Examples of modern medicines that were developed from herbal remedies

Traditional African Medicine has been around for thousands of years. Herbal remedies and medicinal plants form the basis of this ancient healing practice. The effectiveness of plants to cure ailments and promote better health has led to the development of modern medicines. There are many pharmaceutical drugs that have been developed from herbal remedies. Below are a few examples of these.

Modern medicines usually take the form of dissolvable capsules, pills or liquid syrups. They have, without a doubt, made a significant contribution to human health, rehabilitation and disease prevention. However, none of these medicines would have existed without the tried-and-tested use of herbal remedies in ancient cultures around the world. 

“Long [traditional] use of many herbal remedies and experiences, passed on from generation to generation, has brought about reliance by the people on herbal remedies,” says the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a dissertation titled Traditional herbal remedies for primary health care. “At present, the use of medicinal plants for health benefits is increasing worldwide,” adds the WHO. 

An article written by Professor Ciddi Veeresham, titled Natural products derived from plants as a source of drugs, states that “Up to 50% [of] the approved drugs during the last 30 years are from either directly or indirectly from natural products…To date, 35 000 to 70 000 plant species have been screened for their medicinal use.”

Modern medicines that were developed from plants

The WHO publication contains 28 examples of common illnesses that can be treated with herbal remedies, instead of pharmaceutical drugs. The dissertation also lists numerous modern medicines that have been developed from plants. Here are just a few examples, which highlight the importance of plants in the development of modern medicines:

• Aspirin – Possibly the most well-known medication, Aspirin was developed from the Salix alba plant (white willow). It was the first semi-synthetic pure drug to hit the market in 1899. Aspirin is commonly prescribed to reduce pain, treat fever, and minimise inflammation.
• Morphine – One of the most renowned modern medicines for its pain relief. Morphine is used in hospitals and clinics around the world. It is found naturally in a number of plants and animals, including humans. It acts on the central nervous system to decrease pain. It was developed from the Papaver somniferum plant (opium poppy).
• Artemisinin – Artemisinin and its semisynthetic derivatives are a group of drugs used to treat malaria. It is developed from the Artemisia (or African wormwood) plant and is used in tropical regions around the world. Artemisinin was developed in 1972 by Tu Youyou, who was co-recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine for her discovery.
• Penicillin – Penicillin was the first form of antibiotic ever discovered. It is derived from a mould called Penicillium chrysogenum. This mould is able to kill off bacteria and the active ingredient that achieves this was finally isolated by Alexander Fleming in 1928. However, it wasn’t until 1940 that penicillin was used in conventional medicine and mass produced.
• Digoxin – Digoxin (also called Lanoxin) is a medication used to treat a number of heart conditions. Most frequently, it is used for atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and heart failure. Digoxin was developed in 1930 from the Digitalis purpurea (Foxglove plant). 
• Colchicine – Colchicine is a common medicine prescribed by doctors to treat gout. Other uses include the prevention of pericarditis and familial Mediterranean fever. It was developed from Autumn crocus (meadow saffron) plants, which have been used since 1500 BC to treat joint swelling and inflammation.
• Paclitaxel – This drug was developed from the Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew tree) and is prescribed for lung, ovarian and breast cancer. It was first isolated from the tree in 1971 but was only approved for medical use in 1993.
• Vinca alkaloids – Vinca alkaloids are a set of anti-mitotic and anti-microtubule alkaloid agents that are originally derived from the periwinkle plant (Catharanthus roseus). These compounds, including vinblastine and vincristine, are used in the treatment of leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

These are just a few of the many thousand examples of pharmaceutical drugs that can trace their roots back to medicinal plants. Traditional remedies truly formed the foundation upon which modern medicine is built. For almost every modern drug available at pharmacies, there is a natural remedy that can be used in its place.

Mainstream medicine usually isolates single compounds from the plants and concentrates them into a tablet or syrup form. However, herbal remedies usually include all the compounds found in a plant, which is sometimes more beneficial. Certain chemicals in a plant have the sole purpose of unifying the other compounds for medicinal effect. Therefore, a traditional herbal remedy may be more effective in certain situations.

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To learn more about African medicines and traditional plant-based remedies, please do not hesitate to contact us. Source of Health is a manufacturer of Traditional African Medicines under the brand Isiphethu Sempilo. We use biomedicine processes to create herbal remedies, combined with scientific methods to ensure the finest quality and trustworthy herbal extracts.

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Source of Health offers a range of herbal products that are effective as natural remedies for pain, depression, illnesses and more. The use of medicinal plants as part of traditional African healthcare is one of the oldest and most assorted of all therapeutic systems. It has been used through the ages to maintain health, as well as to prevent, diagnose, improve or treat physical and mental illnesses.

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