Ethnobotany, the study of how native peoples use plants, is a complex mixture of sociology, anthropology, botany, economics, ecology, and medicine (9). Most modern medicines are derivatives of, or synthetic forms of, chemical compounds found naturally in plants. Twenty-five to 40 percent of prescriptions in the U. S. use compounds which are derived from plants, and the World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the earth's population use plants for primary medical care (1,9). Of the more than 250,000 known plant species, only about 5,000 have been examined chemically for medicinal properties. This paper will look at some of the work being done by researchers to prove the effectiveness of natural remedies for bacterial and fungal infections, and on diseases such as cancer.
In the early 16th century, European explorers brought the dried bark of the cinchona tree back from South America, reporting its use by natives to cure fever (4). This resulted in the discovery of quinine, once of the most potent drugs against malaria. Viskin, which is used to treat a heart condition, was synthesized based on extracts from hallucinogenic mushrooms, and in many places in South East Asia, a certain caterpillar is used to treat a variety of diseases, and it has been shown to be particularly potent against malaria (4). Penicillin was derived from bread mold, morphine and opium (strong pain killers) come from the poppy flower, aspirin is related to a chemical from the bark of the white willow tree, and hundreds of years ago, patients with "dropsy" (congestive heart failure) knew to chew foxglove leaves to get rid of excess fluid. Recent discoveries include the immunosuppressive agent cyclosporin, derived from a Norwegian fungus and used to prevent rejection of organ transplants, and ivermecti. found in a Japanese fungus, which is used worldwide to kill parasitic worms in animals and humans (1). Medicinal plants have been around as ...