scholarly journals Cruz-Badiano Codex and the Importance of the Mexican Medicinal Plants

Author(s):  
A. Chavarría ◽  
G Espinosa

The plants have been used by human beings since thousands years ago as natural curative products. Ancestral populations from China, Egypt, India, and México, among others, were cultures that found the curative effects of different plants. A very invaluable document is the Cruz-Badiano codex. This codex was written in 1552 as a present to the King of Spain, the codex deals with herbolary and traditional Mexican medicinal plants. The main goal of this work is to show the importance of the Cruz-Badiano codex which is based on the native and traditional medicinal Mexican plants used to cure in the ancient times. A brief historical overview of the Cruz-Badiano codex, his origin and the round trip between México-Spain-México is described. Some of the beautiful handmade illustrations of Mexican medicinal plants are shown. And a brief review of plants that have been subject of pharmacological studies is given.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 103-108
Author(s):  
Manish Kumar ◽  
Prabhdeep Kaur ◽  
Rajneesh Garg ◽  
R. K. Patil ◽  
H. C. Patil

Objectives: The aim of the study was to study the antibacterial property of Curcuma longa. Human beings are dependent on the use of plants and herbs as a source of drugs for curing ailments since ancient times. Herbs are medicinal plants which are created by nature for curing human diseases. Ayurvedic Materia Medica is a rich repository of herbs and about 2000 plant species mentioned in Ayurveda are used to cure various diseases in human beings. In Veda and Atharvaveda, written around 2000 BC, there are a lot of medical references and prescriptions showing beneficial results in a cure for a number of human chronic diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, neuralgia, jaundice, skin diseases, gout, tumors, encephalitis, and bronchitis. Most of the medicinal plants and herbs have been found to have antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and protective properties. The use of the traditional system of medicines in India and China such as Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha is around 5000 years old, which recommends management of lifestyle, including diet management, exercise, and meditation along with treatment, including specific herbs to cure several ailments. Curcuma longa a traditional herbal medicine is widely used in India since ancient times to cure several ailments.In the present study, antibacterial property of ethanolic extract, extracted from dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa was studied in microbiology laboratory against different bacterial strains. Materials and Methods: The dried rhizomes of Curcuma longa were purchased from local market in Punjab. The collected roots of Curcuma longa were washed, shade dried, grounded to fine powder and was subjected to soxhlet extraction using ethanol as solvent. Two bacterial strains were used in current study; one was Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. The method to access antibacterial activity was Cylinder Plate method. Results: 50 gm. of dried powder was subjected to Soxhlet extraction using ethanol solvent to get the extract of curcumin for investigation of antibacterial activity of turmeric against different Gram-positive and Gram negative bacterial strains using cylindrical plate method. A distinguished zones of inhibition 6.5 mm, 7.5 mm, and 11 mm in diameter were seen under plates containing different concentrations of Curcuma longa extract. Conclusion: The potentiality of extract of Curcuma longa to inhibit the growth of microbial strains indicates its broad-spectrum antibacterial property which can be used for the betterment of health of society to treat several infections. Turmeric and its constituents may be included in modern system of medicine for the development of new dosage forms to treat several diseases with natural herbs with lesser adverse effects in comparison to allopathic system of medicine and improve the health and wellness of our society.


2020 ◽  
Vol p5 (01) ◽  
pp. 2612-2616
Author(s):  
Sahare Priyanka ◽  
Sasmal Gitanjali ◽  
Kumar Ashok

Ayurveda is the science which ensures health and longevity of individuals. It contains detailed knowledge of etiopathogenesis, symptoms, treatment of various diseases. Jwara is first among all the disorders which occur individually or with manifestation of any disorder. Jwara is manifested in the form of Tamas at the time of birth and death. It is an important and crucial among all the diseases as it affects not only human beings but also all living creatures. Jwara has been destroying humans since ancient times. Ayurveda also contains details of various medicinal plants with all its benefits which is used to treat various medical con-ditions. Guduchi [Tinospora Cordifolia (Willd.)Miers] of family Menispermaceae is a climbing shrub found throughout tropical India. It is useful in removing Ama (toxins) and other microbes that are responsible for causing Jwara (fever) and other infections. As now Ayurveda has come so close to humans that it seems difficult to separate it from human life. Through this paper an effort is made to know more about Guduchi and how Jwara can be treated by using Guduchi.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 1538-1546

The worldwide epidemic of SARS-CoV-2 has created a panic situation in human beings. Covid-19 viruses spread infections into the specific human cells through cell-surface receptor ACE2 and start viral replication speedily inside the human body. The action of antibodies can reduce the entry of the virus into the cell by binding with the spike head and prevent to connect with ACE2 receptor. Many types of research are going to find the exact vaccine to control the spread of this virus. But still, now there is no vaccine and specific medicine invented still now, which is a big headache across the world. At this pandemic period, boosting of the immune system is the best way to fight against this virus. From ancient times, Ayurved is known as the best immune booster for animals and mammals. The herbal plants, such as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis L. And Withania somnifera has excellent immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, inhibition of oxidants, carcinopreventive properties with important chemicals like Withaferins, different alkaloids, steroids, amino acids. This review is based on a brief discussion of the pharmacological behaviors, active ingredients, and potential therapeutic applications of these medicinal plants.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-154
Author(s):  
Ekta Khare ◽  
Sakhi Ghosh ◽  
Aditi Sharma ◽  
Nayanika K.

Since ancient times, crude drugs have been used as medicines and are of great importance for human beings. However, traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants is eroding day by day, and there was a need to document the everyday experience of these indigenous medicinal plants. Ayurveda describes the medicinal values and uses of plants for healthcare. By the course of time, various new plants got added to Ayurvedic material medica, Dravyaguna Vigyan. Tricholepis glaberrima (Brahmadandi) is one of them. This plant has great importance due to its nutritive value and a significant source of medicines as they have been found throughout human history.This plant is mostly used for its aphrodisiac property, but several unknown activities need to be taken seriously. This mini-review paper encompasses the Ayurvedic aspects as well as the phytochemistry structure and pharmacological activities of the Brahmadandi plant. The current review focuses on the updated information from various scientific studies and reports available in the context of the phytoconstituents and pharmacology of this plant. This review also provides adequate information about the use of this plant in an Indian system of medicine, Ayurveda.


Author(s):  
Bhupinder Kapoor ◽  
Gagandeep Kaur ◽  
Mukta Gupta ◽  
Reena Gupta

  Objective: The objective of this review is to collect and document information on the Indian medicinal plants with anti-gout potential.Methods: Bibliographic investigation was carried out by consulting worldwide scientific databases, analyzing Ayurvedic text books and research journals. The search terms were “gout,” “uric acid,” “hyperuricemia,” “xanthine oxidase (XO) inhibitor and uricosuric.” Herbal keywords included “herbal medicine,” “medicinal plant,” “natural products,” “phytomedicine” and “phytotherapy.”Result and Conclusion: Medicinal plants have been used to treat various ailments since ancient times; hence, ethnobotanical investigations play an important role in pharmacological studies. In India, traditional medicines are being practiced for the treatment of gout and other rheumatic disorders from ancient time. This review provides a comprehensive summary of 130 Indian plants which have been mentioned in ancient literature or used traditionally for the treatment of gout. Out of these, 41 plants have been reported to possess XO inhibitory activity. Further, isolated phytoconstituents having promising XO inhibitor activity are also included in this review. Although a variety of medicinal plants with anti-gout potential have been found in the literature, there is limited information on evaluation of anti-gout activity of isolated phytoconstituents. The current review contains a detailed discussion of the potential of medicinal plants for treatment of gout.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-196
Author(s):  
Deepshikha Rathore ◽  
Geetanjali ◽  
Ram Singh

Background: The history of traditional systems of medicine goes parallel with the history of human beings. Even today people have faith in traditional systems of medicine based on medicinal plants to meet primary health care needs. Hence, the scientific evaluation and documentation of extracts and active ingredients of medicinal plants always play a supportive role in their medicinal applications. Objective: This review aims to present the phytochemicals isolated from the genus Bombax and their pharmacological applications. Methods: The literature from research and review papers was analyzed and the information was compiled to present the pharmacological applications of various secondary metabolites from genus Bombax. Results: The genus Bombax belongs to the family Malvaceae and known for its therapeutic applications. The crude, semi-purified and purified extracts of different parts of this plant have shown potential therapeutic applications. A total of 96 articles including research and review papers were referred for the compilation of isolated phytochemicals and their chemical structures. Conclusion: We systematically summarized 176 isolated compounds from the genus Bombax. The findings show that this plant shows potential towards pharmacological activities. The activities were found more from extracts than the single isolated compounds.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amir Hossein Saeidnejad ◽  
Peyman Rajaei

Essential oils constitute a heterogeneous collection of chemical compounds. Their main characteristics are that they all synthesized by plants and are volatile and mostly soluble in ethanol. They have traditionally been obtained from plants and they have been widely used for insecticidal, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. Essential oils contains about 20–60 components at quite different concentrations and they are characterized by two or three major components at fairly high concentrations. Lately, the essential oils and various extracts of plants have gained special interest as sources of natural antimicrobial and antioxidant agents because of the resistance to antibiotics that some microorganisms have acquired and the possible toxicities of the synthetic antioxidants. Spices consumed daily in different types of food to improve flavors, since ancient times, are well known for their antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. During recent decades, numerous numbers of plants have been monitored for their possible role as repellents and insecticides. In this review, the chemical composition profile of some important medicinal plants was evaluated, then antimicrobial properties of a number of essential oils was compared. Antioxidant activity of some essential oils was also considered. Finally, essential oil repellent properties an an important characteristics was evaluated. Further investigation for available data related to the other biological properties of medicinal plants essential oil is recommended.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijls.v9i2.12043 International Journal of Life Sciences 9 (2) : 2015; 9-13


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (11) ◽  
pp. 1145
Author(s):  
Chabaco Armijos ◽  
Jorge Ramírez ◽  
Melissa Salinas ◽  
Giovanni Vidari ◽  
Alírica I. Suárez

The use of plants as therapeutic agents is part of the traditional medicine that is practiced by many indigenous communities in Ecuador. The aim of this study was to update a review published in 2016 by including the studies that were carried out in the period 2016–July 2021 on about 120 Ecuadorian medicinal plants. Relevant data on raw extracts and isolated secondary metabolites were retrieved from different databases, resulting in 104 references. They included phytochemical and pharmacological studies on several non-volatile compounds, as well as the chemical composition of essential oils (EOs). The tested biological activities are also reported. The potential of Ecuadorian plants as sources of products for practical applications in different fields, as well the perspectives of future investigations, are discussed in the last part of the review.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helena Correia ◽  
Maria Wanda Emanuelson ◽  
Moisés Nhantumbo ◽  
Paulo Andrassone ◽  
Graça Cumbi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease that affects about 50 million people worldwide, mainly in developing countries. It is treated with anticonvulsant drugs, but in some cases, conventional anticonvulsants have not been effective, leading patients to turn to alternative herbal treatments. The study aimed to identify plants used in traditional medicine for the treatment of epilepsy in southern Mozambique, record the parts used, the method of preparation as well as the mode of administration. Methodology: The study was conducted between April to June 2019. 53 Traditional Medicine Practitioners were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by calculating the Percentage of Citation (%FC) and Informant Factor Consensus (IFC). Results A total of 32 medicinal plants belonging to 18 botanical families were identified for the treatment of epilepsy in the southern part of Mozambique. The species, Hugonia orientalis Engl (22.64%), Maclura africana Bur (16.98%), Strychnos spinosa Lam (13.21%), Terminalia sericea Bruch ex DC (13.21%) and Manilkara mochisia (Bark) Dubard (11.32%) were the most cited. The families Annonaceae and Menispermaceae (4 species) were the most representative in number of species. The root was the most commonly used plant part (54.2%), the frequently used preparation mode was decoction (71%), and administration of the remedies was often by oral route. Conclusion Medicinal plants still play an important role in primary health care in the study area. However there is a need to develop pharmacological studies based on these plants to understand the mechanism of action of the bioactive compounds and for the future development of new and more effective anticonvulsant drugs


2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-86
Author(s):  
Mansureh Ghavam ◽  
Zeinab Soleimaninejad

Background: Nowadays, many people believe in traditional medicines and use them for different diseases. Knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional medicine has been practiced for centuries through trial and error, and many important treatments for the disease have been passed down from one generation to the next. Ephedra is a valuable plant and has been used to treat diseases since ancient times. Accordingly, this study aims to comprehensively introduce Ephedra distachya L. in traditional medicine. Methods: In this review study, databases such as Google Scholar, SID, Scopus, and books on medicinal plants in Persian and English languages were searched to collect data. The keywords included "ephedra", "traditional medicine", "goat’s beard", and "medicinal plants". Results: Many resources highlighted the importance of using ephedra due to its useful properties. Experimental studies in traditional medicine show the effect of this plant in the prevention of diseases, such as asthma and bronchitis. Conclusion: Considering the beneficial effects of ephedra and scientific evidence about its effects, further studies are needed to better understand the use of this plant in traditional medicine.


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