Recent Advances of the Medicinal Plant Compound for Combating Pneumonia Disease: A Review

Bacteria, influenza, parasites and fungi are pathogenic microorganisms that cause infectious diseases. Diseases can spread from one individual to another, either directly or indirectly. Infectious diseases are world’s second most common cause of death. Rainforest plants provide about quarter of drugs we need. Scientific research has been carried out on few medicinal plants, but only to small degree. Bacterial susceptibility to currently active antibiotics has necessitated discovery of new antibacterial agents. Several plants are widely used as herbal medicine for treatment of infectious diseases in rural and backward areas of India. This chapter looks over the publications on medicinal plants that are used to cure diseases like malaria, pneumonia. Traditional medicine is preferred primary health care system in many rural areas for variety of reasons, including its affordability and efficacy. The current study focused on existing medicinal plant literature, with ethnobotany, phytochemistry and pharmacology details being highlighted. All of examined plants showed potent action, supporting their conventional uses as well as their ability to cure common diseases. Curcuma longa L., Punica granatum L. and Justicia adhatoda L. were most widely used plant families for pneumonia therapy in research area (each with seven plants); of these, Curcuma longa L., Punica granatum L. and Justicia adhatoda L. had most inhibiting ability against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Ascorbic acid, curcumin, vasicine, piperine, quercetin, myricetin and gallic acid have all been derived from these plants and are said to have antibacterial properties. Although Himalayan region has wide range of ethnomedicinal plants used to treat pneumonia, research on in-vivo activity, toxicology, and mechanism of action is minimal. As result, in order to produce novel antibacterial drugs from studied plant species, thorough study of these aspects is needed.