Pharmaceutical and Economical Aspects of Medicinal Herbs: An Overview

Deepak Prashar¹* and Sanjay Saklani²

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Manav Bharti University, Solan (H.P.), India

²Department of Economics, Govt. College Dharampur, Mandi (H.P.), India

ABSTRACT:

This review paper deals with the trading and economical prospect of the medicinal herbs. The important pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetics applications of herbal products along with their manufacturers are high lightened. The report of various organizations and Eleventh five year plan of Planning Commission of India is discussed in brief.

KEYWORDS: Herbal, economical, herbal application, herbal market

INTRODUCTION:

India is endowed with rich wealth of medicinal plants and herbs. It is ranked among the 12 important trading center of the herbal world. The agro-diversity of India makes it the best place for the cultivation and trading of medicinal herbs. Use of herbal medicines in developed countries has expanded sharply in the latter half of the twentieth century. Monographs on selected herbs are available from a number of sources, including the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP)¹, German Commission E² and World Health Organization (WHO)³. Other resources that provide detailed information about herbal products in current use include the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database⁴ and NAPRALERT (Natural Products ALERT)⁵. Information about other available databases has been published by Bhat⁶. Most herbal medicines still need to be studied scientifically, although the experience obtained from their traditional use over the years should not be ignored. As there is not enough evidence produced by common scientific approaches to answer questions of safety and efficacy about most of the herbal medicines now in use, the rational use and further development of herbal medicines will be supported by further appropriate scientific studies of these products, and thus the development of criteria is required for such studies.

MEDICINAL PLANTS IN INDIA AND WORLDWIDE:

There are number of medicinal herbs which are available today in the India and worldwide (Table 1) and annually 3% to 5% approximately new species are coming into existence. The numbers of researcher are working in this field to discover new and efficient medicinal herbs for their rational approach. In the present scenario there is a wide scope of herbal remedies to overcome synthetic preparation due to its less toxicity and minimal side effect.

Table 1: List of Selected Medicinal Plants⁷

Scientific Name	Habitat	Chief Producer
Asparagus racemosus	Upper gangetic plains, tropical and sub-tropical parts of India including the Himalayas and Andamans	Nepal
Astragalus sarcocola	Iran	Iran
Bambusa arundinacea	South-East Asia	Indonesia
Berberis vulgaris	Europe and the British Isles, naturalized in parts of North America	Afghanistan
Blepharis edulis	Sindh, Baluchistan	Pakistan
Borago officinalis	England, Europe, North Africa, North America	Iran, Baluchistan
Carum carvi	Europe, North Africa, Asia	Iran
Centaurea behen	Persia	Afghanistan
Cinnamomum zeylanicum	Southeast Asia, China	China, Indonesia
Commiphora mukul	Arid rocky tracts of Rajasthan, Khandesh, Berar, Mysore, Sindh, Baluchistan	Pakistan
Convolvulus scammonia	Mediterranean region	England
Dorema ammoniacum	Iran, extending into southern Siberia	Iran
Ephedra gerardiana/ vulgaris	West-Central China, Southern Siberia, Japan Also Spain Baluchistan	Pakistan
Ferula assafoetida	Eastern Persia, Western Afghanistan	Afghanistan, Kazakhstan
Ferula persica	Iran	Iran
Garcinia hanburyi	Siam, Southern Cochin-China, Combodia, Sri Lanka	Thailand
Glycyrrhiza glabra	Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Russia	Iran, Afghanistan
Helleborus niger	Central and southern Europe, Germany, Greece, Asia Minor	Germany
Hyoscyamus niger	Central and southern Europe, Western Asia, Siberia	Baluchistan, Afghanistan
Illicium verum	China, South-East Asia	China
Juniperus communis	Europe, North Africa, North Asia, North America	Pakistan
Pavetta indica	Himalayas, Andamans	India
Paullinia asiatica	Konkan and Maharashtra	India
Passiflora quadrangularis	Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu	Tropical America
Ziziphus oenoplia	North India and both the Peninsulas	India
Ziziphus trinervia	Gujarat, Western Ghats of Tamil Nadu and Kerala at low elevations	India
Zea mays	Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Jammu-Kashmir	South America

IMPORTANCE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS:

Medicinal plants comprise a large number of plant species, which provide raw material for pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals and cosmetic industries. In pharmaceutical industry, the medicinal role of plants is widely accepted in the present world. Many reviews are available in the literature on the use of medicinal and herbal plants in treatment and preclinical management. Shweta and Swarnlata⁸ suggested the tropical herbal therapies as an alternative choice to combat acne. Datta et al ⁹ studied the wound healing activity of topical application forms based on herbal plants. Sharma et al ¹⁰ concluded the role of many medicinal herbs (Emblica officinalis, Acacia concinna, Callicarpa macrophylla, Curcuma longa, Rubia cordifolia and Curcuma amada) for skin and hair care. They also suggested the use of ayurvedic medicinal plants in herbal cosmetics. Choi et al¹¹ identified the wound healing effect of a glycoprotein fraction isolated from Aloe vera. Olsen et al¹² studied the effect of Aloe vera gel/mild soap versus mild soap alone in preventing skin reactions in patients undergoing radiation therapy. Lee et al ¹³ investigated the antitumor promotional effects of a novel intestinal bacterial metabolite (IH-901) derived from the protopanaxadiol-type ginsenosides in mouse skin. Mortellini et al ¹⁴ examined the antioxidant and anti inflammatory role of curcumin by inducing heme oxygenase1 and protects endothelial cells against oxidative stress. Aziz et al ¹⁵ suggested the chemopreventive role of grape constituent resveratrol in skin cancer. Table 2 enlisted the different medicinal herbs alongwith their specific use, chemical markers and available form.

MANUFACTURING COMPANIES ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICINAL HERBS:

At presently there are number of Pharmaceutical Companies associated with the manufacturing of herbal medicines and products. In the last few years the herbal companies have set up a strong platform in India and across the world. Herbal product manufacturing companies are now competing with the other pharmaceutical companies in all areas i.e. pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and cosmetics. Table 3 enlisted the selected manufacturing companies associated with herbal product manufacturing.

Table 2: List of selected pharmaceutical important medicinal herbs⁷

Scientific Name	Part Used	Form	Chemical marker	Common use
Abies webbiana	Leaf	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids >0.5%	Expectorant
Abroma augusta	Root	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.15%, Tannins 2.4-4%	Emmenagogue
Abrus precatorius	Seed	Powder	Glycosides 15%, Alkaloids 1%	Abortifacient
Abutilon indicum	Seed	Powder	Mucilage 10%	Diuretic, Nervine tonic
Acacia arabica	Bark	Powder	Tannins 40%	Astringent
Acacia catechu	Gum	Powder	Tannins 60%, Catechins 20%	Astringent
Acacia concinna	pods	Powder/Paste	Saponins 10-20%	Detergent
Achillea millefolium	seeds	Powder	Bitters 3%	Stimulant, Antispasmodic
Achyranthes aspera	plant	Powder/Paste	Saponins 3%	Alterative, Diuretic
Bacopa monnieri	Herb	Powder/Paste	Bacosides 15-50%, Alkaloids 5%	Brain Tonic
Barleria prionitis	Herb	Powder	Tannins 5%, Alkaloids 0.5%	Lymphadenitis, Toothache
Bauhinia variegata	Bark	Powder	Tannins 25%	Alterative, antileprotic
Berberis aristata	Root	Powder/Paste	Berberine>8%	Emmenagogue, Cholagogue
Bergenia ligulata	Root	Powder/Paste	Tannins 10%	Antiurolithiatic
Boerhavia diffusa	Root	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.01-0.08%	Diuretic, Hepatoprotective
Boswellia serrata	Gum	Powder/Paste	Boswellic acids>50%	Antiarthritic
Butea frondosa	flowers	Powder/Paste	Glycosides>8%	Astringent
Datura stramonium	Leaf	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.5-0.7%	Antispasmodic, Expectorant
Daucus carota	Seed	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.4%, flavones 5%	Abortifacient
Dolichos biflorus	seeds	Powder	Saponins 20%	Diuretic
Eclipta alba	plant	Powder/Paste	Nor-wedelolactone>3%	Antihepatotoxic
Embelia ribes	Seed	Powder/Paste	Tannins 1%, embelin 1%	Anthelmintic
Emblica officinalis	Fruit	Powder/Paste	Tannins>20%, ellagic acid>5%	Antioxidant, Source of Vitamin C, Antacid, Astringent
Enicostemma littorale	Herb	Powder/Paste	Bitters 4%	Bitter tonic, Laxative
Ephedra vulgaris	Herb	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.2-0.5%	Stimulant
Hypericum perforatum	Herb	Powder	Hypericin 0.3%	Antidepressant
Indigofera tinctoria	plant	Powder	Saponins 10%	Antiseptic, Astringent
Inula racemosa	Root	Powder/Paste	Alantolactone 2.5%	Antirheumatic, In chronic bronchitis
Juglans regia	Bark	Powder	Tannins 12%	Astringent, Antiseptic
Lawsonia alba	Leaf	Powder/Paste	Tannins>5%	Antimicrobial, Anti-inflammatory
Leptadenia reticulata	Herb	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.5%	Spermatogenic, Galactagogue
Hypericum perforatum	Herb	Powder	Hypericin 0.3%	Antidepressant
Indigofera tinctoria	plant	Powder	Saponins 10%	Antiseptic, Astringent
Viburnum sp.	Bark	Powder/Paste	Tannins>1.4%	Emmenagogue
Viola odorata	flowers/leaf	Powder/Paste	Saponins 2.5%	Expectorant, Antiseptic
Vitex negundo	Leaf	Powder/Paste	Alkaloids 0.15%	Anti-inflammatory
Vitis vinifera	fruit/seed	Powder/Paste	Polyphenols>20%	Antioxidant
Wedelia calendulacea	Herb	Powder/Paste	Tannins 5%, Saponins 2%	Hepatoprotective
Withania somnifera	Root	Powder/Paste	Withanolides>2.5%	Immunomodulator, Antioxidant

Table 3: List of selected Herbal manufacturing companies¹⁶

Country	Ingredient	Company/manufacturer/Supplier
China	Herbal	Guangdong Apollo Cosmetics Co., Ltd. Zhejiang Qianfei Enterprise Co., Ltd. Guangdong Mingchen Co., Ltd. Shantou Qianli Cosmetics Co., Ltd. Lucy Belle Cosmetics (Hangzhou) Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Jianyuan Biological Technology Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Yi Xuan Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. Guangzhou Shengxin Cosmetic Co., Ltd. Qingdao Renovo Co., Ltd.
India	Both Chemical and Herbal OBM (Original Brand Manufacturing)	ZYMO COSMETICS SADATAN PURE AYURVEDA PVT LTD HESH PHARMA PROBIA EXIM PVT LTD
South Korea	Herbal	KINSKIN GLONM CO LTD NATURAL FandP CO LTD KU-GTEP
Taiwan	Herbal	Fermic Industrial Co., Ltd. BERTIE ENTERPRISE CORP
United States	Herbal	JB MARKETING INTERNATIONAL

ECONOMICAL ASPECTS OF MEDICINAL PLANTS: ^{17, 18}

Economic significance of medicinal plants has increased in the present world because of the fact that the medicines derived from the medicinal plants are non- narcotic and having minimal side effect. According to WHO over 80% of the world population depends on the traditional system of medicines mostly plant based, to fulfill their basic healthcare needs. The demand for medicinal plants is increasing rapidly in international market as compare to domestic market. The international demand for medicinal herbal products is increasing at the rate of 7% per annum. According to an estimate that Indian consumption of these medicinal herbs is approximately 200 tonnes and only 60 tonnes are domestically produced. Major part of these herbs (188 tonnes) is used for culinary purpose and roundabout 12 tonnes are used for medicinal and cosmetic purpose.

In India there are 10 biographic and 15 agro climatic zones with 25 biotic provinces. It reveals that Indian climate is favorable for the large scale cultivation of these plants. There are total 47000 plant species in India, out of which medicinal plants and herbs constitutes around 18000 species. Approximately 1800 plant species are used in preparation of medicines. Presently India’s turnover in drugs used in traditional system of medicines is around Rs 2400 crore. The Center for Economic Research Planning and Action (CERPA) has estimated the domestic demand for medicinal plants around 2.72 lakhs tonnes valued approximately Rs 1500 crore for year 2004-05.

On the basis of import statistics for the period 1987-1991, world trade in medicinal plants is of the magnitude around US $ 853000 on an average. The medicinal plants based industries is growing at the rate of 7-15% annually in India. According to a conservative estimate, the value of medicinal plants related trade in India is to the tune of about Rs 5000 crore per year. However, the world trade is about 62 billion US dollars and is expected to grow to the tune of 5 trillion US dollars by the year 2050.

CONCLUSION:

The medicinal herbs provide functional benefits by increasing the supply of natural building blocks in the body. The herbal formulations are useful as therapeutic and cosmetic applications. The best thing of the herbal pharmaceutical products is that it is purely made by the herbs and shrubs. The natural content in the herbs does not have any side effects on the human body; instead enrich the body with nutrients and other useful minerals. Along with the pharmaceutical application the economical aspect of herbal products are very important and need to be studied and revised in detail. So there is the need of the hour to increase the production of herbal based medicines to meet out both national and international demand.

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18. Eleventh Five Year Plan, Vol. III, Agriculture, rural development, industry, services, and physical infrastructure, Planning Commission Government of India, 2007-12.

Received on 23.07.2011

Accepted on 29.08.2011

© A&V Publication all right reserved

Research Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. 3(5): Sept.- Oct.2011, 187-190