The use of biological resources as medicine has been practiced in India since time immemorial, i.e., pre-Vedic period. This has led to a rich heritage of medical wisdom and accumulation of vast knowledge about properties of the plants, which can be used for human wellness and health care. This knowledge was further enriched with adoption and integration of exotic knowledge introduced from other cultures at different times of the history. In addition, there are plants closely associated with the traditional medicinal use by various indigenous tribes and communities. The systematic documentation of this knowledge with reasoned based application and practice led to the establishment of well recognized traditional medicinal systems, and many plants under various recognized indigenous systems of medicine, such as Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) (www. indianmedicine.nic.in), and use of many more plants by tribes/communities/families based on experience of generations with casual description and/or no description. These documented and non-documented information’s present a repository of information on nutritional, medicinal and other economic properties/value of many plants growing in India and used under traditional medicinal systems.

1.1 Perspective From the very dawn of evolution of human beings, man has been using plants as food, for wellness and as medicine to alleviate diseases and discomfort. People living in different parts of the world, both new and old, in the centres of some of the oldest civilizations, had selected organisms from time immemorial for food and medicine by a process of trial and error or even by experimentation with the biological resources, particularly among the plants growing around them. These have been referred to as ethnic food/traditional food and ethnic medicine/traditional medicine. India is one of the mega centres of biodiversity, and that of the ethnic diversity, that evolved over millennia with settlement of diverse races coming from different regions of the world, besides the indigenous people. Thereby, it inhabits some of the most diverse cultural traditions. This process has led to further evolution of some of the oldest indigenous civilizations originated in the Indian Subcontinent with amalgamation of exotic traditions and the knowledge. Integration of the knowledge associated with the use of plants with medicinal properties has enriched its great heritage of medicinal plant use, the Ayurveda, i.e., the knowledge of life and longevity, dating back to the pre-historic and the early Vedic period.

2.1 Introduction India is known for its richness in bio-resources including floristic diversity and the associated cultural diversity that evolved over time and holds a vast amount of indigenous traditional knowledge (ITK) assembled over millenniums. The ability to convert this knowledge into wealth of products for social good through the process of innovation based on validation of available information holds great promise. In-depth studies using the modern technologies and further examination of potential sources will determine the future of India in the 21st century, commonly referred to as the century of scientific knowledge and technological expertise/advancements that belongs to Asia/India. In this regard, five technologies namely, biochemistry, biotechnology, herbal technology, information technology, and nanotechnology are going to be the most powerful elements that are crucial for ensuring prosperity, security, and welfare of the people of the nations and the globe at large. Production of an inventory of the medicinal aromatic plants with the associated knowledge evolved and documented over millenniums under different Indian traditional medicinal systems shall be the key in promoting and strengthening their exploitation and use under various herbal medicinal systems and/or under an integrated innovative combination of these with modern medicinal systems.

3.1 Introduction India is rich in biological diversity as revealed by its floristic diversity comprising 17,926 species of angiosperm, based on which it has been considered one among the 17 mega-biodiverse countries of the world. Also, it is the centre of some of the oldest civilizations of world, starting with Vedic civilization. Using modern day scientific tools and technology backed up with shashtra pramaana, Vedic civilization has been calculated to be as old as 25000 years (Oak, 2018). Because of its rich ecological and biological diversity, Indian Subcontinent has inhabited a large amount of ethnic diversity, consisting of both the indigenous races and those moved from other parts of the world as settlers looking for greener pastures for better living. The major ethnic races are Caucasoid (Aryan), Dravidians, Mongoloid, Negroid, and Australoid. Anthropological Survey of India has identified 461 tribal communities (Xaxa, 1999), belonging to 227 ethnic groups (Pushpangadan et al., 2018) spread over 5000 forest villages. According to the 2001 census of India, the country has 122 major languages and 1599 other languages. Figures from different sources vary, primarily due to differences in definition of the term’s “language” and “dialect”. The largest of the language families represented, in terms of speakers, is the Indo-Aryan language family followed by the Dravidian language family.

4.1 Introduction The adverse effect of non-vegetarian diet, particularly red meat, on human health and on environment due to destruction/clearing of forest for raising more pasture and to increase the industrial production of grains for animal feed have led to greater greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental pollution due to extensive use of inorganic fertilizers, fungicides, pesticides. Clearing of forest has also caused extinction of plant species. For these reasons, greater interest has been generated in vegetarian diet based on the direct consumption of whole grains, legumes, nuts, fruits, and vegetables that are easily assimilated by the human body, nutritionally more efficient, and have least impact on the environment. In fact, the healthfulness of vegetarian diets has been found to be strongly correlated with sustainability of agriculture because of easy affordability of plant-based foods. Vegetarian people have been often referred to as vegan and pescatarian (including fish and other seafood). Most pescatarians include dairy and eggs as well. Similarly, allopathic medicines, which are synthetic inorganic concentrated drugs, have adverse effect on non-targeted organs, besides being expensive.

5.1 Introduction Considering the richness of floristic diversity of India represented by 47,513 plant species, of which around are 9,500 reported to be of ethnobotanical botanical significance and around 7,500 - 8900 of ethnomedicinal importance (Anonymous, 1994; Pareek et al., 2005). It has been estimated that of these, around 5,000 plant species have been investigated in some detail in search for potential sources of wellness or health or medicinal drugs to cure various human ailments and diseases. As discussed in the previous sections, the Indian literature on medicinal aromatic plants formally documents information on about 2,500 medicinal and aromatic plants under various traditional systems with sufficient details. In addition, indigenous traditional knowledge exists for another 4,000-4,500 medicinal plant species based on long time experience/observations and their use by various tribes and communities and the individual clan or families in cure of specific ailments. However, this knowledge predominantly exists in oral traditions, which are under danger because of the threat to these traditional orthodox societies and loss of the dialect or languages in which they exist.

6.1 Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) compiled a list of 20,000 medicinal plants used in different parts of the world. An estimated 15,000 medicinal plant species, forming about 21% of the total plant species used for medicinal purposes in the world, fall in the endangered category (Schippmann et al., 2006). In India, medicinal plant species used under different traditional systems to a large extent are still gathered and collected from the wild in from of roots, bark, wood, stem and even the whole plant causing severe destruction of their habitat, resulting in loss of species/populations and erosion of genetic diversity. The remaining few are cultivated as crop plants, but marginally because of lack of assured market and can be safely termed as commercially under utilized and are also under threat. Therefore, despite India being rich in plants species with medicinal properties, genetic diversity within the species and the associated traditional knowledge regarding their use, the lack of awareness regarding the loss of species and genetic diversity due to destructive harvesting from the wild and many other factors, such as infrastructure development, iintroduction of exotic species is causing depletion of genetic diversity or loss of indigenous MAPs.

7.1 Introduction The occurrence of different medicinal and aromatic plant species is often associated with a specific ecology and thereby, to a biogeographical or phytogeographical region of the Indian Subcontinent. The Indian Subcontinent is a confluence of at least two biogeographical realms, i.e., Palearctic or Palaearctic (Himalayas) and Oriental (Sino Indian- mainland India to much of insular the Southeast Asia). The most acknowledged classification of biogeographical zones was proposed by Udvardy (1975), which recognized 12 biogeographical provinces in India falling in these two realms. Based on varied climate, terrain, and faunistic information, Roger and Panwar (1988) tried to distinguish India into 10 distinct bio-geographical regions. Their classification did account for distribution of the plant-communities because they provided information about key components to identify the probable habitat for the presence of animals. An attempt for phytogeographical zonation, based on type of vegetation by Gadgil and Meher Homji (1990), distinguished 16 phytogeographical zones. Rodgers et al. (2002) further revised their biogeographical maps using geographical information system (GIS) techniques. They distinguished 10 biogeographical zones and 26 biotic provinces.

8.1 Introduction Considering increased awareness and interest in using herbal products because of their safer nature, the world market of traditional medicinal and aromatic plants is growing at a very fast pace. The global herbal industry is projected to be worth 5 trillion US$ by 2050 (the world bank report, 2000). These resources not only provide primary health care, but also nutraceutical support for wellness. Also, it has been experienced that they may help in curing some of the deadly and painful diseases such as cancer, HIV, AIDS, rheumatism, arthritis etc. India, due to its rich heritage in use of medicinal and aromatic plants under various traditional medicinal systems, which are important source of information about plant properties and use, can become a major player in the global context and can increase its market share substantially. To achieve this, an effective, efficient, and vibrant program is required to cover various aspects of management, research, and development.

Abhyanga: Full body massage with warm oil practiced by two medics who massage to let the warm oil into the tissues of the entire body. This helps loosen and facilitate the removal of accumulated ama (toxins) and the doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) from the body. Achara or Aachaar Rasayana (Behavioural therapy): A unique Ayurvedic concept of mind rejuvenation and to have a calm mind by disciplined training with equal consideration to physical, psychological, food and nutritional and behavioural patterns of an individual (advocated by Acharya Charaka). Agada Tantra: Toxicology, a branch of Ayurveda dealing with poisons. Agni: Digestive fire; universal principle, which refers to both metabolic activity and human vitality.