Plant species have long been used as principal ingredients of traditional medicine in far-west Nepal. The medicinal plants with ethnomedicinal values are currently being screened for their therapeutic potential but their data and information are inadequately compared and analyzed with the Ayurveda and the phytochemical findings. The present study evaluated ethnomedicinal plants and their uses following literature review, comparison, field observations, and analysis. Comparison was made against earlier standard literature of medicinal plants and ethnomedicine of the same area, the common uses of the Ayurveda and the latest common phytochemical findings. The field study for primary data collection was carried out from 2006-2008. The herbal medicine in far-west Nepal is the basis of treatment of most illness through traditional knowledge. The medicine is made available via ancient, natural health care practices such as tribal lore, home herbal remedy, and the Baidhya, Ayurveda and Amchi systems. The traditional herbal medicine has not only survived but also thrived in the trans-cultural environment with its intermixture of ethnic traditions and beliefs. The present assessment showed that traditional herbal medicine has flourished in rural areas where modern medicine is parsimoniously accessed because of the high cost and long travel time to health center. Of the 48 Nepalese medicinal plants assessed in the present communication, about half of the species showed affinity with the common uses of the Ayurveda, earlier studies and the latest phytochemical findings. The folk uses of Acacia catechu for cold and cough, Aconitum spicatum as an analgesic, Aesculus indica for joint pain, Andrographis paniculata for fever, Anisomeles indica for urinary affections, Azadirachta indica for fever, Euphorbia hirta for asthma, Taxus wallichiana for tumor control, and Tinospora sinensis for diabetes are consistent with the latest pharmacological findings, common Ayurvedic and earlier uses. Although traditional herbal medicine is only a primary means of health care in far-west Nepal, the medicine has been pursued indigenously with complementing pharmacology and the Ayurveda. Therefore, further pharmacological evaluation of traditional herbal medicine deserves more attention.

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Traditional herbal medicine in Far-west Nepal: a pharmacological appraisal

Methanol extracts from the leaves, stems and roots of Mentha piperita and Lantana camara were investigated for their anthelmintic activity against Pheritima posthuma . Each extract was studied in the bioassay at 20 mg/ml, which involved determination of time of paralysis and time of death of the worms. Both the extracts of both plants exhibited considerable anthelmintic activities, and the order of sensitivity of the extracts to the worms was stems > roots > leaves for the M. piperita and stems > leaves >roots for the L. camara . The methanol extracts of stems of both M. piperita and L. camar a were found to be the most active. Albendazole (20 mg/ml) and distilled water were included in the assay as standard reference drug and control, respectively. Key words: Mentha piperita, Lantana camara, Pheritima posthuma, In vitro anthelmintic activity. 

Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. Vol.5(1-2) 2006

The full text is of this article is available at the Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. website

http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sunil_Nirmal/publication/259458348_Anthelmintic_activity_of_various_parts_of_Mentha_piperita_L/links/00b4953c50d6a20b6e000000.pdf

Comparative In vitro Anthelmintic Activity of Mentha piperita and Lantana camara from Western India

Objective : To evaluate the antibacterial and antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Evolvulus nummularius (L) L. Materials and Methods : Disc diffusion and broth serial dilution tests were used to determine the antibacterial activity of the methanol extract against two Gram-positive bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilus NCIM 2718, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923) and three Gram-negative bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 70063 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922). The methanol extract was subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis. Free radical scavenging activity of the methanol extract at different concentrations was determined with 2, 2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Results : The susceptible organisms to the methanol extract were Escherichia coli (MIC=12.50 mg/ml) and Bacillus subtilus (MIC=3.125 mg/ml) and the most resistant strains were Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The methanol extracts exhibited radical scavenging activity with IC50 of 350 μg/ml. Conclusion : The results from the study show that methanol extract of E.nummularius has antibacterial activity. The antioxidant activity may be attributed to the presence of tannins, flavonoids and triterpenoids in the methanol extract. The antibacterial and antioxidant activity exhibited by the methanol extract can be corroborated to the usage of this plant in Indian folk medicine.

Antibacterial and antioxidant activity of methanol extract of Evolvulus nummularius.

The study was designed to evaluate the anthelmintic activity of hydroalcoholic extract of leaves of Alocasia indica Linn. (Araceae) and its two different fractions namely petroleum ether and ethyl acetate using Pheretima posthuma as test worms. Different concentrations (10, 25 and 50 mg/ml) of hydroalcoholic extract and its various fractions were tested in the bioassay, from which time of paralysis (P) and time of death (D) of the worms were determined. Piperazine citrate was used as standard reference and distilled water as control. All the extracts were found not only to paralyze (Vermifuge) but also to kill the earthworms (Vermicidal). The hydroalcoholic extract was found to be more effective to execute the earthworm at higher concentration of 50 mg/ml, as compared to standard reference Piperazine citrate. Further, systematic scientific studies are essential for screening different activities.

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Anthelmintic activity of leaves of Alocasia indica Linn.

Petroleum ether (60-80 0 C), chloroform, methanolic and aqueous extracts of the root of Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. were evaluated separately for antimicrobial and anthelmintic activities. All the extracts were tested against certain Gram positive and Gram negative organisms by well diffusion method. In the methodology, azithromycin and DMSO were used as standard and control respectively. Significant antimicrobial activity was observed for both methanolic and aqueous extracts at the concentration of 20 mg/ml against all the tested organisms. Anthelmintic activity on adult Indian earthworms Pheritima posthuma using piperazine citrate as reference standard was carried out and the results indicated that the chloroform and methanolic extracts were more potent than the petroleum ether extract.

Screening of Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Root for Antimicrobial and Anthelmintic activities

Anthelmintic activity of Evolvulus nummularius

Abstract Glioblastoma is the most lethal form of brain tumor with a recurrence rate of almost 90% and a survival time of only 15 months post-diagnosis. It is a highly heterogeneous, aggressive, and extensively studied tumor. Multiple studies have proposed therapeutic approaches to mitigate or improve the survival for patients with glioblastoma. In this article, we review the loss of the 5′-methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) gene as a potential therapeutic approach for treating glioblastoma. MTAP encodes a metabolic enzyme required for the metabolism of polyamines and purines leading to DNA synthesis. Multiple studies have explored the loss of this gene and have shown its relevance as a therapeutic approach to glioblastoma tumor mitigation; however, other studies show that the loss of MTAP does not have a major impact on the course of the disease. This article reviews the contrasting findings of MTAP loss with regard to mitigating the effects of glioblastoma, and also focuses on multiple aspects of MTAP loss in glioblastoma by providing insights into the known findings and some of the unexplored areas of this field where new approaches can be imagined for novel glioblastoma therapeutics. 

/pdf/mtap-loss-a-possible-therapeutic-approach-for-glioblastoma-3b4pxwa8.pdf

MTAP loss: a possible therapeutic approach for glioblastoma

Chordomas are rare slow growing tumors, arising from embryonic remnants of notochord with a close predilection for the axial skeleton. Recurrence is common and no effective standard medical therapy exists. Thymidylate synthase (TS), an intracellular enzyme, is a key rate-limiting enzyme of DNA biosynthesis and repair which is primarily active in proliferating and metabolically active cells. Eighty-four percent of chordoma samples had loss of TS expression which may predict response to anti-folates. Pemetrexed suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting enzymes involved in folate metabolism, resulting in decreased availability of thymidine which is necessary for DNA synthesis. Pemetrexed inhibited growth in a preclinical mouse xenograft model of human chordoma. We report three cases of metastatic chordoma that had been heavily treated previously with a variety of standard therapies with poor response. In two cases, pemetrexed was added and objective responses were observed on imaging with one patient on continuous treatment for > 2 years with continued shrinkage. One case demonstrated tumor growth after treatment with pemetrexed. The two cases which had a favorable response had a loss of TS expression, whereas the one case with progressive disease had TS present. These results demonstrate the activity of pemetrexed in recurrent chordoma and warrant a prospective clinical trial which is ongoing (NCT03955042). 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-34404-4.pdf

Activity of pemetrexed in pre-clinical chordoma models and humans

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear ultrafiltrate of blood that envelopes and protects the central nervous system while regulating neuronal function through the maintenance of interstitial fluid homeostasis in the brain. Due to its anatomic location and physiological functions, the CSF can provide a reliable source of biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment monitoring of different neurological diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and primary and secondary brain malignancies. The incorporation of CSF biomarkers into the drug discovery and development can improve the efficiency of drug development and increase the chances of success. This review aims to consolidate the current use of CSF biomarkers in clinical practice and explore future perspectives for the field.

C. P. Patro

Papers

Anthelmintic activity of Evolvulus nummularius

MTAP loss: a possible therapeutic approach for glioblastoma

Activity of pemetrexed in pre-clinical chordoma models and humans

Exploring the role of cerebrospinal fluid as analyte in neurologic disorders