Diseases and death have always co-existed with life; the study of diseases and their treatment must also have been contemporaneous with the dawn of human intellect. The relationship between man, plants and drugs derived from plants describes the history of mankind. Plants are important source of drugs. According to WHO estimate around 80% of the world’s 5.76 billion population in the developing world relies on herbal remedies for their basic health care needs. Many diseases are still untreated and a large number of synthetic medicines currently in use are known to possess adverse side effects. As a result, there is an increasing need for the development of so-called “alternative treatment by natural medicinal products”.

Since the majority of the population of Pakistan depends on indigenous system of medicine for the care of various human ailments, it is necessary that the efficacy of herbs prescribed by the Hakims should be tested in a scientific manner. Any biologically active non-toxic compound isolated in this project will have the potential of being used in the medical system. Hazara is the rich source of medicinal plants, but no positive work has been done so far from chemistry point of view. Medicinal plants have been used to cure various diseases since time immemorial. The preparation of the food stuff, coloring matters, fibers, toxins, medicines and stimulants are the example of the activities as old as mankind. Medicinal plants contain substances, which are known to modern and ancient civilization for their healing properties.

More recently, the pharmaceutical industry based many of their drugs on extracts obtained from herbal plants. Many of plants available in Pakistan are rich in their therapeutic properties and are used in folk medicine in the treatment of wide variety of disease. Some plants which are of vital importance have been fully exploited and their utilization in the pharmaceutical industry is well known but a great majority of them still remain untouched.

Focus Areas

• Plant derived natural products 
• Biological activities
• Computational Studies
• Phytoremediation
• Molecular docking