by

Dr.Eman Ahmed Kamel Karakish

Professor of Taxonomy of Flowering plant and Flora
(Botany Dept.)

0
1
 A Short History of Plants as Medicine
Aromatic plants are often used as natural medicines because of their remedial and
inherent pharmacological properties. Looking into natural resources, particularly products
of plant origin, has become an exciting area of research in drug discovery and
development. Aromatic plants are mainly exploited for essential oil extraction for
applications in industries, for example, in cosmetics, flavoring and fragrance, spices,
pesticides, repellents and herbal beverages. Although several medicinal plants have been
studied to treat various conventional ailments only a handful studies are available on
aromatic plants, especially for radioprotection. Many plant extracts have been reported to
contain antioxidants that scavenge free radicals produced due to radiation exposure, thus
imparting radio-protective efficacy.
The ancient European, Indian and the Chinese medicinal systems, Plants were the
only medicines used before 500 B.C.
During the explosion of world trade in the fourteenth century, herbal remedies
)‫ (العالج باالشعاا‬and herbs were exchanged between the Chinese, the Muslims, the Indians
and the Europeans. New herbs like ginger, cardamom and cinnamon began appearing in
Europe.
Between the twelfth and eighteenth century, various epidemics and plagues
ravaged Europe. European medicine proved unable to combat these fatal diseases. When
the Spanish and the Portuguese landed in central and South America, potent herbal
remedies were discovered and exported to Europe. These herbs were used to treat
smallpox, and malaria. Herbal medicine became very popular for this reason (why).
{Ayurvedic}. A medical system from India, which has been used for thousands of years.
The goal is to clean the body and to restore balance to the body, mind, and spirit. It uses
diet, herbal medicines, exercise, meditation, breathing, physical therapy, and other
methods. It is a type of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapy

Ancient Egyptian Herbal Medicine

Most Common Herbal Medicines There is a wide range
of herbs that was used to make medicine in ancient Egypt,
and those herbal remedies are still popular today.
1-Cedar oil imported from Levant, was an antiseptic.

2
2- Frankincense was an effective painkiller that came from Punt; used
to stop bleeding, and to treat asthma & phlegm.

3- Henna, a plant originated from Persia, was used to treat hair

loss
4- Aloe Vera, was an effective skin moisturizer and soother

5- Garlic, an antibacterial that was

used to treat cold, sore throat,
toothache,

6- Cumin, seeds were used as stomach problems, and insect

stings

7- Poppy, treated insomnia, headache, and skin inflammation;

used in anesthetic, relieved pain.

Aromatherapy
Identification Aromatherapy: is a form of alternative
medicine that uses extracted oils from various aromatic
plants, through different process such as distillation, for the
purposes of healing and relaxation. These are some

examples of essential oils used in Ancient Egypt that are

still popular today:
1- Angelica essential oil, used to treat illness related to
digestive and respiratory systems.
2- Basil oil, used to strengthen the nervous system.
3- Pepper oil, used to improve digestion and stimulate
circulation in the body

3
When herbal remedies are dangerous:
Drug interactions between herbal medicines and conventional drugs are often not fully
appreciated. For examples:
1- Ginger alters blood pressure when it interacts with blood pressure medication
2- Wounds are often treated with kava and the oral indications of kava include insomnia,
muscle pain and headaches; depression may be the result of kava interacting with central
nervous system depressants (such as sedatives).
3- When gingko interacts with non-clotting agents, these interactions could result in
increased risk of bleeding.
How to use herbs safely:
1- Over-the-counter herbs are generally safe.
2- If you are harvesting herbs from the wild, you
have to know exactly what herb it is that you are
collecting. 3- Make sure that you use the
correct part of the plant.
4- Match the correct herb to the condition that you
want to treat.
5- Always tell your health-care professional what
conventional medication or herbal remedy you are on. 6- Some herbs can trigger
allergic reactions, so if you are allergy-prone visit a qualified herbalist before taking any
herb.
Classification of medicinal and aromatic plants
Herbs are classified in many ways. Some of them are
1. According to the usage: The herbs are classified in four
parts:
A. Medicinal Herbs; have curative powers and are used in
making medicines because of their healing properties.
B. Culinary Herbs; are probably the mostly used as cooking
herbs because of their strong flavors like mint
C. Aromatic Herbs; have some common uses because of their
pleasant smelling flowers or foliage. Oils from aromatic herbs

4
can be used to produce perfumes, toilet water, and various scents. For e.g. rosemary
D.Ornamental Herbs; Ornamental herbs are used for decoration because they have
brightly colored flowers and foliage like lavender.
2. According to the active constituents: the herbs are divided into
five major categories:
A. Aromatic Herbs (volatile oil); the name is a reflection of the
pleasant odor that many of these herbs have. They are used
extensively both therapeutically and as flavorings and perfumes.
Aromatic herbs are divided into two subcategories:
*Stimulant Herbs increase energy and activities of the body and most
often affect the respiratory, digestive, and circulatory systems. e.g.
lemon grass.
**Nerving Herbs are often used to heal and soothe the nervous system
e.g. ginger.
B. Astringent Herbs (tannins); have the ability to precipitate
proteins, and this "tightens," contracts living tissue. They affect the
digestive, urinary, and circulatory systems, and large doses are toxic to
the liver. They are analgesic, antiseptic, e.g. red raspberry.
C. Bitter Herbs (phenols compounds, saponins and
alkaloids); are divided into three subcategories:
*Laxative Bitter herbs used as cholagogue, purgative. e.g.,
pumpkin
**Diuretic Herbs induce loss of fluid from the body through the urinary system. The
fluids released help cleanse the kidneys, and liver. They are antibiotic, lithotripter. e.g.
asparagus
***Saponin-containing Herbs are known for their ability to produce foaming in solution
with water. They are antispasmodic and cardiac stimulant. e.g. ginseng.
D. Mucilaginous Herbs (polysaccharides); give these herbs a slippery, mild taste
that is sweet in water. All plants produce mucilage in some form to store water and food
reserve. Since most mucilage are not broken down by the human digestive system, but

5
they eliminate the toxins from the intestinal system, help in regulating it and reduce the
bowel transit time. They are antacid, and detoxifier. e.g. Irish moss.
E. Nutritive Herbs (food stuffs); they provide the nutrition of protein,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals that are necessary for adequate nutrition, e.g.
apple, banana, cabbage, carrot.
3. According to the period of life:
Annual herbs; complete their life cycle in one year; Annual
herbs include • Anise • Basil • Fennel.
Perennial herbs; grow for more than one season and include
Aloe Vera
Biennial herbs are plants which live two season and bloom in
the second season only and include • Caraway seeds
4. Botanical Classification of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants:
Modern Botanical Nomenclature.
Today, plants are classified under the binomial system invented by Carl Linnaeus (1707-
78), a Swedish botanist. In this system, the first name given is the genus, whereas the
second is the species e.g. for: Corsican mint is known as Mentha requienii Bentham, its
genus is Mentha and its species is requienii. The complete ascending sequence is species,
genus, family, order, class and division.
The meaning of the botanical name may be indicative of the history of the plant i.e. a
genus may be named botanist, also tell something of the habit or morphological
characteristics
The Rules of Plant Nomenclature.
Plants are divided into families in which similarly related plants are grouped together
basic on the clear similarity of morphological characteristics. Families may contain one
genus or a large number. A genus may similarly contain one species or a large number of
related individuals. Variations occur within a species and these are accommodated in the
following manner: a subspecies (ssp.), varieties (var.) have small differences in
morphology

6
Most of the medicinal and aromatic plants belong to the
following families:
A. Medicinal plants of the Compositae family; The
Compositae contains the highest number of medicinal plants
include – Chamomile

B. Medicinal plants of the Labiatae family; also known

as the mint family. Plants in this family with an aromatic smell,
produce a high amount of essential oil that enables them to
survive the hot summer season. Some examples from this
family include – lavender, Water mint.

C. Medicinal plants of the Umbelliferae

family; The Umbelliferae or carrot family
consists of plants with a characteristic
umbrella-arranged fruit. Some examples from
this family include wild carrot (Daucus
carota), anise. One of the most poisonous herbs is the
spotted hemlock.
D. Medicinal plants of the Leguminosae
family; The Leguminosae or pea family that have
been cultivated for fodder, food and ornamental
purposes, medicinal virtues include the pea, white and
red clovers, alfalfa and fenugreek.
E. Medicinal plants of the Solanaceae families; A family with
several poisonous, but medicinally-important herbs is the Solanaceae
or potato family including Potato, tomato. The potato is only edible
when ripe, as green potatoes were found to be poisonous, thorn apple
(Datura metel), tobacco (Nicotiana glauca)

7
 F. Medicinal plants of the Papaveraceae families; the poppy family consists of a
group of plant that contains a latex or water sap. Plants with a medicinal value include
poppy for example

Don’t forget: We are

not a team because
we work together. We
are a team because
we respect, trust, and
care for each other.