Medicinal plants: Economic perspective and recent developments

Medicinal plants are an integral part of our health care system. The therapeutic potential of plants and plant based product are recognized throughout the world. Globally, different systems of treatment exist such as Allopathic, Homeopathic, Ayurvedic, Chinese system of treatment etc. The developed communities have their own Materia Medica, compiling comprehensive information about various plants used for therapeutic purposes. The international herbal trade market is revolving around China and Indo-Pak while the total global herbal market of plant-based drugs has been estimated as $ 25-30 billion annually. The modern medical setup recognizing and moving to a system based on the combination of orthodox and natural therapies for the effective treatment of disorders