Page 3 - phytotherapy_ EBOOK_2025

Introduction

Phytotherapy is the field focused on using extracts from natural origins as medicinal agents or to promote
general health.

The practice of using herbal medicine, also known as pharmacognosy, is one of the world's most ancient forms
of healthcare. Nearly every global culture has its own unique history of using foods as medicine, with some
of the oldest "prescriptions" being discovered on Babylonian clay tablets and in the hieratic writings on ancient
Egyptian papyrus. Many of these traditional phytomedicines have been developed into widespread modern
drugs. These include familiar compounds such as morphine from opium, cocaine from the Coca plant,
digitoxin from Foxglove, the anticancer agents vincristine and vinblastine from the Vinca plant, reserpine
from Indian Snakeroot, and taxol from the Yew tree.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently estimated that as many as four billion people rely on herbal
medicines for at least part of their healthcare. In the developing world, 80% of the population depends on
herbal medicinal products as a primary source of healthcare, where traditional medical practice is often an
integral part of the culture. In the last decade, herbal medicine use has accounted for about 40% of all
healthcare services in China, where over 90% of general hospitals have dedicated traditional medicine units.
This usage is also high in developed nations: the percentage of the population that has used herbal medicines
at least once is estimated at 75% in France, 70% in Canada, 48% in Australia, 42% in the USA, and 38% in
Belgium. In Germany, around 700 plant-based medicines are available, and they are prescribed by
approximately 70% of German physicians.

However, a WHO survey of 129 countries also highlighted significant challenges regarding herbal medicines.
These include a widespread lack of research data, a need for appropriate control mechanisms, and gaps in
education and training. The report also noted a lack of expertise within national health authorities, poor
information sharing, and insufficient methods for safety monitoring and evaluating efficacy.

Phytotherapeutics are vital for pharmacological research and new drug development. They are used not only
as direct therapeutic agents but also as starting materials for drug synthesis or as models for creating new
pharmacologically active compounds. About 200 years ago, the isolation of morphine—the first
pharmacologically active pure compound—from the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) demonstrated that
plant-based drugs could be purified and given in precise dosages. This scientific approach was later advanced

2