Pharmaceutical Industry
Today's healthcare systems rely largely on plant material. Much of the world's population depends on traditional medicine to meet daily health requirements, especially within developing countries. Use of plant-based remedies is also widespread in many industrialized countries and numerous pharmaceuticals are based on or derived from plant compounds. Similarly, cosmetics and other household products may contain plants of medicinal or therapeutic value.
Medicinal Herbs
Herbal medicine, also called botanical medicine or phytomedicine, refers to the use of seeds, berries, roots, leaves, bark or flowers for medicinal purposes. Ancient cultures used plants for medicinal purposes long before recorded history began. Ancient Egyptian papyrus and Chinese writings describe medicinal uses for plants as early as 3,000 BC. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some part of their primary health care.
Food Spices Industry
Temperate herbs are wonderful, but they pale in comparison with the aromas and flavors of spice Mediterranean plants. It is no wonder that these spices were once among the most valuable substances in the world. Many fortunes were made and lost, transporting spices from one side to another side of world. Today, these flavors are available in most markets around. Many of the Mediterranean spices are beautiful additions to a landscape as well. Often these spice plants smell just as good in your yard as they do in food.