Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial Lecture - XI Medicinal Plants for ...

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in Japan and schizandrins (Schizandra chinensis) in China 39 . In India, we have140 polyherbal commercial formulations reputed to have hepatoprotective action.A review published on the subject from our laboratory indicates that 160phytoconstituents from 101 plants belonging to 52 families have antihepatotoxicactivity 40-41 . Our laboratory has worked extensively on Andrographis paniculata 42and hepatoprotective activity has been established due to the presence ofandrographolide. Kutkoside from Picrorhiza kurroa is a potential hepatoprotectantreported by CDRI 43-47 . Phyllanthus amarus is another most important plantselected for clinical trials 48 . Our future work in this area is bound to give fruitfuldividends. Antihepatotoxic activity of Boerhavia diffusa and B.repanda has beenalso reported from our laboratory 49 . Kolaviron, a mixture of Garcinia kola(Guttiferae) biflavonoids at a dose of 100 mg/kg i.p. prevented thioacetamideinduced hepatotoxicity 50 . Withania fruitescens (Solanaceae) leaves exhibitedprotective and curative action against carbontetrachloride induced liver toxicity 51 .Plant kingdom appears to be a fruitful ground for the discovery of effectivehepatoprotective drugs, which we currently lack in the modern system ofmedicine.6.9 Anti-cancer Drugs from PlantsCancer is an insidious disease affecting mankind in every country. Work onperiwinkle plant. Catharanthus roseus (L > ) G. Don was independently taken upin two different laboratories for its alleged hypoglycaemic activity as perJamaican folklore. Though none of the groups could substantiate hypoglycaemicactivity, the Canadian group of Nobel Beer and Cutts succeeded in isolatingvinblastine while Eli Lilly group headed by Svoboda could isolate vinblastine andvincristine along with two other active dimeric alkaloids. These alkaloids arepresent in exceedingly low concentrations in a complex mixture of 50 alkaloids 53 .Vinblastine was introduced (Velban, Eli Lilly) in 1961 and vincristine (Oncovin, EliLilly) in 1963 as anticancer drugs. CIPLA has improved upon the process ofisolating vinblastine and vincristine from Catharanthus roseus as developed byNCL Pune. Today we are the third largest manufacturer of vinblastine andvincristine in the world and we are exporting these alkaloids to Europeancountries and the demand is steadily increasing 54 .Screening of plant extracts for anticancer activity started in 1961 byNational Cancer Institute of the U.S.A., and up to 1981 (20 years) about 1,14,045plants had been screened, of which only 3.4% (representing about 3.400different species) have been observed to be active in one or more bioassaysystems. The promising phytoconstitutents which are likely candidates for druguevelopment include indicine N-oxide (a pyrrolizidine alkaloid) from Heliotropiumilldicum. ellipticine (a monomeric indole alkaloid) from several Ochrosia species,homoharringtonine (a cephalotaxine alkaloid) from Cephalotaxus species, taxol 55from Taxus species and camptothecine (quinoline alkaloid) from Camptothecaacuminata a Chinese tree) 56 . The author has been successful in discovering anumber of anticancer agents from plants like Ostodes paniculata 57 , Peddiea24
fischeri 58 , Soulamea soulameoides 59 , Dirca occidelltalis 60 and Passerinavulgaris 61 . The anticancer principles of podophyllum are contained in the resin,podophyllum resin or podophyllin. American podophyllum yields 2-8% and Indianpodophyllum about 6-12% of the resin. It is not only the higher amount of theresin present in Indian podophyllum (P. emodi var. hexandrum) but there are nopeltatins present in contrast to American podophyllum (P.peltatum) whichcontains (α and β- peltatins. Thus, the Indian podophyllum has higher amount ofpodophyllotoxin. In certain cases Indian podophyllum has yielded 20% resin. Thehighest amount is in May when the plant produces flowers. Thus the Indianpodophyllum, when collected at the proper season not only contains 2 ½ timesor even more of the resin compared to American podophyllum, but this resin hasdouble the amount of podophyllotoxin which is the active principle used bypharmaceutical industry for structural modifications to produce anticancer drugstenoposide and etoposide being marketed by Sandoz. Major problem with thecultivation of this plant is that the seeds take very long time to germinate. Weneed to concentrate on cultivation of this plant either by propagation or byreducing the period of seed germination. Use of Taxol from Taxus brevifolia orTaxus baccata is the latest addition of anticancer drug especially in ovariancancer 62 .6.10 Plants for Urinary StonesThe very first mention of 'Pashanbhed' in Ayurvedic literature is in CharakSamhita, and is recommended for painful micturition and for breaking calcui.Sushrut Samhita mentions the drug under various synonyms - Pashanbhed foruric acid calculi and Ashnibhed for biliary calculi. Sushrut Samhita mentionsdecoction of Pashanbhed, Astimantaka, Satvari, Vrihati, Bhalluka, Varuna(Crataevanervula), Kultha (Dolichos bijlorus), kola and katak seeds for patients ofVataja Ashmari while Kusa, Ashmabhed, Patala, Trikanthaka, Sirisha, Punarnava(Boerhavia diffusa) and shilajit are for Pittaja Ashmari. About 4000 plants havebeen mentioned to be useful for dissolving stones in the urinary system in areview published seven years ago 63 . Cystone of Himalaya Drug Co. and Calcuryof Charak Pharmaceuticals are already in the market. Crataeva nervula bark andTribulus terrestris fruits have been put under clinical trials by Indian Council ofMedical Research, Cucumis trigonus (curcurbitaceae) has been investigated forits diuretic activity 64.6.11 Plants as Sedatives/TranquillizersIndian valerian (Valeriana waltlchii) contains 2% valepotriates and is thus fourtimes more potent than European valerian (V. officinalis) which contains 0.5%valepotriates. These are triesters of polyhydroxy cyclopentanop,Yran esterifiedwith isovaleric, acetic and β-acetoxy valeric acid. Compared to known iridoids,valtrats (valepotriates) are neither glycosides nor lectones and are consideredoriginal or primary products present in the drug responsible for activity. Valtrates25
Page 1 and 2: Pt. Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial Le
Page 3 and 4: Quality parameters not being follow
Page 5 and 6: Papaver somniferum (source of analg
Page 7 and 8: 4.2 Plant parts extract and galenic
Page 9 and 10: Table 1Important Active Constituent
Page 11 and 12: ii. Endangered speciesName of the s
Page 13 and 14: PHYTOPHARMACEUTICALS MODERN DRUGS C
Page 15 and 16: Figure 315
Page 17 and 18: Figure 517
Page 19 and 20: 5.2 Medicinal plants with higher in
Page 21 and 22: Withania somnifera Dunal. Aswagandh
Page 23: In the lack of any permanent cure i
Page 27 and 28: percent of sales. The world market
Page 29 and 30: not been able to offer, so far, a s
Page 31 and 32: Property Right (IPR) for indigenous
Page 33 and 34: ROAD-MAP TO DEVELOPMENT OF SAFE, EF
Page 35 and 36: ESSENTIAL OILS• WORLD PRODUCTION:
Page 37 and 38: References1. Farnsworth NR (1985).
Page 39 and 40: Chemistry, Vol. 28. eds. G.P. Ellis
Page 41 and 42: (1991). In vitro effect of Phyllant
Page 43: 72. Posey DA. (1990). Intellectual

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