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.

Antimicrobial activity of some iranian medicinal plants

Abstract: - The major aim of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity of the extracts of eight plant species which are endemic in Iran. The antimicrobial activities of the extracts of eight Iranian traditional plants, including Hypericum scabrum, Myrtus communis, Pistachia atlantica, Arnebia euchroma, Salvia hydrangea, Satureja bachtiarica, Thymus daenensis and Kelussia odoratissima , were investigated against Escherichia coli O157:H7, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans by agar disc diffusion and serial dilution assays. Most of the extracts showed a relatively high antimicrobial activity against all the tested bacteria and fungi. Of the plants studied, the most active extracts were those obtained from the essential oils of M. communis and T. daenensis. The MIC values for active extract and essential oil ranged between 0.039 and 10 mg/ml. It can be said that the extract and essential oil of some medicinal plants could be used as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation.

Biological and pharmacological properties of terminalia chebula retz. (haritaki)- an overview

Abstract: Medicinal plants have been considered valuable and cheap source of unique phytoconstituents which are used extensively in the development of drugs against various diseases. A large proportion of the world population, especially in the developing countries relies mainly on the traditional system of medicine. The use of plants and plant products in medicines is getting popularized because the herbal medicines are cheap and have natural origin with higher safety margins and lesser or no side effects. Terminalia chebula Retz. (T. chebula) belongs to the family Combretaceae and is one of the most important medicinal plants used in medicines of ayurveda, siddha, unani and homeopathy. It is called the “King of Medicines” in Tibet and is listed first in the Ayurvedic material medica because of its extraordinary power of wound healing and a wide spectrum of medicinal properties. T. chebula possesses antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antidiabetic, antimutagenic, antioxidant, antiulcer and wound healing properties. It also prevents cardiac damage and is used for the treatment of kidney disease. It is a mild, safe and effective laxative in traditional medicine. T. chebula and its phytoconstituents have therapeutic effect with no toxicity. T. chebula is an active ingredient of the well known herbal preparation, Triphala, which is used for the treatment of enlarged liver, stomach disorders and pain in eyes. This review gives a bird’s eye view on the biological and pharmacological properties of various extracts and isolated phytoconstituents of T. chebula to enrich our knowledge about this plant.