Book•
Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants
01 Jan 1956-
About: The article was published on 1956-01-01 and is currently open access. It has received 5524 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Glossary.
Citations
More filters
01 Sep 2011
TL;DR: This review focuses on the detailed phytochemical composition and medicinal uses along with pharmacological properties of different parts of Z. armatum.
Abstract: Zanthoxylum armatum DC. (Family ─ Rutaceace), also known as Toothache tree occupies an important place in the history of Indian system of medicines. It is used as carminative, stomachic and anthelmintic and in the treatment of toothache. It contains volatile oil with active constituents such as linalool, limonene and lignan. Various studies indicated that it possesses antilarvicidal, antifungal, hepatoprotective and allelopathic properties. This review focuses on the detailed phytochemical composition and medicinal uses along with pharmacological properties of different parts of Z. armatum .
73 citations
TL;DR: The research revealed a deep-rooted and widespread habit of husbanding the family's resources and the values for the upper Molise region are lower than those of many Spanish areas, perhaps (and not only) because of the more rapid cultural erosion experienced in Italy.
Abstract: In the years 2003–2005 research was carried out concerning ethno-medicine in the high Molise (central- southern Italy), a region that has been the object of very little investigation from the ethnobotanical point of view. Upper Molise is a continuation of the mountain profiles of the Abruzzi Appenines: a series of hills, steep slopes and deep fluvial valleys making communications difficult. Primordial traditions (e.g. harvest feasts) are typical of the region. Field data were collected through open interviews in the field. These were conducted on both an individual and group level, fresh plants gathered from surrounding areas being displayed. In other cases, individual interviews were conducted by accompanying the person involved to the places where they perform their activities (for example, in the woods with woodcutters, kitchen gardens and fields with housewives, pastures with shepherds, etc.). In total 54 individuals were interviewed. Data of 70 taxa belonging to 39 families were gathered. Among the species, 64 are used in human therapy, 5 as insect repellents, 11 in veterinary medicine, 1 to keep eggs and cheeses and 4 for magic purposes. The most important findings in ethno-medicine relate to the lichen Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. (wounds) and to some vascular plant species: Asplenium trichomanes L. and Ceterach officinarum Willd. (to regularize menstruation), Cyclamen hederifolium (chilblains), Centaurium erythraea Rafn. and Pulmonaria apennina Cristof. & Puppi (bruises), while in the ethno-veterinary field, we have Valeriana officinalis L. (wounds sustained by mules). Also worthy of note, given the isolation of the area, is the number of plants used to protect foodstuffs from parasites, among which Allium sativum L. and Capsicum frutescens L. The research revealed a deep-rooted and widespread habit of husbanding the family's resources. Whilst isolation and snowfalls contributed to the widespread knowledge of means of conserving foodstuffs, they also led to the use of products easily available within each home. The values of E.I. (ethnobotanicity index) for the upper Molise region are considered amongst the highest in Italian areas. Nevertheless, like the values for other areas of Italy, they are lower than those of many Spanish areas, perhaps (and not only) because of the more rapid cultural erosion experienced in Italy.
73 citations
TL;DR: Results suggest that aqueous extract of the bark of Terminalia arjuna might possess a protective role against NaF-induced hepatic and renal oxidative damages, probably via its antioxidant properties.
Abstract: Fluoride is an environmental and industrial pollutant. It has already been reported that the accumulation of fluoride can alter the activities of some enzymes involved in the free-radical metabolism and also decrease the activities of some enzymes involved in the antioxidant defense system. In the present study, we have investigated the antioxidative properties of aqueous extract of the bark of Terminalia arjuna (TA) on sodium fluoride (NaF) induced oxidative damages in the livers and kidneys of Swiss albino mice. The mice were treated with 600 ppm NaF for one week in drinking water and the activities of antioxidant enzymes, like superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and the levels of non-protein thiol, reduced glutathione (GSH), along with lipid peroxidation in the liver and kidney, were determined. Fluoride administration significantly altered the levels of all of the factors compared to that of normal mice. Dose- and time-dependent studies suggest that the aqueous extract of the bark of TA showed optimum protective activity against NaF-induced oxidative damages at a dose of 40 mg/kg body weight for 10 days. Oral administration of the extract for the specified dose and time followed by NaF treatment (600 ppm) normalized the levels of the hepatic and renal antioxidant enzymes, GSH, and lipid peroxidation significantly to almost normal levels. The effects of a known antioxidant, vitamin E, and a non-relevant agent, bovine serum albumin (BSA), have also been included in the study. In addition, TA extract has been found to possess radical scavenging activity. Combining all of the data, the results suggest that TA might possess a protective role against NaF-induced hepatic and renal oxidative damages, probably via its antioxidant properties.
73 citations
01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: Clinical trials and animal research support the therapeutic use of ashwaganda for anxiety, cognitive and neurological disorders, inflammation, and Parkinson’s disease, and its chemopreventive properties make it a potentially useful adjunct for the patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy.
Abstract: Withania somnifera is a medicinal plant extends over a large area, from the Atlantic ocean to South East Asia and from the Mediterranean region to South Africa. The medicinal plants are widely used by the traditional medical practitioners for curing various diseases in their day to day practice. In traditional systems of medicine, different parts (leaves, stem, flower, root, seeds, bark and even whole plant) of Withania somnifera (known as Ashwagandha in Hindi), a small herb seen throughout India, have been recommended for the treatment of aphrodisiac, liver tonic, antiinflammatory agent, astringent, and more recently to treat bronchitis, asthma, ulcers, emaciation, insomnia, and senile dementia etc. Clinical trials and animal research support the therapeutic use of ashwaganda for anxiety, cognitive and neurological disorders, inflammation, and Parkinson’s disease. Ashwaganda’s chemopreventive properties make it a potentially useful adjunct for the patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. Ashwaganda is also used therapeutically as an adaptogen for patients with nervous exhaustion, insomnia, and debility due to stress, and as an immune stimulant in patients with low white blood cell counts in blood. The major biochemical constituents of ashwaganda root are steroidal alkaloids and steroidal lactones in a class of constituents called withanolides.
73 citations
TL;DR: A significant increase in the life span and a decrease in the cancer cell number and tumour weight were noted in the tumour-induced mice after treatment with REWS, suggestive of the protective effect of REWS in Dalton's Ascitic Lymphoma.
73 citations