Medicinal plants are used commercially, thanks to contributions of traditional cultures

worldwide and modern medicine.

Without plants, most medicines you take would not exist. Over 40% of medicines now
prescribed in the U.S. contain chemicals derived from plants. Historically, plant
medicines were discovered by trial and error. Our ancestors noticed that aches and pains
went away when they drank tea made from the bark of a willow tree. Later, scientists
found that willow bark contains salicylic acid, the active ingredient in aspirin.
This process continues today. Throughout the world, including the wild places in the
U.S., botanists and chemists search the plant kingdom for new medicines. They
sometimes find treasures in other people's trash. For years, the native Pacific yew was
burned as trash generated by logging operations in the Pacific Northwest. In 1975, a
substance in its bark, taxol, was found to reduce the production of cancerous tumors.
A comprehensive search of known plants for medicinal chemicals is an enormous task.
Of the estimated 250,000 plant species on earth, only 2% have been thoroughly
screened for chemicals with potential medicinal use. Because native plant habitats are
destroyed almost daily, many medicinally valuable plants will be gone before scientists
can even investigate them.
Plant power!
Before there were antibiotics, painkillers, insect spray or Band-Aids there were plants.
Through the ages, people have found ways to use plants to meet all kinds of needs. The
process continues today. Lets look at some examples:

Natures cough medicine
Mullein plants grow in pastures and on rocky slopes on North America. Their flowers
contain an oil to treat coughs and earaches. Their large soft leave may have been used as
an early toilet paper.

Natures Band-Aid
The low-growing pion pine tree can be found in the southwestern United States and
northern Mexico. The sap from the bark is a natural antiseptic used to clean and seal
open wounds. When warmed, oils from its seeds soothe and heal sores.


A Thirsty Plant
Imagine a powder so thirsty that one teaspoon can absorb a gallon of water. Thats
Super Slurper. The United States Department of Agriculture says that when wet, one
flake of this corn based product can absorb more than 2000 times its weight- making it
perfect for diapers, bandages, and cleaning cloths.

A Natural Painkiller
Native Americans used the root of the cow parsnip plant to treat the pain of a toothache,
In addition, when mashed and soaked, the roots made an effective preparation to put on
joints aching with arthritis.

Antibacterial Plus
Native South Americans use bark from the Brazilian peppertree to make a tincture or
liquid that kills bacteria and viruses and heals wounds. People in Africa use the leaves
of the tree to make a teas for treating colds, hypertension, and depression.

Bug repellent and more
Seeds from the columbine plant act as an insect repellent. Long ago, they were
mashed and rubbed forcefully into the hair and scalp to ward off lice.

Healing plant
If you cut into an aloe vera plant, a clear gel comes out. This gel contains a substance
that fires up the immune system. When rubbed over a burn or a wound, the gel has a
soothing effect.












Medicinal Plants
1. Approximately 25% of todays prescription drugs come from plant extracts
2. Only about 15% of the known plant species have been screened for medicinal
purposes.
3. Most medicinal plants come from the Tropics.
4. The most significant medicinal plants used for prescription drugs contain steroids or
alkaloids
5. The rapid destruction of our tropical rainforests threatens the development of
potentially useful drugs.
6. There are a host of non-prescription plant remedies which have medicinal uses. These
are often referred to as herbal medicines.

Medicinal Plants in the Tropics
Most medicinal plants have been identified by the indigenous people by trial and error.
50% of the 250,000 plant species are from the Tropics.
At least 10,000 species in the Tropics have not yet been identified

NCI - Plant Collection Program (1986-1991)
10,000 plant samples collected for screening against HIV and cancer
2500 species and 200 families
Of the 3000 extracts analyzed, 170 contained agents active against HIV
776 fully identified species, 106 had active agents. 62 were previously known as
medicinal plants. 44 were entirely new.

Garlic (Allium sativum) Onion (Allium cepa)



Organo-sulfur compounds from leaves
Anti-carcinogenic and anti-microbial
Anti-atherosclerosis and anti-hypertensive
Toxic in high amounts

Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba)


Complex of phytomedicinals from the leaves
Improves blood flow
Improves memory in older people
Effective free-radical scavenger
Side effects are restlessness, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting

Echinacea (Echinacea species)


Extracts from shoot, root and rhizome
Acts as immunostimulant
Speeds up cycle of cold virus and flus
NOT preventative.




Ginseng (Panax ginseng, P. quinquefolium, Elutherococcus senticocus)
Mixture of compounds from root

Traditional Chinese medicine for 5000 years
Increases stress tolerance
Speeds up metabolism
Anti-carcinogenic
No known side-effects

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita and Chamaemelum nobile)

Mixture of terpenoids, coumarins, and flavonoids from dried flower heads
Soothes stomach-aches
Anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and anti-bacterial actions
Green Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Polyphenols from leaves
anti-cancer inhibiting tumor initiation and cell proliferation
anti-oxidant

St. Johns Wort (Hypericum perforatum)

extract from leaves
Effective for depression and sleeplessness
anti-retroviral activities (AIDS)
Side effects include photosensitivity and dermatitis