Application of Medicinal Plants: From Past to Present

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been a matter of special concern to people due to their therapeutic use from the past. Medicinal plants have unique and valuable properties and so have been of high interest to date. Essential oils derived from plants are used as perfumes or flavors in foods and beverages as well as herbal medicines for a long time. Historical discoveries made in India, China, Egypt and Iran show that essences are used in various ways by the people. As an example in ancient Egypt, oil was extracted by steaming. Later, the Greeks and Romans used distillation for extraction, and placed a special place for aromatic plants. With the rise of Islamic civilization, the methods of extraction of oils accelerated their evolution. In the Renaissance, Europeans, with the advancement of knowledge, improved their extraction techniques and carried out research on essential oils. Scientific research reveals the importance of the use of medicinal plants. By integrating their essential oils and justifying their therapeutic properties, scientists have been motivated to expand their cultivation and create a competitive market for them. Despite the fact that only 100 herbs are known for their essential oils, more than 2000 species of herbs are scattered in more than 60 families such as Umbelliferae, Mentha and Composite, which can be used to produce essential oils. There are 3000 types of essential oils, of which approximately 300 are of commercial importance and are offered on global markets. Essences have created many agricultural industries and also have the potential to be used in other industries such as food, pharmaceutical, perfumes and cosmetics. The production and consumption of essential oils are rising rapidly in the world, although with high prices due to the fact that a large amount of plants are needed to produce a small amount of oil, but the production of essential oils is still increasing. Therefore, their functional properties dominated their prices. The annual production of essential oils is estimated to be from 40 to 60 thousand tons, accounting for more than seven hundred million dollars. Most of the oils produced in the industry come from oranges, eucalyptus, lily of the valley, pepper and lemon, but lavender, chamomile, pepper, tea, eucalyptus, geranium, jasmine, rose, lemon, rosemary, frankincense and sandalwood are more home-grown. Countries that have the largest share of world-class essential oils include Brazil, China, America, Indonesia, India and Mexico. Large consumers include Britain, Japan, the United States and the European Union, especially Germany and France.