An emerging green pharmacy: Modern plant medicines and health

Abstract

Recently plants have reemerged as sources of new pharmaceuticals. Drugs derived from plants are used to treat conditions ranging from arthritis and malaria to leukemia and ovarian cancer. Some of today's treatments use herbs directly. Researchers also are studying a variety of foods for their potential medicinal benefits. More and more consumers are buying herbal medications in the form of food supplements to use as analgesics, sedatives, or immune system stimulants. Although a few plants may cause serious adverse reactions, many herbal preparations are considered to be safe and effective in moderation. This is the third article in a four-part continuing education update series on botany. Other articles focus on the use of plants to clean up the environment, the historical use of plant therapies, and poisonous plants. Following this series, participants should be able to identify plants used medicinally today and throughout history. They will recognize the role of plants in the environment and be able to identify toxic plants in the laboratory.