Herbal Medicine Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Herbal Medicine distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

PiqCue — piqcue.com/herbal-medicine/cheatsheet

Quick Reference

Phytochemistry

The branch of chemistry concerned with the chemical compounds produced by plants, including their identification, biosynthesis, and pharmacological activity. Phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, and glycosides are the active constituents responsible for the therapeutic effects of medicinal herbs.

Standardization

The process of ensuring that herbal products contain consistent, defined amounts of specific active compounds or marker substances. Standardization addresses the natural variability in phytochemical content that can result from differences in growing conditions, harvest time, and processing methods.

Herb-Drug Interactions

Pharmacological interactions that occur when herbal products are taken alongside conventional medications, potentially altering the absorption, metabolism, distribution, or excretion of either substance. These interactions can lead to increased toxicity or reduced efficacy of prescription drugs.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

A comprehensive medical system originating in China over 2,000 years ago that uses herbal formulas, acupuncture, dietary therapy, and other modalities. TCM herbal practice typically combines multiple herbs into formulas designed to address a patient's overall pattern of disharmony rather than a single symptom.

Ayurvedic Herbalism

The herbal component of Ayurveda, the traditional medical system of India, which uses plants classified according to their taste (rasa), potency (virya), post-digestive effect (vipaka), and special properties (prabhava) to restore balance among the three doshas (vata, pitta, kapha).

Pharmacognosy

The scientific discipline focused on the study of drugs and bioactive substances derived from natural sources, including plants, fungi, and marine organisms. It encompasses the identification, authentication, and quality assessment of crude drugs and their active constituents.

Adaptogen

A category of herbs that are proposed to help the body resist physical, chemical, and biological stressors. Adaptogens are theorized to normalize physiological processes and promote homeostasis by modulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the stress response system.

Bioavailability of Herbal Compounds

The fraction of an ingested herbal compound that reaches systemic circulation in an active form. Many phytochemicals have poor bioavailability due to low solubility, poor absorption, or rapid first-pass metabolism, which can limit their therapeutic effectiveness.

Ethnobotany

The interdisciplinary study of the relationships between people and plants, including how different cultures use plants for medicine, food, shelter, and ritual. Ethnobotanical research often serves as the starting point for bioprospecting and the discovery of new medicinal plant candidates.

Monograph

A comprehensive scientific document describing a specific herbal substance, including its botanical identity, chemical composition, pharmacological actions, clinical evidence, dosing, safety, and quality standards. Herbal monographs are published by regulatory and professional bodies to guide safe and effective use.

Key Terms at a Glance

Adaptogen:A category of herbs proposed to increase resistance to physical, chemical, and biological stressors while normalizing body functions.

Alkaloid:A class of naturally occurring nitrogen-containing organic compounds produced by plants, often with significant pharmacological activity.

Bioavailability:The proportion of a substance that enters systemic circulation when introduced into the body and is available to exert its biological effect.

Botanical Medicine:The use of whole plants, plant parts, or plant extracts to prevent or treat illness. Synonymous with herbal medicine or phytotherapy.

Commission E:A German regulatory body that published influential monographs evaluating the safety and efficacy of over 300 herbal medicines.

Crude Drug:The dried, unprocessed plant material (or animal or mineral substance) used as the starting material for herbal preparations or pharmaceutical extraction.

Decoction:An herbal preparation made by boiling plant material (typically roots, bark, or woody parts) in water for an extended period to extract active constituents.

DSHEA:The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, a U.S. law that defines herbal products as dietary supplements and establishes their regulatory framework.

Ethnobotany:The scientific study of the relationships between plants and people, including how various cultures use plants for medicinal, nutritional, and ceremonial purposes.

Extraction:The process of separating bioactive compounds from raw plant material using solvents such as water, ethanol, or supercritical CO2.

Flavonoid:A class of polyphenolic compounds found widely in plants, known for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasodilatory activities.

Glycoside:A compound formed from a sugar molecule bonded to a non-sugar molecule (aglycone). Important types include cardiac glycosides, saponins, and anthraquinone glycosides.

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP):A system of quality assurance ensuring that herbal products are consistently produced and controlled according to established quality standards.

Herb-Drug Interaction:A clinically significant change in the effects of a pharmaceutical drug caused by the concurrent use of an herbal product.

HPLC:High-Performance Liquid Chromatography, an analytical technique widely used to separate, identify, and quantify phytochemicals in herbal products.

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