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.

Profile of Heavy Metals in Selected Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Diabetes, Malaria and Pneumonia in Kisii Region, Southwest Kenya

Abstract: 2 Abstract: Medicinal herbs are sources of chemical substances that have different biological activities including those useful in the treatment of human and animal diseases. Amongst the indigenous herbs used as phytomedicines for the treatment of diabetes, malaria and pneumonia in Kisii region, Southwest Kenya are Carissa spinarum, Urtica dioica, Warburgia ugandensis, Senna didymobotrya, Physalis Peruvian, Bidens pilosa, Leonotis nepetifolia and Toddalia asiatica. A study was carried out on these herbs in the year 2011 to 2012. The objective was to determine the essential and non-essential heavy metals present in the herbs and their levels. Leaf samples of these plants were obtained from Kisii region, washed, air-dried and milled. The samples were digested by wet digestion method and analysed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The essential and non-essential heavy metals in the plant extracts were quantified. As a guideline, FAO/WHO defined the permissible limits (ppm) of the various heavy metals in the consumed medicinal herbs for different countries as: chromium (2), manganese (44.6 to 339), iron (261 to 1239), cobalt (0.14 to 0.48), nickel (1.63), copper (20 to 150), zinc (27.4), cadmium (0.3), mercury (0.1) and lead (10). Results obtained in the present study showed that extracts of the medicinal herbs investigated contain heavy metals namely iron, chromium, copper, zinc, cobalt, manganese and nickel that are considered essential elements; and lead, cadmium and mercury which are non- essential. The concentration (ppm) of heavy metals in the plant extracts was found to be as follows: chromium (0.567 to 2.035), manganese (3.254 to 17.33), iron (0.967 to 6.067), cobalt (0.967 to 6.067), nickel (0.589 to 1.60), copper (0.305 to 1.44), zinc (0.989 to 1.833), cadmium (0.035 to 0.206), mercury (0.0024 to 0.00838) and lead (0.25 to 0.407). From the comparison of the results with the defined permissible limits, it was concluded that the levels of heavy metals present in the herbs fall in the permissible range for consumed medicinal herbs as defined for different countries.

Assessment of selected Yemeni medicinal plants for their in vitro antimicrobial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities

Abstract: Context: The role of natural products as a source for remedies has been recognized since the beginning of mankind. Nevertheless, a minority of folkloricly used medicinal plants have been evaluated for their pharmacological activities.Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate 33 selected Yemeni plants for their in vitro anticancer, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activities.Materials and methods: The plants were extracted with methanol and hot water. The obtained 66 extracts were tested for their in vitro cytotoxic activity using the neutral red uptake assay against two cancer cell lines (5637 and MCF-7). The antimicrobial activity was determined using the agar diffusion method and MIC-determination. The DPPH radical method was used for the determination of antioxidant activity.Results: Interesting cytotoxic activity was observed for Hypoestes forskalei (Vahl) R. Br. (Acanthaceae), Lycium shawii Roem. & Schult. (Solanaceae), Pergularia tomentosa L. (Asclepiadaceae), Psiadia punctulata (DC.) Vatke...

Preliminary phytochemical screening of some Indian Medicinal Plants.

Abstract: Alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroid, terpenoid, flavonoids, phenolic compounds and cardie glycoside distribution in five medicinal plants belonging to different families were assessed and compared. The medicinal plants investigated were Asteracantha longifolia (L.) Nees, Psassiflora edulis Sims, Berberis tinctoria Lesch, Sphaeranthus indicus Linn, and Solanum trilobatum Linn. All the plants were found to contain Phenols, Cardiac glycosides, Steroids, Saponins and Tannin except for the absence of flavonoids and Terpenoids in A. longifolia (L.)Nees and Alkaloids in, P edulis Sims, A.longifolia (L.)Nees, B. tinctoria Lesch and S. indicus Linn. respectively. The significance of the plants in traditional medicine and the importance of the distribution of these chemical constituents were discussed with respect to the role of these plants in ethnomedicine in India.

Immunomodulatory leads from medicinal plants

Abstract: Immunomodulation is the alteration of immune response which may increase or decrease the immune responsiveness. Medicinal plants, since times immemorial, have been used virtually in all cultures as a source of medicine for altering the immune systems. Several medicinal plants have been investigated for immunomodulatory potentials and they are proved to have beneficial effect on alteration of immune system by diverse mechanisms in animals. The present review will provide an up to date knowledge about the medicinal plants used as immunomodulators and their phytoconstituents. This article highlights on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, therapeutic usage and related aspects of 55 medicinal plants, such as Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Andrographis paniculata, Azadirachta indica, Boerhaavia diffusa, Boswellia serrata, Curcuma longa, Centella asiatica, Carica papaya, Datura quercifolia, Emblica officinalis, Hydrastis Canadensis, Hypericum perforatum, Ocimum sanctum, Panax ginseng, Plantago major, Plantago asiatica, Piper longum, Tinospora cordifolia, Mangifera indica, Momordica charantia, Withania somnifera, etc. which have been investigated for their immunomodulatory potentials, and they are proved to acquire beneficial effect on alteration of immune system by diverse mechanisms. Thus an approach for integration of the available information on several species of medicinal plants used as immunomodulators along with the metabolites responsible for the same has been made in this article.