Abstract

Drugs from Nature, Drugs from our Ancestors - Tradition to Evidence based Medicines

Pulok K Mukherjee, Director- School of Natural Product Studies, Jadavpur University

The development of natural products requires the confluence of modern techniques and integrated approaches related to their research in various fields of science through International coordination and cooperation. The medicinal plants mentioned in the ancient texts of different systems of medicines may be explored with the modern scientific approaches for better leads in the health care. Research and development of traditional medicines with the perspectives of safety, efficacy and quality will help not only to preserve the traditional heritage but also to rationalize the use of herbal medicine for human and animal health care. Nature is considered as a compendium for templates of new chemical entities (NCEs). Drugs from medicinal plants are widely respected for their unique chemical and biological features, and are gaining global acceptance because they offer natural ways to treat diseases and promote healthcare. Natural products are the best sources of chemical diversity for finding new drugs and leads. Combining the unique features of identifying biomarkers that are highly conserved across species this can offer a promising approach to biomarker-driven drug discovery and development. Globalization of traditional medicine (TM) is necessary for health care with assessment of its safety, efficacy, therapeutic and clinical evidences. Evidence based validation of the ethno pharmacological claims on traditional medicine is the need of the hour for its globalization and promotion. Traditional medicine requires the confluence of modern techniques and integrated approaches related to their research in various fields of science through International coordination and cooperation. Secondary metabolites from medicinal plants are widely respected for their unique chemical and biological features, and are familiarizing through world because they offer natural ways to treat diseases and promote healthcare. Scientists around the world are searching for medicinal plants as alternative medicine and their potential in health care. New technology and science has developed many techniques and systems to raise the traditional medicine compounds for global existence. The application of new techniques for the validation and documentation of medicinal plants such as DNA bar coding, proteomics, metabolomics, etc, which are being taken into account in the current scenario for safety and quality related issues. Establishment of global and/or regional regulatory harmonization is necessary for its development and promotion through scientific validation. The potential of AYUSH medicines need to be familiarized throughout the world for better human life.