Economic botany

• Economic Botany


  The study of plants and their economic uses for human wellbeing
• Economic Botany


  • Covers various uses of plants and plant products
  • Includes practical methods for plant improvement
• The economic uses of plants are varied and the scope for improvement to meet man's ever-increasing needs is immense
• Primary needs of mankind

  • Food
  • Clothing
  • Shelter
• Most of the economic plants provide income to the countries that cultivate and produce them
• Food classification


  • Energy producing foods (e.g. carbohydrates, fats)
  • Body-building foods (e.g. proteins)
  • Protective foods (e.g. vitamins, minerals)
  • Luxury foods (e.g. confectioneries)
• Calorie


  The amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C
• 1 gram of carbohydrate produces 4 calories, 1 gram of fat produces about 9 calories
• Food plant sources


  • Cereals
  • Pulses
  • Vegetables
  • Oil seeds
  • Fruits
  • Sugar
  • Spices and condiments
  • Aromatic plants
  • Culinary herbs
• Oil seeds

  • Groundnut
  • Sesame
  • Mustard
  • Coconut
  • Castor
• Fruits


  • Mango
  • Pineapple
  • Banana
  • Tangerine
  • Orange
  • Papaya
• Sugar


  The main sweetening sap obtained from sugarcane
• Aromatic plants


  • Contain volatile oils or essential oils
  • Main chemical constituents are terpenes (terpenoids)
• Culinary herbs


  Aromatic edible plants used in cooking
• Concept


  • Tanters
  • Jainzion
  • Z
  • S
  • Medicinal Plants
  • PHARTH Lecture TCO Powefcit Produt s
  • Diapergite
  • Mhage Ande
  • Rechercher de ou d
  • Activer la te
  • Brow
• There several medicinal plants but few will be mentioned here
• Ipecac (Pohatna caramba)


  Family: Rabinome. The powder plant was used in all dess to treat anochic driest. Contains alkaloids (egin)
• Raumala (arealfia penting)


  Family Apocytacie. Ramalfie is used all over the world as a hypnotic and sedative. It is shown to be effective in treatment of high blood pressure. It contains alkaloids (c.a. separine, serpentinin)
• Nex vomica (Schwesca)


  Family: Legaisces. It contains the alkaloid known as strychnis which is an effective stomachic
• Cinches


  Family: Rekin. It is the quinine yielding plant. There are about 40 species but the quinine yielding ones are Cinchona ledgersane (yellow bark), Cachons official (Chann bark) Coco Colone dra (Red bark). It contains alkaloids which include Quinine, Quinidine, Cincherine and Cinchonidine. Quinine is a powerful antimalarial
• Deadly sightshade (drops heilasssss)


  Family Salanes. It contains the alkaloid atropine which can be used to relieve pain, neuralgia and inflammation of the pupil of the eye and paralysis of the ciliary muscle
• Aconite (Aconselho)


  Family Radassa. It contains the alkaloid aconitine. It relieves pain in cases of rheumatic, neuralgic, and febrile joint pains
• Poppy (Papaver confess)


  Family: Pprncese. It contains the active drug opium which relieves pain and induces deep sleep
• Beverages


  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Coca
• Tea


  The dried and prepared leaves and buds of Thea (Camellia) sinensis of the family Theaceae. Tea infusion contains 4-5% tannins (catechins), 3.3-4.7% caffeine, a little volatile oil, and about 8% resinous matter. Green tea leaves contain 13-18% tannins
• Coffee


  Seeds of Coffea arabica and C. robusta (Family Rubiaceae), particularly the Coffea arabica, are the sources of coffee. The seeds are roasted to a desired brown colour and then powdered. Roasted coffee seeds contain 0.75-1.5% caffeine, several vitamins and little volatile oil
• Coca


  It is prepared from the seeds of Theobroma cacao, family Sterculiaceae, native to tropical America. Cote d'Ivoire in West Africa supplies the large quantity of cocoa to the world. The fruit is cut, dried, roasted and powdered. Cocoa seeds contain theobromine and caffeine (1% or less), proteins (15%), starch (19%) and fatty oil (30-50%)
• Timber trees


  • Teak (Tectona grandis, family Verbenaceae)
  • Indian Redwood (Dalbergia sissoo, Family Papilionaceae)
  • Sal (Shorea robusta, Family: Dipterocarpaceae)
  • Jarul (Lagerstroemia speciosa, Family Lythraceae)
  • Mahogany (Swietenia mahagoni, Family: Meliaceae)
  • Pines (Pinus longifolia, Family Abietaceae)
  • Deedar (Cedrus deodara, family: Abietaceae)
• Rubber


  Obtained from the latex of Hevea brasiliensis of the family: Euphorbiaceae. Used to make tyres, tubes, rubber shoes, etc.
• Paper


  The basic constituent is cellulose. First produced by the Egyptians from papyrus plant (Cyperus papyrus, family Cyperaceae)
• Categories of herbal cosmetics

  • Products that change the appearance of facial skin
  • Hair growth and care products
  • Skin care products, especially for teenagers (acne and pimples)
  • Personal care products like shampoos, soaps, powders and perfumery
  • Medicinal products
• Hippocrates: '"Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food."'
• Hippocrates considered nutrition one of the main tools that a doctor can use. Dietary measures play a large part in the original teachings of Hippocrates
• Hippocrates said "I will apply dietary and lifestyle means to help the sick to my best ability and judgment, I will protect them from harm and injustice."
• Hippocrates did not see food and medicine as one and the same thing. But it's obvious from Hippocrates' writings, that diet and medicine were closely linked
• Hippocrates: 'Let food be thy medicine'
• Hippocrates: 'Let God be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food'
• Hippocrates: 'Let food be thy medicine, otherwise, medicine will be thy food'
• Hippocrates


  • Considered nutrition one of the main tools that a doctor can use
  • Dietary measures play a large part in the original oath of Hippocrates
• Hippocrates: 'In food esculent medicine can be found, in food bad medicine can be found: good and bad are sativa'