HERBS AS TRADITIONAL MEDICINES: A REVIEW

Ayurveda is believed to have originated over 6000 years ago It was designed to promote good health and long life rather than to fight disease and was practiced by physicians and surgeons (called Bheshaja or vaidya) but recently herbal medicine have attracted much attention as alternative medicines useful for treating or preventing life-style related disorders. Herbs are the nature’s gift to human being to make disease free well life. The diverse tradition of India is a prosperous source of traditional medicines, many of which are of plant origin. Herbal medicines refers to the use of any plant’s seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers for medicinal purpose. There are different sources of drug. Broadly speaking, there are two sources of drug namely synthetic and natural. Many drugs used in medicine today are developed by chemical synthesis. A recognized number of drugs are obtained from natural sources. The most important natural sources of drugs are (1) higher plants, (2) microbes, (3) animals and (4) marine organisms. Keywords: Ayurveda, Traditional medicines, higher plants, microbes, marine organism