Three Disruptive Innovations to Revolutionize Herbal Medicine Industry

In April 2022, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, laid the foundation stone for the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. This is the first large scale collaboration in the field of traditional medicine that aims to catalyse ancient wisdom and modern science. The agreement in-between WHO and India is set to bring a positive change in the field of Ayurveda and herbal medicine.

The journey of herbal and traditional medicine has been nothing less than a roll coaster ride. Although Ayurvedic or herbal medicine has been used for more than 5000 years, its demand saw a massive decline as the earth moved towards modern medicines. However, with increasing awareness of the importance and long-term benefits of traditional herbal medicines, the global traditional medicine industry has started growing rapidly, resulting in a rise in demand and use of herbal products.

The brands like Patanjali, Dabour and Himalaya have also played an effective role in streamlining the use of herbal products in India. Today, herbal medicines are actively studied in India and across the world. New fields of studies like the implementation of nanotechnology for herbal extracts are also massively coming into life. Furthermore, the benefits of the substances like Cannabis are now studied for mitigating the events like depression, anxiety, etc. In this article, we have listed the top three positive developments in the traditional and herbal medicine segment that will create a long lasting impact.

Application of Nanotech in Herbal medicine Utilisation of Nanotechnology for increasing the effectiveness of herbal medicine is now one of the most interesting studies in the field of traditional medicine. Research shows that nanotechnology can be used to improve the delivery of poorly water soluble herbal drugs, targeted delivery in a cell or tissue, as well as cross tight epithelial and endothelial barriers, release of large herbal molecules, and co-delivery to two or more drugs.

For example — The plant-based anti-cancer drugs like curcumin (CUR), podophyllotoxin, camptothecin (CPT), vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel (PTX), are now integrated with the modern cancer treatment procedure. However, owing to the limiting factors of herbal medicines like poor water solubility, low bioavailability, marginal permeability, etc, the benefits of these drugs were largely diminished. With utilisation of nano herbal medicines, these problems are expected to largely be mitigated,helping the caregivers to utilise the benefits of herbal medicines at a greater extent.

Liquid Herbal Extract The delivery of herbal therapeutic ingredients as drugs in conventional forms shows variable and non-uniform absorption. Lower duration of residence in the stomach and varying gastric emptying time may limit the bioavailability of these drugs. They are also highly sensitive to temperature, atmospheric moisture. Their hygroscopic nature affects the particle-particle interactions, leads to poor water solubility and contributes to their poor flow in systematic body fluid circulation.

Alcohol works better than water as a solvent to extract plant components from the majority of plants. Alcohol prolongs the shelf life of the ingredients and makes it simple for the body to absorb the liquid extract. It also makes the herbal medication stronger than other ways of consuming herbs, such as capsules, decoctions, or infusions, because alcohol extraction is preferable than water extraction.

One Drop Wellness, a Mumbai based startup has been working to provide natural liquid medications in India. One Drop's staff works hard to provide its customers with a liquid, colourless, and miscible herbal solution. The business employs an oil extraction procedure to turn the herbs into nanoemulsions in order to make this viable. Due to the size of the particles and the manufacturing technique, One Drop asserts that the product has a high potency and can be swiftly absorbed.

Cannabis Based treatment According to the National Institutes of Health, cannabis has been used medicinally for at least 3,000 years. Today, in different parts of the world including the USA the use of cannabis for medical purposes has been legalised. The plant is also extensively studied to understand its fullest potential in medical science. Although the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act of 1985 prohibits the commerce and consumption of cannabis in India, there have been increasing calls for the country to legalise cannabis usage for medical reasons. In 2018, Uttarakhand had become the first state in the country to allow commercial cultivation of hemp crops. A year later, the Madhya Pradesh government also did the same.

HempCann Solutions, an Odisha-based startup has been the first startup in the country to use cannabis-infused tablets to improve health and wellness. The startup sells directly to consumers via its website, as well as out of its Vedi Wellness Centres in Bengaluru and Bhubaneswar. Its products are AYUSH-certified. Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, based in Hyderabad has also recently agreed to acquire Nimbus Health, a privately owned, licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler focusing on medical cannabis, for an upfront payment, apart from performance and milestone-based earn-outs over the next four years.

Future of Herbal Medicines in India The healthcare industry is witnessing a new trend. People are now turning to alternative medicines for prolonged relief and Ayurveda is at the top of the list. Preventive healthcare has become an important line of defence during the pandemic, proving the nutraceuticals sector to be a strong economic partner to the people. Moreover, with the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, India is handed with an opportunity to be a leader in this field and discover new avenues in the herbal care.