Folk cures
In Ethiopia, traditional healers can be a good alternative to an inefficient public health system
Wonder crop
An edible plant that can grow in extreme temperatures holds the promise of catering to varied needs of humans
New plants species with healing properties found in Manipur
Researchers documented 145 medicinal plants that the healers use for treating 59 ailments
Thirst for profits rises as disease spreads
Even as AIDS spreads throughout the world, Australians are determined to get their share of the profits from the use of a shrub that halts …
Working wonders with neem
There has recently been a flurry of international activity centred around the versatile neem.
Without a trace
Medicinal plant biodiversity is rapidly vanishing in India and the government has still to come up with a plan of action
Loss of the wild
Greed has taken a heavy toll on the wealth of herbs in India. Manufacturers of herbal products are cutting the very branch on which the industry …
Building bridges
Both allopathy and Indian systems of medicine can gain from each other, provided practitioners interact with an open mind
Perjury and other afflictions
While the market for herbal preparations is maturing, laws and regulations have failed to keep pace with it
Bad Medicine
First there were the quacks. Then came the mass manufacturers of substandard herbal drugs and cosmetics. Cashing in on the goodwill of …
A multi-purpose plant
From providing cure for stomach ailments to being an antidote for poisoning , the Jatropha Curcas is priceless
A date with the palm
Savvy Soumya Misra spends a day with Mahoba’s palm collectors to find out why a card touches a raw chord amongst them
Little boxes of herbs
SUMANA NARAYANAN finds a 125-year-old shop selling herbal medicines in the lanes of Chennai
Forgotten healers
Traditional medicine system has time and again proved its worth. Then why the cold shoulder?
A delicious affair
During a trekking trip to the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, Chandra Prakash Kala discovers the succulent kafal fruit, which has found its way …
What's in a neem?
A lot, apparently. Neem -Azadirachta indica -and the I?roducts derived from it have traditionally been widely used for centuries, especially in …
Flower of wellness
Medicinal properties of endangered dhawai phool are recognised in Ayurveda and modern medicine
Biodiversity in jeopardy
Tribals in Kerala are being forced to give away medicinal plants in repayment of their loans. In the process, biodiversity is being depleted
'The forest mafia is very powerful'
AJAY S RAWAT spent six months in the Indo-Nepal terais to trace the methods of timber smugglers
Roots
Worldwide, traditional medicinal systems are in the process of being modernised. Besides health care and conservation of medicinal plants, the …
Nothing goes waste
The biological method of hospital waste management, which helps reclaim degraded land and cultivate medicinal plants, may be the best alternative …
The Himalayan herb grower
Arun Kumar Badoni has taken upon himself the task of conserving medicinal and aromatic plants in the Garhwal Himalaya
Charaka and Sushruta reborn
Bangalore University's new BioPark has medicinal gardens that incorporate the near-forgotten science of India's ancient medical treatises
Butter fruit
Shalini Dhyani explores the forgotten virtues of mahua fruit and seed oil
Enact a special act for protecting India’s natural pharmacy
The country’s medicinal plants, which are used in a number of alternative systems of medicine, are in danger of becoming extinct due to …