June 2011
The aroma, taste, color and bioactive constituents of tea
The genus Camellia sinensis belongs to the family of Theaceae of the flowering plants. The leaves and leaf buds of C. sinensis are used to produce tea. The chemical composition of tea leaves has been thoroughly studied and the main constituents belong to the polyphenol group accounting for 25 to 35% on a dry weight basis. C. sinensis also contains various chemical...
June 2011
Morphological, phytochemical and pharmacological, studies on Boerhaavia diffusa L.
Medicinal plants constitute an important group of non-wood forest products. Approximately 80% of the world population uses plants as a source of medicine for healthcare. India has been one of the pioneers in the development and practice of well-documented indigenous systems of medicine, particularly Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani. For millennia, the Indian population has depended mainly upon plant based crude drugs for a...
June 2011
Saffron: A repository of medicinal properties
Saffron (stigmas of Crocus sativus L.) has been used for medicinal purposes since decades. Modern pharmacological research confirms large parts of traditional knowledge regarding the medicinal effects of saffron. With the recent availability of aqueous extracts with reproducible composition and preparation according to pharmacopoeial standards, the foundations for a development of saffron extracts into...
June 2011
Evaluation of the antitrypanosomal activity of Cucumis metuliferus pulp extract in rabbits
The antitrypanosomal efficacy of different doses of Cucumis metuliferus pulp extract was investigated in rabbits. Parasitaemia, Packed Cell Volume (PCV), percentage organ/body weight ratio and survival period were monitored. Treatment was by oral administration and it commenced at the establishment of infection that lasted between 1 to 3 weeks. Parasitaemia fluctuated and was kept low in all the treated...
June 2011
Areca nut oil with arecoline can enhance hypolipidemia in rats
Both Areca nut oil (OL) and arecoline play some roles in moderating hypolipidemia but the pathways may be different. The authors hypothesize OL plus arecoline can lead to an improved hypolipidemia in animal model. In this study, the fed rats with series doses of OL alone or OL plus arecoline. The gaining weight, the level of total cholesterol (TC), triacylglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and...
June 2011
Potential of Mammea siamensis as a botanical insecticide: Its efficiency on diamondback moth and side effects on non-target organisms
Nine species of local Thai medicinal plant extracts with known insecticidal properties that is,Acorus calamus, Eugenia caryophyllus, Mammea siamensis and 6 species of Stemona(Stemona curtisii, Stemona tuberosa, Stemona burkillii, Stemona kerrii, Stemona unknown 1 and Stemona unknown 2) were screened for the highest insecticidal activity by the brine shrimp lethality test...
June 2011
Medicinal plants from salt range Pind Dadan Khan, district Jhelum, Punjab, Pakistan
The paper presents ethno-medicinal information collected on 69 plant species belonging to 41 families from the salt range, Pind Dadan Khan, district Jehlum, Pakistan. The purpose of the study was to collect, codify and conserve indigenous traditional knowledge of local flora for the benefit of the community and its environment. The people have their distinct ways of life, beliefs and traditions; and have been using...
June 2011
Study of some agronomic attributes in milk thistle (Silybum marianum Gaertn.) ecotypes from Iran
To study agronomic attributes of milk thistle (Silybum marianum Gaertn.), an important medicinal plant, twenty-five milk thistle genotypes including twenty-three ecotypes from Iran along two introduced varieties, CN seeds and Budakalaszi, were grown in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance for studied attributes showed large variation among the ecotypes. Means of some...
June 2011
Direct plant regeneration from in vitro-derived leaf explants of Hypericum spectabile, a medicinal plant
An efficient and reproducible procedure is described for direct plant regeneration using in vitro regenerated leaf explants of Hypericum spectabile. The leaf explants were cultured on MS media supplemented with six different concentrations (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 mg/L) of BAP and kinetin seperately. All of the BAP concentration, shoot regeneration occurred directly without callus...
June 2011
The beneficial effect of extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces in alloxan-diabetic rats: Hypoglycaemic and hypolipidaemic activities
Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces commonly known, as “Zobo” is widely used in African folk medicine for the treatment of several ailments. Oral administration of the extract 0.5 mg/ml as drinking water for 5 weeks resulted in a significant reduction in weekly fasting blood gluose and prevents decrease in weekly body weight. The aqueous extract also resulted in significant decrease (P<0.05) in weekly fluid...
June 2011
Endothelium-independent vasodilation effect of hydroxysafflor yellow A in thoracic aorta of Wistar rats
Hydroxysafflor yellow A, the main active component of safflor yellow, in this study is used to investigate the vascular activity of hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) on rat thoracic aorta and the underlying mechanism. The tension of the isolated thoracic aorta rings of rats incubated with different concentrations of HSYA was measured using organ bath technique. The effect of HSYA (10-4~10-6 mol/L) on the contraction...
June 2011
Effects of endophytic fungus and its elicitors on cell status and alkaloid synthesis in cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus
This study examined the effects of endophytic fungus and its elicitors on cell status and alkaloid synthesis in cell suspension cultures of Catharanthus roseus. Endophytic fungus and its elicitors were inoculated in cell suspension cultures of C. roseus respectively. The biochemical change of suspension cells was then tested. The results showed when the pH rises, the concentration of MDA...
June 2011
Centella asiatica modulates neuron cell survival by altering caspase-9 pathway
Natural products have been reported to exert positive impact on neurodegenerative diseases which arise as a result of neuronal loss associated with oxidative stress. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the neuroprotective potential of ethanolic extract of Centella asiatica (CA) compared to that of tocotrienol rich fraction (TRF) using human neuroblastoma, SH-SY5Y cells. Cytotoxicity and...
June 2011
Evaluation of free radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content in the petiole-derived callus cultures of Zingiber zerumbet Smith
This is the first report on the antioxidant activity of callus cultures of Zingiber zerumbet.Callus cultures were initiated from petiole explants of in vitro plantlets of Z. zerumbet on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D. Bright yellow and friable callus cultured on MS medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/L 2,4-D in combination with kinetin, picloram and 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) did not...
June 2011
In vitro immunoinhibitory effects of Setarud on human B lymphocyte
Setarud is a new herbal medicinal product which is composed of alcoholic extracts of three local plants supplemented with selenium. Preliminary results obtained from in vitro and in vivo investigations have demonstrated immune modulating activity for Setarud. In this study, the in vitro effects of Setarud were investigated on different biological functions of normal human B lymphocytes....
June 2011
Optimization of extraction technique of polysaccharides from pumpkin by response surface method
A study on the extraction technique of pumpkin polysaccharides has been carried out. The effect of each factor such as the temperature of extraction, the time of extraction and the solvent-solid ratio on the extraction of the polysaccharides of pumpkin were investigated based on a three-level three-factor Box-Behnken design. The extraction technique parameters were optimized with response surface method. The result...
June 2011
Investigation on pollen viability and longevity in Malus pumila L., Pyrus commonis L., and Cydonia oblonga L., in vitro
The most important goal of fruit growers is obtaining high quantity and quality yield in fruit industry which depends on sufficient fruit setting. Pollination and fertilization are the basic factors which affect fruit setting volume. Commercial fruit trees in Iran belong to stone and pome fruits of Rosaceae family with gametophytic self-incompatibility, making necessary the selection of favorable pollinizer in breeding...
June 2011
Comparative study about antioxidant activities of Viscum album from different host trees, harvested in different seasons
Viscum album L. is a medicinal plants used for many years as a remedy in the traditional medicine and in complementary cancer therapies. We investigated the influence of some host trees (Acer campestre, Fraxinus excelsior, Populus nigra, Mallus domestica, andRobinia pseudoacacia) and the seasons (May, July and December) on antioxidant activity of European mistletoe (V. album) using four different...
June 2011
Compound Danshen dripping pills for stable angina: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the compound Danshen dripping pill (DSP) with isosorbide dinitrate (ID) in treatment of stable angina. A search of MEDLINE and CNKI (China national knowledge infrastructure) databases was performed to investigate studies published from 1966 to 2010. Trials comparing the use of DSP versus ID in treating stable...
June 2011
Ethnomedicinal uses of plants close to rural habitation in Garhwal Himalaya, India
The present study was conducted in three different altitudinal zones, tropical (300 TO 400 m), sub-tropical (900 to 1100 m) and temperate (2000 to 2400 m) zones of Garhwal Himalaya. A total of 61 plant species that were regularly used by the local inhabitants for curing various aliments such as digestive disorders, dysentery, wounds, swellings, cold, scabies, rheumatic, cholera, malaria were recorded within the study...
June 2011
Lipid-lowering effects of Coriolus versicolor extract in poloxamer 407-induced hypercholesterolaemic rats and high cholesterol-fed rats
This study was initiated to evaluate the lipid-lowering effect of Coriolus versicolor (CV) extracts in poloxamer 407 (P-407)-induced hypercholesterolaemic and high cholesterol-fed rats. In the chemically induced hypercholesterolaemic rat model, hypercholesterolaemia was induced by intraperitoneal administration of P-407 (500mg/kg). Serum lipid levels, including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG) and...
June 2011
Cytotoxicity evaluation of five selected Malaysian Phyllanthaceae species on various human cancer cell lines
The present study was undertaken to evaluate the cytotoxic activities of the crude methanol, hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of medicinal plants, Phyllanthus niruri, Phyllanthuspectinatus, Phyllanthus acidus, Phyllanthus roseus and Baccaurea motleyana. Cytotoxic activities were screened by an in vitro assay system of growth inhibition against four human...
June 2011
Effect of nitrogen application on growth, yield and oil contents of Fennel (Foenoculum vulgare Mill.)
Fennel is used in pharmaceutical, preparation of various dishes, confectionaries and cosmetic products in Pakistan. Therefore, there is a dire need to know optimum nitrogen level for higher seed yield and oil contents of fennel. Field studies pertaining to the effects of different levels of nitrogen viz., 0, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90, 105 and 120 kg ha-1 on growth, seed yield and oil contents of fennel were carried out at...
June 2011
Poophilus costalis Walker (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Aphrophoridae): A possible constraint to commercial exploitation of Lavendula angustifolia Mill in Kashmir Himalaya with affinity for C3 photosynthetic plants
Poophilus costalis Walker, has been encountered in the biodiversity hotspot region of Kashmir Himalaya. This is the first report of family Aphrophoridae from the region. Nine species of plants under nine genera and seven families were recorded as host plants of the insect, including highly valued cash crop Lavendula angustifolia with an infestation level of 30 percent. Sixty five plant species were...
June 2011
Chemical analysis of Magnolia liliflora essential oil and its pharmacological function in nursing pregnant women suffering from decubitus ulcer
The composition of the essential oil of Magnolia liliflora has been analyzed by GC-MS. The main components identified were: β-Pinene (21.16%), eucalyptol (16.59%), bicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one, 1,7,7-trimethyl-, (1S)- (9.86%), 3-Cyclohexene-1-methanol, à,à,4-trimethyl-, (S)- (7.13%), 3-cyclohexen-1-ol, 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-, (R)- (6.51%), α-pinene (6.31%), camphene (6.03%)....
June 2011
Molecular dynamics, Monte Carlo and DFT studies of boron-nitride nano cones: properties investigating B10N11H7 (Thr)2 in different temperatures and solvents
Quantum Monte Carlo (QMC), Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations at the level of B3LYP/3-21G carried out on the structure and stability of B10N11H7 (Thr)2 in bulk and different solvent medium. NMR parameters and thermodynamic properties were calculated to obtain chemical shift, stability and solvent effect. It was found that computationally efficient solvent...
June 2011
Composition and effect of anti-hypoxia of Chinese medicinal plant mixture
The in vitro and in vivo anti-hypoxia activity of shenjiangsuoyangyiqi drug (SJSY, Chinese medicinal plant mixture) was investigated. The compounds ginsenoside rg1, icariin and peoniflorin were detected in mixture by HPLC-DAD. In vitro anti-hypoxia activity of the mixture was evaluated for MTT assay against two cell lines (Vero and BHK-21). Compared to the control group (Vero: 48.72% and...
June 2011
Influence of compost, amino and humic acids on the growth, yield and chemical parameters of strawberries
There is increasing concern about human health and environmental contamination risks associated with the extensive use of mineral fertilizer in vegetables production. Compost and growth stimulate agents could be a suitable alternative to mineral fertilizer. The effect of soil addition of compost and foliar fertilizers with humic and/or amino acids on growth and yield of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cv....
June 2011
Beneficial effects of Solanum melongena (Solanaceae) peduncles extracts, in periodontal diseases
The antioxidant activity of aqueous extracts from Solanum melongena L. fruit (egg plant) and from its peduncles were investigated in vitro using electrolysis as a free radical generating system. The peduncles extracts have been then given to twenty volunteer patients with periodontal diseases as a mouthwash solution for 3 months duration, against a placebo, in a double blind fashion. Saliva was collected...
June 2011
Agrobacterium- Mediated transformation of pharmaceutically important Indian medicinal herb Bacopa monnieri (L.)
An efficient, rapid and simple Agrobacterium -mediated transformation protocol was developed for ayurvedic and pharmaceutically valuable Indian medicinal herb Bacopa monnieri (L.) using EHA 105 strain harboring the binary vector pCAMBIA 1301 containinghpt and gus genes. In vitro derived node explants were immersed in Agrobacteriumsuspension (OD600 = 0.8) for 10 min, and...
June 2011
Relationship between antioxidant and antiglycation ability of saponins, polyphenols, and polysaccharides in Chinese herbal medicines used to treat diabetes
Advanced glycation end-products and oxidative stress have been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Both are known to interact with each other. Therefore, natural compounds or extracts that possess both antioxidant and antiglycation activities might have great therapeutic potential for treating diabetic complications. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the antiglycation and antioxidant...
June 2011
The effects of Echinacea purpurea L. (purple coneflower) as an antibiotic growth promoter substitution on performance, carcass characteristics and humoral immune response in broiler chickens
This experiment was conducted to examine the effects of using different forms and levels ofEchinacea purpurea L. (EP) in comparison with an antibiotic growth promoter (flavophospholipol) on performance, carcass characteristics and immune responses of broiler chicks. In this trial, 336 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were weighted and randomly assigned to the 7 treatment groups, each with 4 replicates and...
June 2011
Extracts from apple leaves and fruits as effective antioxidants
The research aimed at determination of the antioxidant properties of extracts from leaves and fruits of apple tree and of chlorogenic acid and phloridzin, that is compounds contained in the extracts and held responsible for the properties. The very good antioxidant properties of apple fruit extracts have been known since long ago, though it is not yet known what is the antioxidant action of an apple leaf extract. In...
June 2011
Ethno medicinal survey of plants from district Bhimber Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan
Ethno medicines are developed by the etnobotanical and ethnopharmacological surveys. This study work revealed the use of traditional ethnomedicines by the local elders of district Bhimber Azad Jammu and Kashmir. A total of 38 plant species belonging to 22 families were reported of having ethnomedicinal utilizations. Ethno medicinal data was collected by the mean of questionnaire method, interviews and direct...
June 2011
The protective effects of ginkgo leaf extract on CCl4-induced liver injury in mice
Ginkgo leaf extract were studied for their protective effects against liver injury induced using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in mice. Mice were administered CCl4 by intraperitoneal injection and received a normal diet or normal diet with various Ginkgo leaf extract. Ginkgo leaf extract significantly reduced the liver damage and improving immunity activities by increasing liver index, B lymphocyte transfer index,...
June 2011
Evaluation of in vivo immune response activity and in vitro anti-cancer effect by Scrophularia megalantha
Many studies have showed that plant extracts possess immunomodulatory and anti-cancer effects. In this study, these effects of Scrophularia megalantha extract, a native plant in Iran, were investigated in vitro and in vivo. Microculture tetrazolium test (MTT assay) was employed to evaluate the effects of S. megalantha on human Jurkat (lymphoblast-like) cell line cytotoxicity....
June 2011
The anti-platelet activity of Hypsizygus marmoreus extract is involved in the suppression of intracellular calcium mobilization and integrin αIIbβ3 activation
Hypsizygus marmoreus are wild and edible mushrooms found in East Asia that are included in the Shimeji family. H. marmoreus have emerged as a pivotal entity and therapeutic target in cardiovascular diseases, but there is little information of their effects on platelet function. Therefore, our study was designed to investigate the effect of this extract on platelet aggregation induced by various...
June 2011
Synergic anti-tumor activity of gamma-irradiated exo-polysaccharide from submerged culture of Grifola frondosa
Gamma-irradiated exo-polysaccharide can be obtained from submerged exo-polysaccharide from Grifola frondosa extracts. The low molecular exo-polysaccharide is obtained by irradiation showed potential anti-oxidant activity and then those effect showed synergic anti-tumor activity on adriamycin. Exo-polysaccharide modified by 10 kGy dose of irradiation showed strong radical scavenging activity by the...
June 2011
Development of protocol for in vitro culture and rapid propagation of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeek) Merr.
Three different explants of Wedelia chinensis (Osbeek) Merr. namely nodal segment (NS), shoot apex (SA) and leaf segment (LS) were grown on MS basal medium supplemented with different combinations and concentrations of cytokinin (BAP and Kn) and auxin (IAA and NAA). Nodal segment and shoot apex underwent direct organogenesis giving rise to multiple shoot buds and the response was dependent on both PGR...
June 2011
Effects of cola nut (Cola nitida) on the apoptotic cell of human breast carcinoma cell lines
The cola nut (Cola nitida) tree is native to West Africa. It has been naturalized to South America, Central America, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia. Related to cocoa, cola nut is the source of a stimulant, and contains the polyphenolic compounds (including catechin, epicatechin, tannins, and ‘Kola red’) and the methylxanthine alkaloids that also occur in coffee, cocoa, and tea. Previous study has...
June 2011
Anti-Vibrio and preliminary phytochemical characteristics of crude methanolic extracts of the leaves of Dialium guineense (Wild)
This study investigated the anti-Vibrio activities of the leaf extract of Dialium guineense on eighteen environmental strains of vibrios. The phytochemical constituents of the extract were also assayed in a preliminary test. The results showed that D. guineense crude leaf extract exhibited anti-Vibrio activities on fourteen out of eighteen environmental strains ofVibrio spp. at a final...
June 2011
Fucoxanthin extraction and fatty acid analysis of Sargassum binderi and S. duplicatum
Fucoxanthin has been successfully extracted and purified from two species of Malaysian brown seaweeds, namely S. binderi and S. duplicatum. The purity of the fucoxanthin is >99% as indicated by HPLC analysis. Fucoxanthin content, total lipid and fatty acid composition of the seaweeds showed that both samples contained a considerable amount of fucoxanthin and total lipid. The amount of fucoxanthin...
June 2011
Assessment of genetic diversity in Achillea millefolium subsp. millefolium and Achillea millefolium subsp. elbursensis using morphological and ISSR markers
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) is an important medicinal plant with different pharmaceutical uses. In this research, ISSR and morphological markers were used to assess genetic diversity in several accessions of yarrow from various geographical regions of Iran. Fourteen primers were used to amplify 228 bands out of which 199 (87.28%) were polymorphic. Cluster and Principle coordinate analyses (PCoA) showed that...
June 2011
Synthesis, structural determination and protective effects on cultured anoxia/reoxygen injury myocardiocytes of ocotillol-type derivatives
The octillol-type derivatives 3 and its epimer 4 had been designed and synthesized from 20(S)-panaxadiol. The structures of 3 and 4 were confirmed by ESI-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR and X-ray diffraction. The crystal data showed the configuration of C-24 of two epimers as R-form (3) and S-form (4, epimer) respectively. Compound 3 was evaluated in vitro for its protective effect on cultured...
June 2011
Comparative study between Hepotin (herbal formulation) and Interferon alpha 2b and Ribavirin in the treatment of Hepatitis C
To study the therapeutic effect of herbal medicine in comparison with allopathic medicine for management of Hepatitis C. Two hundred patients with Hepatitis C were randomly assigned into two groups, 100 in each group. Test group was treated with herbal medicine, Hepotin and control group was treated with allopathic medicine; Interferon alpha–2b+Ribavirin. Comparison of data recorded by physician relating to...
June 2011
Effects of shading on synthesis and accumulation of polyphenolic compounds in ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) varieties
Extracts of leaves and rhizomes of two varieties (Halia Bara and Halia Bentong) of Malaysian young ginger (Zingiber officinale) grown under different shade net (0 and 60%) were examined as potential sources of phenolics and flavonoids compounds for antioxidant activities. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection was employed for the identification and quantification of the polyphenolic compounds...
June 2011
Cytotoxicity evaluation of selected Nigerian plants used in traditional cancer treatment
Herbal medicines have received much attention as a source of new anticancer drugs. However, scientific studies have been conducted to a limited extent with few medicinal plants. This study investigates the cytotoxic activity of some Nigerian medicinal plants used locally in the treatment of cancer. The ethanolic extracts of five plants were evaluated using the MTT assay on the HT29 and MCF-7 cell lines. Sapium...
June 2011
Effect of “wuqinxi†exercise on antioxidant status, intestine Bacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei and Bacillus bifidus in obese old people
In the present study, we examine effect of “wuqinxi” exercise on antioxidant enzymes activities, lipid peroxidation level, intestine probiotics in obese old people. Results showed that 12 months of “wuqinxi” exercise could markedly enhance blood antioxidant enzymes activities, lipid peroxidation and intestine probiotics count in obese old people. It could be concluded that “wuqinxi”...
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