Released on: April 29, 2008, 4:10 am

Press Release Author: somuya

Industry: Healthcare

Press Release Summary: Arjuna Natural Extracts Awarded With A Three Year Contract
From Central Council For Research In Ayurveda & Siddha, Dept of Ayush, Ministry of
Health & Family Welfare, Government of India To Develop Pharmacopoeial Standards Of
Extracts Of Identified Medicinal Plants

Press Release Body: Arjuna Natural Extracts Limited, the Aluva based company has
added another feather in its cap. The company has been awarded with three year
contact to do a research on 15 different medicinal plants and develop pharmacopoeial
standards of extracts of these identified medicinal plants used in Ayurveda, Siddha
and Unani systems of Medicine. This contract has been awarded by the Ayurvedic
Pharmacopoeia Committee, Central Council for Research In Ayurveda and Siddha,
Department of Ayush, an Autonomous Organisation of Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, Government of India.

Mr. P J Kunjachan, Managing Director, Arjuna Natural Extracts said "This is a great
honour for our company as this is the first time any company in Kerala has been
assigned this research work. Interest and support for the conservation and
development of medicinal plants is increasing in all parts of the world. This is
due, in part, to a growing recognition given to the role of medicinal plants in the
provision of culturally relevant and affordable health care in creating sustainable
livelihoods and in the vital conservation of biodiversity. This has also drawn the
attention of the world community towards the need for creating mechanisms to ensure
sustained development of the sector and to allow sharing of information between
countries, organizations and agencies."

Mr. P J Kunjachan further said "As per World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates,
almost 80% of the population of developing countries relies on traditional
medicines, mostly plant drugs, for their primary health care needs. In fact it is
well known that even in developed countries, the use of traditional medicines is
quite prevalent. Also, modern pharmacopoeia still contains at least 25% drugs
derived from plants and many others which are synthetic analogues built on prototype
compounds isolated from plants. Demand for medicinal plants is increasing in both
developing and developed countries due to growing recognition of natural products
being non-narcotic, having no side-effects, easily available at affordable prices
and sometime the only source of health care available to the poor."

In India, medicinal plants sector has traditionally occupied an important position
in the socio cultural, spiritual and medicinal arena of rural and tribal lives.
Recognizing its importance, the Government of India established the Department of
Indian System of Medicine and Homoeopathy, and more recently the medicinal plants
Board to develop, promote and regulate the sector for maximizing the benefits to the
people as well as to ensure sustainable growth. Medicinal plants have been
identified as one of the thrust areas by the Ministry and different programmes have
been initiated for conservation of medicinal plants found in the forests and
protected areas as well as cultivation of these plants in the degraded forest areas.
Kerala has been at the forefront of ayurvedic revolution in the country, endowed
with rich biodiversity because of its natural topography comprising of all three
biomes - hills, plateaus and coasts. The state government has established R&D and
educational infrastructure for further developing the science of traditional
medicine, and also took the lead in promoting health tourism which has been equally
popular among Indian as well as foreign tourists.

Arjuna Natural Extracts Ltd, is a company operating in the field of production and
supply of spices and herbal extracts which is used as health food ingredients. With
a sophisticated Research and development centre, recognized by the Ministry of
Science and Technology, Arjuna Natural Extracts is a frontrunner as a supplier in
the overseas market in the sector. Today, the company is manufacturing and exporting
about 100 standardized spices and herbal extracts and is catering almost 250
satisfied customers in 43 countries around the globe. With 11 000 sq mtrs ( 118 000
sq feet ) of most modern facilities with high- end machinery at 5 different units
spread across the Southern India, the company has always had several firsts to its
credit and is always in the forefront.



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