A unique, state of the art, Herbarium and Raw Drug Repository on Medicinal Plants
With the growing interest in traditional and complementary systems of medicine across the globe, a facility that helps authenticate the identity of medicinal plants, especially in the form of a repository of the natural resources used by the Indian systems of medicine, would be a great help to conservation fraternity as well as the academicians, botanists/herbalists and research workers. The quality control for herbal drugs assumes great importance and it must start with the procurement of authenticated raw material. The first and foremost requirement is the botanical/ herbal drugs of standard quality. Correct identification of botanical drugs would need reference standards. Therefore, a Repository of such herbal drugs with an excellent herbarium having authentic voucher specimen is the need of the hour.
This state of the art ‘FRLHT-TDU Herbarium and Raw drug Repository’ houses these natural resources used in the Indian System of Medicine, in the form of herbarium and raw drug samples. The botanical drugs comprising, root, stem, leaves , flower, fruit, seed, root & rhizome, stem & leaves, fruit & seed, stem bark, root bark, heart wood, whole plant, whole plant without root, exudates, gum/resin, tuber and bulb, have been classified on the most scientific and modern lines. This enhances its significance multi-folds as a conservation research facility.
FRLHT pioneered the establishment of such a herbarium of medicinal plants of India way back in 1995 under DANIDA funded project “Strengthening the medicinal plant resource base in India in the context of Primary Health care projects”. Since 2002 – 2017, it is been part of “Centre of Excellence in medicinal plants & traditional knowledge”, funded by Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India. Its collection has grown constantly and this herbarium houses 60% of the total medicinal plants used by the codified Indian Systems of Medicine.
The herbarium and raw drug repository has been engaged in research, training and outreach activities related to the identity, geographical distribution, and taxonomy of botanical resources used by Indian System of Medicine. As a National Herbarium and Raw Drug Repository it strives to fulfill its two priority expectations:
The herbarium and raw drug repository is supported with: