What is phytotherapy
- Science of medicinal plant usage as medicine
- “Cure with plants”
Monographs of medicinal plants
- Positive-monograph:
- can apply without any risks
- Negative-monograph:
- Higher rik to apply (than was previously thought)
- Null-monograph:
- Previously believed/presumed efficinecy can’t be verified
Classification of phytogenic products
- Non-medicinal products with medicative effects:
- Natural origin materials, documented w/ favourble biological effects.
- Traditional plant origin medicine:
- Applied exclusively in a certain dosage, documented by literature data/professional reports
What is a drug?
- Natural/semi-processed plant material
- Specific organ(s) of medicinal plants that are richest in compounds w/ biological effects.
- Can also be herbal product produced / extracted from the plant organs
Types of galenic products
- Maceration: drugs are suspended in cold water (8-12 hours) to extract the active constituents (flower/leaf)
- Infusion: extraction of compounds (from plant drug) by suspension in hot water (flower, leaf, seed)
- Decoction: extraction of active constituents by boiling water (5-10min, root/bark)
- Tincture: alcoholic extracts (preserved for 1-2 years)
- Syrup: sugar is added to the extract (to fix/flavor)
- Ointment: cream, apply onto skin
- Pills: powdered drugs
Chemical compounds in medicinal plants
- Ingredients: any kind of compound which exists in a plant
- Active constituents: chemical component (gives the plant potent, biologically physiological effects)
- Helper compound: no specific physiological effects (increase effect of active constituent)
- Biomarker compound(s): prove presence/help measure concentration of the active constituent(s)
Systematics of the natural materials
1) Strength of their effects
* MITE - mild effect (ex: carotenoids/mucous)
* FORTE - strong effect (ex: alkaloids)
2) Number (of active constituents)
* One compound
* Mixtures
3) Biological function (of active constituents)
* Stored nutrients
* Growing regulatory effect
* Allelopathic compound
* Phytoalexins inhibit growth/reproduction of bacteria/fungi in plants
* Insect attractive compounds
* Insecticide/insect repellent effect
4) Chemical structure (traditional classification)
* Glycosides
* Alkaloids
* Volatile oils
* Bitter substance
* Saponins
* Mucilages
* Tannins
* Other
5) Biosynthetic pathway
* Primary metabolites: essential for subsistence/growth
* Secondary metabolites: don’t know their exact role (sometimes)
Alternative medicines
- Ayurvedic therapy
- Traditional chinese medicine
- Traditional terapy of Africa/Australia/South-America
- Aromatherapy
- Bach flower remedies
- Homeopathy
Traditional chinese medicine
- Holistic approach, very big challenge for European attitude
- Don’t ID chemical compound, use different methods:
- Effecs (cold, warm and transition)
- Flavour (Sweet, sour, bitter, hot, salt, raw)
- Which meridian is affected (liver, heart, lung, kidney,, spleen…)
Ayurvedic therapy
- Health protective system of Indian civilization
- Habitus –> search the reason of loss of equilibrium
Aromatherapy
- Usage of plants w/ volatile oil content/extracts
- Usage: absorbed easily through skin mucous membrane
- Antibiotic effect
Homeopathy
- Not part of pharmacotherapy
- Placebo-effect –> not confirmed by clinical studies
- Holistic medicine –> want’s to cure humans as a whole
Bach flower medicines
- Instead of treating diseases, focus on the whole human
- Whole body must be cured, should also affect for the negative emotional fluctations
Paracelsus medicine
- Causes of our diseases:
- Spiritual (diverge from God)
- Toxins
- Spiritual (ingredients)
- Temperament/habitus
- Cure = recovery of missing balance
- “Where the disease is, so is the medicine”
Hildegard medicine
- “Healing and the Nature of the Cosmos”
- Focus on body- and spiritual healing
