Medicinal and aromatic plants continued to be used as they were until the science of chemistry and physics appeared, so it was possible to extract the active substance from them and increase its concentration to maximize its utilization.
With the spread of many diseases such as kidney failure and liver disease, the demand for the use of medicinal plants increased
The only source of these plants was their collection from places of their natural growth, such as mountains, forests, and deserts, and this amount of plants was sufficient because the population was small and there were few diseases at the time, but with industrial progress and the migration of people to cities and the spread of pollution, the demand for them increased.
The development of biology led to the study of these plants and the identification of ways to propagate them in an environment other than their own, and in quantities sufficient for the growing population.
Many of these plants grow in desert areas, so it is easy to expand their cultivation without affecting the areas available for growing strategic crops.
It has now been possible, using the technique of genetic engineering and tissue culture, to propagate these plants inside the laboratories and extract the active substance using what is called bio-fermenters or bio-reactors by providing the appropriate conditions for cultivation and cloning inside the laboratory.
However, these techniques are very expensive and are used only in the production of high-priced materials
There are also strong objections in Europe and the United States that prevent the consumption of materials derived from agricultural engineering, which increases the demand for natural medicinal plants
