European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

It has been estimated that in developed countries such as United States, plants drugs comprise
up to 25% of the total drugs, while in fast developing countries such as China and India, it
comprise up to 80%. It is expected that there are 250,000 to 500,000 species of plants on Earth.
Out of these small percentages (1 to 10%) are used as foods and medicine by both humans and
animal. It is possible that rest of plant may be used for foods and medicinal purposes.
Hence, it has turn out to be very important to review on herbal medicinewhich will play
important role in research on plant to find their possible medicinal importance.
Herbal formulations means a dosage form consisting of one or more herbs or processed herbs
in specified quantities to provide specific nutritional, cosmetic benefits meant for use to
diagnose, treat, mitigate diseases of human beings or animals, alter the structure or physiology
of human beings or animals. Herbal formulations contain an active substance or herbal
substance or herbal preparation or herbal substance in combination with one or more herbal
preparations. Herbal formulations are obtained by subjecting herbal substances to treatments
such as extraction, distillation, expression, fractionation, purification, concentration or
fermentation include comminuted or powdered. Whole, fragmented or cut plants, plants parts,
algae, fungi, lichen in an unprocessed, usually dried form but sometimes fresh were used in the
preparations of herbal formulations. Herbal substances are precisely defined by the plant part
used and the botanical name according to the binomial system (genus, species, variety and
author).