Plant Based Drugs and Medicines

Plant Based Drugs and Medicines
By Leslie Taylor, NDOctober 13, 2000
Today there are at least 120 distinct chemical substances derived from plants that are considered as important drugs currently in use in one or more countries in the world. These chemical substances are shown in the table below. Several of the drugs sold today are simple synthetic modifications or copies of the naturally obtained substances. The original plant substance/chemical name is shown under the "Drug" column rather than the finished patented drug name. For example, many years ago a plant chemical was discovered in a tropical plant, Cephaelis ipecacuanha, and the chemical was named emetine. A drug was developed from this plant chemical called Ipecac which was used for many years to induce vomiting mostly if someone accidently swallowed a poisonous or harmful substance. Ipecac can still be found in pharmacies in many third world countries but has been mostly replaced by other drugs in the United States. Another example of this is the plant chemical named taxol shown in the drug column below. The name taxol is the name of the plant chemical orginally discovered in the plant. A pharmaceutical company copied this chemical and patented a drug named Paclitaxel™ which is used in various types of tumors today in the U.S. and many other countries.
The 120 substances shown below are sold as drugs worldwide but not in all countries. Some European countries regulate herbal sustances and products differently than in the United States. Many European countries, including Germany, regulate herbal products as drugs and pharmaceutical companies prepare plant based drugs simply by extracting out the active chemicals from the plants. A good example is the plant substance/drug shown below, cynarin. Cynarin is a plant chemical found in the common artichoke (Cynara scolymus). In Germany, a cynarin drug is sold for liver problems and hypertension which is simply this one chemical extracted from the artichoke plant or a plant extract which has been standardized to contain a specific milligram amount of this one chemical. These products are manufactured by pharmaceutical companies, sold in pharmacies in Germany and a doctor's prescription is required to purchase them. In the United States artichoke extracts are available as natural products and sold in health food stores. Some products are even standardized to contain a specific amount of the cynarin chemical. You can purchase these natural and standardized extracts over the counter without a prescription and you could not go to a pharmacy in the U.S. and obtain a cynarin drug with a prescription. Another similar example is the plant chemical, silymarin, shown in the drug column below. Silymarin is a chemical found in the milk thistle plant and natural milk thistle extracts standarized to contain specific amounts of silymarin are found in just about every health food store in the United States. However in Germany, silymarin drugs and milk thistle standardized extracts are sold only in pharmacies and require a doctor's prescription for liver problems.
Some of the drug/chemicals shown below are still sold as plant based drugs requiring the processing of the actual plant material. Others have been chemically copied or synthesized by laboratories and no plant materials are used in the manufacture of the drug. A good example of this is the plant chemical quinine, which was discovered in a rainforest tree (Cinchona ledgeriana) over 100 years ago. For many years the quinine chemical was extracted from the bark of this tree and processed into pills to treat malaria. Then a scientist was able to synthesize or copy this plant alkaloid into a chemical drug without using the original tree bark for manufacturing the drug. Today, all quinine drugs sold are manufactured chemically without the use of any tree bark. However, another chemical in the tree called quinidine which was found to be useful for various heart conditions couldn't be completely copied in the laboratory and the tree bark is still harvested and used to extract this plant chemical from it. Quinidine extracted from the bark is still used today to produce quinidine-based drugs. In the U.S. there are four patented brand-name heart drugs sold in pharmacies containing bark-extracted quinidine: Cardioquin™, Quinaglute Dura-tabs™, Quinidex Extentabs™ and Quin-Release™.
The following table below will help you begin your research on drugs made from plants. We don't have the time or resources to provide a full comprehensive list of all patented drug names and herbal drugs sold in other countries. The chemical/drug names and plant names will give you enough to start on to continue your research on important plant based drugs and medicines.

Drug/Chemical
Action/Clinical Use
Plant Source
Acetyldigoxin
Cardiotonic
Digitalis lanata
Adoniside
Cardiotonic
Adonis vernalis
Aescin
Anti-inflammatory
Aesculus hippocastanum
Aesculetin
Anti-dysentery
Frazinus rhychophylla
Agrimophol
Anthelmintic
Agrimonia supatoria
Ajmalicine
Circulatory Disorders
Rauvolfia sepentina
Allantoin
Vulnerary
Several plants
Allyl isothiocyanate
Rubefacient
Brassica nigra
Anabesine
Skeletal muscle relaxant
Anabasis sphylla
Andrographolide
Baccillary dysentery
Andrographis paniculata
Anisodamine
Anticholinergic
Anisodus tanguticus
Anisodine
Anticholinergic
Anisodus tanguticus
Arecoline
Anthelmintic
Areca catechu
Asiaticoside
Vulnerary
Centella asiatica
Atropine
Anticholinergic
Atropa belladonna
Benzyl benzoate
Scabicide
Several plants
Berberine
Bacillary dysentery
Berberis vulgaris
Bergenin
Antitussive
Ardisia japonica
Betulinic acid
Anticancerous
Betula alba
Borneol
Antipyretic, analgesic, antiinflammatory
Several plants
Bromelain
Anti-inflammatory, proteolytic
Ananas comosus
Caffeine
CNS stimulant
Camellia sinensis
Camphor
Rubefacient
Cinnamomum camphora
Camptothecin
Anticancerous
Camptotheca acuminata
(+)-Catechin
Haemostatic
Potentilla fragarioides
Chymopapain
Proteolytic, mucolytic
Carica papaya
Cissampeline
Skeletal muscle relaxant
Cissampelos pareira
Cocaine
Local anaesthetic
Erythroxylum coca
Codeine
Analgesic, antitussive
Papaver somniferum
Colchiceine amide
Antitumor agent
Colchicum autumnale
Colchicine
Antitumor agent, anti-gout
Colchicum autumnale
Convallatoxin
Cardiotonic
Convallaria majalis
Curcumin
Choleretic
Curcuma longa
Cynarin
Choleretic
Cynara scolymus
Danthron
Laxative
Cassia species
Demecolcine
Antitumor agent
Colchicum autumnale
Deserpidine
Antihypertensive, tranquillizer
Rauvolfia canescens
Deslanoside
Cardiotonic
Digitalis lanata
L-Dopa
Anti-parkinsonism
Mucuna sp
Digitalin
Cardiotonic
Digitalis purpurea
Digitoxin
Cardiotonic
Digitalis purpurea
Digoxin
Cardiotonic
Digitalis purpurea
Emetine
Amoebicide, emetic
Cephaelis ipecacuanha
Ephedrine
Sympathomimetic, antihistamine
Ephedra sinica
Etoposide
Antitumor agent
Podophyllum peltatum
Galanthamine
Cholinesterase inhibitor
Lycoris squamigera
Gitalin
Cardiotonic
Digitalis purpurea
Glaucarubin
Amoebicide
Simarouba glauca
Glaucine
Antitussive
Glaucium flavum
Glasiovine
Antidepressant
Octea glaziovii
Glycyrrhizin
Sweetener, Addison's disease
Glycyrrhiza glabra
Gossypol
Male contraceptive
Gossypium species
Hemsleyadin
Bacillary dysentery
Hemsleya amabilis
Hesperidin
Capillary fragility
Citrus species
Hydrastine
Hemostatic, astringent
Hydrastis canadensis
Hyoscyamine
Anticholinergic
Hyoscyamus niger
Irinotecan
Anticancer, antitumor agent
Camptotheca acuminata
Kaibic acud
Ascaricide
Digenea simplex
Kawain
Tranquillizer
Piper methysticum
Kheltin
Bronchodilator
Ammi visaga
Lanatosides A, B, C
Cardiotonic
Digitalis lanata
Lapachol
Anticancer, antitumor
Tabebuia sp.
a-Lobeline
Smoking deterrant, respiratory stimulant
Lobelia inflata
Menthol
Rubefacient
Mentha species
Methyl salicylate
Rubefacient
Gaultheria procumbens
Monocrotaline
Antitumor agent (topical)
Crotalaria sessiliflora
Morphine
Analgesic
Papaver somniferum
Neoandrographolide
Dysentery
Andrographis paniculata
Nicotine
Insecticide
Nicotiana tabacum
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid
Antioxidant
Larrea divaricata
Noscapine
Antitussive
Papaver somniferum
Ouabain
Cardiotonic
Strophanthus gratus
Pachycarpine
Oxytocic
Sophora pschycarpa
Palmatine
Antipyretic, detoxicant
Coptis japonica
Papain
Proteolytic, mucolytic
Carica papaya
Papavarine
Smooth muscle relaxant
Papaver somniferum
Phyllodulcin
Sweetner
Hydrangea macrophylla
Physostigmine
Cholinesterase Inhibitor
Physostigma venenosum
Picrotoxin
Analeptic
Anamirta cocculus
Pilocarpine
Parasympathomimetic
Pilocarpus jaborandi
Pinitol
Expectorant
Several plants
Podophyllotoxin
Antitumor anticancer agent
Podophyllum peltatum
Protoveratrines A, B
Antihypertensives
Veratrum album
Pseudoephredrine*
Sympathomimetic
Ephedra sinica
Pseudoephedrine, nor-
Sympathomimetic
Ephedra sinica
Quinidine
Antiarrhythmic
Cinchona ledgeriana
Quinine
Antimalarial, antipyretic
Cinchona ledgeriana
Qulsqualic acid
Anthelmintic
Quisqualis indica
Rescinnamine
Antihypertensive, tranquillizer
Rauvolfia serpentina
Reserpine
Antihypertensive, tranquillizer
Rauvolfia serpentina
Rhomitoxin
Antihypertensive, tranquillizer
Rhododendron molle
Rorifone
Antitussive
Rorippa indica
Rotenone
Piscicide, Insecticide
Lonchocarpus nicou
Rotundine
Analagesic, sedative, traquillizer
Stephania sinica
Rutin
Capillary fragility
Citrus species
Salicin
Analgesic
Salix alba
Sanguinarine
Dental plaque inhibitor
Sanguinaria canadensis
Santonin
Ascaricide
Artemisia maritma
Scillarin A
Cardiotonic
Urginea maritima
Scopolamine
Sedative
Datura species
Sennosides A, B
Laxative
Cassia species
Silymarin
Antihepatotoxic
Silybum marianum
Sparteine
Oxytocic
Cytisus scoparius
Stevioside
Sweetner
Stevia rebaudiana
Strychnine
CNS stimulant
Strychnos nux-vomica
Taxol
Antitumor agent
Taxus brevifolia
Teniposide
Antitumor agent
Podophyllum peltatum
a-Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC)
Antiemetic, decrease occular tension
Cannabis sativa
Tetrahydropalmatine
Analgesic, sedative, traquillizer
Corydalis ambigua
Tetrandrine
Antihypertensive
Stephania tetrandra
Theobromine
Diuretic, vasodilator
Theobroma cacao
Theophylline
Diuretic, brochodilator
Theobroma cacao and others
Thymol
Antifungal (topical)
Thymus vulgaris
Topotecan
Antitumor, anticancer agent
Camptotheca acuminata
Trichosanthin
Abortifacient
Trichosanthes kirilowii
Tubocurarine
Skeletal muscle relaxant
Chondodendron tomentosum
Valapotriates
Sedative
Valeriana officinalis
Vasicine
Cerebral stimulant
Vinca minor
Vinblastine
Antitumor, Antileukemic agent
Catharanthus roseus
Vincristine
Antitumor, Antileukemic agent
Catharanthus roseus
Yohimbine
Aphrodisiac
Pausinystalia yohimbe
Yuanhuacine
Abortifacient
Daphne genkwa
Yuanhuadine
Abortifacient
Daphne genkwa