Legacy of Indian herbs: Empirism to economics

Abstract

Medicinal plants are gaining much interest recently because their use in ethno medicine treating common diseases such as cold, fever, diarrhoea, cough and other medicinal claims are now supported with sound scientific evidences. Several plants with various properties have been mentioned earlier in the oldest Indian mythology Rigveda and Ayurveda, thus the use of medicinal plants in India dates back to 3500-1800 B.C. A large number of the plants are claimed to possess the antibiotic properties in the traditional system and are also used extensively by the tribal people worldwide. It is now believed that nature has given the cure of every disease in one way or another.The therapeutic value of Indian medicinal plants is well recognized and acknowledged all over the world. There has been an ever enhancing awareness globally to rely on natural remedies in place of the chemical drugs. More recently, the western multinational drug companies, taking leads from ayurveda and Indian folklore medicines, are diverting their R and D activities on Indian medicinal plants to find out the active principles, isolate and patent them.