TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         i

Certification           –         –         –         –         –         –         –         ii

Dedication   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         iii

Acknowledgements         –         –         –         –         –         –         iv

Table of Contents  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         v-vii

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     Introduction –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         1-2

1.1     Definition of medicinal plant     –         –         –         –         –         2

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     Description of Aloe vera plant   –         –         –         –         –         3

2.1     Origin of Aloe vera plant –         –         –         –         –         –         3-4

2.2     Uses of Aloe vera plant    –         –         –         –         –         –         4-5

2.3     Description of Curcuma longa plant    –         –         –         –         5-6

2.4     Origin of Curcuma longa plant  –         –         –         –         –         7

2.5     Uses of Curcuma longa plant    –         –         –         –         –         7-9

2.6     Description of Carica papaya plant     –         –         –         –         9-10

2.7     Origin of Carica papaya plant   –         –         –         –         –         10

2.8     Uses of Carica papaya plant     –         –         –         –         –         11

2.9     Description of Andrographis paniculata plant         –         –         11-12

2.10   Origin of Andrographis paniculata plant       –         –         –         12-13

2.11   Uses of Andrographis paniculata plant         –         –         –         13

2.12   Description of Achyranthes aspera plant       –         –         –         14-15

2.13   Origin of Achyranthes aspera plant     –         –         –         –         15

2.14   Uses of Achyranthes aspera plant        –         –         –         –         15-16

2.15   Description of Azadirachta indica plant        –         –         –         16-17

2.16   Origin of Azadirachta indica plant      –         –         –         –         17

2.17   Uses of Azadirachta indica plant         –         –         –         –         18-19

2.18   Description of Spondias mombin plant –         –         –         –         19

2.19   Origin of Spondias mombin plant        –         –         –         –         19-20

2.20   Uses of Spondias mombin plant           –         –         –         –         20-21

          CHAPTER THREE

3.0     Description of Mimosa pudica plant    –         –         –         –         22-23

3.1     Origin of Mimosa pudica plant  –         –         –         –         –         23-24

3.2     Uses of Mimosa pudica plant     –         –         –         –         –         24-25

3.3     Description of Kalanchoe pinnata plant        –         –         –         25-26

3.4     Origin of Kalanchoe pinnata plant      –         –         –         –         26

3.5     Uses of Kalanchoe pinnata plant         –         –         –         –         27

3.6     Description of Aegle marmelos plant   –         –         –         –         27-29

3.7     Origin of Aegle marmelos plant –         –         –         –         –         29-30

3.8     Uses of Aegle marmelos plant    –         –         –         –         –         30-31

3.9     Medicinal plant and their uses   –         –         –         –         –         31

3.10   Herbs used as Diuretics    –         –         –         –         –         –         31

3.10.1 Mangifera indica   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         31

3.10.2 Mimosa pudica –    –         –         –         –         –         –         –         32

3.10.3 Lepidium sativum  –         –         –         –         –         –         –         32

3.10.4 Euphorbia thymifolia       –         –         –         –         –         –         32-33

3.10.5 Allium sativum       –         –         –         –         –         –         –         33

3.11   Spermicidal Activity        –         –         –         –         –         –         33

3.12   Antiparasitic Activity       –         –         –         –         –         –         34

3.13   Anti-inflammatory Activity       –         –         –         –         –         34-35

3.14   Future Prospects of Medicinal Plant    –         –         –         –         35-37

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     Summary and Conclusion

4.1     Summary –   –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         38

4.2     Conclusion –         –         –         –         –         –         –         –         38

References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0    INTRODUCTION

The term of medicinal plant include various types of plants used in herbal medicinal practice and some of these plants have pharmacological activities. These medicinal plants consider as a rich resources of ingredients which can be used in drug development and synthesis. Besides that these plant play a critical role in the development of human cultures around the whole world. Moreover, some plants consider as important source of nutrition and as a result of that these plants recommended for their therapeutic values. These plants include ginger, green tea, walnuts and some others plants. Other plant their derivatives consider as important source of active ingredients which are used in aspirin and toothpastes (Boning, 2006). It has been estimated that about 13,000 species of plants have been employed for at least a century as traditional medicines by various, cultures around the world. A test of over 20,000 medicinal plants has been published, and very likely a much larger number of plants. Nigeria is richly endowed with indigenous plants which are used in herbal medicine to cure diseases and heal injuries, some of these plants are used as food or medicine. These plant exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities such as anticancer, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, laxatives, antispasmodic, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic and anti-microbial functions. It is generally assumed (Chattopadjyay et al., 2013). That the active medicinal constituents contributing to these protective effects are the phytochemicals, vitamins and minerals. These plants encompass Spondias mombin, Curcuma longa, Carica papaya, and Aloe vera. They are extensively used in herbal medicine in Nigeria.

1.1     Definition of Medicinal Plant

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, they are plant that possess therapeutic properties or exert beneficial pharmacological effect on the human or animal body.