Medicinal Plants: Uses, Benefits, and Applications

Medicinal Plants, Vegetable Drugs, and Herbal Medicine

Concepts: Current situation, place in therapeutics, advantages, limitations, and information sources.

Active Metabolites of Plants

Primary and secondary metabolites.

Collection of Medicinal Plants

Cultivation, improvement, collection, conservation, and storage.

Quality, Safety, and Efficacy

Quality control, identification trials, adulteration, counterfeiting, standardization, pesticide analysis, and biological contamination.

Preparation of Herbal Medicines

Raw materials, herbal preparations, solid and liquid forms, simple shapes, associations, solvent extraction, distillation, and expression.

Forms of Management

Preparations for external and internal use, dosing, and prescription in phytotherapy.

Aromatherapy

Therapeutic use of essential oils, chemical composition, variability, pharmaceutical forms, pharmacological activity, toxicity, and aromatogram.

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

Homeopathy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurvedic Medicine, and other therapies.

Legislation

Legal situation in Spain and the European Union regarding medicinal plants, their uses, and the role of pharmacists in phytotherapy.

Phytotherapy for the Nervous System

Insomnia and Anxiety

Valerian, Hops, Melissa, Passionflower, Poppy, California Poppy, Tila, and Hawthorn.

Depression

St. John's Wort.

Asthenia

Cola, Guarana, Mate, and other caffeine-containing species.

Modifiers of Nonspecific Resistance and Immunity

Adaptogens

Ginseng, Eleutherococcus, and others.

Immunostimulants

Echinacea, Reishi, Brewer's yeast, and Propolis.

Cardiovascular Phytotherapy

Heart Failure

Hawthorn.

Venous Insufficiency

Ginkgo, Horse Chestnut, Butcher's Broom, and Sweet Clover.

Antioxidants

Green tea, Cacao, Blueberry, Red vine, and others.

Hypertension and Atherothrombosis

Olive, Garlic, Mistletoe, and others.

Phytotherapy of Respiratory Disorders

Cough

Drosera, Grindelia, Mallow, Althea, Mullein, Coltsfoot, and others.

Expectorants

Species with saponosides: Licorice, Polygala, Primrose, and others. Species with essential oils: Eucalyptus, Thyme, and others.

Phytotherapy of Digestive Disorders

Appetite Stimulants

Fenugreek, Wormwood, Gentian, and others.

Antispasmodics and Carminatives

Chamomile, Anise, and others.

Digestive Enzymes

Pineapple and Papaya.

Constipation and Laxatives

Mass laxatives and stimulant laxatives.

Antidiarrheal

Astringent drugs with tannins and drugs with mucilage.

Hepatobiliary Disorders

Milk thistle, Boldo, Artichoke, Turmeric, Rosemary, Fumaria, and others.

Phytotherapy for Metabolic Disorders

Hypercholesterolemia

Gugul, Red yeast, soluble fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and phytosterols.

Diabetes Mellitus

Chromium species, species with polysaccharides, and species with other principles.

Overweight

Garcinia, Fucus, species with caffeine, fiber, and diuretic and laxative species.