By 
There is a capture phase, “living better through chemistry” that is used to exalt the wonders of modern medicine to help humanity. However, many of these drugs would not be possible without our medicinal plants. Almost forty percent of all prescription drugs are derived from plants and fungi or are 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 the growth of bacteria; some relieve pain and are analgesic.
These medications include aspirin, digoxin, warfarin, and the vinca alkaloids used to treat childhood leukemia and breast cancers.
Certain populations of a plant species can be more potent than others, and plant parts vary in their concentrations of medicinal compounds. The underground parts of plants, such as 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. In the early 1800s, plants were no longer the source of effective medicine numbers. 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 like atropine and reserpine are too expensive to synthesize, so pharmaceutical companies continue to rely on natural sources.
Around eighty percent of people in developing countries still depend on traditional medicinal 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. Several of the drugs sold today are simple synthetic modifications or copies of naturally derived substances.
About 120 prescription drugs are derived from plants, and these drugs come from just 95 species of plants. Today there are at least 120 different plant-derived chemicals that are considered important drugs currently in use in one or more countries around the world. These chemicals are shown in the following table.
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 common now that we no longer think much of as “wonder drugs” that are derived from medicinal plants. . The following is a short list of some over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, against malaria, cancer, and specialized 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 (Ipecac syrup); Cephaelis ipecacuanha; Induce vomiting; particularly in cases of accidental ingestion of poisonous or harmful substances
- Scopolamine; Hyoscyamus niger; Motion sickness
- Camphor; Cinnamomum camphora; Rubefacient
- a-lobeline; Indian tobaccoLobelia inflata); Tuxedo deterrent
- Sanguinarine; Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis); Dental plaque inhibitor
- Stevia (stevioside); Stevia rebaudiana; Sweetener
- Thymol; Vulgar scam; Antifungal (topical); popular in mouthwashes
- Valapotriatos; Valeriana officinalis; Sedative; no morning hangover effect
- Silymarin; Milk thistle (Silybum marianum); Antihepatotoxic; supports liver health
- Morphine, codeine; Opium poppyPapaver somniferum); Analgesic; cough suppressant (codeine)
- Pseudoephredrine; Ephedra sinica; Sympathomimetic
- Erythomycin; Tropical mushrooms; Antibiotic
- Tubocurarine; Chondodentron tomentosum; Relaxing muscle
- Pilocarpine; Jaborandi; Glaucoma
Antimalarial (drug; source; action / use):
- Quinine; Cinchona ledgerian; 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; MayapplePodophyllum peltatum); Lymphomas; leukemias; cancers of the lung, breast, testicle
- Hycmatim / Toptecan; Chinese jump / joy tree (Camptotheca acuminata); Ovarian, breast, lung cancers; certain types of leukemias
Specialized treatment (drug; source; action / use):
- Chaulmoogra oil; Derived from trees in the genera Hydrocarpus Y Taraktogens; Antibiotic against the bacteria that cause leprosy.
- Digitoxin, digitalin, digoxin; Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea); Cardiotonic, which works as a cardiac stimulant that improves the tone and rhythm of diseased heartbeats.
- Reserpine; Snake root (Rauvolfia species); Soothing
- Kawain; Kava (Piper methysticum); Soothing
- Atropine; Belladonna atropa; Anticholinergic, helps cognitive decline
- Gossypol; Gossypium species (cottonseed); Male contraceptive
- Hydrastine; Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis); Hemostatic, astringent