How a Herbal Medicine Is Made

All Himalaya herbal formulations have their roots in classical Ayurvedic texts. A team of botanists and Ayurvedic experts at our Research and Development Centre reviews these scientific texts and shortlists suitable herbs for further research. Himalaya's phytochemists study geographical and seasonal variations in the herbs' marker profiles. Phytochemical profiling is established across different seasons and geographical locations to ensure batch-to-batch consistency, good quality and standardisation. Herb quality is further maintained through cultivation under the supervision of agricultural scientists, or through sustainable collection and harvesting under trained botanists for wild-sourced herbs. The herbs must then pass rigorous quality checks against internal specifications defined by our scientists.

Himalaya's scientists have adopted bioassay-guided fractionation and purification technology to identify active fractions. This ensures that the herbal formulation is standardised and contains the required levels of bioactive compounds to produce a pharmacological response. This technology is used in innovative treatments for conditions including cancer, diabetes and depression, as well as specialist products in skincare, oral care and haircare.

Super Critical Fluid (SCF) extraction, a rapidly developing technology for extracting herbal materials, is used to extract beneficial bioactive compounds. This ensures that herbal formulations are free from solvent residues while delivering safe and effective products.

Extracts from a single herb or a combination of herbs are initially tested in disease cell-line models to assess efficacy. Once efficacy is confirmed, these extracts undergo rigorous toxicity and mutagenicity testing to ensure that human studies are safe. The extracts are formulated into the desired dosage forms, including capsules, tablets, capsules, syrups and drops, and then enter human clinical trials. All clinical trials follow Indian and international standards for human research.