AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The American Botanical Council (ABC) announces the adoption of andrographis (Andrographis paniculata) by Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd. through ABC’s Adopt-an-Herb botanical research and education program.
Natural Remedies’ adoption supports ABC’s extensive HerbMedPro database, ensuring that this unique research and educational resource remains up to date for researchers, health professionals, industry members, students, consumers, and other members of the herbal and dietary supplement and natural medicine communities.
HerbMedPro is a comprehensive, interactive online database that provides access to important scientific and clinical research data on the uses and health effects of more than 265 herbs, spices, medicinal plants, and fungi.
"We are happy to be associated with ABC by adopting Andrographis paniculata, one of the best-known medicinal plants in the Ayurvedic system for immunity and inflammation,” said Deepak Mundkinajeddu, PhD, head of research and development at Natural Remedies. “Scientific publications on this plant have risen significantly during this decade, covering various aspects such as clinical studies, mechanisms of action, and agronomy research.
“AP-Bio®, also known as KalmCold®, is derived from andrographis and is clinically tested for its immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties,” Mundkinajeddu continued, referring to his company’s proprietary Andrographis extract. “It is time to spread knowledge on the plant's immune health benefits as customers explore various natural immune health solutions."
ABC’s Chief Science Officer Stefan Gafner, PhD, added: “We are deeply grateful to Natural Remedies for the adoption of andrographis. Data from human clinical studies support the therapeutic benefits of andrographis in patients with acute upper respiratory tract infections. The support from Natural Remedies will enable ABC to keep up with the scientific and clinical literature on andrographis in our HerbMedPro database and will make scientific information on this useful medicinal plant more easily available.”
The adoption page for andrographis in ABC’s HerbMedPro database can be found here; the HerbMedPro record on andrographis is available here.
About Andrographis
Andrographis is a small annual that is native to southern Asian countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Also known as the king of bitters, kiryata in Hindi, and chuan xin lian (““thread-the-heart lotus”) in Chinese, the herb is widely used in Asian traditional medicine systems, especially as a treatment for infectious diseases and digestive disorders.
In Ayurveda, the primary traditional medical system of India, the dried leaves and shoots of andrographis are used in formulations to treat fever, cough, bronchitis, inflammation, skin diseases, dyspepsia, and diarrhea, among other conditions. In traditional Chinese medicine, the herb has been used traditionally as treatment for influenza, fever, sore throat, cough, colitis, dysentery, and venomous snake bites.
Andrographis also is used as a substitute for chirata (Swertia spp.), a critically endangered herb of the northern Himalayas with similar therapeutic properties. In addition, andrographis has been investigated as an ethical alternative to bear bile, which is common ingredient in traditional medicine formulas in some parts of Asia.
In vitro and animal studies have found that andrographis has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and antitumor properties. Modern research on andrographis has focused largely on its use for respiratory and digestive conditions. Results from human clinical trials and meta-analyses suggest that andrographis preparations may be useful in treating upper-respiratory symptoms associated with cold and flu, and in reducing the frequency and severity of cough. Researchers have also investigated the use of andrographis for ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
About Natural Remedies
Natural Remedies Pvt. Ltd. is a global, research-driven, botanical health care company based in Bengaluru, India, whose core competency lies in manufacturing standardized herbal extracts. According to the company, its mission is to harness nature and apply science for health and happiness. The company states that its branded ingredients are clinically substantiated and scientifically validated innovations. Known as a leader in standardized botanical extracts, Natural Remedies has contributed to the development of monographs on Indian botanicals in various international pharmacopeias. The company also has been a leading producer and global supplier of high-purity phytochemical reference standards for quality control analyses and research on Indian medicinal plants.
In addition to their adoption of andrographis, Natural Remedies is also the adopter of licorice (Glycyrrhiza spp.) on the HerbMedPro database.
About Adopt-an-Herb and HerbMedPro
Natural Remedies is one of 64 US and international companies and organizations that have supported ABC’s educational efforts to collect, organize, and disseminate reliable traditional and science-based information, including clinical studies, on herbs, medicinal plants, and other botanical- and fungal-based ingredients through the Adopt-an-Herb program. This program encourages companies, organizations, and individuals to “adopt” one or more specific herbs for inclusion and ongoing maintenance in the HerbMedPro database. To date, 72 herbs have been adopted.
Each adopted herb is researched continuously for new scientific articles and botanical, chemical, pharmacological, toxicological, and clinical studies, ensuring that its HerbMedPro record stays current and robust. Access to the studies is organized conveniently by publication type, with each study condensed to a one-sentence summary with a link to the study’s official abstract on PubMed (the US National Library of Medicine’s free-access database) or other publicly accessible database.
HerbMedPro is available to ABC members at the Academic level and higher. Its “sister” site, HerbMed, is available to the general public at no cost, with access to 25-30 herb records from the larger HerbMedPro database. In keeping with ABC’s position as an independent research and education organization, herb adopters do not influence the scientific information that is compiled for their respective adopted herbs.
About the American Botanical Council