Indian Traditional Therapies and Bio-Prospecting: Their Role in Drug Development Research

Abstract

Exploration of biological diversity for identification of novel bioactive molecules or therapeutically more potential than the marketed products is a continuous ongoing process for drug development research. Indian traditional therapies have been a part of our lifestyle since ages. Due to their knowing ability and applications, this knowledge has long been used as thriving sources for discovery of new drug molecules. Historical text or traditional knowledge including folklore, ethnobotany or ethnopharmacological studies are proving to be a powerful tool for searching lead molecules for the development of new drugs. This review article presents the contribution on 33 medicinal plants along with their traditional uses, bioactive constituents, biological activities, chemical structures, and 30 marketed drug formulations at national and international markets. A brief note on the recent discovery on osteogenic compounds from Ulmus wallichiana, folk traditional plant used for healing fractured bones in Uttarakhand Himalaya is also discussed in this article.