New Look to Phytomedicine

Advancements in Herbal Products as Novel Drug Leads

Mohd Sajjad Ahmad Khan, Iqbal Ahmad, Debprasad Chattopadhyay, Mohd Sajjad Ahmad Khan, Iqbal Ahmad, Debprasad Chattopadhyay

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9780128146200
• Topic: Medicine
• Subtopic: Pharmacology

New Look to Phytomedicine: Advancements in Herbal Products as Novel Drug Leads is a compilation of in-depth information on the phytopharmaceuticals used in modern medicine for the cure and management of difficult-to-treat and challenging diseases. Readers will find cutting-edge knowledge on the use of plant products with scientific validation, along with updates on advanced herbal medicine in pharmacokinetics and drug delivery. This authoritative book is a comprehensive collection of research based, scientific validations of bioactivities of plant products, such as anti-infective, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, immune-modulatory and metabolic disorders presented by experts from across the globe.

Step-by-step information is presented on chemistry, bioactivity and the functional aspects of biologically active compounds. In addition, the pharmacognosy of plant products with mechanistic descriptions of their actions, including pathogenicity is updated with information on the use of nanotechnology and molecular tools in relation to herbal drug research.

• Compiles up-to-date information on the chemotherapeutics used in the treatment of infective and metabolic disorders
• Presents advancements in the discovery of new drugs from plants using molecular and nanotechnology tools
• Examines detailed information on the use of herbals agents in cancer, HIV and other ailments, including diabetes, malaria and neurological disorders

Section 1

Introduction to Herbal Therapeutics

Outline

• Chapter 1 Herbal Medicine: Current Trends and Future Prospects
• Chapter 2 Diversity of Bioactive Compounds and Their Therapeutic Potential
• Chapter 3 Ethnomedicinal Wisdom: An Approach for Antiviral Drug Development
• Chapter 4 Plant-Derived Prebiotics and Its Health Benefits

Chapter 1

Herbal Medicine

Current Trends and Future Prospects

Mohd Sajjad Ahmad Khan¹ and Iqbal Ahmad², ¹Department of Basic Sciences, Biology Unit, Health Track, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ²Department of Agricultural Microbiology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Herbal medicines encompass the combination of practices of indigenous systems of medicine and several therapeutic experiences of many previous generations. Which delivers valuable guidelines to the selection, preparation, and application of herbal formulation for the treatment, control, and management of a range of illnesses. Plant-based drugs are reported to be successfully used to cure skin diseases, tuberculosis, diabetes, jaundice, hypertension, mental disorders, cancer, AIDS, and many other infectious diseases. Countries with ancient civilizations like India, China, South America, and Egypt are still using several plant-based remedies for treating such ailments. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of the world’s population relies on herbal medicine and about 80% of the population in developing countries depends almost totally on it for their primary health care needs. Phytocompounds and also their chemical analogs have provided abundant clinically useful drugs in the treatment of chronic and acute diseases. And still research is continued to search for newer therapeutic agents from medicinal plants. The herbal industry shares about US$100 billion with decent growth potential worldwide. The WHO has stated that trade in medicinal plants, herbal raw materials, and herbal drugs is growing at annual growth rate of about 15%. The increasing popularity and acceptability of herbal medicine is belief that all natural products are safe, cheaper, and commonly available. However, there are also some concerns are associated with herbal medicine regarding its pharmacognosy and standardization compared with conventional drugs. For the last two decades research efforts have been intensified in both developed and developing countries to scientifically evaluate using clinical and validate the herbal drugs. Hence, considering the greater future perspectives in herbal medicines, we attempted to review systematically the current status of its use in treating various diseases and associated pharmacological issues. Furthermore, need for future investigations in developing herbal drug as modern therapeutic agents is addressed.

Keywords

Alternative therapy; herbal medicine; phytocompounds; secondary metabolites; traditional medicine

Acknowledgment

We acknowledge the department of Scientific Research, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, for financially supporting to complete this work.

1.1 Introduction

In the 21st century, with the increased efficacy in pharmacological effects of medicinal plants, herbal medicine has been considered as a promising future medicine for the management of health care. Recently, there has been a swing in universal trend from synthetic to herbal medicine, which is claimed as “Return to Nature.” Medicinal plants have been exploited since ancient times and are highly esteemed all over the world as a rich source of therapeutic agents for the prevention of diseases and ailments. Ancient Chinese and Egyptian papyrus writings describe medicinal uses of plants as early as 3000 BC. Indigenous cultures like African and Native American have used herbs in their healing rituals. Whereas, other developed traditional medical systems viz. Siddha, Ayurveda, Unani, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM); in which herbal therapies are being used successfully (Ampofo et al., 2012). The consumption of plant-based phytomedicines and other botanicals in the West has increased multifariously in recent years. About two centuries ago, our medicinal practices were largely dominated by plant-based medicines. But, the medicinal use of herbs went into a rapid decline in the West since the introduction of more predictable synthetic drugs with their fast effects and easy availability. In contrast, many developing nations continued to benefit from the rich knowledge of herbal medicine. Siddha and Ayurveda medicines in India, Kampo Medicine in Japan, TCM, and Unani medicine in the Middle East and South Asia are still being used by a large majority of people (Mosihuzzaman and Choudhary, 2008). Overall, now a days, the demand for plant-based medicines, health products, food supplements, and cosmetics is being amassed in both developing and developed countries. The reason behind it is the growing recognition that the natural products are nontoxic, have less side effects, and are easily available at affordable prices (Evans, 1994).

Medicinal plants are considered as rich sources of phytochemical ingredients which play a vital role for the development of new drugs. People have been using plants as a medicine without scientific knowledge and proper guidance for thousand years ago. It has been scientifically established that every part of plants have medicinal properties including roots, stems, leafs, flowers, fruits, and seeds. However, it has also been witnessed that some plants are not safe for consumption as being toxic and show adverse effects in the body (Wink, 2010). Therefore, to develop drug from the phytocompounds, the bioactive extract should be standardized on the basis of active compound and should also undergo limited safety studies. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest to rediscover medicinal plants as a source of potential drug candidate. Therefore, the aim of this review is to understand the knowledge and current status of the medicinal plants and turning it to as a future source of herbal drugs.

1.2 Herbal Medicine: Definition and Its Prospects

Traditional medicine refers to health practices and approaches which are based on knowledge and beliefs incorporating plants as medicines, spiritual therapies, and physical therapy; either applied singularly or in combination to treat, diagnose, and prevent illnesses or maintain well-being. In developed countries, adaptations of traditional medicine are termed complementary and alternative medicine (Gunjan et al., 2015). Whereas, herbal medicine or phytomedicine is the use of merely plants for medicinal and therapeutic purpose for curing of diseases and improve human health. World Health Organization (WHO) has defined herbal medicines as finished labeled medicinal product that contain an active ingredient, aerial, or underground parts of the plant or other plant material or combinations (WHO, 2008; Parveen et al., 2015). At pharmacodynamics scale herbal medicines are classified as (1) herbal drugs with proven efficacies with known active compounds and doses, (2) herbal drugs with expected efficacies and active compound need to be standardized, and (3) herbal drugs with uncertain efficacies but documented history of its traditional use (Parveen et al., 2015). Plants being used as food or raw material in traditional medicine are more likely to yield pharmacologically active compounds. Plants are also rich dietary sources of biomolecules, vitamins, and minerals which are crucial for maintaining the healthy body (Shakya, 2016).

Herbal medicine is widely practiced for centuries, and people have turned to natural remedies to cure common ailments such as colds, allergy, upset stomachs, and toothaches; and the inclination toward is continuously growing. However, herbal products were discarded from conventional medical use in the mid-20th century. This was not necessarily because they were ineffective but also because they were not as economically profitable as the newer synthetic drugs (Tyler, 1999). Later on, with the advancements of scientific methods, the herbal medicines could find place with research and documented for effective use as drugs. Furthermore, in the 1960s, with concerns over the toxic and iatrogenic effects of conventional medicine resulted in desire for more safe and economically cheaper drugs to promote “natural health.” Thus, afterwards, there has been a shift in universal trend from synthetic to herbal medicines. Moreover, herbal medicine received a worldwide boost when the WHO exhilarated developing countries to use traditional plant medicine to accomplish needs unmet by modern systems (Miller, 1998). WHO has reported that 4 billion people ...