Volume 01 MAY 2022 PREVENTING HEALTH PROBLEMS THROUGH NATURAL MEDICINE OF MEDICINAL PLANTS P L A N T S PLANTS

01 C O V E R S T O R Y 02 G R E E T I N G S 03 05 S U P P O R T I N G A R T I C L E S GARDEN OF HEALTH: Garden Found Medication 07 09 Ten medicinal Plants 14 17 S U P P O R T I N G A R T I C L E S E N D F E A T U R E Living a natural life M A I N F E A T U R E 1 Delving into natural medicines: A gift of nature M A I N F E A T U R E 2 Aromatic Plants: Yerba Buena CINNAMON: A multifaceted medicinal plant S U P P O R T I N G A R T I C L E S B R I E F S A N D E D I T O R I A L Preventing: Health problems through natural medicines 19 01 Table of C O N T E N T S C O N T E N T S 12 15 11

Chiefs Authors/Editorial Theme Razon, Zamantha T. Solomon, Ma. Theresa R. Soriao, Aliya Joy D. Arellano, Kyle B. Santos, Nancy D. Mr. Ceejay O. Porgatorio

This magazine is entitled "Literate: Living A Natural Life". This presents the medicinal plants suggested and reiterated by the Department of Health, Philippines. Further, this also covers the uses, preparations and benefits of the medicinal plants. With these in mind, as this magazine is centered to life sciences, this falls under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. LIVING A NATURAL LIFE. 01

WELCOME! This magazine is entitled "Literate: Living A Natural Life". This presents the medicinal plants suggested and reiterated by the Department of Health, Philippines. Further, this also covers the uses, preparations and benefits of the medicinal plants. With these in mind, as this magazine is centered to life sciences, this falls under the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Medicinal plants are an important source of new medications all around the world. In Europe, over 1300 medicinal plants are utilized. Meanwhile, in the United States, natural sources account for 118 of the top 150 prescription medications. Furthermore, up to 80% of people in underdeveloped nations rely only on herbal medications for their basic treatment, while over 25% of recommended medicines in industrialized countries come from wild plant species. Plant cultivation and usage as medicine extend back to pre-Spanish periods in the Philippines. Although the plants utilized have not been documented, knowledge of their medicinal virtues has been passed down from generation to generation. Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Proclamation No. 698 in 2004 in support of the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Act, which recognizes the benefits of traditional and alternative health care. By incorporating conventional and alternative health care into the national health care system, the law aimed to give Filipinos with affordable, accessible, and effective health care alternatives. LIT E R A T E: LIVIN G A N A T U R A L LIF E Hi// 02

DELVING INTO NATURAL MEDICINES: A GIFT OF NATURE THE ORIGINOF MODERN MEDICINE Philippines is blessed with natural resource that have been very beneficial, useful and essential to humankind. Since time immemorial, even before the emergence of health sciences and allied professions, our ancestors have been using traditional medicines which came from our nature. Taking it into account, there are no modern medicines and sciences. People, especially our ancestors, are solely relying to the power of the nature as natural medicines provided with religious chants and prayers knowing that the health problems or diseases will be cured using the traditional way. As much as natural medicines are concerned, Filipinos have been fond of utilizing herbs, leaves, trunks, roots and all of the parts of a medicinal plants for different purposes--- whether it would be in an internal or external medication. So much so, in the most secluded and remote areas together with the upland areas, medicinal plants and other herbal medicines have also been their primary way of addressing issue relative to health and safety. by: Zamantha T. Razon 03 THE ORIGIN OF MODERN MEDICINE

As a result, modern practices and medicines have been introduced to communities. These modern practices and medicines have emerged through the keen and thorough studies. On the one hand, there are still integrating traditional practices to the modern practices for they believe that the gift of nature is still relevant in the present time. For instance, Aetas in the upland areas are solely relying to medicinal plants given the fact that they are deprived of knowledge and learning in terms of health and allied sciences. In this regard, many of the indigenous people are integrating and utilizing herbal medicine and medicinal plants. This has been passes generations to generations as to why Aeta community is rich with traditional medicines and medicinal plants. On the one hand, as the technology evolves in the modern days, change and development transpire in a blink of an eye. In congruence with this, Science and Technology have also been developing--- innovations after innovations, developments after developments, researchers after researches and discoveries after discoveries. 04

GARDEN OF HEALTH: Medicinal plants have been used way back, it was used by our ancestors because they still didn’t have technologies that would provide medicines that we use nowadays. Medicinal Plants have a lot of types, kinds and especially benefits. Studies show that medicinal plants have a lot of benefits in our body, some of the medicinal plants are used by drinking or ingesting it. Some countries still used medicinal plants in the medical field, some places in the Philippines like in the rural area uses medicinal plants because there are no nearby hospitals that would provide and give them the medicine that they need. Though we are knowledgeable that some of our parents sometimes use it like when we have a cough, our parents would make us drink Lagundi or Oregano believing that it can threaten it. There are a lot of varieties of medicinal plants that can help us like peppermint. Peppermint is considered as antiseptic and invigorator. Peppermint tea believes that it can cure sore throat and colds. Chamomile is also a type of medicinal plant where it can be made as tea to cure minor digestive problems, also chamomile is also anti-inflammatory, which can reduce redness, swelling or pain. There are a lot of medicinal plants that we can use, we can even put them in our garden at home. It is better to take traditional medicines or medicinal plants because we can know that there are no chemicals in that product. by: Arvin Kyle Arellano 05 GARDENFOUND MEDICATION

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Aromatic Plants: The Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Pacific Northwest YerbaBuenahas therapeuticplantoil. This medicinal plant has this therapeutic plant oil where it could treat eczema, insect bites, scars and wounds, burns, scabies, ringworms, and other skin problems. Furthermore, it could also help our mental health by making it a tea that is taken as a relaxant to combat stress and anxiety. It is also used in vaporizers to calm the body and as a scent mixed over baths. Those are some of the uses of Yerba Buena as medicinal plants and it has a lot of usages that are really notable. Yerba Buena or mint is known for its medicinal properties and can be found in a wide range of countries. Since ancient times, it has been utilized in traditional medicine to provide a broad list of health advantages ranging from skincare to cancer prevention. It's also been used for a long time to treat abdominal pain, indigestion, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and stomach soreness. It is known to relax the muscles of the digestive tract. Studies revealed that this medicinal plant contains pulegone, menthol, menthene, methenolone, and limonene. Thus, it has a minty scent and flavor that can help with the unpleasant odor coming from the mouth. Mint, often known as yerba buena, is extensively utilized in commercial mouthwashes. It is not just the use of the yerba buena aroma, because there are many uses, such as its minty scent, which is used to relieve asthma attacks by soothing the muscles in the respiratory system. Additionally, the scent of burning Yerba Buena leaves can help to relieve nausea associated with early pregnancy. PhotocapturedbyiNaturalist 07 Yerba Buena

NgaiCamphorcouldhelpdevelop kidney: Sembong is one herbal medicine approved by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH). As a result, there have been examinations of these medicinal herbs. The study concluded that Ngai Camphor reduces calcium oxalate stone development in the kidneys, which means sembong has the most effective treatment for reducing the number of stones and the oxalate content of the kidney homogenate. Ngai Camphor's scientific name is Bluemea Balsamifera Sambong is one of the most important medicinal plants in Southeast Asia, it's a common herbal remedy for kidney stones, wounds and cuts, rheumatism, anti-diarrhea, anti-spasms, colds and coughs, and hypertension. Ngai Camphor is also used as a diuretic and as a herbal remedy for the common cold in Philippine medicine, where it is known as sambong. NgaiCamphoralsoknownas Sembong PicturecapturedbyPinterest PicturecapturedbyPinterest 08

T h e a r o m a a n d e s s e n c e o f C i n n a m o n h elp s m e d i c i n al p r o d u c t A M U L T I F AC E T E D M E D I C I N A L P L A N T > > Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Cinnamon cassia), the eternal tree of tropical medicine, belongs to the Lauraceae family. Cinnamon is one of the most important spices used daily by people all over the world. Cinnamon primarily contains vital oils and other derivatives, such as cinnamaldehyde, cinnamic acid, and cinnamate. In addition to being an antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, anticancer, lipid-lowering, and cardiovascular-diseaselowering compound, cinnamon has also been reported to have activities against neurological disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Cinnamon is mainly used in the aroma and essence industries due to its fragrance, which can be incorporated into different varieties of foodstuffs, perfumes, and medicinal products. The most important constituents of cinnamon are cinnamaldehyde and transcinnamaldehyde (Cin), which are present in the essential oil, thus contributing to the fragrance and to the various biological activities observed with cinnamon 0 9 C I N N AM O N :

The citrus (citrus limon is lemon scientific name) fruits are originated to be frequently in cultivation throughout the tropics and are extremely nutritious and medicinal in nature. According to Ayurveda, different parts of Lemon tree possess various medicinal properties. Many properties such as antiinflammatory, anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and antidiabetic are shown by lemon. In the present review important effects such as anti-fungal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, anti-ulcer and desorption also have been studied In lemon, very important natural compounds containing ascorbic acid, minerals, and citric acid. Aloe vera is a medicinal plant that’s been used to treat various health conditions for thousands of years. It’s usually safe to use also vera directly from the plant or you can buy it in gel form. Aloe vera creams, gels, and ointments contain the clear gel found in aloe veraleaves. These products can be applied topically to treat various skin conditions. Aloe is sold in capsule or liquid form to take internally to promote health and wellbeing. Aloe vera heals burns, improves digestive health, promotes oral health, clears acne, and relieves anal fissures. A wild daisy is a plant. The parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicinal tea. People take wild daisy tea for coughs, bronchitis, disorders of the liver and kidneys, and swelling (inflammation). They also use it as a drying agent (astringent) and as a "blood purifier." Some people take homeopathic wild daisy for preventing problems during childbirth, pain and soreness, and minor bleeding. Aloeveraisagreencolor plant thatgrows mainly indryregions. Written by Emily Cronkleton WildDaisiesareagreat sourceof vitaminC Article published by WebMD Biologicalattributesof Lemon:Areview Written by Rafique et al. 10

1 ME 0 DICINAL PLANTS DOH-PITAHC Natural products are one of the great sources of medications in the pharmaceutical industry. The medicinal plants are one of the most notable sources of natural products which has a great impact and help in different medical field. These medicinal plants are known to cure specific diseases and could be used to develop new medications. The Department of Health of the Philippines approved 10 medicinal plants namely Allium sativum (Garlic/Bawang), Blumea balsamifera (Nagal camphor/sambong), Cassia alata (Ringworm bush/akapulko), Clinopodium douglasii (Mint/yerba Buena), Ehretia microphylla (Scorpion bush/Tsaang Gubat), Momordica charantia (Bitter Melon/Ampalaya), Peperomia pellucida (Silver bush/ulasimang Bato), Psidium guajava (Guava/Bayabas), Quisqualis indica (Rangoon creeper/niyugniyogan), and Vitex negundo (Five-leaved Chaste Tree/lagundi). 11

NATURAL AND HEALTHY LIVING IS ALL AROUND US NATURAL AND HEALTHY LIVING IS ALL AROUND US 12

Pain (headache, stomachache) Rheumatism, arthritis, and headache Cough & Cold Swollen gums Toothache Menstrual & gas pain Nausea & Fainting Insect bites Pruritis USES YERBA BUENA Soak 10 fresh leaves in a glass of hot water, drink as tea. (expectorant) Steep 6 g. of fresh plant in a glass of boiling water for 30 minutes. Use as a gargle solution Mentha Cordifelia Boil chopped leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Divide decoction into 2 parts, and drink one part every 3 hours. Crush the fresh leaves and squeeze sap. Massage sap on painful parts with eucalyptus PREPARATION 13

AKAPULKO Anti-fungal (tinea Flava, ringworm, athlete’s foot, and scabies). Fresh, matured leaves are pounded. Apply soap to the affected area 1-2 times a day USES PREPARATION SAMBONG Anti-edema, diuretic, antiurolithiasis Diarrhea USES Lowers uric acid (rheumatism and gout) USES ULASIMANG BATO Cassia Alata L. Bluemea Balsamifera Boil chopped leaves in a glass of water for 15 minutes until one glassful remains. Divide decoction into 3 parts, and drink one part 3 times a day. Chopped leaves and boil in a glass of water for 15 minutes. Drink one part every 3 hours. PREPARATION NIYUG-NIYOGAN Peperonica Pellucida One a half cup leaves are boiled in two glasses of water over a low fire. Do not cover the pot. Divide into 3 parts and drink one part 3 times a day PREPARATION Quisqualis Indica L. Anti-helmintic USES The seeds are taken 2 hours after supper. If no worms are expelled, the dose may be repeated after one week. PREPARATION 14

TSAANG GUBAT Diarrhea Stomachache USES BAWANG Carmona Retusa Boil chopped leaves into 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes. Divide decoction into 4 parts. Drink 1 part every 3 hours. Boil chopped leaves in 1 glass of water for 15 minutes. Cool and strain. PREPARATION AMPALAYA Diarrhea Stomachache USES Chopped leaves then boil in a glass of water for 15 minutes. Do not cover. Cool and strain. Take 1/3 cup 3 times a day after meals PREPARATION Mamordica Charandia Allium Sativum Hypertension Toothache USES Maybe fried, roasted, soaked in vinegar for 30 minutes, or blanched in boiled water for 15 minutes. Take 2 pieces 3 times a day after meals. Pound a small piece and apply it to affected area PREPARATION 15

For washing wounds Diarrhea As gargle and for toothache USES BAYABAS Decoction ( Boil raw fruits or leaves in 2 glasses of water for 15 minutes)Dysentery, Colds & Pain – Decoction ( Boil a handful of leaves & flowers in water to produce a glass, three times a day) Wash & clean the skin/wound with the decoction Crush leaves may be applied on the forehead Pound the leaves and apply on affected area PREPARATION Maybe use it twice a day It May be taken 3-4 times a day The warm decoction is used for gargling. Freshly pounded leaves are used for toothache. Boil chopped leaves for 15 minutes at low fire. Do not cover and then let it cool and strain PREPARATION LAGUNDI Asthma, Cough & Fever Skin diseases (dermatitis, scabies, ulcer, eczema) Headache Rheumatism, sprain, contusions, insect bites USES Vitex Negundo Psidium Guajaval 16

p reve n t i n g : H e alt h p r o ble m s t h r o u g h n a t u r al medicines T h e r e a r e a f e w is s u e s t h a t k e e p o n t o r m e n tin g t h e P hilip pin e H e alt h c a r e S y s t e m. The expense of branded drugs in the Philippines is multiple times more than global reference costs while generic drugs or medications are multiple times more. Regardless of cost decreases because of regulations, for example, the Cheaper Medicines Act of 2008, as well as the Generics Actof 1988, those in the lower-income brackets can't manage the cost of maintenance medicines for hypertension and diabetes as well as antibiotics. by: Aliya Joy Soriao 1 7

The access to medicines and healthcare from doctors as well as to the other medical services and/or healthcare professional is situated in a challenging platform where geographically and isolated areas have been disadvantaged and where not given a chance to enjoy healthcare with all its comfort. Hence, traditional medicines most especially the medicinal plants and herbal medicines play a pivotal role in highlyisolated and underprivileged areas. These herbs and plants have been their way of treating and curing health-related problems and have been widely used since time immemorial. 18

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21 This magazine is materialized and crafted for the benefit of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students in order to become fully aware of the medicinal plants and the life sciences per se. This will also contribute to the body of knowledge as the students, educators, researchers and scientists conduct researches and investigatory projects relative to the uses, effectiveness and benefits of the medicinal plants. The knowledge presented in this magazine is in a great help not only to the present stakeholders in the educational institution but also in the future generations. 20

Reference KYLE LAGAY MO NA LANG SA LOOB NUNG NAUNANG TEXT PARA DI KA NA MAHIRAPAN

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