In short, the conventional wisdom about the healing properties of plants is part of the cultural heritage of peoples. Ethnobotany denominating the part of the science that deals with the study of the information accumulated over many years.

More modernly, from this knowledge, science begin to investigate the curative or therapeutic actual usable plants, determine their chemical composition and separate the different active principles.Why and for what? Because the activity of a drug depends, first, the active substance containing a majority but they are often accompanied by other principles that power-or better-modulate the action of the former. The proportion in which they find each other is highly variable. It is also great variability exists with regard to the chemical formula of each principle in isolation. And considering that just by changing a chemical group position pharmacological activity can be completely opposite and that some principles are simple but sometimes other substances are complex mixtures (such as essential oils) it is clear that the most practical from scratch is not and look at what already exists and further work. And that it is best to observe nature.

Then, once separated the active and successful experience relevant evidence, scientists agree that this plant can be used with curative intent.

The pharmaceutical industries in the laboratory to synthesize a new drug, it often from these active and then proceed to “improve” their activity by altering its chemical formula or with other synergistic principles (to enhance the action), regulatory or remedial and other substances-natural or non-dependent characteristics and the dosage form to use (so-called pharmaceutical form).

In general, the trend today is to manufacture industries called herbal drugs, which can become very complex mixtures of active ingredients from natural sources (plants) of similar or different pharmacological action for the treatment of certain diseases. In some cases, correcting the undesirable traits such as odor or unpleasant taste (organoleptic correction) – adding other drugs or early demulcent (soothing) to those that are irritating, and so on. Sometimes he uses the full drug (leaves, flowers, roots …), others use only a few more active and more active ingredients are mixed in the same or different plants.

It is encouraging that now, to the misuse and abuse of synthetic drugs, their side effects and contraindications and interactions with other drugs (although many plants possess these disadvantages are not so frequent at therapeutic doses) is chosen increasingly by a medicine that uses natural agents based on the Hippocratic principle, “Primum non nocere (above all, do no harm) and to stimulate the life force of the individual, medicatrix Vis Naturae.

credit to: Maria Jose Valcarcel

Phytotherapy is the use of plants or parts thereof for therapeutic purposes and has been used by animals and man himself from prehistory. In fact, the majority of current drugs are based on active principles of plants. We therefore introduce readers to this amazing world in the belief that they will be really useful. And we will hand our companion Maria Jose Valcarcel, Bachelor of Pharmacy and naturopath.

It is called ACTIVE to any substance with pharmacological activity. The active principles are usually secondary metabolites of the plant, ie that are not central to it (most often reserve substances, products to repel or attract insects for pollination, etc.)..

HERB plant is equipped with all active substances with pharmacological activity that can be exploited from the therapeutic standpoint.DRUG is the part or parts of the plant used to contain most of the active ingredients, and / or containing in proper proportion. (Not to be confused with “drugs” that are the subject of drugs). For example, the drug of buckthorn bark is aging, so are bearberry leaves the barrel cactus fruits, from gentian root, and so on. It should be noted that sometimes different parts of a plant have different active ingredients so they will have different pharmacological actions also (we have several drugs of the same plant).

MEDICINAL PLANTS

Phytotherapy is the use of plants, or parts of it-and for medicinal purposes is as old as man himself. Back in prehistory, when the earth was full of plants, flowers and herbs, our ancestors probably came to them, “noting the habits of animals and decide to imitate in order to alleviate their ailments. And so, thanks to the experience to witness so much as cures poisoning caused by accidental ingestion-sometimes-of various plant species, man was learning the healing powers of some of them and the toxic actions of others. He thus came to possess great insight and selectivity “that we have lost-to choose just that plant to neutralize the poison of a snake, that flower to stop bleeding from a wound or chewing this root to calm the pain colic …

When the man went to live in gregarious societies, this knowledge would become an element of power and was restricted to the witch doctors and priests of the tribe, in whom his fellows went to lodge the responsibility of caring for the health of the whole. From there to the use of such knowledge do in ritual magic or religious complexion there was only one step.

credit to: Maria Jose Valcarcel