Introductory Chapter: Traditional and Complementary Medicine

Journal of evidence-based complementary & alternative medicine, 2014

Medicinal plants have an unbelievable history in terms of serving humanity in almost all continents of the world. Traditional healers have transferred that incredible knowledge from generation to generation. Even modernity or cultural revolutions have not altered the in-depth wisdom of this natural medical paradigm. Pharmacological rationale in light of traditional uses followed by phytochemical studies could surely bring a new revolution in the treatment of diseases.

African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicines, 2015

Background: The documentation and phytochemical screening of medicinal plants has been an important way over the years for the discovery of new drugs and pharmaceutical products. Bandipora, one of the northern districts of Kashmir, India, is rich in ethnic and biological diversity. Owing to increasing demand and subsequent pressure on medicinal plants, it is highly imperative to document their traditional uses, understand their distribution and diversity, and highlight their availability in their natural habitats. To this end, the present study was carried out to elicit a firsthand wealth of information on the traditional medicinal uses of plants practiced by the local populace of this remote district. Material and Methods: Frequent field trips and plant collections were made between March 2011 to October 2012 and the methods used to gather ethnomedicinal data included semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and walk-in-the-woods with local knowledgeable elders, traditional practitioners (Bhoeris) and tribals (Gujjars and Bakkerwals). The collected data was analyzed with three quantitative tools viz. the informant consensus factor (F ic), fidelity level (FL) and use value (UV). Results: A total of 131 plant species belonging to 120 genera and 59 different families were found to be used as remedies for curing various human and livestock ailments. Out of 131 species, angiosperms comprised the highest number (124 species) followed by pteridophytes (4 species) and gymnosperms (3 species). Two dominant families were Asteraceae (16 species) and Lamiaceae (9 species). The highest informant's consensus factor (F ic) value was 0.95 for insect stings, followed by dermatological, hair ailments, anticancer/tumor (0.90 each), which indicated best agreement among informant knowledge on medicinal plant used to treat ailments in these categories while the lowest F ic value of liver disorders and fever (0.63 each) indicated less agreement among informant knowledge on medicinal plant used to treat ailments in these categories. The 100% FL was expressed by 6 plant species for dermatological disorders followed by 3, 1, 1, 1 and 1 for mouth ailments, cardiovascular, joint ailments, gastrointestinal and insect stings category respectively. Use value was high for Artemisia absinthium (0.70), Cannabis sativa and Saussurea costus (0.47 each), Calendula officinalis (0.45) and Taraxacum officinale (0.39). The lowest use value was calculated for Ranunculus arvensis (0.01), with only three people reported the utility. Conclusion: Since drug discovery from medicinal plants continues to provide new and important leads against various pharmacological targets, an effort to collect medicinal plants and their associated traditional knowledge could serve an important tool for the discovery new potent compounds because if the documented plants are subjected to thorough phytochemical and pharmacological investigations, new potent leads against various pharmacological targets could definitely be discovered as there is no doubt that botanic gems are still found in the world.

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2007

Herbal medicine is the use of medicinal plants for prevention and treatment of diseases: it ranges from traditional and popular medicines of every country to the use of standardized and tritated herbal extracts. Generally cultural rootedness enduring and widespread use in a Traditional Medical System may indicate safety, but not efficacy of treatments, especially in herbal medicine where tradition is almost completely based on remedies containing active principles at very low and ultra low concentrations, or relying on magical-energetic principles. In the age of globalization and of the so-called 'plate world', assessing the 'transferability' of treatments between different cultures is not a relevant goal for clinical research, while are the assessment of efficacy and safety that should be based on the regular patterns of mainstream clinical medicine. The other black box of herbal-based treatments is the lack of definite and complete information about the composition of extracts. Herbal derived remedies need a powerful and deep assessment of their pharmacological qualities and safety that actually can be realized by new biologic technologies like pharmacogenomic, metabolomic and microarray methology. Because of the large and growing use of natural derived substances in all over the world, it is not wise to rely also on the tradition or supposed millenarian beliefs; explanatory and pragmatic studies are useful and should be considered complementary in the acquisition of reliable data both for health caregiver and patients.

isara solutions, 2011

India has a rich culture of restorative herbs and spices, which incorporates about in excess of 2000 species and has a tremendous land region with high potential capacities for Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha conventional meds however without a doubt, not many have been read artificially and pharmacologically for their potential therapeutic worth (Gupta et al., 2005; Sandhu and Heinrich, 2005). People have utilized plants for the treatment of various diseases for a great many years (Sofowara, 1982; Hill, 1989). As indicated by the World Health Organization, most populaces still depend on conventional meds for their mental and physical wellbeing prerequisites (Rabe and Van Stoden, 2000), since they can't bear the cost of the results of Western pharmaceutical businesses (Salie et al., 1996), together with their symptoms and absence of medicinal services offices (Griggs et al., 2001). Provincial zones of many creating nations still depend on customary drug for their essential medicinal services needs and have discovered a spot in everyday life. These drugs are generally more secure and less expensive than manufactured or current medication (Iwu et al., 1999; Idu et al., 2007; Mann et al., 2008; Ammara et al., 2009). Individuals living in rustic regions from their own experience realize that these customary cures are important wellspring of characteristic items to keep up human wellbeing, yet they may not comprehend the science behind these medications, however realized that some restorative plants are exceptionally powerful just when utilized at helpful dosages (Maheshwari et al., 1986; Van Wyk et al., 2000).

A truncated history of the contribution of plants to medicine is given with reference to some of the less well known ancestors of the Harborne family. Six of the top 20 prescriptions dispensed in 1996 were natural products and the clinical use of drugs such as artemisinin, etoposide and taxol has once more focussed attention on plants as sources of novel drug entities. High through-put robotic screens have been developed by industry and it is possible to carry out 50,000 tests per day in the search for compounds which have speci®city of action against a key enzyme or a subset of receptors. Bioassay-guided fractionation of plant extracts linked to chromatographic separation techniques leads to the isolation of biologically active molecules whose chemical structures can readily be determined by modern spectroscopic methods. The role of academics in the search for new drugs is discussed by reference to some of our research into natural products with activity on the central nervous system, on pain receptors, the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, the wound healing properties of the sap of species of Croton (Dragon's blood), and a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat eczema. Expertise in phytochemistry has been essential for this research and the strong lead shown by Professor Jerey Harborne is gratefully acknowledged. #

e-book/paperback, 2019

The use of herbal medicinal products and supplements has increased tremendously over the past three decades with not less than 80% of people worldwide relying on them for some part of primary healthcare. This past decade has obviously witnessed a tremendous surge in acceptance and public interest in natural therapies both in developing and developed countries, with these herbal remedies being available not only in drug stores, but now also in food stores and supermarkets. The use of herbal remedies has also been widely embraced in many developed countries with complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) now becoming mainstream in the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as in North America and Australia. In the developed countries, the most important among many other reasons for seeking herbal therapy is the belief that it will promote healthier living. Herbal medicines are, therefore, often viewed as a balanced and moderate approach to healing and individuals who use them as home remedies and over-thecounter drugs spend huge amount of money (in excess of billions of dollars) on herbal products. As the global use of herbal medicinal products continues to grow and many more new products are introduced into the market, public health issues, and concerns surrounding their safety are also increasingly recognized. Although some herbal medicines have promising potential and are widely used, many of them remain untested and their use also not monitored. This makes knowledge of their potential adverse effects very limited and identification of the safest and most effective therapies as well as the promotion of their rational use more difficult. It is also common knowledge that the safety of most herbal products is further compromised by lack of suitable quality controls, inadequate labeling, and the absence of appropriate patient information. It has become essential, therefore, to furnish the general public including healthcare professionals with adequate information to facilitate better understanding of the risks associated with the use of these products and to ensure that all medicines are safe and of suitable quality. ISBN: 978-1-53615-892-2 Available in: https://novapublishers.com/shop/nature-and-nutrition-a-new-era-of-therapeutic-herbs/

2020

Herbal plants play an unprecedented role in preventing and treating of human diseases. For many years, people have been using medicinal plants in traditional medicine. Human civilization around the world have been associated with plants, however, plants are known as a rich source of phytochemical compounds that enable it to have a medicinal value. In the development of herbal and conventional drugs, medicinal plants are potential sources. In the 21 century, medicinal plants have been considered due to its pharmacological effects as a promising drug for the management of diverse health implication. The resurgence of interest to discover medicinal plants as a potential source of new drug has become imperative. Even though synthetic drugs are gaining ground in the healthcare system all over the world, however, available evidences suggest that nature will be a pointer for drug discovery. Hence, there is a need to understand and discover the knowledge of medicinal plants as a rich source...

Journal of Natural Products, 2012

Paradigm shifts in the strategies and the sciences that would enhance the quality, safety, and efficacy of traditional medicines and dietary supplements in global health care are discussed. Some of the challenges facing traditional medicine in health care are described, and the importance of defining clear goals and directions for the information systems, botany, chemistry, and biology related to plants and health care, including for drug discovery and quality control, is indicated.

Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, 2020

Medicinal plants have been discovered in Indian medical practices to control many human diseases since prehistoric times. Plants synthesise numerous chemical compounds which acts as defence mechanism against insects, fungi, diseases and herbivorous mammals. Medicinal plants have been known to be an important potential source of therapeutics or curative aids. The use of medicinal plants has attained a commanding role in health system all over the world. This involves the use of medicinal plants not only for the treatment of diseases but also as potential material for maintaining good health and conditions. Many countries in the world, that is, two-third of the world’s population, rely on herbal based medicine for primary health care because of cultural acceptability, compatibility and adaptability with the human body and possess zero-side effects. Since past, remedy drugs were prepared from plant extracts to combat the chronic disease worldwide.

Open Journal of Plant Science, 2019

The knowledge base of pharmacy medicine is changing. Even fi ve decades ago rural people used to visit kobiraj doctors for traditional medication mostly obtained from the roots and leaves of the remote plants (As seen in old dramas and movies). During 70's to 8o', a modern allopathy system taken over most of it and plant medicines were completely became obsolete. However, the Bangladeshi traditional medicine is a unique conglomerate of different ethnomedical infl uences. Due to the geographic location and sociocultural characteristics of the country, it involves traditionally rooted elements infl uenced by local indigenous people and close-by Indian Ayurveda and Unani medicine. Given its inexpensive, easily accessible and well-established health services, the use of traditional medicine is an integral part of public health services in Bangladesh with its providers being deeply embedded within the local community. Recent data suggest that the utilization of traditional medicine health services in Bangladesh is widespread and plays a crucial role in providing health care for poor people, people in rural areas and for tribal people Purpose of the study: An illustrated review of traditional Bangladeshi plants, their nature and their pharmacological use Findings: A careful use of these plants can bring dramatic changes in the history of medicine, on the contrary abuse/misuse is just waste of money and also creates potential health hazards. The emerging use of plant derived medicines should have a proper quality control and system control of sales, distribution and use through strict vigilance. A comprehensive literature review, consulting books, technical newsletters, newspapers, journals, and many other sources are done with this review. Health professionals like qualifi ed doctors, chemists, company professionals have given their useful suggestions. A few folk healers' shops are also visited to see the real situation includes their sales policy, misleading claims without valid references. Pharma company representatives are also interviewed who are selling herb medicines as white-collar business. Few students of mine helped me by their feedback from previous experiences in visiting rural areas and use of folk medicine there. The article comprises both plant medicine and plants used for pleasure by general people.

Modern Phytomedicine, 2006

Herbs and herbal preparations have been used to treat ailments throughout the history of humanity. A World Health Organization (WHO) survey has reported that about 70-80% of the world's population rely chiefly on traditional medicines, mainly of herbal sources, in their primary health care. Towards the end of the twentieth century herbal medicine became more mainstream throughout the world, partly as a result of the recognition of the value of traditional medicinal systems, particularly of Asian origin. We have also seen an increase in the popularity and use of natural remedies in developed countries, including herbs, herbal medicines, over-the-counter health foods, neutraceuticals, harbal medicinal products.

CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2012

The research unit of Pharmacognosy is mostly working on the biological activity and safety of natural products, as well as herbal dietary supplements. One of the focuses relies on finding new cancer chemopreventive compounds by means of a battery of short-term in vitro bioassays developed to monitor inhibition of tumorigenesis at various stages. Neglected diseases are a major problem in developing countries. Therefore, the search for new or improved treatments is also needed and consists of another area of research of the unit. For both projects, in-depth mechanistic studies, as well as in vitro and in vivo absorption and metabolization experiments are performed. Problems related to undeclared, unauthorized or toxic botanicals in herbal dietary supplements are of growing importance as they generally have not gone through a rigorous drug testing process as for therapeutic phytochemicals. For this, a generic method was developed for the multi-targeted screening of biomarkers which aims at characterizing plant species in these supplements.

There is no existence of life without plants. Plants are the essential foundation of medicine. Some important drugs that are still in use today are derived from traditional medicinal herbs. The hunt for new medicines has engaged ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology—a new route as an important source of knowledge, which led toward different sources and classes of compounds. Nowadays, studies on structure-activity relationships , and their impact on the design of novel drugs have rendered them one of the utmost valuable and thus significant accomplishments of pharmacochemistry, an advance constituent in the group of pharmaceutical sciences. In this paper, we have discussed the historical importance of medicinal plants, geographical importance throughout the world, some important historical observations of medicinal plants, and leading drugs of plant origin which are still being used to treat various ailments, with or without any structural modifications.

Medicinal plants are the principal health care resources for the majority of people all over the world. The healing properties of herbal medicines have been recognized in many ancient cultures. The traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani are part of a time-tested culture and honored by people still today. Pharmaceutical importance of plants has led to the discovery and adoption of plant extracts which were commonly used in traditional medicine, as alternative source of remedy. A vast diversity of herbal ingredients, major proportion of which is derived from wild, provide the resource base to the herbal industry. Despite the increasing use of medicinal plants, their future, seemingly, is being threatened by complacency concerning their conservation. Global demand for herbal medicines is accompanied by dwindling supply of medicinal plants due to over-harvesting, habitat loss and agricultural encroachment. As millions of rural households use plants for self-medication community involvement in monitoring use and status of medicinal plants can contribute to effective strategies for their sustainable use. INTRODUCTION Human life and knowledge of preserving it as a going concern must have come into being almost simultaneously. All known cultures of the past-Egyptian, Babylonian, Jewish, Chinese, Indus-valley etc. had their own glorious and useful systems of medicine and health care. Herbal medicines also called botanical medicines or phytomedicines, refer to the use of any plant seed, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flower for medicinal purpose. Early herbalists believed that the plant part resembling any part of human body was considered useful for the ailments of those parts, and there is no part of body without its corresponding herb, a hypothesis known as the, " Doctrine of Signature " (Baquar, 2001). The economic significance of medicinal plants stems from the fact that the number of patients suffering from chronic ailments is on the rise and drugs from medicinal plants are proving to be more effective in treating such disorders (Deshpande et al., 2006).

Plant Medicines. Symposia of submitted papers at Breaking Convention: 5th International Conference on Psychedelic Consciousness, 16th-18th August, 2019, University of Greenwich, London. . - Chair: David Luke Friday 16th August 09:30 The Mythical Medicinal Story of Fly Agaric Fiona Heckels & Karen Lawton (Seed SistAs) 10:00 An Unwatched Pot Never Boils Zachary Bellman 10:30 Chemical Composition of “Ayahuasca” Helle Kaasic