Medicines Made From Plants (2024)

Medicines made from plants have been used throughout human history. Today, over 100 drugs and medicines trace their “roots” to chemical compounds found in plants. Here is a table of plants, the compound used as a drug, and the medical use of the drug. While it is not a comprehensive list of all of the plants, names of chemicals, or uses for those chemicals, it’s a helpful starting point for further research.

The table lists each plant’s common name andscientific name. Common names are imprecise, so it’s best to use the scientific name when looking for additional information concerning a plant.

List of Medicines From Plants

Chemical Compounds in Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants and those used as a source for purified drugs contain certain classes of chemical compounds. The plant uses these pharmacological phytochemicals mainly to deter herbivores, parasites, and insect pests and to keep other plants from getting too close. Basically, these compounds tend to be natural herbicides, pesticides, and insecticides, so they are usually toxic to humans at high levels. Major classes of phytochemicals are:

• Alkaloids – Alkaloids are bitter-tasting and often toxic. These organic compounds contain basic nitrogen atoms, although a few compounds are neutral and even weakly acidic. Medicines made from alkaloids include caffeine, cocaine, atropine, scopalamine, hyoscyamine, quinine, vincristine, ephedrine, morphine, berberine, and vincamine. These drugs are used as stimulants, psychotropics, and depressants, both medically and recreationally.
• Glycosides – A glycoside is a molecule that contains a sugar bound to another functional group by a glycosidic bond. Medicinal plants containing glycosides include foxglove, lily of the valley, senna, cascara, aloe, and rhubarb. They are used medically as laxatives, diuretics, and heart tonics.
• Polyphenols – Polyphenols are molecules that contain multiple phenolic rings. Plants use polyphenols to defend themselves again predators and diseases. Examples of plants containing polyphenols include kudzu, angelica, grapes, pine, and pomegranate. Medically, they are used as astringents and to treat gynecological disorders. Polyphenols occur in many dietary supplements.
• Terpenes – Terpenes and turpenoids are chemically related to the hydrocarbon isoprene. These volatile organic compounds are the source of a plant’s fragrance and essential oils. Plants use them to attract pollinators and repel herbivores. Examples of plants that contain terpenes include conifers, rose, thyme, and lavender. Terpenes find medical use as antiseptics and antiparasitics.

How Plants and Drugs Differ

Even though a medicinal plant might contain an active compound identical to that of a purified drug, the two don’t always produce the same effects. This is because plants also contain numerous other compounds. Also, the route of drug administration matters. Eating a plant or applying it to skin is very different from injecting a drug directly into the bloodstream, for example. While drugs may be purified from plants, more often they are synthesized from petrochemicals.

History of Plants Used as Medicines

People have used plants to make medicines since prehistoric times. Early plants used for medicines include herbs and spices, which were used to reduce food spoilage and parasites, not just as flavoring. The 60,000-year-old Neaderthal burial “Shanidar IV” included pollen from plant species that are used as herbal remedies. Ötzi the Iceman had a mushroom, likely used as a whipworm remedy, that was counted among his personal effects when his body was recovered after 5,000 years frozen in the ice. The ancient Sumerians lists myrrh, opium, and hundreds of other plants on clay tablets. The Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, dated to around 1550 BC, listed over 850 medicinal plants, including juniper, aloe, and cannabis.

References

• Ahn, K. (2017). “The worldwide trend of using botanical drugs and strategies for developing global drugs.” BMB Reports. 50 (3): 111–116. doi:10.5483/BMBRep.2017.50.3.221
• Lichterman, B. L. (2004). “Aspirin: The Story of a Wonder Drug.” British Medical Journal. 329 (7479): 1408. doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7479.1408
• Sumner, Judith (2000). The Natural History of Medicinal Plants. Timber Press. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-88192-483-1.
• Taylor, Leslie (2000).Plant-Based Drugs and Medicines.Square One Publishers. Garden City Park, N.Y.

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