Looking back upon the last 200 years of the history of medicine mankind has mainly used plants as the source of medicines. Over 248000 species of higher plants have been identified and from these 12000 plants are known to have medicinal properties. Many plants in the form of herbs have been especially attributed as natural medicines. The significance of research on natural medicinal plant is gaining momentum because of its immense potential for improving the health care sector of the globe. The WHO estimated that about 80% of the earth’s inhabitants rely on traditional medicine for their primary health needs, that primarily involves the use of plant extracts or their active components. With the sharp rise in the popularity of traditional medicine, the economic importance of these plants has increased continuously.
The role of medicinal plants is particularly important in Himalayan regions. These areas are richly endowed with a variety of plant species, many of which have medicinal properties. A large proportion of rural population in these areas depends on locally available plants to meet their health care requirements. The valley of Kashmir being a reservoir of rich biodiversity has been using many plants and plant products in ameliorating various disorders. More than 50% of plant species described in British pharmacopiea is reported to grow in Kashmir valley. Nearly 570 plant species are reported to be of medicinal importance. Over the past few years, the medicinal plants have regained a wide recognition due to an escalating faith in herbal medicine in view of its lesser side effects compared to allopathic medicine and the necessity of meeting the requirements of medicine for an increasing human population. Traditionally herbal therapies have proved very effective in treating various life style related and other chronic diseases such as depression, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis and muscular disorders.
India’s biodiversity in medicinal and aromatic plants is about 7500 species. 70% of drugs are isolated from natural products i.e. medicinal and aromatic plants having no side effects. Currently 25% of drugs are synthetic analogues on prototype compounds isolated from plant species in modern pharmacopia. During the last three and half decades, the workers engaged in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants in India have increased many folds and so also the output of research data on the subject. There is a similar escalation in research and development work in the growing and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants in many other developing countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. This fact is very strongly collected in reports of many UN agencies, which had been advocating greater attention to these crops as a means of socio-economic uplift. In fact there is a revival of interest in national plant products as these are biologically more compatible with human system and comparatively less toxic than synthetics.
   The aromatic plants and aroma chemicals contained in them play a vital role in our day to day living. All of us use certain spices and condiments, which improve the taste of food. Some of the essential oils find place in drugs used for the cure of various diseases including anxiety, depression, hypertension, diabetes, arthritis, muscular disorders, cancer, aging, arteriosclerosis, reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species related disorders.
    The demand and price of herbal products and essential oils are increasing consistently in national and international markets due to strong pro-consumer movement. It is estimated that world market for plant derived drugs may account for about Rs 2,00,000 crores. Presently, Indian contribution is less than 2000 crores.  The annual production of medicinal and aromatic plant raw material is worth about 20 crores. This is likely to touch U.S. Dollars 5 trillions by 2050. It has been estimated that in developed countries such as USA, plant drugs constitute as much as 25% of the total drugs, while in fast developing countries such as china and India, the contribution is as much as 80%. Thus the economical importance of medicinal and aromatic plants is much more to countries such as India then rest of the world. These countries provide 2/3rd of the plant used in modern system of medicines.
     India’s diversity is unmatched due to the presence of 16 different agro-climate zones, 10 vegetation zones, 25 biotic provinces and 426 biomes. Nearly 3/4th of the drugs and perfumery products used in the world are available in natural state in the country. Of 2,50,000 higher plant species on earth more then 80,000 are medicinal. Of these about 15000-20000 species have good therapeutic value. However only 7000-7500 species are used for the medicinal values by traditional communities. According to WHO, around 21,000 plant species have the potential of being used as medicine.
In India, drugs of herbal origin have been used in traditional system of medicines such as Unani and ayurveda since ancient times. The Ayurveda system of medicine (ASM) uses about 700 species, Unani 700, Sidha 600, Amchi 600 and modern medicine around 30 species. The drugs are derived either from the whole plant or from different organs of the plants. Some drugs are prepared from excretory plants derived products. This forms an important segment of the modern pharmacopiea. Some important chemical intermediates needed for manufacturing the modern drugs are also obtained from plants e.g. diosgenin, solasodine and β-ionone. These plants also continue to be important source for new drugs. Plant derived drugs offer a stable market worldwide.
Plants especially used in Ayurveda can provide biologically active molecules and blue prints for the development of modified derivatives with enhanced activity and reduced toxicity. The small fraction of flowering plants that have so for being investigated have yielded about 120 therapeutic agents of known structures from about 90 plants species and major of them are vincristine, vinblastin, etopsides, taniposides (all anticancers). About 121 including 45 tropical and 76 subtropical major plant drugs have been identified for which no synthetic substitute is currently available. The scientific study of traditional medicine, derivation of drugs through bioprospection and systematic conservation of the concerned medicinal plants is thus of great importance.
Kashmir valley is having extensive area under forest, enriched with plant flora which has a great potential in establishing pharmaceutical industry. There are number of plant species reported to be used commonly by tribal and other folk inhabitants of the state to treat diseases involving inflammation, free radical mediated damages and microbial infections. It is necessary to analyse and characterize such plants rather than going on traditional but hopeful belief. There is vast potential for the evaluation and actual assessment of theses medicinal and aromatic plants. A strategic team effort in aromatic and medicinal plant research and development will pave the way for reaping the green gold for which our valley is the richest repository.
Author is  Sr. Ph.D Scholar, Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir.
Reach him at daryousuf_123@yahoo.com

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