Inventory of plants used in traditional medicine in Somalia. I. Plants of the families Acanthaceae-Chenopodiaceae.

Thirty-eight plants are listed, which are used by traditional healers in the central and southern parts of Somalia. For each species are listed: the botanical name with synonyms, collection number, vernacular name, medicinal use, preparation of remedy and dosage. Results of a literature survey are also reported including medicinal use, substances isolated and pharmacological effects.     

Inventory of plants used in traditional medicine in Tanzania. Part III. Plants of the families Papilionaceae-Vitaceae

Forty-six plants are listed, which are used by traditional healers in the northeastern part of Tanzania. For each species are given: the botanical name with synonyms; vernacular name; collection number; locality; habitus; approximate distribution and medical use. Results of a literature survey are also reported, including medical use, isolated constituents and pharmacological effects.     

Inventory of plants used in traditional medicine in Tanzania. II. Plants of the families Dilleniaceae--Opiliaceae

Forty five plants are listed, which are used by traditional healers in the northeastern part of Tanzania. For each species are given: the botanical name with synonyms, vernacular name, collection number, locality, habitus, approximate distribution and medical use. Results of a literature survey are also reported, including medical use, isolated constituents and pharmacological effects.     

Inventory of plants used in traditional medicine in Tanzania. I. Plants of the families acanthaceae-cucurbitaceae

Sixty-two plants are listed, which are used by traditional healers in the northeastern part of Tanzania. For each species are given: the botanical name with synonyms, vernacular name, collection number, locality, habitus, approximate distribution, and medical use. Results of a literature survey are also reported, including medical use, isolated constituents and pharmacological effects.     

Plants used in traditional medicine in eastern Tanzania. III. Angiosperms (Euphorbiaceae to Menispermaceae)

Seventy-seven Angiosperms (Euphorbiaceae to Menispermaceae) are listed, which are used by traditional healers in five regions of Eastern Tanzania; namely, Coast, Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, Morogoro and Tanga. For each species listed, the botanical name, vernacular name, collection number, locality, habit, distribution and medicinal uses are given. Additionally, information from the literature on medicinal uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological effects is also provided.     

Antifungal activity of Paraguayan plants used in traditional medicine

The antifungal activity of aqueous, dichloromethane and methanol extracts from 14 Paraguayan plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of skin diseases was assayed in vitro by the agar disk diffusion method against 11 fungal strains comprising several filamentous fungi and yeasts. Among them, the dichloromethane extracts of Acanthospermum australe, Calycophyllum multiflorum, Geophila repens and Tabebuia avellanedae, as well as the aqueous and methanol extracts of the latter, showed the highest activity.     

Anthelmintic screening of Sub-Saharan African plants used in traditional medicine

Aim of study

This study screened for anthelmintic activity of plant species traditionally used in the treatment of intestinal parasites and their symptoms in Sub-Saharan Africa in an effort to confirm their local use and aid in the search for new compounds since resistance is a growing concern.

Materials and methods

Aqueous and organic extracts of 33 plant parts from 17 plant species traditionally used in the treatment of intestinal infections in Sub-Saharan Africa were evaluated for their anthelmintic activity. This activity was assessed using a standard motility assay against a levamisole resistant strain of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Results and conclusions

Anthelmintic activity was confirmed in 12 plant species. Of these, eight showed strong evidence of activity (p < 0.0001), one exhibited moderate evidence of activity (p < 0.001), three demonstrated weak evidence of activity (p < 0.05), and five plants showed no evidence of activity. The eight species with the strongest evidence of activity were Acacia polyacantha, Anogeissus leiocarpus, Bridelia micrantha, Cassia sieberiana, Combretum nigricans, Grewia bicolor, Strychnos spinosa and Ziziphus mucronata. In only two cases, Anogeissus leiocarpus and Cassia sieberiana, anthelmintic activity has been previously confirmed. The activity demonstrated against the levamisole resistant strain of Caenorhabditis elegans and the presence of molecules in these plants known or suspected of having a broad spectrum of activity provide support for further study of these plants and their compounds as possible treatments for parasitic worm infections.     

Screening for cytotoxic activity of plants used in traditional medicine

A total of 260 extracts have been prepared from 75 medicinal plant species collected in Africa, Panama and Mauritius. Three different concentrations of each extract have been screened in vitro for cytotoxic activity using a colorimetric assay to determine cell survival of human colon carcinoma Co115 cells. Fifteen plants showed ED50 values between 10.0 and 1.0 micrograms/ml but more significant activities were obtained in 11 (ED50 range 1.0-0.1 micrograms/ml) and 3 (ED50 range 0.1-0.01 micrograms/ml) plant specimens. Identification of new active substances may well be aided by pre-selecting plants known to be used empirically by traditional healers.     

Antileishmanial activities associated with plants used in the Malian traditional medicine

Sixty-four extracts issued from twenty-one plants used in the Malian traditional medicine--several of them as antiparasitic drugs--were assayed for their antileishmanial effects against both extracellular and intracellular forms of Leishmania major. Seven extracts from six different plants--Sarcocephalus latifolius, Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, Entada africana, Bobgunnia madagascarensis, Pseudocedrela kotschyi and Psorospermum guineense--were found to be significantly active against the intracellular form of the parasite.     

Toxicity of medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in Northern Peru

Ethnopharmacological relevance

The plant species reported here are traditionally used in Northern Peru for a wide range of illnesses. Most remedies are prepared as ethanol or aqueous extracts and then ingested. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential toxicity of these extracts.

Materials and methods

The toxicity of ethanolic and water extracts of 341 plant species was determined using a brine-shrimp assay.

Results

Overall 24% of the species in water extract and 76% of the species in alcoholic extract showed elevated toxicity levels to brine-shrimp. Although in most cases multiple extracts of the same species showed very similar toxicity values, in some cases the toxicity of different extracts of the same species varied from non-toxic to highly toxic.

Conclusions

Traditional preparation methods take different toxicity levels in aqueous and ethanol extracts into account when choosing the appropriate solvent for the preparation of a remedy.     

Antimalarial activity of four plants used in traditional medicine in Mali

Mitragyna inermis (De Willd.) O. Kuntze Rubiaceae, Nauclea latifolia (Sm.) Rubiaceae, Glinus oppositofolius (Linn) Molluginaceae and Trichilia roka (Forsk.) Chiv. Meliaceae were investigated for their in vitro antimalarial activity. Leaves, roots and stem barks were submitted to aqueous, hydromethano and chloroform extractions and antimalarial activity was evaluated by microscopic and flow cytometric analysis. The results present evidence that the alkaloids contained in chloroform extracts and ursolic acid, purified from the hydromethanol extract of M. inermis induced a significant decrease of parasite proliferation. However, aqueous extracts, traditionally used for medication did not show high antimalarial activity. Statistical comparison between microscopic and cytometric analysis demonstrated the validity of this new technique for the screening of active antimalarial compounds isolated from plants.     

Antimicrobial activity of extracts of herbal plants used in the traditional medicine of Jordan.

Petroleum ether, ethanol, butanol, and aqueous crude extracts of the whole aerial parts of nine plants exhibited variable degrees of antimicrobial activity against four bacterial and three fungal species. Methanol and hexane extracts did not show any activity. Compared with standard antibiotics, extracts had low to moderate activity. The activity spectrum is wide against gram-positive and negative bacteria as well as fungi tested. However, the butanol extracts at 4 mg/disc of Ononis spinosa (OS), Bryonia syriaca (BS) had high moderate antifungal activity against Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium moniliforme and Candida albicans relative to miconazole nitrate at 40 microg/disc. Furthermore, higher antibacterial activity was observed though low to moderate compared with streptomycin and very comparable with chloramphenicol. Cyclaman persicum (CP) petroleum ether extracts only exhibited pronounced antibacterial activity.     

In vitro antimicrobial activity of plants used in Cambodian traditional medicine

The purpose of the present study was to screen 27 plant species used in the traditional medicine of Cambodia for in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities. Thirty-three methanolic extracts were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium smegmatis and Candida albicans. Screened by disk diffusion assay, the extracts showed antimicrobial activity especially on Gram-positive bacteria. None of the crude methanolic extracts showed activity against P. aeruginosa. Twenty-five selected extracts were evaluated using a micro-dilution test. Harrisonia perforata (roots) and Hymenodictyon excelsum (bark) exhibited a bactericidal effect against S. aureus at a concentration of 500 microg/ml. Azadirachta indica (bark), Harrisonia perforata (roots and stem) and Shorea obtusa (roots) exhibited a bactericidal effect against M. smegmatis at 250 microg/ml.     

Plants used as remedies antirheumatic and antineuralgic in the traditional medicine of Lebanon

Aim of the study

In the present investigation, ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological research of the traditional use of plants to cure antirheumatic and antineuralgic diseases was carried out in Lebanon.

Materials and methods

The information was collected from different cities and villages of the twenty-six districts “aqdya or qadaa” of the six governorates “mohaafazah” of Lebanon. The knowledge on the medicinal use of plants has been recorded directly on the basis of a detailed survey on herbalists “Attarin or dabbous”, folk healers, on older experienced people and midwives “daye”. This research was carried out for 5 years (2002–2007).

Results and conclusions

In this survey, 231 species of which 5 are endemic, distributed in 79 botanical families, currently used as antirheumatic herbal remedies, were collected and identified. Among them 53.3% are indigenous, 19.2% are cultivated and 17.5% are imported. Their latin names, local names, local medicinal uses, the used parts of the plant and the preparations and the ways of administration are described. The anti-inflammatory properties due to the plant compounds have been demonstrated and discussed.     

Antiinflammatory and antioxidant activity of plants used in traditional medicine in Ecuador

Ethanolic extracts from 15 plant species, representing eight different families, used in traditional medicine in Ecuador were evaluated for antiinflammatory and antioxidant activities. Conyza floribunda, Eupatorium articulatum, Bonafousia longituba, Bonafousia sananho, Tagetes pusilla and Piper lenticellosum extracts showed a significant antiinflammatory activity in vivo in the carrageenan-induced paw oedema model in mice. The extracts were also tested in vitro for their ability to inhibit lipid peroxidation and to scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. E. articulatum extract possesses both activities. Baccharis trinervis, E. articulatum and Phytolacca rivinoides extracts were active as antioxidants.     

Toxicity studies on six plants used in the traditional Arab system of medicine

Toxicity studies were done on six plants used in the traditional Arab system of medicine, namely: Aloe vera, Ammi majus, Areca catachu, Citrullus colocynthis, Cuminum cyminum and Zizyphus spina-christi. During acute toxicity tests, observations were made for 24 h while the animals were treated for 3 months in chronic treatment. External morphological changes, visceral toxicity, haematological changes, and spermatogenic dysfunction, besides effects on average body weight and vital organ weight, were recorded. In the acute toxicity test, C. colocynthis showed a dose dependent toxic effect. On chronic treatment, per cent lethality was found to be significant in A. catachu, A. vera and C. colocynthis treated groups where haematological changes were also observed. The spermatogenic dysfunction was significant in A. vera and C. colocynthis treated animals. C. cyminum and Z. spina-christi on the other hand, reduced sperm abnormalities.     

Antileishmanial and antifungal activity of plants used in traditional medicine in Brazil

The antileishmanial and antifungal activity of 24 methanol extracts from 20 plants, all of them used in the Brazilian traditional medicine for the treatment of several infectious and inflammatory disorders, were evaluated against promastigotes forms of two species of Leishmania (L. amazonensis and L. chagasi) and two yeasts (Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans). Among the 20 tested methanolic extracts, those of Vernonia polyanthes was the most active against L. amazonensis (IC(50) of 4 microg/ml), those of Ocimum gratissimum exhibited the best activity against L. chagasi (IC(50) of 71 microg/ml). Concerning antifungical activity, Schinus terebintifolius, O. gratissimum, Cajanus cajan, and Piper aduncum extracts were the most active against C. albicans (MIC of 1.25 mg/ml) whereas Bixa orellana, O. gratissimum and Syzygium cumini exhibited the best activity against C. neoformans (MIC of 0.078 mg/ml).     

Chemical studies on Mexican plants used in traditional medicine, III: New 4-phenylcoumarins from Exostema caribaeum

Investigation of the MeOH extract of Exostema caribaeum (Rubiaceae) led to the isolation of three new 4-phenylcoumarins. Their structures, 5-O-beta-D-galactosyl-7-methoxy-3',4'-dihydroxy-4-phenylcoumarin [1a] 7,4',5'-trihydroxy-4-phenyl-5,2'-oxidocoumarin [2a] and 7,4'-dimethoxy-5'-hydroxy-4-phenyl-5,2'-oxido-coumarin [3a] were elucidated by spectral methods and chemical transformations. It was also demonstrated that 4-phenylcoumarins undergo oxidative cyclization under basic conditions in the presence of air to give 4-phenyl-5,2'-oxido-coumarins.