Medicinal plants

Medicinal plants, also known as medicinal herbs, have been used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for functions including defense against insects, fungi, diseases, and herbivorous mammals.

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Usage and Benefits

Benjamin Rush Medicinal Plant Garden - IMG 7245

Different parts of plants, including the leaves, roots, stems, flowers, and seeds, are used for medicinal purposes. These plants are used as traditional medicines, herbal supplements, or sources for active ingredients for pharmaceutical drugs.

Some Examples

• Digitalis purpurea (foxglove) - This plant is used to prepare digoxin, a medication used to treat various heart conditions.
• Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) - The plant is the source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer.
• Papaver somniferum (opium poppy) - This is the main source of morphine, widely used in pain management.

Safety and Regulation

While many medicinal plants have beneficial health effects, they can also have dangerous side effects and interact with other drugs. Therefore, they must be used under the supervision of a health care professional. In many countries, medicinal plants and their products are regulated by government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States.

Summary

Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesise hundreds of chemical compounds for functions including defence against insects, fungi, diseases, and herbivorous mammals. Numerous phytochemicals with potential or established biological activity have been identified. However, since a single plant contains widely diverse phytochemicals, the effects of using a whole plant as medicine are uncertain. Further, the phytochemical content and pharmacological actions, if any, of many plants having medicinal potential remain unassessed by rigorous scientific research to define efficacy and safety.

See Also

• Pharmacognosy
• Traditional medicine
• Herbalism

Medicinal plants Resources
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