Today more than ever, we are witnessing a renewed interest in the natural, with particular attention to everything that can be obtained from the plant world to seek health; that instinctive interest that had been lost over time came forward again.
Fortunately for us, many plant species are still unknown, so this baggage can only grow. Today 40% of monomolecular drugs derive directly (by extraction) or indirectly (semi-synthesis) from plant species. The drugs defined as "absolute synthesis" are created in the laboratory by the chemist who knows in depth the key molecules for the "receptor interaction; the chemist can improve this key by creating a compound not present in nature, but which derives from nature, because it is always starts from a known molecule. It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that everything that comes from nature or that can derive from it can be defined as "natural". fashionable, but also because we are aware that the synthetic product can have more contraindications than that derived directly from nature. It is good to clarify terms that are widely used today in the pharmaceutical field and are often confused:
ACTIVE PRINCIPLE: proven agent that determines the therapy; concept introduced by Paracelsus, the father of pharmaceutical chemistry.
-PHYTOCOMPLEX: the set of molecules directly extracted from the source.
The therapeutic action exerted by the plant source, which is the same as that of the single active ingredient, is given by the sum of the effects of the active ingredient with those of the phytocomplex. The administration of the natural source may cause fewer contraindications compared to the use of the active ingredient chemically isolated; this is because the phytocomplex has a synergistic action with the active principle and helps to modulate its action.
The use of natural sources is present in all societies and is also diversified; in particular, in Western society the use of natural sources is mediated by many cultures and traditions; the therapeutic products on the market today are therefore the result of a compromise between tradition and market demand. A natural source can include various therapeutic properties, which must necessarily be supported by clinical findings, in other words these properties must be scientifically proven. Each plant source must be studied from a chemical point of view and tested in the clinic. Furthermore, each source undergoes specific transformations that reflect the interpretation of clinical use typical of the society in which it is to be placed on the market. Today, common opinion pays close attention to the natural aspect of the therapeutic product. The use of the natural product in every its manifestation and context is felt with ever greater intensity by the appearance of the so-called iatrogenic diseases, that is, those diseases caused by the prolonged and inadequate use of drugs; in other words, these are disorders that can manifest themselves in pathologies as a result of a chronicization of the contraindications.
From 1995 to 2005 in Europe there was a 400% increase in the sale of phytotherapeutic products; now this increase has settled with a slight decrease of 12%. The resounding success of phytotherapeutic products is explained by the "interest of" opinion public to use effective products as much as drugs but in the absence of contraindications for use.
Other articles on "Active ingredient and phytocomplex"
- Ethnomedicine, homeopathy, Hippocratic medicine
- Pharmacognosy
- History of natural medicines and pharmacopoeias
