The Muthuvans, Chinnar tribe of Idukki district, Kerala is using many plants for their health care and day to day ailments but many of them are not yet scientifically validated. This tribe is using a plant called Manjakody as an effective remedy for jaundice. It is identified as Combretum albidum G.Don of the family combretaceae. Though Phyllanthus amarus and P. airy-shawii are very common there and they are aware of the use of these plants, they prefer water extract of stem bark of C. albidum as a remedy for both normal and severe jaundice [2]. As far as the available literature is concerned, this plant has not yet been scientifically validated. C. albidum, Buffalo calf plant in English, is a large woody climbing, deciduous shrub, up to 30 m high. Its distribution is restricted to semi-evergreen and deciduous forests, along river banks of Peninsular India and Sri Lanka. In the present study, pharmacognostic standardisation of stem bark of Combretum albidum was carried out to establish its macro-and microscopical standards, physicochemical parameters, preliminary phytochemical investigation and TLC profiles to characterise the plant material.
The study assessed the annual consumption of raw drugs by the Ayurvedic medicine manufacturing industry in Kerala. Although, about 400 raw drugs are used in the manufacture of various medicines, for the present study, 230 items which are consumed at the rate of over one thousand kg per year were selected. There are 713 pharmaceutical units having drug license from the Industries Department. The study focuses on the consumption/requirement of the licensed units. Based on the annual turnover, the medicine manufacturing units were classified into small, (below 1 crore) medium (1-3 crores) and large (over 3 crores). The annual consumption of the 230 raw drugs studied is 20,517 tonnes, of which 48% is consumed by the large units, 37% by small units and 15% by medium units. Annual consumption of 27 items of raw drugs is over 200 tonnes; 28 items between 200-100 tonnes; 39 items between 100-50 tonnes; 53 items between 50-25 tonnes and 53 items between 25-10 tonnes; 30 items below 10 tonnes. Sida rhombifolia ssp. retusa (Kurumthotti) [1,194 tonnes] and Phyllanthus emblica (Nellikkai) [860 tonnes] are most abundantly consumed items. The raw drugs consumption is highest in Thrissur (6,276 tonnes) and Malappuram (4,433 tonnes) districts, as some of the larger units are located here. The lowest consumption is in Kasaragod (22 tonnes) and Wayanad (133 tonnes), where the manufacturing units are very less.
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