Alternative use of herbs in modern pharmacology based on ancient sources

The use of medicinal herbs for treatment of illnesses is as old as humanity. Herbs have a long history, which is lost through the ages. Herbs are plants that are used in cooking as well as in medicine. The knowledge of the healing properties of these herbs were transferred from generation to generation through ancient sources, which mentioned medicinal plants from Babylon, China, India, Egypt and Ancient Greece. The first references for the use of herbs for treatment start from Egyptian papyri as far back as the 2nd century BC, but also from the texts of Homer, Hesiod, Asclepius, Dioscorides, Hippocrates and Aristotle, as well as references in the Orphic Epics. In surviving ancient sources are recorded the uses of herbs in medicine-pharmacology, composing the search¬ing grounds for modern day researchers. The purpose of this study is the investigation and presentation of the uses of herbs as medicine, which contributed to the dis¬covery of new aspects of pharmacology. The uses of me¬dicinal herbs as pharmaceutical means of treatment re¬sulted in the discovery of previously unknown areas of pharmacology. These ancient texts caused scholars to research the components of the herbs, in order to dis¬cover, study and spread their effectiveness in treating ill¬nesses. Many lab studies proved the efficacy of their us¬age both by themselves and in combination with other herbs and pharmaceutical products in treating illnesses. This study examines five characteristic herbs - dill, basil, echinacea, lavender and linseed, whose bioactive prop¬erties significantly contribute to improving patients’ health and well-being. Thus, it is noted that herbs laid the foundations for modern therapeutic medicine-pharmacology, which through technology and science, was perfected. There is a steadily growing trend towards incorporating natural herbs in complementary medicine, alongside the traditional therapeutic approach. In this way, the overall effectiveness of the treatment improves and the occurrence of unwanted side effects is reduced. It can be concluded that herbs are the basis of modern pharmacology and therapeutic medicine, which, with the help of technology and scientific progress, has evolved and been perfected, while also retaining the timeless value of natural medical tradition.