BIOLOGY

PROJECT
FROM : Prashik Vighe
STD: 12th A (Science)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my special thanks
of gratitude to my teacher Mrs. Neeta
Nishant mam as well as our principal Dr.
Gayatri Jadhav who gave me the golden
opportunity to do this wonderful
projecton the topic medicinal plants,
which also helped me in doing a lot of
Research and i came to know about so
many new things I am really thankful to
them.
Secondly I would also like to thank my
parents and friends who helped me a lot
in finalizing this project within the limited
time frame.
 CERTIFICATE
THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THIS BIOLOGY INVESTIGATORY PROJECT’
ON THE TOPIC ‘MEDICINAL PLANTS’ HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY
COMPLETED BY PRASHIK VIGHE UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF NEETA
MAM DURING THE YEAR 2021.
 INTRODUCTION
The history of medicinal plants is closely associated with the
history of Botany. In India, Ayurvedic medicines have been
in use for over 3000 years. Records of early civilisation in
almost all parts of the world reveal that a great majority of
drugs used in modern medicine were in use since ancient
times. Practice of Ayurveda involves the application of
herbal medications. Charka is considered as the father of
Ayurveda.

Thousands of medicinal plants are growing in the world. A

close examination of the medicinal plants reveals that only a
few are cultivated in gardens. Most of the drugs yielding
medicinal plants are growing wild especially in tropical
regions. There is a report that the medicinal plants are
grown in tribal areas. The present study aims to gather
various information on medicinal plants around our locality
and to collect and study their medicinal values.
What is a medicinal plant?
A medicinal plant is any plant which, in one or more of its organs, contains substances that
can be used for therapeutic purposes or which are precursors for the synthesis of useful
drugs. This description makes it possible to distinguish between medicinal plants whose
therapeutic properties and constituents have been established scientifically, and plants that
are regarded as medicinal but which have not yet been subjected to a thorough scientific
study.
A number of plants have been used in traditional medicine for many years. Some do seem
to work although there may not be sufficient scientific data (double-blind trials, for
example) to confirm their efficacy. Such plants should qualify as medicinal plants. The term
‘crude drugs of natural or biological origin’ is used by pharmacists and pharmacologists to
describe whole plants or parts of plants which have medicinal properties. Like plants or
plant parts used medicinally in galenical preparations , plants used for extraction of pure
substances either for direct medicinal use or for the hemi-synthesis of medicinal
compounds ,food, spice, and perfumery plants used medicinally purposes, microscopic
plants, e.g. fungi, actinomycetes, used for isolation of drugs, especially antibiotics ,fibre
plants, e.g. cotton, jute, used for the preparation of surgical dressings.
MEDICINAL PLANTS

1. Ginger
Botanical Name – Zingiber officinale
Useful Part – Rhizome

Benefits
Ginger may have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral, and other healthful properties.

Below are some of the possible medicinal uses of ginger.

1.Reducing gas and improving digestion

• Consuming ginger may help improve digestion.

• Some research indicates that enzymes in ginger can help the body break up and
expel this gas, providing relief from any discomfort.
• In addition, ginger may help increase movement through the digestive tract,
suggesting that it may relieve or prevent constipation

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2.Easing a cold or the flu

Many people use ginger to help recover from a cold or the flu. However, the

evidence supporting this remedy is mostly anecdotal. the effects of fresh and dried

ginger on one respiratory virus in human cells.

The results indicated that fresh ginger may help protect the respiratory system, while dried
ginger did not have the same impact.

3.Relieving pain

Researchers behind a small study Trusted Source, which included 74 volunteers, found that
a daily dosage of 2 grams (g) of raw or heated ginger reduced exercise-induced muscle pain
by about 25%.
Meanwhile, a 2016 review of studies concluded that ginger may help reduce
dysmenorrhea pain right before or during menstruation. However, the authors
acknowledge that the included studies were often small or of poor quality.

Nutritional Value:

Ginger is a good source of antioxidants, but it does not provide many vitamins, minerals,
or calories.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 2 teaspoons of ginger provide

only 4 calories Trusted Source. This quantity does not provide a significant amount of any
nutrient.

2.Tulsi
Botanical Name – Oscimum sanctum
Useful Part – Leaves

Benefits
Potential Benefits of ram tulsi

• Reduce memory loss associated with stress and aging.

• Reduce depression related to chronic stress.

• Reduce stroke damage and support recovery, whether given before or right after a
stroke.

• Improve fasting blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.

• Reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension .

• Relax blood vessels and thin your blood, similar to aspirin.

• Protect against aspirin’s damage to your gut, particularly preventing ulcers .

 • Improve food safety, such as if integrated into food packaging by manufacturers .

Nutritional Value:
• Tulsi leaves are rich in vitamins A, C and K and minerals like calcium, magnesium,
phosphorus, iron and potassium. It also has a good amount of protein and fibre.

3.Aloe
Botanical Name – Aloe vera
Useful Part – Leaves

Benefits

It improve skin and prevent wrinkles

There is some preliminary evidence to suggest that topical aloe vera gel can slow aging of
the skin.

30 females over the age of 45, taking oral aloe vera gel increased collagen production and
improved skin elasticity over a 90-day period

they also suggest that aloe vera could help the skin retain moisture and improve skin
integrity, which could benefit dry skin conditions.

Read more about aloe vera’s effects on the skin here:

 • aloe vera for acne

• aloe vera for psoriasis

• aloe vera for eczema

It lowers blood sugar levels

People sometimes use aloe vera as a remedy for diabetes. This is because it may
enhance insulin sensitivity and help improve blood sugar management.

For example, a review Trusted Source of eight studies found that aloe vera could have
benefits for people with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes due to its effects on glycemic
control.

However, the quality of the existing studies is not ideal, so scientists do not currently
recommend using aloe vera for this purpose.

Nutritional Value
Aloe vera is a very potent, medicinal plant. It has a whole array of uses for health and
wellness and it’s all because of its extensive nutritional profile. It contains vitamin c ,vitamin
a, vitamin e , vitamin B12 , folic acid , minerals , calcium , chromium , copper , selenium,
magnesium, manganese, potassium, sodium, zinc , enzymes and fatty acid.
4.Asoka tree
Botanical Name – Saraca indica
Useful Part – Bark

Benefits
• Helps in treating acne
• It helps to treat gynaecological problems
• Improves skin complexion
• Helps improve intellect
• Prevents internal bleeding
• Prevents diarrhoea
• Deals with stomach swelling and inflammation • Helps to remove kidney stones and
treats asthma
• Treats diabetes and piles.
• Helps in menstrual disorders

Nutritional Value
tannins, Haematoxylin, flavonoids, steroids, saponins, volatile oil, glycosides, catechol,
carbonic calcium, iron, ketosterol, and various steroidal glycosides
5.Neem
Botanical Name – Azadirachta indica
Useful Part – Leaves

Benefits
• Dental plaque. Early research suggests that applying neem leaf extract gel to the
teeth and gums twice daily for 6 weeks might reduce plaque formation. It also might
reduce the number of bacteria in the mouth that can cause plaque. However, using a
 mouth rinse containing neem extract for 2 weeks does not appear to reduce plaque
or gingivitis.
• Insect repellant. Early research suggests that applying extract of neem root or leaf to
the skin helps repels black flies. Also, applying neem oil cream to the skin seems to
protect against some types of mosquitos.
• Ulcers. Some research suggests that taking 30-60 mg of neem bark extract twice
daily by mouth for 10 weeks helps heal stomach and intestinal ulcers.
• Psoriasis. Early research suggests that taking neem extract by mouth for 12 weeks,
along with daily sun exposure and the application of a coal tar and salicylic acid
cream, reduces the severity of psoriasis symptoms in people.
• Helps to control Fever.
• Upset stomach.
• Breathing conditions.
• Malaria.
• Worms.
• Head lice.
• Skin conditions and diseases.
• Heart disease.
• Diabetes.
• Birth control (contraception).
• Other conditions.

Nutritional Value
The neem cake is rich in most of the amino acids. It is a potential source of organic manure
and contains many plant nutrients, viz., nitrogen , phosphorus and potassium. It also
contains tannic acid and has the highest sulphur among all the oil cakes.
 CONCLUSION
In the present study, the medicinal values of collected plants were noted with the
help of pharmacognosy text books. The collected plants were classified based on
the usage of parts of plants used as medicine.

1. Medicines obtained from the bark

2. Medicines obtained from roots and other underground parts.

3. Medicines obtained from leaves.

4. Medicines obtained from whole plant body

BIBLIOGRAPHY
• www.medicalnewstoday.com
• www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
• www.healthline.com
• NCERT TEXT BOOK