Herbal medicine Intro 1

HERBAL MEDICINE
INTRODUCTION
DR. MOSTAFA MAHMOUD HEGAZY PH.D

 content
 History of herbal medicine
 Contribution of Natural Products In Global Market
 Types of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
 Herbal drugs types acc. to processing:
 Types of extracts acc. to strength and standardization
 Differences between Herbal drugs and conventional drugs
 Classification of herbal drugs according to potency



Herbal medicine Dr. Mostafa Hegazy
History of herbal medicine
1-Herbal medicine as a prevalent medicine
(conventional medicine)
 Ancient ages: Sumerians (Ancient Iraq), Ancient
Egyptians, Greeks and Romans (Hippocrates and
Galen), Indians (Ayurvedic or traditional Indian
medicine) and Chinese (traditional Chinese
medicine) Continue to be taught today.
 Middle ages: Arabic & Islamic world (Ibn Al-
Baitar, Avicenna (Ibn Sina), Dawood Al-Antaki)

2- Herbal medicine using crude drug vs. pure
compound(s) (synthetic or natural) in Modern era
 Focus on identification and isolation of active
ingredients from plants rather than studying their
pharmacological and clinical properties.
 Start of the dominance of chemistry by synthesis of
medicinal active pure compound(s) of natural origin
and their chemical analogues as conventional
medicine.
 Nowadays, Herbal medicine using crude drugs is a
branch of non conventional medicine.

 Contribution of Natural Products In Global
Market
 In the raw form (non conventional medicine)
Overall international trade in medicinal plants and their
products was US$ 60 billion in 2010. e.g. waters as sea
water, thermal water and rose water.
 Pure compounds (natural but conventional medicine)
pravastatin (US$3.6 billion per year), is made through
different biotransformation processes from compactin by
Streptomyces carbophilus and Actinomadura sp.

A- Types of complementary and alternative medicine
(CAM) or non conventional medicine.
 1- Physical therapy 2- Aromatherapy
 3- Vacuum cups (cupping) 4- Acupuncture
 5- Herbal medicine (phytotherapy): the science that
describe the main characteristics of herbal remedies and their
clinical use. It may include products from animal, fungi or
bacteria. It should be practiced by pharmacists or physicians
trained in herbalism and with knowledge about herb
phytochemistry and phytopharmacology.
B- Conventional medicine: which uses pure chemicals
regardless of their origin, natural or synthetic).

 Homeopathy, or homeopathic medicine:
"like disease“ or "like cures like" The system
is based on the idea that substances that
produce symptoms of sickness in healthy
people will have a curative effect when
given in very dilute quantities to sick people
who exhibit those same symptoms.
 Herbal drug: referred to herb used as a
treatment or management (reducing of
symptoms of chronic disease) or protective
for disease
 Active ingredients: refer to ingredients of
Herbal drug with therapeutic activity.

 Herbal drugs types acc. to processing:
 1- Unprocessed
 Crude Drug: natural products which are not pure compound as
plants, extracts or exudates used as such or unprocessed .
 2-Processed in dosage form
 Phytopharmacuticals; Is the natural biologically active fraction or
standerdized extracts formulated in certain pharmaceutical
dosage form and legally approved for intended use and user.
 Nutraceutical or food supplement: Natural substances isolated
and formulated in certain dosage form used as nutrient or aid
the body health to prevent or protect from certain disease such
as anthocyanidins, isoflavones and carotenoids.
Functional food ????

Extraction is the obtaining of a mixture of compounds
from herbal materials by using adequate solvents
(ethanol, glycerol(poorer than EA), vinegar(suitable for
alkaloids), propylene glycol)
 Maceration: The herb is cut or ground to the particle
size required fine powder (typically 0.105 mm= Sieve
Designation mesh No.140) and then mixed with the
menstruum. The mixture sits for two weeks and is
then pressed, filtered, and bottled.
 Percolation: by moistening coarsely ground dried
herb with menstruum, packing a percolator with the
moistened herb, covering the solvent, and slowly
dripping the tincture. Percolations are ready within
one to three days.

 Types of extracts acc. to strength of the extract
1- Aqueous extracts: as teas , infusions and decoctions .
2-Hydro-alcoholic extracts
A- Tincture: liquid dosage form prepared by solvent
extraction e.g. alcohol 1:5 strong tincture or weak 1:10. (1
gm of dry herb with 5 or 10 ml ethyl alcohol 50-70% by
maceration or percolation ).
B- liquid extract: liquid dosage form prepared by solvent
extraction 1:1 or 1:2 ratio
3- dry extract: removing extraction solvent without any
residual ex. ginkgo 50:1 = 50 gm of dried leaves give 1
gm extract.

 Types of extracts acc. to standardization
Standardized extract: this is extract with relatively well-established
chemical, pharmacological and clinical profiles.
Non - standardized extract: extract with little information about
quality, chemical composition and efficacy.
 Main Approaches of drug discovery from herbs
1- Ethnobotanical approaches
2- Chemotaxonomic approaches
3- Random screening approaches
 Differences between Herbal drugs (total extract or active fraction)
and conventional drugs (single compound(s) drug)
1- Safety 2- Cost
3- Concentration and composition 4- Actions and uses

1- Safety
They are generally safer with fewer side effects.
2- Cost
1- They are generally cheaper than conventional
medicines.
2- Nearly 1/3 of conventional drugs are still extracted
from the opium poppy because it is more difficult and
costly to synthesize them chemically. Including
morphine, codeine, and digoxin, are derived from plant
sources.

3- Concentration and composition
a- They contain a wide variety of different compounds
(active and inactive).
b- Active compounds
1- Present in lower concentrations than in
conventional drugs. So, many of them are used in the
form of extract to concentrate the active compound(s).
2- Vary with many factors (amount of sunlight, rainfall,
temperature, soil and season).

 4- Actions and use:
due to complexity of the mixture of the herbal products it may
be exert multiplicity of uses and mechanisms.
1- Synergistic or antagonistic activities of the compounds, which
determine their mode of use. Their power lies in synergistic
interaction between all ingredients (known and unknown)
2- They could treat certain chronic and self-limiting diseases
that could be responsive to self-treatment such as headache,
constipation, diarrhea, cough, skin infections,….

3- They may support the general health through
the prophylaxis against certain diseases and
detoxification of body from free radicals and
carcinogenic toxic compounds e.g. antioxidants,
antihepatotoxics (protect against cancer and liver
diseases), antihyperlipidemics and
antihypercholesterolemics (protect against
atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases).
4- Certain herbs are used as remedies and functional
foods at the same time e.g. garlic, citrus, grapes, green
and black tea.

Classification of herbal drugs according to potency
 1- Highly potent
a- Completely toxic Not used at all e.g. Aconite and Nux vomica
b- Contain useful but toxic constituents Should be prescribed by
specialist e.g. Cardiac glycosides containing herbs as Digitalis,
Strophanthus and Squill
c- Drastic purgatives May cause death due to loss of water and
electrolytes (dehydration) e.g. Colocynth, Jalap and Podophyllum
 2- Intermediately potent: Should be (preferably) used only
as standardized dosage forms e.g. Solanceous herbs, Ephedra
andColchicum
 3- Gentle or mild: Highly safe, non toxic and suitable for
self-treatment; the majority of herbal drugs

Powerful
Intermediate
Gentle
Digitalis
Lily-of-the-valley
Hawthorn
Heart diseases
Belladonna (atropine)
Licorice
Chamomile,
peppermint
Gastrointestinal
diseases
Opium (morphine).
Hypericum
Valerian, Melissa.
Nervous diseases
Cortisone
Azulene, flavonoids
Anti-inflammatory
Atropine,
papaverine
Chamomile, fennel,
peppermint.
Antispasmodic
Lobeline
Camphor
Analeptic
Barbiturate.
Hops, Kavaine,
Valerian
Sedative
Adrenaline
Crataegus
Sympathomimetic

Herbal medicine Intro 1

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