9/25/2023

UNIT – 7.1
MEDICINAL PLANTS
Prepared by:
Gaurab Neupane
Agriculture Instructor
Rapti Technical School, Dang

 Economic botany is the interaction of people with

plants to exploit different benefits.

 Economic botany is the commercial exploitation of

ECONOMIC plants by people.

BOTANY  Economic plants are defined as being useful either

directly, as in food, or indirectly, as products we use or
that enhance the environment.

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 Medicines are any preparation or substances used to

treat diseases or heal or relieve pain.

 The plants having medicinal properties are called

MEDICINAL medicinal plants (“JARIBUTI” in Nepali), the principal
sources of raw drugs. E.g. : Tulsi (Common cold)
PLANTS
 The Plants rich in secondary metabolites and are a
potential source of drugs are called Medicinal plants.

GLOBAL
SCENARIO  Over three-quarters of the world's population relies
mainly on plants and plant extracts for health care.

OF  More than 30% of the entire plant species were used for
medicinal purposes at one time or another.

MEDICINAL  Of the 2, 50,000 higher plant species on earth, more

than 80,000 are medicinal.
PLANTS

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Nepal is considered one of the important countries for

NEPALESE medicinal and aromatic plants.

10091 species of flowering and non-flowering species of

SCENARIO plants have been documented.

 Out of which 700 are of medicinal values where 238

OF types are medically tested to find chemical constituents.

MEDICINAL  In a database called MAPDON, about 1600 medicinal

plants are recorded.

PLANTS  These resources are distributed in forests,

pasturelands, wetlands, crop fields, and common lands
of different parts of Nepal.

 Pharmakon = Drug; Gnosis = Knowledge;

meaning knowledge of pharmaceuticals.

 It means the science of preparation and the

use of medicines.
PHARMACOGNOSY This discipline is mainly concerned with the
history, distribution, collection, selection,
identification, cultivation, commerce and
preservation of crude drugs and raw
materials.

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 It is the study of the preparation, practices

and action of drugs to treat illness, heal or
relieve pain.

PHARMACOLOGY  It is mainly concerned with preparation,

qualities, uses, chemical constituents,
actions, experimental investigations and
evaluation of medicinal ingredients.

 It is an official book issued by the proper

authority with a list of drugs and their
related plants, medicines and a description
PHARMACOPEIA of their properties, constituents, preparation
and uses for various ailments.

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 Source of Income

 Religious and Ritual Purposes

 Eco-tourism
IMPORTANCE
 Safe and no side effects

OF  Research

 Dyeing, Construction, Furniture, Fodders etc.

MEDICINAL  Therapeutic Applications

PLANTS  Cosmetics

 Air purifiers

 Insect repellents and insecticides etc.

 English Name: Filed Mint, Corn Mint, Japanese Mint

 Nepali Name: Pudina, Babari

 Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

Mentha
 Distribution: It grows well from tropical to temperate regions.

arvensis  Description:

 A perennial herb, erect and ranges from 10-60 cm in height.

(Pudina/  Long leaves (2.5 - 5 cm), sub-sessile or sessile, ovate, serrate
margin.
Babari)  The surface of the leaf is hairy or glabrous.

 Flowers are borne on the axil of leaves on the upper stem.

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 Parts Used: Stem and leaves

 Important Bio-Chemical Constituent: Essential volatile oils,

Carvone-Pinen, Octyalcohol, Phellandrene, Menthol, Limonene
Mentha

arvensis
(Pudina/
Babari)

 Uses:

 The leaves are used as condiments or as a flavouring agent in

many foodstuffs or culinary preparation.
Mentha  The oil is obtained from the leaves by the distillation process.
The oil is used in the preparation of pharmaceuticals.
arvensis  The dry leaves are used medicinally as a carminative,
expectorant, refrigerant and stimulant.
(Pudina/
 The menthol obtained from the oil is used in the treatment of a

Babari) cold.

 The crushed leaves are applied to the forehead and body to

relieve headache and pains.

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 Uses:

 The hot infusion of leaves and stems taken as tea soothes

Mentha stomachache, mensuration disorder, urine infection and stops
diarrhoea.
arvensis  It is useful in treating mouth ulcers, toothache and swollen
gums.
(Pudina/
Babari)

 English Name: Vasaca, Malabar nut

Adhatoda
 Nepali Name: Asuro, Vasaka

vasica/  Family: Acanthaceae

 Distribution: It is usually found in tropical to temperate regions.

Justicia  Description:

adhatoda  Small evergreen gregarious shrub of about 1 – 3.5 m in height.

 Leaves are elliptic-lanceolate and 10 – 16 cm long.

(Asuro,  The bark of the plant is greyish or brown.

 Flowers are two-lipped, borne in dense short terminal and

Vasaka) axillary spikes, white in colour with red spots or streaks within.

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 Parts Used: Leaves, roots and flowers.

Adhatoda
 Important Bio-Chemical Constituent: Vasicine, crystalline

vasica/ acid, a white crystalline alkaloid called quinazoline and essential

oil.

Justicia
adhatoda
(Asuro,
Vasaka)

 Uses:
Adhatoda
 The decoction of leaves is used as an antipyretic and to treat

vasica/ asthma.

 Leaf juice is used in the treatment of scabies and other skin

Justicia problems.

 The powdered dried root with black pepper is used to treat

adhatoda stomach pain.

 Vasicine, an alkaloid found in leaves is a powerful expectorant

(Asuro, and antispasmodic and used in chest diseases.

Vasaka)  Soft crushed leaves are applied over fresh wounds and
inflammatory swellings.

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 English Name: Zinger, Black ginger, African ginger, Jamaica

ginger

 Nepali Name: Aduwa, Sutho Sanskrit: Ardraka

Zingiber  Family: Zingiberaceae

officinale  Distribution: It is usually grown in the cub tropical to temperate

regions in areas of heavy rainfall.

(Aduwa)  Description:

 Slender perennial herb 30-100 cm tall, robust branched rhizome.

 Pointed lance-shaped leaves, 15 – 30 cm long

 Adventitious roots arise from the lower surface of the rhizome.

 Parts Used: Rhizome

 Important Bio-Chemical Constituent: Volatile oil, contains

monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes and oxygenated terpenes. Other
Zingiber constituents are chavicol, zingiberene, etc.

officinale
(Aduwa)

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Uses:

 The rhizome contains essential oil and acts as a stimulant,

carminative and flavouring agent.
Zingiber  Used in the treatment of dyspepsia and flatulent colic.

officinale  Rhizome juice with honey is used in the treatment of coughs and
asthma.

(Aduwa)  A paste of ginger is used for headaches and toothache.

 It is used in blood thinning and lowering the level of cholesterol,

and treatment of heart diseases.

 Used as a remedy for nausea caused due to morning sickness and

chemotherapy.

 English Name: Serpentine, Serpent wood

 Nepali Name: Sarpagandha, Chand maruwa

 Family: Apocynaceae
Rauwolfia
 Distribution: Tropical to sub-tropical regions (100 – 2000m)

serpentina  Description:

 Large climbing or twinning perennial shrub.

 Leaves are petiolate, bright green above and pale beneath, 10

cm long and 5 cm broad.

 White or pinkish flowers, deep red peduncles in small clusters

 Ripe fruit is dark, purple or blackish in colour

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 Parts Used: Root and leaves

 Important Bio-Chemical Constituent: Reserpine, rescinnamine,

serpentine, ajmaline, ajmalcine, etc.
Rauwolfia
serpentina

Uses:

 The root paste is used to treat diarrhoea in cattle.

 Root extractions are used in reducing blood pressure and as a

Rauwolfia sedative in the treatment of insomnia, hypochondria, mental
disorders and certain forms of insanity.
serpentina
 Root juice is used in the treatment of malarial fever and stomach
disorder,

 Root paste is used to treat snake bites by applying it to the

wounds.

 Drug of the plant is useful in gynaecological conditions such as

menstrual, menopause, moliminia etc.

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