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Importance of Herbal plants

Importance of herbal plants

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Page 1: Importance of herbal plants

Importance of Herbal plants

Page 2: Importance of herbal plants

Herbal plants Herbal plants have been identified and used throughout human history.

Plants make many chemical compounds that are for biological functions, including defence against insects, fungi and herbivorous mammals. At least 12,000 such compounds have been isolated so far; a number estimated to be less than 10% of the total. Chemical compounds in plants mediate their effect on the human body through processes identical to those already well understood for the chemical compounds in conventional drugs; thus herbal medicines do not differ greatly from conventional drugs in terms of how they work. This enables herbal medicines to have beneficial pharmacology, but also gives them the same potential as conventional pharmaceutical drugs to cause harmful side effects.

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Herbs can be perennials such as thyme or lavender, biennials such as parsley, or annuals like basil. Perennial herbs can be shrubs such as rosemary, Rosmarinus officinalis, or trees such as bay laurel, Laurus nobilis – this contrasts with botanical herbs, which by definition cannot be woody plants. Some plants are used as both herbs and spices, such as dil weed and dill seed or coriander leaves and seeds. Also, there are some herbs such as those in the mint family that are used for both culinary and medicinal purposes. An herb is a plant grown for medicinal value or for flavoring food. There is some overlap between the milder leafy herbs and the more strongly-flavored leaf vegetables. This category does not include the much wider category of herbaceous plants which are also called herbs in some countries.

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History The use of plants as medicine predates written human history. Many of

the herbs and spices used by humans to season food also yield useful medicinal compounds The use of herbs of and spices in cuisine developed in part as a response to the threat food-borne pathogens. Studies show that in tropical climates where pathogens are the most abundant, recipes are the most highly spiced. Further, the spices with the most potent antimicrobial activity tend to be selected. In all cultures vegetables are spiced less than meat, presumably because they are more resistant to spoilage. Angiosperms (flowering plants) were the original source of most plant medicines.  Many of the common weeds that populate human settlements, such as nettle, dandelion and chickweed, have medicinal properties. A large amount of archaeological evidence exists which indicates that humans were using medicinal plants during the Paleolithic, approximately 60,000 years ago. Some animals such as non-human primates, monarch butterflies and sheep are also known to ingest medicinal plants to treat illness.

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About India Herbs

While pharmaceutical companies extract active ingredients from plants and sell them as drugs, the benefits of medicinal plants cannot be replicated because their synergistic combination of hundreds of naturally occurring photochemical cannot be reproduced in laboratories.

This fact has been known to Ayurveda for thousands of years - the benefit comes from using the whole plant, not just an isolated ingredient. Because they contain whole herbs and fruits, Ayurvedic formulas are safer and more effective as opposed to Western formulations which often times have harmful side effects.

We satisfy the health needs of our customers through safe, well-researched, and effective Ayurveda based remedies using premier quality herbal extracts and sound manufacturing practices.

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In general use, herbs are any plants used for food, flavoring, medicine, or perfume. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs refer to the leafy green parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while a "spice" is a product from another part of the plant (usually dried), including seeds, berries, bark, roots and fruits. Herbal and Aromatic plants form a numerically large group of economically important plants which provide basic raw materials for medicines, perfumes, flavors and cosmetics.

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Medicinal plants are those plants which are rich in secondary -metabolites and arc potential source of drugs. These secondary metabolites includes alkoloids, glycosides, coumarins, flavonides, steroids etc.

1. India is one of the few countries where almost all the known medicinal plants can be cultivated in some part of the country or the other. Among various plants there is great demand in the country and abroad are as opium poppy, tropane alkaloid bearing plants, sapogenin bearing yams, senna, cinchona and ipecae.

2. The ancient Indian system of medicine is mainly plant based matesia medica making use of most of our native plants. It catres the needs of rural population of our country.                           

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3. ISM (Indian System of Medicine) offers most appropriate or first line theorapy against many diseases like jaundice, asthama, diabetes etc.

4. India has about 2,000 species of medicinal plants and a vast geographical area with high production potential and varied agroclirnatical conditions. 

5. India is already a major exporter of medicinal plants. It is estimated that Rs, 86 crores worth of raw materials and drug from medicinal plants are exported from India.

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List of herbal plants in India

1.Emblica officinalis (Amla) 2.Saraca asoca (Ashoka) 3.Withania somnifera (Aswagandha) 4.Peeper longum (Long pepper) 5.Asparagus racehorses (Satavari) 6.Osmium sanctum (Tulsi) 7.Commiphora wightii (Guggulu

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8. Garlic(Allium sativum) 9. Aloe vera 10.Neem (Azadirachta indica) 11. Chili (Capsicum frutescens) 12. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum)

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By :- Akshat Kumar X-A kv2 kalpakkam