Medicinal Plant Families Research Articles

Black spot on the medicinal orchid Dendrobium officinale caused by Cladosporium oxysporum in China

Black spot is a common disease occurring on Dendrobium officinale, which significantly reduces the quality and yield of this medicinal plant (family Orchidaceae). The disease manifests itself as small, black spots on leaves which can develop into circular streaks that become necrotic tan or brownish black, with the leaves eventually turning yellow or brown-yellow. Fungal pathogens such as Alternaria tenuissima and Phyllosticta spp. are known to cause black spot of D. officinale. A fungus which was atypical of A. tenuissima or Phyllosticta spp. was isolated from leaves of D. officinale showing symptoms of black spot from Zhejiang and Guangxi provinces, China. Pathogenicity tests in vitro as well as on tissue-cultured seedlings using fungal isolate GXDF24 showed that it was able to cause typical black spot symptoms. Molecular identification based on the ITS sequence revealed that isolate GXDF24 shared 99% similarity with Cladosporium oxysporum. This is the first report of C. oxysporum as a pathogen causing black spot of D. officinale in China.

PEMANFAATAN TANAMAN TOGA BAGI KESEHATAN KELUARGA DAN MASYARAKAT

ABSTRACT
 
 Medicinal plants are a source of power that has existed since age-old. TOGA used by our ancestors in order to overcome health problems by making various ingredients of medicinal issues. Therefore the use of medicinal plant families or we called TOGA should be developed and circulated in the community, especially for all of households. But many people are still not aware of the utilization of family medicine. People often mistake them for the raw material too produce of traditional medicines and they do not understand yet how to process the material. It can cause side effects that are different for each person if given excessive doses of the drug. Health to our survival is very important, because without health we could not do any activities that can sustain our lifes. The method used observation and documentation. Medicinal plants are all kinds of plants that have their own uses as a medicine. Many parts of the plant can be used, such as the fruit, stems, leaves, and roots or tubers. Processing technology medicinal plants can be done by sorting, alteration, draining, and drying, storage, and so on. While herb processing can be done by grind, boil, and simmer.
 
 Keywords: Medicinal plants, TOGA, Benefits, and Processing.

Indian tribe’s and villager’s health and habits: Popularity of apocynaceae plants as medicine

The aim of this review is to highlight the folkloric uses of Apocynaceae plants among the ethnic and tribal communities of India. India is rich in its cultural heritage. All climatic zones in Indian subcontinent make it a hub of varied Flora. Around 54 plant species of the Apocynaceae family works as medicine among the tribes (scheduled caste - 16.6%, scheduled castes - 8.6%) and villagers as home remedy or as a therapy provided by the local vaids. The presence of cardiac glycosides and alkaloids, iridoids, and terpenoids make Apocynaceae family as the fifth valuable medicinal plant family in Angiosperms. Folk medicinal uses of the taxonomically identified Apocynaceae plants can be potential source of lead compounds or novel drugs for the treatment of wide range of diseases/problems such as antidote to poisonous bite, malaria, cancer, diabetes, liver diseases, skin problems, gynaecological problems, and reproductive tract infections. This trend is an emerging discipline called reverse pharmacology approach, i.e., from “laboratory to clinic” to “clinics to laboratories”.

PEMBERDAYAAN SUKU DAYAK PEDALAMAN MELALUI INOVASI PERTANIAN, EKONOMI, PENDIDIKAN DAN KESEHATAN TERPADU UNTUK MEWUJUDKAN MASYARAKAT SEHAT, CERDAS, DAN SEJAHTERA DI DAERAH TERTINGGAL KALIMANTAN BARAT

The majority of indigenous Dayak farmers in Toho district encounter several issues. Their productivity was varied seasonally. In the rainy season, they were difficult to dry paddy in the sun. They also required costly diesel to fuel their threshing machines. In the health area, this region ever promulgated to set up Desa Siaga, but until now the discourse has not been realized. Health coverages such as childbirth by medical labor, exclusive breastfeeding, PHBS, and environmental sanitation were extremely low. This programs empowered dayak farmer community through Innovations in Agriculture, Economics, Education and Health Integrated (PERENDIKESDU). The programs included (a) Increasing the entrepreneurial agricultural economics, methods/concept used to overcome the problems, namely: the establishment and coaching a group of women farmers, training of making rice with simple biomass drying machine and simple threshing machine, training nursery plantation processing, packaging socialization plantation products. (b) Establishment and Development of alert village, methods which are used to treat the problems namely: workshops, health promotion include counseling on health behavior, socialization healthy latrines, clean water supply, sanitation, training of village cadres standby and Posyandu cadres, management training standby village, ground socialization land use for medicinal plant families (toga). (c) Elimination of illiteracy, methods which are used to treat the problems, namely: the implementation of training for creating collages, mosaics, and a montage of simple materials, realization Morance training methods, training of cadres illiteracy, the establishment of home building illiteracy. Keywords: Agriculture, Economics, Education, Health, PERENDIKESDU, Dayak.The majority of indigenous Dayak farmers in Toho district encounter several issues. Their productivity was varied seasonally. In the rainy season, they were difficult to dry paddy in the sun. They also required costly diesel to fuel their threshing machines. In the health area, this region ever promulgated to set up Desa Siaga, but until now the discourse has not been realized. Health coverages such as childbirth by medical labor, exclusive breastfeeding, PHBS, and environmental sanitation were extremely low. This programs empowered dayak farmer community through Innovations in Agriculture, Economics, Education and Health Integrated (PERENDIKESDU). The programs included (a) Increasing the entrepreneurial agricultural economics, methods/concept used to overcome the problems, namely: the establishment and coaching a group of women farmers, training of making rice with simple biomass drying machine and simple threshing machine, training nursery plantation processing, packaging socialization plantation products. (b) Establishment and Development of alert village, methods which are used to treat the problems namely: workshops, health promotion include counseling on health behavior, socialization healthy latrines, clean water supply, sanitation, training of village cadres standby and Posyandu cadres, management training standby village, ground socialization land use for medicinal plant families (toga). (c) Elimination of illiteracy, methods which are used to treat the problems, namely: the implementation of training for creating collages, mosaics, and a montage of simple materials, realization Morance training methods, training of cadres illiteracy, the establishment of home building illiteracy. Keywords: Agriculture, Economics, Education, Health, PERENDIKESDU, Dayak.

Ethnopharmacological uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, and biotechnological applications of Eclipta prostrata.

Eclipta prostrata belongs to a family of medicinal plants (Asteraceae) and plays a role in the treatment of several diseases, including infectious hepatitis, snake venom poisoning, gastritis, and respiratory diseases such as a cough and asthma. A number of compounds, including thiophene derivatives, steroids, triterpenes, flavonoids, polyacetylenes, polypeptides, and coumestans, have been isolated from E. prostrata. The plant functional compounds can act as reducing agent in the field of nanoparticle synthesis. The extracts of E. prostrata are widely used for green biosynthesis of various metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, nanoparticles, which showed a potential for pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and biomedical applications. Establishment of a efficient in vitro regeneration and genetic transformation method of E. prostrata is a vital prerequisite for application of biotechnology in order to improve secondary metabolite yields. The present mini-review discusses its pharmacological profile, chemical constituents, biotechnological, and ethnomedical uses, mainly focusing on antimyotoxic, antihemorrhagic, antiproliferative, antioxidant, antitumor, antihyperglycemic, antidementia, antimicrobial, antihyperlipidemic, antivenom, anti-HIV, and larvicidal activities, so that the pharmaceutical potential of the plant can be better evaluated. The mini review, providing up-to-date phytochemical and other information on E. prostrata, will serve a reference for further studies.

Alkaloid-Poor Plant Families, Poaceae and Cyperaceae, Are Over-Utilized for Medicine in Hawaiian Pharmacopoeia

The theory of non-random medicinal plant selection predicts that the number of medicinal plant species in a given family is related to the total number of species in that family. As a consequence of such a strong relationship, some plant families are over-utilized for medicinal purposes while others are not. Medicinal plant families that are often over-utilized share evolutionary traits such as the presence of secondary plant compounds which are known to have medicinal values. Consistent with this model, several studies have shown that alkaloid-poor plant families such as Poaceae and Cyperaceae, two families known more for their physical defenses rather than their chemical defenses, are medicinally under-utilized across the world. In this study, we demonstrate that contrary to expectation, Poaceae and Cyperaceae are over-utilized in the Hawaiian ethnopharmacopoeia. One reason for this over-utilization is a result of the Hawaiian cultural practice of converting plants in the Poaceae and Cyperaceae families into ash for direct medicinal use or as a component in other medicinal preparations. The over-utilization of Poaceae and Cyperaceae is also potentially due to their versatility and greater availability in parts of the land divisions where most humans are allowed to visit. Knowledge of how to use ash is taught through mo‘olelo, Hawaiian history, and represents a Native Hawaiian understanding of and relationship to chemical knowledge. Our study provides new evidence for the theory of non-random medicinal plant selection and shows, contrary to expectation, that unique patterns of plant family over-utilization could arise in unique cultural and geographical contexts.

Transcriptome analysis of Polygonum minus reveals candidate genes involved in important secondary metabolic pathways of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids.

BackgroundPolygonum minus is an herbal plant in the Polygonaceae family which is rich in ethnomedicinal plants. The chemical composition and characteristic pungent fragrance of Polygonum minus have been extensively studied due to its culinary and medicinal properties. There are only a few transcriptome sequences available for species from this important family of medicinal plants. The limited genetic information from the public expressed sequences tag (EST) library hinders further study on molecular mechanisms underlying secondary metabolite production.MethodsIn this study, we performed a hybrid assembly of 454 and Illumina sequencing reads from Polygonum minus root and leaf tissues, respectively, to generate a combined transcriptome library as a reference.ResultsA total of 34.37 million filtered and normalized reads were assembled into 188,735 transcripts with a total length of 136.67 Mbp. We performed a similarity search against all the publicly available genome sequences and found similarity matches for 163,200 (86.5%) of Polygonum minus transcripts, largely from Arabidopsis thaliana (58.9%). Transcript abundance in the leaf and root tissues were estimated and validated through RT-qPCR of seven selected transcripts involved in the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. All the transcripts were annotated against KEGG pathways to profile transcripts related to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.DiscussionThis comprehensive transcriptome profile will serve as a useful sequence resource for molecular genetics and evolutionary research on secondary metabolite biosynthesis in Polygonaceae family. Transcriptome assembly of Polygonum minus can be accessed at http://prims.researchfrontier.org/index.php/dataset/transcriptome.

Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used for the Treatment of Diabetes in the Tizi n’ Test Region (Taroudant Province, Morocco)

In Morocco, diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem with over than 1.5 million cases in 2014. Medicinal plants are widely used by the Moroccan population to treat the illness. This study was carried out to identify the medicinal plants traditionally used in human therapy to treat diabetes in the Tizi n’Test region, and contribute to safeguarding knowledge and local expertise in traditional herbal medicine. A total of 280 interviews were conducted with traditional health practitioners and knowledgeable villagers. Data were collected by semi-structured and structured questionnaires. Indices on Fidelity Level (FL), Use Value (UV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) were calculated. The ethnobotanical survey has identified 39 species representing 24 families. The most encountered medicinal plant families were Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. The following plant species were showed the high significant FL, UV and RFC: Artemisia herba-alba, Cistus creticus, Lavandula maroccana, Salvia lavandulifolia and Olea europaea. Plant leaves were the most commonly used plant part, and decoction was the most common method of traditional drug preparation. Our study showed that medicinal plants continue to play an important role in the primary healthcare system for the local population of the Tizi n’Test region and represents a useful documentation, which can contribute to preserving knowledge on the use of medicinal plants for diabetes treatment and to explore the phytochemical and pharmacological potential of medicinal plant.

En-masse production of elite clones of Dendrobium crepidatum: A threatened, medicinal orchid used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Orchids are one of the promising medicinal plant families of which Dendrobium crepidatum. Lindl & Paxton figures out prominently because of its multi directional medicinal attributes. In the present report, in vitro regeneration protocol has been developed from the nodal segments of D. crepidatum, to cater sustainable commercial exploitation and conservation needs. Thidiazuron (TDZ) at 3mg/l singly resulted in the response frequency of 55% which could be increased to 97% by incorporating NAA at 0.5mg/l and TDZ at 2mg/l in combination in the medium. Shoot induction rate was further enhanced with the use of polyamines and at 0.8mM putrescine along with 2mg/l TDZ and 0.5mg/l NAA in the medium 11.8 shoots/explant could be obtained. Highest rooting frequency of the shoots was achieved in medium containing 2mg/l IBA. Genetic stability of the acclimatized plants was assessed using Start Codon Targeted (SCoT) polymorphism and inters simple sequence repeats (ISSR). SCoT revealed a total variability of 10% within the micropropagated plants whereas the cumulative ISSR and SCoT data revealed 6.25% clonal variability indicating high genetic fidelity amongst the regenerates. A comprehensive higher yield of the secondary metabolites along with significant higher antioxidant potentials as compared to the mother plant was revealed using DPPH and FRAP assays. An increased regeneration frequency with a comparative higher yield of secondary metabolite and genetic stability reported in the present communication ensure the ingenuity of this clonal propagation protocol developed for D. crepidatum which can be further utilized in the sustainable commercial utilization and conservation of other medicinally important orchid species.

Documenting the indigenous knowledge on medicinal flora from communities residing near Swat River (Suvastu) and in high mountainous areas in Swat-Pakistan

Aim of the studyThe present study aimed at documenting the indigenous knowledge on medicinal flora from the local communities residing near Swat River and high mountainous areas in Swat, Pakistan. Materials and methodsField study was carried out in 2013−14. The area was visited 17 times, and semi-structured and open-ended interviews were conducted in both the plain area nearby the Swat River (4 villages) and mountains (7 villages). A total of 83 erudite informants participated in the interviews with their prior consent. The collected data were analysed through quantitative indices viz., medicinal use value (MUV), relative frequency citation (RFC), family use value (FUV), informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL). ResultsA total of 78 species belonging to 45 vascular plant families were documented as medicinally important. Lamiaceae was observed the dominant medicinal plant family with 11 species, leaf was the most used part, and powder the most preferred preparation type. Maximum MUV (1) was shared by 15 species while maximum RFC (0.385) was demonstrated by both Brassica juncea and Lepidium sativum. Smaller families with mostly 1 species showed higher FUV while among the larger families Amaryllidaceae and Papaveraceae showed maximum FUV of 0.89 and 0.87, respectively. Highest FL was shown by Mentha arvensis (70%) against gastrointestinal diseases. Highest ICF was demonstrated by hepatic disorders (0.93). Furthermore, we revealed 108 indigenous herbal medicinal recipes, 6 plants added to the medicinal plant trade list, 1 species (Vincetoxicum arnottianum) reported for the first time as medicinal plant, and several new uses for 49 well known medicinal plants. ConclusionThe present survey documents diverse plant species that are utilised by local communities for treating a broad spectrum of disorders. Quantitative indices helped in marking important and most preferred plants. To conclude, we recommend the plants for pharmacological studies, documenting new uses, especially Vincetoxicum arnottianum, never screened before.

Ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants used by Li people in Ledong, Hainan Island, China

The paper documents on the uses of traditional medicinal plants used for treating human ailments in three villages of Ledong, a county inhabited by Li ethnic group in the southwest of Hainan Province, China. Semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews and participatory observations were used to collect ethnobotanical data from February to March 2012 and in July 2013. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Thirty native knowledgeable people were interviewed. The Li community uses 50 plant species in 36 families for medicinal purposes. The most common medicinal plant families were Leguminosae (14%), Compositae (6%), and Euphorbiaceae (6%), and the most common preparations methods were decoction (84%), crushing (38%), and poultice (34%). The traditional medicinal plants were mainly used for hemostasis (12.9%), body pains (11.4%), gastrointestinal disorders (11.4%), and trauma (10%). Twenty-four species of medicinal plants (48%) have never been reported in the literature of Li medicines. In addition, 22 species (44%) have already been studied by researchers and their extracts or compounds were good bio-actives. However, the rapid socio-economic development in the county is the main threat to the conservation of Li medicine and has resulted in the decrease in the abundance and use of medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Other factors accounting for a decrease in the use of Li medicinal plants like loss of plant diversity, change of land use, and threatened traditional knowledge were equally discussed.

The local knowledge of medicinal plants trader and diversity of medicinal plants in the Kabanjahe traditional market, North Sumatra, Indonesia

Ethnopharmacological relevanceMarket is the main place for transactions of medicinal plants and traditional ingredients by local community in the Karo regency, North Sumatra, Indonesia. This is the first study to document the local knowledge of traders on and the diversity of the medicinal plants. The investigation was carried out in the Kabanjahe traditional market, in the Karo regency. The research goal was to reveal the local knowledge, diversity and utilization of medicinal plants, which have been traded in the Kabanjahe traditional market, as a basis for conservation efforts. Materials and methodsThe study was conducted through ethnobotanical approach using market surveys. All traders of medicinal plants were surveyed applying in-depth interviews and participative observations. Data were analyzed qualitatively using descriptive statistics. The diversity of medicinal plants was expressed in term of the Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H'), whereas the similarity among traders was indicated by Jaccard index (Ji). ResultsTraders of medicinal plants stored the simplicia of medicinal plants in chest of drawers, plastic baskets, plastic bags, and in the air by suspending them from the the stall ceilings. We recorded 344 species, 217 genera and 90 families of medicinal plants. Those that were sold mostly belong to Zingeberaceae (20 species), Poaceae (19 species), and Asclepiadaceae (17 species), and the species received high consumers demand, mostly belong to Zingiberaceae, Rutaceae, and Asclepidiaceae. Asclepidiaceae was used to treat diseases like cancer and heart problems. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index of medicinal plants at the Kabanjahe traditional market was high (H'= 5.637). The high Jaccard similarity index (Ji>0.56) suggested that the traders were trading similar species of medicinal plants. ConclusionKabanjahe traditional market is the center for the sale of of medicinal plants as traditional ingredients. Several species are well known for their pharmacological properties but others, [such as: Dischidia imbricata (Blume) Steud., Dischidia nummularia R.Br., Hoya macrophylla Blume, and Hoya coriacea Blume] have been used for cancer treatment by local communities, but pharmacologically unknown, hence they are promising candidates for further investigation.

Curculigo orchioides Gaertn Effectively Ameliorates the Uro- and Nephrotoxicities Induced by Cyclophosphamide Administration in Experimental Animals.

Background Curculigo orchioides Gaertn is an ancient medicinal plant (Family: Amaryllidaceae), well known for its immunomodulatory and rejuvenating effects. Cyclophosphamide (CPA) is an alkylating agent widely used for treating a variety of human malignancies, but associated with different toxicities too. Our previous reports regarding the hemoprotective and hepatoprotective effects of the plant against CPA toxicities provide the background for the present study, which is designed to analyze the ameliorative effect of the methanolic extract of C orchioides on the urotoxicity and nephrotoxicity induced by CPA. Methods CPA was administered to male Swiss albino mice at a single dose of 1.5 mmol/kg body weight to induce urotoxicity after 5 days of prophylactic treatment with C orchioides extract (20 mg/kg body weight). Mesna (2-mercaptoethanesulfonate) was used as a control drug. Serum, tissue, and urine levels of kidney function markers and antioxidant levels were checked along with the serum cytokine levels. Results The plant extract was found to be effective in ameliorating the urotoxic and nephrotoxic side effects of CPA. Upregulation of serum interferon-γ and interleukin-2 levels were observed with C orchioides treatment, which was decreased by CPA administration. Besides these, serum tumor necrosis factor-α level was also downregulated by C orchioides treatment. Conclusion Curculigo orchioides was found to be effective against the CPA-induced bladder and renal toxicities by its antioxidant capability and also by regulating the pro-inflammatory cytokine levels.

Mining chemodiversity from biodiversity: pharmacophylogeny of medicinal plants of Ranunculaceae

This paper reports a pharmacophylogenetic study of a medicinal plant family, Ranunculaceae, investigating the correlations between their phylogeny, chemical constituents, and pharmaceutical properties. Phytochemical, ethnopharmacological, and pharmacological data were integrated in the context of the systematics and molecular phylogeny of the Ranunculaceae. The chemical components of this family included several representative metabolic groups: benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, ranunculin, triterpenoid saponin, and diterpene alkaloids, among others. Ranunculin and magnoflorine were found to coexist in some genera. The pharmacophylogenetic analysis, integrated with therapeutic information, agreed with the taxonomy proposed previously, in which the family Ranunculaceae was divided into five sub-families: Ranunculoideae, Thalictroideae, Coptidoideae, Hydrastidoideae, and Glaucidioideae. It was plausible to organize the sub-family Ranunculoideae into ten tribes. The chemical constituents and therapeutic efficacy of each taxonomic group were reviewed, revealing the underlying connections between phylogeny, chemical diversity, and clinical use, which should facilitate the conservation and sustainable utilization of the pharmaceutical resources derived from the Ranunculaceae.

Tradition in treating taboo: Folkloric medicinal wisdom of the aboriginals of Purulia district, West Bengal, India against sexual, gynaecological and related disorders

Ethnopharmacological relevanceIn order to explore the traditional medicine practised by the ethnic communities residing in the topographically and climatically challenged Purulia, an underprivileged district of West Bengal, India, a quantitative ethnobiological approach was adopted to document the folkloric use of ethnomedicinals against different sexual, gynaecological and related ailments. Materials and methodsEthnobiological surveys were conducted during 2012–2015 by interviewing 82 informants or traditional healers with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire. The survey included questions on botanical and non-botanical ingredients and additives mixed with monoherbal and polyherbal formulations, vernacular names of the plants and animals, methods of preparation and administration and restrictions during medications. Additional quantitative indices such as use value, informant׳s consensus factor and fidelity level were used for data analysis. ResultsTwenty eight sexual and gynaecological disorders were found to be treated with 18 monoherbal and 31 polyherbal formulations consisting of a total number of 96 plant species from 86 genera and 47 families and four animal species. A variety of additives, either botanicals or non-botanicals were used with the formulations for higher efficacy and taste enhancement. Fabaceae (16 species) was found to be the most common family of medicinal plants whereas herbs (42.7%) and roots (32%) were the most common habit type and plant part used respectively. Use value, informant׳s consensus factor and fidelity level indicate frequency and coherence of citations. ConclusionAge old belief on traditional medicine prevails in the studied area due to its efficacy, inexpensive price and the remoteness of tribal villages from conventional medical centres. Traditional healers had detailed knowledge of preparations, doses, methods of administration, restrictions during medications, safety and efficacy of using folkloric therapeutics against sexual and gynaecological disorders. Possible synergistic interactions among phytochemicals and additives were indicated to explain enhanced therapeutic efficacy of mixed herbal formulations.

Composition of the Essential Oils of Two Umbelliferae Herbs (Artedia squamata and Malabaila secacul) Growing Wild in Turkey

Apiaceae are a family of medicinal plants widely used in traditional medicine and they are employed commercially as species or drugs because of their richness on useful secondary metabolites. The Artedia L. genus is a monotypic genus in Flora of Turkey and it is represented with a single species Artedia squamata L. Malabaila secacul Banks & Sol. is reported as very variable species in Flora of Turkey and it is represented as different groups taxonomically. In this study, water-distilled essential oils from the aerial parts of Artedia squamata and Malabaila secacul were analyzed by GC and GC-MS system. Fifty three components representing 99.7 % of the oil of A. squamata were identified of which α-pinene (57.8 %), camphene (9.0 %), β-myrcene (5.7 %), δ-3-carene (5.3 %) and limonene (5.3 %) were found to be the major constituents. Butanoic acid (37.1 %), caryophyllene oxide (13.4 %), germacrene D (10.0 %) and β-caryophyllene (5.4 %) were the main compounds identified in the oils of M. Secacul, representing 90.2 % total oil.

Ethno Botanical Survey of Herbal Remedies Traditionally Used in North Khorasan Province of Iran

This study was carried out in north east of Iran to collect the information of traditionally used medicinal plants by the local communities. A total of 10 medicinal plants belonging to 6 families, have a traditional medicinal role in the treatment of severe cold, kidney disorder, hysteria, nervous affection, aroma, febrifuge, jaundice, rheumatism, gout, urinary infection, asthma and fever. Analysis showed that Lamiaceae were the most dominant families of medicinal plants in Darkesh area (18%). The most used part of the plants was the leaves at 50% and Decoction was the most popular form of treatment used. Some of the medicinal plants (Kakoti, Zereshk Kuhi, Shir Khesht) discussed in this article have new implications presented for the first time in northeastern Iran. Therefore, these findings are important for the management of aroma, febrifuge and jaundice. Local communities, especially, forest dweller heavily use these traditionally available medicinal plants for health and believe that these are easily available, less expensive and have no side effects. But Chemical medicines, because of their harmful and irreversible effects on people, are slowly being replaced by active substances of plants. Medicinal plants are widely used for treatment in the area and the result of this study showed that the region has great potential for increasing medical tourism.

Local knowledge of medicinal plants in sub-ethnic Batak Simalungun of North Sumatra, Indonesia

Silalahi M, Supriatna J, Walujo EB, Nisyawati. 2015. Local knowledge of medicinal plants in sub-ethnic Batak Simalungun of North Sumatra, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 16: 44-54. Research on the local knowledge of medicinal plants by sub-ethnic BatakSimalungun of North Sumatra was conducted, using an ethnobotanical approach. The sample consisted of 8 key informants and 32general respondents, who were grouped into two, namely those who were 30-50 years old and >50 years old. Data were analyzed bothqualitatively by descriptive statistics and quantitatively by calculating the index of cultural significance (ICS) and the use value (UVs).It was found that 239 species (170 genera, 70 families) of medicinal plants were used to cure 18 kinds of natural diseases and 2 kinds ofsupra natural diseases. Almost half of those plants (119 species) had leaves used as medicines. Among the diseases, gastrointestinaldisorders had the highest number of medicinal plants used (72 species), followed by fever (64 species), and fractures (41 species). Itseemed that younger generation had lost their knowledge in the medicinal plants because their knowledge of medicinal plants (48.19 ±8.35 species) was lower than the that of older generation (170.19 ± 18.38 species), while our key informants had the highest knowledgeof medicinal plants among respondents (202.00 ± 12.32 species).

In vitro antibacterial, antioxidant and cytotoxic activity of acetone leaf extracts of nine under-investigated Fabaceae tree species leads to potentially useful extracts in animal health and productivity.

BackgroundThe Fabaceae family is the second largest family of medicinal plants, containing more than 490 species which are being used as traditional medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant and antibacterial activity as well as the cytotoxicity of acetone leaf extracts of nine tree species from the Fabaceae family that have not been investigated well previously for possible use in animal health and production.MethodsThe antibacterial activity was determined by a serial microdilution method against three Gram-positive and three Gram-negative bacteria. Antioxidant activity was determined using free-radical scavenging assays. The safety of the extracts was ascertained using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay on Vero African green monkey kidney cells.ResultsSix of the nine acetone extracts had significant antibacterial activity against at least one of the six bacterial species with (MIC 20–80 μg/mL). The Crotalaria capensis extract had the highest activity against Salmonella typhimurium, followed by Indigofera cylindrica with MICs of 20 μg/mL and 40 μg/mL respectively. The Dalbergia nitidula extract had free radical scavenging capacity (IC50 of 9.31 ± 2.14 μg/mL) close to that of the positive control Trolox in the DPPH assay. The Xylia torreana extract also had high activity (IC50 of 14.56 ± 3.96 μg/mL) in the ABTS assay. There was a good correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic content (R2 values > 0.8). The extracts had weak or no toxicity to Vero cells, compared to the positive control doxorubicin with the LC50 varying from 10.70 ± 3.47 to 131.98 ± 24.87 μg/mL at the concentrations tested.ConclusionExtracts of D. nitidula, X. torreana, C. capensis and I. cylindrica had a low cytotoxicity and high antimicrobial and/or antioxidant activity. These species are therefore promising candidates for the development of useful antimicrobial/antioxidant preparations with a low cytotoxicity that may be useful in promoting animal health and productivity.

Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Sirjan in Kerman Province, Iran

Ethnopharmacological relevanceFrom ancient time human beings have used different plants, animals and minerals to prevent and treat various diseases. In this respect, plants have been of particular importance. Ethnobotany is the science of reviewing how indigenous people and local tribes have used their regional plants for particular purposes such as treating diseases in the past. The information gathered from such studies can help to improve national health systems and even lead to the discovery of new medicines. Keeping this in mind, in this study a survey of Sirjan area ethnobotany was conducted during 2011–2012. Materials and methodsAt the beginning, thirteen local people were interviewed about their region׳s medicinal plants and their consumptions. These plants were collected and identified using identification keys. The data collected was analyzed using quantitative value indices FIC, RFC and CI. ResultMany plants collected have medicinal properties and have been used by local people to treat various ailments. Of these plants, nineteen families, 37 genera and 43 species belonged to medicinal plants. Among them, Lamiaceae with 8 species and Malva L. with 3 species were the largest medicinal plant families and genera, respectively. These plants are often used as decoction (28%) and as powder (21%). Also, the fruit of these plants are used most often. Besides being used as medicinal plants, they have other uses such as food, fuel, etc. Malva sylvestris has the largest value of relative frequency of citation and cultural importance indices. The most ailment categories have the highest level of informant agreement (mean FIC=0.92). ConclusionDespite the semi-desert climate and lack of rich vegetation, many medicinal and economic plants are found in Sirjan region. Uncontrolled harvesting of the medicinal plants such as Bunium persicum, Cuminum cyminum, Zataria multiflora and Satureja bachtiarica in this region by local people has increased the risk of their extinction and calls for a restrict control over their protection by the authorities.