December 2009
Studies on biochemical and physiological aspects in relation to phyto-medicinal qualities and efficacy of the active ingredients during the handling, cultivation and harvesting of the medicinal plants
Medicinal and aromatic plants are mostly perishable and take more care for the careful handling and improve processing for better qualities and efficacy of the active ingredients in post harvest processing. Therefore, taking into the care of the secondary plant products viz., mono- terpeins, steroids and alkaloids contents and its properties with quality and quantity, should be handled properly. The...
December 2009
Use of bioactive plant products in combination with standard antibiotics: Implications in antimicrobial chemotherapy
Nowadays, multiple antibiotic resistance by disease-causing microorganisms are a major public health problem. Antimicrobial compounds from plants have been found to be synergistic enhancers in that though they may not possess any antimicrobial properties alone, but when used concurrently with standard drugs they enhance the activity of the drug. The synergistic effect of the association of antibiotic and plant extracts...
December 2009
Ethnomedicinal, pharmacological properties and chemistry of some medicinal plants of Boraginaceae in India
Different medicinal plants and their medicinal values are widely used for various ailments throughout the world. Various chemical constituents isolated and characterized from Boraginaceous plant species are described. These included pyrrolizidine alkaloids, naphthaquinones, flavonoids, terpenoids, triterpenoids and phenols. Some important biological and pharmacological activities reported from various parts of plant...
December 2009
RNA interference (RNAi) technology: A promising tool for medicinal plant research
RNA interference (RNAi) is a process of dsRNA-mediated gene silencing. This dsRNA-triggered sequence-specific RNA degradation pathway has been termed post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) in plants. RNA interference technology has already had a major impact on the study and manipulation of plant secondary metabolites. To date RNAi has mainly been used as a readily available, rapid, reverse genetic tool to create...
December 2009
Domestic cultivation may abate the contradiction between sustainable utilization and genetic diversity conservation of medicinal plants
Consumption of herbal medicines is widespread and increasing. Harvesting from the wild, the main source of raw material, is causing loss of genetic diversity and habitat destruction. However, major large of the wild is harvested by poor households in developing countries. Current research results showed that cultivated populations could maintain relative high genetic diversity of their wild ancestors. So, on-farm...
December 2009
The use of herbal extracts in the control of influenza
Influenza A virus poses a continuing threat to the health of humans and farmed animals, and predictions of impending pandemics are commonplace. This review discusses the unique combination of genetic features that make this virus such a threat, and explains why current control measures are inadequate. However, in spite of this, certain herbal extracts rich in polyphenols could play an important role in controlling...
December 2009
Rheum tanguticum, an endangered medicinal plant endemic to China
Rheum tanguticum, endemic to east part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China, is one of three genuine species of rhubarb and has better medicinal quality than other two species, Rheum palmatum and Rheum officinale. The roots and rhizomes of R. tanguticum have been used for more than a thousand years in China as the well-known traditional medicines with the purgation, antibacterial,...
December 2009
Bioavailability enhancing activities of natural compounds from medicinal plants
There is an increasing interest and medical need for the improvement of bioavailability of a large number of drugs. Of the promising approaches, the co-administration of therapeutic agents with natural compounds possessing absorption improving activities has gained great interest in oral drug delivery.Many natural compounds from medicinal plants have demonstrated capacity to enhance the bioavailability of...
December 2009
Traditional practice, bioactivities and commercialization potential of Elephantopus scaber Linn.
Elephantopus scaber Linn. is known as Prickly-leaves elephant’s foot or di dan tou in Chinese. It has been used in traditional medicine to stimulate diuresis, reduce fever and eliminate bladder stones, as well as to treat nephritis, edema, dampness, chest pain, pneumonia, scabies, arthralgia and leukemia. A number of phytochemicals have also been isolated from this plant, such as deoxyelephantopin,...
December 2009
A review on trends in production of secondary metabolites from higher plants by in vitro tissue, organ and cell cultures
Plant cell and tissue cultures can be established routinely under sterile conditions from explants, such as plant leaves, stems, roots, meristems etc for both the ways for multiplication and extraction of secondary metabolites. Strain improvement, methods for the selection of high-producing cell lines, and medium optimizations can lead to an enhancement in secondary metabolite production. However, most often trials with...
December 2009
Acinos species: Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidative activity
Published papers considering composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of Acinos Miller species were reviewed. Main volatile constituents are pulegone, menthone and germacrene D. Alcoholic and water extracts contain a number of flavonoids. Reported chemical composition suggest potential use of Acinosspecies as phyto-therapeutic and food preservative agents. The investigation of biological...
December 2009
Advances in the study of flavonoids in Ginkgo biloba leaves
Ginkgo biloba flavonoids are one of the most popular herbal supplements, taken for their perceived “memory enhancing” properties. In this paper, the current studies of Ginkgo biloba flavonoids from leaves is been reviewed. Flavonoids are derived from the products of the shikimate and acetate-malonate pathways. Flavonoid concentration in G. biloba leaves is not only regulated by the...
December 2009
Chromolaena odorata in livestock nutrition
This paper seeks to review the nutritional values of Chromolaena odorata (C.O.), an erstwhile obnoxious plant. The food and medicinal values of this plant, aside from its agronomic importance were mentioned as part of the introductory pieces of information on its use in livestock production. The plant has assumed an enigmatic status of sort, to the herbalists, the agronomists and the livestock nutritionists...
December 2009
Application of plant biotechnology in the medicinal plant, Rehmannia glutinosa Liboschitz
Rehmannia glutinosa Liboschitz, a medicinal plant, is one of the 50 fundamental herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine. Chinese foxglove has a variety of beneficial effects and pharmacological actions on the blood, immune, endocrine, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Chinese foxglove is propagated conventionally through the roots. Therefore, a number of studies have reported in vitro plant...
December 2009
Cucurbitane-type triterpenoids in Momordica charantia Linn
Momordica charantia Linn, belonging to the family of Cucurbitaceae, is a useful medicinal and vegetable plant for human health and one of the most promising plants for diabetes. Cucurbitane-type triterpenoidsare the main active constituents of M. charantia and have a number of potential biological and pharmacological activities including antidiabetic, anti-obesity, anticancer, anti-HIV, antifeedant...
December 2009
Ginseng metabolic engineering: Regulation of genes related to ginsenoside biosynthesis
Panax ginseng is one of the most famous and widely used medicinal plants. It is generally believed that ginsenosides, tetracyclic triterpenoids, are mainly responsible for the pharmacological activities of ginseng. The genes coding for enzymes of biochemical pathways involved in triterpene biosynthesis are of considerable interest in the area of ginseng biotechnology. Upregulation of phytosterol and triterpene...
Advertisement
Advertisement
