Plants have been used medicinally, all round the world, for thousands of years. The initial lecture in this course will examine the long history of mankind’s medicinal use of plants, most of it in times preceding the development of chemistry and our modern scientific methods. Crucially there was little or no knowledge of exactly how (mode of action) a plant helped to alleviate the symptoms of disease – medicine was a matter of faith.
Modern medicines include thousands of chemical compounds for which the mode of action is relatively clear cut. While some of these originate in the laboratory, a large percentage are derived from plant based chemicals. Most are now produced synthetically but some are still harvested from whole plants or tissue culture.
Among the thousands of different compounds found in plants, those from a relatively small number of chemical groups have proved to be especially important for their medicinal properties. Three of the lectures will examine the mode of action of alkaloids, coumarin derivatives and essential oils. We will investigate a number of important modern medicines that have been developed from these groups and which have been used, for example, in the treatment of cancers and diabetes in addition to the prevention of internal blood clots.
The final session will be a visit to the famous Cambridge Botanic Garden where we will participate the new ‘Medicines from Plants’ trail and also examine plants rich in alkaloids, coumarins and essential oils. We will see native British plants along with a range of medicinal plants from around the world, growing in the Garden glasshouses and flower beds.
Learning outcomes
- To appreciate the role of plants in the history of medicine and their continued significance in modern medicine;
- To gain a working knowledge of recent research into the mode of action of modern medicines derived from plants containing alkaloids, essential oils and coumarins;
- To appreciate the role of Botanic Gardens around the world, as potential sources of new plant-based medicines.
