Medicinal Plants for Holistic Health and Well-Being

Namrita Lall

• Publisher: Academic Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN: 9780128124758
• eBook ISBN: 9780128124765
• Topic: Tecnología e ingeniería
• Subtopic: Bioquímica

Medicinal Plants for Holistic Health and Well-Being discusses, in depth, the use of South African plants to treat a variety of ailments, including tuberculosis, cancer, periodontal diseases, acne, postmacular hypomelanosis, and more. Plants were selected on the basis of their traditional use, and the book details the scientific evidence that supports their pharmacological and therapeutic potential to safely and effectively treat each disease. Thus, this book is a valuable resource for all researchers, students and professors involved in advancing global medicinal plant research.Many plants found in South Africa are also found in other parts of the world. Each chapter highlights plants from other worldwide locations so that scientists can study which plants belong to the same family, and how similar qualities can be used to treat a specific disease.- The book details the scientific evidence that supports their pharmacological and therapeutic potential to safely and effectively treat each disease- Each chapter highlights plants from worldwide locations so that scientists can study plants belonging to the same family, and how similar species can be used to treat a specific disease- Use of traditional medicine as an efficient means to identify and further investigate South African, similar plants and plant-derived compounds in modern drug discovery- Includes a number of chapters dedicated to using medicinal plants to treat various skin disorders, which is often not covered in other books on medicinal plants- Organized by specific diseases, with vital evidence-based data related to the bioactivity, pharmacological potential, chemical structure and safety information

Chapter 1

Traditional Medicine

The Ancient Roots of Modern Practice

Anna-Mari Reid, Carel B. Oosthuizen, Bianca D. Fibrich, Danielle Twilley, Isa Anina Lambrechts, Marco Nuno de Canha, Sunelle Rademan, and Namrita Lall University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

Traditional medicine is an important foundation on which modern medicine has been built. In these traditional practices, plants have been a crucial resource, owing to their abundance since the dawn of mankind. In modern times, synthetic drugs have become a lucrative alternative; however, plants as a resource remain the indispensable resource from which even synthetic alternatives are derived. Recently, natural medicines have shown increased popularity, not surprisingly when considering the benefits. By combining the knowledge derived from traditional medicinal practices with modern science, the possibilities for drug discovery and use of plants in the treatment of a wide array of conditions seems endless.

Keywords

Ayurveda and Unani; Ethnopharmacology; Herbal preparations; Medicinal plants; Traditional medicine; Western civilization

Chapter Outline

1.1 The Use of Plants in Medicine: A Historic Tale

1.2 Traditional Medicine Is a Crucial Part of African Heritage

1.3 Traditional Medicine in South Africa

1.4 Development of Modern Herbal Preparations

References

1.1. The Use of Plants in Medicine: A Historic Tale

Plants have been around longer than mankind; naturally, they would be one of the first resources exploited for their medicinal value. In ancient times, the etiological agents of disease were unknown to man, and hence the use of plants as medicinal sources became the product of trial and error, ultimately unveiling valuable medicinal plants. The resulting knowledge of this trial and error formed the root system from which modern medicine would eventually stem. The earliest records of plants used in medicine date back 5000 years to a Sumerian clay slab describing 12 recipes for drug preparation, referring to over 250 plants! Even more interestingly, it describes plants still commonly used in modern times such as the poppy and mandrake (Petrovska, 2012). The Mandrake, Mandragora officinarum, contains the alkaloid hyoscine, responsible for the use of Mandrake in Greek medicine as a surgical anesthetic. The presence of this powerful hallucinogenic alkaloid is what led to the association of the Mandrake with the supernatural (Carter, 2003). The effects of the mandrake, supernatural or not, are what led to the incorporation of mandrake as a medicinal plant into many additional rituals and traditional medicine practices. The popularity of mandrake and the legends surrounding its use extend beyond medicine into the world of film, where it was interestingly incorporated into the popular film, Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets.

Although difficult, the World Health Organization (WHO) has harnessed the characteristics and elements of traditional medicine, drawing from descriptions as far back as the evidence allows even to modern traditional medicinal practices, to formulate a definition, which describes traditional medicine as “a holistic term encompassing diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and beliefs incorporating plant, animal and/or mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and exercises applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being, as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness.” Ultimately and more simplistically, traditional medicine refers to any form of indigenous healthcare system with ancient roots, cultural bonds, trained healers, and a theoretical construct. Examples include Ayurveda, Unani, Kampo, Shamanism, and traditional Chinese medicine (Fabricant & Farnsworth, 2001). The use of plants in medicine by specific ethnic groups is termed ethnobotanical medicine (Farnsworth, 1994a,b). A medicinal plant is thus any plant with alleged medicinal value that is used by Western standards or which contains components that are used as drugs (Laird & Kate, 2002). In industrialized countries, adaptations of traditional or ethnobotanical medicine are termed “Complementary” or “Alternative” medicines where complementary medicine refers to the use of medicinal plants in conjunction with a Western medicinal treatment, and alternative medicine refers to the use of a medicinal plant or plant-based medicine in place of Western medicine (WHO, 2003). Western medicine is distinguished from traditional medicine by the fact that it considers only ailments of the physical body, based on the principles of technology, science, knowledge, and clinical analysis developed in Northern America and Western Europe (Richter, 2003).

Medicinal plants and plant-derived medicines are used globally to treat various ailments. In modern society, these medicines are not only used by traditional cultures but are also gaining popularity under Western civilization. Currently there is a trend in natural alternatives as a source of new commercial products to synthetic chemicals. Although the use of plants as medicine is often underestimated, awareness of the active components of plants, which enable them to perform healing functions, needs to be increased. These active components, called phytochemicals, exist as they are required by the plant itself for specific functions. Generally, these phytochemicals are classified as secondary metabolites as they are not crucial for the survival of the plant but rather render a secondary beneficial function that provides the plant with a selective advantage. More than 100,000 such secondary metabolites have been isolated and characterized, many of which have been implemented as active ingredients in common medicines or have provided a basis for the development of synthetic actives that are incorporated into medicines (Rates, 2001).

More than 50% of drugs that are clinically used in the world are derived from natural products and their derivatives, with 25% being from higher plants. When considering ∼250,000 higher plant species globally, only 10,000 have documented medicinal uses, of which only 150–200 are actually incorporated into Western medicine (McChesney, Venkataraman, & Henri, 2007), it becomes increasingly evident that plants possess a great potential avenue for exploration.

The WHO considers 252 drugs “basic” 11% of these (∼28) originate exclusively from plants, with a significant amount of the remaining synthetic drugs being derived from natural precursors (WHO, 2003). This further exemplifies the importance of plants in healing, across both pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical industries. The vast amount of plants that have yet to be explored outlines the importance of research in medicinal plants, and when considering what has been accomplished with what knowledge we do possess, it becomes very clear that the possibilities are endless and much to be sought after (Verpoorte, 1998).

Natural and herbal medicines have shown their potential over synthetic drugs by mostly having fewer side effects and lower levels of toxicity. Pharmacologically natural medicines have also shown their importance in their use as starting material for drug synthesis or directly as therapeutics. Natural medicines can also function as models for pharmacologically active compounds that may possess higher activity and less toxicity than their synthetic counterparts (Verma & Singh, 2008).

Not only do plants serve as potentially great alternatives to synthetic drugs and therapies, but natural plant-based therapies have also become increasingly popular, setting the benchmark for a more natural and safe platform. Reasons for this increased popularity include inefficiencies or hazards posed by conventional synthetic therapies, adverse side effects, affordability, and accessibility. Folk medicine and increased ecological awareness recently have also encouraged the idea that natural products may be less harmless (Rates, 2001).

1.2. Traditional Medicine Is a Crucial Part of African Heritage

Traditional medicine, on the African continent, dates back ∼4000 years. It was once the sole medicinal system; however, even in recent times for some, it remains the dominant system with an estimated 80% of the African Member States population use traditional medicine as a primary source of health care. Africans have used traditional medicine for hundreds of years as a form of health care. In South Africa it is estimated that there are ∼27 million individuals who use traditional medicine. It has been calculated that from these individuals who use traditional medicine, they use it ∼4.8 times/year, which equates to an average of about 157 g of plant material for each treatment and 750 g/year. In South Africa, indigenous plants are mainly used and this equates to ∼20,000 tons being used each year from at least 771 plant species that have been recorded. There are a range of plant parts used, which are collected from forests, grasslands, woodlands, and thickets (Fig. 1.1; HST, 2015).

The WHO estimates that of the plants harvested for medicinal use, about 86% of the plant parts harvested results in death of the plant, which has a huge impact on sustainability. The decrease in availability of plants increases the time taken to find these plants and increases cost of the material. Common plants such as Scilla natalensis (Fig. 1.2) cost about R53/kg and scarce plants such as Salacia kraussii can reach up to R4,800/kg. There is also a big trade in plants from South Africa with neighboring countries such as Zimbabwe and Mozambique (HST, 2015).

Figure 1.1 Percentage of plant parts used in traditional medicine in South Africa (...

Table of contents

• Cover image
• Title page
• Table of Contents
• Copyright
• List of Contributors
• Foreword
• Chapter 1. Traditional Medicine: The Ancient Roots of Modern Practice
• Chapter 2. Are Medicinal Plants Effective for Skin Cancer?
• Chapter 3. Fighting the Inevitable: Skin Aging and Plants
• Chapter 4. Exploiting Medicinal Plants as Possible Treatments for Acne Vulgaris
• Chapter 5. Medicinal Plants as Alternative Treatments for Progressive Macular Hypomelanosis
• Chapter 6. The Role of Medicinal Plants in Oral Care
• Chapter 7. Can Medicinal Plants Provide an Adjuvant for Tuberculosis Patients?
• Chapter 8. Medicinal Plants Used in the Treatment of Superficial Skin Infections: From Traditional Medicine to Herbal Soap Formulations
• Chapter 9. Garlic (Allium sativum) and Its Associated Molecules, as Medicine
• Chapter 10. Maximizing Medicinal Plants: Steps to Realizing Their Full Potential
• Index