Print — medicinal-plants-bhutan — BhutanWiki

The Kingdom of Bhutan harbours one of the richest and most diverse assemblages of medicinal plants in the Eastern Himalayas. Spanning altitudinal zones from subtropical forests at 150 metres to alpine meadows above 5,000 metres, the country's varied ecosystems support an estimated 5,600 plant species, of which several hundred have documented medicinal uses. These plants form the material basis of Bhutan's traditional medicine system, known as Sowa Rigpa (Tibetan: "the science of healing"), a scholarly medical tradition rooted in Buddhist philosophy and Tibetan medical theory that has been practised in the region for centuries.^[1]

Bhutanese Sowa Rigpa was formally integrated into the modern healthcare system in 1967 and today operates through three principal institutions: the Faculty of Traditional Medicine (FoTM) for education, the Department of Traditional Medicine (DTM) for clinical service delivery through 65 hospitals and health units across the country, and Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals (MSP) for drug manufacture. The system produces more than 100 poly-ingredient formulations from over 200 plant, mineral, and animal ingredients under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, and traditional medicine services are provided free of charge to all citizens alongside modern medicine.^[2]

Sowa Rigpa: Theoretical Framework

Sowa Rigpa is based on the theory of three nyepa (humours) — rLung (wind), mKhris-pa (bile), and Bad-kan (phlegm) — whose balance determines health and whose imbalance causes disease. The pharmacopoeia classifies medicinal substances according to their taste (ro), potency (nus-pa), and post-digestive effect (zhu-rjes), a system codified in the foundational text rGyud-bZhi (the Four Tantras) and elaborated in numerous commentaries over the centuries. Bhutanese practitioners (drungtsho and sman-pa) diagnose through pulse reading, urine analysis, and patient interview, and prescribe complex multi-ingredient formulations tailored to individual constitutional types.^[1]

Key Medicinal Plant Species

Selected Medicinal Plants of Bhutan

Plant	Sowa Rigpa / Local Name	Habitat Zone	Traditional Uses
Ophiocordyceps sinensis	Yartsa gunbu	Alpine (3,500-5,000m)	Vitality enhancement, aphrodisiac, lung and kidney tonification; documented since the 15th century by physician Zurkhar Nyamnyi Dorje
Gentiana spp.	Tikta / Gang-ga-chung	Alpine and subalpine	Fever, liver disorders, digestive ailments; among the most species-rich medicinal genera in Bhutan (4+ species documented)
Artemisia spp.	mKhan-pa	Temperate to subalpine	Anti-parasitic, digestive disorders, fever; used in incense and moxibustion
Rheum spp. (rhubarb)	Chu-rtsa	Alpine meadows	Digestive complaints, constipation, blood purification; roots dried and powdered
Pedicularis spp.	Lug-ru ser-po	Alpine (3,800-5,000m)	Kidney and urinary disorders, bone health; one of the most species-rich medicinal genera alongside Gentiana
Nardostachys jatamansi	Pang-po	Subalpine (3,000-5,000m)	Neurological conditions, insomnia, anxiety; aromatic rhizome used in formulations
Aconitum spp.	Bong-nga	Alpine and subalpine	Anti-inflammatory, pain relief; requires careful detoxification processing due to toxicity
Aster flaccidus	-	Alpine meadows	Used in multiple traditional formulations; subject of recent pharmacognosy research at Menjong Sorig

Harvesting, Preparation, and Formulation

The collection of medicinal plants in Bhutan follows seasonal and ecological protocols rooted in both traditional knowledge and modern conservation science. Most alpine species are collected during the summer months (June to August) when plants are in flower or fruit, as this is when their medicinal properties are considered to be at their peak. Collectors, often community members trained in species identification, gather plant materials according to traditional guidelines that specify which parts to collect (roots, leaves, flowers, seeds, or bark), the appropriate growth stage, and the time of day for harvesting.^[3]

Post-harvest processing is critical. Raw plant materials undergo drying (sun-drying or shade-drying depending on the species), cleaning, and in some cases detoxification. Species such as Aconitum, which contain toxic alkaloids, require elaborate multi-step detoxification procedures before they can be safely incorporated into formulations. At Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals, processed ingredients are combined into poly-ingredient formulations — typically in the form of pills (rilbu), powders (phye-ma), or decoctions (thang) — following recipes codified in traditional pharmacopoeias.^[4]

Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals

Menjong Sorig Pharmaceuticals Corporation Limited (MSPCL), established in 1998, is Bhutan's only state-owned pharmaceutical company dedicated to the manufacture of traditional medicines. The facility produces more than 100 poly-ingredient formulations using plant, mineral, and animal ingredients sourced from across Bhutan's ecological zones. Of these, 12 priority plant species sourced from alpine regions are used in 48 different medicines. Production follows Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards, and the company has invested in quality control infrastructure including chemical analysis and microbiology laboratories. Traditional medicines manufactured by MSP are distributed free of charge through the national healthcare system.^[5]

Research and Documentation

Ethnobotanical research in Bhutan has documented the diversity, distribution, and uses of medicinal plants across multiple ecological zones. A study of the Dagala region documented 50 alpine medicinal plants belonging to 25 families and 39 genera across 13 study sites between Merak and Sakteng. The genera Gentiana and Pedicularis ranked highest, each containing four species in the study area. Integrated research combining Sowa Rigpa concepts with modern botanical identification and pharmacological analysis has been published in international journals, contributing to the scientific validation of traditional uses.^[3]

Research at the subtropical level has also documented significant medicinal plant diversity. A study of the Lower Kheng region identified numerous species used in both formal Sowa Rigpa practice and informal community healing traditions, highlighting that the full scope of Bhutanese ethnomedical knowledge extends well beyond the codified pharmacopoeia.^[6]

Conservation Challenges

The conservation of medicinal plants in Bhutan faces several interconnected challenges. Overharvesting of high-value species, particularly Ophiocordyceps sinensis, is a significant concern, driven by rising international demand and prices. Climate change threatens to shift the altitudinal ranges of alpine species, potentially reducing suitable habitat. Land-use change, including road construction and expansion of agricultural areas, affects lowland and mid-altitude species. The National Biodiversity Centre of Bhutan plays a central role in conservation research and policy, including the protection of traditional knowledge and intellectual property rights. Notably, some community-held oral traditions regarding medicinal plant use have been deliberately kept out of the public domain to protect intellectual property rights.^[3]

Bhutan's constitutional mandate to maintain a minimum of 60 per cent forest cover, combined with the extensive protected area network covering more than 51 per cent of the country, provides a strong baseline for in situ conservation of medicinal plants. However, targeted conservation strategies for specific high-value and threatened species remain an area requiring further development.

Medicinal Plants of Bhutan