ACADEMIC RESEARCH IN STANDARDIZATION OF HERBAL TECHNOLOGY TOWARDS PERFECTION AND BENEFIT OF COMMON PEOPLE Saveri Raj P.X, M.Phil. (saveriraj106@gmail.com) Doctoral Student Texila American University

SUMMARY Objective of this study is to analyze the standardization difficulties and challenges faced by Herbal Medical System and to find the steps and resources to rectify them. The conclusion of the study clearly shows that there is a compelling need for standardization of Herbal Medical System with scientific and authentic herbal technology to compete with the massive modern medicine market.

Summary (Continued) Stringent action on any malpractice on herbal system can be a powerful tool to ensure the Herbal Medical system. Standardization of Herbal Technology by stiff Government policies has to be implemented. Quality of Herbal medicinal and food products at all levels have to be ensured by rule of law. Summary of the study is that a rigid application of Herbal Technology measures in Clinical Research is a vital requirement to uplift Herbalism to be more effectual and operative health care system.

PROBLEMS 1.Challenges from outside: Herbalism is considered as alien to humanity, since the 17th century by the newly evolving modern medicine physicians, for various reasons. That antagonism is still prevalent from the modern medicine system for this natural and herbal medical system, for the main reason that herbal medical system is not evidence based and authenticated by scientific research.   2. Challenges from within : There lacks cooperation among the Herbal doctors, among the seniors and juniors, and among the Herbal Doctors with 4-5 years of Doctoral Education in Naturopathy and the Naturopathy doctors without such qualification but have the traditional experience derived from their heirs.

PROBLEMS (CONTINUED) 3. Drug adulteration and faulty collection: Adulteration may be defined as mixing or substituting the original drug material with other spurious, inferior, defective, spoiled, useless other parts of same or different plant or harmful substances or drug which do not confirm with the official standards. Adulteration may take place by two ways, VIZ, direct or intentional adulteration and indirect or unintentional adulteration.   4. Incorrect storage: Deterioration happens especially during storage, leading to the loss of the active ingredients, production of metabolites with no activity and, in extreme cases, the production of toxic metabolites. Physical factors such as air (oxygen), humidity, light, and temperature can bring about deterioration directly or indirectly.

PROBLEMS (CONTINUED) 5. Medical Practices by unqualified Doctors: Some unethical and unqualified people practice herbal treatments which are injurious and fatal to the health of the patients. They engage in gross substitution of plant material, and deal with exhausted drugs.   6. Standardization: There are constraints with clinical trials with people available for research. The accurate identification of medicinal herbs, collection of authentic and genuine organic medicinal herbs and the numerous and diverse range of herbs are the causes for the difficulties in their standardization. 7. Government’s interference, regulatory policies and support for Herbal Drugs: Many herbal bodies in the world are currently fighting for regulations in order to protect their profession from various challenges and threats. Some herbalists feel that they should just be left alone to practice without government interference.

METHODS The methods adopted for this research are scrutiny from various documents and articles which are available in the websites of web browsers such as Firefox, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer or Edge, or Apple's Safari. Further studies were made from WHO Reports, Books on Herbal Medicine, Herbal Technology and Clinical Research. A study was undertaken from the above resources, combining personal experiences to analyze the issues of regulation and standardization of herbal technology towards perfection and benefit of common people, worldwide.

RESULTS/DISCUSSIONS A discussion on the above listed challenges has been delved into, in depth in order to find solutions to standardize of Herbal Technology towards perfection and benefit of common people. Herbal drug is a chief constituent in traditional medicine and a common constituent in ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic and other medicine systems. A major factor impeding the development of the medicinal plant based industries in developing countries has been the lack of information on the social and economic benefits that could be derived from the industrial utilization of medicinal plants.  

RESULTS/DISCUSSIONS All medicines should be ‘evidence based’ and validated by scientific research, to ensure safety and efficacy for the cure of a disease, and at the same time with least harm and side-effects to the patients. Actions should be enhanced for obtaining the evidences required for validation of traditional herbal medicinal products with scientific proof of its efficacy. Research studies are required to be done on the effectiveness of medicinal plants for curing diseases. Many more research studies are required to find out the medicinal and nutritional values of herbs and which are harmful to humans.

RESULTS/DISCUSSIONS In countries like India, the regulations on herbals medications are not strictly implemented. The quality of the herbal products has to undergo stringent regulatory control, if herbal medicines are to assume a respected place in the contemporary health care system. The preparations of herbal drugs are either as single herb or as collections of herbs in composite formulae. This may be the main reason why quality control of oriental herbal drugs is more difficult than that of western drug. Government allocation of funding for research purposes has to ensure that more and more evidence- based scientifically proved herbal products are available for the healthcare system of the people.

REFEENCES WHO technical report series, “Guidelines for the Assessment of Herbal Medicines”, 1996, 863, 178-184. WHO Global Survey, “National Policy on Traditional Medicine and Regulation of Herbal Medicines”, World Health Organization Geneva,May 2005 168 pages. Report by David R. and Walker, B, “Regulation of Herbal Medicines and Practitioners”, March 2015. Abhishek, K; Ashutosh, M and Sinha, BN, “Herbal drugs- present status and efforts to promote and regulate cultivation”, Pharma Review, 2006 6, 73-77. Satarupa Banerjee and Analava Mitra, “Changing Landscape of Herbal Medicine: Technology Attributing Renaissance”, International Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vol.4,Supl.1, 2012

CONCLUSIVE FUTURE STEPS 1.In order to face the challenges from outside, herbal medical system should strive towards evidence based and authenticated by scientific research. 2. In order face the challenges from within, steps should be taken for the cooperation among the all qualified Herbal doctors and the people with traditional experience in herbal drugs. 3.Severe action should be taken on intentional drug adulterators. Regulations and awareness should be created to avoid unintentional adulteration. 4.The unethical and unqualified people who practice herbal treatments, and who deal with exhausted drugs should be punished, as per the law of the land. The herbs which have toxicity and have no clear evidence should be either restricted to practitioner use or banned entirely.

CONCLUSIVE FUTURE STEPS 5.In spite of the complexities of the herbal medicines system standardization of herbal products should be ensured in the accurate identification of medicinal herbs, collection of authentic and genuine organic medicinal herbs. 6. Government regulations is necessary for the protection of the consumers, and the Herbal medical system. Control should be exercised from the process from the beginning to the end and Quality assurance along the complete process chain. 7. More researchers and doctors need to be trained in both in clinical research and herbal compendium that has been accumulated since ancient times. 8. All these constraints and challenges have to be resolved to make the herbal medicine is highly effective and beneficial to all common people.

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