Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants (in English: Medicinal plants) refer to a wide range of plants (shrubs, shrubs, and trees) that are used in the treatment of diseases or in the prevention of their occurrence. Most of these plants fall into three groups: aromatic, spicy, and medicinal. Medicinal and aromatic plants are mainly consumed in the following forms: 1. Fresh plant 2. Dried or canned plant 3. Processed by heat 4. Extraction of effective substances in the classification industry.

Medicinal plants are plants that contain active substances in one or some of their organs. This substance, which makes up less than 1% of the dry weight of the plant, has effective medicinal properties on living organisms. Also, planting, keeping, and harvesting of these plants are done in order to use their effective substance. Methods of using medicinal plants: Medicinal plants are mainly consumed in the following forms: decoction – drops – syrup – gel – ointment – shampoo – spirits – juice – cigarettes – tablets – capsules – ampoules and so on. . .

What is the difference between medicinal plants and herbal medicines?

 Medicinal plants include parts of the plant that are sold after drying or fresh without making any changes in apothecaries and shops. These plants are mostly harmless or less harmful and some of their therapeutic properties have been proven. But herbal medicines are medicines that are produced by turning some plants into medicine through a special and sterile process. This is done in pharmaceutical factories.

Are medicinal plants without complications?

 No, although the side effects of medicinal plants are much less compared to chemical drugs, these plants can also leave unwanted side effects. Some of these side effects are related to the plant itself and how to use it. Others may be caused by drug interactions or the presence of underlying diseases in a person.

What are the methods of using medicinal plants? 

These plants can be used in the form of tea, boiled, soaked, syrup, powdered, incense, poultice or compress, bandage, special washing medicine, and medicine for the bath.

Advantages of herbal medicines over chemical medicines Medicines made from various medicinal plants have many advantages over chemical medicines. Perhaps one of the reasons for the popularity of these drugs these days is these advantages. The most important advantages of herbal medicines over chemical ones are as follows: 

1. Most herbal medicines are much less toxic. 
2. In addition to reducing toxicity, the nature of interaction in plant compounds may lead to higher medicinal effects. However, it should be noted that not all herbal medicines are safe and should be used with the correct prescription.
3. They are usually cheap.
4. Herbal medicines respond well to pathogens resistant to chemical medicines.
5. Some diseases may not be treatable with today’s chemical drugs. The therapeutic effects of a large number of herbal medicines on such diseases may still be unknown.
6. Herbal medicines bring economic value and expand business opportunities.

Chemistry of medicinal plants in traditional medicine 

All kinds of medicinal plants have been used for thousands of years and were used in traditional medicine. However, even today, they are an essential part of modern medicine. Many synthetic drugs were made from plant extracts. The therapeutic effects of medicinal plants are related to their chemical properties. As distinct from other plants, medicinal plants synthesize and accumulate natural physiologically active substances with specific physiological activities. 

A variety of medicinal plants contain a variety of chemical compounds that may be beneficial to the host plant. These compounds may protect the plant from herbivores, attract pollinators, or prevent competitive germination in the plant’s growing space. More than 5,000 identified alkaloids are organic compounds with alkaline properties found in the flowering plant family, including caffeine, nicotine, morphine, and quinine. In contrast to glycosides, chemical compounds with one or more sugar molecules are found in plants such as ginseng, almonds, and foxglove. 

Medicinal plants are also rich in useful mineral elements. Most types of medicinal plants contain useful elements such as calcium, sodium, zinc, copper, iodine, manganese, potassium, iron, etc., and sometimes contain harmful compounds such as arsenic, mercury, and lead in a much lower amount than the dangerous level. Traditional medicine treats diseases by identifying useful elements and benefiting from the knowledge of medicinal plants. Other chemical compounds in medicines that can be used in traditional medicine and modern medicine are as follows: Alkaloids Terpenoids (triterpenes and steroidal saponins) Phenolic compounds (phenolic compounds with different chemical compounds are abundantly found in plants) Glycosides Polysaccharides (polysaccharides pectins, resins, and mucilages are the main polysaccharides used in medicine)

Types of medicinal plants in Iran Most wild medicinal plants may be collected from many places, including open pastures, farmland, orchards, roadsides, or woodlands. In the country of Iran, the best medicinal plants are mainly divided into two main categories, although not all medicinal plants have been identified and named, and still a group of plants is identified as unknown medicinal plants of Iran. 

1. Desert medicinal plants: plants such as khastar, jujube, pecan, etc. in the desert areas of Khorasan. 
2. Mountain medicinal plants: plants such as chamomile, yarrow, cow’s tongue flower, etc. are mostly found in the mountains of Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges. In the following, some names of mountain medicinal plants are given according to the different provinces of Iran:

A) Medicinal plants of West Azerbaijan: marshmallow, licorice, sweet, neem, musk willow, etc. 

b) Firouzkoh medicinal plants: barite, mountain garlic, sirshak, Gerik, etc 

C) Medicinal plants of Alamut Qazvin: Borage flower, feather flower, thyme, rhubarb 

d) Medicinal plants of Lorestan: including yarrow, persiavash, shallot, garlic, marshmallow, camomile, sage, chicory 

e) List of medicinal plants of Razavi Khorasan: Badranjuba, Khatami, Fennel, Sherbet egg, Khakshir, Cumin, etc.

Although medicinal plants have been prized for their medicinal, flavoring, and aromatic properties for centuries, synthetic products of the modern era have for a time surpassed their importance. However, the blind dependence on artificial materials has ended and people are returning to nature with the hope of safety and peace. In Iran, with the variety of medicinal species, belief in traditional medicine has existed for a long time and has led to valuable results in the field of medicine. 

The use of herbs and spices has a long history and has been integrated into our rich cultures and traditions for centuries. There are many herbs and spices that contain powerful herbal compounds that can heal and relieve pain, prevent various diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and even prevent cancer, heart disease, and other common and important diseases can prevent.

There is evidence that medicinal plants have been used for medical and therapeutic purposes about 60,000 years ago. The burial site of a Neanderthal man was discovered in 1960, which was buried with eight species of plants, some of which are still used for medicinal purposes today.

Hippocrates, 460-380 BC, known as the “father of medicine”, classified plants into the main categories of hot and cold, wet and dry, and created a diagnostic system using plants. The number of effective medicinal plants he researched was between 300 and 400 species.