STANDARDIZATION OF TRADITIONAL MEDICINE - NEED AND URGENCY
The medicinal plants are the only economic source of a number well established and important drugs. The medicinal plants have enormous commercial potentials throughout the world. In addition, they are also the source of chemical intermediate needed for the production of some drugs. Although use of medicinal plant remedies is advantages, it does suffer some limitations. The main limitation is the lack of standardization of raw materials, of processing methods and of the final products, dosage formulation, and the nonexistence of criteria for quality control. Particularly in India, Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homoeopathy etc. consists of large number of herbal remedies being used from ancient times and having the potential therapeutic claims. The medicaments however, suffer from lack of standardization parameters and proper documentation based on scientific screening proc edures. Along with increased interest in herbal medicine there has been an explosion in the amount of literature on the subject and quality control is of utmost essential in this respect over the world. In the herbal boom worldwide, it is estimated that high quality phytomedicines will provide safe and effective medication. Recent advances in science and researches proves the use of modern sophisticated instrument is a necessary tool for making pure, tested, valuable natural drugs. This current review will enlighten, the standardization of plant drugs is necessary to produce quality medicines from the ancient medicine for the scientific world.