This document provides an overview of herbal drug technology and the Indian system of medicine. It discusses herbs as raw materials, including their definition and uses. It also covers biodynamic agriculture principles and Good Agricultural Practices for cultivating medicinal plants. The document discusses various processing steps for herbal raw materials. It provides details on the Ayurveda and Siddha systems of traditional Indian medicine, including their basic principles and approaches to treatment. Pest control methods for medicinal plants are also summarized, including the use of biopesticides derived from plants.

1. HERBAL DRUG TECHNOLOGY
Unit I
 Herbs as Raw Materials
 Biodynamic Agriculture
 Indian System of medicine.
By-
Prof. Mrs. P. N. Chougule
Assistant Professor & HOD Pharmacognosy department.
Ashokrao Mane College of Pharmacy, Peth-Vadgaon.

2. HERB AS RAW MATERIAL.
Definition of Herb : Overview Herb:
In general use, herbs are plants with properties that are used for
flavoring and garnishing food, medicinal purposes, or for
fragrances; excluding vegetables and other plants consumed
for macronutrients.
Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal. General
usage of the term "herb" differs medicinal herbs; in medicinal or
spiritual use, any parts of the plant might be considered as "herbs",
including leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark etc.

3.  Herbal Medicines:
 Herbal products are medicines derived from plants. They
are used as supplements to improve health and well
being, and may be used for other therapeutic
purposes. Herbal products are available as tablets,
capsules, powders, extracts.
 Many people believe that products labeled "natural" are
always safe and good for them. This is not necessarily
true. Herbal medicines do not have to go through the
testing that drugs do. Some herbs, such as Ephedra,
Aconite can cause serious harm.

4.  Practitioners of herbal medicine tend to concentrate on
treating chronic conditions and improving well-being
 Because many plants are toxic, herbal medicine probably
presents a greater risk of adverse effects than other
complementary therapies
 The potential for interactions of herbal products with
conventional drugs exists and some interactions have
been well-characterized.

5. HERBAL MEDICINAL PRODUCT
 What are Herbal products?
 Herbal products are medicines derived from plants.
They are used as supplements to improve health
and well being, and may be used for other
therapeutic purposes. Herbal products are available
as tablets, capsules, powders, extracts, teas and so
on.

6. HERBAL DRUG PREPARATION.

7. SELECTION, IDENTIFICATION AND
AUTHENTICATION OF HERBAL MATERIALS
 The safety and quality of raw medicinal plant materials
and finished products depend on factors that may be
classified as intrinsic (genetic) or extrinsic (environment,
collection methods, cultivation, harvest, post-harvest
processing, transport and storage practices).. Medicinal
plants collected from the wild population may be
contaminated by other species or plant parts through
misidentification, accidental contamination or intentional
adulteration, all of which may have unsafe consequences.

8.  Herbs are subjected to various stages starting from their
selection, identification, cultivation, collection, storage
and processing until the final product is formed.
 Steps involved in the processing of herbal drugs are:
 1- Selection of herbs
 2- Identification and authentication
 3- cultivation of herbs
 4- collection of herbs
 5- Processing of herbal raw material.

9.  The collection of medicinal plants from wild populations
can give rise to additional concerns related to global,
regional and/or local over-harvesting, and protection of
endangered species. The impact of cultivation and
collection on the environment and ecological processes,
and the welfare of local communities should be
considered. All intellectual property rights with regard to
source materials must be respected. WHO has
cooperated with other United Nations specialized
agencies and international organizations in dealing with
the above-mentioned issues. Such cooperation will be
further strengthened through the development and the
updating of relevant technical guidelines in these areas.

10.  Good agricultural practices for medicinal plants
This section presents general guidelines on good
agricultural practices for medicinal plants. It describes
general principles and provides technical details for the
cultivation of medicinal plants. It also describes quality
control measures, where applicable

11.  Selection of medicinal plants
 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.

12.  Botanical identity
 The 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, 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.

13.  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

14.  Seeds and other propagation materials: The suppliers of
seeds and other propagation materials should specify all
the necessary information relating to the identity, quality
as well as their breeding history.
 The seeds and propagation material should be free from
contamination and diseases in order to promote healthy
plant growth.

15. PROCESSING OF HERBAL RAW MATERIALS:
Primary
Processing
Garbling
Washing
Parboiling
Leaching
Drying
Secondary
processing
Cutting
Sweating
Baking
Boiling
Frying
Fumigation
Extraction

16. BIODYNAMIC AGRICULTURE
 Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative
agriculture very similar to organic farming concepts
drawn from the ideas of Rudolf Steiner (1861–
1925). Initially developed in 1924, it was the first of the
organic agriculture movements.
 Biodynamics has much in common with other organic
approaches – it emphasizes the use
of manures and composts and excludes the use of
synthetic (artificial) fertilizers on soil and plants.
Methods unique to the biodynamic approach include its
treatment of animals, crops, and soil as a single system,
an emphasis from its beginnings on local production and
distribution systems, its use of traditional and
development of new local breeds and varieties.

17. PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR GAP OF
MEDICINAL PLANTS:
1. Seeds and Propagation materials
2. Cultivation
3. Soil and Fertilization
4. Irrigation
5. Crop maintenance
6. Harvesting
7. Drying
8. Packaging
9. Storage and transport
10. Staff requirement
11. Documentation
12. Quality assurance

18. 1. SEEDS AND PROPAGATION MATERIALS:
 Seeding materials are to be identified botanically,
indicating plant variety, cultivar, chemo type and its
origin.
 The material used should be 100% traceable.
 Parent material of vegetative part used in organic
production should be certified and authentically
organic.

19. 2. CULTIVATION
 Depending on the method of cultivation growers
should be allowed to follow different standards
operating procedures ( SOP) for cultivation.
 Care should be taken to avoid environmental
disturbances.
 The Principles of Good Crop Husbandry must be
followed.

20. 3. SOIL AND FERTILIZATION
 Herbal plants should not grown in soils that
contaminated by sludge.
 The soil should also not be contaminated by heavy
metals, pesticide residues and other unnatural
chemicals.
 The use of fertilizer minimum as possible with
demands of plant growth.

21. 4. IRRIGATION & CROP MAINTENANCE:
 Irrigation should be minimized as much as possible
and apply as per need of plant growth.
 It should be free from contaminated such as Heavy
metals, human organic waste, pesticides and
herbicides and other hazardous substances.
 Tillage should be adapted to good plant growth.
 Pesticides and herbicides must be avoided as
possible.
 If use of pesticide should maintain documentation.

22. 5. HARVESTING
 It should be done when plants are in their best
quality and quality.
 Harvesting should be done in optimum conditions
as wet soil, dew, rain, high humidity which is
responsible to contaminations.

23. 6. PRIMARY PROCESSING:
 It includes steps such as washing, drying, freezing
etc.
 Building or area used for the processing should be
clean, aerated, with protection against pest, insects,
animals etc.
 Processing equipment should be cleaned regularly.
 All processed materials should be inspected and
substandard products must be discarded.

24. 7. PACKAGING
 The product should be packed in clean, dry new
sacs, bags and containers.
 Label must be clear, permanently fixed and made
from non toxic materials.
 Reusable packing material must be well cleaned,
Dried before use, care should be taken that they do
not cause any contamination.

25. 8. STORAGE AND TRANSPORT
 Packed dried materials and essential oils should be
stored in dry, well aerated building in which temperature
controlled and good ventilation is provided.
 Fresh product should be stored between 1 to 5°c
 While frozen material stored in 18 to 20° c for long term
storage.
 Volatile oils stored as per Storage standards.
 During transportation, sufficiently aerated vehicles should
be used.
 National regulations on transport have to be followed.

26. 9. STAFF REQUIREMENT
 The persons involved in the GAP should receive
adequate training and education related to the
nature of the work being carried out.
 The staff who work with herbal product must have
know personnel hygiene.
 Staff with infectious diseases should not allowed
into the rooms or work place.

27. 10. DOCUMENTATION
 All the propagation material and steps in the
production process must be documented.
 All the starting materials, processing steps including
location of have to be documented.
 All agreements between producer and buyer should
be fixed in written form.

28. 11. QUALITY ASSURANCE
 In order to ensure a good quality of the produced
crude drug, it is extremely advisable to educate all
personnel dealing with the crop at various stages.
 Consultation and feedback should be taken from
buyer of medicinal and aromatic plants regarding
quality and other properties and an agreement have
to be made.

29. PEST AND PEST MANAGEMENT IN MEDICINAL
PLANTS:
 Pest is an undesired animals or plant which causes loss
of cultivated plants.
 Types of Pests-
Types
of pest
control
Insect
Weeds
Non
insect
pest
Fungi
/viruses

30.  Fungi and Viruses- also include various other
microorganisms which infect the growth of medicinal
plants and causes loss of quality as well as quantity.
Example: Ascochyta atropae causes necrosis of leaf,
cercospora atropae producers leaf spot disease.
 Insects- Insects such as a flea Beetle, flies, moth,
cutworms, grass hoppers, spiders, termites etc . also
produces significant loss of cultivation plants.

31.  Plants weeds- a weed is a undesired plant it can
produce losses more than any other pests are the causes
diseases. They cause depletion and shortage of
nutrients, water, light, space to the cultivated plants. They
also increase the cost of maintenance and equipment
and reduce the quality of cultivated plants.
Example: Weeds are Parthenium, Medican tea,
Ragweed, Varnish tree etc.
 Non insect pests- They are further classified as follows:
Vertebrates - Animals like monkeys, rats, rabbits,
squirrels, Birds, Wild pigs etc.
Invertebrates -Animals like crabs, snails, mites,
nematodes etc.

32. METHODS OF PEST CONTROL
 Different techniques are followed to achieve pest
control effectively methods of pest control-
1. Mechanical method
2. Agriculture method
3. Biological method
4. Chemical method

33. 1. Mechanical method- It includes simple techniques like
handpicking improving burning using of face traps
collection and destruction of eggs larvae and insects
construction of concrete warehouse to protect from
rodents and animals rats and Mouse Trap are also used
2. Agriculture method- It includes various methods such as
crop rotation intercropping, integrated weed
management methods, solarisation etc. Production of
pest and insect resistant plants through genetic
engineering technique is another approach.

34. 3. Biological method- This method involves committing the paste with
other living organisms such as employment of cats and combat rats
squirrels employment of birds to combat insects some chemical
substances produced by female insects such as a sex attractant
which can be used to lower male insects and prevent reproduction.
4. Chemical control- Pest are controlled using chemical pesticides
which include insecticides fungi sides herbicides rodenticides etc
are these chemical substances are highly toxic to human beings
improper use of these chemical pesticides may lead to toxic effects
on humans and animals.
For example-
Rodenticides- arsenic trioxide
Insecticides- Malathion, Parathion, methoxychlor.
Miticides- Tetradifon, Chlorobenzolate.
Fungicides- Chlorophenols, Quaternary ammonium compounds
etc.
Herbicides- 2, 4 dichloro phenoxy acetic acid, calcium arsenate etc.

35. BIOPESTICIDE/ BIOINSECTICIDE:
 These are pesticides obtained from natural sources like
microorganisms, plants, animals, insects and certain
minerals. They included all plants or substances derived
from plants which have ability to kill or resist various pests
to protect cultivated medicinal plants.
 They offer advantages over chemical pesticides.
 They are non toxic to animals as well as humans.
 They are biodegradable and do not leave any toxic
residues on plants.
 They are less expensive.
 They are eco friendly and not affect soil fertility.
 They are safe to handle and use.

36. PLANT PESTICIDES-
Various plants are reported to give pesticidal and
insecticidal properties. They can grow along with
cultivated plants to combat insects and used in the
powdered form or the constituents can be extracted from
them and used to spray on the crops.
Examples: Neem, Tobacco, Pyrethrum, Sabadilla,
Citronella, Derris, Ryania.

37.  Neem, Tobacco,.
 Sabadilla
 Citronella

38.  Pyrethrum
 Derris
 Ryania

39. INDIAN SYSTEM OF MEDICINE-
 Traditional system of medicine also known as
indigenous/folk medicine/ alternative medicine
comprises of medical aspects of knowledge, skill
and practices based on different cultures and
different people which are used to treat the
diseases. It includes various systems being
practiced throughout the world such as Ayurveda,
Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy, Yoga and Naturopathy
system etc. These systems of medicine are based
on theories, beliefs and experiences of different
practitioners from the ancient periods.

40. INDIAN SYSTEM OF MEDICINE-
1. AYURVEDA SYSTEM OF MEDICINE-
 Ayurveda is one of the oldest system of medicine
which is found 9000 years ago in India.
 The word ‘Ayur’ means ‘Life’
 And ‘Veda’ means ‘Science’.
 Ayurveda is Science of Life.
 Charaka and Sushruta made significant
contributions to Ayurveda.
 The Book “Charak Samhita” written by Charaka and
he was known as Father of Ayurveda.

41. BASIC PRINCIPLES OF AYURVEDA
 Principles of Ayurveda
 Panchmahabhuta :
Prithvi ( Earth)
Jala ( Water)
Vayu ( Air)
Agni ( Fire)
Akasha ( Space)
 Tridosha :
Vata (Space+ Air)
Pitta (Fire + water)
Kapha ( Earth + Water)
 Dravya Siddhanta
Rasa ( Taste)
Guna ( Behavior)
Virya ( Active Principles)
Vipaka (Digestive Products)
Prabhava ( Pharmaco therapeutic action)

42.  Ayurveda is based on :
o Panchamahabhutas siddhanta- According to this theory it
believes that the whole universe is made up of five basic
elements known as ‘Mahabhutas’ and they are
represents in human body. They are earth, water, air, fire
and sky. These combinations of five elements forms
seven basic tissues of the body which are referred as
‘Sapta Dhatu’- Rasa ( Plasma),
Rakta(Blood), Mamsa(Flesh), Meda(Fat), Asti(Bones),
Mojja(marrow), Shukra(reproductive organs).
and These ‘sapta dhatu’ undergoes to form ‘mala’
(Excretory products).

43. o Tridosha theory-
 Vata (Sky+ Air)- It regulates the psychic and nervous
system. Imbalances of this leads diseases of ENT, heart,
urinary tract, skin etc.
 Pitta (Fire + water)- It regulates energy production,
digestion, tissue building etc. Imbalance in this leads to
diseases like acidity, indigestion, liver and skin diseases.
 Kapha ( Earth + Water) – It regulates heat, formation of
fluids, mucous etc. imbalance of this leads pains, brains
disease, drowsiness etc.

44.  Guna- Rasa- Virya- Vipaka- Prabhava siddhanta-
These are the considered as five pharmacological
principles/ properties of “Dravya” ( Drug),
they are Rasa (taste), Guna (Properties), Virya (active
principles), Vipak (digestion/metabolism) and Prabhav
(Specific action).
 Diagnosis by Ayurveda:-
1. Observation of Doshas
2. Observation of skin, eyes, hair, nails and tongue.
3. Recording of pulse.
4. Investigation of Mala ( Urine, Stools, Sweat).

45.  Treatment:-
Elimination therapy.
Alleviation therapy.
Psychic therapy.
Surgery therapy.
In addition to single drugs, compound formulations are
generally used to treat disease in the form of tablets,
pills, powders and syrups.
Eg. Arjunaristha- for heart disease.
Triphala churna as stomachic.
Ashwagandha churna for stress, tension.

46. PREPARATION AND STANDARDIZATION OF AYURVEDIC
FORMULATIONS SUCH AS ARISTA, ASAVA, GHUTIKA,
CHURNA, LEHA AND BHASMA.
 Arista and Asava are self generated herbal formulations
of traditional ayurvedic system.
 They are alcoholic medicaments prepared by allowing
the herbal juices or their decoctions to undergoes
fermentation with the addition of sugars.
 Arista made by decoction of herbs in boiling water, while
Asava are prepared by directly using fresh herbal juices.
 Example: Arjunarishta, Ashokarishta, Kumaryasava.

47.  Ark: These are distillates of herbs and are extremely light
in nature, it gets easily incorporated in the body system.
 Examples: Gulab ark and Ajwain ark.
 Avaleha: (Jams/Paste like product)
 It is semisolid preparation of herbs prepared by addition of
jaggery, juices or decoction.
 Example: CHYAVANPRASH, Drakshavleh.
 Bhasma: These are very fine ayurvedic medicinal powders
which are prepared by process of calcinations. The
calcination is a process of heating metals, minerals etc. on
a high temperature to convert them into their oxides.
 Example: Abhraka bhasma, Godanti Bhasma, Swarna
Bhasma, Praval bhasma.

48.  Churna: (Powders)
 These are raw material which are dried, finally powered,
passed through different sieves to prepare fine powder
and then mixed with other appropriate ingredient which
are mentioned in ancient texts.
 Example: Lavan Bhaskar churna, sitopladi churna.
 Vati: (Tablets and pills)these are prepared from one or
more plants or minerals in the form of tablets.
 Example: Chandraprabha vati, arogyavardhini vati.

49. DIFFERENT PARAMETERS OF STANDIZATION
OF ASAVA AND ARISHTA
1. Organoleptic Parameters:
 Color of sample
 Odor of sample
 Taste of sample
 Determination of pH of sample
2. Physical Parameters:
 Determination of foreign organic matter
 Determination of ash value
Total Ash value
Acid Insoluble Ash value
Water soluble Ash value
Sulphated Ash Value

50.  Determination of Extractive value, Alcohol soluble
extractive value, Water soluble extractive value.
 Determination of Moisture content.
 Determination of Physical Constants like Melting Point,
Boiling Point, Refractive Index and Optical Rotation.
 Determination of Specific Gravity.
 Determination of Solid Content.
 Determination of Alcohol Content.

51. 3. Chemical Parameters:
 Alkaloids- Dragendroff’s test
 Glycosides- Molish test
 Flavonoids- Shinoda test
 Phenolics- Lead acetate test
 Tannins- Ferric chloride test
 Steroids- Salkowaski test
 Amino acids- Ninhydrine test
 Carbohydrates- fehling’s test, Benedicts test.
4. Toxicological Parameters-
 Test for Pesticides residue
 Test for Heavy metal
 Test for microbial contamination.

52. STANDARDIZATION OF GHUTIKA AND VATI.
 Uniformity of Weight
 Hardness of Pills/Tablets
 Disintegration time
 Water Soluble Extractives
 Alcohol Soluble extract.
 Ash value
 Loss on drying.

53. STANDARDIZATION OF CHURNA
 Determination of pH
 Determination of Moisture content
 Determination of Ash values
Total Ash value
Acid Insoluble Ash value
Water soluble Ash value
Sulphated Ash Value
 Determination of Crude fiber content.
 Determination of heavy metals
Arsenic content
Limit test for Iron
Limit test for Lead
Test for Mercury
 Determination of microbial content.

54. STANDARDIZATION OF LEHA AND AVLEHA.
1. Organoleptic Parameters:
 Color of sample
 Odor of sample
 Taste of sample
 Determination of pH of sample
2. Physical Parameters:
 Determination of foreign organic matter
 Determination of ash value: Total Ash value, Acid Insoluble Ash value,
Water soluble Ash value, Sulphated Ash Value
 Determination of Extractive value, Alcohol soluble extractive value,
Water soluble extractive value.
 Determination of Moisture content.
 Loss on Drying
 Determination of Specific Gravity.
 Determination of Solid Content.
 Determination of Alcohol Content.
 Determination by HPTLC.

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