Scope and future prospects of Herbal Drug Industry

Scope and future prospects of Herbal Drug Industry

Objective

At the
end of this lecture, student will be able to

•       Explain the scope and future
prospects of  herbal drug industry

•       Identify  the research institutions  involved in herbal drug research

Scope of Herbal Drug Industry

•       Worldwide herbal drug industry is
growing up at a fast speed

•       Herbal Medicine is defined as branch
of science in which plant based formulations are used to alleviate the diseases

•       In the early twentieth century, when
synthetic analgesics and antibiotics were not yet widely available, herbal
medicine was the predominant mode of treatment

•       With increasing use of allopathic
system of medicine, herbal medicine gradually lost its popularity among people

•        Almost a century has passed and it has witnessed
limitations of allopathic system of medicine  

•       Lately herbal medicine has gained
momentum and it is evident from the fact that certain herbal remedies are more
effective

•       Substances derived from the plants
remain the basis for a large proportion of the commercial medications used
today for the treatment of heart disease, high BP, pain, asthma, etc

•        For example, Ephedra is a herb used in
Traditional Chinese Medicine for more than two thousand years to treat asthma
and other respiratory problems

•       Another example of the use of a
herbal preparation in modern medicine is the foxglove plant

•       This herb had been in use since 1775

•        At present, the powdered leaf of this plant is
known as the cardiac stimulant to the millions of heart patients

•       Usage of herbs to treat a variety of
different ailments is universal, and exists in every human culture on Earth

•       Because of the high costs involved
with manufacturing modern medicines, many people living in developing nations
simply do not have the financial resources to pay for them

•       As a result, they are forced to use
natural herbs as an affordable alternative

•       In recent years, many people living
in developed countries have begin taking a second look at herbal medicines due
to the rising cost of medicine and healthcare in their own nations

Herb:

 Herbs are crude drugs of plant origin that are
used in the treatment of disease states, often of a chronic nature, or to
attain or maintain a condition of improved health

Advantages
of herbal drugs:

•       Non – toxic

•       No/less side effects

•       Easily available

•       Affordable prices

India is
one of the major producer of medicinal plants, because

•       Availability of vast areas

•       Wide variations in climate, soil,
attitude

•       Presence of rich flora

•       China and India are the two great
producers of medicinal plants – 40%

•       Global traditional market – 7-15 %
annually

•       According to NMPB, Govt of India ,
India has 17,000-18,000 species of flowering plants

•       6000-7000 species have medicinal
properties that are of use in folk and documented in Ayurveda, Siddha etc

•        960 species – Traded

•       178 species – Annual level
consumption level in excess of 100 metric tonnes

•       Western Ghats, Eastern Himalayas and
Andaman and Nicobar island

•       India – World’s Herbal Garden

Medicinal
plant based industries

•       Products based on Indian system of
medicine – Ayurveda, siddha and Unani

•       Plant products and extracts

•       Essential oils

•       Phytopharmaceuticals

•       Nutraceuticals – Herbal teas,
anti-oxidants, probiotic, prebiotic etc

•       Herbal cosmetics

Future
prospects of herbal drug industry are very bright in India

•       WHO has stressed on the need of
better utilization of the indigenous system of medicine which is based on the
local availability of medicinal plants in the country. Therefore there is
tremendous  increase in the use of plant
derived products

•       Drug development from medicinal
plants is cheaper as compared to synthetic drug development

•       Agro climatic conditions in India,
which vary from mild temperate to tropical regions with abundant  rains and sunshine make it an ideal place for
the growth of the flora

•       India is enriched with 25% of the
biodiversity  of the world and there is
no short of herbal raw materials for herbal drug industry

•       There has been increased demand of
raw medicinal herbs of Indian origin from western countries

•       India has an impressive medical
heritage, which comprises various systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Siddha,
Unani and Homeopathy

•       India is the source of cheap labour
and skilled man power, which readily absorbs and adopts technological change

•       Being strategically located in the world
map, India could become a  potential
supplier of phytopharmaceuticals  an raw
medicinal herbs in near future for the growing world market

Herbal Drug Industries

Research Institutions/Centres

Summary

Ø  Herbal Medicine is defined as branch
of science in which plant based formulations are used to alleviate the diseases

Ø  Botanical medicine or phytomedicine

Ø  Herbs – plant origin that are used
in the treatment of disease states, No/less side effects, easily available,
affordable prices

Ø  Future prospects

Ø  Herbal drug industries and research
institutions