional drugs36% more than modern
drugs.
Africancountries:9 to10 patientsattendinghospitalOPDhave firstconsulteda
traditional healer.
Advantages of herbal drugs
 Moderndrugs can produce seriousside effects
Latrogenicdiseasesfourthleadingcause of deathinUSA and otherdevelopednations
(JAMA,April 1998).
Side effectsof drugskill more Americansannuallythanthe worldwarIIand Vietnam
war combined(M.Rath N.Y. Times28.2.2003).
Around2600 personsdiedinthe TwinTowertragedyon11th
September2001 causing
global repercussions.Itis,however,notrecognizedthataboutthe same numberdie in
USA fromside effectsof prescriptiondrugsevery10days (JAMA,April 1998).
Herbal drugs are best suitedfor:
 PRIMARY HEALTH CARE
 INFECTIOUSDISEASES
AIDSand otherviral infections
Opportunisticinfections
MDR infections(e.g.T.B.,Malaria)
 DEGENERATIVE& GERONTOLOGICALCONDITIONS
Osteoporosis
Chronicarthritislike osteoarthritisandrheumatoidarthritis
Neurological like Alzheimer,Parkinsonism
Anti-aging
 Metabolicdisorders

3. Diabetes
Dyslipidemias
 Otherconditions
Microcirculatorydisorders
Liverdiseases
Immunostimulants
Anti-cancer
Drugs affectingmale libido
Herbal Drugs
 Inclusionsin Pharmacopoeia:
ChinesePharmacopoeia: 1997 editionhas647 traditional drugs.
European Pharmacopoeia: 2000 editioncontainsmonographson152 crude drugs.
IndianPharmacopoeia: 1996 editionnumbershrinkedto57 includingonly12crude
drugs.
 Inclusionin essential druglist:
None inIndia.
In Shanghai hospitals:
500 herbal drugsinessential drugslistof about1000.
Expenditure ondrugsdecreasedfrom67% of hospital budgetin1992 to 51% in
1996.
Growth rate of drug expendituredecreasedfrom23.4% to 0.3% foroutdoorand
from28.2% to 2.4% forindoorpatients.
Approximate annual savingof 600 millionUS$in 7 hospitals. (Hu,2001)
The global flora, an unfathomedocean
 GLOBAL FLORA:
About2 millionflora&faunascientificallynamed.Estimatesupto -10 million
Over50% plants. -45000 speciesof angiospermsonly

4. Only5-15% of plantsproperlystudiedforbiological activity(Craggetal,1997)
One in125 plantspeciescontainsuseful pharmaceutical (Callahan,1996)
 MEDICINAL PLANTS:
WHO compiledaninventoryof 21,000 plantsusedformedicinal purposesin91
countries(Penso,1983)
Lessthan 10,000 specieshave beeninvestigated(Bhatt,1997)
 THE INDIAN SCENE:
Over17 ,500 species,manyendemic
Traditional systemsof medicineuse 2,000; Ayurvedicmedicinesalone need800 species
Folklore use of 8,000 plantsreported.Includesmostplantsusedintraditional systems
also
CSIR hasscreenedabout4000 speciesbutfew otherbroadbasedstudies
Traditional heritage
India is a mega-diversitycountryrich inall three levelsofbiodiversityspecies,geneticandecosystem/
habitat. India is also rich in cultural diversitywitha history of over6000 years. India’s medical
heritage is most important heritage.
 Organized,codifiedand systematicallyarranged writtentraditions with conceptual philosophy
and rationales like Ayurveda,Siddha, Unani and Amchi use almost 2000 plant species
 Oral traditions – practicedby village physicians,folkhealers,tribal healers – calledas local
healthtradition use over8000 plant species
Bioprospecting:Linkagesand leads
Standardization of Herbal drugs
Raw Drugs
 Passportdata of Raw PlantDrugs (Crude drugs)
 Correct taxonomicidentification&authentication
 Studyon the medicinal part:root,stem, bark,leaves,flowers,fruits,nuts,gum, resinsetc.
 Collectiondetails:Location,stage &development/growthof the plants,time,pre-processing
storage etc.
 Organolepticexaminationof raw drug:

5. Evaluationbymeansof sensoryorgans:touch,odourtaste
 Microscopic& molecularexamination
 Chemical composition(TLC,GLC,HPLC, DNA fingerprinting)
 Biological activityof the wholeplant
 Shelf life of rawdrugs
Standardization of Herbal drugs-
Herbal Formulation
 FollowdefinedGoodManufacturingPractices(GMP)
 ScientificVerification
Toxicityevaluation
Chemical profiling
Pharmacodynamics –effectof drugin the body
Pharmacokinetics –absorption,distribution,metabolism, mechanismof actionand
execution
Dosage
Stabilityandshelf life
PresentationandPacking
Therapeuticmerits –Comparedwithotherdrugs
GoodPractices/TechniquesinHerbal Products
THE AYURVEDICTHERAPEUTIC STRATERGY
1. Determine PRAKRUTI (Constitution) by -historytaking -observations
2. NIDANA (Diagnosis)
Nature,degree andextentof imbalanceof Tridoshas. Libraryof 5800 clinical signsand
symptomsinAyurvedictexts
3. CHRONOBIOLOGY:Impact of season,time andenvironmentonTridoshas.
4. SWASTHAVRUTA: Life style modification
5. AHARA: Dietarymodifications

6. 6. PANCHAKARMA: Purificationof the body
7. AUSHADHI: "DesignerMedicine"unique forthe particularpatientpreparedfroma
Pharmacopoeiautilising1200 plants,100 minerals and100 animal productsinnumerous
formulations.
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH ON AYURVEDIC DRUGS
 Improvedformulationsandreducednumberof Ayurvedicdrugs
Use of GMP proceduresandQC
Certifiedshelf lifeandimproveddosage form
Validatedindicationsand contraindications
Deletionof obsolete ortoxicformulations
 Use of Ayurvedicdrugsinmodernclinical practice
Inclusioninessential listof drugs
Adjunctto existingdrugs
Treatmentof diseaseswheremoderndrugsnotavailableorunsatisfactory
Developmentof suitable formulations,standardizedextractsoractive constituents
IPR protectionwhereverfeasible
InclusioninPharmacopoeias.
OBJECTIVES OF RESEARCH ON AYURVEDIC DRUGS
Developmentofnewdrug/ novel usesfor Ayurvedicdrugs
 Utilizationof newleadsonnatural productsfromothercountries.Several of these plantsor
relatedspeciesare foundinIndia
 The vast unscreenedfloraof the countryandpublishedactivitydataonsome of these
 Studyof furtheraccessionsfromfamiliesyieldingactive plants
Raw drug standardisation (Example)
Important Aspects involvedinUtilizationofMedicinal Plants