Medicinal plants
Plants have been used for healing during all times. They have eased colds and sleeping problems, helped with stomach problems and joint pain, been invigorating or calming. Many medicines for cancer and malaria also come from the plant kingdom.
Here is a little information about some healing plants:
- colds and aches – willows, coneflowers, licorice, ginkgo
- stomach and liver – bogbean, chamomile, mayapple, thistles
- sleep – valerian, chamomile
- invigorating and calming beverages – coffee, tea and beer (hops)
- tumours and cancer – yew tree, mayapple
- malaria – cinchona bark, wormwood
- penicillin
- toxic but good – opium, foxgloves, deadly nightshade
Old Drugs from Medicinal Plants
Year isolated |
Substance | Origin | Scientific plant name |
1806 | Morphine | Opium poppy | Papaver somniferum |
1818 | Noscapin | Opium poppy | Papaver somniferum |
1820 | Caffeine | Coffee | Coffea arabica |
1820 | Quinine | Quinine bark | Cinchona spp. |
1828 | Nicotine | Tobacco | Nicotiana tabacum |
1832 | Codeine | Opium poppy | Papaver somniferum |
1833 | Atropine | Deadly nightshade | Atropa belladonna |
1835 | Salicylic acid | Meadowsweet | Filipendula ulmaria |
1848 | Papaverin | Opium poppy | Papaver somniferum |
1855 | Cocaine | Coca leaf | Erythroxylum coca |
1868 | Digitalin* | Foxglove | Digitalis purpurea |
* Digitalin is a mixture of glycosides. Nowadays some of the glycosides are used as pure compounds, as cardiac medicines.
New Medicinal Substances from Medicinal Plants
Last modified: 2021-11-29