Medicinal Plants have traditionally occupied an important position in the socio-cultural, spiritual and medicinal arena of the country. The global thrust areas for drugs from medicinal plants include disease conditions, whose incidence is increasing and where the modern drugs are either unavailable or unsatisfactory.
People across the globe have started looking for safer and effective alternatives with minimum negative offshoots. People are turning to Ayurvedic medicines as an alternative to modern medicine. The demand of plant based therapeutics is increasing in both developing and developed countries due to the growing recognition that they are natural products, being non-narcotic, having no side-effects, easily available at affordable prices and sometime, the only source of health care available to the poor.
The literature on Dravyaguna starts from Vedic period with simple naming the medicinal plants. Dravya is one which is substraction or abode for Guna (qualities and action) which is a concomitant cause in the matter. Dravyaguna deals with diet and drugs beside nomenclature, identification, synonyms, botanical structure and ecological status etc. Due to continued efforts of researcher and practitioners adequate knowledge has generated about the medicinal plants, their used for nutrition and health care.
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The author has done a commendable job by writing this text book on Dravyaguna based on syllabus prepared by CCIM. The book describes basic concept of Dravyaguna and vividly presents comprehensive information on nomenclature, botanical identification, therapeutical uses and doses etc. I am sure readers will find this book very useful. |
