Ubiquitous Microbial Disorders of Medicinal Plants and Potential Management of such Phytopathogens

Shamayita Basu1*, Anirudh Modak2, and Sneha Chaklader3
Page No. 12-24

Medicinal plants are known as traditional healers, since ancient times. India has been bestowed with many diversified groups of medicinal plants accounting for approximately 8000 species being used in over 10,000 herbal products. Commercial gardening began as a single way of assessing for the conservation of these valuable plant species, which unknowingly introduced the complexity of many pests and diseases, resulting in crop forfeiture of varying magnitudes. The gravity of medicinal plants has been escalating day by day. Traditional medicine, in the recent years, has made a resurgence for many different reasons together with toxicity and side effects of contemporary synthetic drugs, expansion of multiple drug resistant microbes, and also the inaptitude of modern medicine for locating effective healing procedures for various diseases. Over 70% of the population of developing world currently relies on the traditional medicinal structure, also known as alternative or complementary system of medicine. Medicinal plants are being more widely employed in healthcare organizations, whereas chemical pest management and disease management strategies are becoming obsolete. Among the various microbes, viruses are immensely responsible for causing diseases in medicinal plants. This chapter imparts comprehensive information regarding the family, morphology, pharmacological profile, distribution, active constituents and symptoms of the viral infections among the medicinal plants reported in various parts of India. The analysis of these viral diseases will authorize developing effective mechanisms for safeguarding medicinal plants and maintaining the standard of the fresh materials for pharmaceuticals.
Key words: pests, infection, medicine, microbes, traditional healers, toxicity, pest management.