199-207Discovery of a
new drug is time consuming and laborious process. Natural products have long
been a thriving source for the discovery of new drugs due to their chemical
diversity and ability to act on various biological targets. The phytochemical
exploration of indigeneous flora has contributed to some extent in this race
for the discovery of new drugs. The traditional Indian systems of medicine has
been a part of our lifestyle since ages and the classical texts like Ayurveda
and Charak Samhita have served as materia medica for this purpose. This review
focuses on the contributions made from India in the drug discovery and
development process and provides future directions in the area