If you believe herbal medicines are your panacea for every ailment, you might want to think again! A new study has pointed out rampant adulteration and mix-up of plants being traded for the preparation of herbal medicines in India. This trend, the researchers say, might make the medicines unsafe and inefficient for the purposes they are taken for. Lack of quality assurance and regulations in the trade are the reasons behind this, say the researchers.
The study from IISc found a previously unidentified yeast-like symbiont inside the lac insect Kerria lacca, which gives the insect its distinctive red colour and, may also provide other nutrients in return for shelter.