Indian Standard for <i>Alfalfa</i> (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.)

Traditional systems of medicine remain integral to global healthcare, yet variability in herbal raw materials has long challenged their scientific validation and regulatory acceptance. Differences in environmental conditions, harvesting, processing and formulation techniques significantly influence the herb's phytochemical composition, potency, and therapeutic outcomes. Standardisation is therefore essential to ensure safety, efficacy, reproducibility, and regulatory credibility. In this context, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has developed Indian Standards for medicinal plants and homoeopathic preparations. This article presents an overview of IS 18978:2024, Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) for Use in Traditional Medicine—Specification, and IS 19135:2025, Alfalfa Hydro-alcoholic Extract for Use in Homoeopathy—Specification. These standards establish comprehensive benchmarks for botanical identity, pharmacognostic characterisation, physicochemical parameters, chromatographic profiling, phytochemical identification, microbial limits, contaminant control, and regulated preparation of the Alfalfa mother tincture (IS 19135) prepared from Medicago sativa L. (IS 18978). By integrating classical pharmacognostic knowledge with modern analytical, microbiological, and regulatory requirements, the standards provide a structured quality framework for manufacturers, researchers, clinicians, and educators. Collectively, they strengthen the safety, consistency, traceability, and global credibility of Alfalfa-based homoeopathic formulations and serve as a model for future herbal drug standardisation initiatives.