February 2012
Autoimmune diseases and immunomodulant plant
February 2012
Phytochemical and ethnobotanical study of some selected medicinal plants from Nigeria
This study involves the phytochemical screening and ethnomedicinal survey of twenty-three medicinal plants belonging to thirteen families commonly found in Nigeria. Semi-structured interviews and discussions with selected informants were adapted to collect ethnobotanical information on the plants. It was discovered that all of them possess alkaloids, tannins and saponin. Steroid is present in only twelve of the plant...
February 2012
Genetic diversity of Iranian Bunium persicum germplasm by morphological markers and essential oil components
Medicinal and aromatic plants have a traditional history of use, with strong roles in cultural heritage, and in the appreciation of food and its links to health. Black caraway (Bunium persicum Boiss. Fedtsch) belonging to the family of Apiaceae, is an economically important medicinal and aromatic plant found naturally growing in dry temperate regions of Iran and some other areas. The present investigation assessed...
February 2012
Directionally enzymatic hydrolysis of rutin for biosynthesis of quercetin
Quercetin, an aglycon of rutin, is widely applied as an important material in food and pharmaceutical industries. In the present study, in order to investigate the optimal reaction conditions for directional biosynthesis of quercetin by enzymatic hydrolysis of rutin catalyzed by snailase, the influences of temperature, substrate concentration and pH value on enzymatic hydrolysis of rutin were investigated by the...
February 2012
Efficacy of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta root extract on slow-growing rifampicin resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis
We report here, the results from total crude methanol extract as well as serial ether, chloroform, and methanol extracts of the root of Cryptolepis sanguinolenta (Lindl) Schltr that were screened against three strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The strains used included the pan sensitive H37Rv, the rifampicin-resistant TMC-331 and a wild strain of Mycobacetrium avium (MA) isolated...
February 2012
Micropropagation and in vitro conservation of Jacaranda decurrens Cham.
Several pharmacological activities have been attributed to Jacaranda decurrens a medicinal plant species native to Brazilian Cerrado regions. Its root extracts have been used as anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and tonic agent and the infusion of its leaves has been efficacious in healing external ulcers. In this work, it was aimed at the development of protocols for J. decurrens micropropagation...
February 2012
Medicinal benefits and usage of medlar (Mespilus germanica) in Gilan Province (Roudsar District), Iran
Medicinal plants have been used in ancient centuries to this time and people have completed their uses in different centuries and different times that we can complete the knowledge of medicinal plant properties with surveying them in rural people of different countries and different areas in a country. In this research, medicinal properties of medlar (Mespilus germanica) have been studied by rural people in East part of...
February 2012
Study on genetic variation in Iranian castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) accessions using multivariate statistical techniques
Genetic diversity on 12 accessions of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) collected from different origins of Iran was assessed under filed conditions. Accessions were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with three blocks. The data on 5 individuals in each block were recorded for 32 agro-morphological traits. The descriptive statistics for each one of 32 studied traits were calculated. Clustering of...
February 2012
Ethnobotany and species specific molecular markers of some medicinal sakhan (Piper, Piperaceae)
Sakhan, jakhan and takhan are some of Thai common names for Piper species especially for unidentified forest species. They are widely used as vegetables, spices, decoration, traditional medicines and ceremonially. Seven of these species were collected and identified of which the sliced stems are often used as medicinal plants and...
February 2012
Alterations in seed vigor and antioxidant enzymes activities in Silybum marianum under seed priming with KNO3
This study evaluated the effects of the best priming treatment on germination responses of milkthistle (Silybum marianum) seeds. Seeds of S. marianum are two ecotypes namely (Amol and Majar) primed with KNO3 in -2, -4, -6, -8 and -10 bar for 6, 12 and 18 h at 25°C, followed by air-drying to their initial moisture level. Then, based on germination percentage, germination rate, mean germination time...
February 2012
Molecular authentication of the medicinal plant Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (Melanthiaceae) and its related species by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP)
Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis (Franch.) Hand.-Mazz. (Melanthiaceae) is a traditional herb widely used by Chinese people, especially in southwestern provinces. Its dried rhizome (medicinal Paris) is a traditional Chinese medicine. In the trade and raw drug market, the medicinal Paris is available in the mixture form with other Paris species, thus making it difficult...
February 2012
Nutritional prospect of an aphrodisiac Microdermis keayana
Microdermis keayana (MK) (Pandacene) is ubiquitous to Southern Nigeria. It is used as aphrodisiac, to boost libido, induce erection, increase sperm counts and as fertility–enhancing agent. This study investigated the proximate, phytochemical and mineral compositions of MK root. The sample was obtained from Mushin herbal market in Lagos. It was identified and authenticated and cut into small pieces, sun...
February 2012
Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone induces G2/M phase arrest and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis in human gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells
Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone isolated from the Saussurea lappa possesses potent anticancer properties. In this study, for the first time we investigated the effects of costunolide on the cell viability, cell cycle and apoptosis in gastric adenocarcinoma SGC-7901 cells. The results showed that costunolide induced morphological changes and decreased the cell viability of SGC-7901 cells. Meanwhile, the...
February 2012
Impact of geographical locations on Mentha spicata antibacterial activities
Medicinal plants produce secondary metabolites that are responsible for their therapeutic properties but the presence of these molecules and conversely their activities is affected by environmental factors like geographical location, fertility of cultivar, part used, season and time of collection. The present study is based on the impact of geographical location on the antibacterial activities of Mentha...
February 2012
Self-organizing maps as a good tool for classification of subfamily Astereoideae
Artificial neural network (ANN) is defined as computational models with structures derived from the simplified concept of the brain in which a number of nodes are interconnected in a network-like structure. The most used ANNs architecture for pattern recognition and classification is the self-organizing map (SOM). SOM is a powerful visualization tool as it is able to reduce dimensions of projections and displays...
February 2012
Isolation of β-sitosterol and evaluation of antidiabetic activity of Aristolochia indica in alloxan-induced diabetic mice with a reference to in-vitro antioxidant activity
Stigmast-5-en-3β-ol (β-sitosterol) was isolated from the chloroform extract of the aerial parts ofAristolochia indica (CEAI). The structure and relative configuration of Stigmast-5-en-3β-ol (β-sitosterol) was determined by spectroscopic methods (1H- and 13C-NMR, IR, and MS). CEAI was found to produce good antidiabetic activity in treated mice. It reversed the weight loss of diabetic mice and...
February 2012
Amelioration of kidney function markers by Sonchus asper butanolic extract against KBrO3-induced toxicity in rat
The protective effects of Sonchus asper butanol extract against KBrO3- induced oxidative damage in kidney of rat were determined in this study. 24 Sprague-Dawley male rats (180 to 200 g) were divided into 4 groups. Group I was given saline (1 ml/kg b.w., 0.85% NaCl) and DMSO (1 ml/kg b.w.); group II was treated with KBrO3 (20 mg/kg b.w., i.p.); group III and IV administered with KBrO3 and after...
February 2012
Plant regeneration from nodal explants of Adhatoda vasica Nees.
A simple micropropagation protocol for the important medicinal plant species Adhatoda vasica (Vasaka) from nodal explants was developed. The young juvenile nodal explants cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with CW (15% v/v) + BAP (5 mg/L) started proliferating multiple shoot buds (14±2) in 3 to 4 weeks and the shoots became 3 cm long in 6 to 8 weeks. The regenerated plants...
February 2012
Mitragyna speciosa Korth standardized methanol extract induced short-term potentiation of CA1 subfield in rat hippocampal slices
Mitragyna speciosa Korth or ketum or kratom has long been used by local people in Thailand and Malaysia to treat various types of diseases and to boost energy. There is lack of information available on the effect of M. speciosa Korth in learning and memory function, therefore this study was conducted to understand its effect using a cellular model (hippocampus). The objective of this study was to...
February 2012
Antibacterial potentials of Quercus baloot Griff.
Quercus baloot fractions were subjected to antibacterial susceptibility evaluation that illustrated inhibition zones against Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis,Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The active fractions were chromatographed by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and then contact bioautography was utilized as hyphenated bioassay, which showed...
February 2012
Effect of sodium tanshinon IIA silate on heart function of children with myocarditis
This study intends to evaluate the effects of sodium tanshinon IIA silate on cardiac function of children with myocarditis. 69 children were randomly divided into myocarditis untreatment and sodium tanshinon IIA silate treatment groups. Another 24 healthy children served as normal control. Our experimental results demonstrated that the sodium tanshinon IIA silate treatment can significantly improve heart function in...
February 2012
Larvicidal, antipyretic and antiplasmodial activity of some Zulu medicinal plants
Gardenia thunbergia, Siphonochilus aethiopicus, Schotia brachypetala, Acorus calamus, Withania somnifera, Elaeodendron transvalense, Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Vernonia adoensis and Acanthosperum australe are medicinal plants commonly used by traditional healers in South Africa to treat malaria. Aqueous, dichloromethane and methanol extracts of these plants were screened for larvicidal, antioxidant, in...
February 2012
Insecticidal activities of ethanol extracts from thirty Chinese medicinal plants against Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)
Chinese medicinal plants extracts of a group of 30 species from 20 different botanical families, were screened for contact toxicity and antifeedant activities against Spodoptera exigua. The extracts from eight of the Chinese medicinal plants showed strong activity against the insect. The most effective plant extracts were from Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., Brucea javanica (L.) Merr....
February 2012
Path analysis of the relationships between grain yield and some morphological characters in spring safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) under normal irrigation and drought stress condition
Safflower seeds is a nutritional addition to poultry feed. Historically, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) was used for medicinal and culinary purposes. Today, safflower is grown commercially for its seed oil, homemade dyes and birdseed or animal feed mixes. The association among yield components and their direct and indirect influence on grain yield of safflower were investigated in two conditions. In this...
February 2012
Genetic diversity of Chimonanthus grammatus populations determined with inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) analysis: Implications for conservation
Chimonanthus grammatus is an endangered and national-protected medicinal plant species with highly restricted geographical distribution and disjunctly locates in the border area of Anyuan and Huichang county of Jiangxi province, China. In this study, inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) markers were used to analyzed genetic diversity of seven populations of C. grammatus, collected from the area of Anyuan...
February 2012
The effect of the bioflavonoid quercetin on voltage-gated calcium channels in Periplaneta americana Df motoneuron
The effect of the natural bioflavonoid quercetin on voltage operated calcium channels was investigated in American cockroach (Periplaneta americana) fast depressor motoneuron (Df) using electrophysiological and pharmacological methods. For blockade of outward potassium currents, tetraethylammonium and cesium leakage from microelectrode tip was used. Under this condition and application of command potentials,...
February 2012
Composition, in vitro antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils from Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC.
The essential oils from the aerial parts of Artemisia lavandulaefolia DC., a traditional medicinal plant growing in China, were obtained by hydro distillation and analyzed by gas chromatograph and mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Fifteen monoterpenes, six sesquiterpenes, three monoterpenoid acetates with two aromatic compounds and two others were identified among twenty-eight compounds, representing...
February 2012
Antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts of Selaginella willdenowii
Selaginella willdenowii is a plant used as traditional medicine and vegetable in some Asian countries. Unlike other medicinally important Selaginella species, little is known about the pharmacological properties of S. willdenowii. This study was therefore conducted to evaluate the antioxidant properties of aqueous extracts of leaves and stems of S. willdenowii, both fresh and dried prepared with...
February 2012
The effects of seed extract of Mucuna gigantea on the expression of neural markers in mesenchymal stem cells
The seed extract of Mucuna gigantea was evaluated, its efficacy on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into neural lineage. The collected seeds were extracted by using 1% aqueous acetic acid. According to High-performance liquid chromatography(HPLC) analysis, the average concentration of L-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) was 117.5±7.6 µg/mg of crude extract. The MSCs were...
February 2012
Medicinal plants diversity and their conservation status in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
This paper was an attempt to assimilate the medicinal plant status of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by analyzing their diversity and conservation status against the knowledge management practices of traditional medicine practitioners. Information was gathered through extensive literature survey, field trips and semi structured questionnaire. A total of 132 plants (nearly 20% of total species) were found to possess...
February 2012
Respond of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) to animal manure application
Yield of saffron (Crocus sativus L.), is the most expensive medicinal and spicy plant, which significantly respond to degree of soil fertility. In comparison to chemical Nitrogen (N) fertilizer, application of cow manure (20 to 30 t ha-1) combined with chemical-N (23 kg/ha) to the soil surface increased significantly soil fertility. Saffron plant was treated with N as urea (CO(NH2)2, 46% N) at 50 to 100 kg ha-1;...
February 2012
In vitro conservation and production of vigorous and desiccate tolerant synthetic seeds in Stevia rebaudiana
Artificial (Synthetic) seed production along with microprpagation can solve many problems with regeneration of Stevia rebaudiana, which produce tiny and non-viable seeds. Shoot tips and axillary buds nodal segments were used from in vitro cultures for encapsulation. The explants were taken from green houses and tissue culture laboratory of AgriBiotech Research Farms, Lahore, Pakistan. Different...
February 2012
Spermicidal and antigonococcal effects of tannins from pomegranate rind
The purpose of this work was to evaluate the spermicidal, antigonococcal and antifertility efficiency of tannins in pomegranate rind (TPR). Spermicidal activity was assessed by a modified version of the Sander-Cramer test and World Health Organization (WHO) standard method. A chromatographic method was applied to screen the spermicidal and antigonococcal ingredients of TPR, and the antifertility effect was...
February 2012
Physiological and biochemical changes produced in maize (Zea mays L.) by the application of nickel
Heavy metals play an important role on plant growth and toxicity. The toxicity of heavy metal is a problem of ecological, evolutionary and environmental reasons. Heavy metal toxicity is one of the major abiotic stress leading to hazardous health effects in plants and animals. The most common symptoms of nickel toxicity in plants are inhibition of growth, photosynthesis, mineral nutrition, sugar transport and water...
February 2012
Antioxidant and anticancer activity of fractions of the ethanol extract of Naematoloma sublateritium
Naematolma sublateritium (Fr.) P. Karst (family: Strophariaceae) is known as a chestnut mushroom. Although N. sublateritium is currently a popular and edible fungus in the USA, Japan and Korea, its proximate composition and biological activities have been poorly studied. The present study was carried out to assess the antioxidant and anticancer potential of N. sublateritium and to identify the...
February 2012
Isolation, chemical characterization and in vitro antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Aconitum coreanum
The water-soluble crude polysaccharide, Aconitum coreanum polysaccharides (ACPS), was extracted from A. coreanum and purified by Diethylaminoethyl cellulose (DEAE-C) and Sepharose CL-6B chromatography, giving three polysaccharide fractions coded as ACPSA-1, ACPSB-2 and ACPSB-3. Their chemical and physical characteristics of polysaccharide fractions, and antioxidant capacity, including...
February 2012
Evaluation of prunes for hypotensive, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and diuretic activities in rats
Prunes are dried fruits of several species of Prunus, including that of Prunus domestica Linn (Rosaceae) and are used for the treatment of hypertension in traditional systems of medicine in India and Pakistan. We investigated the blood pressure lowering, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory and diuretic activities of the aqueous-methanolic crude extract of dried fruits of P....
February 2012
Encapsulation of Rauvolfia tetraphylla microshoots as artificial seeds and evaluation of genetic fidelity using RAPD and ISSR markers
Synseeds of Rauvolfia tetraphylla were produced using in vitro proliferated microshoots upon complexation of 3% sodium alginate prepared in Woody Plant Medium (WPM) (Lloyd and McCown, 1981) and 100 mM calcium chloride. Effect of different medium on in vitromorphogenic response of synseed was evaluated. The maximum frequency (90.3%) of conversion of encapsulated beads into plantlets was...
February 2012
Polysaccharides production by submerged fermentation of Coprinus comatus and their inhibitory effects on non-enzymatic glycosylation
Bioactive polysaccharides produced by fungi, especially by medicinal mushrooms, have attracted great interest. Polysaccharides from Coprinus comatus have been reported to possess hypoglycemic activity. In the present study, the effects of carbon source, initial glucose concentration and initial peptone level on cell growth and polysaccharide production were examined in the submerged fermentation system...
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