Medicinal plants and Human Health
From the last three decades, the practice of herbal medicines has
increased many folds and become mainstream treatment against diseases
all over the globe especially in Asia (Kumar et al., 2015; Huang et al.,
2020). Conventional medicinal practice is still prevalent and growing in
popularity in developing countries. Health practitioners, the general
public, and policymakers are grappling with questions about the
protection, consistency, efficacy, preservation, and potential prospects
of such herbal health care (TEPC, 2018). MAPs are used as raw materials
in both traditional and modern medical systems. Currently, approximately
25% of allopathic drugs are derived from plant-related substances, with
many more being synthetic analogs based on prototype compounds extracted
from plant materials (Rao et al., 2004).
Traditional medicine, mostly plant medicines, is used for primary health
care by 60% of the world’s population and 80% of the population in
developing countries (Shrestha & Dhillon, 2003). Traditional
plant-based medicines are used by 70% of India’s population (Gadgil,
1998), 80% of Pakistan’s population (Ahmad & Ghafoor, 2000), and 80%
of Nepal’s population (Kunwar et al., 2006). For years, various
pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies have used herbal plants as
over-the-counter medicines as home remedies and therapies in developing
countries, mostly in Asia (TEPC, 2018). In the absence of any proven
medicines/vaccines for COVID-19 cure, possible antiviral and immune
booster herbal medicines, extracts, and formulations may be useful in
lowering the global mortality rate associated with COVID-19 (Srivastava
et al., 2020). In the current situation, local people are using
medicinal herbs as a treatment option for Covid-19 to boost immunity
against viral attacks, as there is no specific treatment for COVID-19
available at this time. The medicinal herbs such as Tinospora
cordifolia (Gurjo), Glycyrrhiza
glabra (Jestimadhu), Swertia chirayita (Chiraito), Ocimum
sanctum (Tulsi), Zingiber officinale (Aduwa), Curcuma
longa (Haledo/Besar), Allium sativum (Lasun), Withania
somnifera (Ashwagandha), Moringa oleifera (Sheetal
Chini), Zanthoxylum armatum (Timur), Cinnamomum
zeylanicum (Dalchini) and Phyllanthus emblica (Amala) are used
in Nepal (Gyawali et.al., 2020).