Medicinal Plants 1

Doctrine of Signatures

the belief that the use of a plant can be recognized by certain signatures visible on the plant that correspond to human anatomy; has no scientific basis!

traditional Chinese medicine

a preventative & holistic type of medicine aiming to maintain balance which is individually tailored and includes food, exercise, meditation, massage, accupuncture, and herbal formulations

Alkaloids

mostly found in herbaceous dicots

contain nitrogen, have a basic pH, and have a bitter taste

medicinal, posionous, or hallucinogenic

affect the nervous system of animals

Glycosides

contain a glucose molecule attached to the active compound

Cyanogenic glycosides

have HCN

Cardioactive glycosides

contain a steroid molecule as the active component and have an effect on heart contraction'

they can be used to treat forms of heart failure

Saponins

toxic plants that don’t have much medicinal value

Foxglove (Digitalis pupurea)

a biennial plant native to Europe, Africa, and Western Asia that contains cardioactive glycosides Digioxin and Digitoxin

it treats congestive heart failure by slowing the heart rate and increasing the strength of each heartbeat, improving circulation

but excessive dose can be fatal

Digoxin

a cardioactive glycoside most widely used for treating heart failure b/c it can be cleared by the kidneys

Digitoxin

has a longer life but is not cleared very well by the kidneys

Aspirin

comes from the willow (Salix species)

has been used by the Greeks to treat gout, rheumatism, pain, and fever

contains salicylic acid

is anti-inflmmatory, antipyretic, and analgesic

can prevent heart attacks, strokes, and some cancers

antipyretic

fever reducing

Analgesic

pain relieving

Reye’s syndrome

children recovering from chicken po or the flu can develop symptoms like vomtiing upon taking aspirin

it can be fatal and affect the brain and liver

Chincona tree

in its bark it contains the alkaloid quinine which helps treat ppl infected w/ malaria by killing the parasite in the bloodstream and also acts to prevent initial infection

the plant is from Peru

Plasmodium vivax

a unicellular organism carried by anopheles mosquitoes

Snakeroot

(Rauwolfia serpentina) the source of drugs reserpine and other alkaloids that are used in the treatment of hypertension

also used as a tranquilizer and to treat schizophrenia

from India

Aloe (vera)

species that are native to Africa that have been used for thousands of years to treat various skin ailments

contain aloin and other compounds that heal skin

can also be used a purgative and for diabetes treatments