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Ethnopharmacology and drug development
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| Author:
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SOUGATA SARKAR, VARTIKA SRIVASTAVA
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| Abstract:
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Ethnopharmacology is a complex approach for drug discovery from traditional medicine. This starts from inspection, interpretation, representation, documentation to experimental investigation (with background knowledge of botany, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacology) of indigenous drugs for their biologic activities.It is defined as “the interdisciplinary scientific exploration of biologically active agents traditionally employed or observed by man”. It is a systematic multidisciplinary approach to investigate or establish the biological activities (i.e. direct pharmacological effects) of any preparation (traditional medicine) used by humans, which may have either beneficial or toxic effects. Successful research on pharmacognosy, chemistry, pharmacology and clinical therapeutics ultimately developed many medicines. Aspirin, atropine, digoxin, reserpine, ephedrine, morphine, tubocurarine, physostigmine, pilocarpine, quinine, quinidine, artimesinin, taxens, vincristine, vinblastine and colchicine are a few significant examples of drugs developed from medicinal plants. Emergence of resistant microorganisms, adverse effect of present drugs, and diseases with no available known treatment are the few area where the knowledge of the indigenous people, traditional healer and research on Ayurveda may give new path to discover effective medicine.The WHO has set up guidelines and standards for plant based medicines. Initiative of WHO and The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) have great impact on ethnopharmacology and drug development, proper use of natural resources and prevention of loss of traditional medicinal knowledge by ‘protection of intellectual property on traditional medicines’.With scientific and experimental basis, ethnopharmacology is a comprehensive approach to discover newer, safer and affordable medicine.
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| Keyword:
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Ethnopharmacology, traditional medicine, pharmacognosy, modern medicine
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| EOI:
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| DOI:
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https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2020.12.04.018
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| Download:
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