Mmushi T MSc (Microbiology).pdf

CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Introduction
Plants have provided man with most of his needs in terms of shelter, clothing, food,
flavours and fragrances and not least the basis of health care throughout the world
since the earliest days of humanity and are still internationally used (Gurib-Fakim,
2006). Plants remain a vital source of medicines for a large proportion of the world’s
population, particularly in the developing countries (WHO, 2002).
Nature has been a good supply of various medicinal agents for thousands of years and
a number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources such as plants. A
range of medicinal plants have been discovered and used for many years on a daily
basis for treatment of different diseases all over the world (Farombi, 2003). Herbal
medicine is now globally accepted as a legal, alternative system of therapy for treatment
and cure of various diseases and physiological conditions in traditional treatments in the
form of pharmaceuticals (Dos Santos-Neto et al., 2006). Various plant species are used
by many ethnic groups around the world for the treatment of various ailments ranging
from minor infections to dysentery, skin diseases, asthma, and malaria and a range of
other indications. Numerous prescriptions, folk drugs, and herbal drugs play an
important role in maintaining people’s health. These are also the sources for new drug
research and development (WHO, 2009).
The healing power of plants is an ancient practice and thousands of indigenous plants
have been used by people on all continents as poultices and infusions dating back to
prehistory. The use of Alecea rosea to control inflammation, to stop bedwetting and as a
mouthwash in cases of bleeding gums has been reported 60 000 years ago and is still
used around the world today (Cowan, 1999).
Medicinal plants have many industrial uses ranging from traditional medicines, herbal
teas, and health foods such as nutriceuticals to galenicals, phytopharmaceuticals and
industrially produced pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, these constitute a source of
potential chemotherapeutic agents since these are a ready source of drugs such as
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