The Concept and Status of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Abstract

Since the dawn of civilization, plants have been used throughout the world as a source of traditional “herbal” medicines. Compared with modern medicines, herbal medicines have several major advantages, including general absence of serious, adverse side effects, long-lasting curative impact, and an overall cost effectiveness. Even today, plant-based medicines and aromatics are increasingly in demand in the healthcare sector all over the globe, and are used not only for the treatment of various diseases but also as potential nutrition for maintaining good health. Today, almost two-thirds of the world’s population willingly seeks alternatives to Western medical treatments which are considered to be free from side effects, and thus depend on phytomedicines for their primary health care needs. However, an inadvertent consequence of this increased demand is that the very existence of many medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) has come under threat due to reduced population size, narrow distribution area, habitat specificity, and the current destructive ways of harvesting. To date, only a handful of studies have been undertaken on medicinal plants with reference to their pharmacognosy, ecology, and conservation. This chapter examines the current status of MAPs and re-assesses our understanding of their pharmacognosy, ecology, and conservation.