Pharmacognosy, Medicinal Plants and Natural Products

Phytochemistry is the study of phytochemicals, which are chemicals derived from plants. Plants synthesize phytochemicals for many reasons, including protecting themselves against insect attacks and plant diseases. Phytochemicals in food plants are often active in human biology, and in many cases have health benefits. The compounds found in plants are of many kinds, but most are in four major biochemical classes, the alkaloids, glycosides, polyphenols, and terpenes.

Many plants produce chemical compounds for defense against herbivores. These are often useful as drugs, and the content and known pharmacological activity of these substances in medicinal plants is the scientific basis for their use. Secondary metabolites and pigments can have therapeutic actions in humans and can be refined to produce drugs—examples are inulin from the roots of dahlias, quinine from the cinchona, THC and CBD from the flowers of cannabis, morphine and codeine from the poppy, and digoxin from the foxglove. Human settlements are often surrounded by weeds useful as medicines, such as nettle, dandelion and chickweed.

Many phytochemicals, including curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein and resveratrol are pan-assay interference compounds and are not useful in drug discovery.

To meet the increasing demand for raw material, to conserve wild resources, and to reduce the potential variability in the active ingredient content in medicinal plants from different collection areas, it is important to implement more controlled cultivation programs to ensure quality and to protect resources. The global market for botanical and plant-derived drugs was valued at $23.2 billion in 2013 and $24.4 billion in 2014. This total market is expected to reach $25.6 billion in 2015 and nearly $35.4 billion in 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% from 2015 to 2020.

Any plant which provides health-promoting characteristics, temporary relief from symptomatic problems or has curative properties based on some ethno botanic information’s, secondary metabolites as an active substance with biological activity.

Medicinal plants are plants that have a recognized medicinal use. They range from those used in the production of mainstream pharmaceutical products to plants used in herbal medicine preparations. Herbal medicine is one of the oldest forms of medical treatment in human history and could be considered one of the forerunners of the modern pharmaceutical trade. Plants that have medical uses can be found growing in many settings all over the world.

A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical synthesis (both semisynthesis and total synthesis) and have played a central role in the development of the field of organic chemistry by providing challenging synthetic targets.

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The term natural product has also been extended for commercial purposes to refer to cosmetics, dietary supplements, and foods produced from natural sources without added artificial ingredients.

Natural products sometimes have therapeutic benefit as traditional medicines for treating diseases, yielding knowledge to derive active components as lead compounds for drug discovery.

It includes the study of traditional concepts or methods for distinguishing between various plant parts such as bark, leaves, seeds, tubers, etc. and indigenous ways of distinction, if any, between the quality of such products from collections indifferent seasons or situations.

Ethnopharmacology (occasionally also called ethnopharmacy) is a related study of      ethnic groups and their use of drugs. It is distinctly linked to medicinal plant use, ethnobotany, as this is the main delivery of pharmaceuticals.

Ethnomedicine is a study or comparison of the traditional medicine practiced by various ethnic groups, and especially by indigenous peoples. The word ethnomedicine is sometimes used as a synonym for traditional medicine.

Biochemicals produced by marine invertebrates, algae and bacteria, are very different than those from related terrestrial organisms and thus offer great potential as new classes of medicines. To date, examples of marine-derived drugs include an antibiotic from fungi, two closely related compounds from a sponge that treat cancer and the herpes virus, and a neurotoxin from a snail that has painkiller properties making it 10,000 times more potent than morphine without the side effects In addition to new medicines, nutritional supplements(algae and fish compounds), artificial bone (corals), and industrial applications (fluorescent other uses for marine-derived compounds include: cosmetics(algae, crustacean and sea fan compounds),  compounds from jellyfish, novel glues from mussels, and heat resistant enzymes from deep-sea bacteria).

With 79% of the earth’s surface covered by water, research into the chemistry of marine organisms is relatively unexplored and represents a vast resource for new medicines to combat major diseases such as cancer, AIDS or malaria. Standard research involves an extraction of the organism in a suitable solvent followed by either an assay of this crude extract for a particular disease target or a rationally guided isolation of new chemical compounds using standard chromatography techniques. Definition - Marine Pharmacognosy is a sub branch of pharmacognosy which is mainly concerned with the naturally occurring substances of medicinal value from marine. generally the drugs are obtained from the marine species of bacteria ,virus algae ,fungi and sponges etc.

A natural product is a chemical compound or substance produced by a living organism—that is, found in nature. In the broadest sense, natural products include any substance produced by life. Natural products (secondary metabolites) have been the most successful source of leads for potential drug discovery. Natural products have been well documented for their medicinal uses for thousands of years. Plants have evolved and adapted over millions of years to withstand bacteria, insects, fungi and weather to produce unique, structurally diverse secondary metabolites. Natural products can also be prepared by chemical synthesis (both semisynthesis and total synthesis) and have played a central role in the development of the field of organic chemistry by providing challenging synthetic targets. The term natural product has also been extended for commercial purposes to refer to cosmetics, dietary supplements, and foods produced from natural sources without added artificial ingredients.

Natural products sometimes have therapeutic benefit as traditional medicines for treating diseases, yielding knowledge to derive active components as lead compounds for drug discovery Although natural products have inspired numerous U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, drug development from natural sources has received declining attention by pharmaceutical companies, partly due to unreliable access and supply, intellectual property concerns, seasonal or environmental variability of composition, and loss of sources due to rising extinction rates.

Aromatic compounds, also known as arenes or Aromatics, are chemical compounds that contain conjugated planar ring systems with delocalized pi electron clouds instead of discrete alternating single and double bonds. Typical aromatic compounds are benzene and toluene.

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Hydrocarbons derived from petroleum, characterized by a ring-like molecular structure and 'sweet' or Aromatic odor. Benzene, tolune, and xylene are the most common aromatics, and are used as chemical feedstocks, solvents, and as additives to gasoline to raise its octane rating.

Plants that produce and exude Aromatic substances are used in making perfumes, in cooking, and in the food, pharmaceutical, and liquor industries.

Many aromatic plants are species of the Lauraceae, Umbelliferae, Myrtaceae, and Labiatae families. Many of them are also used for medicinal purposes. Aromatic plants are from a numerically large group of economically important plants.

Aromatic flowers are strong enough to perfume your outdoor living spaces, unlike others. They may be of Annuals Perennials, Roses, and Vines. Ex: Fragrant amaryllis, Night phlox, variegated kiwi vine, Wintersweet, Mock orange.

Secondary metabolites are organic compounds produced by bacteria, fungi, or plants which are not directly involved in the normal growth, development, or reproduction of the organism. Secondary metabolites often play an important role in plant defense against herbivory and other interspecies defenses. Humans use secondary metabolites as medicines, flavorings, pigments, and recreational drugs.

Some researchers believe that certain secondary metabolite volatiles are responsible for human food preferences that may be evolutionarily based in nutritional food. This area of interest has not been thoroughly researched, but has interesting implications for human preference. Many secondary metabolites aid the plant in gaining essential nutrients, such as nitrogen.

A Nutraceutical is a pharmaceutical-grade and standardized nutrient. Nutraceuticals are products derived from food sources that are purported to provide extra health benefits, in addition to the basic nutritional value found in foods.

Such products may claim to prevent chronic diseases, improve health, delay the aging process, increase life expectancy, or support the structure or function of the body.

A market research report produced in 2012 projected that the worldwide nutraceuticals market would reach US$250 billion by 2018, defining that market as "Dietary Supplements (Vitamins, Minerals, Herbals, Non-Herbals, & Others), and Functional Foods & Beverages.

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products with bioactive ingredients purported to have medical benefits. The name is a combination of "cosmetics" and "pharmaceuticals".

"Nutricosmetics" are related dietary supplement or food or beverage products with additives that are marketed as having medical benefits that affect appearance.

The cosmetic industry is dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses.

Cosmetic sales in France reached €6.5 billion in 2006, according to FIPAR. France is another country in which the cosmetic industry plays an important role, both nationally and internationally. According to data from 2008, the cosmetic industry has grown constantly in France for 40 consecutive years. In 2006, this industrial sector reached a record level of €6.5 billion.

In Germany, the cosmetic industry generated €12.6 billion of retail sales in 2008, which makes the German cosmetic industry the third largest in the world, after Japan and the United States.

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic products with bioactive ingredients purported to have medical benefits. The name is a combination of "cosmetics" and "pharmaceuticals".

"Nutricosmetics" are related dietary supplement or food or beverage products with additives that are marketed as having medical benefits that affect appearance.

The cosmetic industry is dominated by a small number of multinational corporations that originated in the early 20th century, but the distribution and sale of cosmetics is spread among a wide range of different businesses.

Cosmetic sales in France reached €6.5 billion in 2006, according to FIPAR. France is another country in which the cosmetic industry plays an important role, both nationally and internationally. According to data from 2008, the cosmetic industry has grown constantly in France for 40 consecutive years. In 2006, this industrial sector reached a record level of €6.5 billion.

In Germany, the cosmetic industry generated €12.6 billion of retail sales in 2008, which makes the German cosmetic industry the third largest in the world, after Japan and the United States.

Phytoconstituents are chemical compounds that occur naturally in plants. Some are responsible for colour and other organoleptic properties. The term is generally refer to biologically significant chemicals, but not established as essential nutrients.

Phytoconstituents are synthetic intensifies that happen actually in plants (phyto signifies "plant" in Greek). With particular information of the cell activities or components, phytoconstituents have been considered as Plant medications for centuries.

It is estimated that about 70% of the supply of herbal raw material for Ayurveda and other homeopathic medicines in India comes from the wild. To meet the increasing demand for raw material, to conserve wild resources, and to reduce the potential variability in the active ingredient content in medicinal plants from different collection areas. The global market for botanical and plant-derived drugs was valued at $23.2 billion in 2013 and $24.4 billion in 2014. This total market is expected to reach $25.6 billion in 2015 and nearly $35.4 billion in 2020, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6% from 2015 to 2020.

Herbalism (also herbal medicine) is the study of botany and use of plants intended for medicinal purposes. Plants have been the basis for medical treatments through much of human history, and such traditional medicine is still widely practiced today.

The craftsmanship or routine of utilizing herbs and natural arrangements to keep up wellbeing and to counteract, reduce, or cure infection and a plant or plant part or a concentrate or blend of these utilized as a part of home grown prescription by the Plant extraction technique for medication definition Herbal and medication cooperation and assessment, in which the home grown medication is utilized to analyze, cure, treat, or anticipate sickness. Drug treatment is a vital piece of the medicinal field and depends on the art of pharmacology for persistent headway and on drug store for suitable administration of Herbal medications/mixes disclosure and improvement.

With the high increase in the use of herbal medicines worldwide and the rapid expansion of the global market for these products, the safety and quality of medicinal plant materials and herbal medicinal products have become a major concern for health authorities, pharmaceutical industries and the public. The global botanical and plant-derived drug market was valued at $21.4 billion in 2011 and should reach $22.1 billion in 2012. Total market value is expected to reach $26.6 billion in 2017 after increasing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.7%.

Ayurveda is an ancient Alternative healthcare system of natural and holistic medicine, it is created from Vedas. All Ayurveda writings are composed in Sanskrit, When translated from Sanskrit, Ayurveda means “the science of life” (the Sanskrit root ayur means “longevity” or “life” and veda means “science”). Ayurveda analyse the disease by heartbeat, tongue, discourse, touch, appearance, vision, pee, stool.

Homeopathy or homopathy is a system of alternative medicine created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann, based on his doctrine of like cures a claim that a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people would cure similar symptoms in sick people Homeopathy is a pseudoscience – a belief that is incorrectly presented as scientific. Homeopathic preparations are not effective for treating any condition large-scale studies have found homeopathy to be no more effective than a placebo, indicating that any positive effects that follow treatment are due to factors such as normal recovery from illness, or regression toward the mean

Homeopathy is a system of medicine, which believes in a specialized method of treatment of curing diseases by administration of potency drugs, which have been experimentally proved to possess the power of producing similar artificial systems on human beings. Homeopathic remedies are derived from substances that come from plants, minerals, or animals, such as red onion, arnica (mountain herb), crushed whole bees, white arsenic, poison ivy, belladonna (deadly nightshade), and stinging nettle

Traditional medicine refers to the knowledge, skills and practises based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, used in the maintenance of health and in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness.

Traditional medicine is often termed alternative or complementary medicine in many countries. Herbal treatments are the most popular form of traditional medicine and 70% to 80% of the Region has used a form as primary health care.

One third of the population lacks access to essential medicines and the provision of safe and effective traditional and alternative remedies could become an important way of increasing access to health care services.

Toxicology is a discipline, overlapping with biology, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine, that involves the study of the adverse effects of chemical substances on living organisms and the practice of diagnosing and treating exposures to toxins and toxicants

It is necessary to investigate the plants scientifically which have been used in traditional    medicine to improve the quality of healthcare. The claim that natural plant products are safe should be accepted only after the plant product passes through toxicity testing using modern scientific methods. There are other several comprehensive toxicological studies on some natural extract.

The global in vitro toxicity testing market was valued at $4 billion in 2011 and more than $4.9 billion in 2012. This market is estimated to reach nearly $9.9 billion in 2017, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.7% for the five-year period, 2012 to 2017.

A few methodologies can be utilized to extricate the plant material, natural solvents of fluctuating polarities are by and large chosen in present day strategies for extraction to abuse the different solubility’s of plant constituents.. The concentrate is then rehashed from the plant particles by straining. Finally the last buildup of concentrate is squeezed out of the plant particles utilizing a mechanical press or a centrifuge. Kinetic maceration differed from basic one by continuous mixing. The technique is suitable for both introductory and mass extraction for Enzyme Activity.

Plant Science based products dominated the overall market in terms of revenue at 36.4% in 2013 majorly owing to the presence of a relatively larger in University of Marylander of R&D programs. Plant Science based medicinal product segment on the other hand is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR of over 12.0% from 2014 to 2020 due to increasing demand for population based therapeutic solutions and subsequent increase in R&D initiatives.

The selection of methods and developments that are applied for the growth of plant organs, cells, tissues in a nutrient medium under optimal sterile conditions is named as plant tissue culture and the utilization  of these living organisms and also other biological products for the manufacturing and production of the drugs is termed as biotechnology. Ahard beginning for the rapid development and enactment of biotechnology in agriculture was provided by achievements in plant tissue culture.

The global market for agricultural biotechnology reached $29.2 billion in 2016. This should reach $32.1 billion in 2017 and $53.7 billion in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.8%.