Research and clinical trials to manufacture drugs take years, at times without any result, whereas medicinal plants, which have been around from a long time, can be used to make medicines if they were provided a scientific base, said A.K. Tripathi, Director, Council of Scientific Research (CSIR)-Central Institute for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.
“Clinical trials are very exhaustive. After a lot of research, we make a drug, but then find it has side effects, and then try to find another one. However, in India, we know what medicinal plants to use for ailments, but do not know what chemicals are there in it,” he said. He was addressing students and faculty members while delivering a lecture during the national conference on ‘New Frontiers in Medicinal Plants Research’ (NCMP-2015), at Koti Women’s College here on Thursday.
Dr. Tripathi also mentioned that the Indian herbal industry has over 960 species of plants.
