China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Conservation – A Strategy to Overcome Shortages of Ayurveda Herbs
Published in D. Suresh Kumar, Ayurveda in the New Millennium, 2020
S. Noorunnisa Begum, K. Ravikumar
Destruction of flora has had its effect on the medicinal plant industry. Many years ago, the over-exploitation of wild-growing Rauvolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurz. in India for export exhausted the supply to such a point that the government of India placed an embargo on the export of this species. This created a major problem in the United States of America, as the United States Pharmacopeia requires that Rauvolfia serpentina be of Indian origin when used in a crude form. Another glaring example of a plant that has been over-exploited in India for export to other Asian countries is Coptis teeta Wall., which has now attained the status of an endangered plant (Akerele 2009).
Identification of proper herbs
Published in C. P. Khare, Evidence-based Ayurveda, 2019
In India, Rauvolfia tetraphyla Linn. is used as a substitute when Rauvolfia serpentina is not available. Roots of R. densifolia Benth. and R. micrantha Hook. f. are sometimes found mixed in Kerala and Western India.
Natural Medicines
Published in Dilip Ghosh, Pulok K. Mukherjee, Natural Medicines, 2019
Ashok Vaidya, Hiteshi Dhami-Shah, Shobha Udipi
Rauwolfia serpentina was shown to be anti-hypertensive, in India, by Gananath Sen and Kartik Bose, as early as 1931. They also reported some remarkable side effects (Sen and Bose 1931). After a gap of 18 years, Vakil confirmed its anti-hypertensive effect (Vakil 1949). Several astute observations and a record of the side effects such as depression, gynecomastia and galactorrhea, Parkinsonism, nasal congestion and hyperacidity eventually led to their mechanistic understanding of amine depletion and many NCEs and modern drugs were developed as spin-offs for these indications such as antidepressants, bromocriptine, l-dopa, oxymetazoline and cimetidine. The path to NM and NCEs can also be facilitated through the understanding the mechanisms of the side effects of widely used herbal or animal products used in the traditional systems of medicine.
How can we improve the safe use of herbal medicine and other natural products? A clinical pharmacologist mission
Published in Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2020
Elena Y. Enioutina, Kathleen M. Job, Lubov V. Krepkova, Michael D. Reed, Catherine M. Sherwin
Phytochemicals (single small molecules) isolated from the NPs or NP-inspired drugs represent a valuable source for drug development [14,15]. Many small-molecule drugs of herbal origin were or are actively used in clinical practice worldwide for a number of indications. Some highly recognizable examples would include: reserpine (Rauwolfia serpentina, L.), an antihypertensive medication, digoxin (Digitalis purpurea, L.), a standard treatment for heart failure; ergotamine (Claviceps purpurea, (Fr.)Tul.) used for the treatment of migraines, and post-partum; glaucine (Glaucium flavum) possesses antitussive properties, gossypol (Gossypium spp.) used in male contraception, and morphine (Papaver somniferum, L.) a universal standard used in pain management [16]. It has been estimated that 25–38% of new molecular entities approved by the FDA were isolated from NP or were their derivatives [15,17]. Twenty-one percent of all FDA-approved new molecular entities were non-mammalian origin compounds, and among them, 47% were plant-based new molecular entities [17]. Among them include ceftobiprole medocaril, a broad-spectrum cephalosporin, used for the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia, fingolimod (Isaria sinclairii (Berk.) Lloyd) intended for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis; zucapsaicin, a cys-isomer of Capsaicin found in the fruit of plants from the genus Capsicum, used for pain management, and canagliflozin, a derivative of phlorizin found in the bark of apple tree (Malus domestica) and indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes [15,18].
The use of terpenes and derivatives as a new perspective for cardiovascular disease treatment: a patent review (2008–2018)
Published in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2019
Eric Aian P. Silva, Jéssica S. Carvalho, Adriana G. Guimarães, Rosana de S.S. Barreto, Márcio R.V. Santos, André S. Barreto, Lucindo J. Quintans-Júnior
As demonstrated in this review and by several other studies, natural compounds may be one of the most important sources for the development of new cardiovascular therapies [7,14,36–38]. Although the process of discovery and developing novel pharmaceutical products from NP may be more expensive and require more effort than in the case of synthetic compounds, nature is still a great and abundant source of potential new drugs [39,40]. A recent review by Waltenberger et al. [41] highlighted several medicinal plants that have been used to treat cardiovascular or metabolic disorders, such as Allium sativum, G. biloba, Ocimum sanctum, Olea europaea, and Rauvolfia serpentina, among others. This demonstrated the importance of studies and investment to help to provide evidence of their benefits in relation to human health [41]. It has not yet been clearly established if these, and many other plants, are effective in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Currently, compositions derived from Salvia genus are widely used to prevent or treat conditions such as coronary heart disease and angina pectoris, mostly in a popular Chinese medicinal product known as ‘dripping’ pills (Den Shen®). Furthermore, as reported in a review by Liu and Huang, some other natural compounds such as S. miltiorrhiza, ginseng, and chuanxiong have been used successfully in China in clinical applications in respect of endothelial vascular function improvement, hypertension, angiogenesis induction, myocardial infarction, and more [42].
How to rekindle drug discovery process through integrative therapeutic targeting?
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2018
Ashok Vaidya, Anuradha Roy, Rathnam Chaguturu
Finally, the discovery of the anti-hypertensive plant – Rauwolfia serpentina – can well illustrate how an initiative in Ayurveda led to a global revolution in pharmacology and new drug discovery [24,25]. It was in the year 1931 that Sen and Bose discovered the anti-hypertensive activity of the plant in humans and dogs. The world had to wait up to early 50s before the alkaloid reserpine of the plant became available. Meanwhile, Indians were already availing of the standardized extracts of the plant for their hypertension. The pioneers had also observed the side effects of the plant namely, depression, Parkinsonism and gynecomastia in patients. Eventually, many drugs were developed for these conditions because of the understanding provided by the action of reserpine on the depletion of amines. Many clinical studies and experience with Ayurvedic drugs still await an organized RP approach for new drug discovery.