Traditional complementary & alternative medicine (TCAM) with special reference to herbal medicines: Quality, safety and efficacy

International Conference and Exhibition on Traditional & Alternative Medicine

December 09-11, 2013 Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Hyderabad, India

Mohammad Kamil

Accepted Abstracts: Altern Integ Med

Abstract :

Ever since the incorporation of Traditional Medicines in its program in the year 1976, World Health Organization (WHO) has gone a long way for the worldwide promotion and development of different systems of traditional medicines and their best utilization in the health care services. Interest in medicinal plants has been revived in modern times and various organizations have been addressing issues concerning herbal medicines research. In the present study an attempt has been made to deal a clear understanding for research on herbal medicines starting from good agricultural practices (GAP) of plants; good cultivation practices (GCP); good field collection practices (GFCP); technical planning; population density; geographical distribution; topographical maps; collecting techniques & procedures; source and period of collection; identification; storage; chemical standardization; assay; good manufacturing practices (GMP); pre clinical studies to clinical approach, with special reference to maintain standardization at every stage and subsequent production of quality herbal medicinal products (HMP). Besides above protocols, this study deals with post harvest studies starting from preliminary examination of a medicinal plant, its morpho-anatomical, pharmacognostic, physicochemical and analytical parameters, foreign organic matter, pesticide residue, radioactive and microbial contamination, chemical assay, finger printing of the successive extractives using IR, UV, TLC & HPLC, GC/MS techniques, phyto-chemical screening, quantitative analysis of inorganic constituents and finger printing for purity assessments of raw botanical materials. Different stages, i.e. quality control studies of raw herbal materials, controlled studies of methods of processing, quality control studies of finished herbal product, standardization procedures at each stage from birth of the plants up to its clinical application have been described. An emphasis has been given on the protocols which are required for quality control of medicinal plants with special reference to fingerprinting.