Exploitation Of Medicinal Plants Research Articles

Medicinal plants, biodiversity, and local communities. A study of a peasant community in Venezuela

ObjectiveThe main objective of this research was to record ethnobotanical data on the use and exploitation of medicinal plants, highlighting their importance for the biodiversity, culture, and tradition of a peasant community in Venezuela.Sample/methodThe study involved a population of 120 individuals, from which a sample size of 34 people was calculated using the formula for finite populations. A simple random sampling technique was employed, and all the participants were administered the TRAMIL (Traditions Medicine in Island) survey.Statistical analysisThe ethnopharmacological table was constructed, and descriptive statistics were used for analysis.ResultsA total of 116 species of medicinal plants were documented to treat various health conditions. The informants reflected through their responses that they used medicinal plants in the first instance to address a health condition, employing varied forms of plant preparation, which include decoction (65.16%), raw consumption (16.77%), maceration (8.38%), and infusion (7.09%). The most commonly used plant parts are leaves, flowers, fruits, bark, peels, roots, and bulbs, while the most commonly used botanical families are Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Rutaceae, Malvaceae, Verbenaceae, Acanthaceae, Asteraceae, and Euphorbaceae. On the other hand, the species with the highest TRAMIL Significant Use Level were Oregano orejón (Coleus amboinicus Lour.) (68.29), Malojillo [Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf.] (60.97), Tua (Jatropha gossypiifolia L.) (34.15), Colombiana [Kalanchoe pinnata (Lam.) Pers.] (34.15), Poleo [Micromeria brownei (Sw.) Benth.] (29.27), Pasote (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.) (29.27), Llantén (Plantago major L.) (26.83), Te negro [Phyla stoechadifolia (L.) Small] (26.83), Yerbabuena (Mentha sp.) (21.85), and Curia (Justicia pectoralis Jacq.) (21.95).ConclusionThe community of El Onoto de El Valle de Tucutunemo, Aragua State, Venezuela has a notable utilization of medicinal plant species in their instance to treat different health conditions, with the predominant focus on treating flu and stomach ailments. It is important to emphasize that all individuals approached through various data collection instruments reported using medicinal plants, both individually and within their families, spanning a wide range of ages from children to the elderly. This reflects that the use of medicinal plants is part of their cultural heritage and ancestral roots.

Comprehensive Review on the Genus Haloxylon: Pharmacological and Phytochemical Properties.

This review aimed to review the biological, pharmacological, and phytochemical aspects of the genus Haloxylon. Plants of the genus Haloxylon have been used for a long time in traditional medicine, and they are distributed in the western Mediterranean region to the Middle East, Iran, Mongolia, Burma, and southwest China. The studied parts of Haloxylon species include aerial parts, leaves, branches, seeds, roots, rhizosphere, soil, and whole plants, used to treat several diseases, including sexual disorders, hepatobiliary disorders, eye disorders, skin diseases and hemorrhoids, diarrhea, and effective in the treatment of various ailments such as snake bite, stomach ache, diabetes, wounds, earache and sciatica pain, windbreak dune fixation, feeding of livestock and firewood. Till now, no review on the genus Haloxylon has been conducted. This review aimed to provide updated information on the genus Haloxylon, including traditional medicinal uses, valorization and exploitation of medicinal plants, phytochemistry, botanical characterization, pharmacological and toxicological research focusing on the medicinal properties of several Haloxylon species, especially their antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antifungal activities, as well as the effect of each bioactive molecule isolated from these species and their pharmacological use, including the preclinical evaluation of new drugs. The present work was conducted using various scientific databases, including Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, etc. Correct plant names were verified from plantlist.org. The results of this search were interpreted, analyzed, and documented based on the obtained bibliographic information. Among all species of the Chenopodiaceae family, 6 species of the Haloxylon genus have approved antioxidant activity, 5 species have antibacterial activity, 3 species have anti-inflammatory activity, 2 species have cytotoxic activity, and 3 species have antifungal activity. The majority of the chemical constituents of this plant include flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, saponins, glycosides, and tannins. Among them, the main bioactive constituents would be present in the alkaloid fraction. The study of more than 9 Haloxylon plants has identified more than 46 compounds. Pharmacological research proved that crude extracts and some pure compounds obtained from Haloxylon had activities for the treatment of different diseases. The objective of the present study was focused on antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antifungal diseases. From the study of the phytochemistry of the Haloxylon family, it was concluded that all studied plants had active compounds. Among them, 11 isolated molecules have medicinal activities with antioxidant properties, 10 molecules showed antibacterial effects, more than 6 molecules have anti-inflammatory properties, more than 9 isolated molecules have medicinal activities against cytotoxic diseases, and more than 28 molecules have antifungal effects. Therefore, the safety of Haloxylon herbal medicine should be considered a top priority in the early stages of development and clinical trials. Several previously conducted studies have validated multiple traditional uses of Haloxylon species. Further research is needed on Haloxylon plants before they can be fully utilized in the clinic as a potent drug candidate, as researchers are mainly focusing on alkaloids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoids, whereas there are many other types of compounds that may possess novel biological activities.

SUPPRESSION OF AVIAN INFECTIOUS BRONCHITIS VIRUS REPRODUCTION BY SOME PLANT EXTRACTS

A variety of variants of the avian infectious bronchitis virus creates certain difficulties in vaccination. Therefore, the search for new methods of suppressing the reproduction of the virus is an important problem in the poultry industry. Avian infectious bronchitis virus is an acute highly contagious viral disease, mainly of chickens, accompanied by damage to the respiratory organs in young animals and loss of productivity in adult laying hens. The exploitation of medicinal plants is an important topic for both pharmaceuticals and medicine in general. Many viruses have developed resistance to existing drugs, so it makes sense to study plants that contain biologically active compounds that are able to suppress viral activity. The purpose of the research is to show the possibility of using extracts of some plants to inhibit the reproduction of the avian infectious bronchitis virus. It has been shown that at a dose of 3 to 4 μg/ml, plant extracts of Alnus incana, Hedysarum neglectum, Polygonum aviculare, Alhagi pseudalhagi are able to suppress 50% of the reproductive activity of the avian infectious bronchitis virus.

Traditional Uses, Pharmacological, and Phytochemical Studies of Euphorbia: A Review.

Plants of the genus Euphorbia have long been used as traditional medicine in China, Europe, America, Turkey, India, Africa, Iran, and Pakistan for their great medicinal value and health benefits. Their stems, leaves, roots, and latex are widely used to treat respiratory infections, body and skin irritations, digestive disorders, inflammatory infections, body pain, snake or scorpion bites, pregnancy, sensory disturbances, microbial and anticancer diseases. This review aims to provide updated information on the genus Euphorbia, including traditional medicinal uses, valuation and exploitation of medicinal plants, phytochemistry, botanical characterization, pharmacological and toxicological research focused on the medicinal properties of several Euphorbias in particular their antibacterial, anti-tumor, and cell manifestations, in addition to the effect of each isolated bioactive molecule from these species and their pharmacological use including preclinical evaluation of new drugs. This work was conducted using scientific databases such as: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, Science Direct, etc. In addition, ChemDraw software has been used for the drawing of chemical molecules. The correct names of the plants were confirmed from plantlist.org. The results of this review research were interpreted, analyzed and documented based on the bibliographical information obtained. Among all the species of the Euphorbiaceae family, 15 species have been demonstrated to exhibit anticancer activity, 21 species have antibacterial activity, and 10 species have cytotoxic activity. The majority of the chemical constituents of this plant include triterpenoid glycosides, diterpenoids, flavonoids, and the 4α-methyl steroids. Among them, the main bioactive constituents are present in the diterpenoid fraction. The study of more than 33 steroid plants identified more than 104 compounds. Pharmacological research proved that the crude extracts and some pure compounds obtained from Euphorbia had activities for the treatment of different diseases. The objective of the present study was focused on cytotoxic, antibacterial and antitumor diseases. The study of the phytochemistry of the Euphorbia families led to the conclusion that all the plants studied had active compounds, of which 27 plants were characterized by their cytotoxic effects, 7 had antibacterial effects and 10 plants had anti-tumor activities. Therefore, the safety of Euphorbia herbal medicine should be considered a top priority in the early stages of development and clinical trials. Many previous studies have validated many traditional uses of Euphorbia species. The latex of some Euphorbia species seems to be toxic however, studies dealing with the safety and quality of these species are still incomplete. Extensive studies are needed on the Euphorbia plants before they can be fully used in clinics as a potent drug candidate, as researchers are focusing mainly on diterpenoids and triterpenoids, while there are many other types of compounds that may possess new biological activities.

BRIDELIA SCANDENS WILD. A NEW SOURCE FOR PODOPHYLLOTOXIN PRODUCTION IN VITRO BY FEEDING CONIFERYL ALCOHOL

Objective: In the present study, a new method for the production of anticancerous compound podophyllotoxin (PTOX) was developed for Bridelia scandens Wild. by feeding coniferyl alcohol.
 Methods: The production of anticancerous compound PTOX through leaf explant derived calli of B. scandens. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium fortified with 0.5 mg/l 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.5 mg/l 2,4-D (2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid) induced luxuriant mass of callus growth. Suspension culture was initiated by sterile MS media fortified with 0.1–1.0 mg/l BAP and 0.1–1.0 mg/l 2,4-D. and growth product was analyzed by the high-pressure liquid chromatography method.
 Results: Phytochemical analysis of the B. scandens leaf and leaf calli showed the presence of PTOX at the concentrations of 0.69 and 1.81, respectively. The callus cell suspension was established with the same callogenic media also it is augmented with 10–70 mg/l of coniferyl alcohol to elicit the biosynthesis of PTOX. Successive cultures of the calli suspension yielded stable production of PTOX of 3.91 mg/g dry cell weight at 50 mg/l coniferyl alcohol in the media. The biosynthesis of PTOX was ideal when plant cells were cultivated in the dark with an agitation speed of 100 rpm.
 Conclusion: The growth and production of PTOX were found to be better with glucose than with sucrose as the medium carbon source. The harvesting of the secondary metabolite from the in vitro grown leaf calli of B. scandens is a better way to stop the exploitation of medicinal plants.

Therapeutic efficacy of the root tubers of Aconitum heterophyllum and its substitute Cyperus rotundus in the amelioration of pylorus ligation induced ulcerogenic and oxidative damage in rats.

The phenomenal increase in the demand of herbal drugs, leads to over exploitation of medicinal plants which ultimately resulted in the scarcity and endangerment of many valuable plant species. On observing the difficulties in procuring genuine herbal drugs arose the concept of substitution which was documented in many classical Ayurvedic texts. The present study made a comparative evaluation of the gastroprotective potential of hydroalcoholic extracts of an original drug Aconitum heterophyllum (HAAH) and its substitute Cyperus rotundus (HACR) in the treatment of gastric ulcer under in vivo experimental conditions. The anti-ulcer property of the plant extracts was investigated against pylorus ligation induced ulcer in Wistar albino rats. The results confirmed that both A. heterophyllum and C. rotundus deliver comparable significant protection against gastric ulcer, indicated by a decrease in the free and total acidity, volume of gastric content, total proteins and increase in pH of gastric content, total carbohydrates and total carbohydrates to total proteins ratio. The observed anti-ulcer potential of both the drugs is attributed mainly to prevention of the generation of damaging free radical cascades and oxidant radical release.

Ethnobotany and exploitation of medicinal plants in the Rhodope Mountains – is there a hazard for Clinopodium dalmaticum?

The present work summarises preliminary results of an ethnobotanical study in the Rhodope Mountains. The aim was to assess the traditional home use of medicinal plants for herbal tea by local people and to estimate the threats to the Balkan endemic Clinopodiumdalmaticum. Semi-structured interviews with local informants from 15 localities in Central and Eastern Rhodope Mountains were performed in 2015 and 2018. As a result, the most used plant species were listed. The major source of plants was recorded as being gathered from the wild. The plants, known with the local names “wild mint” and “white mint”, were identified as Clinopodiumdalmaticum from dried specimens presented by informants in Central Rhodopes. A frequent collection from wild populations of C.dalmaticum in Central Rhodope Mts. (Smoljan region) was revealed along with just a few cases of cultivation close to the studied sites.

Survey and their conservation measures on medicinal plants of soar valley, Pithoragarh, Uttrakhand

The western Himalayas are famous for its rich medicinal and aromatic plant biodiversity and also known as treasure of medicinal and aromatic plants. Nowadays, due to increasing awareness towards herbal products there is tremendous pressure on Himalayan medicinal plants. the natural environment of this region has been affected to a great extent due to overgrazing, cultivation in slopes, sub marginal lands, ruination of forest, change in weather pattern and unplanned developmental activities. the indiscriminate and over-exploitation have severely disturbed the ecological balance. Survey on the medicinal and aromatic plants has been undertaken in different adjacent villages of Soar valley Pithoragarh and other nearby areas. The Medicinal Plants were collected on the basis of literature and folklore information, there proper herbarium of collected plants was prepared and identification was undertaken from authentic sources. The unscientific, over and irregular exploitation of medicinal plants of Soar valley has resulted in very fast depletion as well as extinction of some important medicinal plant species. The threat of extinction can be reduced by developing their agro-technology, adopting scientific methods of collection, in-situ and ex-situ conservation. the aim of this survey is to create awareness among local people about this depleting valuable herbal heritage and to motivate them for its conservation.

Investigation on the bioactivity of culturable endophytic and epiphytic bacteria associated with ethnomedicinal plants.

The growing need for the bioactive compounds of ethnomedicinal plants for the treatment of diseases has resulted in exploitation of medicinal plants. The present investigation aimed to study the diversity of endophytic and epiphytic bacteria associated with ethnomedicinal plants and to explore their potential as source of bioactive compounds. Characterization of culturable endophytic and epiphytic bacteria associated with 11 ethnomedicinal plants and their potential as natural antioxidants was assessed through free radical scavenging activity, total phenolics, total flavonoids, metal ion chelation, and antagonistic activity. Genetic screening to assess the potential of endophytes and epiphytes to synthesize bioactive compounds was achieved by screening for the presence of the non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) gene. The frequently isolated endophytic bacterium recovered was Bacillus sp. Antioxidative property of the bacterial extracts revealed endophytes with potent antioxidant activity and better antagonistic activity as compared to epiphytes. Genetic screening revealed the presence of the NRPS gene in seven plant-associated bacteria, indicating the production of natural products. The study indicated the extracts of bacterial endophytes associated with ethnomedicinal plants as good sources of natural products with potential application in oxidative stress. The isolates could be used as new bioactive agents.

The regulatory framework for the exploitation of medicinal plants in Cameroon: the case of Prunus africana on Mount Cameroon

Before the beginning of its large scale exploitation by a European pharmaceutical company in 1972, the tree species Prunus africana was known in Cameroon only for traditional uses. The present exploitation may lead to its extinction on Mount Cameroon. This paper explains the destruction of P. africana within the current regulatory framework and recommends stricter compliance with the regulations, which would guarantee survival of this species in the wild. Field observations are also presented.