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.

A review for discovering hepatoprotective herbal drugs with least side effects on kidney

Abstract: The liver is a vital organ which plays a major role in the metabolism and excretion of xenobiotics from the body, and liver disease is a worldwide health problem. The currently available synthetic drugs to treat liver disorders cause further damage to the liver and kidney so it is imperative to find new drugs with least side effects. There are a number of treatment combinations which are derived from medicinal plants and commonly administered as tonic for the liver. In this review, we have introduced most important medicinal plants that are used in liver disorders and have least side effects on kidney. In this regards, we have focused on their active constituents, effects and trial studies, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic characteristics, dosages, and toxicity. Amaranthus spinosus L., Glycyrrhiza glabra, Cichorium inthybus L., Phyllanthus species (amarus, niruri, emblica), Picrorhiza kurroa, and Silybum marianum have been extensively administered for the treatment of liver disorders. The introduced medicinal plants can be used for production of new drugs via antioxidant-related properties, hepatoprotective activities and least side effects on kidney for the prevention and treatment of liver disorders.

Anti-oxidant and anti-microbial properties of some ethno-therapeutically important medicinal plants of Indian Himalayan Region

Abstract: Therapeutic potential of medicinal plants as a source of noble natural anti-oxidants and anti-microbial agents has been well recognised all across the globe. In this study, phenolic compounds, in vitro anti-oxidant activity and anti-microbial properties have been investigated in five Himalayan medicinal plants, (e.g., Acorus calamus, Habenaria intermedia, Hedychium spicatum, Roscoea procera and Valeriana jatamansi) in different solvent systems. R. procera exhibited significantly (p < 0.05) higher phenolics; while H. spicatum was rich in flavonoids and V. jatamansi in anti-oxidant activity. Also, R. procera and H. spicatum were found rich in gallic acid; V. jatamansi in catechin, hydroxylbenzoic acid and caffeic acid and H. intermedia in hydroxyl benzoic acid. Solvent systems showed species specific response for extraction of total flavonoids and anti-oxidant activity. All the extracts were found effective against different bacterial and fungal strains in a dose dependent manner and maximum antimicrobial activity was found in R. procera as compared to other species. All the plant extracts showed greater activity against bacterial strains as compared to fungal strains. The results of this study suggest that extract of these species can be used as natural anti-oxidant to reduce free radical mediated disorders and as natural alternative for food preservation.

Health, habitats and medicinal plant use

Abstract: Medicinal plants are the roots of medical practice. Of the 12,807 species used in traditional Chinese medicine, for example, 11,146 are plant species (Zhao, 2004). Medicinal plant uses range from anti-microbial ‘chewing sticks’ for dental care and the treatment of internal parasites to symbolic uses. In fact, of the global total of 422,000 flowering plant species, more than 50,000 are used for medicinal purposes, with an estimated 2500 species of medicinal and aromatic plants traded worldwide, most still collected from wild sources (Schippmann et al, 2003).