The calabash (Crescentia cujete) in folk medicine

1968 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia F. Morton
Keyword(s):  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Crescentia Cujete

Potential Uses of Vinegar as a Medicine and Related in vivo Mechanisms

2016 ◽  
Vol 86 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 127-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeshan Ali ◽  
Zhenbin Wang ◽  
Rai Muhammad Amir ◽  
Shoaib Younas ◽  
Asif Wali ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Structure ◽  
Review Paper ◽  
Heart Diseases ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Positive Effect

While the use of vinegar to fi ght against infections and other crucial conditions dates back to Hippocrates, recent research has found that vinegar consumption has a positive effect on biomarkers for diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases. Different types of vinegar have been used in the world during different time periods. Vinegar is produced by a fermentation process. Foods with a high content of carbohydrates are a good source of vinegar. Review of the results of different studies performed on vinegar components reveals that the daily use of these components has a healthy impact on the physiological and chemical structure of the human body. During the era of Hippocrates, people used vinegar as a medicine to treat wounds, which means that vinegar is one of the ancient foods used as folk medicine. The purpose of the current review paper is to provide a detailed summary of the outcome of previous studies emphasizing the role of vinegar in treatment of different diseases both in acute and chronic conditions, its in vivo mechanism and the active role of different bacteria.

Antileishmanial and cytotoxic activities of three plants used in colombian folk medicine

Planta Medica ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 79 (13) ◽  
Author(s):  
DA Barrera-Adame ◽  
G Delgado ◽  
ED Coy-Barrera
Keyword(s):  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Cytotoxic Activities

In Vivo Wound Healing Activity of Spirulina platensis

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 06-16
Author(s):  
R. Seghiri ◽  
A. Essamri
Keyword(s):  
Wound Healing ◽  
Spirulina Platensis ◽  
Therapeutic Agent ◽  
Conventional Medicine ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Chemical Burns ◽  
Amount Of Substance ◽  
Test Population ◽  
Wound Healing Activity

Spirulina is a microalga used in traditional folk medicine in Morocco for the treatment of various health disorders. The wound healing activity of Moroccan Spirulina is unknown. In the current study, aqueous extracts of Spirulina platensis were investigated for acute toxicity and wound healing activity in Swiss Albino mice and White New Zealand rabbits, respectively. The LD50 (amount of substance required to kill 50% of the test population) of the microalga was greater than 5,000 mg/kg. Healing after application of the same amount of ointment on differently induced (mechanical, chemical, and thermal) wounds was about the same, over five weeks. Aqueous extract had remarkable healing activity on rabbits’ skin, possessing significantly greater healing effect for mechanical and chemical burns than controls. Moreover, the hair growing time was faster in treated groups; Spirulina-treated groups did not show any contamination with microbes compared to others. This study affirms that Spirulina platensis can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent for wound healing not only as a complementary medicine but also in conventional medicine.

Pre-Hispanic Ophthalmology

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-56
Author(s):  
José Dalma-Weiszhausz
Keyword(s):  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Medical Knowledge ◽  
The Universe

The pre-Hispanic cultures of Mesoamerica had a complex set of beliefs, philosophy and comprehensive medical knowledge. Their concept of the nature of disease included their place in nature, the universe, and their relationship with their gods and astrology. Unfortunately, most of that information was lost but what remains highlights a native herbal pharmacopeia and surgical abilities on par with their European counterparts from that time. Some of these remedies are still widely used as folk medicine in the region. prehispánico, precolombino, Mesoamérica, oftalmología, historia, remedios herbolarios, cirugía, códice, de la Cruz-Badiano; Florentino; de Sahagún Bernardino.

Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Activities, Toxicity and Clinical Application of Momordica cochinchinensis

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 715-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Yue Lan ◽  
Bin Zhao ◽  
Yu-Li Shen ◽  
Xiao-Qin Li ◽  
Su-Juan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Chinese Medicine ◽  
Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽  
Southeast Asia ◽  
Clinical Application ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Pharmacological Activities ◽  
Pharmacological Studies ◽  
Momordica Cochinchinensis

Momordica cochinchinensis (Lour.) Spreng (M. cochinchinensis) is a deciduous vine that grows in Southeast Asia. It is known as gac in Vietnam and as Red Melon in English. Gac is reputed to be extremely benificial for health and has been widely used as food and folk medicine in Southeast Asia. In China, the seed of M. cochinchinensis (Chinese name: Mu biezi) is used as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of various diseases. More than 60 chemical constituents have been isolated from M. cochinchinensis. Modern pharmacological studies and clinical practice demonstrate that some chemical constituents of M. cochinchinensis possess wide pharmacological activities, such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, etc. This paper reviews the phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, toxicity, and clinical application of M. cochinchinensis, aiming to bring new insights into further research and application of this ancient herb.

Naphthoquinones and derivatives for chemotherapy: perspectives and limitations of their anti-trypanosomatids activities

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luíza Dantas-Pereira ◽  
Edézio F. Cunha-Junior ◽  
Valter V. Andrade-Neto ◽  
John F. Bower ◽  
Guilherme A. M. Jardim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Neglected Tropical Diseases ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Leishmania Species ◽  
Parasitic Infections ◽  
Mechanistic Analysis ◽  
Leishmania Spp ◽  
Nanomolar Range

: Chagas disease, Sleeping sickness and Leishmaniasis, caused by trypanosomatids Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania spp., respectively, are considered neglected tropical diseases, and they especially affect impoverished populations in the developing world. The available chemotherapies are very limited and a search for alternatives is still necessary. In folk medicine, natural naphthoquinones have been employed for the treatment of a great variety of illnesses, including parasitic infections. This review is focused on the anti-trypanosomatid activity and mechanistic analysis of naphthoquinones and derivatives. Among all the series of derivatives tested in vitro, naphthoquinone-derived 1,2,3-triazoles were very active on T. cruzi infective forms in blood bank conditions, as well as in amastigotes of Leishmania spp. naphthoquinones containing a CF3 on a phenyl amine ring inhibited T. brucei proliferation in the nanomolar range, and naphthopterocarpanquinones stood out for their activity on a range of Leishmania species. Some of these compounds showed a promising selectivity index (SI) (30 to 1900), supporting further analysis in animal models. Indeed, high toxicity to the host and inactivation by blood components are crucial obstacles to be overcome to use naphthoquinones and/or their derivatives for chemotherapy. Multidisciplinary initiatives embracing medicinal chemistry, bioinformatics, biochemistry, and molecular and cellular biology need to be encouraged to allow the optimization of these compounds. Large scale automated tests are pivotal for the efficiency of the screening step, and subsequent evaluation of both the mechanism of action in vitro and pharmacokinetics in vivo are essential for the development of a novel, specific and safe derivative, minimizing adverse effects.

Genetic Diversity Among Saudi Peganum harmala and Rhazya stricta Populations Using Chemical and ISSR Markers

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (13) ◽  
pp. 1134-1146
Author(s):  
Magda E. Abd-Elgawad ◽  
Modhi O. Alotaibi
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Issr Markers ◽  
Wild Plants ◽  
Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Group Method ◽  
Peganum Harmala ◽  
Molecular Polymorphism ◽  
Arithmetic Average ◽  
Rhazya Stricta

Background:The vernacular name 'Harmal' is used for two plant species in Saudi Arabia, i.e. Peganum harmala L. and Rhazya stricta Decne. Both are important medicinal plants which offer interesting pharmacological properties.Objective:This study aimed to evaluate the genetic diversity among different populations of harmal based on chemical variations of alkaloids and molecular polymorphism.Methods:Total alkaloids were extracted from plants of three populations of each species and estimated by using spectrophotometer and the chemical compounds were analyzed by Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Molecular polymorphism was estimated by using the Inter Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) fingerprints.Results:The results showed that the alkaloids content of R. stricta was higher than P. harmala populations. The GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of (65-53) compounds in R. stricta and P. harmala, and the percentage of polymorphism was found to be 93.2%. Sixteen ISSR primers produced 170 scorable bands with an average of 9.6 bands per primer and 75%-100% polymorphism. The cluster analysis using the unweighted pair-group method of the arithmetic average (UPGMA) method based on combined data of GC-MS and ISSR markers divided the six harmal genotypes into two major groups.Conclusion:The existence of variations in chemical and genetic markers is useful for the selection of potential genotypes for medicinal use, and for breeding lines for medicinal substances production to spare wild plants from uncontrolled harvesting for folk medicine.

Bryophyllum Pinnatum: A Review on Medicinal Benefits and Potent Bioactive Molecules

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (7) ◽  
pp. 978-992
Author(s):  
Punit Kumar ◽  
Sujata Malik ◽  
Kashyap K. Dubey
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Bioactive Molecules ◽  
Phytochemical Analysis ◽  
Traditional Herbal Medicine ◽  
Pharmacological Activities ◽  
Online Databases ◽  
Natural Remedies ◽  
Medicinal Properties ◽  
Bryophyllum Pinnatum

Background: Since its inception, people are using herbal extracts as natural remedies for the treatment of various diseases. Bryophyllum pinnatum, also known as the air plant, is a well-recognized herb used in folk medicine. It is native to Madagascar and further planted in tropical and subtropical areas around the world. It is known for the profusion of miniature plantlets which arise from the margins of phylloclade. Objective: The aim of this review is to provide the information regarding local and traditional uses, pharmacological activities and different phytochemicals reported from leaves extracts of Bryophyllum pinnatum. Methods: This review article contains a detailed survey of the literature about Bryophyllum pinnatum available in different online databases, such as; PubMed, Web of Science, Science Direct, Elsevier, and Google Scholar, etc. In this review, authors have focused on ethnopharmacological importance and phytochemicals present in Bryophyllum pinnatum and their structure. The structures of the phytochemical were prepared by the ChemDraw tool. Results: This plant is used as a traditional herbal medicine around the globe due to medicinal properties like; anthelmintic, immunosuppressive, hepatoprotective, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, nephroprotective, antioxidant, antimicrobial, analgesic, anticonvulsant and antipyretic. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of many bioactive compounds like; alkaloids, flavonoids, triterpenes, steroids, glycosides, bufadienolides, lipids, and organic acids, etc. which are associated with different medicinal properties. Conclusion: Bryophyllum pinnatum possesses diverse pharmacological importance and remarkable medicinal properties. Investigators have reported a large number of phytochemicals exhibiting different medicinal properties and correlation of medicinal properties.

Isolation and HPLC Determination of the Chemical Components of Gentianella acuta (Michx.) Hulten

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-33
Author(s):  
Ying Wei ◽  
Yongqiao Liu ◽  
Yifan Hele ◽  
Weiwei Sun ◽  
Yang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicinal Plant ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Chemical Constituents ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Gradient Elution ◽  
Chemical Components ◽  
Isolation And Characterization ◽  
Major Chemical ◽  
Main Components ◽  
First Time

Background: Gentianella acuta (Michx.) Hulten is an important type of medicinal plant found in several Chinese provinces. It has been widely used in folk medicine to treat various illnesses. However, there is not enough detailed information about the chemical constituents of this plant or methods for their content determination. Objective: The focus of this work is the isolation and characterization of the major chemical constituents of Gentianella acuta, and developing an analytical method for their determination. Methods: The components of Gentianella acuta were isolated using (1) ethanol extraction and adsorption on macroporous resin. (2) and ethyl acetate extraction and high speed countercurrent chromatography. A HPLC-DAD method was developed using a C18 column and water-acetonitrile as the mobile phase. Based on compound polarities, both isocratic and gradient elution methods were developed. Results: A total of 29 compounds were isolated from this plant, of which 17 compounds were isolated from this genus for the first time. The main components in this plant were found to be xanthones. The HPLC-DAD method was developed and validated for their determination, and found to show good sensitivity and reliability. Conclusion: The results of this work add to the limited body of work available on this important medicinal plant. The findings will be useful for further investigation and development of Gentianella acuta for its valuable medicinal properties.

Synergistic Antitumor Effect of 5-Fluorouracil Combined with Constituents from Pleurospermum lindleyanum in Hepatocellular carcinoma SMMC-7721 Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao-Feng Zhu ◽  
Xiao-Jin Li ◽  
Zhong-Lian Cao ◽  
Xiu-Jie Liu ◽  
Ping Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Treatment Effectiveness ◽  
Synergistic Effects ◽  
Folk Medicine ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Caspase 9 ◽  
Whole Plant ◽  
Anti Cancer ◽  
Induced Apoptosis

Background: A Chinese folk medicine plant Pleurospermum lindleyanum possesses pharmacological activities of heat-clearing, detoxifying and preventing from hepatopathy, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and high altitude sickness. We isolated and characterized its constituents to investigate its synergistic effects against human hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells. Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the synergistic anti-cancer activities of isolates from P. lindleyanum with 5-FU on hepatoma SMMC-7721 cells in vitro and their primary mechanisms. Methods: Sequential chromatographic techniques were conducted for the isolation studies. The isolates structures were established by spectroscopic analysis as well as X-ray crystallographic diffraction. Growth inhibition was detected by MTT assay. The isobologram method was used to assess the effect of drug combinations. Flow cytometry and western blot were used to examine apoptosis and protein expression. Results: A new coumarin (16), along with sixteen known compounds, were isolated from the whole plant of P. lindleyanum and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods. Four coumarins (2, 3, 5, and 16), two flavonoids (8 and 9) and three phytosterols and triterpenes (12-14) were found to synergistically enhance the inhibitory effect of 5-FU against SMMC-7721 cells. Among them, compounds 3 and 16 exhibited the best synergistic effects with IC50 of 5-FU reduced by 16-fold and 22-fold possessing the minimum Combination Index (CI) 0.34 and 0.27. The mechanism of action of combinations might be through synergistic arresting for the cell cycle at G1 phases and the induction of apoptosis. Moreover, western blotting and molecular docking revealed that compounds 3 or 5 might promote 5-FU-induced apoptosis by regulating the expression of Caspase 9 and PARP. Conclusion: Constituents from P. lindleyanum may improve the treatment effectiveness of 5-FU against hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

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