Medicinal herbs and flowers

The use of plants by humans is as old as humanity itself. They accompany us throughout our lives, from birth to old age. Plants make up a significant and necessary part of food, are used as spices, seasonings, and are included in drinks.

A special group consists of plants that have medicinal properties. Finding a clear line between plants that are used as food and as medicine can often be quite difficult. For example, tea is a food product, but it contains active substances (caffeine and its derivatives, bioflavonoids, tannins) that can be classified as medicinal. Oak bark, which contains 8-20% tannins, has been used since ancient times as an astringent for compresses and baths (frostbite, swelling, hemorrhoids, sweating feet), but for centuries it has also been used by tanners as a means for tanning leather.

Each medicinal plant, among its many constituent substances, contains several on which its therapeutic effect depends. They are called active or active substances. Even in very small quantities they have a strong effect on the human body.

Several groups of active substances are now known: alkaloids, glycosides, essential oils, resins, saponins, phytoncides, mucous and tannins, vitamins, flavonoids, coumaric and triterpene compounds, organic acids and some others. Depending on the predominant content of certain substances, plants are called alkaloid-bearing, glycoside-bearing, essential oil, etc.
Today it is impossible to imagine modern medicine without a number of drugs containing more than a hundred active ingredients contained in plants (for example, cardioglycosides, morphine, quinine, rutin, vincristine, vinblastine, paclitaxel, etc.) and a number of their derivatives (vinorelbine, docetaxel, irinitecan, topotecan, etoposide, etc.)

Despite the great success in the field of studying medicinal plants, the possibilities associated with their medicinal use have not yet been exhausted. The use of traditional medicine data and in-depth scientific analysis of the medicinal properties of many plants helps to further enrich the arsenal of medicinal products and use them for human health.