الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Phytotherapy is the treatment and prevention of diseases using plants, plant parts, such as leaves, flowers, roots, fruits, and seeds and preparations made from them, theses plants called medicinal plants, or herbs (Weiss and Fintelmann, 2000). Plants have always played a significant role in maintaining the health and improving the quality of human life ; many western drugs owe their origin to plant extracts. The American Indians utilized a number of native herbs for medicinal purposes. Self–prescribed herbal preparations have been commonly consumed recently for a whole list of common ailments or conditions, while these herbs are generally consumed in small amounts, it is interesting to note that they contain similar health– promoting phytochemicals as do fruits and vegetables. There is clearly a botanical and chemical similarity between many of the herbal seasonings and conventional vegetables in the human dietary (Criag, 2001). According to estimates of the World Health Organization, 80% of the world population is primarily reliant on traditional methods of healing which use empirical knowledge based on the use of medicinal plants |