Role of Plants in Natural Medicinal Therapy

Abstract

Herbs and spices have been used as a source of medicine for the treatment of different diseases for thousands of years. Numerous pieces of evidence are available for the use of plants as a medicine in the treatment of diseases in the Indian, Egyptian, Chinese, Greek, and Roman systems of medicine. Biological diversity, such as herbs, spices, microbes, and other natural resources, has been explored, extracted, and screened globally throughout recent years. Phytochemicals are naturally available bioactive compounds that are derived from different plant parts and are primarily responsible for biological activities. Recent findings suggest that majority of phytochemicals have valuable therapeutic activities, such as anti-microbial, antidiabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-arthritic, anti-malarial, et al. The chemical information coupled with traditional knowledge and supported by other biological activities will add additional value for the development of effective herbal drugs.

Keywords: Herbal medicine, Medicinal plants, Medicinal value, Phytochemicals, Pharmacognosy

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