Medicinal plants: use in antiquity and current experimental proofs

It is likely that Rhizotomoi, Theophrastus, Kratevas and Dioscorides (De Materia Medica), being active between the classical period and the 1st century AD, were precursors to modern therapy. Dioscorides'Materia Medica, one of the most influential herbal books in history of sciences, was written in Greek; the original text has been lost, but several manuscripts do remain [1]. The first Latin version was published in 1538, where the presented plant classification is pre-Linnaean. Manuscripts reproduced through the centuries, unlike the original, contain alphabetically listed medicinal plants. Amongst them Lilium candidum was used those days for poultice, snake-bite, burns, sores, wounds, anti-inflammatory effects; nowadays, some steroidal alkaloid and saponins, acylated lilaline, substances with anti-yeast and antioxidative activity have been isolated. Brassica oleracea used those days for anti-inflammatory activity nowadays exhibits protective effects against oxidative damage. Plantago sp. used those days for ulcers, astringent, poultice, bite, edema, dysentery, and nowadays for astringent, gastro protective and laxative action. Peganum harmala used those days for anti-poison and antitumor effects, nowadays exhibiting antimicrobial, antitumor and vasorelaxant effects. Sinapis alba is still used for anti-inflammatory activity [2]. According to Dioscorides, Viscum album dilutes absorbs and assimilates abscesses and neoplasia; in 1920 Iscador, consisting of fermented extracts of Viscum album, was proposed for the treatment of cancer [3]. According to our recent research this may holds true for extracts of Loranthus europaeus. Orchis sp. used those days for antitumor and anti-inflammatory activity, is a research material for antimicrobial and antifungal broad spectrum resistance.

References: 1. Beck L. (2005) De material medica. Olms-Weidamnn, Zurich. 2. Eskin, N.A. et al. (2007) Phytomedicine 14:479–85. 3. Urech, K. et al. (2006) Anticancer Research 26:3049–55.