10 Medicinal plants of Pakistan : A literature study

Abstract

Pakistan agricultural research council (PARC) has a unique collection of information about medicinal plants of Pakistan at its website. These are the plants which have traditionally being used, since long time, in the traditional/ herbal healthcare systems.

A lot of herbal remedies, known to the herbalist (Hakeem in the local language) and older wise people, mostly in the rural areas, are still being used safely and effectively, by both humans and the livestock for various ailments. The traditional medicines are cheaper, especially for those living in the rural areas with lower income. However a lot of people living in the urban areas also believe in the traditional usage of these remedies. A few institutions like Hamdard laboratories has done scientific work about a lot of herbal remedies and is marketing a lot of quality controlled traditional herbal remedies which are both safe and effective.

However there is need for more scientific data which could scientifically prove the safe and effective traditional usages and to draw conclusions which could help to further utilize traditional information to solve the mysteries of modern healthcare systems.

In this project there were selected 10 therapeutically most important medicinal plants. To get traditional information about these plants there were used following resources with the help of external instructors:-

1.Hakeem (an herbalist having authorization or knowledge about herbal remedies which has learned at an herbal institution or got it transferred from forefathers.

2.Wise older people.

3.Traditional Literature.

4.Local websites with scientific information about these herbs.

Literature search was done, to find up to date worldwide scientific information in the following authentic scientific databases like Medline, Embase/ Ovid, Biological Abstracts, ISI web of knowledge, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts/ SciFinder. A few articles from the other languages were electronically translated from Japanese, German and Chinese languages to English where it was possible.

At the end of every chapter, conclusions have been drawn, about the therapeutical uses which could play significant scientific role in the modern healthcare systems. In addition the areas needing further research and possible future applications are also mentioned.