Medicinal Plants PHG 101 - Lecture 2

Medicinal Plants PHG 101

• Lecture 2 covers important terms and plant nomenclature.

Important Terms

• Official drugs are listed and described in pharmacopoeias.
• Pharmacopoeias include: British Pharmacopoeia (B.P.), German commission E, American herbal pharm. (A.H.P.), Egyptian Pharm. (E.P.), Deutsch Pharm. (D.A.B.), World health organization (W.H.O.), United States Pharm. (U.S.P)

Folk Medicine

• Folk medicine (traditional) is not supported by animal or clinical studies.

Phytotherapy

• Phytotherapy is science-based medical practice.

Complementary vs. Alternative Medicine

• Complementary medicine is used in addition to conventional medicine.
• Examples include dietary supplements, physiotherapy, and massage.
• Alternative medicine is used to replace conventional medicine.
• Examples include meditation.

Nutraceuticals

• Nutraceuticals are food supplements.
• They are substances considered food, or part of food, providing health value (prevention and protection) in addition to nutritive value.
• Examples include vitamins, garlic tablets, and fortified dairy products.

Pharmaceuticals

• Pharmaceuticals are pharmaceutical products used to treat diseases.

Flora

• Flora is a book devoted to the plants of a particular region and restricted to a major segment in the plant kingdom.

Classification of Drugs

• Alphabetical classification uses Latin or English names found in pharmacopoeias.
• Taxonomic classification uses phyla, orders, and family.
• Morphological classification categorizes drugs as organized (leaves, flowers, fruits, barks, roots) or unorganized (extracts, gums, resins, oil, waxes).
• Chemical classification recognizes drugs containing alkaloids, volatile oils, etc.
• Pharmacological/Therapeutic classification groups drugs by their actions, such as astringents, cardio tonics, laxatives, and anthelmintics.

Origin of Drugs (Natural/Biological)

• Natural origin refers to the plant or animal that yields the drug.
• The binomial system, developed by Carl Linnaeus, is used to classify plant and animal Species.
  • Genus species (followed by author name)
  • example: Atropa belladonna L. (italicized)

Specific Names

• Specific names often indicate the plant's striking characteristics, such as color or activity.
  • Atropa belladonna (bella: beautiful-donna: lady)
  • pungent odor, color
  • geographic origin
  • Cannabis indica - India
  • Myristica fragrans - nice aroma
  • Caryophyllous aromaticus - aroma
• Specific names can also indicate a pharmaceutical activity or active constituents.
  • Strychnos nux vomica - induces vomiting
  • Quillaia saponaria - contains saponin similar to soap
  • Nicotiana tabacum

Geographical Origin

• Geographical origin designates the habitat of the plant or animal source.
• Indigenous plants grow in their native countries.
• Exotic plants are not native.

Commercial Origin

• Commercial origin relates to the production and trade channels of the drug.
  • example: English Hyoscymus leaves gathered from England.

Cultivated vs. Wild Plants

• Cultivated plants have high production costs, easy accessibility, and more consistent supply, usually supported by well-trained workers and improving soil conditions.
• Wild plants are less expensive to gather and have a sparse and inconsistent supply, gathered by unskilled workers and impacting soil.