Medicinal plants

About: Medicinal plants is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 3816 publications have been published within this topic receiving 108681 citations. The topic is also known as: medicinal herbs & medicinal plants.

Interaction of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) and endophytes with medicinal plants - new avenues for phytochemicals.

Abstract: Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are usually applied to a wide range of agricultural crops for the purpose of growth enhancement, including increased seed germination, plant weight, and harvest yields. PGPR colonization triggers plant growth by bacterial synthesis of plant hormones including indole-3- acetic acid, cytokinin, and gibberellins as well as by increased mineral and nitrogen availability in the soil. Some of them were also known to protect their host plant from pathogenic microorganisms. The role played by PGPR in relation to medicinal plants and their effect on the production of botanicals is an area remaining naive. This paper brings out the possible PGPR – medicinal plant interactions which could improve the potency of the medicinal plant, particularly the cultivated one. Endophytic microorganisms of medicinal plants and their role in relation to bioactive potentials in the generation of phytochemicals also have been discussed. Key words: Biotization, Endophytes, Medicinal Plants, PGPR, Phytochemicals, Secondary Metabolites Soundarapandian Sekar and Dhandayuthapani Kandavel. Interaction of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Endophytes with Medicinal Plants – New Avenues for Phytochemicals. J Phytol 2/7 (2010) 91-100.

A review on medicinal plants having antioxidant potential

Abstract: Natural compounds from plants and other life forms (bacteria, fungi, marine organisms) represent a major source of molecules with medicinal properties. Among them, antioxidant substances are of particular interest. The understanding of the central role that oxidative stress holds in the progression of disorders as varied as: cardiovascular diseases, degenerative conditions, rheumatic disorders, metabolic syndrome, and in aging, makes antioxidant capacity to a key-feature of modern, multipotent remedies. A lot of medicinal plants, traditionally used for thousands of years, are present in a group of herbal preparations of the Indian traditional health care system (Ayurveda) named Rasayana proposed for their interesting antioxidant activities.

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.

Phytochemical importance of medicinal plants as potential sources of anticancer agents

Abstract: The diverse and magnificent plant kingdom of the world is widely known for its medicinal importance. The potential medicinal properties of plant species have contributed significantly in the development of various herbal therapies for a number of diseases across the globe. The benefits of herbal medicine over allopathic medicine have helped medicinal plants to regain their importance in the field of health and medicine. Cancer is one of the major health problems that have widely affected the world's population. There is a great need to combat this disease with better and more effective medication as compared to existing therapies. A vast number of medicinal plants are known to have biochemical constituents with anticancer properties. The chemical metabolites of natural origin that possess anticancer properties can serve as potential lead compounds in drug designing. This association of medicinal plants and cancer needs further research and experimentation in order to develop and design anticancer drugs. The present review is an effort to compile information on some of the geographically diverse and important medicinal plants that possess anticancer activity.

Antimicrobial activity of traditional medicinal plants from Ankober District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia

Abstract: Context: Traditional medicinal plants have long been used in Ethiopia to treat human and livestock ailments. Despite a well-documented rich tradition of medicinal plant use in the country, their direct antimicrobial effects are still poorly known.Objective: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of 19 medicinal plant species that were selected based on the ethnobotanical information on their traditional use to treat infectious diseases in Ankober District.Methods: About 23 different ethanol extracts of plants obtained by maceration of various parts of 19 medicinal plant species were studied for potential antimicrobial activity using a broth microdilution method against Bacillus cereus, Bacteroides fragilis, Candida albicans, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella enteritidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Streptococcus pyogenes.Results: Plant extracts from Embelia schimperi Vatke (Myrs...