The first written records found within Arabic traditions are those of the Sumerians and Akkadians of Mesopotamia; thus, they stem directly from archaeological treasures, such as those at the site of Shanidar IV (Heinrich et al., 2004). This document is probably the oldest and possibly relates to medicinal plants, dating back to 60,000 years before the Common Era (BCE) and was found in the grave of a Neanderthal man in the Iraq archaeological site of Shanidar IV. Such discoveries included pollen from several species of plants believed to have been used as medicines, such as Centaurea solstitialis (Asteraceae), Ephedra altissima (Ephedraceae), and Althaea sp. (Malvaceae), among others. However, it is not actually related to the Shanidar culture. Moreover, most of these species, or at least closely related species from the same genus, are used today in phytotherapy in Iraq and are also known in other cultures. These species may have been typical of Neanderthals and may have been part of a tradition for which Shaidar IV represents the first available record (Cragg and Newman, 2005).
Home of the origins of civilization, the Middle East is the region of origin of many other plants cultivated today. Babylonians, Assyrians and Sumerians wrote herbal remedies in cuneiform language on clay tablets. However, the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1700 BC) stands out, a detailed collection of civil law engraved on stone by the king of Babylon, which lists many medicinal herbs (Spiegel and Springer, 1997).
Similar documents existed for centuries in old Egypt. The Egyptians' knowledge of medicine, pharmacies and many other things was written on the walls of tombs around the Old Kingdom period. It was also written on papyrus made from Cyperus aquaticus. The most important of such documents is the Ebers Papyrus which dates to around 1,500 BC. But it is believed to contain medicinal teachings dating back to 3,000 BC. (Aubrey et al, 1997). This honey famous papyrus scroll, about 20 meters long, was found in a tomb, inscribed in Egyptian hieroglyphics, and was named after Professor Ebers Georges in Thebes in 1872. It was deposited at the University of Leipzig in 1873 and deciphered two years later by G.
Ghalioungui, 1987 published a facsimile edition. The Ebers Papyrus is a medical manual of medicines for various diseases; it provides empirical treatments and is also symbolic in its treatment. The accuracy of the diagnoses recorded in this text is remarkable. During the Dark and Middle Ages (5-12 centuries, AD), remnants of Western knowledge continued to be preserved in the monasteries of countries such as England, Ireland and Germany. The Arabs alone, however, stored most of the Greco-Roman experts; the Arabs furthered this by using their resources as well as previously unknown Chinese and Indian herbs for Greco-Roman purposes. Privately owned drug shops first emerged in Arabia in the 8th century. Persian pharmacist, doctor, philosopher and poet, Avicenna is considered the most important in pharmacy and medical science by works such as the Canon of Medicine, considered "the final codification of all Greco-Roman medicine". Canon medicine carries elements from the healing systems of other cultures and forms the basis of a distinctive Islamic healing system known today as Unani-Tibb (Sheehan & Husain, 2002).
Here are some important medicinal plants of Egypt and the Middle East: Allium cepa (onion), Astracantha gummifera (tragacanth), Carthamus tinctorius (safflower), Carum carvi (caraway), Ferula asafoetida (asafoetida), Lawsonia inermis (henna), Papaver somniferum (opium poppy), Peganum harmala (Syrian rue), Prunus dulcis (almond), Punica granatum (pomegranate), Rosa x damascena (Damask rose), Ricinus communis (castor oil plant), Salvadora persica (toothbrush tree), Senna alexandrina (senna), Sesamum indicum (sesame), Trachyspermum ammi (ajwain), Trigonella foenum-graecum (fenugreek), Vitis vinifera (grape) (Padua de, 1999; Neuwinger, 2000; Gurib-Fakim, 2006). There is a long list of some botanicals used in traditional medicine that have produced useful drugs for modern use. However, individuals should note that concerns have arisen over the toxicity of kava pyrones and their potential for concern has been questioned in positive reviews (Schulze et al., 2003).
