AYURVEDIC MEDICINAL PLANTS AS PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS-A REVIEW Sharma

During the last decade herbal drugs has been gaining growing popularity throughout the world. According to world federation for mental health, the mental and neurological disorders affect more than 450 million people around the world. Modern science is trying to control this problem but in most cases it has become unsuccessful. Under such conditions herbal drugs can produce beneficial effects. Modern psychotropic drugs have many side effects. So there is a need to find an alternative treatment from herbal plants which can cure these diseases. Studies undertaken in different parts of the world have proved presence of important pharmacological activities in many plants. This review describes some important plants effective in mental disorders. KeywordsAyurvedic medicinal plants, mental disorders, Psychotherapeutic agents INTRODUCTION Ayurveda, the ancient science of life has been serving the mankind since antiquity. It has a very special approach towards the disease, the patient and the science of medicine itself. One of the most important and highly interesting topic of discussion in Ayurveda, as its approach to psychopathology and psychotherapy (Murthy et al. 1987). The meaning of the word “Ayurveda” is self explanatory (Ayu = Life, Veda = Science). Life has been described as the complex combination of Body (Sarira), Senses (Indriyas), Mind (Sattva) and Soul (Atma) (Acharya 2008). The term “mental disease” (Manasika Roga) is not restricted to mean insanity and allied conditions of specific mental derangement, but also includes to some extent the emotional disorders. The emotional factors, when cross the state of normalcy and get deranged, become the syndromes or mental disorders. These disorders may be prevented by the use of psychotropic drugs, highlighted as medhya dravyas and medhya rasayanas either as a single drug or in the form of compound formulations, in classical texts of Ayurveda. Humanity is suffering from various psychological disorders in spite of great advances in the field of medical sciences. These disorders includes anxiety, depression, dementia, epilepsy, cognitive disorder, neurodegenerative disease like Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia etc. WHO preamble states that “health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”, suggesting there is no health without mental health. In spite of this about 60 to 70 million Indians suffer from severe and common mental disorders & receive treatment for their condition. According to an estimate there is a prevalence level of 22% individual developing one or more mental or behavioural disorder in their life time. Psychiatric disorders account for 12% of the Global Disease Burden & this is likely to increase to 15% by 2020. It is also said that by 2025, mental illness will catch up with heart disease or may even overtake it as the biggest global health concern (World Health Report, 2001). The use of modern CNS acting drugs in spite of having higher therapeutic ratios and neuroprotection is accompanied by side effects like insomnia, mood change, dizziness, respiratory depression, irritability, nausea, rash, and clumsiness etc. Further these drugs need to be taken regularly and if stopped abruptly has potential danger of triggering the recurrence of the disease. International Journal of Applied Biology and Pharmaceutical Technology Page: 214 Available online at www.ijabpt.com