Medicinal Plants

Medicinal Plants

The history of the medicinal plants is as old as the history of human beings. Most medicines are obtained either directly or indirectly from plants. All the major system of medicines such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy (AYUSH) use drugs obtained from plants and animals. These drugs from medicinal plants are called secondary metabolites. Plants produce primary metabolites for their own living e.g. carbohydrates, amino acids etc., and secondary metabolites for protection, competition and species interaction. e.g. alkaloids, terpenoids, flavonoids etc. Phytochemistry is the study of phytochemicals which are chemical substances derived from various parts of the plant. Few plant derived drugs are described in (Table 7.1).