scholarly journals Rubia cordifolia (Manjishtha): A review based upon its Ayurvedic and Medicinal uses

2021 ◽  
pp. 17-28
Author(s):  
Isha Kumari ◽  
Hemlata Kaurav ◽  
Gitika Choudhary

Medicinal herbs have a rich history of their utilization for variety of ailments. India is categorized among those countries which have produced vast variety of medicinal plants. India is also called as “Botanical garden of the world”.  Medicinal plants are the source of discovery of new drugs across the world. Most of the drugs available today have some herbal content of plants in them. Rubia Cordifolia (Manjishtha) is a climber herb having small flowers of greenish white colour which are grouped around the purplish fleshy fruits. The roots of Rubia cordifolia imparts red colour from where dye is obtained which is due to the presence of brownish red bark. This plant is mainly cultivated in the hilly areas. Manjishtha has a very significant place in Ayurveda which is one of the most ancient health care systems of the world. Charaka categorized this medicinal herb as varnya (for the enhancement of skin complexion), jvarahara (anti-pyretic), visaghna (a detoxifier) and a rasayana (rejuvenator). While it is categorized as pittasamsamana (one which maintains the pitta dosha of the body i.e. the fire component of the body) by Acharya Sushrut. Manjishtha has potential to pacifiy the pitta dosha. The phytochemical constituents of Rubia Cordifolia (Manjishtha) are associated with wide range of therapeutic properties. In this review, summary of its phytochemistry, its uses in different medicinal systems like Ayurveda and folk system and its scientific therapeutic properties are reported.

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (13) ◽  
pp. 6845
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Pratt

The buzz about hyaluronan (HA) is real. Whether found in face cream to increase water volume loss and viscoelasticity or injected into the knee to restore the properties of synovial fluid, the impact of HA can be recognized in many disciplines from dermatology to orthopedics. HA is the most abundant polysaccharide of the extracellular matrix of connective tissues. HA can impact cell behavior in specific ways by binding cellular HA receptors, which can influence signals that facilitate cell survival, proliferation, adhesion, as well as migration. Characteristics of HA, such as its abundance in a variety of tissues and its responsiveness to chemical, mechanical and hormonal modifications, has made HA an attractive molecule for a wide range of applications. Despite being discovered over 80 years ago, its properties within the world of fascia have only recently received attention. Our fascial system penetrates and envelopes all organs, muscles, bones and nerve fibers, providing the body with a functional structure and an environment that enables all bodily systems to operate in an integrated manner. Recognized interactions between cells and their HA-rich extracellular microenvironment support the importance of studying the relationship between HA and the body’s fascial system. From fasciacytes to chronic pain, this review aims to highlight the connections between HA and fascial health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Adil Hussain

Background: There exist natural antioxidants in plants that scavenge harmful free radicals from the body. Free radicals are species of chemical origin with an unpaired electron and play a pivotal role in combating against health-related problems like lung damage, inflammation, and cardiovascular ailments etc. Antioxidants halt the development of these free radicals called the reactive oxygen species either by chelating the trace elements or by enzymes inhibition. Objectives: The aim of present review was to collect information about Pakistani medicinally important plants with the exploration of their antioxidant potential. Methodology: Total 206 papers were looked over, which were obtained from numerous sources like; Google Scholar, Medline, PubMed, Research Gate, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. Results: Overall, 93 plants representing 44 families with potential antioxidant activity reported from Pakistan have been presented in this review. Maximum number of species from Asteracea, Poaceae and Rutaceae familes were scrutinized for their potential antioxidant activity from Pakistan. Conclusion: The present review clearly designates that the presence of phytochemicals and antioxidant activity of medicinal plants from Pakistan vary with the species of the plants and material/extracts used. From this review, it is recommended to perform comprehensive experimental investigations based on toxicology and ethnopharmacology on these precious plants from Pakistan. It will be advantageous in the provision of trustworthy information to patients and determine further innovative compounds for safer and new drugs development with fewer side effects.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-69
Author(s):  
M. Tamizharasi ◽  
R. Rajila ◽  
D. Beula Shiny ◽  
J. Vijila Jasmin ◽  
T. Kumaran

Awareness of traditional knowledge and medicinal plants can play a key role in the utilization and discovery of natural plant resources. Plants became the basis of medicine system throughout the world for thousands of years and continue to provide mankind with new remedies. Researchers generally agree that natural products from plants and other organisms have been the most consistently successful source for ideas for new drugs. The world health organization estimates that 80% of the population living in the developing countries relies exclusively on traditional medicine for their primary health care. More than half of the world's population still relies entirely on plants for medicines, and plants supply the active ingredients of most traditional medical products. The review shows the south Indian medicinal plant products has been used by people to treat various health ailments.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efthymia Eleni Tsioutsiou ◽  
Paolo Giordani ◽  
Effie Hanlidou ◽  
Marco Biagi ◽  
Vincenzo De Feo ◽  
...  

This work provides the ethnobotanical data concerning the traditional use of medicinal plants in Macedonia region (Northern Greece), which has, up to now, been poorly investigated. The aim of the present study was to collect, analyze, and evaluate information on the use of medicinal plants among different population groups living in Central Macedonia. The study was carried out in the area of two small cities, Edessa and Naoussa, and nearby villages. The ethnobotanical data were gathered through extensive and semistructured interviews. The informants belonged to different population groups living in the study areas and were involved, at least partially, in agriculture. Together with detailed reports on each species, data were also summarized by some indices, such as Fidelity Level (FL) and Informant Consensus Factor (Fic). A group of 96 informants was interviewed and 87 plant taxa with medicinal uses were cited. Medicinal plants are used to treat a wide range of diseases, in particular ailments of the respiratory tract and skin disorders. The importance of the traditional use of plants to cure and prevent common and some uncommon diseases had been highlighted. About 55% of medicinal plants mentioned by the informants had been previously reported to be sold in Thessaloniki herbal market as traditional remedies. Medicinal uses of some endemic taxa had been reported, e.g., Satureja montana subsp. macedonica, a member of the S. montana group restricted to Northern Central Greece, Origanum dictamnus, an endemic species of Crete, and six Balkan endemics, i.e., Achillea holosericea, Digitalis lanata, Helleborus odorus subsp. cyclophyllus, Sideritis scardica, Thymus sibthorpii, and Verbascum longifolium. Several differences in Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge (TEK) were observed in relation to social and cultural components of the population. Only 7 species (Crataegus monogyna, Hypericum perforatum, Matricaria chamomilla, Rosa canina, Sambucus nigra, Sideritis scardica, and Tilia platyphyllos) were commonly reported by all population groups, whereas 30 out of 87 taxa (34%) were exclusively mentioned by a single group. All groups are incorporated in the local society and do not identify themselves as members of different ethnic groups, although they try to preserve their distinctiveness by keeping their traditions and dialects. Nevertheless, our data show that the knowledge regarding the medicinal plant use was rarely accompanied by preservation of linguistic diversity concerning the plant names. This work contributes to improve the knowledge on the traditional use of plants in the folk medicine of a region like Central Macedonia where different population groups live together, partially maintaining their traditions. A part of data of this paper has been presented as posted at 112° Congress of Italian Botanical Society (IPSC), Parma 20-23 September 2017.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 411-429
Author(s):  
Ayman Khalil ◽  
Diana Tazeddinova

Abstract Polyphenols are a large family of more than 10,000 naturally occurring compounds, which exert countless pharmacological, biological and physiological benefits for human health including several chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases. Their role in traditional medicine, such as the use of a wide range of remedial herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, mint, basil), has been well and long known for treating common respiratory problems and cold infections. This review reports on the most highlighted polyphenolic compounds present in up to date literature and their specific antiviral perceptive properties that might enhance the body immunity facing COVID-19, and other viral infectious diseases. In fact, several studies and clinical trials increasingly proved the role of polyphenols in controlling numerous human pathogens including SARS and MERS, which are quite similar to COVID-19 through the enhancement of host immune response against viral infections by different biological mechanisms. Thus, polyphenols ought to be considered as a potential and valuable source for designing new drugs that could be used effectively in the combat against COVID‐19 and other rigorous diseases.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document