Indian Traditional Medicine - an Unorganized Sector

Indian Traditional Medicines – An unorganized sector

In India most of the villages are not having sufficient medical facilities. But all the villages have the traditional medicines and treatments to cure all the diseases. The English medicines are not supplied in most of the villages. The Government and Social Service Organizations started providing medical facilities in Tamil Nadu villages but they could not cover all the rural population with adequate facilities. The rural population has to depend on the local ethnic doctor called “VAITHYAR” in Tamil. They prepare medicines from the medicinal plants available in the soil. They follow all the traditional and ethnic method of preparing the medicines.

Now, the people around the globe started realizing the importance of the traditional medicines prepared from the medicinal plants. The urban residents started using homeopathic, ayurvedic and sidda medicines for treating most of the diseases. They prefer this medicine because it does not have any side effects even in the long run. They feel that these are natural medicines. So the Homeopathic, Aurvedic and Sidda medicines are revitalised and the demand for such medicines are started shooting up. The homeopathic, aurvedic and sidda medicines are prepared from medicinal plants, which are naturally available in the soil.

In India the medicinal plants are found in hedges, wastelands, fields, water logged areas, sacred groves, house gardens, temple gardens, tree branches etc. The seeds, nuts, fruits, flowers, buds, leaves, stems, roots, tubers, barks etc of the medicinal plants are used directly as medicines. The medicinal plants have different tastes such as sweet, bitter, sour etc. The powder, paste, extract, smoke, ashes, oil and juices are made from the fresh and dried medicinal plants according to their traditions and used them as medicines. Such form of medicines are consumed and /or applied on external physic to cure the diseases.

The medicinal plants do not require any special care to grow. It is easy to cultivate and grow. The Head of the department Botany, Dr. Sobana Raj, Scott Christian College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India, identified and prepared a list of cultivable medicinal plants.

The cultivable medicinal plants with Botanical name and the family are given below.

Botanical Name Family
1. Sesbania grandiflora, Pers. : Fabaceae
2. Glycyrrhiza glabra, Linn. : Papilionaceae
3. Postia strateotes, Linn. : Araceae
4. Euphorbia hitra, Linn. : Euphorbiaceae
5. Withania somnifera, Dun. : Solanaceae
6. Alpinia galangal, Sw. : Zingiberaceae
7. Sida caprinifolia, Linn. : Fabaceae
8. Indigo fera tinctoria, Linn. : Fabaceae
9. Amaranthus tritis, Roxb. : Amarataceae
10. Cynodon dactylon, Pers. : Poaceae
11. Adhatoda vasica, Nees. : Acanthaceae
12. Aristolochia bracteata, Retz. : Aristolochiaceae
13. Capparis horrida, Linn. : Capparidaceae
14. Marsilae quadrifolia, Linn. : Marsileaceae
15. Ficus bengalensis,Linn. : Moraceae
16. Cassia auriculata, Linn. : Caesalpiniaceae
17. Citrullus colocynths, Schrader. : Cucurbitaceae
18. Zingiber officinale, Rose. : Zingiberaceae
19. Bassia longifolia, J.Koenig. : Sapotaceae
20. Aristolochia indica, Linn. : Aristolochiaceae
21. Odina wodier,Roxb. : Anacardiaceae
22. Dtura metel, Linn. : Solanaceae
23. Calotropis gigantea,R.Br. : Asclepladaceae
24. Ipomoea reniformis, Chois : Convolvulaceae
25. Coleus aromaticus, Benth. : Lamiaceae
26. Ionidium suffruticosum, Ging. : Viloaceae
27. Ocimum Canum, Sims. : Lamiaceae
28. Terminalia chebula, Retz. : Combretaceae
29. Solnum surattense, Burm, f. : Solanaceae
30. Eclipta alba, Hassk. : Asteraceae
31. Erythrina indica, Linn. : Fabaceae
32. Tricodesma indicus,R.Br. : Boraginaceae
33. Carrisa carandus,Linn. : Apcyanaceae
34. Solanum xanthocarpum,S&W. : Solanaceae
35. Murraya koenigii spreng(Bergera : Rutaceae
Koenigii)
36. Clitoria ternatea, Linn. : Fabaceae
37. Jatropha curcas, Lonn. : Euphorbiaceae
38. Canthium parviflorum, Lam. : Rubiaceae
39. Phyllanthus niruri,Linn. : Euphorbiaceae
40. Acalyphia indica,Linn. : Euphorbiaceae
41. Aloe vera, Linn. : Lillaceae
42. Sphaeranthus indicus, Linn. : Compositae
43. Plumbago zeylanica, Linn. : Plumbaginacea
44. Psidium guajava,L. : Myrtaceae
45. Andrographis echiodes,Nees. : Acanthaceae
46. Cyperus rotundus, Linn. : Cyperaceae
47. Cocinia indica, W&A. : Cucurbitaceae
48. Polycarpeae corymbosa,Lam. : Caryophyllaceae
49. Trianthema decandra, Linn. : Aizoaceae
50. Santalum album, Linn. : Santalaceae
51. Cassia fistula, Linn. : Caesalpiniaceae
52. Trianthima portulacastrum, Linn. : Aizoaceae
53. Asystasia gangetica,S. : Acanthaceae
54. Indigofera aspalathoides,Vahul. : Papillionaceae
55. Amaranthus polygamus, Linn. : Amaranthaceae
56. Heliotropium indicum, Linn. : Boaragineaceae
57. Tinospora cardifolia, Miers. : Menispermaceae
58. Solanum tervam, Linn. : Solanaceae
59. Hibiscus Rosa-sinensis, Linn. : Malvaceae
60. Clerodendron phlomoides,Linn. : Verbenaceae
61. Terminalia bellirica(Gaetrner)Roxb. : Combretaceae.
62. Piper iongum, Linn. : Piperaceae
63. Ocimum basillicum, Linn. : Lamiaceae
64. Abutilon indicum, G.Don. : Malvaceae
65. Lucas aspera, Spreng. : Lamiaceae
66. Ocimum sanctum, Linn. : Lamiaceae
67. Solanum trillobatum, Linn. : Solanaceae
68. Cocos nucifera, Lin. : Arecacear
69. Tylophora asthmatica, W&A. : Asciepiadeceae
70. Spermacoce hispida, Linn. : Rubiaceae
71. Ervatamia coronaria, Stapf. : Apocyanaceae
72. Gynandropis pentaphylla, D.C. : Caparidaceae.
73. Hemidesmus indicusm, R.Br. : Asclepiadaceae.
74. Achyranthus aspera,Linn. : Amarantaceae.
75. Syzygium jambolanum, D.C. : Myrtaceae.
76. Catheranthus roseos, (L) G.Dun : Apocyanaceae.
77. Cassia obtuse, W&A. : Caesalpiniaceae.
78. Andrographics paniculata, Nees. : Acanthaceae.
79. Asteracantha longifolia, Nees. : Acanthaceae.
80. Morinda tinctoria, Roxb. : Rubiaceae.
81. Tribulus terretris, Linn. : Zygophyllaceae.
82. Phyllanthus emblica, Linn. : Euphorbiaceae.
83. Vitex negundo, Linn. : Verbenaceae.
84. Carica papaya, Linn. : Caricaceae.
85. Mollugo cerviana, Ser. : Aizoceae.
86. Sida cardifolia, Linn. : Cucurbitaceae.
87. Momordica charantia, Linn. : Cucurbitaceae.
88. Optuntia dillenii, Haw. : Cactaceae
89. Pavetta indica, Linn. : Rubiaceae
90. Cissus quadrangularis, Linn. : Vitaceae.
91. Argemone mexicana, L. : Papavaraceae.
92. Moniera cuneifolia, Michx. : Scrophulariaceae.
93. Streblus asper, Lour. : Moraceae.
94. Clerodentron inerme, Gaertn. : Verbenaceae
95. Anisomeles malabarica, R.Br. : Lamiaceae.
96. Lippia nodiflora,Mich. : Verbenaceae
97. Alternanthera sessilis (L),R.Br,exDC.: Amaranthaceae.
98. Cassia senna,Linn. : Caesalpiniaceae.
99. Lawsonia inermis, Linn. : Lythraceas
100.Punica granatum, Linn. : Punicaceae
101.Crataeva religiosa, Forst. : Capparidiaceae.
102.Toddalia asiatica, Lam, : Rulaceae.
103.Capsicum frutescens, Linn. : Solanaceae
104.Croton sparsiflorus, Morong. : Euphorbiaceae.
105.Piper nugrum, Linn. : Piperaceae
106.Mukia maderaspatana(L)M.Roemer : Cucurbitaceae.
107.Cardiospermum halicacabum, Linn. : Sapindaceae.
108.Merrimia tridendata, Hallier. : Convolvulaceae.
109.Moringa oleifera, Lam. : Moringaceae
110.Amaranthus spinosus, Linn. : Amaranthaceae
111.Boerhaavia diffusa, Linn. : Nyctaginaceae.
112.Acorus calamus, Linn. : Aroidaceae.
113.Centella asiatica, Urb : Apiaceae.
114.Deloniz elata,Gamble,n.Comb. : Caesalpiniaceae.
115.Musa paradisiacal, Linn. : Musaceae.
116.Dichrostachys cinerea,W&A. : Mimosaceae.
117.Hymenodictachys cinerea, W&A. : Rubiaceae
118.Aegle marmelos, Corr. : Rutaceae.
119.Evolvulus alsinides, Linn. : Convolvulaceae.
120.Enicostemma, littorale,Bl. : Gentianaceae
121.Azadirachta indica, A.Juss. : Meliaceae.
122.Daemia extensa,R.Br. : Asclepiadaceae
123.Cannabis : Sativa.

Applications of medicinal plants:

The medicinal plants are processed into consumable form such as powder, paste, extract, smoke, ashes, oil and juice for curing different diseases. They prevent and cure most of the disease of human beings and animals. These are applied to cure and prevent bile’s, sinus, mucus, cough, rheumatism, body pain, fever, throat pain, tonsils, piles, tooth ache, stomach pain, hiccups, beucoderma, toxins, jaundice, rashes, dandruff, diabetics, ulcer, vomit, mouth ulcer, insect bites, dog bites, snake bites, neck pain, snore, acidity, dysentery, arthritics and other disease of human beings and animals. (Collected from the book “Meteria Medica”).

The medicinal plants are required in tones to prepare medicines for multinational companies in India like

1. Dabur
2. Medimix
3. Hindustan Lever
4. Tata Pharmaceutical plants
5. Colgate Palmolive

To produce medicines, tablets, oil, soaps, paste, lotion, juice, syrup, extracts etc made out of herbs.

Even though the medicinal plants have wider applications the growers are not encouraged. Tamilnadu soil has good potentials for growing most of the medicinal plants. The growers feel that there is no demand for the medicinal plants among the manufacturers. The ‘VAITHYARS’ (manufacturers) feel that it is not a yielding sector. The following are the problems identified out of the survey made on One hundred ‘VATHIYARS’ in Tamil Nadu.

1. Non- availability and non-cultivation of fresh medicinal plants in the soil (they quoted that they find it difficult to get some fresh medicinal plants, green leaves, fresh nuts, flowers, buds, roots etc to prepare the medicines).
2. No separate professional growers. It is even found that animals and human beings destroy them.
3. Lack of financial assistance to cultivate and grow such medicinal plants.
4. No marketing facilities such as
i. Distribution network
ii. Standardization
iii. Customer relation and feed back
iv. Advertising network to intimate and educate
5. Adulteration in quality (It is quoted that some chemicals are added to make extracts and oil more greenish).
6. No facilities to preserve seasonal medicinal plants, which cannot be dried and preserved. (Certain medicines require only fresh plants)
7. No facilities for research and developments especially in rural areas.

Problems identified from a survey made from 500 customers using Homeopathic, Aurvedic and Sidda medicines in Chennai.
1. Non-availability of such medicines in all medical stores.
2. Fear of quality and adulteration.
3. No grading and standardization.
4. Lack of knowledge in using or applying it (as certain oil needs to have Special massage).
5. Slow in healing wounds and curing diseases.
6. Difficult in consuming certain oils and medicines due to the typical taste of the contents in them.
7. Strict diet control for a long period.
8. Not in injection form
9. Fresh medicinal plants are not comfortable to consume.
10. Slow in recovery.
11. Non-availability of certain medicines, for which, only fresh green plants need to be grinded and consumed to cure the diseases.

Findings:

1. It is found that this sector is completely unorganized even though people from traditional families (called “VAITHYARS”) are involved in preparing and marketing the medicines processed from medicinal plants.
2. Growers are hardly available because of lack of buyers, non-availability of institution encouraging the growers and lack of financial assistance.
a. No proper facility for collection, preservation and distribution for both processed and fresh medicinal plants available at different places.
3. No authorized institution or agency to standardize and grade such medicines.
4. Non-availability of efficient distribution network.
5. Non-availability of medium to intimate and educate (It was quoted that some medicines like oil and extracts require special knowledge about applying it.) the users.
6. Many plants like cannabis sativa are used for preparing intoxicated drinks. Such medicines are used as sensual drugs, which are hazardous to health.

Suggestion:

We could infer from the study that this sector is left unorganized even though many government agencies involved in this sector. It could be of more useful if it is organized and controlled by a separate forum to regulate the manufacturing, grading, quality control, distribution and research and development of medicines prepared from medicinal plants

It is concluded that the Indian traditional medicines are neglected and it needs to be revitalized.