Healing using medicinal plants is an ancient practice that is as old as man himself. The relationship between mankind and his search for drugs from the environment dates many years back (Wiart, 2006). There is a lot of evidence on this preserved in different forms such as written materials, monuments and in some cases preserved plant medicines. The use of plants that are of medicinal value is as a consequence of a long period of struggle against diseases. Because of this man used learned to look for drugs in plant barks, seeds, roots and other parts of the plants.
Plants that have therapeutic substances or properties that have positive pharmacological impacts on human are known as medicinal plants. Medicinal plants have the innate ability to make and store some secondary metabolites that possess healing properties. Such metabolites include quinines, alkaloids and cyanogenics. Old Chinese and Egyptian literature show that plants were used as medicines in the past. Indigenous cultures such as the Africans used herbs derived from plant parts for healing while others came up with traditional medicine systems based on plant sources (Rieder, 2010). Research shows that individuals from varying parts of the globe happened to use similar plants for the same diseases.
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Approximately more than 30% of the known plant species were at one time used for healing purposes. Scholars in ancient times believed that plants were the only way to treat a number of illnesses. The scholars conducted extensive research about the plants, carried out experiments in order to guarantee the efficacy of the plants medicinal value (Gonzalez-stuart et al., 2002). That is why most of the drugs they made from plants were free of contraindications. This has contributed to the increasing use of herbal medicines made from plants around the world. They contain medicinal value that gives rational ways for curing many internal ailments that otherwise is seen as hard to cure.
Plants such as Aloe Vera, Neem plant, ginger, turmeric etc are known to cure several illnesses. They are viewed as home remedies for common illnesses around the world (Rieder, 2010). Many people use Basil also known as Tulsi in making drugs. In addition, some plants are known to contain nutritional value that is beneficial to human health. Their nutritional value contribute to the overall health of an individual when consumes. The nutrients they offer are considered to be natural and unaltered. Such plants include green tea, pepper, ginger etc. derivatives of some plants are used as active components of some products such as toothpaste and aspirin.
Methods for preparing medicines for common illnesses such as diarrhea, hypertension, fevers etc are effectively given by traditional medicine experts. Therefore, medicinal plants have given human beings a number of able drugs that help alleviate some diseases and reduce suffering as a result of illnesses despite the increase of synthetic medicines (Wiart, 2006). This has created an urgent need to develop drugs that are safe for both people and the surroundings in the treatment of diseases. Some current studies describe plants as important sources of medicines both in isolated ingredients and in crude forms. Modern drugs combined with traditional medicine are currently being used in treatment in areas such as Africa, Europe and Asia. Because of the different results of medicinal plants, plant products use has increased all over the world because of the belief that they are free from adverse health effects.
As time went by, the reasons for the use of certain plants for medicinal purposes for specific diseases were discovered through research. The use of these plants deviated away from the empirical method and was based on explicatory facts. Before the coming up of iatrochemistry, plants were the major source of drugs used for treatment of human beings. Nonetheless, due to the reducing efficiency of the modern synthetic medicines and their side effects, the use of natural drugs from plants is rising again.
The botanical knowledge that indigenous people possess has led to the development of ancient methods of medicine (Wiart, 2006). These systems include Ayurvedic, African, Chinese and several other traditional methods of medicine. According to Norman Farnsworth, there are approximately 89 drugs in the pharmaceutical world that are derived from plants and they were identified by an analysis of traditional medicine. According to the WHO, many people still use traditional medicines made from plant parts for health purposes. In addition, many rural parts in developing countries also rely on medicinal plants for health care needs.
Modern day science has verified their active action and some of them are processed and used in contemporary medicine. This knowledge of the use of medicinal plants and the evolution of their awareness has helped medical experts to handle challenges that when offering their services to humanity ( Gonzalez-Stuart et. al, 2002). At the beginning of the use of medicines from plants, the practice was instinctive. This is because there was no adequate information on the causes of most illnesses or which plant could be used to cure the illnesses. The practice was based on mere experience only.
In conclusion, treating diseases using plants that have medicinal components is an old practice that has continued over the years to date. The use of drugs derived from these plants has helped alleviate diseases and helped in saving lives of many. Therefore, these plants have influenced human life in a positive way by helping eradicating illnesses that cause human suffering. Present day science has also acknowledged the impact of active ingredients of plant origin in contemporary medicine.
References
González-Stuart, A. E., Dhan, P., & Charu, G. (n.d.). Phytochemistry of plants used in traditional medicine. Phytochemicals of Nutraceutical Importance, 288-309. doi:10.1079/9781780643632.0288
Rieder, A. (2010). Plants used in popular medicine for treatment of infectious diseases in Central South America. Planta Medica,76 (12). doi:10.1055/s-0030-1264758
Wiart, C. (2006). Medicinal Plants of the Asia-Pacific - Drugs for the Future? doi:10.1142/9789812707260
