June 2009
Medicinal Plants Research in an Open Access Era
June 2009
Herbal therapies: Are they alternative medicines or fast-forward science?
Confronted with spiraling cost of orthodox medicines and a high level of either treatment failure or poor patients’ satisfaction, herbal therapies have been presented as alternatives to orthodox therapies. They have are frequently registered by appropriate authorities and packaged in the forms of orthodox medications. On face value, these pathways may be quite healthy for the overall health service; however the so...
June 2009
In vitro immunomodulatory activity of various extracts of Maltese plants from the Asteraceae family
Various extracts of ten plants from the Asteraceae family were studied for their effects of on human peripheral T-lymphocytes in vitro. Five solvent systems were used to extract constituents from these plants. Phytochemical identification of the most prevalent phytochemical classes was carried out, followed by screening for pharmacological activity using the Brine Shrimp Lethality test (BST). One BST-negative...
June 2009
In vitro antibacterial time kill studies of leaves extracts of Helichrysum longifolium
In vitro antibacterial time kill studies of extracts of Helichrysum longifolium was assessed using twenty-three bacteria species made up of eleven Gram positive and twelve Gram negative strains. All test bacteria were susceptible to the methanol extract, while none was susceptible to the aqueous extract. Two of the test bacteria were susceptible to the ethyl acetate extract, while ten and seven were...
June 2009
Antihyperglycaemic, antioxidative activities of a formulated polyherbal drug MTEC (Modified) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat
Musa paradisiaca belongs to the family of Musaceae and is distributed throughout India and Malaysia. The plant has medicinal value as antidiabetic agent. Seeds ofTamarindus indica of Caesalpiniaceae family used as traditional medicine for the management of diabetes mellitus found throughout India. Eugenia jambolana an evergreen tree of Myrtaceae family is used as traditional medicine for the...
June 2009
Effect of Capparis decidua on hypolipidemic activity in rats
The effect of various extracts (50% ethanolic) of Capparis decidua on lipid profile of streptozotocin diabetic rats was studied. The extract was administered to the diabetic models for 30days. The extract produced a significant (p<0.05) dose-dependent decrease in the levels of total cholesterol (TC), Triacylglycerol (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL cholesterol), with a significant increase in...
June 2009
Evaluation of the potency of certain substances as antioxidants in the assessment of red cell viability
The effectiveness of certain antioxidant substances in the protection of red cells from oxidation and degradation with respect to their window times of survival have been analyzed using UV-Visible spectrophotometry. Antioxidant substances evaluated included; vitamin A, vitamin D, mixture of vitamins A and D, various species of Kolanut, Garcinia kola, Prosopis africana beans, beans shell extracts and eugenol,...
June 2009
Effect of aqueous extract of Anacardium occidentale (L) stem bark on sodium and chloride transport in the rabbit colon
Excessive secretion of fluid and electrolytes elicited by enterotoxins is a major cause of mortality in Africa. This study investigated the traditional use of the stem bark of Anacardium occidentale (cashew) in the treatment of diarrhea by studying its effect on sodium and chloride transport in the rabbit colon. A segment of the rabbit colon was cannulated and perfused in situ with iso-osmotic medium...
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