MEDICINAL PLANTS: Quality, Safety &

Commercialization

Aruna D. Weerasooriya, Ph.D. FLS Texas A&M University System

Cooperative Agricultural Research Center Prairie View, Texas

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016

Outline

• Medicinal Plants • Traditional Medicine Systems • Quality maintenance in raw material • Use of Medicinal Plants in the United States • Herbal Dietary Supplements: Issues in the US

• Uncontrolled Psychoactive Plants • Commercialization • Current Research

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016

Medicinal Plants • Over 70,000 plant species are thought to be

Medicinal

• 80% of people living in developing countries use traditional medicine as primary healthcare needs

• The global trade in herbal products is over $60 billion a year

• Most of the popular commercial drugs have been derived from plants

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016

Traditional Medicine Systems • Indian system of TM (Ayurveda, Siddha and

Unani)

• Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Ancient Iranian Medicine

• Ancient Islamic Medicine

• Traditional Korean Medicine

• Traditional African Medicine

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016

• Collection • Wild crafted • Cultivated

• Collection time & Quality • Time of the Day/ Season • Growth stage of the plant species

Quality maintenance in raw material

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Quality maintenance in raw material • Substitute plants

• Processing

• Harvest and postharvest handling • Drying • Grinding / Extraction

• Detoxification

• Combining several species

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Use of Medicinal Plants in the United States

• Herbal Dietary Supplements • Pharmaceuticals • Fragrances • Flavoring ingredients • Coloring ingredients

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Morinda citrifolia L. (Rubiaceae)

Noni – Anticancer/antioxidant

Herbal Dietary Supplements: Issues in the US

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Lycium barbarum L. (Solanaceae) Gojiberry – for long life

Herbal Dietary Supplements: Issues in the US

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Hoodia gordonii (Masson) Sweet ex Decne. (Asclepiadaceae)

Appetite Suppressant

Herbal Dietary Supplements: Issues in the US

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Herbal Viagra : Herbal products laced with sildenafil citrate

Herbal Dietary Supplements: Issues in the US

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Turnera diffusa Willd. ex Schult.

(Turneraceae)

Damina

Leonotis leonurus (L.) R.Br.

(Lamiaceae)

Wild Dagga

Leonurus sibiricus L.

(Lamiaceae)

Marihuanilla

Uncontrolled Psychoactive Plants

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Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Goraka

Garcinia gummi-gutta (L.) Roxb.

Weight loss

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Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Ceylon Cinnamon

Cinnamomum verum J.Presl

Food flavoring; Diabetes

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Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Tumeric

Curcuma longa L.

Alzheimer’s; Arthritis

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Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Soursop; Graviola

Annona muricata L.

Anti-tumor

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Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Mangosteen

Garcinia mangostana L.

Anti-tumor; Antioxidant

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Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Moringa

Moringa oleifera Lam.

Antiasthmatic; Antioxidant

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Yams & Wild Yams

Dioscorea sp.

HRT and Contraceptive

Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

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Salvia miltiorrhiza (Lamiaceae) Red Sage - promotes blood circulation and vessel inflammation

Danshen Dripping Pill

Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

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• Stevia rebaudiana Natural Sweetener

Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016

• Study of the authenticity, quality and safety of the raw material used in US herbal industry by using botanical, chemical and genomic techniques

• Develop comprehensive reference system for industries and regulatory agencies.

• Optimization of bioactive compounds in medicinal plants by using traditional agronomic practices and genetic engineering.

Current Research

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Phyla dulcis (Trevir.) Moldenke Natural Sweetener

(Hernandulcin)

Medicinal Plants: Commercialization

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016

Thank You

Questions?

Science & Technology for Society Forum Sri Lanka 2016