The discovery of new pharmaceutical identities, particularly anti-infective agents, represents an urgent need due to the increase in immunocompromised patients and the ineffectiveness/toxicity of the drugs currently used. The scientific community has recognized in the last decades the importance of the plant kingdom as a huge source of novel molecules which could act against different type of infections or illness. However, the great diversity of plant species makes it difficult to select them with probabilities of success, adding to the fact that existing information is difficult to find, it is atomized or disordered. Persicaria and Polygonum constitute two of the main representatives of the Polygonaceae family, which have been extensively used in traditional medicine worldwide. Important and structurally diverse bioactive compounds have been isolated from these genera of wild plants; among them, sesquiterpenes and flavonoids should be remarked. In this article, we firstly mention all the species reported with pharmacological use and their geographical distribution. Moreover, a number of tables which summarize an update detailing the type of natural product (extract or isolated compound), applied doses, displayed bioassays and the results obtained for the main bioactivities of these genera cited in the literature during the past 40 years. Antimicrobial, antioxidant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, anticancer, antiviral, antiparasitic, anti-diabetic, antipyretic, hepatoprotective, diuretic, gastroprotective and neuropharmacological activities were explored and reviewed in this work, concluding that both genera could be the source for upcoming molecules to treat different human diseases.

An Update on Phytochemicals and Pharmacological Activities of the Genus Persicaria and Polygonum

Pharmacognostic Standardization of an Ethnomedicinal Aquatic Herb, Monochoria hastata (L.) Solms for its Antibacterial Potentiality

Most of the synthetic drugs used at present as analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents cause many side effects and toxic effects. Many medicines of plant origin with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity have been used since long time without adverse effects. The purpose of the study was to explore the anti-pyretic and anti-oxidant activity of fruits of Garcinia pedunculata. The fruit of G. pedunculatawas collected from Shillong, Meghalaya and extraction is done by using methanol as a solvent. The methanol extract shows the presence of carbohydrate, glycoside, alkaloids, phenol and flavonoids. Acute anti-pyretic activity for the extract was investigated in pyrexia rat. Temperature level was determined after 1hours, 4 hours, 8 hours and 12 hours after giving the extract dose of 100mg/kg and200mg/kg body weight, and it was found to produce a significant reduce in fever. DPPH radical scavenging activity (In-vitro anti-oxidant activity of G. pedunculata) of methanolic extract shows 38.31 as IC50 (µg/ml) whereas Ascorbic acid as standard in the same concentration shows34.81 IC50 (µg/ml). The obtained result justified the traditional use of G. pedunculata as anti-pyretic and antioxidant purpose. 
  
 

Evaluation of Anti-Oxidant and Anti-Pyretic Activity of Fruit of Garcenia Padunculata

This review reveals that some plants and their part used having anti-fertility action, which are helpful for researcher to develop new herbal anti-fertility formulations. In the recent years, interest in drugs of plant origin has been progressively increased. The aim of this review is to highlight the work on anti-fertility of plant origin. We undertook an extensive bibliographic review by analysing peer reviewed papers, and further consulting well accepted worldwide scientific databases. Peer reviewed articles were gathered consulting the databases NISCAIR, SCOPUS, PUBMED and Google scholar using terms such as “antifertility”, “anti-implantation”, and “antispermatogenic” activity of plants. Plants, including their parts and extracts, that have traditionally been used to facilitate antifertility have been considered as antifertility agents. In this paper, various medicinal plants have been reviewed for thorough studies such as Aegle marmelos, Chenopodium ambrosioides, Jatropha gossypifolia, Leonotis ocymifolia. For women who can't use modern forms of contraception due to adverse effect or other reasons, therefore herbs can offer alternatives and reducing fertility would be better than other contraceptives. This review creates a solid foundation upon which to further study the efficacy of plants that are both currently used by women as traditional antifertility medicines, but also could be efficacious as an antifertility agent with additional research and study.

Medicinal Plants Exhibiting Antifertility Activity: A Review

Pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical screening of leave of Polygonum muricatum

Polygonum muricatum is widely used by the local people of Meghalaya for anthelmintics. An attempt has been made to evaluate the pharmacognostical, preliminary phytochemical and pharmacological parameters of leaves of Polygonum muricatum. The physicochemical constants like moisture content, ash values such as total ash, acid insoluble ash and water soluble ash, extractive values such as water soluble extractive value and alcohol soluble extractive value were determined. The extract obtained by successive solvent extraction was subjected to preliminary phytochemical analysis to find out the presence of compounds. The plant Polygonum muricatum leaves were extracted with the solvent benzene, acetone, ethanol and water by soxhlet apparatus method. The extract was evaluated for anthelmintic activity with Indian earthworm. Ethanol extract of the plant Polygonum muricatum has shown the significant activity.

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Everlasting Khongmalai

Papers

Pharmacognostical and preliminary phytochemical screening of leave of Polygonum muricatum

Pharmacognostical, phytochemical and anthelmintic activity of Polygonum muricatum