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the-south-asian.com September 2000 |
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In a rare collaborative effort, leading Indian medical institutes have together developed a wonder herbal drug to control population. A combination of fruits of two rare plants found in the Himalayan ranges, the drug is said to be far superior to most allopathic medication available in the world today. by Saikat Neogi
For researchers at India's National Institute of Immunology it is a medical coup of sorts. The institute has developed a herbal contraceptive which is being termed as a wonder pill for women wanting to delay childbirth. It has taken over three years for the project to bear results. Back in 1997 the Department of Family Welfare set up a 'Special Task Force' comprising experts from the country's premier medical research institutes. The research has resulted in considerable optimism that the drug would be available in the market by 2001. Currently, rigorous clinical trials are underway in the four centres at Chandigarh, New Delhi, Pondicherry and Mumbai. These are part of the project to standardise the newly developed drug funded by the Department of Family Welfare and monitored by the Central Council of Research in Ayurveda and Siddha. The drug is a combination of fruits of two rare plants found in the Himalayan ranges---'Pippalyadi Vati' (scientific name embelia ribes) and 'Vidanga' (piper longam)---mixed with borax powder. The contraceptive properties of these two plants have been known to Ayurvedic practitioners over the ages and find mention in the Susruta Samhita, the ancient Indian Ayurvedic treatise. The process to re-discover the 3,000 year old drug began way back in the sixties but it had to be shelved mid-way due to non-availability of funds and infrastructure. Three decades later, in 1997, work re-started on the project once it was ascertained that there would be no side- effects of the pill. Besides costing far less than any other chemical contraceptive, it is believed to be far more potent. The drug has a promising export market as people the world over are switching over to alternative branches of medicines. According to Susruta Samhita, the seeds of the plant Pippalyadi Vati have been used as anti-fertility agent since ancient times. The other plant 'Vidanga' too has many uses. The most important being its root that is consumed by the inhabitants of the Himalayas to guard against freezing temperatures of the region. The seed extracts of both these plants are mixed in Borax powder to give it a solid composition. The contraceptive effectiveness of this Ayurvedic drug has been successfully tested on rats with a 94.7 percent success rate. Major Ayurvedic pharmaceutical companies have shown immense interest in the project. After clinical trials are complete, the task-force will hold negotiations with these companies and hand over the formula to one which meets the committee's guidelines. One of the important requirements would be to keep it low priced for it to reach the masses. Once the drug does well in India, the potential of its export will then be examined. Some of India's neighbouring countries - China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives and Nepal - have shown great interest in the drug. These countries have a long tradition of using alternative medicines. The benefits of the herbal birth control pill will be broadcast over radio and television for its widespread use. The emphasis will be on the fact that the drug has no side-effects unlike most steroidal pills. The task-force is now busy developing the tissue-culture of 'Pippalyadi Vati' to reduce dependence on existing sources that are rare and difficult to find. Experiments are also underway to reap the maximum yield per gram of the 'Pippalyadi Vati' seed. Herbal pills for curing ailments such as diabetes, malaria and jaundice have already been developed and patented but seldom have they gone into commercial production because of the lack of necessary infrastructure. ______________________
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