Humans, since their evolution, have always been in close contact with
mother nature. Early life has been dependent solely on environmental resources for
their livelihood. The trial-and-error approach in utilizing different resources came up
with incorporating plants as a whole or their parts for food and survival. Gradually, the
knowledge of medicinal plants was gained by our ancestors, and there started the
Indian medical history of Ayurveda. In the current scenario, a huge number of
medicinal herbs are being consumed in day-to-day life, which imparts tremendous
benefits to human health. Our interest in gaining knowledge of medicinal components
present in these herbs has led to many important discoveries in the area of drug
development. Nowadays, numerous plants derived compounds are being used in
modern medicines. In view of utilizing these natural resources efficiently, we need to
understand their components in a better way. This chapter is towards gaining a deeper
knowledge about medicinal plants, their role in different diseases, and insights into
drug discovery.
Keywords: Bioactive compound, Medicinal plants
