CHAPTER ONE 1.0. Introduction For ages, human beings have been depending on nature as a source for all their basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, medicines, fertilizers, etc. The foundation of traditional systems of medicine which has been in existence for thousands of years was formed from plants. These plants continue to offer mankind with new medicines although most of the beneficial properties ascribed to plants have not only been recognized to have flaws but are also based on experimental findings of hundreds to thousands of years ago. The earliest reports carved on clay tablets in cuneiform dated back to about 2600 BC are from Mesopotamia and the ingredients used were oils of Commiphora species (Myrrh), Cedrus Species (Cedar), Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice), Papaver somniferum (Poppy juice), Cupressus sempervirens (Cypress) amongst others, and they are still in use today to cure diseases such as colds, coughs and some inflammatory and parasitic infections. The healthcare systems of the world have been to a large extent dominated by the effective impact of medicinal plants. (Dar et al., 2017). This is mainly true in developing countries where herbal medicines are in continuous use. In industrialized nations and some developing nations, the development and recognition of the role of medicinal plants in healthcare as well as financial aids of these plants are on the rise. (Dar et al., 2017). 1