Ethnic uses, pharmacological and phytochemical profile of genus Grewia

A number of species of genus Grewia have been used as medicinal agents to treat several diseases. This review based on 45 literary sources discusses the current knowledge of traditional uses, chemistry, biological effects, and toxicity of different species of this genus. Triterpenoids, steroids, glycosides, flavones, lignans, phenolics, alkaloids, lactones, anthocyanins, flavones, and organic acids have been isolated from various species of this genus. The extracts and preparations from the various plants, which are expectantly safe, exhibited various biological effects, e.g. anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-emetic, anti-malarial, analgesic, and anti-pyretic activities.     

A review on phytochemistry and medicinal properties of the genus Achillea

Achillea L. (Compositae or Asteraceae) is a widely distributed medicinal plant throughout the world and has been used since ancient time. Popular indications of the several species of this genus include treatment of wounds, bleedings, headache, inflammation, pains, spasmodic diseases, flatulence and dyspepsia. Phytochemical investigations of Achillea species have revealed that many components from this genus are highly bioactive. There are many reports on the mentioned folk and traditional effects. Although, the medicinal properties of Achillea plants are recognized worldwide, there are only one review article mainly about the structures of the phytochemical constituents of Achillea. The present paper reviews the medicinal properties of various species of Achillea, which have been examined on the basis of the scientific in vitro, in vivo or clinical evaluations. Various effects of these plants may be due to the presence of a broad range of secondary active metabolites such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, coumarins, terpenoids (monoterpenes, sesquiterpenes, diterpenes, triterpenes) and sterols which have been frequently reported from Achillea species.     

Studies on the molecular markers of rhizomes of some Alpinia species

The rhizomes of Alpinia jianganfeng are used as a traditional Chinese medicine, Jian Gan Feng, to cure rheumatism in Guangdong, China. The rhizomes of some other species of the genus Alpinia such as A. japonica, A. suishaensis and A. nanchuanensis are also used as Jian Gan Feng in Southwest China. However, the identification of the original plants of the crude drugs is difficult. The internal transcribed spacers and the 5.8S coding region of nuclear ribosomal DNA of the four species were sequenced and analyzed. The DNA markers have been determined and they can be used for the molecular identification of these medicinal plants.     

Ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicine studies: some experiences from Asia

Ethnobotany, as a research field of science, has been widely used for the documentation of indigenous knowledge on the use of plants and for providing an inventory of useful plants from local flora in Asian countries. Plants that are used for traditional herbal medicine in different countries are an important part of these studies. However, in some countries in recent years, ethnobotanical studies have been used for the discovery of new drugs and new drug development. In general, experiences gained from ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies in China and Himalayan countries have helped drug production and new drug development. At the same time, in many cases, over-harvesting, degradation of medical plants, and loss of traditional medical knowledge in local communities are common problems in these resource areas. Issues of indigenous knowledge, intellectual property rights, and uncontrolled transboundary trade in medicinal plants occur frequently in the region. This paper discusses ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies, in reference to experiences from China and Himalayan countries, with an emphasis on the conservation of traditional medical knowledge and medical plant resources.     

Traditional remedies for fertility regulation

Plants have been used worldwide for treatment of various human ailments since antiquity. Their use is still quite prevalent in developing countries in the form of traditional/folkloric system of medicine. Intensive chemical and pharmacological studies on traditional/folkloric medicinal plants during the last 5 decades have led to the validation of traditional claims in many cases and facilitated identification of their active principles. The active principles have provided leads in the development of several life saving drugs, which are in clinical use today. A large number of these plants are used for birth control in different countries. The present review has, therefore, been planned to provide an account of the investigations carried out on traditional/folkloric plants used for fertility regulation. The status of scientific validations of their anti-fertility potential and identification of active principles during the last 28 years are discussed. The literature survey shows that approximately 318 different plants are in traditional/folkloric use worldwide, of which 227 plants are of Indian origin. So far, 74 plants have been screened for their anti-fertility potential, 48 of them have been found to be effective. Active principles of about 15 plants have been identified during the period under review.     

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.     

香薷属植物的传统应用,化学与药理学研究进展（英文）

本文对20种产于中国的唇形科香薷属植物的化学成分、药理活性与传统应用进行了综述和比较。据文献报道,这些植物大部分用于治疗呼吸道和胃肠道的功能失调。另外,部分植物还具有抗菌、抗炎、解热镇痛和心肌缺血保护作用。从这些植物分离得到的挥发油和黄酮通常被认为是植物药理作用的物质基础。     

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.     

Current regulatory challenges and approaches in the registration of herbal drugs in Europe

Herbal medicines have formed the basis of healthcare worldwide since the earliest times and are still widely used. Recognition of their clinical, pharmaceutical, and economic value is still growing, although this varies widely between countries. Legislative controls in respect of medicinal plants have not evolved around a structured control model. There are different ways in which countries define medicinal plants or herbs or products derived from them, and countries have adopted various approaches to licensing, dispensing, manufacturing, and trading to ensure their safety, quality, and efficacy. The legal situation regarding herbal preparations varies from country to country. A critical problem in the evaluation of herbal drug products is the fact that they are complex mixtures of constituents and the constituents responsible for the therapeutics effects are unknown, which also complicates the stability of these products. A detailed literature survey of the current regulatory challenges and approaches in the registration of herbal drugs in Europe was performed to identify recently introduced changes in regulations or newly introduced regulations compliant with the regulatory bodies.     

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.     

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.     

Pharmacological activities of water extracts ofUmbelliferae plants

In order to evaluate the pharmacological activities of Chinese medicine, nine Umbelliferae plants were selected and their restoring activity against dexamethasone-induced disorders, liver protective activity, antimicrobial activity, anti-inflammatory activity and antimutagenic activity were tested and compared. Angelica dahurica. Angelica acutiloba and Ostericum koreanum showed various activities in these tests at the dose used in this study.     

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.     

Influence of traditional Chinese anti-inflammatory medicinal plants on leukocyte and platelet functions

The enzymes 5-lipoxygenase and elastase are therapeutic targets in dermatological disorders such as psoriasis. Fifteen extracts from traditional Chinese medicinal plants used to treat topical inflammations were screened for their inhibitory effect on lipoxygenase, cyclooxygenase and elastase activity in intact leukocytes and platelets. Astragalus membranaceus, Forsythia suspensa and Poria cocos inhibited 5-lipoxygenase, with IC50 values of 141, 80 and 141 microg mL(-1), respectively. The latter two species, along with Angelica dahurica and Angelica pubescens, also inhibited elastase (IC50 values of 80, 123, 68 and 93 microg mL(-1), respectively), while A. pubescens, Atractylodes macrocephala, Lentinus edodes, Rehmannia glutinosa and Paeonia lactiflora selectively inhibited 12-(S)-HHTrE production, a valid marker of cyclooxygenase activity. The inhibition of phospholipase A(2) activity by P. cocos is discussed. Dehydrotumulosic and pachymic acids, which have been isolated from P. cocos, were shown to inhibit leukotriene B(4) release. The results indicate that both P. cocos and F. suspensa are potentially valuable species in the management of skin pathologies involving chronic inflammation.     

Mutagenic and Antimutagenic Activities in Philippine Medicinal and Food Plants

Abstract

In developing countries there is increasing interest and research in the area of herbal medicines as an approach to reducing costs of health care. The chemically complex nature of these medicinal preparations results in a significant increased risk of toxicity, including genotoxicity. A total of 138 medicinal plant preparations used in the Philippines have been examined for genotoxicity using various short term bacterial and mammalian tests. Of the plants examined only the following 12 exhibited detectable genotoxicity in any system: Alli um sativum L., Aloe barbadensis Miller, Archangelisa flava (L.) Merr., Canarium luzonicum (Blume) A. Gray, Capsicum frutescens L., Entada phaseoliodes (L.) Merr., Moringa oleifera K., Nfrium indicum Mill., Piper betle L., Pithecellobium dulce (Roxb) Benth., Pittosporum pentandrum (Blanco) Merr., and Plantaqo major L. Little is known about the chemical nature of the mutagenic agents in these preparations.

Some plants also contain substances which reduce genotoxicity either by acting directly on the mutagen (desmutagens) or by acting on the affected organism (antimutagens). Examination of Philippine food and medicinal plants has identified numerous plants which contain antimutagenic activity. The chemical nature of the antimutagens has not been established but it has been speculated that part of the activity could be related to the vitamin content.     

Ethnoveterinary uses of medicinal plants: A survey of plants used in the ethnoveterinary control of gastro-intestinal parasites of goats in the Eastern Cape Province,South Africa

Conventional drugs have become expensive and therefore unaffordable to resource-limited farmers, causing farmers to seek low cost alternatives, such as use of medicinal plants. In this study, a survey was conducted in order to document information on medicinal plants used by farmers in the control of internal parasites in goats in the Eastern Cape Province. Structured questionnaires and general conversation were used to collect the information from farmers and herbalists. The survey revealed 28 plant species from 20 families that are commonly used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal parasites in goats. The plant family Asphodelaceae was frequent in usage, comprising 21.4% of the plants, and the Aloe was the most utilized species (50%). Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts (45.9%), and decoctions constituted the majority of medicinal preparations (70%). Medicinal plants are generally used in combination with other plants, and/or non-plant substances, but a few plants are used on their own. These medicinal plant remedies are administered orally, mainly by use of bottles and this is done twice in summer at intervals of one month, only once in winter and when need arises thereafter. Some of the mentioned plants have been reported in literature to possess anthelmintic properties, while others possess activities ranging from anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, purgative, anti-edema to immuno-regulation. If their safety and efficacy could be confirmed, these plants could form an alternative cost effective strategy in managing helminthiasis in the province.     

当归属植物传统药用、香豆素类成分及药理毒理学研究进展

当归属作为伞形科中的一个属，全世界已发现约110种。多种当归属植物作为传统药用植物，具有祛风除湿、补血活血的药用价值。香豆素类成分作为当归属植物的主要有效成分之一，是发挥疗效的主要药效物质基础。因此，本文系统的综述了当归属植物传统药用、香豆素类化学成分、药理活性和毒理学等方面研究进展，分析当归属的研究现状，为今后当归属植物的开发利用与进一步的研究提供科学依据和方向。     

A review of chemistry and biological activities of the genus Aerva--a desert plant

There are approximately 28 species of Aerva genus, but only a few species are medicinal of which A. persica, A. lanata and A. javanica are of great value. A number of flavonol glycosides (e.g., aervanone, kaempferol-3-galactoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-β-D-glucoside) have been reported from Aerva persica as major phytoconstituents and the minor constituents are β-cyanins (glycine betaine and trigonelline), sterols and carbohydrates. This plant is used as medicinal herb in several traditional systems of medicine all over the world, like diuretic, demulcent, purgative, emetic and tinder. Aerva plants are used to cure ulcer, lithiasis, dropsical affections, eye affection, toothache, headache, in disorders of abdomen and inflammation of internal organs. Roots and flowers are reported to possess hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anthelmintic, analgesic, antimalarial, antivenin activities and medicinal properties against rheumatism and kidney troubles.