Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 

About: Journal of Medicinal Plants Research is an academic journal published by Academic Journals. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): DPPH & Essential oil. It has an ISSN identifier of 1996-0875. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 3721 publications have been published receiving 66077 citations. The journal is also known as: JMPR.

Techniques for evaluation of medicinal plant products as antimicrobial agents: Current methods and future trends

Abstract: Certain plants products widely used in the traditional medicine system of India were studied for immunostimulant activity. In the present study, strong stimulation of antigen specific and non specific immunity was evidenced by increase in haemagglutinating antibody (HA) titre, plaque forming cells (PFC) and in macrophage migration index (MMI), in mice fed with 50% ethanolic extract of these plants. The observation provides scientific basis for wide spread use of these plant products which are likely to play a role in Indian traditional medicine as tonic for rejuvenation therapy and chronic ailments. Key words: Macrophage migration index, haemagglutinating antibody, immunostimulant.

Flavonoids and phenolic acids: Role and biochemical activity in plants and human

Abstract: Flavonoids and phenolic acids make up one of the most pervasive groups of plant phenolics. Due to their importance in plants and human health, it would be useful to have a better understanding of flavonoid concentration and biological activities that could indicate their potentials as therapeutic agents, and also for predicting and controlling the quality of medicinal herbs. Plants and herbs consumed by humans may contain thousands of different phenolic acid and flavonoid components. The effect of dietary phenolics is currently of great interest due to their antioxidative and possible anticarcinogenic activities. Phenolic acids and flavonoids also function as reducing agents, free radical scavengers, and quenchers of singlet oxygen formation. In addition, flavonoids and phenolic acids components play important roles in the control of cancer and other human diseases. Key words: Flavonoids, phenolic acids, biological activities, antioxidative, anticarcinogenic.

A review on trends in production of secondary metabolites from higher plants by in vitro tissue, organ and cell cultures.

Abstract: Plant cell and tissue cultures can be established routinely under sterile conditions from explants, such as plant leaves, stems, roots, meristems etc for both the ways for multiplication and extraction of secondary metabolites. Strain improvement, methods for the selection of high-producing cell lines, and medium optimizations can lead to an enhancement in secondary metabolite production. However, most often trials with plant cell cultures fail to produce the desired products. In such cases, strategies to improve the production of secondary metabolites must be considered. One of the main problems encountered is the lack of basic knowledge of the biosynthetic routes, and mechanisms responsible for the production of plant metabolites. Where the productivity of the desired metabolites is limited by the lack of particular precursors, biotransformation using an exogenous supply of biosynthetic precursors, genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering may improve the accumulation of compounds. Feedback inhibition of metabolic enzymes as well as inhibition of membrane transport can be eliminated by the accumulation of synthesized products in a second phase introduced into the aqueous medium. Organ cultures and in vitro biomass production often have sites of synthesis and storage of secondary metabolites in separate compartments. Elicitors, compounds triggering the formation of secondary metabolites, can be abiotic or biotic. Natural elicitors include polysaccharides such as pectin and chitosan, which are also used in the immobilization and permeabilization of plant cells. Immobilization with suitable bioreactor system provides several advantages, such as continuous process operation, but for the development of an immobilized plant cell culture process, natural or artifically induced secretion of the accumulated product into the surrounding medium is necessary. The present review highlights the nature, applications, perspective and scale up methods for the production of valuable secondary metabolites in vitro. Key words: Plant cell cultures, secondary metabolites, biotransformation, biosynthetic pathways, elicitation, immobilization, bioreactors.

Phytochemicals and uses of Moringa oleifera leaves in Ugandan rural communities.

Abstract: Moringa oleifera grown and used in many countries around the world is a multi-purpose tree with medicinal, nutritional and socio-economic values. In Senegal and Benin, M. oleifera leaves are dispensed as powder at health facilities to treat moderate malnutrition in children. It established the medicinal uses of M. oleiferaleaves by local communities in Uganda and identified phytochemicals present inM. oleifera leaves extracts. It used quantitative and experimental methods that established the uses, and identified phytochemicals in M. oleifera leaves. Employed serial extractions, using ether, ethanol and water as solvents. The phytochemicals were qualitatively identified using standard chemicals and standard outcomes. Twenty-four medicinal uses of M. oleifera leaves were established. Phytochemicals present included: tannins, steroids and triterponoids, flavonoids, saponins, anthraquinones, alkaloids and reducing sugars. The local communities in Uganda use M. oleifera leaves to treat common ailments. Presence of phytochemicals in the extracts, indicate possible preventive and curative property of M. oleifera leaves. There is need to standardize M. oleifera leaves use for nutrition and herbal medicine. Key words: Phytochemicals, medicinal plant extracts, herbal medicine, Uganda.

Studies on phytochemical constituents of six Malaysian medicinal plants

Abstract: Tannins, phlobatannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids distribution in six Malaysian medicinal plants, where each medicinal plant belongs to different families were examined and compared. The plants used areAzadirachta indica, Centella asiatica, Emblica officinalis, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Imperata cylindrica, and Moringa oleifera. Qualitative analysis carried out on each plant shows that tannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids and alkaloids were present in all the plants. Phlobatannins were found to be present in C. asiatica andM. oleifera only and were absent in the rest of the plants. Cardiac glycosides were present in A. indica, C. asiatica and I. cylindrica and found to be absent in E. officinalis, H. rosa-sinensis and M. oleifera. The significance of the phytochemical constituents with the respect to the role of these plants in traditional medicine treatment is discussed. Key words: Medicinal plants, traditional medicine, phytochemical constituents.