former, called artemisinin and obtained from Artemisia annua is expected to yield,
in the coming millennium, a potent new class of antimalarials, the latter, obtained
from Bupleurum chinense and used as a popular remedy for hepatitis is the focus of
intense research by the Japanese pharmaceutical industry (Baliga et al. 2011).
The practise of traditional medicine using medicinal plants such as Panax
quinquefolium, Podophyllum peltatum and Eupatorium perfoliatum has long been
associated with the American Indians in the United States of America. These
medicinal plants have also been recognised and appreciated for their aesthetic and
ornamental value. In Central America medicinal plants have been widely used by
the Maya Indians in Mexico, the Pipiles in El Salvador, the Miskitos and Sumus in
Nicaragua and Honduras, the Pech, Xicaques and Lencas in Honduras,
the Guaymis and Kunas in Panama and the Talamancas in Costa Rica. In Europe,
more than 1,500 species of medicinal plants are widely used in Albania, Croatia,
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Spain, and the United
Kingdom. The islands of Maltese constitute a good example where medicinal plants
are widely used in everyday life as part of folk medicinal remedies.
Africa is another rich source of medicinal plants rich in bioactive natural compounds. Perhaps, the best known species include that of Moringa oleifera reported
by different researchers in the literatures to have important biological potentials
include antimicrobial activities (Arora and Onsare 2014; Arora et al. 2013), antifungal (Kadhim and AL-Shammaa 2014), antioxidant (Satish et al. 2014),
antibacterial and antiulcer (Belay and Sisay 2014), anti-inflamatory, diuretic,
antispasmodic (Krishnamurthy et al. 2015; Araujo et al. 2013), antimutagenic and
antioxidant (Satish et al. 2014), antistress (Luqman et al. 2012), anticancer
(Krishnamurthy et al. 2015; Pinto et al. 2015), cytotoxic activities (Araujo et al.
2013; Asare et al. 2012), antitumour, antipyretic, antiepileptic, antinociceptive and
antidiabetic (Vinoth et al. 2012). Other notable examples are Catharanthus roseus,
which yields anti-tumour agents such as vinblastine and vincristine; and Ricinus
communis, which yields the laxative castor oil. In Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and
South Africa, Harpagophytum procumbens is produced as a crude drug for export.
Similarly, Hibiscus sabdariffa is exported from Egypt and Sudan. Other exports
are Pausinystalia yohimbe from Cameroon, Nigeria and Rwanda, which yields
yohimbine; and Rauwolfia vomitoria, from Madagascar, Mozambique and Zaire,
which is exploited to yield ajmaline and reserpine.
2.4.2 Plant Based Pesticides and Agrochemical Industry
The plant world is rich store house of natural chemicals that could be exploited for
use as biopesticides (Dwivedi and Enespa 2012). Medicinal plants are now
emerging as safer and more compatible approach to chemical control of pests and
diseases. All parts of these plants including roots, flowers, bark, stem, leaves, seeds
and essential oils possess antimicrobial properties and are therefore used for
medicinal and other purposes (Dwivedi and Enespa 2012). The use of these
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T. Ahmadu and K. Ahmad
in the coming millennium, a potent new class of antimalarials, the latter, obtained
from Bupleurum chinense and used as a popular remedy for hepatitis is the focus of
intense research by the Japanese pharmaceutical industry (Baliga et al. 2011).
The practise of traditional medicine using medicinal plants such as Panax
quinquefolium, Podophyllum peltatum and Eupatorium perfoliatum has long been
associated with the American Indians in the United States of America. These
medicinal plants have also been recognised and appreciated for their aesthetic and
ornamental value. In Central America medicinal plants have been widely used by
the Maya Indians in Mexico, the Pipiles in El Salvador, the Miskitos and Sumus in
Nicaragua and Honduras, the Pech, Xicaques and Lencas in Honduras,
the Guaymis and Kunas in Panama and the Talamancas in Costa Rica. In Europe,
more than 1,500 species of medicinal plants are widely used in Albania, Croatia,
Bulgaria, France, Germany, Poland, Hungary, Turkey, Spain, and the United
Kingdom. The islands of Maltese constitute a good example where medicinal plants
are widely used in everyday life as part of folk medicinal remedies.
Africa is another rich source of medicinal plants rich in bioactive natural compounds. Perhaps, the best known species include that of Moringa oleifera reported
by different researchers in the literatures to have important biological potentials
include antimicrobial activities (Arora and Onsare 2014; Arora et al. 2013), antifungal (Kadhim and AL-Shammaa 2014), antioxidant (Satish et al. 2014),
antibacterial and antiulcer (Belay and Sisay 2014), anti-inflamatory, diuretic,
antispasmodic (Krishnamurthy et al. 2015; Araujo et al. 2013), antimutagenic and
antioxidant (Satish et al. 2014), antistress (Luqman et al. 2012), anticancer
(Krishnamurthy et al. 2015; Pinto et al. 2015), cytotoxic activities (Araujo et al.
2013; Asare et al. 2012), antitumour, antipyretic, antiepileptic, antinociceptive and
antidiabetic (Vinoth et al. 2012). Other notable examples are Catharanthus roseus,
which yields anti-tumour agents such as vinblastine and vincristine; and Ricinus
communis, which yields the laxative castor oil. In Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and
South Africa, Harpagophytum procumbens is produced as a crude drug for export.
Similarly, Hibiscus sabdariffa is exported from Egypt and Sudan. Other exports
are Pausinystalia yohimbe from Cameroon, Nigeria and Rwanda, which yields
yohimbine; and Rauwolfia vomitoria, from Madagascar, Mozambique and Zaire,
which is exploited to yield ajmaline and reserpine.
2.4.2 Plant Based Pesticides and Agrochemical Industry
The plant world is rich store house of natural chemicals that could be exploited for
use as biopesticides (Dwivedi and Enespa 2012). Medicinal plants are now
emerging as safer and more compatible approach to chemical control of pests and
diseases. All parts of these plants including roots, flowers, bark, stem, leaves, seeds
and essential oils possess antimicrobial properties and are therefore used for
medicinal and other purposes (Dwivedi and Enespa 2012). The use of these
72
T. Ahmadu and K. Ahmad