BKMPWWfull.PDF

concerned. Nearly three fourth of the drugs and perfumery products used in the world are

available in natural state in the country. India possesses almost 8% of the estimated

biodiversity of the world with around 1,26,000 species. It is one of the 12 mega biodiversity

centres with 2 hot spots of biodiversity in western Ghats and north-eastern region. The sacred

groves are a miniature ecosystem conserving biodiversity in its pristine form. There are about

400 families in the world of flowering plants, at least 315 are represented in India. According

to WHO, around 21,000 plant species have the potential for being used as medicinal plants.

About 5000 species have been studied (tables 2-6). There are at least 121 major plant drugs

of known structure, but none of them is currently produced through synthetic means. For

developing phytomedicines as a major area of concern, it would be essential to adopt a

holistic interdisciplinary approach, have a scientific basis of the understanding of the plant

systems, new innovations and their conservation for utilisation in future on a sustainable basis

(Sharma, 1997).

Table 2. Plant species with therapeutic value under different plant groups

(Jiaxiang, 1997).

Thalophytes 230

Bryophytes 39

Pteridophytes 382

Gymnospermae 55

Angiospermae:

a) Monocotyledones 676

b) Dicotyledones 3495

Total 4877

Table 3. Plant families containing over 100 species with therapeutic value

(Jiaxiang, 1997).

Family Genera Species

I. Monocots
Liliaceae 45 165
Orchidaceae 45 135
II. Dicots
Compositae 89 331
Leguminosae 91 313
Ranuculaceae 31 208
Laminaceae 46 189
Rosaceae 28 146
Umbelliferae 34 123
Rubiaceae 35 118
Euphorbiaceae 30 104
Asclepiadaceae 29 101

Table 4. Major medicinal plants that can be cultivated in India and have established

demand for their raw materials (Kumar et al, 1997).

Acorus calamus

Aconitum sp.

Adhatoda vasica

Aloe vera

Ammi majur

Atropa acuminata

Berberis aristata

Carica papaya