Status of Indian medicinal plants in the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the future of Ayurvedic drugs: shouldn’t think about Ayurvedic fundamentals?

Publication date: Available online 30 April 2019Source: Journal of Integrative MedicineAuthor(s): Deepak Kumar Semwal, Ashutosh Chauhan, Ankit Kumar, Sonali Aswal, Ruchi Badoni Semwal, Abhimanyu KumarAbstractThe present market for herbal drugs is estimated about ₹40 billion, which is expected to increase by 16% in next 3–4 years. The current production of many Ayurvedic herbs is less than their market demand, which incentivizes adulteration in the Ayurvedic drug supply chain. The present work aims to highlight the most used Ayurvedic plants that have been listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “red list” of endangered or vulnerable plants. The future of Ayurvedic medicines from these listed plants is uncertain, as the collection of herbs from their natural habitat is prohibited and their cultivation does not meet market demands. Many of these plants, such as Taxus baccata and T. wallichiana, are endangered and are only grown in their natural habitats; their cultivation in other areas is impractical. This is the present state, and will worsen as demand continues to grow, with increasing populations and increasing adoption of this system of medicine. It is possible that in coming years most of the Ayurvedic drugs will be adulterated, and will cause only side effects rather than the therapeutic effects. The Ayurvedic fundamentals are under-explored areas where the Ayurvedic practitioners and research scientists can work together. The scientific ...
Source: Journal of Integrative Medicine - Category: Complementary Medicine Source Type: research