Concepts and Quality Considerations in Unani System of Medicine

Unani medicine, based largely on herbs, is practiced as a traditional system of medicine in the Indian subcontinent. It owes its origination to the Greek philosopher Hippocrates (460-377 BC) and his associates. However, it progressed and got established under the patronage of Persian and Arab empires and later came to the Indian sub-continent around the middle of the 14th century. Unani scholars have been of the view that every person has their own distinct temperament constituted from four basic humoral combinations. Temperament of an individual is supposed to be influenced by various intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as age and mental status of individual, local climate, and environmental conditions, etc. Treatment is applied through dietotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy consonant with the patient's temperament. Unani medicine believes in health promotion and manages the disease through various modes of treatment such as regimental therapy, dietotherapy, and pharmacotherapy. A variety of clinical studies have shown that Unani medicines are effective with minimal side effects. Standardization, quality control, and toxicity profiling of many herbal drugs and the validation of formulations mentioned in the Unani Pharmacopeia of India have been accomplished in the recent past. Despite the mounting benefits of this system in the management of human health, it remains under-utilized. This article elucidates the basic concepts and a brief history of Unani medicine and summarizes information about its quality control, as well as its contribution to the health sector in India.