Officinal herbs The natural laboratory through knowledge–taste –history - culture

Index Definition A bit of history … A bit of history Therapeutic proprieties Picking tecniques post picking techniques Picking tecniques post picking techniques Extraction tecniques and taking of active principles Extraction tecniques and taking of active principles Aromatic herbs Essential oils

Officinal herbs are all the herbs not requiring special preparation that can be used to these purposes therapeutic to flavour liqueurs to enter into the composition of perfume to enter into the composition of cosmetic alimentary to make palatable foods

The term officinal herb comes from “officina” (a storeroom of a monastery for medicines and necessaries), that in the Middle age was the pharmacist’s laboratory. The pharmacist prepared and sold the pharmacies.

Plants have been used for medicinal purposes for as long as history has been recorded. The first text that lists plants and their medicinal uses is “The Ebers Papyrus” (1500 b. C.) The Egyptians extracted the essences from plants to obtain perfume and beauty treatment; Cleopatra’s bath contained rosemary,thyme oregano and lavander. A bit of history ….

Curative herbs were frequently mentioned in the ancient legends : Achilles treated his wounds with a plant that today is named “Achillea millefolium ” milfoil in English. Hippocrates, celebrated as the father of medicine, (460 a. C.) compiled the first European treatise on the properties and uses of medicinal plants, De Materia Medica.. he classified 200 species of medical herbs and their pharmacological actions.

The Romans used herbs to prepare perfume. Pompei became the most important centre of “ars profumandi”. In the middle ages the “Scuola Medica Salernitana” developed. It classified important medical herbs and used treatments based on the curative proprieties of herbs. It grew the necessary herbs in specialist gardens “ il giardino della minerva”

Many Greek and Roman writings on medicine, as on other subjects, were preserved by hand copying of manuscripts in monasteries. The monasteries tended to become local centers of medical knowledge, and their herb gardens provided the raw materials for simple treatment of common disorders. Benedictine monasteries such as the “Abbazia di Cava de’ Tirreni” were important centers of medical culture. Paracelso( ) introduced the use of active chemical drugs. Today the scientific community is aware of the curative qualities of herbs. A lot of medicines contain active principles extracted from plants.

Medicinal qualities of the officinal herbs depend on substances called ACTIVE PRINCIPLES The active principles can be either in the whole plant or in part of it. Therapeutic proprieties flowers leaves roots fruit seeds

Medical activity of plants is vast. We can group plants according to their main effects on human organisms: Antiasthmatic plants: St John’s wort, Elicriso, Belladonna Antiseptic plants: basil, thyme, rosemary, St John’s wort Antidiabetis plants: Orteca, Sage, garden savory Demulcent plants: Mauve, lime, vervain Diuretic plants: wormwood, Sage, borage … other activities of herbal medicines are: antirheumatic, cardiotonic, laxative, astringent, vasodilatative, antidepressive, sedative expectorant …..

The part of the plant used that is rich in active principles is called Drug. At the peak time, when the compounds are in their highest concentration, the plant material is collected. This moment in time is different for each plant. Harvest tecniques and post-harvest tecniques

Leaves are picked In the middle morning. Flowers are picked When completely open at dawn. Root are picked in the quiescence period of vegetation. The resin and the gum, the latex are extracted Through the bark. Seeds and fruits are picked when the weather is warm and dry. Each drug has its harvest tecnique:

Drugs undergo a number of treatments after harvesting to avoid fermentative activities that can alter the active principles: -drying process -Stabilization -Sterilization

Extraction tecniques There are many ways in which herbs can be prepared to be used to medicinal purposes: Before extraction they are either smashed or pulverized or triturated. The vegetal material is put in contact with a liquid solvent to transfer its compounds.

There are many ways in which herbs can be prepared to be used to medicinal purposes:  Capsules  Infusions  Herb tea  Decotions  Drops  Unguents  Ointments  Compresses

Aromatic herbs Any of a group of vegetable-derived drugs having a fragrant odor and slight stimulative properties. They have compounds that do not dissolve in water and are called either essences or essential oils.

Aromatic herbs Essences:  Attract pollinating insects  Repel dangerous insects  Have a curative action They can be in the whole plant or in some organs such as:  Seeds (anise,juniper )  Bulbs and roots e radici(garlic,onion,iris)  Leaves (tea )  Wood (sandal,camphor)

To extract essential oils three methods are used:  expression: most citrus peel oils are expressed mechanically, or cold pressed due to the relatively large quantities of oil in citrus peel.  distillation: Raw plant material is put into an alembic (distillation apparatus) over water. As the water is heated the steam passes through the plant material, vaporizing the volatile compounds. The vapors flow through a coil where they condense back to liquid, which is then collected in the receiving vessel.  solvent extraction: Most flowers contain too little volatile oil to undergo expression and their chemical components are too delicate and easily denatured by the high heat used in steam distillation. Instead, a solvent such as or is used to extract the oils. Oil extraction techniques

Aromatic herbs Aromatic herbs have a good taste and a pleasant and inviting appearance. They are natural additives, besides they have antibiotic, antibacteria, antioxidant actions. Aromatic herbs are widely used in the kitchen and are available in most supermarkets and grocery stores, either fresh or dried. Herbs should be used fresh for the best flavor.

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