The Laboratory for Medicinal Plants at the Bangalore based Foundation for Revitalization of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), the only testing facility in the country dedicated to the Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), is in the process of developing a kit to test the quality of the medicinal plants and herbs at the raw material stage.

The easy-to-use kit will be the first-of-its-kind in the country and is expected to be ready in a year's time. The main objective of developing the kit is to enhance the sense of quality among the small manufacturers who constitute 90 per cent of ISM sector, Dr Padma Venkat, joint director, FRLHT and head of Laboratory for Medicinal Plants told Pharmbiz.com

The laboratory is also introducing DNA finger printing in herbal drugs. Many plants have similar phyto-constituents and it becomes difficult to identify the raw drug. In such cases, DNA finger printing technology helps to pinpoint the species specificity of the plant. It will help to cull out the adulterated substitutes in the drug, she said.

It will also enter into research pharmacy to study the importance of the dosage forms (Kashayams, choornams, gulikas, lehyams, arishtas), which are devised through different process. It will provide a validated record of it and establish its findings so that users can be convinced of its efficacy. This is a part of FRLHT's forthcoming three-pronged plan to set-up a hospital, training centre and advanced research centre.

The laboratory which adheres to Indian Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Indian Pharmacopoeia, the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, British Pharmacopoeia and WHO guidelines, offers contract research services and consultancy to many ISM units in the country. As a part of its contract services, it has developed a herbal drug Galactagogue for the Madurai-based Gramooligai Co. Ltd in a convenient dosage form.

The DANIDA (Danish International Development Agency) funded FRLHT is now a recognised centre for excellence for medicinal plants and traditional knowledge by the ministry of environment. The laboratory, which was started with an investment of Rs. 70 lakh, expects to get another round of resources from the United Nations and Ford Foundation.

FRLHT in the process of seeking for ISO 9002 and has applied for an accreditation from the department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homeopathy (ISM&H), government of India. This is in wake of the department's effort to identify certain labs in the country for only testing ISM drugs.