Plants that Heal

What makes plants medicinal or therapeutic?  Primary metabolites: needed for the life of a plant; includes sugars, amino acids, proteins, fats and nucleic acids  Secondary metabolites: chemicals that are needed for specific stages of development; have various metabolic activities  3 major classes of secondary metabolites: alkaloids, terpenoids and phenolics

Alkaloids  bitter tasting organic compounds containing nitrogen  one of the most important medicinally active compounds  examples: morphine, caffeine,nicotine

Terpenoids  unsaturated hydrocarbons of plant resins and oils  examples:  1. isoprene  2. essential oils  3. taxol  4. rubber

Phenolics  compounds with -OH group attached to an aromatic ring  Examples:  1. flavonoids (purple pigments)  2. tannins (brownish coloration)  3. lignins  4. salicylic acid

How are medicinal plants used?  compress  decoction  essential oils  extracts  herbal vinegars  cloth soaked in warm or cool herbal solution and applied directly to injured areas  tea made from bark, root, seed and simmered for minutes  derived from plants through steam distillation or cold pressing  made by pressing plants and soaking in alcohol or water  plants put into vinegar and left to stand for 2 or more weeks

 infusion  ointments  poultices  powder  syrup  tincture  leaves, flowers and other parts of the plants are steeped, not boiled for 5-10 min. in hot water  an extract,tea, pressed juice or powdered from a herb is added to a salve  hot, soft mass of herbs spread on cloth and applied for up to 24 hours on areas of the body

Ethnobotanical Approach  1. A cosmological view of the universe is incorporated  2. A cultural context within which health care is given  3. A repertoire of pharmaceutical substances is utilized

Comparison of diseases  Indigenous  GI 15%  Derma 15%  Inflam 12%  Renal-blood11%  Nervous 10%  Antimicro 9%  Ob/gyn 7%  Cardivas 2%  Cancer 1%  Others 16%  Western  Nervous 29%  Renal-blood 17%  Ob/gyn 14%  Antimi 12%  Cardiovas 10%  Inflam 7%  Cancer 4%  GI 2%  Derma 1%  others 4%

Comparison bet. herbal medicines and conventional drugs  Conventional  based on isolated chemicals  many made synthetically  not part of the natural energy cycle and so are deficient in energy  Herbal medicine  based on whole plant  all are natural  are energy rich as they use the sun's energy

 use unnaturally high concentrations of chemicals  more dramatic in their action  lower the vitality of the body  use natural substances  are slower to work  enhance vitality of the body

Selected medicinal plants developed from Ethnobotanical sources

Cinchona sp. (Rubiaceae)

 source of quinine  bark used against malaria  malaria is the world's greatest killer  Cinchona was discovered by the Jesuits in South America used by the Indians

Filipendula ulmaria (Rosaceae)

 Source of salicylic acid  bark is boiled but very bitter and can cause stomach ache  no. 1 used for aches and pains and resulted to aspirin

Rauvolfia sp. (Apocynaceae)

 used by the Hindu people of Nepal and India  originally used to treat snakebites because the root resembled a snake  is now used to treat hypertension due to the chemical reserpine

Atropa belladonna (Solanaceae)

 also called deadly nightshade because it is very poisonous  women use drops from the leaves to make their pupils expand and produce wide-eyed, innocent look  used to treat glaucoma

Erythroxylum coca (Erythroxylaceae)

 coca leaves  used by Peruvians to control hunger  source of cocaine which act on the central nervous system so that the coca chewer feel invigorated and relatively immune to fatigue and hunger

Papaver somniferum (Papaveraceae)

 Opium  called “joy plant” b the Sumerians  Arabs brought the plant to China  no. 1 choice as an analgesic in the form of morphine and codeine(very potent alkaloids)  heroin is the synthetic form

Digitalis purpurea (Scrophulariaceae)

 contains digitoxin and digoxin  used for atrial fibrillation or irregular heartbeats

Ephedra sinica (Ephedraceae)

 part used are the stems  contain ephedrine  also called ma huang in China  stimulates the central nervous system and may decrease appetite and elevate mood

Syzygium aromaticum (Myrtaceae)

 contains eugenol which cures toothache  very aromatic and can be used as spice

Physostigma venenosum (Fabaceae)

Pilocarpus jaborandi (Rutaceae)

 source of physostigmine and pilocarpine respectively  both used for glaucoma

Camellia sinensis (Theaceae)

 active ingredient: caffeine  stimulant  contain theophylline which is a diuretic and used for asthma  also contain essential oils that are good antibacterial and antifungal agents  anti-oxidants ?

Catharanthus roseus (Apocynaceae)

 important chemicals are vinblastine and vincristine  used in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease and pediatric leukemia

Cannabis sativa (Cannabaceae)

 active ingredient is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)  used as an anti-emetic

Philippine Medicinal Plants (DOH)  Akapulko (Cassia alata)

Ampalaya( Momordica charantia)

Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa)

Bawang, Bauang / Garlic (Allium sativum)

Bayabas (Psidium guajava)

Ginger (Zingiber officinale)

Gumamela (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Linn)

Lagundi (Vitex negundo)

Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

Pansit-Pansitan (Peperomia pellucida Linn.)

Sabila or Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

Sambong (Blumea balsamifera L.)

Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)

Tsaang Gubat or Wild Tea (Ehretia microphylla Lam.)

Yerba Buena (Mentha spicata)