March 2011
Why do Euphorbiaceae tick as medicinal plants? A review of Euphorbiaceae family and its medicinal features
Euphorbiaceae is among the large flowering plant families consisting of a wide variety of vegetative forms some of which are plants of great importance. Its classification and chemistry have of late been subjects of interest possibly because of the wide variety of chemical composition of its members, many of which are poisonous but useful. In this review, we have tried to demonstrate why Euphorbiaceae are important...
March 2011
Molecular regulation of terpenoid indole alkaloids pathway in the medicinal plant, Catharanthus roseus
Catharanthus roseus (L.) is a plant species known for its production of many pharmaceutically terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs). The intricate networks of TIAs biosynthesis is regulated by all kinds of molecules such as plant signaling molecules (jasmonate acid, ethylene and nitric oxide), plant growth regulators, prenylated proteins and transcription factors. This fine-tuned regulation is also accompanied with...
March 2011
Traditional medicinal plants of Manipur as anti-diabetics
Manipur, which lies in the North-eastern part of India, is rich in its flora and fauna; and is one of the hotspots of biodiversity. The flora of this region includes aromatic and medicinal plants with a number of bioactive compounds. Before the coming of the modern pharmacological medicines, the people of Manipur use medicinal plants for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Even today, people not only in the rural areas...
March 2011
Antimicrobial screening of different extracts of South Indian medicinal plants of meliaceae
Members of Meliaceae are widely used by different tribal communities in South India for the treatment of many bacterial and fungal diseases. In this context, antimicrobial potential of aqueous and alcoholic soxhlet extracts of leaf, stem/bark and root of Azadirachta indica,Naregamia alata and Swietenia mahagoni against five bacterial strains was studied to validate the ethno therapeutic claims of...
March 2011
Evaluation of nitrogenous fertilizer influence on oil variations of Calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) under drought stress conditions
To evaluate the beneficial impact of nitrogen fertilizer on droughted Calendula (Calendula officinalis L. var. ‘Qazvin’) some yield characters were investigated. In this experiment, the interactive effects of different N fertilizer and water restriction on oil variations and percentage in Iran during 2009 were studied. The experimental unit had designed by achieved treatment in factorial on...
March 2011
Constituents and antimicrobial properties of the leaf essential oil of Gossypium barbadense (Linn.)
The chemical composition of the Nigerian-grown cotton leaf essential oil, Gossypium barbadense L., (Malvaceae) analyzed by GC and GC/MS techniques revealed the presence of nineteen components, accounting for 92.6% of the total oil fraction. The major constituents were the monoterpenes comprising of tricyclene (29.6%), bornyl acetate (18.6%), α-pinene (12.8%), α-terpinene (11.1%), isoledene (6.0%)...
March 2011
Effect of nano silver and silver nitrate on seed yield of borage
Borage plant (Borago officinalis L.) is an herbaceous annual plant. It was used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. Seed oil of this plant has been used to treat many skin disorders. It is the richest plant source of gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). However, seed production of borage is limited by flower and seed abscission. Ethylene is responsible for plant organs abscission which may be inhibited by silver ion...
March 2011
Phytochemical constituents vis-a-vis histochemical localization of forskolin in a medicinal plant Coleus forskohlii Briq.
Tannins, phlobatannins, saponins, flavonoids, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides and alkaloids distribution in Coleus forskohlii belonging to the family Lamiaceae a well known medicinal plant in India was examined. Qualitative analysis carried out on this plant shows that terpenoids, tannins, flavonoids, phlobatannins, saponins and cardiac glycosides were present in C. forskohlii. The phytochemical...
March 2011
Protective efficiency of Thunbergia laurifolia leaf extract against lead (II) nitrate-induced toxicity in Oreochromis niloticus
Thunbergia laurifolia leaf was extracted by using 50% ethanol and supplemented with normal fish food. Oreochromis niloticus (n = 120) were divided into 6 groups by treating with or without 45 ppm of waterborne lead (II) nitrate and feeding normal fish food, fish food supplemented with T. laurifolia leaf extract in low or high dose. After 28 days of treatment, peripheral blood and organs were...
March 2011
Extraction of tylophorine from in vitro raised plants of Tylophora indica
A method for mass propagation of Tylophora indica (Burm. f.) Merill. (Asclepiadaceae) from leaf explants and extraction of tylophorine was developed. Explants cultured on 9.0 µM α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and 4.65 µM kinetin (K) resulted in callus formation under dark conditions after 7 to 8 days of culturing, whereas formation of nodular meristemoids was observed on 8.8 µM...
March 2011
Simultaneous determination of five active components in traditional Chinese medicine Apocynum venetum L. by RP-HPLC–DAD
A simple, rapid and specific liquid chromatographic–diode array detector (DAD) method was developed and fully validated for simultaneous quantification of five major active ingredients (markers) from Apocynum venetum L. Samples were ultrasonically extracted with 70% ethanol. Then the foreign materials were removed in solid phase extraction column. The chromatographic...
March 2011
Assessment of the effect of Echinacea purpurea extract on the accumulation of cadmium in liver and kidney: Apoptotic - mitotic activity of liver cells
Cadmium (Cd) is an important industrial pollutant, even though its mechanism of toxicity has not been completely clarified. Although Cd2+ is toxic to a wide range of organs and tissues, liver and kidneys are the primary target organs of cadmium toxicity. Cd2+ induces apoptosis, mitotic activity of cells and also causes necrotic cell death in certain pathophysiological situations. Echinacea...
March 2011
Essential oil composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of unexplored Omani basil
The present study explores the chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Omani basil (Ocimum basilicum). Omani basil essential oil was extracted using a Clevenger type appartus. The oil yield of Omani basil was found to be 0.171%. A total of 75 compounds representing 99.8% of Omani basil oil were identified. Linalool (69.9%) was identified as the major component present in Omani basil oil,...
March 2011
Inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) molecular fingerprinting markers for authenticating the genuine species of rhubarb
Rhubarb is prescribed as the roots and rhizomes of Rheum officinale Baill., Rheum palmatum L., and Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf. in Chinese Pharmacopoeia. These three species are difficult to discriminate due to the morphological and anatomical similarity of the aerial parts and herbal medicines. In the present paper, inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSR) molecular fingerprinting...
March 2011
Allelopathy of Teucrium Royleanum Wall. Ex Benth. from Pakistan
Teucrium royleanum was tested by four variant assays using lettuce seeds, showing excellent inhibition. The plants leaf leachates were assayed by Sandwich and Homogenated Sandwich Methods while Dish Pack Method was used for the evaluation of essential oils. The above stated methods confirm the presence of allelochemicals in T. royleanum and were further evaluated in bioassay guided way by total activity...
March 2011
Screening for antibacterial, antioxidant activity and toxicity of some medicinal plants used in Benin folkloric medicine
Ten extracts from 10 medicinal plants, Acanthospermum hispidium, Argemone mexicana,Byrsocarpus coccineus, Canthium setosum, Croton lobatus, Dichapetalum guineense,Nauclea latifolia, Schrankia leptocarpa, Secamone afzelii, Pterocarpus erinaceus,traditionally used in Benin to treat infectious diseases and were screened for in vitroantibacterial activity towards Staphylococcus...
March 2011
Alpha glucosidase inhibitory effect, anti-microbial activity and UPLC analysis of Rhus verniciflua under various extract conditions
In the present study, crude extract of Rhus verniciflua stem was screened for its α-glucosidase inhibitory effects and anti-microbial activity using different extraction ratios of water to alcohol. Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) was used to quantify compounds (fustin, gallic acid, 3', 4', 7-trihydroxyflavone, and fisetin). Ethanolic extract showed higher α-glucosidase...
March 2011
Evaluation of immunologic enhancement mediated by a polysaccharide isolated from the fruit of Physalis alkekengi L. var. francheti (Mast.) Makino
The study was to investigate the immunologic enhancement mediated by a polysaccharide (designated PPSB) purified from the mature fruits of Physalis alkekengi L. var. francheti (Mast.) Makino. Male ICR mice were immunized subcutaneously with ovalbumin (OVA) alone, OVA/PPSB, OVA/QuilA, and saline two times at 14-day interval. The mice were sacrificed two weeks after the last immunization to analyze humoral and...
March 2011
Evaluation of antioxidant activity of polysaccharides isolated from Camellia sinensis (tea) in exhausting training mice
We investigated the antioxidant effects of Camellia sinensis (tea) polysaccharides in exhausting training mice. Three groups of mice were fed with C. sinensis (tea) polysaccharides (100, 200 and 300 mg/kg, respectively). The results showed that plasma, lever and heart MDA level were reduced after 30 days of C. sinensis (tea) polysaccharides treatment. Compared with control mice, blood,...
March 2011
Antioxidant condensed tannins from Machilus pauhoi leaves
The acetone-water (1:1, v/v) was more effective solvent for extracting total phenolics and extractable condensed tannins from Machilus pauhoi leaves than methanol, ethanol, acetone, water, methanol-water (1:1, v/v), and ethanol-water (1:1, v/v). The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis revealed that catechin/epicatechin was the basic units...
March 2011
Isolation, chemical composition and antioxidant activities of a water-soluble polysaccharide from rhizoma atractylodis macrocephalae
A water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae was fractioned into two fractions coded as F1 and F2. Structure features of the purified polysaccharides were investigated by a combination of chemical and instrumental analysis, such as gas chromatography-mass spectrum (GC-MS) and fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results indicated that the F1 was composed of galactose,...
March 2011
The analysis of quality and antioxidant activity of green tea extracts
The aim of the research was to analyze the composition of biologically active compounds, to determine the correlation between the concentration of biologically active compounds and antioxidant activity, the dependence of extractive compounds on the extraction time, the quality of different tea preparation forms (daily tea, infusions, decoctions) of those teas found in Lithuanian market. Four specimens of green tea from...
March 2011
Total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of extracts of Bridelia Retusa Spreng Bark: Impact of dielectric constant and geographical location
The aim of the present investigation was to determine the influence of solvents (possessing different dielectric constant values) and geographical location on the Total Phenolic Content (TPC) and antioxidant activity of extracts of Bridelia retusa bark. The bark was collected from two different geographical locations of India [Maharashtra (MAH) and Andhra Pradesh (AP)]. The highest extractive values were found...
March 2011
Assessment of genetic diversity of indigenous turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) germplasm from Pakistan using RAPD markers
Molecular genetic fingerprints of indigenous turmeric (Curcuma longa L.) genotypes were developed using Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) marker to elucidate the genetic diversity among the genotypes. DNA was isolated using CTAB method. The amplification was accomplished by using 10 primers and the specific PCR working program. Ten decamer-primers generated 95 RAPD fragments, of which 92 fragments...
March 2011
Antimicrobial activities of endophytic fungal isolates from medicinal herb Orthosiphon stamineus Benth
A total of 72 endophytic fungal isolates including 48 from leaves, 14 from stems, 6 from roots and 4 from flowers were obtained from medicinal herb, Orthosiphon stamineus Benth by adding host plant materials in isolation medium. Sixty-six (92%) of the 72 isolates exhibited significant inhibitory activity on at least one of the test microorganism. Methanolic extract, prepared from the fungal biomass, exhibited...
March 2011
In vitro screening of five Hainan plants of Polyalthia (Annonaceae) against human cancer cell lines with MTT assay
To screen the anticancer potential of the extracts of five Hainan plants of Polyalthia, which are also China Li minority ethnic medicines. The ethanol roots extracts of Polyalthia laui andPolyalthia rumphii inhibited proliferation of the selected four tumor cell lines at dose of 20 and 200 μg/ml demonstrating potential antitumor activities. Furthermore, the chloroform fraction and petroleum ether...
March 2011
Agrobacterium-mediated transfer of β-Glucoronidase gene (gusA) to water mint (Mentha aquatica L.)
Water mint is a medicinal aromatic perennial herb belonging to the family Labiateae. It is distributed mostly in the temperate and sub-temperate regions of the world. Water mint is valued for its multipurpose uses in the field of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and flavoring foods. Agrobacterium-mediated gene transformation has yielded a stunning array of transgenic plants with novel properties. Transgenic mint plants...
March 2011
An evaluation of spatial distribution of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever with geographical information systems (GIS), in Samsun and Amasya region
The widespread geographic distribution of the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus and its ability to produce severe human disease with high mortality rates make the virus an important human pathogen. CCHF has a very wide geographic distribution, being endemic in more than 30 countries in Africa, central and southwestern Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. CCHF virus-infected cases were first reported in...
March 2011
Aqueous extract of Astragalus mongholicus ameliorates high cholesterol diet induced oxidative injury in experimental rats models
Astragalus mongholicus is a Chinese traditional medicine. In this study, we sought to explore potential benefits in cardiovascular disorders associated with excess cholesterol and hyperlipidemia. We have investigated the effects of A. mongholicus extract as a dietary supplement on hyperlipidemia and oxidative stress in rats maintained on a high- cholesterol diet. Diets were supplemented with A....
March 2011
In vitro antibacterial activity of alkaloid extract from stem bark of Mahonia manipurensis Takeda
The genus Mahonia belongs to one of the primitive groups of plant family Berberidaceae. A number of species from this genus are widely used in traditional and folk medicine systems in different parts of the world. Mahonia manipurensis crude alkaloid extract was obtained from the stem bark by extracting from 80% of methanol extract. In vitro antibacterial activity of the alkaloid...
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