Plants of yesterday – Medicines of today
There is a capture phase, “a better life through chemistry” used to extol the wonders of modern medicine to help humanity. However, many of these medicines would not be possible without our medicinal plants. Almost forty percent of all prescription drugs are derived from plants and fungi or designed from natural chemical compounds. Many natural substances, such as various plant alkaloids, have been found to alter cell function and are well suited for various cancer treatments. Some natural substances reduce bacterial growth; some relieve pain and are analgesic.
These drugs include aspirin, digoxin, warfarin, and vinca alkaloids used to treat childhood leukemia and breast cancer.
Certain populations of a plant species may be more potent than others, and plant parts vary in their concentrations of medicinal compounds. The underground parts of plants, such as the roots, rhizomes, and bulbs, are often the most potent part of a medicinal plant, where the secondary compounds produced by the plant’s metabolism are most concentrated. Organic compounds could be synthesized by chemists in the laboratory. By the early 19th century, plants were no longer the main source of effective medicine. Some plant compounds must still come directly from plants because they have not yet been successfully synthesized, such as morphine, cocaine, ergotamine, podophyllin, and digitalis. Other plant compounds, such as atropine and reserpine, are too expensive to synthesize, so pharmaceutical companies continue to rely on natural sources.
About eighty percent of people in developing countries still rely on traditional plant-based medicines for their primary health care. In the US, about 25 percent of prescriptions are filled with drugs whose active ingredients are extracted or derived from plants. Many of the drugs sold today are simply synthetic modifications or copies of naturally occurring substances.
Approximately 120 prescription drugs are derived from plants, and these drugs come from just 95 plant species. Today there are at least 120 different plant-derived chemicals that are considered important medicines currently in use in one or more countries around the world. These chemicals are shown in the table below.
We tend to think of cancer treatment and prescription drugs as coming from new discoveries of medicinal plants, but there have been many drugs and chemicals that are commonplace now that we no longer think of them as “wonder drugs” that were derived from medicinal plants. . The following is a brief list of some over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, anti-malaria, cancer, and specialty treatments and herbal supplements that benefit humanity and whose active ingredients are extracted or derived from plants:
Common (Drug; Source; Action/Use):
- Aspirin; willow bark (Salix species); Analgesic
- emetine (syrup of ipecac); Cephaelis ipecac; Induce vomiting; particularly in cases of accidental ingestion of poisonous or noxious substances
- scopolamine; Hyoscyamus niger; motion sickness
- Camphor; cinnamon camphor; rubefacient
- a-lobeline; indian tobacco (Lobelia inflata); tuxedo dig
- bloodroot; bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis); dental plaque inhibitor
- Stevia (Stevioside); Stevia rebaudiana; sweetener
- thymol; thymus vulgaris; Antifungal (topically); popular in mouthwashes
- Valpotriates; valerian officinalis; sedative; no morning hangover effect
- silymarin; milk thistle (Silybum marianum); Antihepatotoxic; supports liver health
- morphine, codeine; poppy (Papaver somniferum); Analgesic; cough suppressant (codeine)
- pseudoephedrine; ephedra sinica; sympathomimetic
- erythromycin; tropical mushrooms; Antibiotic
- tubocurarine; Chondodentron tomentosum; muscle relaxant
- pilocarpine; Jaborandi; Glaucoma
Antimalarial (Drug; Source; Action/Use):
- Quinine; Cinchona Ledger; Antimalarial
- coartem; sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua); Antimalarial
Cancer Treatment (Drug; Source; Action/Use):
- vinblastine; Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus); Hodgkin’s disease
- vincristine; Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus); Leukemia
- taxol/paclitaxel; Pacific Yew (Taxus brevofolia ); Ovarian and breast cancer
- VePesid, Etopophos/Etoposide; mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum); lymphomas; leukemia; lung, breast, and testicular cancers
- Hycmatim/Toptecan; Chinese hop/joy tree (camptotheca acuminata); Ovarian, breast, lung cancers; certain types of leukemia
Specialized Treatment (Drug; Source; Action/Use):
- chaulmoogra oil; Derived from trees in the genera hydrocarp Y Taraktogens; Antibiotic against the bacteria that causes leprosy
- Digitoxin, Digitalin, Digoxin; common foxglove (digitalis purpurea); Cardiotonic, which works as a heart stimulant that improves the tone and rhythm of a sick heartbeat.
- reserpine; snake root (Rauvolfia species); Soothing
- kawain; Kawa (Piper methysticum); Soothing
- Atropine; atropa belladonna; Anticholinergic, helps cognitive impairment
- gossypol; gossypium species (cottonseed); male contraceptive
- hydrastine; Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis); hemostatic, astringent