The struggle of a man against disease and death is as old
as the history itself. On the basis of skill, knowledge and practices based on
the theories, beliefs & experiences indigenous all civilizations has
developed their own treatment system which is now called as traditional
treatment system. The base of almost all such treatment system is plants. Various
as scholar and medical men, since the vedic period dawn to the present century,
have contributed a lot on the use of medicinal plants in health care.
Plants are the most ancient source of drugs and the plant
based medicaments, the countrymen’s prime therapeutic weapon, are still is
front line today for treating a large number of diseases. According to
Professor N.R. Fransworth the plants are “The sleeping giants of drug
development today and will represent in future as first class source for new
medicaments.
The most established traditional system is Ayurveda. The
objectives of Ayurveda are Dhatu Samya, Swastha Vritta and Atura Vritta. Proper
cure of a disease entirely depends upon rational interaction of four limbs of
therapies or chikitsa chatushpada and drug is one of the components of therapy.
The material Media of Ayurveda is very vast. It comprises of Plants, animals
and metals and aquatic products but plant drugs occupy a large area for the
prevention and promotion of health and treatment of Disease.
It may be noted that Ayurveda (sanskrit Ayur : life, Veda
: science, Knowledge) is the ancient Indian system of health management which
is still widely practiced in the sense of “holistic’ approach, especially for metabolic
disorders. Ayurvedic medicines are mostly based on plant materials. The entire mountainous
region of the country is considered a vast repository of medicinal herbs. It
has been estimated that the sources of 80% Ayurvedic medicines are found in the
western Himalayas.
A medicinal plant is any plant which is one or more of
its organs substances that can be used for therapeutic purposes or which are
precursors for chemo pharmaceutical semi-synthesis. The definition makes it
possible to distinguish between the medicinal plants that are already known whose
therapeutic character or a precursor of certain molecular have been established
scientifically and the other plants which are regarded as medicinal but have
not yet been subjected to thorough scientific study. Researches for the
identification, development and utilization of plants should be given high
priority for the development of Indigenous system of health care in order to
reduce drug bills and develop more acceptable and more readily acceptable to
the people and with better coverage.
The following are the some of the examples of plants
which are used in primary health care extensively specially in the Rural Area:
1
|
Tulsi
|
Ocimum sanctum
|
Promotes immunity
|
2
|
Bhallatak
|
Semicarpus anacardium
|
Anti-cancer agent
|
3
|
Ashwagandha
|
Wiothania somnifera
|
General nervine
tonic
|
4
|
Amalaki
|
Emblica officinals
|
Rejuvenate (resayana)
|
5
|
Manookharni
(Brahmi)
|
Hydsrocotyl ariatica
|
Improves memory and
intelligence
|
6
|
Shankhapushpi
|
Convulvulus pluricalis
|
Improves memory and
intelligence
|
7
|
Vacha
|
Acorus colamus
|
Improves speech in
children
|
8
|
Jyolishmati
|
Collesterus
pariniculala
|
Improves mental health
|
9
|
Arguna
|
Terminalia Arjuna
|
Most effective cardio
tonic
|
10
|
Shirish
|
Albebia lebeck
|
Anti-asthma
|
11
|
Haridra
|
Curcuma longum
|
Anti-Allergic
|
12
|
Katuki
|
Picrorrhiza Kurroa
|
Jaundiced Hepatitis
|
13
|
Punarnawa
|
Boerhavia diffusa
|
Kidney disorders
|
14
|
Varuna
|
Gitavia deligiosa
|
Bladder disorders
|
15
|
Kapikachu
|
Mucona Pruriens
|
Impotency
|
16
|
Shatavari
|
Asparagus racimosus
|
Galactogogue
|
17
|
Bala
|
Sida cardifolia
|
Baby tonic
|
18
|
Japakusum
|
Haviscus Rosa cyanosus
|
Antifertility agent
|
19
|
Vijaysar
|
Ptericorpus Marsupium
|
Ant diabetic
|
20
|
Kutaj
|
Holerene
Antidysenterica
|
Colitis
|
Some of the drugs which have come to light in our
experience to have significant action and the observation have been also
supported. Scientific observations are as follows
Psychotropic drugs : A group of drugs which
have been observed as medhya drugs and few others have shown to have definite action
on brain called as psychotropic drugs e.g.
- Shankhapushupi - Convolvulus Pluricaulis choisy
- Mandukharmi - Centella Asiatica
- Brahmi - Bacopa – monnieri
- Ashwagandha - Withania somnifera Dunal
- Vacha - Acorus calamus
- Jyotismati - Calastrus paniculatus
- Jatamansi - Nordostachys Jatamansi
The drugs have a true tranquilizing effect on brain
without inducing any hangover or dullness of brain. These are helpful in
inducing sleep and freshness of brain for better performance, thus improving
the intellectual activity and memory also. These plants also help as to come
out of severe complexes, depression and antisocial trends e.g. suicide,
hemisuidal, homicidal etc.
By their virtue of having effect on psychic they are also
effective for the management several psychosomatic disorders. Heart disease,
hypertensions peptic ulcer, ulcerative colitis are some of the notable disease
of this group. These drugs have also anabolic effect on general metabolism.
Cardio vascular drugs: cardio vascular disease is a great cause of mortality
like cancer in the western countries. But the developing countries are no more
exception. The incidence of high B.P., heart disease, and obesity is in
increasing in China and India. Usually the people have a feeling that it is
disease of affluent society and the treatment as only possible by the modern
drugs. But none of them is true; there is description of this disease in
Ayurvedic literature which is referred to be a contribution of 500 B.C. The
treatment of heart disease is still in practice in Indian system of medicine.
The effective drugs of cardiovascular system are as follows:
Arjun :Teminalia Arjuna
Gugulu :
Balsamodendron mukul
Pushkarmula : Inulr Recemosus
Shalpharmi :
Desmodium gangetiun
Karbir :
Theretia Nereifolia
Kutha :
Holerrbena – Antidysenterica
Rasona :
Alliun – Sativum
Thus a good number of cardio vascular drugs are in our
urmamentorium of medicinal plants which can be developed as potent drugs in
future.
Respiratory System:
According to Ayurveda respiratory system is the chief
site of Kapha hence the disease also produce the symptoms of Kakha. Vata is
also involved simultaneously in some disease as Bonchial Asthma. It is a well-known
fact that if is a disease having ofstruction branch opathy. Obstruction may be
because of the Oedoma/ inflammation of the mucosa or due to bronco –
construction, forma is allergic inflammation due to excess of histamine like
substances and the latter is because of the predominance of anticholenergic
substance. Allergic manifestatias may produce several symptoms of respiratory
tract disorder e.g. Allergic Rhinitis, Nasopharongitis Brynchitis etc. The
following drugs have been found to be useful for amelioration of the above
pathology.
Tulsi :Olimum sanctum
Sirisha :Albizzia Leffeck benth
Kantkari :Solan um xanthocarpum
Vasa :Adhatoda Vasca
Madhuyasti :Curucuma
Longa
Sunthi :Zingiber Feivale
Bibhitaka :Terminalia Belerica
Tulsi is supposed to be most pious plant in Indian
culture. No worship is complete without offering the tender leaves to God and
then same is distributed among the masses for beneficial effect on health. The
evidences are in favour that it is an immunostimulant thus providing increased
general resistance for the prevention of disease. It is antipyretic,
antinflamatery, expectorant and milid bronchodiloty thus of great help to the
patient of upper respiratory and bronchial disease. Sirisha is known as an
established drug for allergic disorders and branchal asthma. Charak has
described it to be most effective vishghna (antitoxic drug). On Pharmacological
study it is found to be antihistaminic and steroidogenc, plasma cortisol is
increased within a week after the administration of the drug Active Principle
is known to be a Saponin.
All above drugs may be used alone or in combination for
the treatment of several types of respiratory system disease. Shirisadi
compounds containing Shirisha, Kanthari, vasa and Madhyuasthi is popularly used
as shiristi chey (tea). Sunthi.
Gastro
– Intestinal: Statistics is evident that the incidence of
gastro intestinal diseases in India is maximum. Broadly these can be classified
in two groups (i) psychosomatic disease (ii) parasitic infection and a third
group can be idiopathic. Among the first group peptic ulcer (parionon shula)
irritable bowel syndrome and colitis are the common clinical entities available
in our country. Ion the second group amoebiasis, giardiass and other worm
infections are common e.g. round work, Hook worm, thread worm. There is a concept
of Jatharagni in Ayurveda. Apart from that it also seems to help the absorption
and metabolism. In case of hyperseoretion/Hyposecreation absorption becomes
poor and the metabolism registers at a lowereble. So the malsecretion and
malaobsoption syndrome are related to each other and produce several disease of
G.I. tract which are often known as adiopathic e.g. Amlaphita, graham etc.
A
good number of drugs have been worked out and found to be useful for the
treatment of these disorders or follows :
Patola – Gastritis
Nurikela – Pepticulcer
KLutaja – Colis
Karanj – Amoebiasis
Bilwa – Amoebiasis
Palas – Beeja – worm infections
Most of these drugs stimulate and digestive and help in
regeneration of villi for a better absorption which leads to acceleration of metabolism.
Some of the drugs are proved to be antihelimenthic and antiparasitic others
offer symptomatic relief to the gastro intestinal symptoms.
Liver Dis-function:
The most common disease of liver is infective hepatitis
(kamala) Though it is a fact that it is a self limiting disease and takes about
4 weeks to become alright but it has got a very deterimented effect on health,
if the pathology continues come residual symptoms perrists it may turn into
cirrhosis of liver which is fatel in due course of time.
Otherwise of the infection is fulminating it may take
acute turn and patient may pass towards acute hepatic failure characterized by
anasarca, hemorrhage, renal and curdic failure and the patient may succumb in
no time.
Even in the normal course of the disease there can be
four stages on the first week there is no jaundice, there is fever and loss of
appetite and general weakness usually the cough and cold may be present with
the beginning of the process. In the second week Jaundice is marked urine, stool,
skin, nails, eyes everything becomes yellow, in the third week there may be
inflammation of file canaliculi colangitis leading to intrapepaic obstruction
and regurgitation of file in the blood producing a more deep Joundice and
whiteclay colourd stool, in the fourth week the pathology may resolve or pass to the stage of complication.
Otherwise also, it the resolution is not complete the lesion may perrist as
residual pepatitis. The following drugs hae been found to have a cholaratic
effect and helping in the complete resolution of hepatitis, so these drugs have
preventive as well as curative effect in patients of hepatitis.
Kalmegh
– Androgaphis panculata
Bhringraj
– Eclipta alba
Amalaki
– Emblica officinalis
Sarpankha
– Tephrosia purpurea.
In clinical trial all these drugs in combination or as
single drug can be used kalmegha and Amalaki combination are under clinical
trial in our medicinal plants unit serum bilirubin comes down to normal range
within to 2-3 weeks hepatitis is improved and there is no chance of having
residual hepatitis in the end.
The discussion could be extended to any length but it is
concluded with an optimistic note that India with its rich heritage of herbal
medicine, its wealth of medicinal flora and necessary expertise in all relevant
area would be able to offer leadership in the development of herbal medicine. It
should, however be kept in mind that tomorrows citizens of India will have a
better scientific temper and attitude and will not be satisfied to know merely
that it works they will question how it works? Our development should be
equipped to answer this questions.
Dhirendra V. Singh
Genelife
Clinical Research is starting its division Genelife Chem. Genelife Chem
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