Medicinal plants Sector – Current status

The ‘Herbal Industry’ including AYUSH manufacturing industries, Nutrition and supplementation industry, Personal care industry are using a wide range of plant parts derived from trees, shrubs, climbers and herbs and even grasses. Herbal Extraction and Phytopharmaceutical industries also use medicinal plants.

Demand:

 The demand for these plant parts are also growing year after year owing to the increased number of Medical practitioners of Ayurveda  Siddha and Unani systems of medicine, opening of ISM wings in Govt. Primary Health Centres under National Rural Health Mission, opening of centers in ESI hospitals and not to talk of private ayurvedic hospitals and spas. The Social Media has also popularized Indian herbs and their benefits across the globe and these products are sought after.

Large scale use of Indian Medicine promoted by Govt. of Tamilnadu has become a trend in epidemics like Dengue, Swine flu, Malaria has further accelerated demand for medicinal plants. Demand for Siddha medicines like; Nilavembu Kudineer’ – the sudden increase to the tune of 400 crores in one year and National brands like Patanjali has further enhanced demands for herbal material. The spiraling cost of the Ayurvedic ,Siddha drugs is also due to this non-availability and demand

      Quality parameters

The industries need to comply by the quality standards for herbal material prescribed by the Pharmacopeias of Siddha and Ayurveda . The key quality parameters for herbs are

·         Moisture – 5- 6%

·         Foreign material – Even the plant part other than required -1-2%

·         Microbial limits – Nil for pathogen, yeast and mould Not More Than 1000 Colonies per unit

·         Heavy metals- Lead, arsenic, mercury – NMT 10PPM

·         Ash content – 2-6%

·         Assay for Phyto constituents

Most of the above can be tested in a small laboratory created as common facility, close to a growing area, particularly in a cluster approach. Adopting Good agricultural practice or Good collection practices if collected from wild will ensure quality.

 

Source of crude drugs

a) Wild collection

Till a decade ago materials were collected from wild, not just forest but from barren lands, agricultural land margins, lake and pond bunds and Road side. Currently owing to the factor that declaration of more forest areas as wild life areas and no harvest zone, wild collection is getting increasingly limited. Moreover since there is a shrinkage on availability and the need to travel to far flung places to collect the same amount of medicinal plants which where colled earlier,The forest dependent communities collect less from the wild as younger generation is not interested as it is not very remunerative. Collectors do not have facility to clean, grade and store the material properly so they immediately sell to traders at whatever price they offer.Contamination happens with pathogens due to human, cattle excreta, heavy metal contamination is caused in the wild near industrial area, from soil and drying in the roads without proper drying facility

The agents among the collectors source it and send it to traders (some handle selected items only region wise), while traders in cities who have contact with traders and exporters buy from all regions and also get from traders in other states.

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 b) Cultivation

Only few species are cultivated that too for exports and Phytopharmaceutical extraction companies. They include herbs like Gloriosa superb, Coleus forskholli, Passiflora incarnate, Cassia aungustifolia etc., Exporters mostly depend on cultivation for large quantity material and rely less on wild collection. The increasing demand is not completely met by cultivation as of now. Very often Industry organizations like Ayurvedic Drug Maunfacturers Association, Ayurvedic Manufacturers Association in Kerala (The largest producing state of Ayurveda Products next only to Gujarat) raise the issue of non-availability of herbs. However agrotechnology and agroeconomics have been already worked out for close to 50 herbs among the 170 which are frequently used by the industries.

c) Procurement from outside

The manufacturers from the AYUSH and Phytopharma industry get the crude drugs from other states – Dehradun in Uttarkhand, Amristar in Punjab Chattisgargh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh. In most cases the Forest department corporations or Tribal development department run organizations help tribals to collect and market their produce/ wild collection

Many ingredients including dry ginger, Guggul , Licorice are imported from other countries.

Ports in Gulf region, Indonesia, Singapore are the hubs for import.

Phyto-sanitary certification is done by Plant quarantine and storage dept. of Ministry of agriculture

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Things to be done

a)      Planning for consistent supply of quality raw material to industry is based on proper assessment of demand supply from the traders, manufacturers and exporters. A Survey needs to done ( Not a passive survey seeking information sitting in one place) A systemic planning and spreading the list of species to be grown will help not only the Industries but the growers too.

Once tree growing is promoted for the land margins and if each farmer in a cluster grows the same five species, consolidation and procurement will be easier. In areas where silvyculture is taken up, intercropping of medicinal plants, climbers in particular will provide remuneration to growers in medium and short term till returns come from the trees. Since most of the crude plant drugs are bulk and transport cost being high, it is better to cultivate plants which can be sold in the local region or at best in the three southern states.

The choice of plants should be based on the ones used by a wide range of industries and not confined to the needs of one or two industries. That is where contract farming has failed. But for plants which are exported either raw or after processing by extraction industry, large scale cultivation has been successful – Coleus, Gloriosa and Senna if only grown by the limited contracted farmers.

Most the plants that are listed as in high demand and frequently used by multiple manufacturers or exporters can be grown in different agroclimatic zones of Tamil Nadu. A judicious mixture of them if cultivated in limited area, marketing would not be a problem. But since most industries in this sector in Tamil Nadu are PSU or cooperatives or Trust they go by tender and lowest quotation and require at least few plants to be grouped and supplied. So consolidation by a way of a growers society or producer company (A New company type now supported by Govt. and NABARD for farmers) will help them actively participate in tender and market the produce in a profitable way.

b) Rural Godowns and Processing centre

The medicinal plants are available only in particular season but the demand from the manufacturers is year around. As most collectors do not have place to clean, process and grade medicinal plants without any contamination and also to store them safely till the next season and supply them to the industry as per the request there is a need for establishing rural godowns cum processing center in identified areas near the forest somewhere medicinal plants are being collected. National medicinal plant board or NABARD can be approached for establishing this kind of rural godowns designed to store graded bale packed herbal material under hygienic condition.

A small testing laboratory could be established in these godowns which are tested as per the pharmacopias and supply to industry which will add great value to the collectors or gatherers of medicinal plants. A revolving fund can be provided to the members of the village forest committee  so that they can collect, gather, store and supply during the needy times.

c) Need for nursery and seed bank

Many farmers in Tamil Nadu are looking for alternate crops which are less labour  intensive, require less water and chemical fertilizers and pesticides. But unfortunately   the planting material or seeds  that they require are not easily available in places nearer to them. Therefore establishing of nurseries for medicinal plants which are required in a specific region can be done in the central nurseries of the or the extension centers and  the research blocks of the forest dept.

Training

Forest extension centers can provide training in nursery development propagation, medicinal plant agronomy, post harvest processing and quality standards and testing of the crude drugs.

To conclude the Tamil Nadu forest dept with its rich resources and knowledge base in the medicinal plant sector can definitely play a lead role in enhancing quality medicinal plant raw material at the appropriate price to the manufacturing industries and reduce the health burden of the state

Enhancing Medicinal Plant Resources

In the earlier post I have mentioned about a Brain storming session recently held on the Status of Medicinal Plants at Tamil Nadu Forest Training Academy. (19^th June2015). The Decision makers and almost all senior officials of TN Forest Department, Industry representatives, Forest Academy, College, Research institutes and few farmer Association office bearers took part.

Most forest officers were of the view that conservation is the priority and no harvesting should be allowed. Some even felt that No data is available on the inventory of species available in Tamil Nadu forest. Researchers were for prioritizing identification of Genetic variability.  Many expressed that the entire herbal trade is non transparent and traders and industry plunder nations wealth. 

Cultivators expressed the views that Seeds, Technology and appropriate marketing mechanism is not there.

Industries were saying they find no shortage of any crude drug and added it is wrong to say  that there is no transparency as most companies go by open tender process, some with forward contracts with gatherers and growers. The need for storage godowns  was also expressed. The general perception was, Medicinal plant sector is unorganized and with no institutional mechanism in place for Certification and provision of authentic herbal raw material

On my part I raised the following on behalf  CTMR

1.       My concern on the absence of The Commissioner of Indian medicine who is responsible for procurement of medicine for all 1800 GH/PHC/ ISM Hospitals and Colleges – The largest user of Medicinal plants in the meeting and the absence of State Medicinal plant board representative and the horticultural Dept who promotes home gardens and sanctions subsidy for plant growers.

2.       The Revival of the now neglected Medicinal Plants Development Areas created in 2000-2002 across the state and non –utilization of the Resource created.

3.       Proper monitoring of The  AYUSH Cluster which was funded by Ministry of AYUSH with the mandate to act as a herbal crude drug bank and common facility for testing and manufacture by smaller units. This is yet to take off.

4.       The possibility of providing saplings for Home herbal garden by the Forest extension centres/ forest nurseries and 56 research units functioning in the state – Integrating with Organic terrace garden project of Horticulture Dept.

5.       Promotion of 20 important medicinal Trees (50 nos each species)in the campus of all educational institutes particularly 550 engineering colleges- Higher Education secretary to send a guideline through Anna University to the colleges and Director of College education. Similarly Sipcot INDUSTRIAL PARKS and others could grow as Avenue and hedge tress. Forest Extension centres to  encourage Village Forest Committees to grow and sell saplings for the Institutes. This will not only augument medicinal plant resource but improve livelihood of Marginalized forest dependant communities.

6.       Forest Dept to encourage NABARD to fund for Rural Godowns which could act as grading and storage centers for gathers and growers and certified clean authentic material will be made available to ISM Industry at affordable cost and farmers will be saved from distress selling due to lack of storage space.

I hope ‘ Amma’ Home Herbal Garden kit will be available at the earliest with 7 most important medicinal plants useful as home remedy.

Workshop for School Students on Traditional Medicine

The Coordinator of Health Programmes of Sarva Siksha Abhiyan and physician -teacher Dr.Suchitra from 'The Schoo'l of the J.Krishnamoorthy foundation wanted CTMR to organize a workshop on Traditional Medicine for the Children from Avvai home School. CTMR organized a workshop on 28th Feb 2011 at its office premises. About 15 students and three teachers took part in the workshop. Healthy living, low cost healthy diet using local resource, common diseases and simple herbal remedies were explained to them by Dr.T.Thirunarayanan. Mrs Jeyanthi Narayanan explained the uses of various medicinal plants that can be grown in households, school herbal garden and also available in common land and roadsides. About 40 types of medicinal plants were shown to them. Dr. S.Rajkumar explained the use of crude herbal drugs, most of them available in kitchen and showed them the crude drugs. He also demonstrated preparation of Simple cures like Thiriphala churanum, Thirikatu churanam, preperation of Syrup and decoction. The Children interacted very well with the experts and got their doubts clarified apart from telling them the use of herbs which are grown in their neighbourhood. The entire workshop was videographed by staff of Visual education division for circulation among schools.

Lecture on Siddha and Sacred Groves

Dr. Whitney Howarth, Professor along with a team of twenty students from Plymouth State University (New Hampshire, USA) is on a visit to Sadhana forest Auroville near Pondicherry for 3 weeks from Jan 5th. Dr. Whitney has organized series of lectures there to make her students familiar with Indian Culture and Conservation ethics of Indian culture. As part of the programme Dr.T.Thirunarayanan, secretary CTMR was invited to speak on ‘Siddha tradition and sacred groves’ on 24th Jan 2011.
Sadhana Forest started its ecological revival and sustainable living work on December 19th 2003. The vision of its founders, Yorit and Aviram Rozin, is to transform 70 acres of severely eroded, arid land on the outskirts of Auroville. In a spirit of human unity, their aim is to introduce a growing number of people to sustainable living. The community focus their nergy and resources on the creation of a vibrant, indigenous Tropical Dry Evergreen Forest (TDEF).
Dr. Thirunarayanan explained how the sacred groves are significant as micro units of bio-diversity and show case the biological heritage. He also explained the groves as treasure troves which help as seed bank, conserve water and soil and influence the microclimate. The medicinal plants present in the groves makes them the God’s dispensary. He enumerated the use of 20 tree species and their significance in traditional medicine. The second part of the presentation on the long history of use of Siddha medicine, its concept of living in harmony with nature, body-mind linkage, and role of traditional food in health was well received by the students and this was followed by a question-answer session.

Book offers herbal cures for ailments

April 3: At a time when Chennai has been flooded with spurious medicines, a city college has come out with a book that can help people identify and preserve medicinal plants found in the metropolis.Medicinal Plants - Profiles and Values, published by the department of botany, DG Vaishnav College, is a first of its kind.“We have profiled more than 80 medicinal plants in this book. The uniqueness of these herbs is that they are all safe and do not have any documented adverse reaction,” said S. Narasimhan, principal, DG Vaishnav College.T. Thirunarayanan, secretary, Centre For Traditional Medicines and Research, who led the team that edited the book, said there are many medicinal plantsin the city and surrounding areas, but they selected only plants which were useful in the treatment of common ailments.“This book will hopefully reduce the need to go to the doctor with commoncold, cough, flu or headache,” said Dr Thirunarayanan.

Herbal Awareness Programme at Denkanikottai

Dr.Padmanandan, senior Siddha physician of the Govt. Hospital, Denkanikottai, Krishnagiri District organized a traditional medicine awareness programme on 5th Sept, 2009 along with Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research, Chennai. The main objective was to create awareness about the medicinal plant resources available in the dense forests and adjoining areas of the taluk and their sustainable utilization.

The Local body vice-chairman Mr.Kalam presided over the function. Apart from local residents and volunteers, farmer members of the MYRADA farmers club took part in the programme.

Dr.T.Thirunarayanan explained the concept of Hospital Medicinal Plants Gardens and Kitchen Herbal garden and requested the general public to utilize the garden created in the Govt. Hospital for identification purpose and understanding the medicinal use of each of the plant grown in the garden.

Dr.Padmanandan took the participants to the demo garden where 150 species of medicinal plants are grown.

Vaidya.S.Usman Ali enumerated a list of 10 plants of commercial value, which can be grown in the land owned by the farmers with minimal water and also suggested a live fence with Bonduc nut, a hardy climber which can prevent entry of elephants into the cultivation area. He in fact suggested growing the plant all around the villages bordering the forest. Gymnema, Coleus, Aswagandha, Long pepper and Asoka were the Key species recommended for cultivation.

Field trips and Invited lectures at Department of Dravyaguna, Institute of P G T & R in Ayurveda, of Gujarat Ayurved University. Jamnagar

Dr.T.Thirunarayanan, Siddha physician and Vaidya.S.Usman Ali, Director, Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research, Chennai visited Gujarat Ayurved University from 25th Aug, 2009 to 27th Aug, 2009 for interaction with experts of different institutions and departments of the university on the various Research activities in Indian Medicine. The Department of Dravyaguna has organized lecture by Dr.T.Thirunarayanan on ‘New product Development in Traditional Medicine –Challenges’ on 25th August. Dr. Parameswar Prasad Sharma, Prof. & Head of the department introduced the speaker and the topic. Dr. Tarulata N. Pandya, Dr. Rabinarayan Acharya, Readers of the department, Research scholars and Post-Graduate students of Dravyaguna, Bhaisajyakalpana, Rasashastra, Ayurved pharmacy and Medicinal Plant Sciences attended the lectures and actively interacted with the speaker. Dr.T.Thirunarayanan highlighted the point that new product development is essential due to changing environment, disease pattern and a broad spectrum of people across the globe showing keen interest in Traditional medicine and this should happen without compromising the basic principles of Traditional medicine but adopting to current day requirement. He insisted that these new products should necessarily undergo pre-clinical and clinical trials and all regulatory requirements fulfilled before launch. There was one more lecture on ‘External Therapies of Siddha medicine and similarities with Ayurveda’ on 27th August. The stress was on utilizing the external therapy techniques more frequently in clinical practice so that the recovery is fast.

On 26th August, Vaidya S.Usman Ali led the team of Dravyaguna students to Jam Barda hills on the botanical identification field trip along with Dr.T.Thirunarayanan & Dr. Bhupesh R. Patel, Lecturer of the department. About 100 plants of medicinal value were observed in this 9 kilometer stretch and Dr.S.Usman Ali gave simple clues to establish botanical identity of the plants using certain peculiarities seen in the macroscopic examination and co-existence of some plant with others (Bio-diversity) was also explained. The unique medicinal use of these plants in Siddha practice was highlighted by Dr.T.Thirunarayanan and the use by local community was elaborated by Dr.Bhupesh R.Patel. Students made a listing of plants of Barda hills along with photos and deposited the CD in the department for future reference.

On 27th Vaidya. S.Usman Ali explained the various medicinal tree species planted in the Joggers' park in Jamnagar to the students. Many visitors to the park showed keen interest in the explanations provided and joined the students for the rest of the evening.

The entire three day activities particularly the field trips were well coordinated by Dr. Bhupesh R. Patel, Lecturer of the Dravyaguna department.

One day workshop on Cultivation of Medicinal Plants

Centre for Traditional Medicine & Research Organized a one day workshop on 'Techno commercial aspects of Medicinal Plant Cultivation' for the officers of the Horticultural Department of Tamilnadu in the Coimbatore region on 30th June 2009 at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam premises, Annaikatti in the Western ghats 25 kms from Coimbatore. 45 officers of the department working in Coimbatore, Nilgiris, Tirupur and Erode districts including Deputy Director, Assistant Directors and Horticultural officers took part in the training apart from Siddha physicians, NGO members and few traders of Medicinal Plants.

Mr.Chandrasekar, Deputy Director inaugurated the workshop stressing on the need for clear understanding of the potential for medicinal plants cultivation in the region and technical feasibility. He also mentioned the quantum of subsidy available for promotion of medicinal plants cultivation under the National Medicinal Plants Mission and how judicious use of the same will benefit growers as well as the Traditional Medicine industry. Dr.T.Thirunarayanan, Presented the commercial viability of different crops likely to be grown in the region and the current demand status along with volume and price. Vaidya. S.Usman Ali, director of CTMR presented the technical aspects of cultivation of Coleus, Gloriosa, Aswagandha, Centella, Bacopa among other plants. He also stressed the need to promote growing of atleast 10 trees per acre by individual farmers in the margin of the land – Saraca asoca, Aegle marmeoles were recommended as they are in high demand. He also suggested live fence of Bonduc, Adathoda, Henna on the hedge.

The participants also visited the Demonstration garden of medicinal plants, field scale processing facility, storage facility of AIM for SEWA and appreciated the efforts of Shri. D.S. Raman. In maintaining such a integrated facility and collection of both tropical and temperate species of medicinal plants in the Garden.

Traditional Healers Meet- Krishnagiri

Traditional Healers Conference

Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research, Chennai is carrying out a project entitled ‘Documentation and Validation of Local Health Traditions’ in Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts of Tamilnadu with grant from Department of Ayush. Govt.of India. So far over 170 traditional healers have been interviewed and their healing practices documented. As Part of the field based research activity an one day ‘Traditional Healers Conference’ was organized at Forest Extension Centre, Krishnagiri on 28th June 2009. Over 70 healers from the districts of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri Districts took part in the conference. Ten institutionally trained Siddha physicians and 15 field staff of the forest department also took part in the meet. Dr.M.A Kumar, Deputy Advisor- Siddha and Nodal Officer for LHT projects. Department of Ayush presided over the inaugural session and delivered a lecture detailing the objective of this intervention, mainly to revive the lost healthy traditional health practices which will reduce the health expenditure burden of the community. He stressed that the traditional medical science has survived this long, mainly due to the oral traditions handed over by the healers to the next generation as institutes have come up only in the last four decades. Mr.Ganesan, the district forest officer, Hosur in his inaugural address emphasized the need to live in harmony with nature, as living in harmony with nature is the cornerstone of health care in traditional medicine and appealed to the practitioners to use the medicinal plants in a sustainable way and regenerate them in home gardens, community parks and as hedge crop in their agricultural land.

Four vaidyas were presented ‘Best healer’ award on the occasion. Mr.Kembae Ramiya of urigam at the ripe age of 84 not only provides treatment in this interior forest village, but maintains a good herbal collection and imparts knowledge of the healing practice to seekers. Mr.P.R Krishnan aged 82 is continuously imparting training to a group of 40 healers for a period of 12 years and created a good library and a miniature common medicine processing facility at Dharmapuri. Mr. Kathirvel of Nalampatty a bone setter, treating atleast 300 persons every day with the help of his assistants for whom he has imparted training and Mr.Sivaprakasam of Thonganur who treats atleast 500 persons every Sunday were awarded. The Awards were presented by Dr. L.P Yuvaraj and Dr.K.Kootharsan, senior Siddha physicians of the districts. Vaidya S.Usman Ali, director – CTMR and Dr.T.Thirunarayanan shared the findings of the research so far and the healers took active part in the deliberations which followed. Dr.Sugumaran, Dr.Hariharan and Dr.Sunandani – Siddha physicians shared the views of the institutionally trained Siddha physicians and expressed their willingness to work closely with traditional healers.

The healers displayed the fresh plants used by them, Raw drugs used by them and rare form of medicines prepared by them. The healers also visited the medicinal plants garden maintained at the Forest extension centre and Vaidya. S.Usman Ali explained to them the propagation technique to be adopted for different plants

CTMR to facilitate Growers-Industry tie-up for Medicinal Plants cultivation

In an effort to provide support for farmers cultivating medicinal plants CTMR has tied up with four extraction and Ayurveda formulation companies for buy back of the produce of 15 commercially important medicinal plants like coleus, gloriosa, gymnema, centella, bacopa. In the current year about 200 farmers cultivating in 500 acres would benefit from the tie-up. The activity will focus on Coimbatore, Thiruvannamalai and Perambalur district. Interested farmers can get in touch with Horticulturist at CTMR Chennai. 044-22533399

Training on 'Medicinal Plants Cultivation by Tribal'

Training on Medicinal Plants Cultivation for Tribal at Maannar Settlement , Karamadai Forest Range- 15th May 2009.

AIM for Sewa, Coimbatore, Centre for Traditional Medicine and Research (CTMR), Chennai and Jan Sikstan Samiti(JSS), Coimbatore joined together with the Tamilnadu forest department and organized a training programme on cultivation of commercially viable medicinal plants at Maanar tribal settlement near kilkundha of Karamadai forest Range. About 50 land owning tribal men and women took part in the training. A visit was also undertaken to the fields to examine the suitability of the land for cultivation of the selected species. Gymnema, Andrographis, Palmrosa, Tulsi, Bacopa and Henna. Suggestions were also made for growing medicinal plants as kitchen herbal garden and how to use them for common ailments. Shri. D.S. Raman of AIM for Sewa distributed saplings and assured free supply of seeds and saplings required for cultivation in 20 acres of land owned by as many tribal families. Mrs.Sundaravalli, Horticulturist of CTMR explained the agricultural practices- land preparation including manuring, Planting espacement, interculture, other care, harvest and post harvest handling. Dr.R.Sudha, Siddha expert explained the use of different plants and also about using them for health promotion and treating common ailment. Dr. T.Thirunarayanan of CTMR gave an insight into the commercial viability, the alternate income generation and prosperity it can bring to ensure sustainable livelihood for the tribal families living in the remote area. Mr.Dasan the range officer informed that the DFO has assured support for getting infrastructure to pump water from the streams and percolation ponds. Mr. Balasubramanian, Director of JSS has organized the training and also distributed books under the ‘Literacy for All’ project to two trained facilitators from the tribal community. A time bound programme is planned for cultivation and AIM for sewa will facilitate selling of the cultivated produce to three reputed user industries with which buy-back arrangement has been worked out.