Observations on plant usage in Xhosa and Zulu medicine

Bothalia ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hutchings

The holistic concept of Xhosa and Zulu traditional medicine and some differences from Western orthodox practice are briefly outlined. The transmission of herbal knowledge within various social groups is outlined. The background, training and some procedures followed by five of the informants are discussed. Plant characteristics that may be seen, felt, smelled or tasted are considered as possible determinants of usage. The form of plant parts accounts for some usage in the more magically orientated medicines whereas colour, texture or the production of froth may signal the presence of medicinally active components such as tannin, mucilage and saponin. The role of plants producing a milky latex is discussed. Vesicant or irritant properties are utilized in septic or inflammatory conditions. Aromatic plants are used for respiratory or digestive disorders and pungent-smelling plants are used in the treatment of catarrh and some stress-related disorders. Bitter or sour- tasting plants may be used as an aid to digestion or serve a deterrent function. Parallel usage of some related plants in African and European herbal practice indicates that appropriate usage may be widely determined by easily discerned plant characteristics. Two herbal medicinal recipes recorded by the author and a list of medicinal plants collected in Transkei are presented.

Author(s):  
Samir Qiblawi ◽  
Mohd Adnan Kausar ◽  
S. M. A. Shahid ◽  
Mohd. Saeed ◽  
Awfa Y. Alazzeh

Cardamom, a dietary phytoproduct, is the most popular spice in the world, and its beneficial health properties are gaining more and more attention. Small cardamom [Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. (Family: Zingiberaceae) ] has been used for traditional therapeutic applications, including the management of asthma, teeth and gum infections, cataracts, nausea, diarrhea and heart, digestive and kidney disorders. Numerous studies have demonstrated the biological activity of cardamom and its polyphenols, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and metabolic control.1,8-cineole, and its esters, Limonene, α-terpinyl acetates are the most abundant bioactive constituents in cardamom. They are known to be multifunctional compounds that can be efficient in the prevention or treatment of various types of cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic inflammatory conditions, digestive disorders, as well as infectious bacterial and fungal diseases. In this review, we summarized the up-to-date research and underlying molecular mechanisms of cardamom and its active components.


Research on traditional processing methods used to transform plants into medicines offers a valuable arena to investigate the correct formulation of herbal products. While scientific literature on traditional herbal medicines emphasizes the relevance of the taxonomical identification of the used species, the same rigor is not applied to recording the processing methods. In other words, attention is given to the ingredients, but not the recipes. This can not only jeopardize the quality of research on traditional herbal medicines, but also generate concerns once such medicines reach the global markets in compliance with modern manufacturing requirements, which are usually well far away from the traditional ones. In the present work, different traditional herbal medicines used in the region of San Martin, Peru, were analyzed by the means of UPLC-UV/DAD metabolite fingerprinting. Different extracts were prepared from same commercially available materials in order to test the effect of the recipes on the chemistry of the finished products. In particular, different plant parts and their status (fresh or dry), extraction solvents and decoction times were selected for metabolite comparisons between the extracts. In accord with literature data on others traditional pharmacopoeias, our results show how specific manufacturing steps can affect the chemistry of the finished products. Further efforts are necessary to evaluate the traditional herbal practices, whether understandable or not, with modern scientific approaches.


Author(s):  
Matteo Politi, Giorgia Tresca, Marco Soffiato ◽  
Richer Garay Montes ◽  
Fernando Mendive

Research on traditional processing methods used to transform plants into medicines offers a valuable arena to investigate the correct formulation of herbal products. While scientific literature on traditional herbal medicines emphasizes the relevance of the taxonomical identification of the used species, the same rigor is not applied to recording the processing methods. In other words, attention is given to the ingredients, but not the recipes. This can not only jeopardize the quality of research on traditional herbal medicines, but also generate concerns once such medicines reach the global markets in compliance with modern manufacturing requirements, which are usually well far away from the traditional ones. In the present work, different traditional herbal medicines used in the region of San Martin, Peru, were analyzed by the means of UPLC-UV/DAD metabolite fingerprinting. Different extracts were prepared from same commercially available materials in order to test the effect of the recipes on the chemistry of the finished products. In particular, different plant parts and their status (fresh or dry), extraction solvents and decoction times were selected for metabolite comparisons between the extracts. In accord with literature data on others traditional pharmacopoeias, our results show how specific manufacturing steps can affect the chemistry of the finished products. Further efforts are necessary to evaluate the traditional herbal practices, whether understandable or not, with modern scientific approaches.


TAPPI Journal ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 51-58
Author(s):  
ANTTI HAAPALA ◽  
MIKA KÖRKKÖ ◽  
ELISA KOIVURANTA ◽  
JOUKO NIINIMÄKI

Analysis methods developed specifically to determine the presence of ink and other optically active components in paper machine white waters or other process effluents are not available. It is generally more interest¬ing to quantify the effect of circulation water contaminants on end products. This study compares optical techniques to quantify the dirt in process water by two methods for test media preparation and measurement: direct process water filtration on a membrane foil and low-grammage sheet formation. The results show that ink content values obtained from various analyses cannot be directly compared because of fundamental issues involving test media preparation and the varied methodologies used to formulate the results, which may be based on different sets of assumptions. The use of brightness, luminosity, and reflectance and the role of scattering measurements as a part of ink content analysis are discussed, along with fine materials retention and measurement media selection. The study concludes with practical tips for case-dependent measurement methodology selection.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (27) ◽  
pp. 2909-2918 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Giemza-Stokłosa ◽  
Md. Asiful Islam ◽  
Przemysław J. Kotyla

Background:: Ferritin is a molecule that plays many roles being the storage for iron, signalling molecule, and modulator of the immune response. Methods:: Different electronic databases were searched in a non-systematic way to find out the literature of interest. Results:: The level of ferritin rises in many inflammatory conditions including autoimmune disorders. However, in four inflammatory diseases (i.e., adult-onset Still’s diseases, macrophage activation syndrome, catastrophic antiphospholipid syndrome, and sepsis), high levels of ferritin are observed suggesting it as a remarkable biomarker and pathological involvement in these diseases. Acting as an acute phase reactant, ferritin is also involved in the cytokine-associated modulator of the immune response as well as a regulator of cytokine synthesis and release which are responsible for the inflammatory storm. Conclusion:: This review article presents updated information on the role of ferritin in inflammatory and autoimmune diseases with an emphasis on hyperferritinaemic syndrome.


Religions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
Luis Enrique Alonso ◽  
Carlos J. Fernández Rodríguez

Despite the process of secularization and modernization, in contemporary societies, the role of sacrifice is still relevant. One of the spaces where sacrifice actually performs a critical role is the realm of modern economy, particularly in the event of a financial crisis. Such crises represent situations defined by an outrageous symbolic violence in which social and economic relations experience drastic transformations, and their victims end up suffering personal bankruptcy, indebtedness, lower standards of living or poverty. Crises show the flagrant domination present in social relations: this is proven in the way crises evolve, when more and more social groups marred by a growing vulnerability are sacrificed to appease financial markets. Inspired by the theoretical framework of the French anthropologist René Girard, our intention is to explore how the hegemonic narrative about the crisis has been developed, highlighting its sacrificial aspects.


Human Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Pain ◽  
Kristina Marquardt ◽  
Dil Khatri

AbstractWe provide an analytical contrast of the dynamics of secondary forest regeneration in Nepal and Peru framed by a set of common themes: land access, boundaries, territories, and rights, seemingly more secure in Nepal than Peru; processes of agrarian change and their consequences for forest-agriculture interactions and the role of secondary forest in the landscape, more marked in Peru, where San Martín is experiencing apparent agricultural intensification, than in Nepal; and finally processes of social differentiation that have consequences for different social groups, livelihood construction and their engagement with trees, common to both countries. These themes address the broader issue of the necessary conditions for secondary forest regeneration and the extent to which the rights and livelihood benefits of those actively managing it are secured.


2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 241-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELISE VAN NEDERVEEN MEERKERK

ABSTRACTThis article explores the role of different social groups in early modern Dutch towns in organising and financing poor relief. Examining both the income structure of Dutch urban poor relief organisations and voluntary donations and bequests by citizens reveals what motivations lay behind their involvement, and how and why these changed over time. In the seventeenth century, ‘middle groups’ donated more often and higher mean amounts, reflecting their efforts to contribute to urban community building. In the eighteenth century, the elite became relatively more involved in charitable giving. Also, the urge to give to one's own religious group seems to have increased in this period.


2021 ◽  
pp. 100185
Author(s):  
Ourania Pinaka ◽  
Irini Spanou ◽  
Vassiliki Papadouli ◽  
Eustathia Papanikolaou ◽  
Fotios Gioulekas ◽  
...  

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