Introduction

Herbal plants are being used by humanity for their therapeutic utility since the beginning of
civilisation. All cultures throughout history have employed herbal medicines, but India is
identified with an oldest, innovative and varied cultural traditions in use of native plants.1 Even
so, the traditional folk use of crude drugs has been deductive and is founded on experience
without scientific endorsement from pre-clinical trials. Globally appreciation is steadily
increasing on the usage of aromatic and medicinal herbs. Despite the tremendous strides seen
in recent decades in modern medicine, herbs even now make a significant contribution to
healthcare. Modern medicine's narrow therapeutic avenues and limited therapeutic outcome
have indeed intensified the use of alternative therapies like herbal preparations. Herbal
remedies have been our most promising source of medications. Plants used in eastern medicine
encompass a complete variety of drugs that might be used to treat both acute and chronic
ailments. These medical systems evolved from antiquity and established gradually, to a large
extent, based on practical experience without any critical reference to contemporary science
concepts. Herbs operate by combining elements (salutary, preventive and nutrition), giving the
human body with all the strength and endurance necessary to cope with pathology. A host of
natural remedies have been explored for treatment and prevention of diverse chronic diseases
like hepatitis, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ageing and other degenerative
diseases.2,3 The therapeutic utility of herbs is due to many chemicals that induce a tangible
physiological effect on health .4. Hence, extensive research studies of phytoconstituents are
required.5 Alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins as well as phenolic compounds seem to be the most
valuable of all these biologically active plant molecules. Most of these compounds behave on
specific biological systems and interfere with the metabolism so that normal physiological
function can be restored.6

India has pervasive, credible and regular use of many natural therapies, which have been
described in the officially accepted traditional system of medicine (TSM) like Ayurveda,
Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy. TSM has functioned somewhat beside the western medicine
and is not to be considered “in the field of obscurity.”7 Naturopathic remedies are extensively
used in non-allopathic settings as spices, home remedies and health products and even over-
the-counter (OTC) preparations as self-medication or prescription.8
More than 80% of therapeutic substances are either derived from natural products or
influenced by phytoconstituents acquired by the adoption of high-throughput screening as
well as the post-genomic era.