AIMS AND OBJECTIVES.

1. To promote the use of local traditional remedies and thereby save scarce             foreign exchange.           

ii.  To create greater awareness of the extent of the country’s wealth of medicinal plants as well a stimulate co-operation among various interested disciplines in their research, development and utilization.

iii. To negotiate and co-operate with Government, Health sectors, Non-governmental Organizations  and Public bodies to stimulate interest in medicinal plants.

  GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Historical Background

Traditional Medicine, otherwise knows as Alternative Medicine or Herbal Medicine in Nigeria is the Origin of knowledge or primary source of Wisdom and father of Orthodox medicine. The use of natural product for medicinal purposes dates back to  ancient times and was very common with the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans. These substances were often obtained from animal, plant and mineral sources. The term “Pharmakon”- Greek word for poison or a drug was coined from the knowledge of this ancient practice. The use of herbs and animal products as medicines reached its peak in the 17th century though the toxicity of some plant poison limited their use as therapeutic agents in modern medicine.
The next stage in the development of modern therapeutic agents was the development of synthetic substitutes to  plant poison in most cases with the expectation of eliminating the toxic side effects thereby improving upon nature. Today therapeutic agents are also sourced from animal especially glandular extract, e,g. Thyroid and Adrenal Medullary extracts. Further development in the aspect of Medicine through advance scientific drug research led to the isolation and synthesis of very important hormones, eg Thyroxine, Insulin, etc and these have led to dramatic turning point in drug research.

The development of new drugs in any developing country is usually a complex activity that requires the relentless efforts of various professionals such as Chemists, Medicinal Chemists, Herbalist or Traditional Medicine Practitioners, Biotechnologies, Pharmacists, Chemical Engineers. etc

1.   Drugs

A Drug can be defined as a poisonous substance or chemical compound which has a curative effect, eg Arsenic is a poisonous element present in some herbs or plants but the body requires a small amount of it, if it exist in its natural combined form with other useful compounds.

ii     Medicinal Plants

Many of the world medicines  contain active ingredients otherwise termed "Alkaloids" extracted from plants or synthesized using natural chemical as models. Tropical species have been particularly important sources of  medicine in the past because they contain a wide range of toxic compounds that have evolved to hinder herbivory or predation and many active medical compounds are derived from such toxins eg. Anti-hypertensive drugs (from Rauvofia serpentina) New medicinal compounds are often derived from species that have been used as folk, traditional of native remedies for centuries, Dependence on medicines derived from indigenous plants is especially predominant in developing countries where modern medicines is often not available or is simply too expensive. Currently, the problem of fake drugs is adjusting the balance from modern orthodox medicines to traditional medicines which are more readily available, cheap and efficacious despite the negative influence of some Chalatans otherwise called "Quacks". Plants used for medicines can be in various life forms of classes of trees, shrub, climbers and herbs distributed in natural ecosystems (forest, savanna), in  dry or wet zones. The plants may also serve as food, source of fuel (wood) cultural and environmental protection, agro forestry and industrial roles among others.

iii   Alkaloids

Alkaloids are a group of naturally occurring chemical compounds which mostly contain basic nitrogen atoms. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organism including bacteria, fungi, plants and animals and are part of the group of natural products (also called secondary metabolites). Many alkaloids can be purified from crude extract by acid-base extraction, use of alcohols, extractors, etc. Many alkaloids ae toxic to other organisms. They often have pharmacological effects and they are used as medication, as recreational drugs or in entheogenic ritual. Examples are the local anesthetic and stimulant cocaine and stimulant caffeine

Nicotine, the analgesic Morphine, of the antimalarial drug quinine. Although alkaloids act on a diversity of metabolic systems in humans and other animals, they almost uniformly invoke  bitter taste.

Alkaloids-containing plants were used by humans since ancient times for therapeutic and recreational purposes . For example, medicinal plants have been known in the Mesopotamia at least around 2000 bc.. A Chinese book on house  plants written in 1st-3rd centuries BC mentioned  a medical use of Ephedra and Opium Popples, Also, Coca leaves were used by South American Indians since ancient times. It is also very important to note that extracts from plants containing toxic alkaloids, such as Acontine and Tubocurarine were used since antiquity for poisoning arrows.

Advance studies of alkaloids began in the 19th century. In 1804 the German Chemist, Fredrich Sturner isolated from Opium a "Soporific Principle" (Latin Principium Somniferum) which he called "Morphium" in honours of Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. In German and some other Central European languages, this is still the name of the drug. The term "Morphine used in English and French, was given by the French Physicist (Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac)

A significant contribution of alkaloids to the study of Chemistry of drugs in the early years of its development was made by the French researchers Pierre Joseph Pelletier and Joseph Bienanime

Cavertou who discovered  Quinine (1820) and Strychnine (1818). Several other alkaloids were discovered around that time including Xanthine (1817) Atropine (1819), Caffeine (1820) Conine (1827) Nicotine 1828( Sparteine 1851, Cocaine(1860), etc

iv    Traditional Medicine

"Traditional Medicine" is a comprehensive term used to refer both to Traditional systems such as traditional Chinese Medicine, Indian Ayurveda and Arabic Unani Medicine, and to various form of indigenous medicine. Traditional Medicine therapies include Medication Therapies-if they involve use of herbal medicines, animal parts and /or mineral-and non-medication therapies- if they are carried out primarily without the use of medication, as in the case of acupuncture, manual therapies and spiritual therapies in countries where the dominant health care system is based on allopathic medicine has not , or where traditional medicine has not been incorporated into the national health care system. Traditional medicine is often termed :Complementary" "alternative" or "Non Conventional Medicine.

Traditional Medicine may be codified, regulated, taught openly and practiced widely and systematically and benefits from thousands of years experience

Conversely, it may be highly secretive, mystical and extremely localised with knowledge of its practices passed on orally. It may be based on salient physical symptoms or perceived             Supernatural forces.

Generally  Traditional Medicine practice has Scientific, Psychological and high Spiritual correlations.

"WHO definition of Traditional Medicine

World Health Organization (WHO) defined traditional medicine as diverse health practices, approaches, knowledge and benefits incorporating plant, animal and/or mineral based medicines, spiritual therapies, manual techniques and  exercises applied singularly or in combination to maintain well-being as well as to treat, diagnose or prevent illness.

SOME MEDICINAL PLANTS OF NIGERIA AND THEIR USES

Some medicinal plants of Nigeria as summarized or simplified in this presentation with their various applications highlighted are as follows: