|
Phytochemistry has been once an integral part of the undergraduate syllabus by Central Council of Indian Medicine. Recently, Dravyaguna syllabus has been revised by the National Commission of Indian Medicine and surprisingly enough, phytochemistry has been omitted and number of the medicinal plants has been reduced considerably. This is the striking difference between the syllabus designed by CCIM and NCISM.
What is the connection between dravyaguna and phytochemistry? Dravyaguna is closely allied to botany, ethnobotany, pharmacognosy and pharmacology. Dravyaguna was not included in the eight branches coined for Ayurveda but was carved out as a separate subject. Dravyaguna is often categorized as non-clinical subject providing a basis to the clinical subjects.
Some experts are advocating an interdisciplinary nature of dravyaguna and ethnopharmacology. In fact, several articles published in journals related to integrative medicine have addressed ayurvedic medicine as reverse pharmacology and dravyaguna as reverse pharmacognosy. The terms reverse pharmacology or ethnopharmacology serves the same purpose of providing the evidence-based approach to the plant based medicinal systems.
An average BAMS student is least interested in learning dravyaguna skills while pursuing graduation. Probably, lack of pedagogy tools and language barrier can be the possible culprits. However, with the publication and the availability of the quality books, the art of teaching and learning is gradually evolving.
A relevant portion of pharmacology is included in the undergraduate syllabus of dravyaguna. As an observation, it can be argued that the majority of the Ayurveda professionals are inclined towards pharmacology rather than the medicinal herbs. The Genesis of retaining pharmacology and omitting phytochemistry by NCISM from the latest syllabus is beyond imagination. An integration of dravyaguna with pharmacology and phytochemistry can yield better results for enhancing practical accountability.
Active constituent or active principle is a buzzword in the plant based medicinal systems. Phytochemistry is the integral part of the phytomedicine or herbal medicine or botanical medicine. In fact, the emerging school of phytopharmaceuticals is based on phytochemistry.
Traditional phytochemistry deserves special mention. Six tastes theory utilized in Ayurvedic therapeutics is often correlated with traditional phytochemistry. The glimpses of traditional phytochemistry are evident in ancient Dravyaguna books. Traditional phytochemistry may not be seen as a complete subject but its significance can't be ruled out as far as Ayurveda therapeutics is concerned. The chemical composition of the medicinal plants was not part of the syllabus prior to creation of the Central Council of Indian Medicine.
With the implementation of the IMCC Act, 1970, the syllabus of the BAMS course was revised time and again and designated subjects were introduced accordingly.
Without an appropriate knowledge of phytochemistry, it is not possible to learn the practical aspects of dravyaguna. The herbal extracts derived from the medicinal plants used in the AYUSH systems of medicine are in great demand at the global and domestic levels. On one hand, the ministry of AYUSH is advocating standardization of the formulations and on the other side; NCISM has omitted phytochemistry from the dravyaguna syllabus of Ayurvedacharya course.
Herbal drug industry is largely governed by the presence of the active ingredients and marker compounds in the finished formulations. The same is true for the Ayurveda drug industry. Standardization has been the keyword for the Ayurveda drug industry since the inception of research based approach. Without the adequate knowledge of phytochemistry, an ayurvedist having specialization in dravyaguna can't compete with medical pharmacology.
The postgraduate syllabus of dravyaguna has not been revamped so far by NCISM. The postgraduate syllabus designed by Central Council of Indian Medicine has included an application of phytochemistry as evident by inclusion of topics related to pharmacognosy and phytochemistry.
Keeping in the mind the policy of the World Health Organization on the traditional medicine, the inclusion of the recent research advances in the pharmacopoeia and the formulary is required. The revision of Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India is vital for the mandate and the development of dravyaguna. The monographs of the medicinal plants elaborated in Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India mentions chemical composition. The trivial names of the major active principles have been mentioned at selected instances. The text books dealing with the syllabus of dravyaguna prescribed by CCIM or NCISM describes the chemical composition of the herbal drugs.
Phytochemistry may be of less importance as far as undergraduate syllabus of dravyaguna is concerned. However, in postgraduate course the elementary knowledge of phytochemistry is vital keeping in the mind the speciality of the study. Majority of the postgraduate thesis work is based on phytochemical and pharmacological activities of the crude herbal drug or extract based on it.
A comparative analysis of the undergraduate theory and practical dravyaguna syllabus highlights the necessity of retaining phytochemistry in both the papers.
Minimum standard requirement dealing with dravyaguna mentions chemicals and reagents and procedure of Thin Layer Chromatography are signifying importance of phytochemistry in dravyaguna curriculum. These chemicals and reagents are used for the preliminary phytochemical screening. The application of TLC is confined to the estimation of the active ingredient.
A critical comparison of the study of the medicinal plants in the syllabus of Ayurveda (dravyaguna) and medical herbalism with respect to phytochemistry yields vital information. Phytochemistry in medical herbalism courses is a fully developed subject and considered to be the backbone of the herbal therapeutics.
B. Pharma and M. Pharma courses in Ayurveda include dravyaguna and phytochemistry as essential subjects. The knowledge of phytochemistry is vital both for the physicians and pharmacists from the treatment and dispensing point of view.
Further, for identifying herbal-synthetic drug interactions knowledge about phytochemicals is required.
CCRAS has a special section dedicated to phytochemistry. In journals and bulletins published by CCRAS, an array of phytochemicals isolated from the Indian medicinal plants is reported time and again.
NCISM must restore the required description of phytochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum. Another term, Ayurveda drug pharmacology is applicable to dravyaguna and without the appropriate knowledge of phytochemistry, the term has no relevance. In addition, reducing the number of medicinal plants must also be reconsidered, keeping in mind the diversity of the Indian flora.
Dravyaguna, ethnobotany, medical herbalism, ethnopharmacology and traditional medicine have the same base i.e., plants. In the case of Ayurveda, the transition from Nighantu to dravyaguna has been gradual but effective.
The credit of the proper introduction of phytochemistry in dravyaguna goes to Dr. P. V. Sharma. Phytochemistry is a gradually evolving science and dravyaguna books recommended by NCISM should ensure recently reported bioactives.
The department of natural products, NIPER, Mohali and the medicinal plant unit, ICMR are the examples; justifying synergy between dravyaguna and phytochemistry. Keeping in the mind the importance of phytochemistry, Uttarakhand Ayurvedic University has initiated a postgraduate course in phytochemistry. The research units should be part of the Ayurveda universities and dravyaguna departments of the affiliated colleges should be attached to them.
The views expressed in this communication are within an advisory capacity only. The apex body holds full right in implementing or deleting a portion of the syllabus.
Here it shall be worthwhile to compare phytochemistry and traditional phytochemistry. This comparison is obvious for the inclusion of phytochemistry in dravyaguna undergraduate syllabus. Herbal extract market is largely driven by the percentage of active principle or constituent.
(Author is a herbal consultant)
|