Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in the maximization of the concentration of foliar biomolecules in pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seedlings
July 2014
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit tree with medicinal potential due to the presence of bioactive compounds with pharmacological characteristics. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), when in symbiosis, optimize the production of metabolites with medicinal potential. The objective of this study was to select efficient AMF to maximize the growth and the production of foliar metabolites with medicinal...
Antimicrobial activity of Brazilian plants of the genera Leguminosae and Myrtaceae
July 2014
Five Brazilian plant extracts from Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus, Erythrina speciosa, Tephrosia toxicaria, Inga marginata and Cassia leptophylla found in Paraná State and currently used in folkloric medicines, were assayed for antibacterial, antifungal and toxic activities. The antibacterial and anti-yeast activities were assessed by a diffusion assay on Gram (+) bacteria (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus...
Anti-lipolytic, ï¡-amylase inhibitory and antioxidant activities of Pseuderanthemum palatiferum (Nees) Radlk. leaf ethanolic extract
July 2014
Pseuderanthemum palatiferum (Nees) Radlk. has been used extensively as a medicinal plant for the treatment of diabetes mellitus in various parts of Southeast Asia. However, the mechanism of its anti-diabetic action has not been fully characterized yet. The objectives of this study were to investigate the in vitro effects of P. palatiferum leaf ethanolic extract (PPE extract) on adipocyte lipolysis, α-amylase...
Anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic activities of Lespedeza cuneata water extract
July 2014
Oxidative damage induced by free radicals are the attendant causes of many chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether Lespedeza cuneata water extract (LCW) has anti-oxidant and anti-diabetic activities in vitro. Anti-oxidant activity was measured by superoxide anion (O2-), hydroxyl (·OH) radical, nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-) scavenging assays. Further, radical-mediated...
Phytochemical and antimicrobial activity of the stem-bark of Gardenia aqualla Stapf & Hutch (Rubeacea)
July 2014
Gardenia aqualla Stapf & Hutch (Rubeacea) is a plant belonging to the family Rubeacea. Preliminary phytochemistry carried out on the methanolic (ME) extract of the stem bark revealed the presence of steroid, carbohydrates, anthraquinones, saponins, triterpenes, tannins, cardiac glycoside and flavonoid while the petroleum ether (PE) extract of the stem bark revealed the presence of steroid, triterpenes and...
Secretory structures in Cochlospermum regium (Schrank) Pilg. (Bixaceae): Distribution and histochemistry
July 2014
Cochlospermum regium (Schrank) Pilg., known as the yellow cotton tree, is a small shrub with a number of pharmacological properties. A series of chemical compounds produced by the plant may be associated with secretory cells and tissues, such as idioblasts, trichomes and ducts. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify the secretory structures and major classes of compounds in vegetative organs of C. regium. Leaf,...
Effect of crude root extract from Synadenium glaucescens on selected bacterial infections in albino mice (Mus musculus)
July 2014
Studies were carried out to investigate the effect of root extract from a tropical plant Synadenium glaucescens against two pathogenic species of bacteria in mice. A total of 120 mice were used in two experiments involving two bacterial species, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In each experiment, 60 mice were randomly divided into 6 groups with or without bacterial infection and with or without root...
Ethnopharmacological aspects of the genus Samanea Merrill (Fabaceae)
July 2014
The rain trees are specially denomined species of Samanea genus as Samanea saman, Samanea tubulosa and Samanea inopinata. These kinds of plants are recognized by its characteristic umbrella-shaped canopy and they are cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics. These trees have been widely used in traditional medicine for the production of home remedies using various parts of the tree. The boiled bark is applied...
Physical and neurobehavioral development of rat offspring after maternal exposure to Valeriana officinalis during gestation
July 2014
The exposure to agents acting on GABA-A system during gestation in rats can produce behavioral alterations in their descendants in the adult life. This work was designed to evaluate the effects of the exposure to Valeriana officinalis L. during gestation on the development of the offspring and on their anxiety state and memory in the adult stage. Pregnant rats were randomly distributed into four groups (n = 10): control...
Ethnobotanical and taxonomic screening of genus Morus for wild edible fruits used by the inhabitants of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan
July 2014
The present study was focused on ethnobotanical and taxonomic screening of four wild edible fruit species of family Moraceae including Morus alba L., Morus laevigata Wall., Morus nigra L. and Morus rubra L. used by the local inhabitants of Lesser Himalayas-Pakistan. Questionnaires based on semi-structured interviews and observations were used to collect data about ethnobotanical importance of these plants....
Hypoglycaemic effect of Lagerstroemia speciosa in type 2 diabetic rats
July 2014
The objective of this study was to study the hypoglycaemic effect of the aqueous extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa in type 2 diabetic rats. Male albino Wistar rats (30) weighing 180 to 190 g were selected and divided into five groups, maintained six rats in each group. Groups I and II were served as normal and diabetic control. Group III was treated with standard drug as glibenclamide 0.25 mg/kg body weight, whereas...
Genetic homogeneity of vegetatively propagated Clinacanthus nutans (Acanthaceae)
July 2014
Clinacanthus nutans is a medicinal Asian plant often propagated by stem cuttings but little is known about the genetic relationships between existing accessions and the extent of homogeneity. In this study, we examined the genetic homogeneity in 12 C. nutans samples from Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam reproduced by vegetative propagation from different regions between and within countries, and compared it to sexually...
In vitro callus induction and plantlet regeneration of Indian red wood, Soymida febrifuga A. Juss (Roxb.)
June 2014
In vitro seedling explants of Soymida febrifuga were screened for their callus induction and morphogenic potential by culturing on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with naphthalene acetic acid (NAA), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), indole3acetic acid (IAA) alone or in combination with benzyladenine (BA), kinetin (KN), 2-iP (2-isopentynyl adenine), coconut milk. Multiple shoots were regenerated...
Uses of trees as medicine by the ethnic communities of Arunachal Pradesh, India
June 2014
Arunachal Pradesh, the largest state of North East India has been considered as one of the biodiversity ‘Hotspot’ areas in the world. The original inhabitants of Arunachal Pradesh are tribal people, belonging to 26 major tribes and 110 sub-tribes. The ethnic communities of the state have their own rich traditional knowledge in the use of various tree species for treatment of different diseases with a...
Anti-proliferative activities of Centella asiatica extracts on human respiratory epithelial cells in vitro
June 2014
Centella asiatica or “pegaga” is well known for its ability in promoting wound healing. This study focused on the effect of C. asiatica on the proliferation of human respiratory epithelial (RE) cells. RE cells were cultured using co-culture techniques until first passage (P1). Viability cell test by tryphan blue dye exclusion assay showed that there was high percentage of cell viability at both P0 (74%) and...
Micropropagation and conservation strategies of the potentially medicinal and economically-important tropical deciduous tree - Drypetes roxburghii (Wall.) Hurursawa
June 2014
The present study was designed to understand seed germination barriers and to develop an efficient micropropagation system in Drypetes roxburghii. Fresh seeds with coats removed, cultured on MS medium supplemented with + 1.4 μM gibberellic acid (GA3) + 0.01% activated charcoal (AC) resulted in maximum (83.30 ± 0.63%) seed germination with healthy seedling development. Cotyledonary nodal explants showed best...
Relaxant effect of carvacrol, citronellal and p-cymene, monoterpenes present in Thymus and Cymbopogon species, in guinea-pig trachea: A comparative study
June 2014
Respiratory diseases are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in worldwide. One of most important respiratory disease is asthma, which the current treatment is based on use of β2‑agonists combined to inhaled corticosteroids. However, in recent years, many in vitro studies have attempted to validate the use of aromatic medicinal plants and its chemical compounds, such as monoterpenes, as potential...
Ethnobotanical use of Commiphora swynertonii Burrt. amongst Dorobo people in Tanzania
June 2014
Dorobo, a sub-ethnic group of Maasai tribe in Tanzania, live in very remote areas without health facilities and hence depends entirely on plant and animal products for food and medicines. This paper describes attitude, beliefs and use of traditional medicines amongst Dorobo people, with a particular prominence to Commiphora swynertonii plant because of the reported extensive use by the Dorobo for treatment of a...
Successive variation in phytosociological aspects and threat categorization of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. in Kumaun Himalaya of Uttarakhand
June 2014
The present work is a part of a three years extensive study to observe the annual changes in phyto-sociological characters of Picrorhiza kurroa Royle ex Benth. (Family- Scrophulariaceae) in high altitudinal regions of Kumaun Himalaya, Uttarakhand. The work was undertaken with the objective of observing the annual variation in relative values of frequency, density, abundance and importance value Index (IVI) of the plant...
Ethno botany of some selected Monochlamydeae plant species from the Kashmir Himalaya, India
June 2014
The strong connecting link between the current loss of medicinal plants/flora and the missing of valuable conventional knowledge associated with the plants suggests a need to conduct ethno-botanical research and to document the medicinal plants and the associated traditional knowledge. Importance of medicinal plants in the traditional health care has now assumed more importance. However, information on the uses of...
Research on herbal combinations of traditional Chinese medicine for chronic gastritis based on network biology
June 2014
Herbal combinations are important for traditional Chinese medicine physicians to treat diseases. Based on Professor GAO Zhongying’s medical records, combination laws are explored in order to study and inherit Professor GAO’s academic thoughts and improve the level of clinical treatment from multiple perspectives in treating chronic gastritis. Based on an entropy clustering method of complex systems,...
Chemical composition and antinociceptive activity of the essential oil of Piper mollicomum and Piper rivinoides
June 2014
The analysis of chromatographic profiles of the essential oil of Piper mollicomum and Piper rivinoides for Multidimensional gas chromatography (MDGC) allowed the identification of 18 compounds in essential oil of Piper mollicomum (EOPM) and 19 compounds in essential oil of Piper rivinoides (EOPR), being β-ocimene and α-pinene which are the major compounds, respectively. In the test of writhing induced by...
Bioactivity-guided studies on the antiinflammatory activity of extract of aerial parts of Schwenckia americana L. (Solanaceae)
June 2014
The antiinflammatory activity of the methanol:methylene chloride extract of the aerial parts of Schwenckia americana L. (Solanaceae) (SAE) and its mechanisms were evaluated. Bioactivity-guided studies on SAE and its fractions was done using the egg albumin-induced rat paw edema as activity guide. Further screening for anti-inflammatory activity was accomplished using the xylene-induced ear edema and cotton...
Standardization of Hibiscus Schizopetalus (Mast) Hook according to World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines
June 2014
Hibiscus schizopetalus (Mast) Hook (Malvaceae) is a shrub with spreading or usually drooping branches, attaining a height up to 13 feet (4 m) and found in east of tropical Africa. It is also a common ornamental shrub cultivated in Pakistan. The pharmacognostic standards for the flower and leaves of H. schizopetalus were done for the first time and this...
Exploration of the anti-diabetic effect of the matured seeds of Dioclea reflexa
June 2014
The study aimed at exploring the anti-diabetic effect of the seed flour of Dioclea reflexa on alloxan-induced diabetic rats. Thirty Wistar rats of both sexes were exposed to respective doses of the seed flour and the standardized drugs (Gliclazide 6.1 mg/kd body weight and Metformin 60 mg/kg body weight) according to the group specifications. The seed flour at a dose of 2 g/kg body weight per oral once daily was...
Biotechnical application of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi used in the production of foliar biomolecules in ironwood seedlings [Libidibia ferrea (Mart. ex Tul.) L.P.Queiroz var. ferrea]
June 2014
Libidibia ferrea, popularly known as ironwood is a medicinal plant of the Caatinga, in semi-arid Brazil. It is used for traditional medicine because it has bioactive compounds. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been shown to improve the production of biomolecules in some plants. The objective of this study was to select efficient AMF for optimizing the growth and production of bioactive compounds in L. ferrea...
Phenolics of Achillea fragrantissima growing in Egypt and its cytotoxic activity
June 2014
Achillea fragrantissima Sch. Bip. (Asteraceae) has been reputed in folk medicine of the Arabia region and Egypt for the treatment of many diseases. Air dried aerial parts of A. fragrantissima were extracted with 70% aqueous ethanol and fractionated with petroleum ether, dichloromethane, n-butanol and ethyl acetate fractions. Among them, dichloromethane showed the highest activity and was subjected to separation and...
In vitro evaluation of Bixa orellana L. (Annatto) seeds as potential natural food preservative
June 2014
This paper evaluates the in vitro antimicrobial and antioxidant effect of the ethanolic extract of annatto seeds (EEBS). Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the EEBS was determinate through micro-dilution method in 7 bacteria and 5 fungi strains, all of which are ATCC. The EEBS shows a wide antimicrobial action spectrum for both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, as well as for fungi with MICs between 0.5...
Preliminary investigation on phytochemical composition and biological activity of Cunila microcephala Benth.
June 2014
Ethnobotanical studies have investigated the use of leaves of Cunila microcephala for respiratory, stomach and gastrointestinal disorders. The essential oil of this plant is mostly composed of menthofuran, which has a hepatotoxic effect. Due to the popular use of this plant in southern Brazil, this study aimed to perform phytochemical profile of C. microcephala to detect and determine the amount of secondary metabolites...
Gastroprotective and immunoadjuvant activities of butanolic extract of Calliandra haematocephala
May 2014
Calliandra haematocephala (Leguminosae) is a native species found in tropical America. This plant is widespread and cultivated with ornamental purposes in gardens and parks. Previous studies with other species of this genus confirmed some pharmacological properties, such as antiinflammatory, anticonvulsant, immunomodulatory, and mainly antiulcerogenic activity. Phytochemical investigations have been carried out on the...
Biological screening of Albizia lebbek L. and Mimosa himalayana Gamble (Mimosaceae)
May 2014
Methanolic leaf extracts of two medicinal plant species of family Mimosaceae: Albizia lebbek L. and Mimosa himalayana Gamble, were used to evaluate their antibacterial and antifungal activity using agar diffusion method. Extractions from leaves of selected plants were carried out by simple maceration process. The methanolic extracts of these plants were tested against four strains of bacteria (one strain was gram...
Preliminary evaluation of ethanol leaf extract of Borreria verticillata Linn (Rubiaceae) for analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects
May 2014
Borreria verticillata L is used for the treatment of some painful and inflammatory conditions by traditional medical practitioners in Nigeria and other countries. The ethanol leaf extract of B. verticillata (EEBV) was investigated for possible analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in mice and rats. The models used for the analgesic study were acetic acid induced abdominal writhes, hot plate tests in mice and formalin...
Chemical and biological study of Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. cultivated in Egypt
May 2014
Investigation of the different fractions of the ethanolic extract of the aerial parts of M. suaveolens growing in Egypt yielded nine compounds; two new triterpenes [3β-acetyl -22α-hydroxy ursa-12,20-diene (compound 1) and 2α, 3β-dihydroxy-olean-18-en-29-oic acid (compound 7)] and nine known compounds: a sterol and its glucoside; β-sitosterol (compound 2) and β-sitosterol-3-O-...
Rapid and easy molecular authentication of medicinal plant Zingiber officinale Roscoe by loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based marker
May 2014
The Zingiber genus, which includes the herbs known as gingers with maximal therapeutic properties, is well known for its medicinal importance as a purificant of body. Some morphological similar members of the genus are available but differ in their pharmacological and therapeutic properties. So there is an existing demand in herbal drug industry for an authentication system for gingers in order to facilitate their...
Compounds isolated from Harpalyce brasiliana Benth and their pharmacological properties
May 2014
Harpalyce brasiliana Benth, known as snakeroot, is one of the most popular herbal medicines against snakebite in South America. A hydroalcoholic solution is traditionally prepared from the roots of H. brasiliana. In the last two decades, understanding the pharmacological properties and the possible medicinal applications of H. brasiliana has increased considerably. H. brasiliana has antivenom activity and...
Andiroba oil (Carapa guianensis) on ventral hernia repair
May 2014
In the Amazon rainforest region, Andiroba oil is an herbal oil that is widely used by the local population to treat several inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to test Andiroba oil as a mesh coating or by oral administration in a rat model of excisional abdominal wall defect as an alternative to modulate inflammatory response without impairing the ventral hernia repair. Thirty six animals were...
DNA damage protecting activity and in vitro antioxidant potential of the methanol extract of Cherry (Prunus avium L)
May 2014
The characterization of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) genetic resources in Turkey may help to increase their use in breeding programmers worldwide, as Turkey is the centre of origin of sweet cherry. In the Malatya region, cherry leaves are gathered in April and May, fresh and dried used for stuffing. Components of cherry trees have been used as traditional herbal remedies for various diseases. These components are...
Detection of tamarixetin and kaempferide in different tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography in tamarixetin and kaempferide treated rats
May 2014
Tamarixetin and kaempferide were considered as the major active constituents of Tamarix chinensis, and had several known bioactivities. An effective and inexpensive high-performance liquid chromatographic method was established and validated for the determination of tamarixetin and kaempferide in rat tissues following a single oral administration. Tissue distribution showed the highest level of tamarixetin was observed...
Development of phytochemical fingerprint of an Indian medicinal plant Chitrak (Plumbago zeylanica L) using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC)
May 2014
Fresh, shade-dried and powdered samples of leaf, stem and root of Chitrak (Plumbago zeylanica L) were subjected to fractional distillation in a Soxhlet apparatus using four organic solvents. Chloroform, acetone and ethanol extracts from root of Plumbago showed higher zone of inhibition of 22.66±1.52, 21.5±1.29 and 16.5±1.29 mm and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 1.0, 10.0 and 10.0...
Antibacterial activity of two triterpenes from stem bark of Protorhus longifolia
May 2014
Antibiotic resistance of pathogenic strains has hugely contributed to the wide spread of new and re-emerging infectious diseases. There is thus the need for the discovery of new (non-penicillin based) antibiotics. The triterpenes [3β-hydroxylanosta-9,24-dien-21-oic acid (1) and methyl-3β-hydroxylanosta-9,24-dienoate (2)] isolated from stem bark of Protorhus longifolia (Benrh.) Engl. were evaluated for their...
Antifungal metabolite from Muntingia calabura root against early leaf blight of tomato
May 2014
The aim of the present study is to determine the in vitro antimicrobial activity of various extracts and fractions of Muntingia calabura (Elaeocarpaceae) root against a selected panel of microorganisms. Antifungal activity of different solvent extracts of M. calabura L. root, tested against Alternaria solani, Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. lycopersici, Pythium species, Phytophthora species, Aspergillus niger, Colletotrichum...
Diversity among 20 accession of three germplasm of the medicinal plant, Ocimum (O. gratissimum, O. sanctum and O. basilicum, Lamiaceae)
May 2014
Ocimum spp, popularly known as Tulsi, has great commercial (food and perfumery industries) and medicinal importance due to antispasmodic, stomachicum, carminative, antimalarial and febrifuge properties. The aroma and flavor in Ocimum spp. is distinct due to the predominant aroma compound eugenol, camphor, citral etc. We used molecular techniques to assess the genetic variability and relatedness of 20 accessions of three...
Angelica gigas Nakai extract ameliorates the effects of cyclophosphamide on immunological and hematopoietic dysfunction in mice
May 2014
The objective of this study was to develop a treatment for immune and hematopoietic system dysfunction in cancer patients. We induced immunosuppression and hematopoietic dysfunction in mice by injection of cyclophosphamide (CPA) and treated the animals with Korean angelica extract (Angelica gigas Nakai), an oriental medicine. Mice were injected with CPA on days 1 and 3 and were orally administered the indicated...
A review on pathophysiology of ischemic-reperfusion injury of heart and ameliorating role of flavonoids and polyphenols
April 2014
Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) syndrome is defined as injury caused by the restoration of coronary flow after a period of ischemia. The pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion injury involves cellular effect of ischemia, reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cascade. Flavonoids and polyphenols possess unique antioxidant properties and other protective activities which are beneficial for ischemia-reperfusion injury. It is...
In vitro anti-arthritic and thrombolytic activities of methanolic extract of Protium serratum leaves
April 2014
The present study was engineered to find out the anti-arthritic and thrombolytic activity of methanolic extract of Protium serratum by using in vitro method. Methanolic extract of P. serratum was assessed with the inhibition of protein denaturation model which was used to evaluate anti-arthritic potential and this extract assessed with human blood to evaluate thrombolytic effect. The extract showed remarkable...
Management of indigenous medicinal plants in Nigeria using phenological information
April 2014
Available information on medicinal plants indicates habitat loss and has heightened the need for more proactive conservation strategies. Conservation efforts in this direction resulted in an eco-pharmacological survey in the West African sub-region by three countries (Nigeria, Ghana and Republic of Benin) to assess frequently used medicinal plants. The result of the socio-economic study based on utilization pattern...
Antioxidant capacity of essential oils extracted from Lippia sidoides, Ageratum fastigiatum, Ocotea odorifera, Mikania glauca and their major components
April 2014
Essential oils are biologically important and a large number of studies to evaluate their antioxidant activities have been performed. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant capacity of the essential oils of Lippia sidoides, Ageratum fastigiatu, Ocotea odorifera, Mikania glauca and their major components, using different assays. The essential oil of L. sidoides exhibited the highest antioxidant capacity,...
Cytotoxic and cytogenetic effects of Convolvulus arvensis extracts on rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) tumor cell line in vitro
April 2014
The present study was designed to investigate the cytotoxicity of (aqueous and methanol) crude extracts of the leaves, stems and roots extracts as well as proteoglycan and glycoside fraction I (FI) of Convolvulus arvensis against human Rhabdomyosarcoma (RD) tumor cell line in vitro. The effect of glycoside FI fraction on mitotic index (MI) of RD cell line was investigated as well. The optical density (OD) of cell growth...
Medicinal plant parts and practices used by communities around the Miombo woodlands of Urumwa, Tanzania
April 2014
A study to document medicinal plants parts and practices in relation to sustainable use was performed in communities around the Miombo woodland of Urumwa in Tanzania. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews and discussion with key stakeholders. G-tests were used to ascertain differences in medicinal plants practices between women and men. Roots were the commonly used parts for medicine followed by barks....
Effect of six environmental variables on five Bupleurum species distribution in Guandi, Wutai, Xiaowutai and Dongling mountains
April 2014
Effects of environmental factors on the spatial distribution of five Bupleurum genera were investigated. Eighty seven samples in total in four mountains were collected; 158, 116, 130 and 128 plant species were recorded in Guandi, Wutai, Xiao Wutai and Dongling mountains, respectively. This study has been focused on five particular species (Bupleurum bicaule Helm, Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willdenow, Bupleurum sibiricum...
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