Medicinal plants fight for life

Sarpagandhi, Raktha Chandan and Elephant's Foot Yam that grow in
Kerala are among the medicinal plants listed as "threatened" by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and TRAFIC, a
wildlife trading monitoring network. They have listed seven species,
including the Kerala varieties, as threatened due to exploitation.
"India is a hub of the wild-collected plant medicine industry in Asia,
but key species have declined due to over-collection to supply
domestic and foreign medicinal markets," said an IUCN communication.
The report "covered seven species of conservation concern protected
under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of
Wild Fauna and Flora."The other species that were covered included
Himalayan Yew, Kutki (Katuku Rohini in local parlance) and Jatamansi.
Desert Cistanche, a plant variety found in China and Mongolia, was
also included in the study. These "wild plant species form the
foundation of health care practices throughout Asia, particularly
traditional practices, such as Chinese medicine, Ayurveda, Siddha,
Unani and Tibetan medicines," the report said. While Sarpagandhi is
used in the treatment of nervous disorders, blood pressure and as
anti-venom, the heartwood of Raktha Chandan is used to treat diabetes
and to reduce inflammation. Elephant's Foot Yam, which is used in
treating gastric diseases, also forms part of the diet of the tribals
of Wayanad, according to experts. "The reduced availability of
Himalayan Yew, Kutki and Jatamansi, found mostly in North India, has
forced the pharmaceutical firms to restrict its use," said C.
Ramankutty Warrier, Chief Medical Officer of the Publication Division
of Kotakkal Arya Vaidyasala. Though most of the threatened species are
found in Kerala, they are procured by pharma firms from places where
they grow in the wild, according to Indira Balachandran, Head of the
Centre for Medicinal Plant Research of the Vaidyasala. Dr.
Harikrishnan, chief physician of the Nagarjuna Ayurvedic Group, said
there was no organised farming of these species in Kerala. They mostly
come from markets outside India.

The Hindu, 22nd December 2008