Preface

        Although we initiated work on medicinal plants some twenty years ago, it did not take shape till we received financial support from the Department of Forests, Environment and Ecology, Government of Karnataka, in January 1987. Very soon we realised the disadvantages in working on medicinal plants without an adequate scientific background on the philosophy and methods of different systems of medicine, the methods of modern scientific medicine, drug development, the related aspects of pharmacognosy and pharmacology, economic implications, and a variety of other issues. With biodiversity, conservation and biotechnology coming to a sharp focus, the scenario became that much more complex. All the background information needed is spread over in a very large number of diverse publications and some areas are of topical interest with a large number of publications pouring in. In consequence, putting all such information as in this book together, was an essential activity we carried out parallel to the actual research on the medicinal plants.

        Dr Sathyanarayana Bhat, Professor, Government College of Indian Medicine, Bangalore, who was a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the project, provided the support needed from classical samskrit literature on Ayurveda. For the other traditional systems we were forced to largely depend upon translations.

        Compilation of databases is a very involved and time consuming process. We could complete to the level of publishing, though we have not yet been able to find a publisher, only three of them: Plants with antimicrobial activity by Dr Sathyanarayana Bhat, Plants used in gastro-intestinal disorders by Dr Assumpta Sharon, and Plants used in dental care in India by Dr Shubha Rani. These three also contain a considerable amount of relevant experimental work. As presented in the Appendices in this book, Master Lists have been compiled for most others. Some of the databases are in variously advanced stages. If any one is contemplating similar work, contacting us will avoid duplication of work. We shall be glad to extend what all help we can.

        With the exception of Dr Sathyanarayana Bhat, the others who provided material for the databases were voluntary workers; they only used the infrastructural facilities of the Lab. Their contribution is acknowledged at the relevant places.

        We are aware that the material presented in this book is not everything that is there about the issues discussed, but it would provide a nucleus to build around and above it, saving the others the time and effort we spent in gathering it. We hope that this book helps in enhancing interest in the study of medicinal plants, against a proper cultural and scientific perspective, as medicinal plants cannot be studied, understood, evaluated and utilised in isolation. They should also be looked at in a global perspective. An effort to integrate medicinal uses of species common between countries and integration of different systems of medicine and their practice, will go a long way in enhancing the potential of our medicinal plant resources.

        Medicinal plants will continue to be a rallying point in health care, economics and so in politics. Harold Lasky wrote that ‘man is the creature of compelling loyalties’. Man, in spite of the temptations of modernisation, is certainly loyal to culture and tradition and he came back to it time and again. Unfortunately, this time coming to medicinal plant tradition has resulted only in crass commercial exploitation, as evidenced by the umpteen herbal products now on the market, in the name of Ayurveda. Indigenous systems of medicine are medical science, in their own right, with their own philosophy, principles and traditions. Putting a few plants together, does not make a concoction an Ayurvedic product. This trend should be discouraged through public education. The study, sustainable utilisation, conservation, and improvement of medicinal plants are matters of science, requiring a collaborative effort of specialists in indigenous systems, plant taxonomy, plant biology, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and modern medical subjects such as anatomy, physiology and drug testing. Such a holistic approach is the need of the times.

       The current of very impressive advances in computer capabilities and very efficient relational database management program packages, have crystallised the opinion that we should organise all knowledge in all areas of human endeavour to date, in the form of databases. Information on medicinal plants and related matters being so vast, this should be done without losing any more time. But compiling existing information, gathering new descriptive and experimental data, and organising a functional computer database, are all very time consuming and enormously expensive propositions. It is hence the responsibility of the scientific community, to impress upon the funding agencies and the respective Governments at the Centre and States, on the need to support comprehensive research on medicinal plants. If this book can form the basis of such proposals, our objectives in conducting work for almost two decades, would be fulfilled, and our efforts compensated.