Herbal Drugs: Part 1

A very famous Sholka in Sanskrit

This means “There is nothing in this universe, which is non-medicinal, which cannot be made use of for many purpose and by many modes”. In practice however we call a plant medicinal when it is actually in use in some system of medicine

Herbal Drugs a name that is usually heard now a days and gaining attention of consumers comparatively than earlier era. Nature has many more hidden treasures with it with respect to curing and treating diseases and ailments. Perhaps we have not explored these hidden treasures that could be useful to mankind. Botanicals or phytomedicines have laways been a major component of traditional system of healing in developing countries, which have also been an integral part of their history and culture. Besides wide spread use of botanicals as medicinal products in developing countries, such products are becoming part of integrative health care systems

In the last few decades there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal medicine. It is getting popularized in developing and developed countries owing to its natural origin and lesser side effects. In olden times, vaidyas used to treat patients on individual basis, and prepare drug according to the requirement of the patient. But the scene has changed now; herbal medicines are being manufactured on a large scale in mechanical units, where manufacturers come across many problems such as availability of good quality raw material, authentication of raw material, availability of standards, proper standardization methodology of single drugs and formulations, quality control parameters, etc.