Medicinal Plants Honor

Science & Health

Requirements

1. What are medicinal plants?

   Answer: Medicinal plants are plants (herbs, shrubs, or trees) that possess, in some of their parts — leaves, flowers, roots, bark, fruits, or seeds — active compounds capable of preventing, relieving, or curing diseases, being used as natural remedies. — The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a medicinal plant as any plant that contains, in one or more of its parts, substances with a therapeutic effect, being the basis of phytotherapy recognized by the SUS (Brazilian Unified Health System) since 2006.

2. Why is it important to identify medicinal plants by their scientific name and not by their common name?

   Answer: Because the same popular name can designate different plants depending on the region (and the same plant can have several popular names), whereas the scientific name in Latin is unique and universal — it avoids confusion with similar species, some of them toxic, and ensures safety in use. — The binomial nomenclature created by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 standardizes names worldwide: for example, 'boldo' can be Peumus boldus (Chilean boldo) or Plectranthus barbatus (false boldo) — only the scientific name correctly identifies which species is being used.

3. What is phytotherapeutic treatment?

   Answer: Phytotherapeutic treatment is the therapeutic use of medicinal plants (or of medicines prepared from them — teas, tinctures, extracts, capsules, ointments) to prevent, relieve, or cure diseases, harnessing the natural active compounds of the plants. — The term comes from the Greek 'phyton' (plant) + 'therapeia' (treatment). In Brazil, phytotherapy is regulated by ANVISA and has been part of the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices (PNPIC) of the SUS since 2006.

4. Cite a medicinal plant for each part to be used:
   • Flower;
   • Root;
   • Stem;
   • Leaf;
   • Fruit/seed.

   Answer: 1) Flower: chamomile (Matricaria recutita), used as a calming and digestive agent. 2) Root: ginger (Zingiber officinale), anti-inflammatory and digestive. 3) Stem: spiral ginger (Costus spicatus), with a diuretic action. 4) Leaf: peppermint (Mentha piperita), digestive and against nausea. 5) Fruit/seed: fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), whose seed is used as a digestive and against colic and gas. — Each part concentrates different active compounds — flowers store essential oils (chamazulene in chamomile), roots accumulate compounds (gingerol in ginger), leaves contain volatile oils (menthol in peppermint), and seeds store phytochemicals (anethole in fennel); that is why the part used varies according to the plant.

5. Discuss the health benefits of each plant below:
   • Allium sativum;
   • Matricaria recutita;
   • Annona muricata;
   • Anacardium occidentale;
   • Melissa officinalis;
   • Cinnamomum zeylanicum;
   • Schinus terebinthifolius;
   • Bauhinia forfiticata;
   • Maytenus spp;
   • Fragaria vesca;
   • Phyllanthus spp;
   • Punica granatum;
   • Aloe vera.

   Answer: 1) Allium sativum (garlic): antibacterial, antiviral, and helps control blood pressure and cholesterol. 2) Matricaria recutita (chamomile): calming, digestive, and anti-inflammatory. 3) Annona muricata (soursop): antioxidant, antiparasitic, and calming. 4) Anacardium occidentale (cashew tree): wound-healing, astringent, and anti-inflammatory. 5) Melissa officinalis (lemon balm): anxiolytic, digestive, and aids sleep. 6) Cinnamomum zeylanicum (cinnamon): helps control blood sugar, antimicrobial, and stimulates circulation. 7) Schinus terebinthifolius (Brazilian pepper): wound-healing, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory. 8) Bauhinia forficata (cow's foot): hypoglycemic (aids in diabetes) and diuretic. 9) Maytenus spp. (espinheira-santa): protects the stomach, aids in gastritis and ulcers, and has a wound-healing action. — Most of these species are part of RENISUS (National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the SUS) or the Phytotherapeutic Formulary of the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia; Brazilian pepper, espinheira-santa, and others were approved by ANVISA as phytotherapeutic medicines with specific, scientifically proven indications.

6. Name three home methods of preparing medicinal tea and prepare a tea using one of these methods.

   Answer: Three home methods of preparing medicinal tea: 1) Infusion — for delicate leaves and flowers: pour boiling water (about 250 ml) over 1 teaspoon of the plant, cover and let it steep for 5-10 minutes, then strain. 2) Decoction (boiling) — for hard parts (roots, bark, stalks, and seeds): place the plant in cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 5-15 minutes, let it cool down and strain. 3) Maceration (cold infusion) — for plants whose active compounds are lost with heat: leave the plant soaking in water at room temperature for a few hours (usually 6 to 12 hours or overnight) and then strain. Next, in practice, prepare a tea using one of these methods. — The choice of method depends on the texture of the part used — hard parts require prolonged boiling to release active compounds, while leaves and flowers would lose their volatile essential oils with boiling; maceration preserves heat-sensitive substances that degrade in heat.

7. Which king in the Bible had his health restored after using a poultice of figs?

   Answer: King Hezekiah, king of Judah. According to 2 Kings 20:1-7 and Isaiah 38:21, he was on the verge of death because of a severe ulcer; the prophet Isaiah ordered a poultice (paste) of figs to be applied to the wound, and the king was healed, receiving from God 15 more years of life. — The biblical account in 2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38 shows Hezekiah, gravely ill, praying to God and receiving the promise of healing through the prophet Isaiah along with the application of pressed figs as a poultice — an important text for Adventists because it joins trust in God with the use of a medicinal plant.

8. What is the function of the leaves of the tree of life (Revelation 22:2)?

   Answer: According to Revelation 22:2, the leaves of the tree of life serve 'for the healing of the nations' — that is, in the New Jerusalem, restored on the New Earth, these leaves maintain the full and eternal health of the redeemed, symbolizing the complete restoration of the human being (body, mind, and spirit) forever, without disease, pain, or death. — In the Adventist view, Revelation 22:2 and Ezekiel 47:12 portray the full restoration of redeemed humanity in the New Jerusalem; Ellen White teaches in 'The Great Controversy' (ch. 41) that the leaves of the tree of life are 'for the perpetuation of immortality and the healing of the nations' eternally.