Diverse herbal medicinesDiverse herbal medicinesbyby

Dr Vijaya ShastryDr Vijaya Shastry

A Presentation

Series 1-Amazon

Series 1

Amazon

The Amazon Rainforest is the home of many plants and flowers that provide us with medicines, vaccines, and other pharmaceuticals. given the rainforests teeming biological diversity, its value to humanity as a

laboratory of natural phenomena and as a medical storehouse is priceless. Medical researchers claim that if the Amazon Rainforest disappears, the plants that provide medical miracles will be lost forever.

Amazon Medicines

Traveling through the Amazon on river highways without billboards and signs, only knowing what waits ahead by arriving and experiencing gives rise to many adventures both exciting and intriguing. When on one such trip, a small medical clinic appeared with a staff of doctors and nurses treating the local inhabitants.

One patient, a young boy of about ten years suffering from a brain tumor was being treated. visiting with the doctor he explained after traversing the rivers for almost thirty years gathering medicinal plants and indigenous remedies, he had become one of the foremost authorities on medicine for the Amazon. Receiving both medical and pharmacological degrees enabled him to assimilate this diverse knowledge into a variety of medical treatments that are highly successful not withstanding a treatment for cancer of which this young boy was successfully being treated.

On the return trip finding the young boy completely healthy and cured, I made further inquiry into this medical doctors treatment process where upon he explained, the treatment only required several weeks at the clinic and continued administration of the medicine for about a year. As 70% of the plants found active against cancer come from the rainforest, like the Rosemary Periwinkle (now extinct in the wild) produces a drug known to increase the survival rate of children suffering with leukemia from 20% to 80%. How many more lives can be saved by other rainforest plants? Less than 1% of the Amazon's 300,000 plants have ever been studied, we are destroying these life saving plants faster than we can discover their benefits.

The Amazon rainforest has many different plants that can be used as herbal medicines. Some of the most important medicines come from the Amazon. They have been used for hundreds and hundreds of years. These plants can be deadly if taken in large doses, but in small doses they can be very helpful. They can be used to cure headaches, skin irritation, high blood pressures, and many other diseases. Here are some of them.

The white trillium has three The white trillium has three petals, three sepals, and three petals, three sepals, and three leaves. If the leaves are chewed, leaves. If the leaves are chewed, it can help cure snake bites. If the it can help cure snake bites. If the plant’s petals are chewed, they plant’s petals are chewed, they can help ease childbirth, and the can help ease childbirth, and the sepals if chewed are used to help sepals if chewed are used to help cure fevers.cure fevers.

The bark of this tree is used to make Quinine, a medicine that helps treat Malaria, a serious disease. A number of various other chemicals can also be made from Cinchona, and these chemicals include cinchonine, cinchonidine and quinidine. However, quinine has been replaced by other drugs such as chloroquine and mefloquine, and now quinine is rarely used to treat malaria.

The leaves of this plant contain digitalis, a substance The leaves of this plant contain digitalis, a substance used to treat heart problems. When taken in large used to treat heart problems. When taken in large doses it can produce palpitations and dizziness, but doses it can produce palpitations and dizziness, but when taken in smaller doses it can help the heart beat when taken in smaller doses it can help the heart beat more slowly. This medicine had many effects, and more slowly. This medicine had many effects, and sometimes it cured in miraculous ways, but it mostly sometimes it cured in miraculous ways, but it mostly produced violent reactions, occasionally killing produced violent reactions, occasionally killing because it was taken in very large doses. The foxglove because it was taken in very large doses. The foxglove tea is used as a morning tea to aid in birth control. tea is used as a morning tea to aid in birth control.

The opium poppy is used to make The opium poppy is used to make Morphine and Codeine, two drugs Morphine and Codeine, two drugs that are used as painkillers. The that are used as painkillers. The opium gum may be crudely opium gum may be crudely refined and smoked, or converted refined and smoked, or converted to morphine and heroin. to morphine and heroin.

Coca has been used in folk medicine in South America Coca has been used in folk medicine in South America for thousands of years both as a general stimulant and for thousands of years both as a general stimulant and other medical purposes. The Coca plant’s leaves are other medical purposes. The Coca plant’s leaves are used, while being chewed, to treat headaches, and used, while being chewed, to treat headaches, and prevent tiredness. It is also used to relieve altitude prevent tiredness. It is also used to relieve altitude sickness, hunger, fatigue, and aches and pains.sickness, hunger, fatigue, and aches and pains.

Buttercups are used to help mask or relieve pain and treat skin irritations, but too much can cause big skin irritations. The smell of the leaves or juice from the leaves, applied to the nostrils, is said to cure headaches.

Castor BeansCastor Beans (Ricinus communis) (Ricinus communis)Castor Beans yield Castor oil, oil that if you Castor Beans yield Castor oil, oil that if you drink it, can help relieve constipation; drink it, can help relieve constipation; however they are extremely poisonous, so however they are extremely poisonous, so they were replaced with safer drugs. It is a they were replaced with safer drugs. It is a very effective cathartic or purgative and is very effective cathartic or purgative and is still used to this day, however, there are still used to this day, however, there are milder, less drastic methods of inducing milder, less drastic methods of inducing regularity. Castor oil is also used as a regularity. Castor oil is also used as a lubricant. It is sometimes applied as a lubricant. It is sometimes applied as a soothing lotion for dry skin, dermatitis, other soothing lotion for dry skin, dermatitis, other skin diseases, sunburn, open sores, and it is skin diseases, sunburn, open sores, and it is the primary ingredient of several brand name the primary ingredient of several brand name medications.medications.

Curare is a large poisonous vine Curare is a large poisonous vine rich in alkaloids. The alkaloids rich in alkaloids. The alkaloids relax muscles and are used as an relax muscles and are used as an arrow poison. In South America, it arrow poison. In South America, it is used to treat bruises, fever, is used to treat bruises, fever, edema, and kidney stones. It is edema, and kidney stones. It is also used as an anesthesia.also used as an anesthesia.

Suma (Pfaffia paniculata) is a large ground vine with an extensive root system. Today, it is considered a tonic and an adaptogen. An adaptogen is a plant that helps the body resists adverse influences by a wide range of factors. In Brazil, suma root is taken to stimulate appetite and circulation, balance blood sugar levels, and enhance the immune system, muscular system, and memory. Suma root has very high saponin content (up to 11%). Saponins have a variety of effects, including lowering blood cholesterol.

Clavillia is a perennial herb mainly Clavillia is a perennial herb mainly used to kill viruses, bacteria, used to kill viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. This plant fungi, and parasites. This plant has many active compounds like has many active compounds like triterpenes, proteins, flavonoids, triterpenes, proteins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and steroids. A group of alkaloids, and steroids. A group of amino acid-based proteins called amino acid-based proteins called MAPs protect against plant MAPs protect against plant viruses.viruses.

Trumpet tree is widely used in traditional medicine in Central and South America. Every part of the tree is used. The plant treats a diversity of conditions, including respiratory illnesses and rheumatism.

Annatto/Lipstick tree has a wide variety of uses. For centuries, Annatto/Lipstick tree has a wide variety of uses. For centuries, rainforest peoples have used the plant for things from insect rainforest peoples have used the plant for things from insect repellant to lowering blood pressure to love potions. Its traditional repellant to lowering blood pressure to love potions. Its traditional uses are backed by recent research. Colombians have used extracts uses are backed by recent research. Colombians have used extracts from the plant to treat snakebites. A study in 2000 confirmed this from the plant to treat snakebites. A study in 2000 confirmed this use in mice. Oil from the plant contains carotenoids (plant use in mice. Oil from the plant contains carotenoids (plant pigments), one of which, Bixin, protects against UV rays. Annatto is pigments), one of which, Bixin, protects against UV rays. Annatto is still used today in South America to treat heartburn.still used today in South America to treat heartburn.

The cocoa tree produces more than 150 chemicals in The cocoa tree produces more than 150 chemicals in its leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark. The Olmecs, Mayans, its leaves, seeds, fruit, and bark. The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs used parts from the tree to treat anxiety, and Aztecs used parts from the tree to treat anxiety, fever, fatigue, and coughs. Five hundred years ago the fever, fatigue, and coughs. Five hundred years ago the plant was brought to Europe, where it was used to plant was brought to Europe, where it was used to treat kidney stones and cuts and burns, among other treat kidney stones and cuts and burns, among other things. Recent research shows that chocolate contains things. Recent research shows that chocolate contains polyphenols, which prevent heart disease.polyphenols, which prevent heart disease.

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Asst Prof, Physical Chemistry, RJ CollegeGhatkopar,Mumbai, India