OA02.06. Importance of drug authentication and standardization as per API with the example of Alpinia species

PURPOSE: Ayurvedic system of medicine has become significantly more popular all over the globe because of its time tested safety and efficacy. Unprecedented demand for herbal drugs and ignorance of herbal drug collectors-which are mostly collected from wild sources-, has lead to adulteration of genuine drugs which affects the quality of final products. METHOD: In the present era, authentication and standardization in accordance with Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) is the strategy to ensure the genuineness of medicinal plants used in Ayurveda. RESULT: Different standard operating procedures are adopted to ensure genuineness, identity and quality of herbal medicines. It is also essential to establish internationally recognized guidelines for ensuring the raw material quality along with Ayurvedic parameters. CONCLUSION: Based on methods like comparative phytochemical analysis, organoleptic identification, macroscopy, microscopy and TLC of Alpinia species, this paper attempts to illustrate the importance of authentication and standardization of raw materials.