Posted by admin on Mar 1, 2014 in |
Plants have been used for health and medical purposes for several thousands of years. The clinical experience built over many centuries provides a substantial basis for the safe and effective use of herbal medicines, not just as a main form of therapy, but as a complement to the mainstream of western medical treatment in certain diseases. Till today, few plant species that provide medicinal herbs have been scientifically evaluated for their possible medical application and safety. Assurance of the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicinal plants and herbal products has now become a key issue in industrialized and in developing countries. Leaf of Adhatoda vasica Nees, classically known as a Vasapatra, is one of the important medicinal herbs as it was mentioned for the treatment of many diseases like Kasa (a cough), Swasa (dyspnoea), Ksaya (phthisis), Raktapitta (hemorrhagic diseases), Kamala (jaundice) and Kustha (skin disease). Many research studies have been conducted to evaluate its clinical efficacy. Keeping this view, a critical review of Adhatoda vasica Nees, an Ayurvedic medicinal...
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Posted by admin on Mar 1, 2014 in |
In resource-limited localities of developing countries, potentially manageable, if not useful, resources may present actual health and agricultural cost due to poor management and lack of awareness of health risk consequences. Senna occidentalis L. (Fabaceae) is a pan-tropical weed with a wide range of medicinal uses, and in some parts used as famine food. Despite possible use as alternative food or medicinal ingredient of this plant, many reports blame its seed as the cause of hidden intoxication to humans and various domestic animals, leading to considerable economic consequences. As has been described by experimentally reproduced natural cases of many animal studies and few human cases, intoxication by seeds of this plant presented varied and non-specific disease manifestations. Induction of mitochondrial damage has been suggested as the mechanism of toxicity, yet the exactly responsible toxin has not been identified. Thus, it seems that Senna occidentalis seed is presenting potentially manageable health risks to animal and human health, especially in resource limited localities of developing countries. In this review, the possible...
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Posted by admin on Feb 1, 2014 in |
Callicarpa macrophylla (Verbenaceae) has been commonly used in traditional medicine for a wide range of ailments related to the circulatory, digestive, endocrine, respiratory and skeletal systems as well as to infectious diseases. It provides the up-to-date information that is available on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology of Callicarpa macrophylla. Additionally, to highlight the possible uses of this species to treat different diseases and to provide a basis for future research. The information was collected from scientific journals, books, theses, and reports via a library and electronic search (Google Scholar, Web of Science and Science Direct). The phytochemical studies have shown the presence of many secondary metabolites belonging to terpenoids, flavonoids, carbohydrate, lignans, phenols, and sterols. Crude extracts and isolated compounds from Callicarpa macrophylla show a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, such as anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-arthritic, anti-pyretic & analgesic activities, as well as a usefulness help in alleviating pain in rheumatism. Callicarpa macrophylla has been a widely used a source of medicine for years without...
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Posted by admin on Jan 1, 2014 in |
Diabetes mellitus is characterized by elevated plasma glucose concentrations resulting from insufficient insulin. A comprehensive herbal drug therapeutic regimen offers time tested safe and effective support to conventional therapy in the management of diabetes. This is a combination with adequate dietary management, and physical activity would provide an integrated approach to the management of this deadly disease, particularly Type 2 diabetes. In this paper, an attempt has been made to give an overview of certain Indian plants with their phytoconstituents and mechanism of action which have been studied for their antidiabetic activity. The present work offers a review addressing the detailed phytochemistry of different plants contains this...
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Posted by admin on Jan 1, 2014 in |
Calotropis gigantea (Asclepiadaceae) is a perennial herb with a long history of use in traditional medicines. A wide range of chemical compounds including cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, terpenoids, alkaloids, tannins, & resins has been isolated from this plant. The plant has been used for various disease condition including leprosy, ulcers, tumors and piles. Various pharmacological activities reported like analgesic activity, antipyretic activity, pregnancy interceptive activity, CNS activity, anti-inflammatory activity, procoagulant activity, anti-diarrhoeal activity, free radical scavenging activity, antimicrobial activity, anti-tumor activity, antifungal activity, antitussive activity, and antifeedant...
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