TRADITIONAL SYSTEMS OF

MEDICINE IN BANGLADESH

BY

JASIM UDDIN CHOWDHURY

BANGLADESH COUNCIL OF SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH (BCSIR) LABORATORIES,

CHITTAGONG-4220, BANGLADESH

Area-147570 Sq.Km.Population- 140 mTribals- 27 CHT- 13 Chakma, Marma Area-1.32 m hect. Peoples- 12 m Northern Dist - 7 Santal

TRADITIONAL PRACTIONERS

Ayurvedic & Unani :• Recognized- 6000• Institutionally Trained 1000• Unregistered 10000Homeopathic :• Registered 25000• Unregistered 20000

Modern practitioners(Prescribe TM) 500

Traditional/Folk remedies

Traditional Drug Producers

• Ayurvedic 161• Unani 261• Homeopathic 76• Others (Street vendors) 100

Institutes of Traditional Medicine

• Homeopathic Medical Colleges32 1000• Unani Medical Colleges 10

60• Ayurvedic Medical Colleges 6

30• Govt. Unani & Ayurvedic

Degree College 1 100• Govt. Tibbia College 1 25

Major Producers

• Hamdard Laboratories 133• Sadhana Ousadhaloy 150• Shakti Ousadhaloy 138• Ayurvedic Pharma Ltd. 135• Human Drugs Ltd 28• National Pharma 16• Kundeswari 48• Mujaher 39

Major Medicinal Plants

• Adhatoda vasica Holarrhena antidysenterica

• Aegle marmelos Mentha spicata• Aloe indica Nigella sativa• Azadirachta indica Paederia foetida• Cassia senna Saraca indica• Cinnamomum verum Tamarindus indica• Curcuma longa Terminalia arjuna• Gmelina arborea T. belerica• Hemidesmus indicus T. chebula

Selected Plants for some diseasesConstipation IndigestionAegle marmelos Carica

papayaPlantago ovata Paederia

foetidaCassia senna Zingiber officinaleCarica papaya Centella asiaticaTerminalia chebula

Contd...

Parasitic infections

• Ananas sativus• Azadirachta indica• Curcuma longa• Embelia ribes• Glycosmis arborea• Terminalia chebula

Piles

• Terminalia chebula

• Aloe indica• Cassia fistula• Carica papaya

Contd...

Scabies

• Azadirachta indica• Lawsonia inermis• Cassia alata• Curcuma longa• Mesua ferrea• Polygonum

hydropiper

Diabetes

• Cephalandra indica• Momordica

charantia• Scoparia dulcis• Allium sativum• Catharenthus

roseus• Lagerstroemia

speciosa

Contd...

Teeth & Gum Diseases

• Azadirachta indica

• Murraya koenigii• Psidium guajava• Syzigium

aromaticum

Urinary problems

• Aloe indica

• Kalanchoe pinnata

• Tinospora cordifolia

• Tribulus terrestris

Contd...

Dysentery/Diarrhoea• Aegle marmelos• Centella asiatica• Euphorbia hirta• Holarrhena

antidysenterica• Punuca granatum• Kalanchoe pinnata

Cough/Cold/Bronchitis

• Adhatoda vasica• Ocimum sanctum• Citruses• Acorus calamus• Zingiber officinale• Tylophora indica• Euphorbia hirta

Contd...

Cardiac problems

• Allium sativum• Terminalia arjuna• Nerium indicum• Thevetia neriifolia• Urginea indica

Hair tonics• Wedelia chinensis• Foeniculum

vulgare• Lawsonia inermis• Emblica officinalis• Vitex negundo• Allium cepa

Major Animals used

• Ill FishesArthritis/Rheumatism

• Jackels meat ,, ,,• Cockroach Asthma• Pigeon Tonic• Fish/Chicken Vitality• Lizard oil Rheumatism• Animal skin Epilepsy

Major Animals used

• Sheep's milk Tonic• Pure Ghee Carbuncles/boils• Honey Preventive/

Cough,cold• Sparrow Aphrodisiac

Major minerals/metals used• Rock salt as

ingredient/digestive• Lime stone Scorpion sting• Copper sulphate Antifungal• Common salt ORS• Potassium nitrite as Ingredient• Laundry soap Gastric pain• Sulphur Skin diseases

Traditional Medicine Resource• Crude Drug market• Wild habitat --Forest floor --Homestead & Fellow land• Cultivation• Import

Abundantly available Plants• Acalypha indica• Achyranthes aspera• Adhatoda vasica• Aegle marmelos• Allium sativum• Alstonia scholaris• Ananas sativus• Azadirachta indica• Calotropis gigantea• Carica papaya

• Cassia alata• Cassia fistula• Centella asiatica• Cephalandra indica• Coriandrum sativum• Curcuma longa• Cyperus rotundus• Eclipta alba• Emblica officinalis• Euphorbia hirta

Contd.• Mentha spicata• Mikania cordata• Mimosa pudica• Momordica

charantia• Moringa oleifera• Ocimum sanctum• Paederia foetida• Phyllanthus niruri• Piper betel

• Psidium guajava • Scoparia dulcis• Solanum

xanthocarpum• Terminalia arjuna• T. chebula• Vitex negundo• Zingiber officinale

Rare & Threatened Medicinal Plants

• Abroma augusta• Abrus precatorius• Acorus calamus• Andrographis

paniculata• Boerhavia diffusa• Dioscorea prazeri• Gloriosa superba• Hemidesmus indicus• Hydnocarpus kurzii

• Kaempferia galanga • Kaempferia rotunda• Ocimum gratisimum• O. basilicum• Plumbago indica• P. zeylanica• Rawolfia serpentina• Tinospora cordifolia• Zingiber purpureum

Medicinal Plants Exported

• Abroma augusta• Adhatoda vasica• Andrographis

paniculata• Cyperus rotundus• Emblica officinalis• Mimosa pudica

• Saraca indica• Taractogenous

kurzii• Terminalia arjuna• T. belerica• T. chebula• Zingiber officinale

Medicinal Plants Imported

• Acacia arabica• Acorus calamus• Aloe vera• Anethum graveolens• Asparagus

racemosuss• Atropa belladona• Berberis vulgaris• Cassia senna• Cinnamomum verum

• C. tamala• Cuminum cyminum• Elettaria

cardamomum• Ferula asafoetida• Glycerrhiza glabra• Hydnocarpus kurzii• Juglans regia• Mesua ferrea• Myrstica fragrans

Imported Plants

• Ocimum basilicum • Pimpinella anisum• Piper nigrum• P. longim• Pluntago ovata • Rawolfia serpentina • Rosa damascena• Santalum album

• Solanum nigrum• Strychnos nux-

vomica Swertia chirata

• Syzigium aromaticum

• Tribulus terrestris• Withania

somnifera

R & D Institutes

Institutes Major FieldsBCSIR Laboratories,

Chittagong

Ethnomedicobotany, Conservation,Phytochemistry, Pharmacology,Antimicrobial, Herbal Formulations

BCSIR, Dhaka Phytovhemistry, Tissue culture

Botany Deptt., Dhaka Univ. Ethnobotany, Tissue culture

Pharmacy Deptt., Dhaka Univ. Phytocheemistry, Antimicrobial

Chemistry Deptt, Dhaka Univ. Phytochemistry, Bioactivityscreening

Contd. Jahangirnagar University Ethnopharmacology,

PhytochemistryChittagong University Ethnobotany, antimicrobial

IPGMR Pharmacological screening

BIRDEM Antidiabetic

BFRI, Chittagong Ethnobotany

Bangladseh NationalHerbarium

Ethnobotany, Biodiversity

Contd.

DEBTEC, Dhaka Tissue culture,conservation

Hamdard Laboratories Product evaluation,Plantation

ACME laboratories Anticancer screening

Bangladesh NeemFoundation

Production & research

Major Achievements

• Amlaki syrup from Emblica officinalis• Tea-cola from tea wastes• Bel ORS from green Aegle marmelos• Scopolamine hydrochloride from

Datura fastusa• Diosgenin from Costus speciosus• Oil from Mentha arvensis

Contd.

• Menthol crystal from M. arvensis oil• Neem tooth powder, paste, soap

from Azadirachta indica• Hair tonic from indigenous plants• Basak Tea from Adhatoda vasica• Antifungal fraction from plant• Selection of active Antidiabetic

plant

POLICIES AND MEASURES BY DIRECTORATE OF DRUG ADMINISTRATION, HEALTH MINISTRY• Drug Evaluation• Adverse reactions• Supply

management• Quality assurance• Packing & labeling• Control of

advertisement

• Penalty for manufacturing & sale of substandard drugs

• Penalty for unauthorized import

• Penalty for unperomited production.

NODAL AGENCY

BCSIR LABORATORIES, CHITTAGONG(MAIN STATION)

BCSIR, DHAKA BCSIR, RAJSHAHI

FUNCTIONS OF NODAL AGENCYEstablishment of Website

Collection of Traditional information's

Market survey of Traditional Medicines

Documentation of Traditional knowledge

Budget preparation & creation of budget provision

Formation of an Expert committee

Arrangement of seminars and workshops

Requirements of Technologies• Establishment of Hospitals with the

Institutes dealt with traditional medicine

• Documentation of traditional knowledge

• Improvement & standardization of traditional products

• Training of traditional practitioners• Establishment of clinical trial system

Requirements of Technologies• Checking of abuse/misuse of

traditional medicines caused by street vendors

• Information & communication technology

• International cooperation• Formulation technology• Analytical facilities etc.

BCSIR LABORATORIES, CHITTAGONG