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.

The Pharmacological Properties Of Terpenoids From Sandoricum Koetjape

Abstract: Sandoricum koetjape is a traditional plant belonging tothe family of Meliaceae. It is native to Southeast Asiancountries, including Malaysia and Philippines. InMalaysia, it is locally known as Santol. The tree is amedium-sized with edible fruit. In Malaysia, theaqueous extract of the bark is traditionally consumedas a tonic after giving birth. Number of comprehensivestudies on its phytochemical and pharmacologicalproperties has been reported. Various bioactivecompounds have been isolated from fruits, seeds,leaves and bark. More than 10 terpenoids have beenisolated and studied for their potential medicinalproperties. Terpenoids represent the largest class ofsecondary metabolites from the natural source. Thisarticle aims to review the pharmacological propertiesof the isolated terpenoids from Sandoricum koetjape. Review Influence of medicinal plants on diseasestreatment: Plants have formed the basis of sophisticatedtraditional medicine systems that have been inexistence for thousands of years [1]. Plants have beenutilized to heal ailments from alleviating headache totreating heart diseases [2].The first illustrated book about gathering, preparationand use of medicinal plants was written by ChineseEmperor Shen Nung before 3000 thousand years [1].The Greeks also contributed in the development of theherbal drugs. “De Materia Medica” written byDioscorides, the Greek physician (100 A.D.),described more than 600 medicinal plants [2]. Theexpertises of Greeks in herbal medicine werepreserved only by Arabs, during the dark and middleAges. Arabs developed this science using their ownresources and together with Greco-Roman, Chineseand Indian herbs [1].The shift from using ordinary herbal medicines tomodern pharmaceuticals was just started in 1800s.This transfer was due starting isolation of purecompounds from plants. In 1805, morphine waspurified from the opium .Following the isolation ofsalicylic acid from the bark of the willow tree,Hoffmann synthesized aspirin in 1897. Ephedrine wasisolated from the Chinese herb mahuang (Ephedra) in1887. The antimalarial drug artemisinin was developedin 1972 from the Chinese herb qinghao (sweetwormwood, Artemisia annua L.) [3].Although, humans depend on plants from thousandsyears, the science of medicinal plants is still a vastlyunknown. Scholars estimate that 5 % of 250000species of plants have been investigated [2]. This factpoints in the importance of screen new plants for theirpharmacological properties.Natural products and cancer treatment:Some secondary metabolites of the plants such asalkaloids, terpenoids and glycosides serve either asprotective agents against various pathogens (e.g.insects, fungi or bacteria) or growth regulatorymolecules (e.g. hormone-like substances), as a result,secondary metabolites can serve as potentialanticancer drugs, either by direct cytotoxic activityagainst cancer cells or by modulating the tumordevelopment process [4]. In fact, natural products areconsidered as a mainstay in cancer treatment, as 60%of worldwide anticancer drugs between 1983 and 1994were from natural origin [5]. The most famous examples are vinblastine andvincristine from Catharanthus roseus, paclitaxel fromTaxus brevifolia Nutt, etoposide and teniposide whichare epimers of podophyllotoxin which isolated fromroots of various species of the genus podophyllum,and camptothecin which isolated from the Chinesetree Camptotheca acuminata [6]. The impact of theseproducts in cancer treatment is very obvious, paclitaxel and camptothecin were estimated toaccount for nearly one-third of the global anticancermarket or about $3 billion of $9 billion in total annuallyin 2002 [7].Terpenoids:Terpenoids are defined as secondary metabolites withmolecular structures containing carbon backbonesmade up of isoprene (2-methylbuta- 1, 3-diene) units.

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.

A survey on the use of medicinal plants by folk medicinal practitioners in three areas of Pirojpur District, Bangladesh.

Abstract: Folk medicinal practitioners are the primary health-care providers to substantial segments of the rural and urban population of Bangladesh. Their medicinal formulations usually constitute of whole plant or plant parts, which are administered either orally or topically in the form of decoctions, macerations, pills or tablets. Since the medicinal plants used by the practitioners, known locally as Kavirajes, vary considerably even between adjoining regions, it was the objective of the present study to conduct a survey among Kavirajes of three areas in Pirojpur district, Bangladesh to learn about the medicinal plants used by them in their formulations. Surveys were carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. All plant specimens were identified at the Bangladesh National Herbarium. It was observed that the Kavirajes of the areas surveyed used 64 plant species distributed into 38 families in their medicinal formulations. The Fabaceae family contributed 6 species followed by the Rutaceae and the Solanaceae family with 4 species each. The Arecaceae, Asteraceae, and Combretaceae families contributed 3 species per family. Of the 64 plant species, used, 18 were cultivated for their edible fruits, 7 were vegetables, 5 species were planted for ornamental purposes, 5 species were cultivated for miscellaneous reasons, and 3 species were cultivated for use as spices. Leaves constituted the major plant part used (34.6% of total uses), followed by fruits (27.2%). 18 plants were used for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders including diarrhea, dysentery, constipation, and indigestion. 6 plants were used to treat arthritis; 5 plants to treat diabetes; 5 plants for treatment of skin disorders; and 4 plants were used to treat helminthiasis. 4 plants had veterinary uses, while 11 plants were used as preventive measures, either to keep the body healthy or to prevent diseases like chicken pox from occurring. Other ailments treated included respiratory tract infections, weakness, hepatic problems, heart disorders, edema, inflammation, tooth problems, cuts and wounds, fever, sexually transmitted diseases, urinary tract problems, piles, high blood pressure, menstrual problems, anorexia, snake bite, insect bite, pain, and malaria. Since plants have always formed a good source of modern medicines, taken cumulatively, the medicinal plants used by the Kavirajes can prove to be potentially important for further scientific studies leading to discovery of newer and more effective medicines.

Nigerian Medicinal Plants II

Abstract: Aframomum meleguata, Dennettia tripetala, Monodora myristica, Piper guineense, Tetrapleura tetraptera and Xylopia aethiopica are some of the Nigerian medicinal spices. These plants are rich sources of phytochemicals, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals and contain phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins and tannins. Many flavonoids present in the plants exhibit antioxidant, antimicrobial and oxytocic properties. These plants are used in herbal medicine to regulate irregular menstruation or dysmenorrhea (menstrual pain) and help- to normalize menstrual cycle. Other medicinal uses include inhibition of tumor growth, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antiallergic action. The plants showed uterine contraction activity when administered to animals. These medicinal plants could therefore have side effects of inducing abortion when used during pregnancy.

Indonesian medicinal plants as sources of secondary metabolites for pharmaceutical industry

Abstract: Medicinal plants are widely used in traditional medicine in both underdeveloped and developing countries in the word until now. Some secondary metabolites isolated from medicinal plants have been developed as modern drugs. New antimalarial artemisinin is an example of modern medicine that developed from Artemisia annua L, a plant used in China since 4,000 years ago. Indonesia is endowed with a rich natural resource. The biodiversity comprises thousands plant species. Therefore, Indonesian flora and fauna are a remarkable opportunity for the development of secondary metabolites for pharmaceutical industry. The Indonesian National Agency for Drug and Food Control, Republic of Indonesia (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan, Republik Indonesia = BPOM RI) classifies traditional medicine into three classes, namely jamu (Indonesian indigenous traditional medicine), standardized herbal medicine and phytopharmaca based on its scientific evidences. The BPOM also determined 9 medicinal plants for focusing research for drug development. This paper discusses some secondary metabolites and their pharmacological activities of the following 9 selected Indonesian medicinal plants namely Piper retrofractum Vahl, Andrographis paniculata Ness, Curcuma xanthorrhiza, Psidium guajava L, Syzigium polyanthi, Morinda citrifolia, Guazuma ulmifolia Lamk, Zingiber officinale, and Curcuma domestica collected from various publications. Furthermore, several modern drugs derived from medicinal plants are also discussed.