Traditional knowledge about medicinal plant in the remote areas of Wari Tehsil, Dir Upper, Pakistan

Traditional medicine is cheaper and easily available to local people, to care for most frequent diseases in the Northern parts of Pakistan. Our study aimed at inventorying medicine from local plants, documenting their uses, and assessing their market value in 2015-2018 during spring, summer, and winter seasons. A total of 15 trips were made, 5 in each season. Semi-structured interviews with 165 inhabitant’s age range between 20-80 years were conducted, analyzed the data is analyzed using Relative frequency of citation(RFC), Use Value(UV), Fidelity Level(FL), Informants consensus factor(ICF), and Jaccard index(JI) to find the most frequent and well-known used species in the area. A total of 86 species belonging to 39 vascular plant families, 33 genera were documented as medicinally important. Family Asteraceae was observed as the dominant family among all the families with 10 species, the leaf was the most used parts and decoction 36% was the most preferred preparation type. Herb was the predominant life form (67%). The maximum UV (0.92) was demonstrated by J. adhatoda L. species, while A. sativum L. shows maximum RFC (0.58), the highest ICF value represented by diarrhea and dermatitis 0.92, and high FL value is recorded 100%. According to our collections, wild species were 45%, invasive species were 38% and cultivated 17% recorded, dicots species were recorded more 81%. Seven 7 medicinal species is being economically important and export to the local and international market of the world, whereas P. integrima L. species were the most exported species according to the local dealers. The investigated area is rural and the local people depend on the area's plants for their health needs, and other uses like a vegetable, fuelwood, fodder, etc. The current result of RFC, UV, ICF, FL, and JI shows that medicinal flora needs to be pharmacologically and phytochemically investigated to prove their efficacy. The documentation of medicinal knowledge is important to preserve this precious old knowledge before it is lost forever, due to technological and environmental changes in the world.

Metal Accumulation Properties of Eight Traditionally Utilized Nutritional Plants and Their Potential as Suitable Crops for Cultivation on Acidic Soils of the Northern Province Uíge, Angola

High metal contents of acidic soils from sub-Saharan Africa often prevent the cultivation of crops and lead to a low livestock yield. The carbohydrate rich diet of the Angolan population is low in minerals and vitamins, resulting in various deficiency syndromes and a high child mortality rate. Eight traditionally utilized plants (Anisophyllea quangensis, Annona stenophylla subsp. cuneata, Canarium schweinfurthii, Eugenia malangensis, Landolphia lanceolata, Raphionacme madiensis, Tristemma mauritianum, Vitex madiensis subsp. madiensis) with nutritional value for the Angolan population were analyzed for their soil and growing conditions. The species are adapted to the local conditions and can serve as crops for the unfavorable soils of the province Uíge. Chemical and physical characteristics of the uppermost soil (0–5 cm) and in 30 cm depth were analyzed. The plant-available macro-and micronutrients were determined using Mehlich 3 extraction. Data are completed with leaf tissue analyses, examining the uptake of minerals. As aluminum (Al) and manganese (Mn) are plant-available in high amounts, local plants evolved mechanisms dealing with those metals. These Al accumulators with foliar contents above 1000 mg/kg are Anisophyllea quangensis (7884 mg/kg), Landolphia lanceolata (6809 mg/kg), Tristemma mauritianum (4674 mg/kg), and Eugenia malangensis (13,989 mg/kg). All four species bear edible fruits with nutritional potential. The domestication and commercialization of those plants seem to be promising, utilizing local soils without expensive amelioration techniques.

POTENSI SUMBER PANGAN LOKAL DI KAWASAN KHDTK MUNGKU BARU

The current pandemic of the Corona-19 virus not only affects social activities but also affects the food sector. Strong food security in the long term can be realized through a diversification program based on local wisdom by utilizing local plants. This study aims to determine the potential of local food sources that can be used as an alternative to food consumption in the regions and reduce dependence on food sources from outside the region in realizing food security during and after the Covid-19 pandemic (study on communities in the Mungku Baru Educational Forest area, Muhammadiyah University. Palangkaraya). The research was conducted in the educational forest area or Forest Area with Special Purpose (KHDTK), Mungku Baru Village, Rakumpit District, Palangka Raya City, Central Kalimantan Province. The research method is descriptive qualitative from the results of interviews. Data analysis using tabulation matrix. There are 33species of local plants used by the community. Utilization of these plants in the form of fruit, seed, peel of fruit, leaves, rubers, and young shoots by eating or cooking them. Cultivation has not been carried out, the community takes directly part of the plant to be consumed. Habitus of these plants in the form of trees, shrubs, lianas, grasses, shrubs and herbs. Existing local food sources can be used as an alternative for food consumption in the regions and reduce dependence on food sources from outside the region and can realize food security during and after the Covid-19 pandemic

Morphological Characterization of Taro and Its Utilization as a Learning Resource of Biology Education in Eastern Indonesia

The tendency to prioritize food crops, such as rice and wheat, to meet human needs has resulted in dependence, degradation, and loss of local knowledge. In this term, biology education plays its role by exploring the potential of local plants, including their use as learning resources. One of those local plants is the taro plant (Colocasia Esculenta L.), an alternative staple food for those who live in Eastern Indonesia. The research method used was qualitative research. The data collection techniques included observation, interviews, characterization, and questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The morphological characterization of taro was done based on Descriptors for Taro IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute). The poster development procedure used was the ADDIE model. The results of the exploration showed five local taro accessions that had variations in morphological characters. The plant range was directly proportional to the plant height. There was one accession that was tall (AT 5) and had the potential to be cultivated on a large scale. Most of the leaves were green, while the leaf vein color was varying, namely white, green, and purple, with harvesting periods ranging between 4 to 9 months. The leaf vein pattern has a shape like a letter Y. Five accessions had petiole cross-sections, a waxy coating on the leaf surface, and predominantly white intervenii. The assessments of material experts, media, and users showed that the poster was feasible, usable as a biology learning resource.

Trypanocidal effect of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Strychnos spinosa on white mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei

The emergence of trypanocidal resistance has led to a change in the behavior and use of local plants for the treatment of parasites. The trypanocidal activity of Strychnos spinosa aqueous and ethanolic extracts on Trypanosoma brucei brucei was evaluated during ten days of treatment. Thus, the smear was used to monitor the parasitaemia of mice treated with Strychnos spinose aqueous and ethanolic extracts by gavage at doses of 250, 500, 1000 mg/kg (test groups); with 10 ml/kg of distilled water (negative control) and 1mg/kg of isometamidium chloride (positive control). The results of the pharmacological studies on the trypanocidal potential of the plant showed that On day ten (D10) a mortality rates of 32 %, 39 % and 62 % respectively for the doses 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg with the ethanolic extract while the aqueous extract induced a mortality rates of 32 %, 37 % and 56 % respectively. Isometamidium chloride induced the highest mortality rate of 85 %. The lethal doses were 218.07 and 225.79 mg/kg for the aqueous and ethanolic extracts respectively. All these results justify at least in part the use of this plant in traditional medicine for the treatment of trypanosomiasis. Keywords: Ethanolic extracts - Aqueous extracts - Trypanocidal potential - Trypanosomes - Inhibition of parasitaemia.

Toxicological Activity of the Methanolic Leaf Extract of Some Medicinal Plants Used in Sokoto Township and Environs

Inspite of the availability of different antiseptic and antibiotics in most localities in some parts of the world, there is still a number of information on the usage of some local plants in various kinds of treatments of different ill-health conditions. Leaves of Ocimum basilicum, Leptadania hastata and Momordica balsamina are locally used by traditional birth attendants at pre and post-partum periods. The present study investigates the phytochemical compositions and toxicity of the leaf extracts of the plants against isolates of Listeria monocytogenes. Standard microbiological techniques and polymerase chain reaction was used to isolate and identify the bacteria. Phytochemical analysis was done and cytotoxicity of the extracts at different concentrations (MBC, OBC and LHC) were determined using human erythrocytes. Results of the phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of tannins, flavonoids, carbohydrates, alkaloids, terpinoids and glycosides in the studied extracts. Toxicity to erythrocytes, expressed as percentage hemolysis of only 17.27% (MBC1) was seen in one of the plants; M. balsamina. Similarly, the other extracts exhibited minimal toxicity to human erythrocytes (LHC1= 15.45%; OBC1= 7.6%). It was concluded that all the plant leaf extracts are safe for human consumption. Studies on the preparation, effective doses and side effects of these extracts in vivo are hereby recommended.

Impact of Four Plant Extracts on Bactrocera dorsalis a Pest on Fruits

Menthol extracts of four local plants (Ocimum tenuiflorum, Hibiscus, Mentha longifolia and Bougainvillea glabra) were analysed to check their toxicity on third instar larvae of B. dorsalis by estimating the larval mortality for four plant extracts and different times exposure (1-5 hr) and measured LT50 value for each plant extract. Larval mortality varies for extract of each studied plant as Ocimum tenuiflorum showed its highest value of 56.68% at 4.57hr, for hibiscus it was 72% at 3.5 hr., for Mentha longifolia it was 95.23% at 4 hr., while for Bougainvillea glabra it was 100% at 2 hr. exposure. The LT50 values for B. dorsalis varying from 1.011 for Bougainvillea glabra to 2.946 for Ocimum tenuiflorum whereas LT50 values were 1.402 and 1.123, forHibiscus and Mentha longifolia respectively. Present study results showed that Bougainvillea glabra was highly toxic whereas Ocimum tenuiflorum shows least toxicity.

The Role of Healing Gardens in The Landscape Sustainability For Public Gardens

There were emergences trends towards achieving sustainability in landscape. But the study of the role of healing gardens in the landscape sustainability for the public gardens had not been studied previously in recent literatures. The research hypothesis is that healing gardens have a role in the landscape sustainability for public gardens. The research depends on a descriptive analytical study for public garden samples, which applied the design principles and elements of healing gardens (accessibility, Sense of control, Flexibility, etc). These gardens also relied in their designs on the basic principles of sustainability. The results showed that healing gardens effectively contribute achieving landscape sustainability for public garden through the use of natural materials, the cultivation of local plants, consistent with the local climate, and enhancing social interaction and sensory interaction with the landscape.

Beehives Possess Their Own Distinct Microbiomes

Honeybees use plant material to manufacture their own food. These insect pollinators visit flowers repeatedly to collect nectar and pollen, which are shared with other hive bees to produce honey and beebread. While producing these products, beehives accumulate a tremendous amount of microbes, including bacteria that derive from plants and different parts of the honey bees’ body. In this study, we conducted 16S rDNA metataxonomic analysis on honey and beebread samples that were collected from 15 beehives in the southeast of England in order to quantify the bacteria associated with beehives. The results highlighted that honeybee products carry a significant variety of bacterial groups that comprise bee commensals, environmental bacteria and pathogens of plants and animals. Remarkably, this bacterial diversity differs amongst the beehives, suggesting a defined fingerprint that is affected, not only by the nectar and pollen gathered from local plants, but also from other environmental sources. In summary, our results show that every hive possesses their own distinct microbiome, and that honeybee products are valuable indicators of the bacteria present in the beehives and their surrounding environment.

An approach for evaluating the bioavailability and risk assessment of potentially toxic elements using edible and inedible plants—the Remance (Panama) mining area as a model

Mining affects the environment, particularly through the persistence of accumulation of tailings materials; this is aggravated under tropical climatic conditions, which favours the release of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) bioavailable to the local flora and fauna and supposing a risk to human health. The Remance gold mine (Panamá), exploited intermittently for more than 100 years, and has remained derelict for over 20 years. Within the area live farmers who carry out subsistence agriculture and livestock activities. The objective of this study has been to study the transference of PTEs in the local agricultural soil-plants system, with the goal of identifying their bioavailability to perform a human risk assessment. The results obtained of the Bioaccumulation coefficient in local plants show very weak to strong absorption of As (< 0.001–1.50), Hg (< 0.001–2.38), Sb (0.01–7.83), Cu (0.02–2.89), and Zn (0.06–5.32). In the case of Cu in grass (18.3 mg kg−1) and plants (16.9 mg kg−1) the concentrations exceed the maximum authorised value in animal nutrition for ruminants (10 mg kg−1). The risk to human health for edible plants exceeds the non-carcinogenic risk for rice, corn, cassava, and tea leaves for Sb (HQ 19.450, 18.304, 6.075, 1.830, respectively), the carcinogenic risk for Cu (CR = 2.3 × 10–3, 7.7 × 10 −4, 1.1 × 10–3, 1.0 × 10–3, respectively), and the carcinogenic risk for As in rice, corn and tea leaves (CR = 8 × 10–5, 3 × 10–5, 3 × 10–5, respectively). Urgent measures are needed to alleviate these effects.