Potential Genotoxic and Cytotoxic Effects of Plant Extracts

TLDR: The medicinal use of plants is probably as old as human kind itself and many of the plants species used for this purpose have been found to contain therapeutic substances which can be extracted and used in preparation of drugs.

Abstract: The medicinal use of plants is probably as old as human kind itself. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that up to 80% of the world’s population relies on traditional medicinal system for some aspect of primary health care (Farnsworth et al., 1985) and the traditional medicines are generally more acceptable from a cultural and spiritual perspective. Many of the plants species used for this purpose have been found to contain therapeutic substances which can be extracted and used in preparation of drugs, but the plant itself can also be used either directly or as an extract for medication, a practice that is particularly popular in developing countries (Ishii et al., 1984; Hoyos et al., 1992). Two hundred and fifty years ago there were few or no synthetic medicines and species of higher plants were the main source of medicines for the World (Duke, 2003). The method of discovery of medicines was probably trial and error that related the cause-and effect-relationship to the use of the plant or animal part and a desired result. People used to the whole plant or some part of the plant (leaves, bark, roots, seeds and fruits), animals, their organs and glands for the therapeutic purpose, e.g., cinchona bark, digitalis leaf, ephedra aerial parts, poppy capsule, hog testes, etc (http:/www.mosby.com/MERLIN/drug_card_update/history_drug_development.htm.)