Focus on medicinal plant research and quality drug production: Minister

Bengaluru: Karnataka, with its rich biodiversity, holds immense potential for natural medicine and medicinal plant research. The state government is prioritising research and the production of high-quality medicines derived from medicinal plants, said Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science, and Technology, N.S. Boseraju.

Speaking at the inauguration of a three-day National Conference on Natural Medicine Exploration – Potential and Conservation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, organised by the Karnataka Science and Technology Academy, the minister highlighted the significance of medicinal plants in traditional and modern healthcare systems. “Medicinal and aromatic plants have been an integral part of our culture and heritage for centuries. Even before modern pharmaceuticals, they played a crucial role in human healthcare. The global natural medicine sector is expanding rapidly and is projected to reach $7 trillion by 2050. With the Western Ghats providing a rich repository of medicinal flora, Karnataka has vast opportunities to make significant contributions in this field.

The growth of Ayurvedic, naturopathy, and Siddha medicine systems will further benefit from this focus. The state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, is committed to supporting research in this domain to ensure the production of high-quality medicines and herbal products,” he said. Addressing the gathering, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao emphasised the importance of adopting a natural lifestyle for better health. “Living close to nature and consuming natural foods can help prevent lifestyle diseases. In developed countries, the prevalence of lifestyle disorders is significantly higher due to increased consumption of processed foods. In contrast, rural populations, who primarily rely on traditional and natural diets, tend to be healthier,” he noted.

The minister also noted the need for stringent quality standards in natural medicine. “Currently, there is a lack of standardised benchmarks for many herbal medicines, leading to concerns over their efficacy. To address this, scientific studies are essential to establishing proper guidelines. By setting the right standards, we can ensure that farmers cultivating medicinal plants benefit from this growing industry. The government is planning to convene a meeting soon to discuss these regulatory measures,” he added.

The conference also saw participation from leading experts, including Dr. Vishnuvardhan, Vice-Chancellor of Bagalkot Horticultural University; Dr. S. Venkatesan, CEO of the Karnataka Medicinal Plant Authority; Sadashiva Prabhu, Director of KSTePS; and Dr. Manish Das, Director of the Gujarat-based Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Research under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Discussions at the event centred on the conservation of medicinal plant species, sustainable cultivation practices, and the need for interdisciplinary collaboration to promote natural medicine research in India.