Medicinal Plants: History and Biochemistry

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Questions and Answers

What is the primary purpose of secondary products in plants?

To serve as defenses against herbivores and attract pollinators (correct)

To increase growth rates in drought conditions

To act as food storage for the plant

To directly enhance photosynthesis

Which of the following compounds is classified as an alkaloid?

Quinine (correct)

Diosgenin

Digoxin

Ginsenoside

What medicinal use does Ephedrine primarily have?

Treatment for asthmatic conditions (correct)

Anti-cancer properties

Pain relief for headaches

Muscle relaxation in surgeries

Which plant is known for providing the cardiac glycosides digoxin and digitoxin?

Foxglove Signup and view all the answers

What compound derived from yams is significant for hormonal drug production?

Diosgenin Signup and view all the answers

How is Ginseng believed to benefit those under stress?

By enhancing fitness and mental alertness Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following plants contributes to the treatment of leukemia?

Madagascar Periwinkle Signup and view all the answers

What effect does Reserpine have in medical treatments?

Lowers blood pressure and calms the patient Signup and view all the answers

Why is the coca plant significant historically?

Inca peoples used it as a stimulant Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary use of Senna in medicinal products?

As a natural laxative Signup and view all the answers

Which alkaloid is derived from the opium poppy and is widely known as a pain reliever?

Morphine Signup and view all the answers

What role do terpenoids play in medicinal applications?

They include various essential oils and cardiac glycosides Signup and view all the answers

Which statement regarding quinine is accurate?

It helps treat malaria and is used for its bitter flavor in tonic water Signup and view all the answers

What traditional medicinal use was associated with the Calabar bean?

Ritualistic poison and medicine for snakebites Signup and view all the answers

What percentage of Western medicines is estimated to be based on plant chemicals?

25-30% Signup and view all the answers

Which plant is known for its use in treating asthma in Chinese medicine for over 5,000 years?

Ephedra Signup and view all the answers

What is the doctrine of signatures?

The belief that a plant's appearance indicates its healing properties. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following plant-derived substances is used for chronic pain relief?

Morphine derivatives Signup and view all the answers

What was the main ingredient in aspirin originally derived from?

Willow bark Signup and view all the answers

Which area is NOT mentioned as having compiled early pharmacopoeias?

India Signup and view all the answers

What was the proportion of Western medicines that were plant-based up until the 1950s?

Over 80% Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary reason for continuing to derive some drugs from plants?

Some complex chemicals are difficult and expensive to produce synthetically. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Medicinal Plants: History and Biochemistry

Plants have been used medicinally for over 5,000 years, providing various pharmaceutical agents (hormones, antibiotics, narcotics, antihistamines) and substances (hallucinogenic, poisonous, pesticidal).
Early societies used plants to treat common ailments like pain, fever, and wounds.
Examples include ephedra (amphetamines) and opium poppy (morphine, codeine).
Early pharmacopoeias (herbal books) emerged in Egypt, Arabia, China, and Europe.
The doctrine of signatures (plant appearance indicates healing properties) was prevalent.
Many modern medicines are plant-derived; this is often more cost-effective than synthesis.
80-100 plant genera are used in modern Western medicine, with many in other cultures.
25-30% of Western medicines are based on plant chemicals (higher if microbial products included).
Global trade in medicinal plants reached $30 billion (2002).
Before the 1950s, over 80% of Western medicine was plant-based.

Plant Biochemistry

Medically active chemicals are mainly secondary plant products (often defenses against herbivores).
Secondary products also serve to attract pollinators and fruit dispersers.
Plants lack excretory systems; these products help neutralize waste and toxins.
Three main groups of medically significant secondary products are:
Alkaloids: Nitrogenous ring compounds that affect the central nervous system (e.g., caffeine, morphine, quinine, strychnine, nicotine).
Terpenoids: Two or more isoprene units (e.g., essential oils, cardiac and steroidal glycosides).
Phenolics: Aromatic rings with hydroxyl groups (e.g., plant pigments, poisons, medicinal drugs).
Plant medicines have been introduced into modern research via traditional medicine (e.g., calabar bean for glaucoma treatment).
Early poisonous plant extracts have proved beneficial in moderate doses (e.g., curare as muscle relaxant).

Important Medicinal Plants

Quinine (Cinchona calisaya): Anti-malarial agent from South American trees, also used for heart disease. Its chemical is used in tonic water.
Ephedrine (Ephedra major, E. sinica): Amphetamine alkaloid from shrubs. Used in Chinese medicine for asthma, blood pressure, and coma treatments, and various over-the-counter remedies.
Indian snakeroot (Rauwolfia serpentina): Reserpine (alkaloid) usage for mental illness, snakebites, blood pressure, schizophrenia, and hypertension.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea): Cardiac glycosides (digoxin, digitoxin) for heart conditions.
Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus): Alkaloids for leukemia and Hodgkin's disease. Other plants offer anti-cancer properties.
Yams (Dioscorea species): Diosgenin (saponin) for hormonal contraceptives, fertility drugs, hydrocortisone.
Ginseng (Panax ginseng): Long-used in Chinese medicine, possible benefits include improved fitness and stress resistance, but more studies are needed.
Coca (Erythroxylum coca): Mild stimulant historically chewed by the Inca. Cocaine (potent central nervous system stimulant, local anesthetic) is derived from it.
Senna (Senna angustifolia): Laxative; cascara bark also used as a laxative.
Opium Poppy (Papaver somniferum): Source of morphine, codeine, oxycodone, and heroin (pain relievers).
Tropane Alkaloids (Solanaceae Family): Treat asthma, Parkinson's, and other conditions. Belladonna, henbane are examples.

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Description

Explore the rich history and biochemistry of medicinal plants used for over 5,000 years. This quiz delves into how early societies utilized plants for healing, the emergence of pharmacopoeias, and the significance of plant-derived medicines in contemporary healthcare. Discover fascinating examples and the economic impact of the global trade in medicinal plants.