Back to Nature-southindian Herbals and Their Medicinal UsesBACK TO NATURE-SOUTHINDIAN HERBALS AND THEIR MEDICINAL USES INTRODUCTION Man has been using plants as medicine from time immemorial. All major civilization in the past had developed their own system of medicine, mainly based on herbs of all such system perhaps most comprehensive and scientific is that of ancient India, known as Ayurvedic development during the Vedic period by our sages and seers. They had identified hundreds and hundreds of plant species capable of functioning as medicine in the human body and curing its maladies. Green medicine have been proved to be highly effective and a successful mode of therapy to cure various diseases caused by microorganisms. Present,300plants extracts and tinctures are utilized in modern medicine. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that about 90 percent of people in the world rely on traditional medicine primary health needs chemical investigation and biological screening of about300wild tribal medicinal plants have been carried out by many researchers. A survey indicates that393medicinal plant species are used in traditional formulations and are sold in commercial outlets of the393species distributed in103families;Leguminosaeemerges as the largest family of Pharmacological importance with a total of 41 medicinal Plants used in the traditional formulations.Asteraceaeis the second family with respect to ingredients of traditional formulations (19species).ZingiberaceaeandApiaceaehave13species each, followed byEuphorbiaceaewith12species that one used in various formulations. Herbs form a major segment of medicinal plants used in traditional formulations with a total of158species. Trees and shrubs from the next dominant group with95and80species used in the formulation of drug respectively. Based on the factual information, few medicinal Plants were selected for gain the knowledge of herbs which enrich your health under the followings. Holy Plants S.No Botanical Name Family Common Name Preparation Method of the Medicine, Uses 1. Ocimum sanctum Laminaceae Tulasi Take 10 fresh leaves daily which cures the cold and develop your immunity power. 2. Aegle marmelos Rutaceae Vilvam Shade dry the leaves and power. Powder + 5 peppers mixed and add. Take with milk in empty stomach. It will cure the Asthma. 3. Ficus religiosa Moraceae Arasu Shades dry the young leaves and power it. Take twice daily with Hot water. This cures the uterus related problems. 4. Azadirachta indica Meliaceae Vembu The leaf, seed oil is used as a medicine. Antiviral Tree. 5. Cynodon datylon Poaceae Arugu Take 150 gm of fresh leaves, make it juice and take it daily. Which purify the blood and cool your body temperature 6. Leucas aspera Laminaceae Thumbai Take 150 gm of these flowers Freshly and fry with ghee. Take weekly once which cures the cold. 7. Tabernaemontana Coronaria Apocynaceae Nanthiyar- -vattam The flower juice cures the eye problems. Particularly for the reddish eye 8. Ficus bengalensis Moraceae Àlamaram Shade dries the young leaves, powder it. Take twice daily, with hot water which cures the uterus related problems 9. Santalum album - Santhanum Anti heat agent which equalize your body temperature. 10. Ealeocarpus tuberculatus Elaecocarpaceae Ruthratsam Anti – Radiation Effect Memory Plus S.No Botanical Name Family and Common name Uses 1. Hydrocotyle asiatica Apiaceae vallarai Memory generator 2. Acthyranthus aspera AmarantaceaeNaiyooruvi Extra memory creator Brain Growth and Development S.No Family Botanical name Common Name Preparation method of medicine and uses 1. Rutaceae Aegle marmelos Vilvum Take the fruit twice in a month which will help to develop your brain. 2. Perkankai Dry the vegetable and powder it. Make it decoction and take it once in a week which provide stamina (or) power to the brain. 3. Phyllanthus embilica Nelli Take one Nelli daily which helps the brain function. 4. Coccus nueifera Coconut 6-10 pieces of coconut in fresh form take daily. It will cure the wounds which present in the brain. 5 Amarantaceae Achyranthus aspera Naioruvi Take leaves monthly ones in form of Juice which helps with Nervous system of the brain. It also cure the brine nervous disorder For Health and Development S.No Diseases Botanical name and common name Paration of the medicine 1 Sugar Gymnema sylvestre Sarkaraikolli The leaves were shade dried and powdered. The powder was taken half teaspoon daily morning in empty stomach, with milk or buttermilk. 2 Blood pressure Rauwolfia sarpentina Sarpaganthi The leaves were shade dried and powdered. The powder was taken half teaspoon daily morning with butter milk after food 3 Heart Nelumbium speciosum thamarai The flowers petals are shade dried and powdered and was used to make decoction and it was taken twice in a day. Herbs for common diseases S.NO DISEASES PLANTS 1 Cold Ocimum santum Solanum trilobatum Leucas aspera 2 Cough Adatoda vasica Vitex negundo Abies webbiana Oldanlandia umbellate 3 Digestion Zingiber officinalis Cissus quadrangularis Cuminum cyminum 4 Gas trouble Cuminum cyminum Ferula asafetida Cissus quadrangularis 5 Wound healing Tridax procubens Acalypha indica 6 Teeth ache Zingiber officinalis Jussiaea suffruticosa Pisidium gaujava 7 Rheumatism Delonix regia Dolichos biflorus 8 Reduce the body heat Aloe vera Euphorbia thymifolia 9 To burn the fat Solanum malaginella Dolichos biflorus 10 Head ache Brassica nigra Zingiber officinalis Conclusion Indian system of medicine particularly Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani have contributed to development of modern medicine and are still practiced To treat and benefit a large number of patients. Even the world health organization in its meeting held in 1980 considered that for certain diseases like peptic ulcer, diabetes, high blood pressure, a stone in the kidney and infective jaundice, no satisfactory treatment is available in modern system of medicine and suggested deeper study of indigenous system of medicine. |