Sphinganine/Sphingosine ratio in plasma and urine as a possible biomarker for fumonisin exposure in humans in rural areas of Africa

This study was conducted in the Transkei region of the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa and in the Bomet district, western Kenya. The sphinganine (Sa)/sphingosine (So) ratios in the plasma and urine of male and female volunteers consuming a staple diet of home-grown maize in Transkei, were 0.34±0.36 (mean±standard deviation) (n=154) and 0.41±0.72 (n=153), respectively and in plasma samples from KwaZulu-Natal it was 0.44±0.23 (n=26). In Kenya, the ratios in plasma and urine were 0.28±0.07 (n=29) and 0.34±0.20 (n=27), respectively. Mean total fumonisin level in home-grown maize, randomly collected in Transkei from the same region where the human volunteers lived, was 580 ng/g (n=40), as compared to the KwaZulu-Natal province, where no fumonisin (n=17) were detected (<10 ng/g) in the home-grown maize. In Kenya, only one of seven samples was contaminated with 60 ng/g fumonisins. No significant differences were found in the Sa/So ratios between males and females within the regions nor between the different regions (P>0.05). It is possible that the ratio is not sensitive enough to act as a biomarker for fumonisin exposure in humans at these levels of contamination in maize. This is the first report on Sa/So ratios determined in rural populations in Africa consuming home-grown maize as their staple diet.     

Recent Patents Regarding Essential Oils and the Significance of their Constituents in Human Health and Treatment

Essential oils derived from aromatic plants possess useful properties concerning human health, such as antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities. They can be used as natural alternatives to synthetic preparations to prevent and treat infectious diseases caused by multidrug resistant microorganisms. They are used successfully to treat respiratory tract, digestive system and skin infections. Many of them may be applied in anticancer therapy, cardiovascular and nervous system disorders, as well as to reduce the level of cholesterol and decrease and regulate the glucose level. Due to their ability to stimulate adrenal and estrogen hormone production and their antimicrobial properties, they are useful in the treatment of gynecological diseases. Oils are commonly used in the food and cosmetic industry. The present paper describes recent patents concerning potential uses of essential oils in human health and treatment of diseases.     

A survey on traditional plants used in Al Khobah village

The use of traditional medicine for treatment of various diseases is a common practise in most of the developing countries including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia especially in rural areas. In this survey, Al Khobah village was selected to study the status of Traditional Medicine. Al Khobah village is located on the Southern boarders of the kingdom and characterized by diverse topography and moderate weather. The plants with medicinal uses were collected, identified and their methods of preparation and uses were recorded. After gathering all these information from the local people, literature survey was conducted on each plant to get information about pharmacological activities and weather they support the traditional use or not. The survey revealed that the uses of some plants are consistent with the experimental data in the literature. Some other plants were studied; however, they still need pharmacological investigation to prove the claimed uses. Other plant did not subject to any scientific investigation.     

An Ethnopharmacological Study from Thane District,Maharashtra, India: Traditional Knowledge Compared with Modern Biological Science

This paper is a synthesis of local traditional knowledge of plants used as medicine and western biological science. In many areas women are responsible for curing their family members and others for various illness. Ethnomedical uses of 51 plants by women in hamlets/villages of Jawhar and Mokhada talukas in Thane district, Maharashtra, have been recorded. Information from scientific literature for each plant collected has been incorporated with traditional knowledge to explain or substantiate traditional medicinal uses.     

An ethnopharmacological study from thane district, maharashtra, India: traditional knowledge compared with modern biological science

This paper is a synthesis of local traditional knowledge of plants used as medicine and western biological science. In many areas women are responsible for curing their family members and others for various illness. Ethnomedical uses of 51 plants by women in hamlets/villages of Jawhar and Mokhada talukas in Thane district, Maharashtra, have been recorded. Information from scientific literature for each plant collected has been incorporated with traditional knowledge to explain or substantiate traditional medicinal uses.     

Traditional medicines and their common uses in central region of Syria: Hama and Homs – an ethnomedicinal survey

ContextSince ancient times, traditional Arabic medicine (TAM) has been used to treat various diseases in Syria. They are cost-effective with fewer side effects and are more suitable for long-term use compared with chemically synthesized medicines. In addition, the scientific importance is manifested, as this survey proceeds, for the purposes of verifying and documenting these traditional medicines and their common uses.ObjectiveWe conducted ethnobotanical and ethnomedicine research on plants traditionally used to treat various diseases in central region of Syria.MethodsInformation was collected from 2019 to 2021 from the cities of Homs and Hama and their villages, which are two governorates located in central Syria, after interviews with traditional practitioners called Attarin, and many other people. Plant specimens were collected according to different references concerning medicinal plants of Syria, to document the traditional uses of plants at least two of the traditional healers and three other people were asked.ResultsIn this survey, we listed 76 medicinal plants belonging to 39 families in alphabetical order with the parts used and the method of preparation according to their therapeutic use, which are used to treat 106 ailments.ConclusionsMany of the uses of medicinal plants mentioned in this survey are still under study. There is no doubt that this study will provide new data that could contribute to further pharmacological discoveries by identifying the active ingredients and their mechanism of effect by doing additional pharmacological work to confirm the alleged biological activities of these plants.     

肌力康饮对正常小鼠免疫功能的影响

目的:观察中药复方肌力康饮对正常小鼠免疫功能的影响。方法:小鼠随机分为6组,即正常对照组,地塞米松组(0.25mg/kg·d),环磷酰胺组(80mg/kg·d),肌力康饮低、中、高剂量组(2、4、8g/kg·d)。给药14天后,测定免疫器官指数来观察肌力康饮对免疫器官的影响;应用刀豆球蛋白A(ConA)、细菌脂多糖(LPS)诱导小鼠淋巴细胞增殖,观察肌力康饮对小鼠细胞免疫和体液免疫的影响。结果:与对照组比较,地塞米松、环磷酰胺均能显著降低小鼠胸腺和脾脏指数,对ConA、LPS所诱导小鼠脾T、B淋巴细胞增值有明显抑制作用(P<0.01);肌力康饮各剂量组胸腺和脾脏指数稍降低,但无显著性差异,中、高剂量组能显著增强小鼠脾T、B淋巴细胞增值能力(P<0.01)。结论:肌力康饮对正常免疫器官没有抑制作用,对细胞免疫和体液免疫有显著的增强作用。     

Ethnopharmacology of the Popoluca, Mexico: an evaluation.

Medicinal plants are an essential part of indigenous pharmaceutical systems. We studied the medicinal plants used by the Popoluca of the Sierra Santa Marta (Eastern Mexico). This study is part of a series on the ethnopharmacology of various Macro-Mayan groups. During 16 months of ethnobotanical fieldwork, 614 taxa used medicinally and 4488 individual use-reports were documented. The data are analysed using the concept of the "healers' consensus" in order to identify culturally important medicinal plants. The medicinal uses of the plants were grouped into 13 illness categories. The responses for each species were summarized for each of the categories and were ordered by frequency of mention. The most frequently recorded medicinal plants of the Popoluca are Hamelia patens, used to stop bleeding from wounds, and Byrsonima crassifolia, used against diarrhoea. The high-ranked medicinal species were assessed pharmacognostically using published phytochemical and pharmacological data. Popoluca medicinal uses were fairly consistent with published data on active ingredients for those plants for which such data exist. However, data is still lacking for many other species. Toxicological studies are particularly scarce. This study will be used as a basis for subsequent studies on the pharmacology and phytochemistry of medicinal plant species.     

Herbal ethnomedicine of the gwalior forest division in madhya pradesh, India

Ethnomedicinal studies carried out in the Gwalior Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh, India, led to interesting therapeutic applications of 102 plant species. Information on medicinal claims was collected from the tribal people called 'Sahariya' and the traditional healers who had knowledge of the traditional uses of medicinal plants. This study describes details of botanical identity, local name, parts of the plants used, mode of preparation, administration of the drug, and diseases for which the given plants are used.     

Herbal Ethnomedicine Of The Gwalior Forest Division In Madhya Pradesh,India

Ethnomedicinal studies carried out in the Gwalior Forest Division, Madhya Pradesh, India, led to interesting therapeutic applications of 102 plant species. Information on medicinal claims was collected from the tribal people called ‘Sahariya’ and the traditional healers who had knowledge of the traditional uses of medicinal plants. This study describes details of botanical identity, local name, parts of the plants used, mode of preparation, administration of the drug, and diseases for which the given plants are used.     

Chemical constituents and biological applications of the genus Symplocos

The genus Symplocos has been reviewed for its chemical constituents and biological activities including traditional importance of some common species. The plants of this genus contain terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, phenols, steroids, alkaloids, and iridoids. Terpenoids are the major constituents within the genus Symplocos and most of them exhibit antiproliferative effects. Some phenolic glycoside derivatives showed inhibitory activity against snake-venom phosphodiesterase I and human nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase I. The members of genus Symplocos are well known for their traditional uses in the treatment of various diseases like leprosy, gynecological disorders, ulcers, leucorrhea, menorrhagia, malaria, and tumefaction. The aim of the present paper is to review the comprehensive knowledge of the plants of this genus including the traditional uses, chemistry, and pharmacology.     

Historical and modern medicinal plant uses--the example of the Ch'orti' Maya and Ladinos in Eastern Guatemala

Local empirical knowledge about medicinal properties of plants is the basis for their use as home remedies. Particularly in developing countries such remedies still are an indispensable resource for everyday health care. They form the basis for numerous studies on drugs from natural sources. Like other indigenous groups across the world, the Ch'orti' Maya in Eastern Guatemala are currently experiencing a phase of dramatic cultural change, with their traditional knowledge about plants being in great danger of disappearing. During 17 months of fieldwork, medicinal plant uses were documented using a semi-quantitative approach and analysed using ethnopharmacological methods. The most important groups of illnesses treated with plants were gastrointestinal complaints and illnesses associated with pain and fever. Field data were compared with mostly unpublished historical data collected in the 1930s by the anthropologist Charles Wisdom. This comparison showed that medicinal plant uses that are more consistent over time are also shared by a larger number of people. A literature search on the most frequently mentioned medicinal plants showed that, even for widely used medicinal species, phytochemical and pharmacological data are insufficient for fully understanding their therapeutic profile. Whereas a few examples of potentially dangerous practices were encountered, the limited amount of information available mostly supports local medicinal plant usage.     

中国防己科轮环藤属药用植物资源利用研究

本文报道我国防己科7种轮环藤属药用植物的分布,生境及民间效用,10种异喹啉生物碱在各种轮环藤植物中的存在情况及总生物碱和2种活性成分的含量。研究结果表明,轮环藤属是寻找新箭毒植物资源的重要对象,可作为生产肌肉松弛剂的原料加以利用;为防己科化学分类提供了有价值的资料。     

Chemical constituents and biological applications of the genus Symplocos

The genus Symplocos has been reviewed for its chemical constituents and biological activities including traditional importance of some common species. The plants of this genus contain terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, phenols, steroids, alkaloids, and iridoids. Terpenoids are the major constituents within the genus Symplocos and most of them exhibit antiproliferative effects. Some phenolic glycoside derivatives showed inhibitory activity against snake-venom phosphodiesterase I and human nucleotide pyrophosphatase phosphodiesterase I. The members of genus Symplocos are well known for their traditional uses in the treatment of various diseases like leprosy, gynecological disorders, ulcers, leucorrhea, menorrhagia, malaria, and tumefaction. The aim of the present paper is to review the comprehensive knowledge of the plants of this genus including the traditional uses, chemistry, and pharmacology.     

Activity of Superoxide Dismutase and Catalase in Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) in Response to Carbendazim

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) is an annual herb, used as a spice and traditionally as medicine. Fenugreek finds its uses in treating hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia and disorders of gastro-intestinal and cardiovascular systems. Fenugreek cultivation in India is affected by fungal diseases like root-rot and damping-off and fungicides like carbendazim are used to overcome these infections. Fungicides play both positive and negative role in plants; fungicides protect plants from diseases and also exert oxidative stress simultaneously. This report is on the response of antioxidants, superoxide dismutase and catalase in fenugreek seeds and plants treated to different concentrations of carbendazim.     

Ethnobotanical Records of Drug Plants Described in Valmiki Ramayana and their Uses in the Ayurvedic System of Medicine

Medicinal plants described in Valmiki-Ramayana are enumerated. Lord Rama (Vishnu) traversed different parts of India, formerly named as Uttar Kand (Northern), Sundhara (the foot hills of Himalayas), Bala kand (Eastern), Ayodhya (Central India), Aranya Kand (forests of East, West, and South India), during his sojourn of fourteen years. Medicinal herbs which are mentioned during his travels are recorded. In those times, such plants were valued as life-savers, mitigating the ills of human beings. Fifty such drug plants have been listed with their uses as described in the Avurvedic (or native Indian) system of medicine.     

Chemical constituents and biological activities of Vietnamese medicinal plants

Every country has its own traditional medicine system originated from ancient times. Vietnam, a Southeast Asian country, has a unique traditional medicine system. Several medicinal plants are still used by different ethnic societies of Vietnam for treating several diseases due to their easy availability. Combretum quadrangulare, Panax vietnamensis (Vietnamese Ginseng), Dracaena angustifolia (Nam Ginseng) and Orthosiphon stamineus are among the popular medicinal plants used in Vietnamese traditional medicine for curing various diseases and to improve physical strength. In this review article, we discuss the chemical analysis as well as biological activities of these Vietnamese medicinal plants in order to establish the relation between their therapeutic uses and scientific findings.     

Ethnopharmacological study of herbal remedies used for the management of thyroid disorders in Algeria

Traditional medicine is gaining an increasing importance in diseases management. Besides, thyroid disease is one of the common endocrine disorders spreading at high frequency worldwide. The present work is an ethnopharmacological study aiming to identify, document and analyze aromatic and medicinal plants used in Algerian traditional medicines for thyroid disorders management. Semi-structured interviews with 120 herbalists and traditional practitioners and rural dwellers were realized in eleven locations in Algeria throughout field studies achieved from June 2017 to July 2019. Results reveal the use of 63 medicinal plants belonging to 59 genera and 34 families. The most represented botanical families were Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Apiaceae, Amaranthaceae and Asteraceae. However, the most cited plant species were Atriplex halimus L., Bunium incrassatum (Boiss.) Amo, Nigella sativa L., Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. and Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. These species are taken alone or in mixtures of two or more ingredients from different origins such as honey, olive oil, and goat milk. Our findings revealed new therapeutic uses of 60 medicinal plants that have not been previously reported for the treatment of thyroid in Algeria. This is the first study documenting the traditional uses based on herbal medicine for thyroid management in Algeria. Our findings are relevant in the search for novel drug discovery. Obviously, it is the time to increase effective scientific studies on mechanisms of action of these medicinal plants in order to validate their popular usages.     

人组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)基因在烟草基因组中的整合

为了建立转基因植物生产t-PA的新方法，制备了整合有t-PA基因的转基因烟草植株。通过将t-PA cDNA从质粒pGEM-tPA中切下并插入含有CaMV35S及潮霉素筛选 标记的双元载体pCAMBIA1302中，构建成植物表达载体pCA1302NS-tPA，再将重组载体转入农杆菌GV3101中，通过叶盘法转化烟草。对筛选所得的转化植株进行Southern鉴定显示t-PA基因已整合到烟草基因组中。     

Pharmaceutical ethnobotany in the Montseny biosphere reserve (Catalonia,Iberian Peninsula). General results and new or rarely reported medicinal plants

An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the massif of Montseny, which is situated in north-east Catalonia (Iberian Peninsula), covers 826 km(2) and has a population of 80 000. From 1993 to 2000 we interviewed 180 people and collected ethnobotanical information about 351 medicinal plants, with 4023 use-reports. Through comparison with a large set of studies, we detected 501 unreported or uncommon uses that corresponded to 201 plant species, 57 of which had never or very rarely been cited as medicinal or toxic. General results and key findings on the plant ethnopharmacology (number of medicinal plants, modes of consumption, types of illnesses treated) of this area are presented here, together with information on new or rarely reported medicinal plants.