Plant active metabolites: A new paradigm in the treatment of Hypertension (a brief description of Indian Pharmacopoeia – 2022 herbal monographs)

Abstract

Hypertension is a significant public health problem worldwide. Nearly two-thirds of all hypertensive patients live in developing and under-developed countries, creating a considerable burden of hypertension. India is among the countries which spend more than one-third of all income on cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Although several modern medications are available to control the disease symptoms, their expense and side effects restrict their public use. More than 80% of the world's population relies on traditional treatment, which is used recklessly without any restrictions or proof thereof. Indian Pharmacopoeia is working diligently towards standardising herbal drugs and plant-derived pharmaceuticals, i.e., Phyto-pharmaceuticals, to regulate their usage. The present article focuses on the standardisation of marker compounds of different indigenous anti-hypertensive medicinal plants, which can be used as bioactive markers in phytopharmaceutical drug development. The study includes consolidated information about the important anti-hypertensive biomarkers and their identification and assay methodology.