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.

Antiplasmodial Activity of Some Medicinal Plants Used in Sudanese Folk-medicine

Abstract: Ten plants indigenous to Sudan and of common use in Sudanese folk-medicine, were examined in vitro for antimalarial activity against schizonts maturation of Plasmodium falciparum, the major human malaria parasite. All plant samples displayed various antiplasmodial activity. Three plant extracts caused 100% inhibition of the parasite growth at concentrations of plant material ≤ 500 ug/ml. The two most active extracts that produced 100% inhibition of the parasite growth at concentration of plant material ≤ 50 µg/ml were obtained from the seeds of Nigella sativa and the whole plant of Aristolochia bracteolata. The ten plants were phytochemically screened for their active constituents. The two most active plants showed the presence of sterols, alkaloids and tannins.

Anticancer potential of medicinal plants and their phytochemicals: a review

Abstract: In recent years, medicinal plants have attracted huge attention due to their diverse range of biological and therapeutic properties. Evidences have been accumulated since ages to demonstrate promising potential of medicinal plants used in various traditional, complementary, and alternative systems especially for cancer treatment. Although several medicines are available in the market to treat various types of cancers, no drug is found to be fully effective and safe as anticancer therapy. The major problem in the cancer chemotherapy is the prolonged toxicity of the well-established chemical drugs. However, plants and plant-derived products have been proved effective and safe in the treatment and management of various cancers to some extent. Many natural products and their analogs have been identified as potent anticancer agents, and anticancer properties of various plants or phytochemicals are being identified. Several plant-based anticancer agents including taxol, vinblastine, vincristine, camptothecin derivatives, topotecan, and irinotecan, as well as epipodophyllotoxins, are in clinical use all over the world. This review focuses on the application of medicinal plants and their phytochemicals as natural anticancer substances. In addition, this review will also discuss the Ayurvedic concept of using medicinal plants and their phytochemicals in traditional way for the treatment of various types of cancers. Further, a brief description will be given on the anticancer mode of action of various medicinal plants and their phytochemicals to understand the mechanisms at molecular level that alter growth and metabolism in cancer cells. Finally, this review will summarize the significance and innovative ways on using medicinal plants and their phytochemicals in anticancer therapy along with their future prospective in the treatment of cancer and related diseases.

Major Medicinal Plants

Abstract: Major medicinal plants , Major medicinal plants , کتابخانه دیجیتالی دانشگاه علوم پزشکی و خدمات درمانی شهید بهشتی

Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Herbs with Special Emphasis on Herbal Medicines for Countering Inflammatory Diseases and Disorders - A Review

Abstract: Background Diseases with inflammatory etiopathology have increased in incidence in recent times. Drugs used for therapeutic management of such inflammatory diseases are relieving the ailment but at the same time also countering serious life threatening consequences. Moreover, they are costly and rarely available at all places. In this context, research and development on medicinal herbs have opened a new era in the prophylactic and therapeutic management of inflammatory diseases. Objective To highlight the importance of anti-inflammatory medicine-synthetic drugs and natural herbs, their constituents, mechanism of action, benefits, side effects and future prospects. The overall aim is to provide better health services to patients regardless of their background on equality basis. Results Anti-inflammatory herbs have proven beneficial by combating inflammatory responses that lead to severe abnormality in body systems. Inflammation though a protective response to infection or injury and may result in pathological outcome when aggravated or of severe degree thus needs an early intervention for proper resolution. Medicinal plants or their constituents are considered beneficial due to the properties i.e., satisfactory potency, ease of availability, cheapness, less or no side effects, safer and efficient as compared to the synthetic counterparts. These medicinal herbs contain phytoconstituents that can prevent undesirable inflammatory processes and also posses anti-inflammatory activity. Steroids, glycosides, phenolics, flavonoids, alkaloids, polysaccharides, terpenoids, cannabinoids, fatty acids are common phytoconstituents present in these plants. Different mechanisms have been explored for the anti-inflammatory action of these active ingredients. They may synergize the anti-inflammatory pathway enzymes, factors, proteins or interfere with these in the inflammatory pathway like lipooxygenases, cyclooxygenases, tumor necrosis factors, interleukins, prostaglandin, nitric oxide, mitogenactivated protein, nuclear factor, etc. Considering all the above-mentioned factors, further research from molecular to cellular level will enable a better understanding of the mechanisms. Common antiinflammatory herbal plants are Curcuma longa, Zingiber officinale, Rosmarinus officinalis, Borago officinalis, Urtica dioica, Uncaria tomentosa, Vaccinium myrtillus, Olea europaea and much more. They are believed to be without side effects unlike the chemical counterparts or synthetic anti-inflammatory agents e.g. steroids, nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, and immunosuppresants used for controlling and suppressing inflammatory crisis. A proper phytochemical, pharmacological and physiological evaluation will enable their safe and effective use in inflammatory conditions. Many of these anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal preparations have been patented with some under consideration. Conclusion Natural herbs are safe, effective and better options as anti-inflammatory agents than synthetic ones. The phytoconstituents are as effective with the comparable mechanism of action as synthetic molecules. Future research should focus on molecular mechanisms of different beneficial applications of these herbal plants in various diseases. Recent patents on anti-inflammatory drugs and herbal plants have been covered which provide insight into the current status and future prospects in this field.