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Korea Biodiversity Information System > Plant Resource > Plant Classification > Resource Plants > Medicinal Resource
Many of the world's civilizations traditionally used herbs for medicinal purposes. In Western civilization it was believed that when a plant's external shape is similar to the characteristics of a specific body organ, the plant can be used to treat that organ. This is called the "doctrine of signatures." Although Hepatica leaves were used because they resembled the liver, recent studies suggest that it has no efficacy. The use of medicinal plants in Europe began a very long time ago, and "De Materia Medica" by Dioscorides, an army surgeon, is a handbook on their use.
The natural substances used as drugs from plants are their secondary metabolites, which are evolutionary products that have no effect on its basic survival but protect it from pests. These secondary metabolites include glycosides, steroids and alkaloids, but many other compounds are used as medicine and are still being developed, even recently. Digitalis is a representative herbal medicine from glycosides that contains one or more sugar molecules. William Withering, a doctor in the 18th century, discovered that a traditional herbal prescription for patients with dropsy had an effect in improving the patients' condition. Steroids, with a characteristic arrangement of four carbon rings joined together, has a medicinal property similar to those found in hormones, and alkaloids that contain carbon rings with nitrogen, such as in plants in Ranunculaceae Aconitum, show toxicity or medicinal properties in various animals. As mentioned above, various natural substances, including aspirin or scopolamine, which is used to treat motion sickness, are used in a variety of applications. In addition, new medicines from such plants as Pacific Vew and periwinkle have appeared due to efforts to develop anticancer drugs. Also, for swine flu, which has recently been epidemic, Cacalia anisliaeflora, a fruit of illicium plants, is used as a therapeutic agent. In Asia, particularly in the Chinese cultural sphere, natural substances used for treatments are called medicinal herbs because plants are mainly used as a medicine. While most plant parts are used, including roots, leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, bulbs, and sap, roots and fruit are used the most.
A psychoactive or narcotic plant is one that mimics or inhibits a substance controlling the central and peripheral nervous system. One example of a psychoactive plant is the poppy, from which opium is produced. Morphine, heroin and codeine extracted from poppies have a similar chemical structure to neuropeptide, a major neurotransmitter, and show characteristics of painkillers and narcotics. Natural substances such as cocaine act as dopamine reuptake inhibitors. Reserpine, isolated from the dried roots of Rauwolfia, is a natural substance that plays a role in breaking down dopamine and is used in treating schizophrenia, which has the feature of excessive dopamine. LSD and hardmine play a role in imitating serotonin, a substance that controls sleep.
| Whole plant | Leaves | Stems (including bark) | Roots (including bulbs) | Flowers | Fruit (including seeds) | Sap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 74(Species) | 33 | 15 | 126 | 33 | 15 | 126 |
Japanese torreya (Torreya nucifera (L.) Siebold & Zucc.) Taxaceae
medicinal use : parasiticide
Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale L.) Equisetaceae
medicinal use : astringent, diuresis, perspiration, intestinal bleeding, dental bleeding, menorrhagia, ophthalmic disease, cancer, appetizer.
Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba L.) Ginkgoaceae
medicinal use : antitussive, expectorant, active blood.
yew (Taxus cuspidata Siebold & Zucc.) Taxaceae
medicinal use : diuresis, anti-cancer.
Pine Tree (Pinus densiflora Siebold & Zucc.) Pinaceae
medicinal use : resin-bandage, hardener material.
The big cone pine (Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucc.) Pinaceae
medicinal use : nutrition, vigor.
Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC.) Iridaceae
medicinal use : respiratory ailments, dermatitis.
백부자 (Aconitum koreanum R.Raymund) Ranunculaceae
medicinal use : cold, fever.
산작약 (Paeonia obovata Maxim.) Paeoniaceae
medicinal use : antispasmodic, pain reliever, nourishing of the blood.
Tallhelmet Monkshood (Aconitum longecassidatum Nakai) Ranunculaceae
medicinal use : pain reliever
Maximowiczia chinensis (Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.) Magnoliaceae
medicinal use : energy, nutrition, cough remedy.
magnolia (Magnolia kobus DC.) Magnoliaceae
medicinal use : pain reliever, rhinitis, ozena.
camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl) Lauraceae
medicinal use : heart stimulant.
Peach (Prunus persica (L.) Batsch for. persica) Rosaceae
medicinal use : extravasated blood.
Korean Raspberry (Rubus coreanus Miq.) Rosaceae
medicinal use : refreshment, thirstiness.
Common Jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Mill. var. jujuba) Rhamnaceae
medicinal use : insomnia, sleepiness.
Heartleaf Houttuynia (Houttuynia cordata Thunb.) Saururaceae
medicinal use : cystitis, urethritis
Chinese Matrimony Vine (Lycium chinense Mill.) Solanaceae
medicinal use : diabetes
Five-leaf Akebia (Akebia quinata (Thunb.) Decne.) Lardizabalaceae
medicinal use : edema, oedema
Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Compositae
medicinal use : arteriosclerosis
Korean Forsyth (Forsythia koreana (Rehder) Nakai) Oleaceae
medicinal use : skin disease
Korean Epimedium (Epimedium koreanum Nakai) Berberidacea
medicinal use : stamina, vigor
Gigantic Angelica (Angelica gigas Nakai) Umbelliferae
medicinal use : rejuvenating the body
Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.) Maxim.) Araliaceae
medicinal use : nutrition, vigor
Chinese Lizardtail (Saururus chinensis (Lour.) Baill.) Saururaceae
medicinal use : liver trouble
Javan Waterdropwort (Oenanthe javanica (Blume) DC.) Umbelliferae
medicinal use : hypertension
Chinese Sweetleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser.) Saxifragaceae
medicinal use : heart disease
Common Fig (Ficus carica L.) Moraceae
medicinal use : skin disease
Golden-and-silver Flower (Lonicera japonica Thunb.) Caprifoliaceae
medicinal use : cystitis, urethritis
