Botanical Identification of Ayush - Ayurveda and Unani Drugs and its Relevance in Quality Control

Abstract

India has an age-old tradition of plant based health-care in the form of Ayush-Ayurveda, and Unani Systems of medicine. Nearly eighty percent of the formulations under these systems are plant based. Almost ninety percent of the raw materials of medicinal plants used by the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) manufacturing units are sourced from the natural resources. Correct identification of a plant species is the most critical task, which demands application of knowledge and skill. The events of misidentification of the plant species, involuntary use of totally dissimilar species or by closely related inferior quality species can deter the therapeutic values and efficacy of the botanical drugs. Historically, the physician or the traditional healer was known to manage the whole supply chain, right from collection of herbs up to the preparation and dispensing of the medicine. The supply chain of crude drugs obtained from the medicinal plants has, however, become a multi-stakeholders activity, often lacks the botanical expertise to provide adequate documentation of the identification of plant materials whether wild-harvested or cultivated. The importance and different needs of plant collectors (WHO and NMPB guidelines) and manufacturers in regard to authentic botanical identification and its role in quality considerations; Quality Assurance (QA) are outlined and discussed. This review places emphasis on the importance of botanical identification, nomenclature, including its historical development and botany as a basic established discipline for valid identification of the plant origin drugs used in pharmacognostical research and quality control of the plant product.