Herbs

 Any plant or part of plant used for medicinal, flavoring, fragrance,

food or religious purposes known as herbs

 Herbs refer to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either

fresh or dried), while spices are usually dried and produced from
other parts of the plant, including seeds, berries, bark, roots and
fruits

 In botany, the word "herb" is also used as a synonym for

"herbaceous plant"
 Medicinal herbs: Herbs which are medicinal in nature and used for
the prevention and treatment of disease.

 Culinary herbs: Culinary herbs are used in small amounts and

provide flavor to food

 Sacred herbs: Herbs are used in many religions. For example.,

Commiphora mukul, Boswellia species, Azadirachta indica leaves,
Aegele marmelos leaves, Ocimum tenuiflorum, Curcuma longa,
Cannabis
 HERBAL MEDICINAL PRODUCTS

 The term herbal substance denotes whole or parts of plants,

algae, fungi and lichens.

 The material is usually dried but sometimes fresh, and is

defined by specifying the species' full scientific name and the
plant part used.

 Herbal preparations, such as powders, extracts, distillates and

press juices, are products obtained by processing herbal
substances.
 Herbal drugs are defined in the European Pharmacopoeia as
whole, fragmented, cut or powdered plants or plant parts
usually in dried form or sometimes fresh.

 They are defined by their botanical scientific name, their

genus, species, variety and author and have a complex
composition which varies depending on habitat, climate
zone, annual variations and other endogenous and
exogenous factors.
Natural remedies:
 Medicinal products in which the active ingredient is
derived from natural sources, have not been processed
too highly and consists of an animal part, bacterial
culture, mineral or salt.
 This means that isolated compounds or chemically
modified ingredients cannot be included in natural
remedies.
 HERBAL DRUG PREPARATIONS

 Herbal medicine can be prepared in four ways:

 as an extract
 as a powder,
 as a tablet and
 as a pill

 When preparing the medicine from fresh material, the fresh or

dried herbs are boiled in water and used as a decoction. In
some eases natural preservatives are used in the preparations.
 For example:
 In Arista and Avaleha, Jaggery is the preservative, but the
difference is that Arista is fermented and taken in liquid form.
 Avaleha is not fermented and taken in a solid form.
 Also in the medicated oil or ghee, the oil and ghee are the
natural preservatives.
 Herbal drug preparations are extracts, tinctures, essential oils,
distillates, resins, etc. Their composition not only depends on
the quality of the drugs used in their preparation, but also on
the method of manufacture, solvent kind and concentration,
extraction time and temperature.
1) Decoctions
 Decoctions are aqueous preparations of plant parts boiled in
water for 15- 20 mins until the water volume is halved.
 Decoctions usually keep for 2-3 days.

2) Infusions
 As in preparing tea, infusions use dried or fresh herbs. Pour
hot water into plant material and allow to stand while tightly
covered, stand for 10 min; strain; drink hot or iced and cold.
Infusions usually prepared fresh for the day's use.
3) Pills (Honey Pills)
 Pills can be made by mixing thoroughly dry and powdered drug
with equal quantity of honey (or syrup of cane sugar) cooked to
bright red syrup.
 The moment the mixture starts to cool off, it can be rolled to
desired tubular strands and cut into small pieces. Air dry the
pieces of pills in a clean place and bottle them neatly.
4) Powder
 With a mortar and pestle, the well-dried plant materials are
crushed and ground well-dried plant materials into a fine
uniform powder; store in clean bottles.
 Powdered drugs should be as fine as possible so as to ensure
faster solubility.
5) Alcoholic Decoction (Tinctures)
 Place the botanical extracts or plant materials (powdered, fresh
or dried) in 40% to 60% proof alcohol (some use 70-80%), one
part herb to 5 parts distilled spirits and keep in an airtight
container (25 gms of material in 600 cc of spirits).
 Stir or shake the mixture at least once a day, infusing for a period
of 4 weeks.
 Alcohol extracts preserves the essential ingredients for the
longest possible time. Strain and store in an airtight dark glass jar.
 Dosages are usually 5-20 drops, added to water or taken directly.
6) Tablets
 Powder the drug material thoroughly.
 If high drug concentration is desired, a thick concentrated
solution of drug used.
 In making tablet, a sufficient amount of starch or rice paste is
added to the mixture and is forcefully mixed and kneaded by
hands.
 Make small globular tablets out of the kneaded paste-like
material.
 Spontaneous tablet-making devises (i.e., molds) may be
constructed from wood or metal
7) Syrups
 Dissolve 850 gms of cane sugar in 450 mL of boiling water.
 Wait till sugar dissolve
 Apply more heat, filter with degreasing cotton, then add more
water up to 1000 mL.
 Place the drug material in water and boil, remove the residual
solids afterwards (generally, every mL of the decoction fluid
contains 1 gm of the concentrated drug).
 Add the decoction fluid to the syrup in a 1:1 proportion.
 If the syrup is not to be added, the decoction should be
treated with sufficient amount of fungicide, like benzoic acid
8) Ointments
 Make 1 pt of infusion or decoction, strain and set liquid aside. Pour
3 oz of oil into a pan, add 3 oz of lard fat, a drop of tincture of
benzoin for every oz of base, and add the liquid.
 Boil until the water has evaporated and slowly add beeswax or
cocoa butter.
9) Poultice or Paste
 Grind, crush or pound the plant material (dried or preferably fresh)
with a little oil, water, molasses or honey.
 Spread on a square of warm cloth or banana trunk, and applied to
skin. The crushed plant can also be boiled for a few mins to achieve
a pulp.
 The material is applied directly to the affected areas. They are
usually more potent than compresses.
10) Compresses
 An infusion or decoction is used to soak a warm cloth (linen or
muslin) or banana trunk and placed on the affected area.
 They are usually milder than poultices.

11) Juice
 Pound fresh plant materials and filter through a fine piece of
cloth or just squeeze the plant parts to extract the juice.
 PROCESSING OF HERBAL DRUGS

In the preparation of herbal medicines, three points must

be considered in achieving good results: quality, quantity,
and presentation.

In order to achieve the above, skilled persons in the field

are required. These will use specific techniques in the
preparation of powder or tablets. Such skills are also
necessary in the preparation of Avaleha, Arista, and
medicated oil or ghee.
 FACTORS AFFECTING PROCESSING OF HERBAL DRUGS

1) Technology:
 Although modern technologies are available in the
preparation of herbal medicines, such technologies can affect
the potency of the preparations. Therefore, specific
techniques indicated in ancient textbooks must be evaluated.
 For example, the drying of herbs in a shade has advantages,
since this presents photo-destruction of some active
principles. In the preparation of Arista, 48 days are required
for fermentation without addition of organisms to speed up
the fermentation process.
2) Skilled person:
 In herbal medicine processing, the requirement of skilled
persons is mandatory.
 For example, there are no documented recipe on the
preparation of Avaleha. Only a few skilled persons know
how to do it.
3) Time: Following is the required time for various preparations:

 Tablet, pills, powder: 1-3 days Medicated oil/ghee: 3-108

days
 Arista & Asava: 48-365 days Avaleha: 3-7 days
4) Storage of medicine:
 In order to retain the potency of herbal medicine
preparations, airtight and light proof packaging is a necessary
requirement.
 However, one cannot use the preparation indefinitely, as they
have an expiry date. For example:
 Powder: 2-6 months
 Tablets, pills: 1 - 3 years
 Avaleha: 1-2 years
 Medicated oil/ghee: 4-12 months
 Arista, Asava: no time limit
5) Packing:
 Proper packing is important in order to restore potency, to
facilitate transport and to avoid damage to the products, and
finally, for the satisfaction of the patients. T
 The packages are separated, weighed and counted

6) Cost of production:
 The cost of production varies according to the following
reasons: collection costs, processing costs, packing costs,
taxes etc.
 SOURCE OF HERBS
 Adhatoda (Acanthaceae)
 Ammi (Apiaceae)
 Bacopa (Scrophulariaceae)
 Cedrus (Pinaceae)
 Diospyros (Meliaceae)
 Hibiscus (Malraceas)
 Ophiorhiza (Rubiaceae)
 Sesbania (Papilionaceae)
 Trifolium (Papilionaceae)
 Zea (Poaceae)
 Xanthium (Asteraceae)
 Vicia (Papilionaceae))
 IDENTIFICATION/AUTHENTIFICATION OF HERBAL MATERIALS

 Where applicable, the species or botanical variety selected for

cultivation should be the same as that specified in the national
pharmacopoeia or recommended by other authoritative national
documents of the end-user's country.

 In the absence of such national documents, the selection of species

or botanical varieties specified in the pharmacopoeia or other
authoritative documents of other countries should be considered.

 In the case of newly introduced medicinal plants, the species or

botanical variety selected for cultivation should be identified and
documented as the source material used or described in traditional
medicine of the original country.
 1) Selection of herbal materials
 Where applicable, the species or botanical variety selected for
cultivation should be the same as that specified in the national
pharmacopoeia or recommended by other authoritative national
documents of the end-user's country.

 In the absence of such national documents, the selection of species

or botanical varieties specified in the pharmacopoeia or other
authoritative documents of other countries should be considered.

 In the case of newly introduced medicinal plants, the species or

botanical variety selected for cultivation should be identified and
documented as the source material used or described in traditional
medicine of the original country.
 2) Botanical identity
 Scientific name (genus, species, subspecies/variety, author, and
family) - of each medicinal plant under cultivation should be verified
and recorded. If available, the local and English common names
should also be recorded. Other relevant information, such as the
cultivar name, ecotype, chemotype or phenotype, may also be
provided as appropriate.

 For commercially available cultivars, the name of the cultivar and of

the supplier should be provided. In the case of landraces collected,
propagated, disseminated and grown in a specific region, records
should be kept of the locally named line, including the origin of the
source seeds, plants or propagation materials.
 3) Specimens
 In the case of the first registration in a producer’s country of a
medicinal plant or where reasonable doubt exists as to the identity
of a botanical species, a voucher botanical specimen should be
submitted to a regional or national herbarium for identification.

 Where possible, a genetic pattern should be compared to that of an

authentic specimen.

 Documentation of the botanical identity should be included in the

registration file
 Good agricultural practices for medicinal plants
1) Identification/authentication of medicinal plants:
Discussed earlier

2) Seeds and other propagation materials:

 Seeds and other propagation materials should be specified, and
suppliers of seeds and other propagation materials should provide
all necessary information relating to the identity, quality and
performance of their products, as well as their breeding history,
where possible.

 The propagation or planting materials should be of the appropriate

quality and be as free as possible from contamination and diseases
in order to promote healthy plant growth.
 Planting material should preferably be resistant or tolerant to biotic
or abiotic factors.

 Seeds and other propagation materials used for organic production

should be certified as being organically derived. The quality of
propagation material − including any genetically modified
Germplasm − should comply with regional and/or national
regulations and be appropriately labeled and documented, as
required.

 Care should be taken to exclude extraneous species, botanical

varieties and strains of medicinal plants during the entire production
process. Counterfeit, substandard and adulterated propagation
materials must be avoided.
3) Cultivation:
 Cultivation of medicinal plants requires intensive care and
management. The conditions and duration of cultivation vary
depending on the quality of medicinal plant materials required. If no
scientific published or documented cultivation data are available,
traditional methods of cultivation should be followed, where
feasible. Otherwise a method should be developed through
research.

 The principles of good plant husbandry, including appropriate

rotation of plants selected according to environmental suitability,
should be followed, and tillage should be adapted to plant growth
and other requirements
 Conservation Agriculture (CA) techniques should be followed where
appropriate. It includes soil conservation. Conservation Agriculture
also includes “no-tillage” systems.

 Conservation Agriculture (CA) aims to conserve, improve and make

more efficient use of natural resources through integrated
management of available soil, water and biological resources.
3.1. Site selection:
 Medicinal plant materials derived from the same species can show
significant differences in quality when cultivated at different sites,
owing to the influence of ecological and geographical variables such
as soil, climate and other factors.
 These differences may relate to physical appearance or variations in
their constituents, which may be affected by extrinsic environmental
conditions, including ecological and geographical variables.
 Risks of contamination as a result of pollution of soil, air or water by
hazardous chemicals should be avoided.
 The impact of past land uses on the cultivation site, including the
planting of previous crops and any applications of plant protection
3.2. Ecological environment and social impact:
 The cultivation of medicinal plants may affect the ecological balance
,flora and fauna in surrounding habitats and vice versa.

 The quality and growth of medicinal plants can also be affected by

other plants, other living organisms and by human activities. The
introduction of non-indigenous medicinal plant species into
cultivation may have a detrimental impact on the biological and
ecological balance of the region.

 The ecological impact of cultivation activities should be monitored

over time, where practical.
 The social impact of cultivation on local communities should be
examined to ensure that negative impacts on local livelihood are
avoided.

 In terms of local income earning opportunities, small scale

cultivation is often preferable to large scale production, in particular
if small scale farmers are organized to market their products jointly.

 If large scale medicinal plant cultivation is or has been established,

care should be taken that local communities benefit directly from,
for example, fair wages, equal employment opportunities and
capital reinvestment.
3.3. Climate/ Ecological variables-
 length of day, rainfall (water supply) and field temperature,
significantly influence the physical, chemical and biological qualities
of medicinal plants.

 The duration of sunlight, average rainfall, average temperature,

including daytime and night time temperature differences, also
influence the physiological and biochemical activities of plants, and
prior knowledge should be considered.
3.4. Soil:
 The soil should contain appropriate amounts of nutrients, organic
matter and other elements to ensure optimal medicinal plant
growth and quality.
 Optimal soil conditions according to the crop including soil type,
drainage, moisture retention, fertility and pH must be maintained.
 It is, however, necessary to ensure that correct types and quantities
of fertilizers are used through agricultural research.
 Human excreta must not be used as a fertilizer owing to the
potential presence of infectious microorganisms or parasites.
 Animal manure should be thoroughly composted before use.
 Any applications of animal manure should be documented.
 Chemical fertilizers that have been approved by national/regional
authorities should be used.
 All fertilizing agents should be applied sparingly and in accordance
with the needs of the particular medicinal plant species and
supporting capacity of the soil.
 Fertilizers should be applied in such a manner as to minimize
leaching.

 Growers should implement practices that contribute to soil

conservation and minimize erosion, for example, through the
creation of streamside buffer zones and the planting of cover crops
and "green manure" (crops grown to be ploughed in), such as
alfalfa.
3.5. Irrigation and drainage:
 Irrigation and drainage should be controlled and carried out in
accordance with the needs of the individual medicinal plant species
during its various stages of growth.
 Water used for irrigation purposes should comply with local,
regional and/or national quality standards.
 Care should be exercised to ensure that the plants under cultivation
are neither over- nor under-watered.
4. Plant maintenance and protection:

 The growth and development characteristics of individual medicinal

plants, as well as the plant part destined for medicinal use, should
guide field management practices.
 The timely application of measures such as topping, bud nipping,
pruning and shading may be used to control the growth and
development of the plant, thereby improving the quality and
quantity of the medicinal plant material being produced
 Any agrochemicals used to promote the growth of or to protect
medicinal plants should be kept to a minimum, and applied only
when no alternative measures are available.
 Integrated pest management should be followed.
5. Harvest:
 Best harvesting time should be determined according to the quality
and quantity of biologically active constituents.
 During harvest, no foreign matter, weeds or toxic plants are mixed with
the harvested medicinal plant.
 Harvesting conditions avoid avoiding dew, rain or exceptionally high
humidity.
 Cutting devices, harvesters, and other machines should be kept clean
 Contact with soil should be avoided to minimize the microbial load
 All containers used at harvest should be kept clean and free from
contamination
 Any mechanical damage or compacting of the raw medicinal plant may
diminish quality should be avoided.
6. Personnel:
 Growers and producers should have adequate knowledge of the
medicinal plant

 All personnel (including field workers) involved in the propagation,

cultivation, harvest and post-harvest processing stages of medicinal
plant production should maintain appropriate personal hygiene

 Growers and producers should receive instruction on all issues relevant

to the protection of the environment, conservation of medicinal plant
species, and proper agricultural stewardship.
 ORGANIC FARMING

 As per United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) “Organic farming is a

system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as
fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc) and to the maximum extent
feasible rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic
waste, mineral grade rock additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization
and plant protection”

 As per Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) “Organic agriculture is a unique

production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem
health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, and this
is accomplished by using on farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods
in exclusion of all synthetic off-farm inputs”.
 The general principles of organic production, from the Canadian
Organic Standards (2006), include the following:

• Protect the environment, minimize soil degradation and erosion,

decrease pollution, optimize biological productivity and promote a
sound state of health

• Maintain long-term soil fertility by optimizing conditions for

biological activity within the soil

• Maintain biological diversity within the system

• Recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible

within the enterprise
• Provide attentive care that promotes the health and meets the
behavioral needs of livestock

• Prepare organic products, emphasizing careful processing, and

handling methods in order to maintain the organic integrity and vital
qualities of the products at all stages of production

• Rely on renewable resources in locally organized agricultural

systems
• Organic farming promotes the use of crop rotations and cover crops,
and encourages balanced host/predator relationships.
• Organic residues and nutrients produced on the farm are recycled
back to the soil. Cover crops and composted manure are used to
maintain soil organic matter and fertility.
• Preventative insect and disease control methods are practiced,
including crop rotation, improved genetics and resistant varieties.
Integrated pest and weed management, and soil conservation
systems are valuable tools on an organic farm.
• Organically approved pesticides include “natural” or other pest
management products included in the Permitted Substances List
(PSL) of the organic standards.
 Basic Components

1) Conversion of land from conventional management to organic

management
2) Management of the entire surrounding system to ensure
biodiversity and sustainability of the system
3) Crop production with the use of alternative sources of nutrients such
as crop rotation, residue management, organic manures and
biological inputs
4) Management of weeds and pests by better management practices,
physical and cultural means and by biological control system
5) Maintenance of live stock in tandem with organic concept and make
them an integral part of the entire system
 Principles of Organic Farming

1) Principle of health: Principle of health: Organic agriculture should

sustain and enhance the health of soil, plant, animal, human and
planet as one and indivisible. Healthy soils produce healthy crops
that foster the health of animals and people. Health is the
wholeness and integrity of living systems. The role of organic
agriculture, whether in farming, processing, distribution, or
consumption, is to sustain and enhance the health of ecosystems
and organisms from the smallest in the soil to human beings.
2) Principle of ecology:
 Organic agriculture cycles, work with them, emulate them and help sustain
them. This principle roots agriculture within living ecological systems.
 It states that production is to be based on ecological processes, and
recycling. Nourishment and well-being are achieved through the ecology of
the specific production environment.
 Organic management must be adapted to local conditions, ecology, culture
and scale. Input should be reduced by reuse, recycling and efficient
management of materials and energy in order to maintain and improve
environmental quality and conserve resources.
 It should attain ecological balance through the design of farming systems,
establishment of habitats and maintenance of genetic and agricultural
diversity.
3) Principle of fairness:
 Organic Agriculture should build on relationships that ensure fairness with
regard to the common environment and life opportunities.
 This principle emphasizes that those involved in organic agriculture should
conduct human relationship in a matter that ensures fairness at all levels
and to all parties farmers, workers, processors, distributors, traders and
consumers. It aims to produce a sufficient supply of good quality food and
other products.
 Natural and environmental resources that are used for consumption and
production should be managed in a way that is socially and ecologically just
and should be held in trust for future generations.
 Fairness requires systems of production, distribution and trade that are
open and equitable and account for real environmental and social costs.
3) Principle of care:
 Organic Agriculture should be managed in a precautionary and
responsible manner to protect the health and well-being of current
and future generations and the environment.
 Organic agriculture is a living and dynamic system that responds to
internal and external demands and conditions.
 This principle states that precaution and responsibility are the key
concerns in management, development and technology choices in
organic agriculture.
 The Important Goals of Organic Farming

 A sufficiently high level of productivity

 Compatibility of cultivation with the natural cycles of the production
system as a whole
 Maintaining and increasing the long-term fertility and biological activity
of the soil
 Maintaining and increasing natural diversity and agro-biodiversity
 Maximum possible use of renewable resources
 Creation of a harmonic balance between crops and animal husbandry
 Creation of conditions in which animals are kept that correspond to their
natural behavior
 Protection of, and learning from, indigenous knowledge and traditional
management systems
 Biodynamic Agriculture

 Biodynamic agriculture can be described as a comprehensive agricultural

system on mixed farms, which should always involve crops and livestock.

 The system is based on respect for, and efforts in, gaining awareness of
the spiritual dimension of all creatures and the inorganic environment.

 Insights into this spiritual dimension (spiritual character of animals, plants

and physical elements or of planetary impacts) were given by Rudolf
Steiner in 1924.

 Biodynamic agriculture incorporates the landscape and the ecosystem as

essential parts of the whole. It minimizes nutrient inputs from outside the
farm through proper legume crop management.
 Principle of Biodynamic Agriculture

1. Mixed holdings: Farming together with livestock is a prerequisite of

biodynamic management.
2. Varied site-appropriate crop rotations: A well-planned crop
rotation is the basis for healthy plant growth and a fertile soil.
Where crop rotations cannot be practiced (perennial crops e.g. fruit
or grapevine), strips of cover crops with flowering plants are sown.
3. Intensive organic fertilization: Fertilization does not aim primarily
at feeding the plants but at enlivening the soil. This basic tenet of
biodynamic farming requires intensive fertilization using farmyard
manure, composts, liquid manure, green manure and others.
4. Biodynamic preparations: To support and intensify the processes in
the organic manure and in the soil, Steiner indicated 06 different
preparations that should be added together to the manure to support
fertility and plant development at certain growth stages. Achillea
millefolium, Chamomilla recutita, Urtica dioica, Quercus robur,
Taraxacum officinale, Valeriana officinalis.

5. Livestock husbandry systems which fulfill the animals’ welfare

requirements: Livestock husbandry, which is based on regarding the
animals as beings with souls results in stricter standards than are
normally applied. For example, the dehorning of cows is prohibited.
6. Food quality-the stuff of life: The production of high-quality food
for people and animals is an implicit aim of the biodynamic method.

7. Breeding locally adapted crop plant varieties: Only biodynamic

farming has its own organic plant-breeding programs, which aim to
provide varieties that are suited to biodynamic cultivation and are
efficient in their management.

8. Maintaining plant health: Spraying Equisetum arvense against

fungal diseases and for pest regulation, the ashes of burnt specimens
are to be used.