The isolation, purification and characterization of biologically active compounds from plants have become major activity of modern drug development. India is the region of extremely rich biodiversity having a very large number of plant species. Therefore, our country has attracted much interest of the worldwide drug industry as a source of already known as well as hitherto undiscovered medicinal plants. It has also being gradually recognized that traditional Indian system of medicine, Ayurved, can provide a rich source of knowledge about medicinal plants and their uses. Further, dissatisfaction with various aspects of modern allopathic medicine and growing awareness about the benefits of herbal medicine has resulted in rapid and vast growth of the industry engaged in preparation and supply of Ayurvedic herbal preparations. Despite growing awareness and much increased pace of researches in various aspects of Ayurved, there are many impediments to the growth of this valuable system. Some of these are:
1. Scarcity of Ayurvedic literature owing to:
(a) Destruction during repeated invasions of India;
(b) Loss due to secretiveness of practitioners of Ayurved;
(c) Problem of the change of language;
(d) Change of culture with passage of time.
2. Lack of the understanding of the concepts and methodologies of Ayurved.
3. Problem of proper identification of medicinal herbs described in Ayurved.
4. Non-availability of proper herbs in sufficient amounts owing to:
(a) Decreasing forest areas;
(b) Increasing environmental pollution.
5. Lack of knowledge about proper farming/culture methodologies of medicinal herbs.
Thorough identification and investigation of the Ayurvedic medicinal plants
Amongst these various important impediments, the problem of proper identification of medicinal herbs described in Ayurvedic texts concerns most the industry dealing with Ayurvedic preparations as well as the researchers involved with investigating Ayurvedic medicinal plants. Reference to the ancient text of Vrikshayurved may hold the key to this problem.
The Vvikshayurved given by Parashar in the post-Vedic period i.e. 1st BC to 1st AD is the oldest available full-fledged treatise on plant science. The manuscript of Vrikshayurved was discovered by Vaidyashastri Jogendranath Vishagratun of Navadwip in Bangla Desh. His son N.N. Sirkar published an account of this work in journal of the Asiatic Society in 1950. This book is written in Sutra style and is divided into six parts. These parts deal with
- outline of plant morphology,
- description and nature and properties of soil, distribution of forests,
- detailed morphology of plant members,
- definition, structure, function and classification of the parts of flower, fruits
- discussions on the root, stem, bark, heartwood, spines and prickles, seeds and embryonic plants,
- sap excretion and oleaginous products.
Sirkar has stated that Vrikshayurved evidently formed the basis of botanical teaching preparatory to pharmaceutical studies in ancient India. This practice was quite comparable to the modern practice in this regard. It also appears that the Parashar’s methods of nomenclature is based on three types of synonyms e.g. those of botanical significance, these with therapeutic index and those associated with names of habitats or special events. Charak, Sushrut and other authors of medical treatise particularly in the preparatory chapters of Ayurvedic pharmacopoeias largely followed the classification system of Parashar. It may be suggested that thorough study of the work of Parashar be of much value as it can help in the identification and classification of plants mentioned in ancient Indian medical treatises.
Investigation of the methods of preparation of Ayurvedic medicines & their clinical trials
Ayurvedic herbs are preferred over Ayurvedic bhasm/churan because of the fact that herbs can be recognized and grown organically and their use is simple while in case of Bhasma and Rasayana, the very purity of materials is not guarantied. Further, the method of Shodhana i.e. preparing these agents is not well known due to destruction of Ayurvedic literature during thousand of years of invasions and slavery in the country. However, thorough scientific investigation of the methods described in Ayurved should be undertaken. This may bring out the underlying physico-chemical basis of these methods. Such knowledge may be used in modernizing and refining these ancient methodologies with the help of advances in modern scientific methods.
In preparation of Ayurvedic herbal medicines and preparations also, it is observed that there is great variation in the method of preparation and formulation. The same preparation or medicine prepared by different methods has different clinical effects. Therefore, it is also necessary that the formulations and methods of preparation of even simple herbal medicines and herbal preparations should be thoroughly investigated with scientific methods and standardized after application of modern methods of clinical trials.
Adoption of the modern scientific investigative, diagnostic & clinical methodology in the Ayurvedic system
The system of investigating a patient in Ayurved is largely subjective depending upon the experience, concepts and knowledge of the practitioner (Vaid). The method of diagnosis of the disease condition is similarly not well defined or standardized but depends upon the intuitive arrival at a decision by the investigator Vaid. Thirdly, the treatment for a particular disease condition varies with the individual patient as well as the Vaid. Therefore, it is important to develop the objective methods of investigation, diagnosis and treatment based on the concepts and methods of Ayurved but that are scientifically tested, standardized and repeatable. The possibilities of applying the methods of investigation, diagnosis and clinical practice used in modern scientific medicine in the Ayurved also as far as possible and applicable should be thoroughly explored. This may be useful in integration of the two systems.
Proper cultivation and propagation methodologies for the plants used in Ayurveda.
In the modern times, there are acute problems of decreasing forest areas, destruction of natural vegetation and increasing chemical pollution of the natural environment. The amounts of medicinal herbs required by the spreading Ayurvedic herbal medicinal industry is also increasing constantly. Consequently, it is increasingly becoming difficult to obtain proper medicinal plant materials that are free from chemical poisoning. Harmful levels of lead, mercury and/or arsenic have been found in the Indian Ayurvedic medicines sold in U.S.A. by Dr. Robert B. Saper, and his collegues of the Harvard Medical School in a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association (2004). Therefore, the development of organic farming and application of modern biotechnological methods to the cultivation and propagation of Ayurvedic herbs has become pressing need.
