Medicinal Plants - International Journal of Phytomedicines and Related Industries

Plants serve as an exemplary source of drugs and many of the past and currently available drugs have been derived directly or indirectly from them. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that mortality from diabetes and heart disease cost India about $210 billion every year and is expected to increase to $335 billion in the next ten years. The Ayurvedic Drug Manufacturers Association (ADMA) estimates the current value of trade in Indian System of Medicine (chiefly Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani) and Homeopathy is around Rs. 4205 crores, roughly close to US$ 1 billion. With ever increasing diabetic patients in the country, the demand for herbal medicines has tremendously gone up. It is in this context that there have been hundreds of important medicinal and aromatic plants from various agro-climatic regions of the country including the Indian Himalaya region that have been targeted for their drugs and commercial value. Efforts have been made to improve their medicinal value in terms of quality and quantity, besides conserving them using tissue culture technique.