Therapeutic perspectives of plant crude drugs grow underneath the ground

Abstract

Introduction: The crude drugs are untreated substances derived from organic or inorganic sources such as plants, metal, mineral, and animal or their parts. This study is focused on plants sources obtained from underneath the ground chiefly roots and underground stems. Siddha system of medicine is an ancient system of indigenous medicine practiced in several parts of the world. Materials and Methods: The information is gathered through scientific research articles from the reputed website such as PubMed, Elsevier, and Web of Science. Results and Discussion: The roots are specially modified into underground stems for storage of starch and water. Rhizomes are also a type of swollen stem that grows underground, such as ginger and turmeric. Tubers with their lumpy, swollen, and starchy underground stem, potatoes are a very familiar example of tubers. Onions are a classic example of a bulb when sliced in half, they clearly display the concentric rings that are the telltale sign of a bulb. Elephant yam is a type of corm, swollen stem base that is modified into a mass of storage tissue. A corm does not have visible storage rings when cut into half. This distinguishes it from a true bulb. This review highlights the medicinal plant’s roots and underground stems used in the traditional medicines. Electronic databases were utilized to analyze the ethnopharmacological effects of the roots and underground stems of the herbs. Conclusion: Plenty of phytochemical studies done in different analytical ways which revealed the potency of the roots and underground stems of these herbs. Moreover, this information has prompted to compile the list of roots and underground stems used in the traditional system of medicine to cure many health manifestations.