Medicines from plants, for specific disease that have a beneficial effect, will only be discovered if attempts are made to look for such specific property. For example, while several laboratories are testing plants for their effect on diabetes very few laboratories, if any, are actively looking for an effective medicine from plants for diarrhoea. It is therefore much more likely that a discovery will be made of an anti-diabetic plant medicine rather than one for diarrhoea. Readers would be interested, therefore, to know in which diseases a breakthrough could be expected.
The work being carried out on plants at the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow and under the auspices of the Indian Council of Medical Research has recently been described in the annual reports of these organisations and gave us an insight as to what work is being carried out. Liver disease is one area where much work has been carried out and the beneficial effect of the plant Picrorhazia kurroa has been clearly demonstrated.
This plant protects injury to the liver from harmful substances. A substance which will probably be effective in treating acute and sub acute hepatitis has been isolated and patented under the name of Picroliv. The drugs Controller of India has looked at the results and has approved clinical evaluation of this substance for phase II trails in patients with liver disease. This plant is commonly known as kutki.
The search for plants which could lower the lipid and cholesterol level in blood is still on, although one preparation – guggulipid – has already been put in the market from the plant Commifera wightii known as guggal.
One plant has shown, at the Lucknow laboratories, interesting activity against Brugia malayi which is the causative agent responsible for the disease known as filarial. Filaria is widely present in some parts of India and a cheap effective antifilaria plant – based drug would be highly welcome. One of the consequences of filarial is the condition known as elephantiasis where the limbs become grossly swollen.
Some early activity has been found in a plant which, in experimental animals, could dissolve bladder stones. Recently the Central Drug Research Institute announced the early discovery of a very interesting activity of the plant Centella asiatica known as brahmi which could be used for treating disorders of the central nervous system and more specifically for enhancing memory in the ageing population. The drug consists of bacosides A and B isolated from this plant. The Indian Council of Medical Research concentrates on clinical evaluation of traditional medicines.
One finding, described earlier, is the beneficial effect of a medicated thread for treatment of fistula-in-ano. This is an alternative to surgery which is the standard treatment today in allopathic hospitals. The work on picrorhazia kurroa was the result of the collaborative effort between the two organizations.
The report of the Indian Council of Medical Research mentions that work is being carried out with the plant Pterocarpus marsupium, commonly known as Vijayasar, on patients with diabetes. There is also activity in the specific areas of bronchial asthma, kidney stones and, of course, viral hepatitis.
The Indian Council of Medical Research concentrates on clinical trials of traditional medicines mentioned in ancient books and those plants being widely used today. It is supported by all the different activities which are necessary for carrying out clinical trials.
The Central Drug Research Institute concentrates on laboratory screening of plants, followed up by toxicological studies of interesting plants which are further clinically evaluated, if necessary. Together they represent a considerable force for drug development from medicinal plan. These activities are still further complemented by the activities of the Central Council of Research in Ayurveda and Siddha and the Central Council of Research in Unani Medicine. Perhaps the time may not be far off, when all these activities could be brought together in National Institute for Research in Traditional Medicine.
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