Plants used for making medicines
KHELLA Also known as toothpickweed, this Mediterranean herb contains a chemical that opens up blood vessels, improving blood flow to the heart, and opens the breathing tubes of the lungs. The chemical has been used in medicines to treat asthma and angina (pain due to heart problems).
MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE The Madagascar periwinkle is the source of drugs used to treat diabetes and certain cancers, such as Hodgkin’s disease and acute leukaemia. The drug for treating Hodgkin’s disease has increased patients’ chances of survival from one-in-five to nine-in-ten.
QUININE The bark of this tropical tree contains a drug called quinine. Quinine is used in the prevention and treatment of malaria, a deadly disease carried by mosquitoes. Malaria is responsible for thousands of human deaths around the world every year.
MEADOW SAFFRON This little plant contains a chemical called colchicine, which has been used to treat rheumatism and gout. As it tends to prevent cells from dividing too quickly, colchicine has also been used to suppress some types of cancer
COCA PLANT The coca plant grows naturally in South America and is the source of the drug cocaine. Although cocaine can be abused and is associated with addiction, it has also been used responsibly by doctors as a local anaesthetic and for pain relief.
OPIUM POPPY Opium is a pain-killing drug extracted from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy. In 1806, a German scientist isolated the drug morphine from opium. Morphine and its derivatives, such as heroin and codeine, remain important pain relievers.
MEADOWSWEET Meadowsweet is a European wildflower that grows in wet soils and marshes. It has been used for pain relief in the treatment of many conditions, including headaches, arthritis, and rheumatism.
RAUVOLFIA Rauvolfia is a small, woody plant that grows in tropical rainforests. It contains reserpine, a chemical that effectively relieves snake bites and scorpion stings. Reserpine was the first tranquillizer used to treat certain mental illnesses. It also lowers blood pressure.
Also known as toothpickweed, this Mediterranean herb contains a chemical that opens up blood vessels, improving blood flow to the heart, and opens the breathing tubes of the lungs. The chemical has been used in medicines to treat asthma and angina (pain due to heart problems).
MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLEThe Madagascar periwinkle is the source of drugs used to treat diabetes and certain cancers, such as Hodgkin’s disease and acute leukaemia. The drug for treating Hodgkin’s disease has increased patients’ chances of survival from one-in-five to nine-in-ten.
QUININEThe bark of this tropical tree contains a drug called quinine. Quinine is used in the prevention and treatment of malaria, a deadly disease carried by mosquitoes. Malaria is responsible for thousands of human deaths around the world every year.
MEADOW SAFFRONThis little plant contains a chemical called colchicine, which has been used to treat rheumatism and gout. As it tends to prevent cells from dividing too quickly, colchicine has also been used to suppress some types of cancer
COCA PLANTThe coca plant grows naturally in South America and is the source of the drug cocaine. Although cocaine can be abused and is associated with addiction, it has also been used responsibly by doctors as a local anaesthetic and for pain relief.
OPIUM POPPYOpium is a pain-killing drug extracted from the unripe seed pods of the opium poppy. In 1806, a German scientist isolated the drug morphine from opium. Morphine and its derivatives, such as heroin and codeine, remain important pain relievers.
MEADOWSWEETMeadowsweet is a European wildflower that grows in wet soils and marshes. It has been used for pain relief in the treatment of many conditions, including headaches, arthritis, and rheumatism.
RAUVOLFIARauvolfia is a small, woody plant that grows in tropical rainforests. It contains reserpine, a chemical that effectively relieves snake bites and scorpion stings. Reserpine was the first tranquillizer used to treat certain mental illnesses. It also lowers blood pressure.
