Herbs and spices have been used as a source of medicine for the treatment of
different diseases for thousands of years. Numerous pieces of evidence are available for
the use of plants as a medicine in the treatment of diseases in the Indian, Egyptian,
Chinese, Greek, and Roman systems of medicine. Biological diversity, such as herbs,
spices, microbes, and other natural resources, has been explored, extracted, and
screened globally throughout recent years. Phytochemicals are naturally available
bioactive compounds that are derived from different plant parts and are primarily
responsible for biological activities. Recent findings suggest that majority of
phytochemicals have valuable therapeutic activities, such as anti-microbial, antidiabetic, anti-bacterial, anti-arthritic, anti-malarial, et al. The chemical information
coupled with traditional knowledge and supported by other biological activities will
add additional value for the development of effective herbal drugs.
Keywords: Herbal medicine, Medicinal plants, Medicinal value, Phytochemicals, Pharmacognosy
