Resumo

TORRES CAMACHO, Vanesa  e  CASTRO CANAVIRI, Andrés Elias. Fitoterapia. Rev. Act. Clin. Med [online]. 2014, vol.42, pp. 2185-2189. ISSN 2304-3768.

ABSTRACT The World Health Organization (WHO) relates the concept of herbal medicine, as a science in charge of the study of plant producís for subsequent use in the therapy of pathological conditions. This description makes difference between classical phytomedicine and phytotherapy . While the first represents a traditional form based on empirical practice, while the second involves a transformation of the medicinal plant drugs in clinical triáis previously, because the indication for the use of a medicinal plant orally (teas, extracts, tinctures, juices) or topical (creams, ointments), shall be governed in three main pillars: efficiency, quality and safety. In Bolivia nearly 3,000 plants with medicinal properties are recorded , with the Andean cosmic cultural heritage which for decades has been responsible for preserving tree species in danger of extinction, being this great plant variety, in wild plantations, which could eventually lead an environmental imbalance by indiscriminate harvesting and forest land to urban expansión .

Palavras-chave : Phytotherapy; Medicinal Plant; Active Ingredient.