Nature has provided us better surroundings for the expansion and
development of medicinal plants for thousands of years. Medicinal values of plants
date back to ancient times on belief of its safety and economic value. Even in today’s
scenario, about 80% of the globe population primarily depends on the alternative
system of medicines for their foremost healthcare requisite. Plants contain different
types of secondary metabolites also called bioactive components of the plants
responsible for their medicinal value in nature. Scientific cultivation permits the
applying of contemporary technological aspects like mutation, polyploidy and
hybridization for the development of a better amount of secondary metabolites from the
plants and their byproducts. Cultivation, collection and preservations of medicinal
plants need simple techniques that preserve the medicinal values of natural products.
Pharmacological activities of medicinal and aromatic plants are mainly depending upon
the presence of various bioactive phytochemicals like alkaloids, glycosides, tannins,
resins, volatile oil, etc. Growth and development of medicinal plants and their
secondary metabolites are mainly influenced by the physical surroundings, sunlight,
temperature, rainfall, and nature of the soil. Seasonal variation and geographical region
can also affect the quality of medicinal and aromatic plants as the concentration of
bioactive constituent could be changed through natural factors. In the present book chapter, we have discussed all the important information needed for the cultivation,
collection and processing of medicinal and aromatic plants that affect the quality of
medicinal plants.
Keywords: Cultivation, Collection, Drying, Harvesting, Medicinal Plants, Plant
Growth Hormones.
