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

Year  isolated	Substance	Origin	Scientific plant name
1932	Ginkgolides	Maidenhair tree	Ginkgo biloba
1950s	Vinblastine	Madagascar periwinkle	Catharanthus roseus
1950s	Vincristine	Madagascar periwinkle	Catharanthus roseus
1962	Ginsenosides	Ginseng	Panax ginseng
1967	Taxol	Pacific yew	Taxus brevifolia
1968	Silymarin	Milk thistle	Silybum marianum
1972	Artemisinin	Sweet wormword	Artemisia annua
1972	Cyclosporine	A microfungus	Cordyceps subsesselis (Tolyplocladium inflatum)