**9. Conclusion**

This chapter has provided an overview of trends and conditions relating to medicinal plants, their production, markets and malpractices. It is never possible to include each and every detail, data and analysis related to medicinal plants in a single chapter. Thus, the chapter is initial effort to increase awareness of both the potentials and problems associated with medicinal plants and its industry. Substitution of herbs can never be eliminated as with more and more dependence on ASU drugs, more than 300 medicinal plants have become red listed. So, in order to achieve constant supply of botanical drugs, experts must find suitable substitute in a regulated manner. Substitution in a well-defined manner may provide a greater scope for the physicians to utilize herbs that are easily available, cost effective and most appropriate for the clinical condition. The need of substitution should always be separated with the intention to substitute and adulterate in order to make more profits. Not all adulterations are intentional. Sometimes it is the lack of awareness of the suppliers about the spurious materials, their toxic effects, confusion in name, non-availability and lack of knowledge about authentic plant may also result in adulteration and substitution. WHO, in its publication on quality standards for medicinal plant materials, recommends rejecting any batch of raw material, which has more than 5% of any other plant part of the same plant (e.g. stem in leaf drugs), never the less if they are derived from the authentic plant. Based on these standards, adulteration whether, intentional or unintentional, should be rejected. In order to

detect such adulterations, technologies have a crucial role to play. The detection of chemical markers is always a good choice in such cases. According to EMEA these chemical markers have nothing to do with the therapeutic activity of the drug; they help in chemical fingerprinting of the botanicals to authenticate its source. Nowadays, Ayurvedic drug industries follow high quality standards using modern techniques and instruments to maintain their quality. Thus, suppliers and traders should also be educated about these parameters to avoid any chance adulteration. Beside all these, there should be strict regulatory laws to govern the quality standards and trade in medicinal flora. Whenever there is any fraud or illegal practice, Forensic Science has always a role to play. Herbal drugs forensic is that only branch of Forensic Science that deals with all such issues.

*'We can't talk about our own health without understanding our place in our environment, because in order to fulfil our potential we have to live in the context of our surroundings. We have to know our place in the ecosystem of which we are a part, and this means living 'consciously': being aware of nature and how it affects us and how we, in turn, affect nature'.*

A quote from Sebastian Pole's 'Discovering the True You with Ayurveda: How to Nourish, Rejuvenate, and Transform Your Life', very well explains the importance of awareness, be it our surrounding, our body, our food or our medicine. Therefore, Herbal drug forensics is one of the most significant emerging fields of forensic science.
