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Ashtawarga plants - Suffering a triple standardization syndrome
Jaswinder Kaur Virk1, Vikas Gupta1, Sanjiv Kumar2
1University Centre of Excellence in Research, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, Punjab, 151203, India.
Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine
|October 17, 2017
Summary
Ayurvedic medicine faces adulteration due to endangered plants and permitted substitutions. This study analyzes common adulteration and substitution practices for critical Ashtawarga plants in herbal products.
Area of Science:
- Traditional medicine
- Ethnobotany
- Pharmacognosy
Background:
- Ayurveda, a holistic health system, utilizes diverse medicinal plants.
- Increasing demand for herbal drugs outstrips supply due to plant endangerment and extinction.
- The Department of AYUSH permits substitutions for rare Ayurvedic herbs, leading to potential exploitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate adulteration and substitution malpractices in Ashtawarga plants.
- To analyze the extent of inferior or spurious drug substitution in Ayurvedic formulations.
- To address the degradation of quality and credibility in Ayurvedic medicine.
Main Methods:
- Metadata analysis of existing literature and data.
- Identification of common adulterants and substitution patterns for Ashtawarga plants.
- Review of Ayurvedic principles regarding drug substitution.
Main Results:
- Ashtawarga plants, crucial for Ayurvedic formulations, are limited in availability.
- The herbal drug industry exploits substitution policies, leading to adulteration.
- Inferior and spurious drugs are often substituted, compromising therapeutic efficacy.
Conclusions:
- Adulteration poses a significant threat to the quality and reliability of Ayurvedic products.
- Urgent measures are needed to control adulteration and ensure the authenticity of Ashtawarga plants.
- Standardization and regulatory oversight are crucial for preserving Ayurvedic medicine's integrity.