J HerbMed Pharmacol. 2012; 1(1): 1–2.

Journal of HerbMed Pharmacology

Journal homepage: http://www.herbmedpharmacol.com

Medicinal plants and the human needs

Mahmoud Rafieian-Kopaei1’*
1
Medical Plants Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Shahrekord, Iran

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT

Article Type: Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education

Editorial The human needs on medicinal plants are discussed. Drug therapy and drug discovery should be
focused more than before on medicinal plants. Multidisciplinary team work including ethnobotanists,
Article History: pharmacologists, physicians and phytochemists is essential for the fruitful outcome of medicinal plants

Editorial
Received: 15 September 2012 research. Regulations are also needed to ensure efficacy, quality and safety of herbal medicines.
Accepted: 20 September 2012
ePublished: 1 December 2012

Keywords: Please cite this paper as: Rafieian-Kopaei M. Medicinal plants and the human needs. J HerbMed
Medicinal plants Plarmacol. 2012; 1(1): 1–2.
Traditional medicine
World health organization

M
edicinal plants have long played important roles in effects neutralizing’, though there is limited scientific evidence
the treatment of diseases all over the world (1). World for this assumption.
health organization (WHO) recently has published a There is increasing evidence that in several chronic disorders
strategic plan for the development and promotion of traditional an increase in production of free radicals or reactive oxygen
medicine in 4 areas (2), including: species (ROS) play a critical role. High reactivity of free radicals
1- Identification of traditional medicine, presentation of a causes changes in most of cellular components, leading to lipid
proper policy and plan. peroxidation (3).
2- Development of research and education, especially in the Medicinal plants are a source for a wide variety of natural
university level. antioxidants and are used for the treatment of diseases throughout
3- Establishment of unity and cooperation between the the world (3). Some of these properties are antimicrobial (4),
employees of traditional and modern medicine. anti-cancer (5), anti-diabetic (6), anti-atherosclerosis (7),
4- Development of cultivation of the needed herbs to prevent immunomodulatory (8), and even reno-protection or hepato-
destruction of natural resources. protective effects (9,10).
The release of this strategic plan shows the importance of this Recently, due to beneficial effects of antioxidants, particularly
reliable source for the treatment and prevention of diseases. natural antioxidants, in the treatment and prevention of
Nowadays there is revival of interest in the consumption of diseases, there has been a considerable interest in finding natural
herbal medicines in the form of standardized extracts, partly antioxidants from plant sources. The studies on medicinal plants
due to their multiple side effects, and high cost of patentable show that most of them possess significant antioxidant activity
chemical drugs. (3).
A lot of medicinal plants such as Garlic, Ginseng, Ginger, In this regard various animal models including diabetes,
Ginkgo, Ispaghol, St John’s Wort, Saw palmetto and Mucuna hyperlipidemia, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, inflammatory
pruriens have gained popularity for the treatment or prevention bowel disease, ischemia-reperfusion in rat skeletal muscle or
of a lot of disorders. The impact of journals publishing data on kidney, hepatotoxicity, renal toxicity, radiation injury, and
medicinal plants is increasing. There is also a rising trend to cataract for assessing antioxidative effects of medicinal plants
include phytotherapy in the curriculum of medical schools. have been investigated and most of them have been treatable
Nowadays over 70% of German physicians prescribe herbs, with specific medicinal plants according, at least in part, to their
and St. John’s Wort is more commonly used than any chemical antioxidant properties (3). Medicinal plants with antioxidant
medicine to treat mild to moderate depression. Phytotherapy is activities have also been shown to be useful for the prevention
considered relatively safe as it contains multiple chemicals with of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases by reducing
a specific composition acting as ‘effect-enhancing and/or side- lipids peroxidation (11). Most of medicinal plants have specific

*Corresponding author: Prof. Mahmoud Rafieian-kopaei, Medical Plants

Research Center, Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences, Sharekord, Iran.
E-mail: [email protected]
Rafieian-Kopaei M

compounds, other than antioxidants, which are effective in the A. Review of anti-diabetic medicinal plant used in traditional
treatment or prevention of diseases. In this regard, medicinal medicine. J Med Plant 2006;5:1–8.
plants have also been a reliable source for preparation of new 2. Naseri M. Traditional Iranian medicine (TIM) and its
drugs. Nowadays, researchers more than before are dependent promotion with guidelines of world health organization.
on medicinal plants for discovery of new drugs with fewer side Daneshvar Sci Res J Shahed Univ 2004;52:53–66.
effects.
Therefore, due to the importance of oxidative stress in the 3. Rafieian-Kopaie M, Baradaran A. Plants antioxidants: From
pathophysiology of most of the hard curable diseases, the use of laboratory to clinic. J Nephropathology 2013;2(2):152–3.
medicinal plants with antioxidant properties is important and 4. Sharafati R, Sherafati F, Rafieian-kopaei M. Biological
should be considered more than before. Drug therapy and even characterization of Iranian walnut (Juglans regia) leaves. Turk
drug discovery should also be focused more than before on this J Biol 2011;35:635–9.
source. Multidisciplinary team work including ethnobotanists,
5. Shirzad H, Taji F, Pourgheysari B, Raisi S, Rafieian-Kopaei
pharmacologists, physicians and phytochemists is essential for
M. Comparison of antitumour activities of heated and raw
the fruitful outcome of medicinal plants research.
garlic extracts on fibrosarcoma in mice. J Babol Univ Med Sci
More importantly, regulations are also needed to ensure efficacy,
2012;14:77–83.
quality and safety of herbal medicines. Different countries define
herbal medicines differently. Furthermore, different countries 6. Kazemi S, Asgary S, Moshtaghian J, Rafieian M, Adelnia A,
have adopted various approaches for trading, dispensing, Shamsi F. Liver-protective effects of hydroalcoholic extract of
licensing and manufacturing of medicinal products. allium hirtifolium boiss. In rats with alloxan-induced diabetes
In most of countries in Europe, herbal medicines are either fully mellitus. ARYA Atheroscler 2010;6:11–5.
licensed as medicines with efficacy proven by clinical trials. 7. Khosravi-Boroujeni H, Mohammadifard N, Sarrafzadegan N,
However, in Iran and in the United States, most herbal products Sajjadi F, Maghroun M, Khosravi A, et al. Potato consumption
are considered as dietary supplements and thus are not required and cardiovascular disease risk factors among Iranian
to meet the standards for drugs. population. Int J Food Sci Nutr 2012;63:913–20.
8. Shirzad H, Shahrani M, Rafieian-Kopaei M. Comparison
Author’s contribution
of morphine and tramadol effects on phagocytic activity of
MRK is the single author of the manuscript.
mice peritoneal phagocytes in vivo. Int Immunopharmacol
2009;9:968–70.
Conflict of interests
The author declared no competing interests. 9. Rafieian-Kopaie M, Baradaran A. Teucrium polium and
kidney. J Ren Inj Prev 2013; 2:3–4.
Funding/Support 10. Baradaran A, Rafieian-Kopaie M. Histopathological study
None. of the combination of metformin and garlic juice for the
attenuation of gentamicin renal toxicity in rats. J Ren Inj Prev
Ethical considerations 2013;2:15–21.
Ethical issues (including plagiarism, misconduct, data fabrication,
11. Heidarian E, Rafieian-Kopaei M, Ashrafi K. The effect
falsification, double publication or submission, redundancy) have
of hydroalcoholic extract of Allium latifolium on the liver
been completely observed by the author.
phosphatidate phosphatase and serum lipid profile in
hyperlipidemic rats. J Babol Univ Med Sci 2013;15:37–46.
References
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2 Journal of HerbMed Pharmacology, Volume 1, Number 1, December 2012 http://www.herbmedpharmacol.com