ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to gather information about the treasures of wild plants and stress the necessity to unlock such treasures for the conservation of wild plant resources and traditional knowledge. In the earliest period of human history, people used wild plants and animals as their primary food and medicine. Taxus species has afforded taxol used to cure breast and ovary cancers. Thus, the list of successful drugs originated from wild plants is long, but even today, only a few facts regarding the medicinal usage of wild plants have been captured and used by the natural healers in natural healing practices and still, other facts are unexplored and hidden. From a global perspective, the socio-cultural and economic concerns in modern medicine may limit its potentiality to provide satisfactory health care. Due to the safety, effectiveness, and quality of biomedical care, traditional medicines, along with the role of natural healers, are widely accepted for diagnosis and treatment.
