The Importance of Medicinal Plants in Veterinary medicine

Question 1

What is Phytotherapy?

Answer 1

Science based medicinal use of plants and plant extracts for therapeutic purposes

Question 2

Applied ares of Phytotherapy?

Answer 2

1) When no synthetic medicines are available
2) Alternative treatment
3) To support the effect of synthetic medicine

Question 3

Benefits of medicinal plants

Answer 3

1) Cheap Treatment

2) Generally mild side effects

Question 4

Limitations of Phytotherapy

Answer 4

1) Cant be applied if immediate medicinal intervention is needed
- Heart attack, Cancer, Diabetes, AIDS
2) Lack of Knowledge - About the exact mechanism of action and effects of natural compounds and mixtures
3) Side effects may lead to Poisoning
4) Misidentification - Poisoning
5) Proportion of Active Constituents in individual medicinal plants and in extracts is generally not known

Question 5

Phytotherapy in Veterinary Medicine

Answer 5

1) The dose of a herbal remedy should be applied for an animal cannot be calculated proportionally based on the weight difference between the human and animal body
2) Have different metabolic processes; they can be tolerant, or more susceptible to certain herbal remedies

Question 6

Types of Medicinal Agents (4)

Answer 6

1) Active Constituent: Chemical compound that gives the plant a biologically active effect
2) Helper Compound: No specific physiological effects, but increases the effect of the active constituent
3) Biomarker Compound: proves the presence, or helps measuring the concentration of the active constituents
4) The Drug: Can come directly from plant organs or can be a herbal product produced or extracted from organs

Question 7

Classification of Herbal Drugs

Answer 7

1) Strength of their effects on the body
2) Number of Active Constituents
3) Biological Function of the Active Constituents
4) Chemical Structure, solubility and/or reactivity of the active constituents
5) Biosynthetic Pathway