Medicinal Plants HISTORY GREEKS AND ROMANS Western medicine started with Hippocrates 460 377 BC known as Father of Medicine Dioscorides Roman physician compiled medicinal information of over 600 plants in the Use of herbal remedies for disease De Materia Medica in 75 B C Most authoritative reference used for 1500 years Many of these remedies still used today Doctrine of Signatures 1500s a belief that the use of a plant can be recognized by certain signatures visible on the plant that corresponded to human anatomy Part of the plant looked like part of the human body thus it was used to treat the human part it most closely resembled o The plant liverwort looked like a liver and was used to treat liver ailments o Bloodwort red juice was used for blood disorders o Walnuts look like brains used for treating brain disorders o Mandrake root was thought to promote male virility and ensure conception o No scientific basis for any of this AGE OF HERBALS In 1400 s Europe the beginning of the Renaissance saw a revival of herbalism With printing press invention lots of herbals published Theatrum Botanicum The Complete Herbal etc MODERN 25 of prescriptions written contain plant derived active ingredients 90 of rural population in the world still relies on herbal medicine for health care ACTIVE COMPOUNDS Alkaloids Contain nitrogen they are usually alkaline basic pH they have a bitter taste They affect the nervous system of animals Some alkaloids are medicinally important but others are hallucinogenic or poisonous The difference between medicinal and poisonous effect is the dosage quantity used Common alkaloids caffeine nicotine cocaine morphine quinine ephedrine Glycosides Contain a sugar molecule glucose attached to the active component Cyanogenic glycosides have cyanide HCN remember cassava contains HCN also pits of apricots Cardioactive glycosides contain a steroid molecule as the active component These have an effect on heart muscle contraction used to treat forms of heart failure Saponins don t have much medicinal value some may be toxic FOXGLOVE heart disease WILLOWBARK aspirin to relieve pain fever CINCHONA TREE to treat malaria SNAKEROOT schizophrenia hypertension 1 ALOE burns cuts skin moisturizing FOXGLOVE Digitalis purpurea NATIVE Europe Africa and Western Asia A flowering plant Flower clusters every two years insect pollinated Produces compounds meant to discourage grazing by mammals Originally used to treat dropsy severe bloating in England William Withering an English doctor found the correct dosage for treatment 1785 Contains cardioactive glycosides in the leaves they can be extracted o Digoxin most widely used because it can be cleared by the kidneys o Digitoxin has a longer life and is not cleared very well by kidneys Biological Effects Treatment for congestive heart failure CHF o When the heart fails to pump enough blood to the rest of the body o Body attempts to compensate by increasing blood pressure and decreased blood to kidneys which makes the problem worse Biological activity Works in 2 ways the heart rate Slowing Increasing strength o More blood supply to the heart o More blood to the kidneys leads to increased urine production and excretion of each heartbeat improving circulation Contradictions Excessive dose can be fatal never chew it can be a poison 80 effective Because it varies depending on the patient what can be ideal for one may be subtherapeutic for another or even lethal to another depending on the circumstances Overdose side effects Nausea vomiting headache arrhythmia rapid irregular beating of the heart and even death WILLOW TREE BARK Aspirin Salix species Used by Greeks to treat gout rheumatism pain and fever Native Americans also discovered healing powers of willow bark Aspirin Salicylic acid Isolated by German chemists from the Bayer Co in 1898 A wonder drug because it has three classic properties Anti inflammatory Antipyretic fever reducing Analgesic pain relieving Also prevents heart attacks strokes some cancers breast bladder stomach delays cataracts enhances immune system Drawbacks of aspirin May irritate the stomach thus coating of pills helps Reye s Syndrome Children recovering from chicken pox or the flu can develop unusual symptoms vomiting affects brain liver and may be fatal upon taking aspirin 2 As a plant pesticide may be used as a pesticide on agricultural crops one day since it stimulates the plant s defense system making them more resistant to pests CHINCHONA TREE Malaria Malaria is still the world s most prevalent disease 3 million people die every year Endemic in tropical and subtropical countries Plasmodium vivax is carried by the Anopheles mosquito Symptoms o Fever chills seizures convulsions coma and even death Cinchona tree Alkaloid quinine in the cinchona tree bark from Peru used to treat people infected with malaria Fever reducing properties Action Of Quinine Kills the parasite in the bloodstream of the infected person Also acts to prevent the initial infection for people traveling to malaria infested areas British in India added tonic water and gin making quinine more palatable gin and tonic SNAKEROOT Rauwolfia serpentina NATIVE India The source of the drug reserpine and other alkaloids that are used in the Treatment of hypertension chronic high blood pressure As a tranquilizer sedative to treat schizophrenia ALOE Also called the burn plant Stimulates cell growth and prevents fungal and bacterial infections NATIVE Africa Treatment for various skin ailments including o Rashes burns sunburns scalds wounds Sap of the succulent leaves contains aloin and other compounds that heal skin Popular in cosmetic products due to moisturizing effects of Aloe soaps skin creams shampoos sunscreen lotions bath oils As purgative relieves constipation Skin mouth ulcers eczema psoriasis ringworm athlete s foot poison ivy rashes Diabetes treatment lowers blood glucose levels CELL GROWTH involves three aspects Cell division Cell enlargement Cell differentiation going from one cell to two increase in size cells specialize CELL DIVISION The process by which one cell divides into two Mitosis division of the nucleus 3 Cytokinesis division of the cytoplasm Occurs in later stages of mitosis CELL CYCLE M phase dividing phase Interphase non dividing Most of the time 90 the cell is in Interphase non dividing stage INTERPHASE The metabolically active stage 3 Stages S synthesis G1 gap 1 G2 gap 2 Interphase stages Preparation for cell division occurs during