Showing papers on "Medicinal plants published in 2020"

Chemical Constituents and Pharmacological Activities of Garlic (Allium sativum L.): A Review.

Abstract: Medicinal plants have been used from ancient times for human healthcare as in the form of traditional medicines, spices, and other food components. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an aromatic herbaceous plant that is consumed worldwide as food and traditional remedy for various diseases. It has been reported to possess several biological properties including anticarcinogenic, antioxidant, antidiabetic, renoprotective, anti-atherosclerotic, antibacterial, antifungal, and antihypertensive activities in traditional medicines. A. sativum is rich in several sulfur-containing phytoconstituents such as alliin, allicin, ajoenes, vinyldithiins, and flavonoids such as quercetin. Extracts and isolated compounds of A. sativum have been evaluated for various biological activities including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antiprotozoal, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities among others. This review examines the phytochemical composition, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacological activities of A. sativum extracts as well as its main active constituent, allicin.

Qualitative tests for preliminary phytochemical screening: An overview

Abstract: Medicinal plants have been used in the treatment of various diseases as they possess potential pharmacological activities including antineoplastic, antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesics, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive, antidiarrheal and other activities. Phytoconstituents individually or in the combination, determine the therapeutic value of a medicinal plant. Alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, saponins, steroids, glycosides, terpenes etc. are some of the important phytochemicals with diverse biological activities. The pharmacological activity of a plant can be predicted by the identification of the phytochemicals. Currently, phytochemicals are determined by various modern techniques, but the conventional qualitative tests are still popular for the preliminary phytochemical screening of plants.

Bioactive Compounds in Anti-Diabetic Plants: From Herbal Medicine to Modern Drug Discovery

Abstract: Natural products, including organisms (plants, animals, or microorganisms) have been shown to possess health benefits for animals and humans. According to the estimation of the World Health Organization, in developing countries, 80% of the population has still depended on traditional medicines or folk medicines which are mostly prepared from the plant for prevention or treatment diseases. Traditional medicine from plant extracts has proved to be more affordable, clinically effective and relatively less adverse effects than modern drugs. Literature shows that the attention on the application of phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants in the pharmaceutical industry has increased significantly. Plant-derived secondary metabolites are small molecules or macromolecules biosynthesized in plants including steroids, alkaloids, phenolic, lignans, carbohydrates and glycosides, etc. that possess a diversity of biological properties beneficial to humans, such as their antiallergic, anticancer, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic and antioxidant activities Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease result of metabolic disorders in pancreas β-cells that have hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can be caused by a deficiency of insulin production by pancreatic (Type 1 diabetes mellitus) or insufficiency of insulin production in the face of insulin resistance (Type 2 diabetes mellitus). The current medications of diabetes mellitus focus on controlling and lowering blood glucose levels in the vessel to a normal level. However, most modern drugs have many side effects causing some serious medical problems during a period of treating. Therefore, traditional medicines have been used for a long time and play an important role as alternative medicines. Moreover, during the past few years, some of the new bioactive drugs isolated from plants showed antidiabetic activity with more efficacy than oral hypoglycemic agents used in clinical therapy. Traditional medicine performed a good clinical practice and is showing a bright future in the therapy of diabetes mellitus. World Health Organization has pointed out this prevention of diabetes and its complications is not only a major challenge for the future, but essential if health for all is to be attained. Therefore, this paper briefly reviews active compounds, and pharmacological effects of some popular plants which have been widely used in diabetic treatment. Morphological data from V-herb database of each species was also included for plant identification.

Aromatic herbs, medicinal plant-derived essential oils, and phytochemical extracts as potential therapies for coronaviruses: Future perspectives

Abstract: After its recent discovery in patients with serious pneumonia in Wuhan (China), the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), named also Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spread quickly Unfortunately, no drug or vaccine for treating human this coronavirus infection is available yet Numerous options for controlling or preventing emerging 2019-nCoV infections may be predicted, including vaccines, interferon therapies, and small-molecule drugs However, new interventions are likely to require months to years to develop In addition, most of the existing antiviral treatments frequently lead to the development of viral resistance combined with the problem of side effects, viral re-emergence, and viral dormancy The pharmaceutical industry is progressively targeting phytochemical extracts, medicinal plants, and aromatic herbs with the aim of identifying lead compounds, focusing principally on appropriate alternative antiviral drugs Spices, herbal medicines, essential oils (EOs), and distilled natural products provide a rich source of compounds for the discovery and production of novel antiviral drugs The determination of the antiviral mechanisms of these natural products has revealed how they interfere with the viral life cycle, ie, during viral entry, replication, assembly, or discharge, as well as virus-specific host targets Presently, there are no appropriate or approved drugs against CoVs, but some potential natural treatments and cures have been proposed Given the perseverance of the 2019-nCoV outbreak, this review paper will illustrate several of the potent antiviral chemical constituents extracted from medicinal and aromatic plants, natural products, and herbal medicines with recognized in vitro and in vivo effects, along with their structure–effect relationships As this review shows, numerous potentially valuable aromatic herbs and phytochemicals are awaiting assessment and exploitation for therapeutic use against genetically and functionally different virus families, including coronaviruses

Medicinal plants used in traditional management of cancer in Uganda: A review of ethnobotanical surveys, phytochemistry, and anticancer studies

Abstract: The burden of neoplastic diseases is a significant global health challenge accounting for thousands of deaths. In Uganda, about 32,617 cancer cases were reported in 2018, accompanied by 21,829 deaths. In a view to identify some potential anticancer plant candidates for possible drug development, the current study was designed to compile the inventory of plants with reported anticancer activity used in rural Uganda and the evidences supporting their use in cancer therapy. An electronic survey in multidisciplinary databases revealed that 29 plant species belonging to 28 genera distributed among 24 families have been reported to be used in the management of cancer in Uganda. Anticancer plants were majorly from the families Bignoniaceae (7%), Caricaceae (7%), Fabaceae (7%), Moraceae (7%), and Rutaceae (7%). Most species occur in the wild (52%), though some are cultivated (48%). The growth habit of the plants is as trees (55%) or herbs (45%). Anticancer extracts are usually prepared from leaves (29%), bark (24%), roots (21%), and fruits (13%) through decoctions (53%), as food spices (23%) or pounded to produce ointments that are applied topically (10%). Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, Opuntia species, Albizia coriaria (Welw. ex Oliver), Daucus carota L., Cyperus alatus (Nees) F. Muell., Markhamia lutea (Benth.) K. Schum., and Oxalis corniculata L. were the most frequently encountered species. As per global reports, Allium sativum L., Annona muricata L., Carica papaya L., Moringa oleifera Lam., Opuntia species, Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman, and Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. are the most studied species, with the latter having vincristine and vinblastine anticancer drugs developed from it. Prostate, cervical, breast, and skin cancers are the top traditionally treated malignancies. There is a need to isolate and evaluate the anticancer potential of the bioactive compounds in the unstudied claimed plants, such as Cyperus alatus (Nees) F. Muell., Ficus dawei Hutch., Ficus natalensis Hochst., and Lovoa trichilioides Harms, and elucidate their mechanism of anticancer activity.

In silico studies reveal potential antiviral activity of phytochemicals from medicinal plants for the treatment of COVID-19 infection

Abstract: The spread of COVID-19 across continents has led to a global health emergency. COVID-19 disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has affected nearly all the continents with around 1.52 million confirmed cases worldwide. Currently only a few regimes have been suggested to fight the infection and no specific antiviral agent or vaccine is available. Repurposing of the existing drugs or use of natural products are the fastest options available for the treatment. The present study is aimed at employing computational approaches to screen phytochemicals from the medicinal plants targeting the proteins of SARS-CoV2 for identification of antiviral therapeutics. The study focuses on three target proteins important in the life cycle of SARS-CoV-2 namely Spike (S) glycoprotein, main protease (Mpro) and RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp). Molecular docking was performed to screen phytochemicals in medicinal plants to determine their feasibility as potential inhibitors of these target viral proteins. Of the 30 plant phytochemicals screened, Silybin, an active constituent found in Silybum marianum exhibited higher binding affinity with targets in SARS-CoV-2 in comparison to currently used repurposed drugs against SARS-CoV-2. Withaferin A from Withania somnifera also showed significant binding to the targets proteins. In addition, phytochemicals from Tinospora cordiofolia and Aloe barbadensis displayed good binding energetics with the target proteins in SARS-CoV-2. These results provide a basis for the use of traditional medicinal plants as alternative lines of treatment for COVID-19 infection.

Medicinal plants used for the prevention purposes during the Covid-19 pandemic in Morocco

Abstract: COVID-19 was first reported in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, and has since spread extensively in worldwide. The World Health Organization recognized this disease as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. During this pandemic, Moroccan population used several medicinal plants for the prevention purposes. The current work focuses on the study of the most medicinal plants used during this pandemic in Morocco. In early March 2020, preliminary information was obtained through interviews with herbalists. In response to the progression of the Covid - 19 epidemic, Moroccan's state of health emergency came into effect 20 March 2020 . For this reason, survey data was collected with a Google Form . The participants were selected because of their knowledge of the use of medicinal plants. During this study, we identified a total of 23 medicinal plant species belonging to 11 botanical families used during the Covid - 19 pandemic . The most important families were that of the Lamiaceae, Cupressaceae and Zingiberaceae. The most used plants were Allium Sativum, Olea europaea, Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Thymus maroccanus, Eucalyptus globules, Foeniculum vulgare, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Phoenix dactylifera, Rosmarinus officinalis, Thymus satureioides, Mentha pulegium and Pimpinella anisum. Information on the biological effects and on the most abundant secondary metabolites in the 23 plants was given. According to several studies the majority of these plants are used to treat many respiratory diseases causing symptoms and signs similar to coronavirus symptoms. These plants have innumerable benefits because of the diversity of the secondary metabolites which they contain. The majority of these compounds, especially essential oils, are well known for their positive biological effects on respiratory functions. But some plants may contain toxic substances which can cause various overdose intoxications and disorders.

Vascular Epiphytic Medicinal Plants as Sources of Therapeutic Agents: Their Ethnopharmacological Uses, Chemical Composition, and Biological Activities.

Abstract: This is an extensive review on epiphytic plants that have been used traditionally as medicines. It provides information on 185 epiphytes and their traditional medicinal uses, regions where Indigenous people use the plants, parts of the plants used as medicines and their preparation, and their reported phytochemical properties and pharmacological properties aligned with their traditional uses. These epiphytic medicinal plants are able to produce a range of secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, and a total of 842 phytochemicals have been identified to date. As many as 71 epiphytic medicinal plants were studied for their biological activities, showing promising pharmacological activities, including as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer agents. There are several species that were not investigated for their activities and are worthy of exploration. These epipythes have the potential to furnish drug lead compounds, especially for treating cancers, and thus warrant indepth investigations.

Antimicrobial Importance of Medicinal Plants in Nigeria.

Abstract: Despite the success of antibiotic discovery, infectious diseases remain the second leading source of death worldwide, while the resistance to antibiotics is among the significant problems in the twenty-first century. Medicinal plants are very rich in phytochemicals which can be structurally optimized and processed into new drugs. Nigeria enjoys a diverse collection of medicinal plants, and joint research has ascertained the efficacy of these plants. Plants such as guava (Psidium guajava), ginger (Zingiber officinale), neem (Azadirachta indica), and moringa (Moringa oleifera) have been found to exhibit broad range of antimicrobial activities. Studies on Nigerian plants have shown that they contain alkaloids, polyphenols, terpenes, glycosides, and others with possible therapeutic potentials. The antimicrobial activities of some new compounds such as alloeudesmenol, hanocokinoside, orosunol, and 8-demethylorosunol, identified from medicinal plants in Nigeria, are not yet explored. Further investigation and optimization of these compounds will facilitate the development of new sets of pharmacologically acceptable antimicrobial agents. This review study revealed the efficacy of medicinal plants as an alternative therapy in combating and curtailing the development and survival of multidrug-resistant pathogens coupled with the toxic effects of some antibiotics. Due to enormous therapeutic possibilities buried in medicinal plants, there is a need for more research into unique fingerprints and novel compounds that can provide cure to the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) of humans and animals facing Africa, especially Nigeria.

Plants in the management of male infertility.

Abstract: This review attempts to collate existing data and provide the perspectives for future studies on the effects of plants on the male gonads. For many of these medicinal plants such as Lepidium meyenii, Rupus coreanus, Tribulus terrestres, Panax ginseng, Petasites japonicas, Apium graveolens, Eurycoma longifolia, Pedalium murex, Corchorus depressus, Mucuna pruriens, Astragalus membranaceus, Nigella sativa, Crataegus monogyna, Fagara tessmannii, Phaleria macrocarpa, Anacyclus pyrethrum, Cynomorium songaricum and Morinda officinalis, the mechanism of actions of their active principles and crude extracts has been shown in both laboratory animals, in vitro, and human studies, and includes their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, spermatogenesis-inducing, aphrodisiac, smooth muscle relaxing and androgenic properties. Several active chemical leads including glucosinolates, anthocyanins, protodioscin, ginsenosides, sesquiterpenes, phyto-oestrogens, quassinoids, diosgenin, thymoquinone, proanthocyanidins and bajijiasu isolated from these plants are known to have target effects on the testis, but efforts have been limited in their application at the clinical level. There still appear to be many more extracts of medicinal plants that have not been characterised to determine the phytochemicals unique to them that have target effects on the gonads. Further, collaborative efforts at isolating pro-drug candidates from medicinal plants for studies at the molecular, cellular and clinical level towards elucidating their mechanisms of action on the testes are therefore warranted in the light of the current male fertility crisis.

Ethnobotany, ethnopharmacology, and phytochemistry of traditional medicinal plants used in the management of symptoms of tuberculosis in East Africa: a systematic review

Abstract: Many studies on the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) using herbal medicines have been undertaken in recent decades in East Africa. The details, however, are highly fragmented. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the reported medicinal plants used to manage TB symptoms, and to analyze scientific reports on their effectiveness and safety. A comprehensive literature search was performed in the major electronic databases regarding medicinal plants used in the management of TB in East Africa. A total of 44 reports were retrieved, and data were collected on various aspects of the medicinal plants such as botanical name, family, local names, part(s) used, method of preparation, efficacy, toxicity, and phytochemistry. The data were summarized into percentages and frequencies which were presented as tables and graphs. A total of 195 species of plants belonging to 68 families and 144 genera were identified. Most encountered species were from Fabaceae (42.6%), Lamiaceae (19.1%), Asteraceae (16.2%), and Euphorbiaceae (14.7%) families. Only 36 medicinal plants (18.5%) have been screened for antimycobacterial activity. Out of these, 31 (86.1%) were reported to be bioactive with minimum inhibitory concentrations ranging from 47 to 12,500 μg/ml. Most tested plant extracts were found to have acceptable acute toxicity profiles with cytotoxic concentrations on normal mammalian cells greater than 200 μg/ml. The most commonly reported phytochemicals were flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, saponins, cardiac glycosides, and phenols. Only Tetradenia riparia, Warburgia ugandensis, and Zanthoxylum leprieurii have further undergone isolation and characterization of the pure bioactive compounds. East Africa has a rich diversity of medicinal plants that have been reported to be effective in the management of symptoms of TB. More validation studies are required to promote the discovery of antimycobacterial drugs and to provide evidence for standardization of herbal medicine use.

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in Ballakayati (Erbil, North Iraq)

Abstract: This study aims to identify wild plants used for medical purposes by local people of the Ballakayati district of Erbil in North Iraq, and to determine the local names and uses of those plants. The study was carried out for approximately 3 years between 2016 and 2018. During this period of time, 85 plant specimens were collected. Demographic characteristics of the participants, names of the local plants, used parts of these plants and their preparation methods were investigated and recorded. In the literature analysis of the plants used in this study, 85 plants were found to be used for medicinal purposes while 3 plants were not found in the literature records. Local plant names differ due to local dialects in North Iraq. Locals benefit from the wild plants growing in their districts. In this area, it was found that locals use 85 plants from 38 families for curative purposes. The medicinal plants were used for the treatment of many diseases, mostly for the treatment of a cold, shortness of breath, and heart and gastrointestinal diseases. It was determined that the plants we identified in this study were used directly or as infusion or decoction. The most considerable medicinal plants were Mentha longifolia L. L. subsp. noeana Briq. Briq. UV:0.38 , Urtica dioica L. UV:0.38 . Furthermore, plants used for medicinal purposes are dried and stored for using them in winter. The medicinal use of Rhaponticum repens L. Hidalgo and Tanacetum polycephalum Sch.Bip. subsp. argyrophyllum K.Koch Podlech. that we found in this area were recorded for the first time. Different use of those plants were observed in this study.

Medicinal plants with anti-mutagenic potential

Abstract: This review presents an overview of published studies for a better understanding of the anti-mutagenic potential of medicinal plants and the precise indications for the utilization of natural compo...

Ethnomedicinal knowledge of a marginal hill community of Central Himalaya: Diversity, usage pattern and conservation concerns

Abstract: Indigenous communities use wild plants to cure human ailments since ancient times; such knowledge has significant potential for formulating new drugs and administering future health care. Considering this, the present study was undertaken to assess use value, diversity, and conservation concerns of medicinal plants used in traditional herbal care system of a marginal hill community in Bageshwar district of Uttarakhand in the Central Himalayan region of India. Extensive surveys were made in 73 villages to gather information on the ethnomedicinal use of plant species used in the traditional herbal healing system. A total of 100 respondents were identified (30 herbal healers called Vaidyas and 70 non-healers/natives) and interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires, target interviews, and group discussion. Some important indices such as the use-value index (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC), cultural importance index (CI), and informant consensus factor (Fic) were calculated for the medicinal plants included in the present study. It was recorded that the community uses a total of 70 species with 64 genera and 35 families for curing various ailments. Family Lamiaceae recorded the maximum number of medicinal plants. Twenty-one species used most extensively in the traditional health care system. The major parts of the identified plants used for the treatment of various ailments were root/rhizome and leaf. The most common methods used for the preparation of these plants were decoction and infusion. Ocimum basilicum L., Cannabis sativa L., Citrus aurantifolia (Christm) Sw., Curcuma longa L., and Setaria italica L. had the highest rate of use report. RFC value ranged between 0.03 and 0.91 with highest values for Setaria italica, Zingiber officinale, Ocimum basilicum, and Raphanus sativus. The traditional knowledge is passed verbally to generations and needs to be preserved for the future bio-prospecting of plants that could be a potential cure to any future disease. In recent years, the community has access to modern hospitals and medicinal facilities, although a considerable number still prefer medicinal plants for curing select ailments. It is suggested that these ethnomedicinal species need to be screened and evaluated further for their effectiveness for pharmacological activity. Also, significant efforts are required to conserve traditional knowledge and natural habitats of wild medicinal plants.

A study on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in the chloroformic and methanolic extracts of 6 important medicinal plants collected from North of Iran.

Abstract: As possible sources of natural bioactive molecules, the plant essential oils and extracts have been used globally in new antimicrobial compounds, food preservatives, and alternatives to treat infectious disease. In this research, the antimicrobial activities of chloroformic and methanolic extracts of Sophora flavescens, Rhaponticum repens, Alhagi maurorum, Melia azedarach, Peganum harmala, and Juncus conglomeratus were evaluated against 8 bacteria (S. aureus, B. subtilis, R. toxicus, P. aeruginosa, E. coli, P. syringae, X. campestris, P. viridiflava) and 3 fungi (Pyricularia oryzae, Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea), through disc diffusion method. Furthermore, the essential oils of plants with the highest antibacterial activity were analyzed utilizing GC/MS. Moreover, the tested plants were exposed to screening for possible antioxidant effect utilizing DPPH test, guaiacol peroxidas, and catalase enzymes. Besides, the amount of total phenol and flavonoid of these plants was measured. Among the tested plants, methanolic and chloroformic extracts of P. harmala fruits showed the highest antibacterial activity against the tested bacteria. Besides, the investigation of free radical scavenging effects of the tested plants indicated the highest DPPH, protein, guaiacol peroxidase, and catalase in P. harmala, M. azedarach, J. conglomeratus fruits, and J. conglomeratus fruits, respectively. In addition, the phytochemical analysis demonstrated the greatest amounts of total phenolic and flavonoid compositions in J. conglomeratus and P. harmala, respectively. The results indicated that these plants could act as a promising antimicrobial agent, due to their short killing time.

Medicinal Plants as Potential Hemostatic Agents.

Abstract: Purpose Medicinal plants with a variety of phytochemical ingredients remain a potential source for new drug discovery. The use of medicinal herbs in a wide range of diseases and symptoms, such as bleeding, is prevalent in traditional and ethno medicine worldwide. Thus, this work provides a comprehensive review of medicinal plants or their isolated compounds, with respect to their ethno-medicinal use, which have demonstrated the stimulating effect on the hemostasis process. Methods The relevant studies were withdrawn from electronic databases including Pubmed, EMBASE and Web of Science with a structured search methodology. Results The total of 17 medicinal plants with hemostatic activity were extracted. The most frequently studied plant families were Compositae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, and Asteraceae. Bioactive compounds exerting hemostatic activity included tannins, iridoid glycosides, glycoconjugate, lignan, saponins and phenolic compounds. The most attributed mechanisms include coagulation stimulation via increasing the factor XII activity and plasma fibrinogen levels, the fibrinolysis inhibition, vascular or smooth muscle constriction and platelet aggregation. The most important adverse effects of high dose extract or isolated compounds administration were hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Conclusion This review provides a list of medicinal plants with hemostatic activity that could be used as valuable sources of new plant-based hemostatic agents. Furthermore, this could be practical in detecting possible interactions of plants with anticoagulant, antiplatelet, fibrinolytic and antifibrinolytic medications.

Natural Products as Sources of Antimalarial Drugs: Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Studies.

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological Relevance. Malaria is one of the lethal diseases of man, contributing to about 17 million deaths annually, leading to sociocultural, economic, and health influences. Aim of the Study. The study explores the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological appraisal of antimalarial plants used by people of Omu Aran, Ogbomoso, Ado Ekiti, and Sagamu communities in Nigeria. Materials and Methods. For this study, relevant information was procured from the inhabitants via a structured questionnaire to procure the general knowledge of antimalarial medicinal plants. Results and Discussion. A total of 90 interviewees (44 men and 46 women) were involved in this survey. A total of 59 medicinal species were identified, which were dispersed in 33 families (Asteraceae (6), Apocynaceae (5), Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Fabaceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae, Poaceae, and Rubiaceae (3 each), Phyllanthaceae (2)) totaling 49% of the cited species. The most cited plants are Azadirachta indica (42), Mangifera indica (38), Carica papaya (28), Cymbopogon citratus (27), Cassia fistula (15), Morinda lucida (14), Anacardium occidentale and Vernonia amygdalina (13 each), Helianthus annuus (11), Enantia chlorantha (10), and Moringa oleifera (9) A total of 105 citations were recorded for the plant parts used (leaf (46), bark (17), fruits (9), root (9), latex (11), stem (11), and inflorescence (2)) while decoction (59%), maceration (25%), infusion (9%), and exudation (7%) were the methods of preparation. Use Values (UVs) of 0.47 to 0.11 were recorded for the frequently used antimalarial plants. The Efficiency Levels (ELs) of 11 different medicinal plants stated by the respondents were Azadirachta indica, Cassia fistula and Morinda lucida (12), Chromolaena odorata (10), Mangifera indica, Enantia chlorantha and Helianthus annuus (8), Cymbopogon citratus (7), Gossypium arboretum (4), Landolphia dulcis (3), and Aloe vera (2) Cocos nucifera, Curcuma longa, Forkia biglobosa, and Musa acuminate are mentioned for the first time in the study area with little or no reported antiplasmodial activities. Conclusion. The study appraised the commonly used antimalarial plants in the study areas. Therefore, commitment to scientifically explore the bioactive compounds, antimalarial potential and toxicological profile of these plants is inevitable as they could lead to novel natural products for effective malaria therapy.

The Herbal Drugs

Abstract: Since time immemorial, plants and its products have been the source of many conventional systems of medicine, throughout the world, and continue to supply mankind with novel remedies. The uses of herbal drugs can be dated since the existence of human civilization and have been the pillar of modern system of medicine. It has been used in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, and other traditional systems of medicine for the deterrence of various diseases and ailments and to support healing and health. Many herbs have already been explored for their potential efficacy such as anticancerous, antifungal, antibacterial, antimalarial, antioxidant, antiaging, anti-acne, and antidiabetic activities. The conventional herbs including Aloe vera, Allium sativum, Centella asiatica, Lawsonia inermis, Phyllanthus emblica, Tamarindus indica, Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, etc., were classified to need special attention. Further, considerable researches on pharmacognosy, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, clinical therapeutics, and drug development have already been carried out on Ayurvedic medicinal plants, and this will remain an important source of drug development.

Preliminary Antimicrobial Profile of Solanum incanum L.: A Common Medicinal Plant.

Abstract: Medicinal plants and plant remedies have been in use in Ethiopia for centuries. Studies on ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, and ethnoveterinary estimate that nearly 80% of Ethiopians use some type of medicinal plants and plant remedies. Medicinal plants are regarded as the most important and sometimes the only source of therapeutics in the country. Some 800 plant species are used as sources of medicine to treat about 300 physical and mental disorders. However, because these plant species are not adequately studied, there is a big limitation in their documentation, profiling, and management. Moreover, there is a continuous loss of knowledge about medicinal plants because the communities and people are adopting new lifestyles. Hence, this article reports the finding of a study aimed at providing the gross phytochemical characteristics and antimicrobial activities of ethanol and aqueous extracts of fruit, leaf, and stem of Solanum incanum L. against two Gram-negative (Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhi) and two Gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria for developing gross antimicrobial profile of the plant. Phytochemical screening of fruit, leaf, and stem extracts of S. incanum has shown that it is the source of alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, glycosides, terpenoids, and steroids. According to agar disc-diffusion tests, 100 mg/mL extracts of the plant produced bacterial growth inhibition zones of 0.00 to 16.06 mm. Ethanol and aqueous leaf extracts produced inhibition zones ranging from 11.34 to 16.06 mm against all bacterial species. The greatest inhibition zone of 16.06 mm was recorded in E. coli subjected to ethanol leaf extract. The same extract resulted in a growth inhibition zone of 16.04 mm in S. aureus. The greatest growth inhibition zones in B. subtilis (13.34 mm) and S. typhi (11.56 mm) were observed with ethanol leaf and fruit extracts, respectively. Aqueous leaf extracts produced growth inhibition zones ranging from 10.45 mm (for S. typhi) to 14.02 mm (for E. coli). Ethanol leaf extracts resulted in the lowest Minimum Inhibition Concentration (MIC) of 1.56 mg/mL in E. coli and S. aureus. Therefore, fruits, leaves, and stems of S. incanum can be regarded as good sources of some bioactive compounds. The findings are important for taking measures for conservation and sustainable use of the plant as well as for further elucidation of its phytochemistry and antimicrobial efficacy of its constituents.

The Potential of Flavonoids and Tannins from Medicinal Plants as Anticancer Agents.

Abstract: The tendency of using herbs extracts or natural compounds extracted from herbs for preventing or treating different illnesses, including cancer, continues to be an alternative to drug use. Many studies of plant compounds aimed at finding substances with selective cytotoxicity on abnormal cells. Phenolic compounds, as important secondary metabolites from plants, are one of them. In this review, the recent literature data from the past five years about anticancer/antitumor effect of flavonoids and tannins extracted from medicinal plants are surveyed. The cytostatic/antitumor effects of the individual compounds extracted from plants and/or of the plants' polyphenolic extracts are considered, in order to point out the most significant constituents or plants with anticancer potential. The most important results concerning these compounds and their derivatives in cancer prevention and treatment, the importance of their chemical structure, their mechanism of action in vitro and in vivo, and some bioavailability aspects are discussed.

Transgenic Medicinal Plants

Abstract: Comprising 26 chapters, this volume deals with the genetic transformation of medicinal plants. It describes methods to obtain plants resistant to insects, diseases, herbicides, and plants with an increased production of compounds of medicinal and pharmaceutical importance. The plant species included are Ajuga reptans, Anthemis nobilis, Astragalus spp., Atropa belladonna, Catharanthus roseus, Datura spp., Duboisia species, Fagopyrum spp., Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Lobelia spp., Papaver somniferum, Panax ginseng, Peganum harmala, Perezia spp., Pimpinella anisum, Phyllanthus niruri, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Scoparia dulcis, Scutellaria baicalesis, Serratula tinctoria, Solanum aculeatissimum, Solanum commersonii, Swainsona galegifolia, tobacco, and Vinca minor. This book is of special interest to advanced students, teachers, and researchers in the field of pharmacy, plant tissue culture, phytochemistry, molecular biology, biomedical engineering, and plant biotechnology in general.

A review article: The importance of the major groups of plants secondary metabolism phenols, alkaloids, and terpenes

Abstract: Medicinal plants may be considered as a rich source of abroad diversity secondary constituents which may be utilized for developing and progress the drugs. Medicinal plants are an important to the health of human and community. They include medicine application such as antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-viral activities and other. Important identification and knowledge this constituent for preparation various drugs. Secondary Metabolism may be divvied to major groups: phenols, alkaloids, and terpenes. Phenolic compounds have an important role in medicine, act as antioxidant, and have protective properties from diverse disease. Medicinal utilized plants containing alkaloids from a long history, first alkaloids were separated in the 19th century, and they directly study their application in medical practice. Various alkaloids are still utilized as drugs against various sicknesses. Terpenoids are a group of secondary constituents that present in approximately every natural diet, terpenoids actually utilized in medicine application. This review aims to provide the interest to discover new bioactive constituents from plants which have pharmaceuticals and medicine application.

Can medicinal plants contribute to the cure of Tunisian COVID-19 patients?

Abstract: The recourse to the medicinal plants in treating flu is frequent in Tunisia. In fact, Tunisian patients have been attracted by using medicinal plants as an informal way to treat COVID-19 illness. A questionnaire concerning the use of medicinal plants has been proposed to seven COVID-19 patients. Results showed that 16 medicinal plants, namely Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Camelia sinensis, Capsicum annum,Cinnamomum zeylanicum, Citrus limon, Citrus sinensis,Eucalyptus globulus, Mentha spicata, Nigella sativa, Rosmarinus officinalis, Syzygium aromaticum, Thymus capitatus, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Verbena officinalis and Zingiber officinale, have been used by COVID-19 patients for their antiviral activities due to the presence of various complex chemical substances as organosulfur compounds, phenols, flavonoids, saponins, triterpenoids, sterols, vitamins, monoterpenes, phenylpropanoids and alkaloids.Other medications (Zithromax and paracetamol) and other natural substances (honey, zinc, vitamin C and vitamin D) were simultaneously used with medicinal plants to treat COVID-19 illness establishing for these patients an important solution to solve the problems related to COVID-19.

Antiplasmodial and Cytotoxic Activities of Extracts of Selected Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Malaria in Embu County, Kenya.

Abstract: Malaria is a deadly disease caused by a protozoan parasite whose mode of transmission is through a female Anopheles mosquito. It affects persons of all ages; however, pregnant mothers, young children, and the elderly suffer the most due to their dwindled immune state. The currently prescribed antimalarial drugs have been associated with adverse side effects ranging from intolerance to toxicity. Furthermore, the costs associated with conventional approach of managing malaria are arguably high especially for persons living in low-income countries, hence the need for alternative and complementary approaches. Medicinal plants offer a viable alternative because of their few associated side effects, are arguably cheaper, and are easily accessible. Based on the fact that studies involving antimalarial medicinal plants as potential sources of efficacious and cost-effective pharmacotherapies are far between, this research was designed to investigate antiplasmodial and cytotoxic activities of organic and aqueous extracts of selected plants used by Embu traditional medicine practitioners to treat malaria. The studied plants included Erythrina abyssinica (stem bark), Schkuhria pinnata (whole plant), Sterculia africana (stem bark), Terminalia brownii (leaves), Zanthoxylum chalybeum (leaves), Leonotis mollissima (leaves), Carissa edulis (leaves), Tithonia diversifolia (leaves and flowers), and Senna didymobotrya (leaves and pods). In vitro antiplasmodial activity studies of organic and water extracts were carried out against chloroquine-sensitive (D6) and chloroquine-resistance (W2) strains of Plasmodium falciparum. In vivo antiplasmodial studies were done by Peter’s four-day suppression test to test for their in vivo antimalarial activity against P. berghei. Finally, cytotoxic effects and safety of the studied plant extracts were evaluated using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) rapid calorimetric assay technique. The water and methanolic extracts of T. brownii and S. africana and dichloromethane extracts of E. abyssinica, S. pinnata, and T. diversifolia leaves revealed high in vitro antiplasmodial activities ( ). Further, moderate in vivo antimalarial activities were observed for water and methanolic extracts of L. mollissima and S. africana and for dichloromethane extracts of E. abyssinica and T. diversifolia leaves. In this study, aqueous extracts of T. brownii and S. africana demonstrated high antiplasmodial activity and high selectivity indices values ( ) and were found to be safe. It was concluded that T. brownii and S. africana aqueous extracts were potent antiplasmodial agents. Further focused studies geared towards isolation of active constituents and determination of in vivo toxicities to ascertain their safety are warranted.