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Medicinal Purposes (medicinal + purpose)
Selected AbstractsSynthesis of a New Series of Heterocyclic Scaffolds for Medicinal Purposes.CHEMINFORM, Issue 2 2007H. S. Hilal Abstract ChemInform is a weekly Abstracting Service, delivering concise information at a glance that was extracted from about 200 leading journals. To access a ChemInform Abstract, please click on HTML or PDF. [source] Medicinal plants of Erute county, Lira district, Uganda with particular reference to their conservationAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2010Christine Oryema Abstract A medicinal plant study was carried out in eighteen parishes and 54 villages of Erute county, Lira district, Uganda. Parishes and villages were selected using stratified random sampling techniques. Questionnaires, interviews and discussions with the local people were used to obtain information on the names of the plants, their medicinal uses and conservation methods. The number of the medicinal plants species used was 180 belonging to 144 genera and 57 families of flowering plants. The major families recorded for medicinal purpose included Fabaceae (37 species), Asteraceae (26 species), Euphorbiaceae (eleven species), Vitaceae (eight species), Verbenaceae (seven species), Poaceae (six species), Solanaceae (five species), and Rubiaceae (four species). There is a need for putting in place measures to conserve these plants. Unfortunately, most of the healers or users were not interested in cultivation of the plants. The situation could worsen with the social changes and demand for land for agriculture in the district. Résumé Nous avons réalisé une étude des plantes médicinales dans 18 paroisses et 54 villages du Comté d'Erute, dans le district de Lira, en Ouganda. Paroisses et villages furent sélectionnés au moyen de techniques d'échantillonnage au hasard stratifié. On a eu recours à des questionnaires, des interviews et des discussions avec les populations locales pour obtenir des informations sur le nom des plantes, leur utilisation médicinale et les méthodes de conservation. Il y avait 180 plantes médicinales appartenant à 144 genres et à 57 familles de plantes à fleurs. Les principales familles rapportées dans le domaine médicinal comprenaient les Fabaceae (37 espèces), les Asteraceae (26 espèces), les Euphorbiaceae (11 espèces), les Vitaceae (8 espèces), les Verbenaceae (7 espèces), les Poaceae (6 espèces), les Solanaceae (5 espèces), et les Rubiaceae (4 espèces). Il faut instaurer des mesures pour conserver ces plantes. Malheureusement, la plupart des guérisseurs ou des utilisateurs n'étaient pas intéressés par la culture de ces plantes. La situation pourrait empirer en raison des changements sociaux et de la demande de terres pour l'agriculture dans ce district. [source] Ribosome-inactivating proteins isolated from dietary bitter melon induce apoptosis and inhibit histone deacetylase-1 selectively in premalignant and malignant prostate cancer cellsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 4 2009Su Dao Xiong Abstract Epidemiologic evidence suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables is associated with a reduced risk of prostate cancer (PCa) development. Although several dietary compounds have been tested in preclinical PCa prevention models, no agents have been identified that either prevent the progression of premalignant lesions or treat advanced disease. Momordica charantia, known as bitter melon in English, is a plant that grows in tropical areas worldwide and is both eaten as a vegetable and used for medicinal purposes. We have isolated a protein, designated as MCP30, from bitter melon seeds. The purified fraction was verified by SDS-PAGE and mass spectrometry to contain only 2 highly related single chain Type I ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIPs), ,-momorcharin and ,-momorcharin. MCP30 induces apoptosis in PIN and PCa cell lines in vitro and suppresses PC-3 growth in vivo with no effect on normal prostate cells. Mechanistically, MCP30 inhibits histone deacetylase-1 (HDAC-1) activity and promotes histone-3 and -4 protein acetylation. Treatment with MCP30 induces PTEN expression in a prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and PCa cell lines resulting in inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. In addition, MCP30 inhibits Wnt signaling activity through reduction of nuclear accumulation of ,-catenin and decreased levels of c- Myc and Cyclin-D1. Our data indicate that MCP30 selectively induces PIN and PCa apoptosis and inhibits HDAC-1 activity. These results suggest that Type I RIPs derived from plants are HDAC inhibitors that can be utilized in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer. © 2009 UICC [source] Exploitation of Encephalartos transvenosus outside and inside Mphaphuli Cycads Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South AfricaAFRICAN JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2010A. M. Ravele Abstract This study has investigated the use and threats of Encephalartos transvenosus outside and inside Mphaphuli Cycads Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data were collected from 2005 to 2006 through social and ecological surveys. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a total of 40 people per household, sampled from four selected villages around the reserve. E. transvenosus is used for medicinal purposes, decorations, cultural activities and as food. Youth and adult persons harvest E. transvenosus for income generation, while children and aged people mainly use it for subsistence purposes. The survival of E. transvenosus in the wild is uncertain due to various threats, such as illegal collection, habitat destruction, fire and grazing. Some conservation measures are also discussed. Résumé Cet article rapporte les recherches sur l'utilisation et les menaces sur E. transvenosus en dehors et à l'intérieur de la Mphaphuli Cycads Nature Reserve, dans la Province du Limpopo, en Afrique du Sud. Des données ont été récoltées de 2005 à 2006 via des enquêtes sociales et écologiques. Des interviews semi structurées ont été menées chez un total de 40 personnes, par ménage, pris au hasard dans quatre villages choisis autour de la réserve. E. transvenosus est utiliséà des fins médicinales, pour la décoration, des activités culturelles et l'alimentation. Jeunes et adultes récoltent E. transvenosus pour en tirer des revenus, tandis que les enfants et les vieilles personnes les utilisent beaucoup pour leur subsistance. La survie d'E. transvenosus dans la nature est incertaine en raison de diverses menaces telles que la récolte illégale, la destruction de l'habitat, les feux et le pâturage. Certaines mesures de conservation furent aussi discutées. [source] CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF ORIGANUM ONITES L. ESSENTIAL OILS AND EXTRACTSJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 1 2009MIHRIBAN KORUKLUOGLU ABSTRACT Essential oils (EOs) and extracts (methanol, acetone and diethyl ether) of fresh and dried oregano (Origanum onites L.) were used to determine the antifungal effect on Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus flavus (two strains), Aspergillus niger (two strains), Aspergillus parasiticus, Fusarium semitectum, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor racemosus and Penicillium roqueforti by disk diffusion methods. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of all samples were determined. The antifungal activity of the fresh herb was greater than that of the dried herb. MIC values for fresh and dried methanol extracts were 150,950 µg/mL and 750,950 µg/mL, respectively. MFC values for methanol extracts were determined between 300 and 1200 µg/mL for fresh oregano and between 750 and 1100 µg/mL for dried oregano. The EOs of fresh and dried oregano totally inhibited test fungi. EOs produced the lowest MIC and MFC values: 8.5 µg/mL and 9.0 µg/mL, respectively (P < 0.005). The highest extract activity was exhibited by fresh oregano against A. alternata (24 mm) followed by P. roqueforti (20 mm). The greatest total antifungal effect was observed from methanol extracts. The chemical composition of fresh oregano EO and extracts was examined using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Over 80 volatiles were detected, of which 42 were positively identified by matching both MS fragmentation patterns with standardized retention characteristics. p-Cymene, thymol and carvacrol were the most prominent, followed by ,-pinene, camphor and borneol. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In the past decade interest in natural antimicrobial plant extracts has been growing. Various plants have historically been used for the purposes of food preservation and flavor enhancement as well as medicinal purposes. An example is oregano, the leafy part of the plant belonging to the Labiatae family. It has been used to improve the flavor and the organoleptic properties of many foods from numerous cultures. It has also been used to prolong the storage life of foods probably because of antifungal properties. The preservative nature of fresh oregano has been employed in many food applications, including meat and fish products, as well as in pharmaceuticals, alternative medicines and natural therapies. [source] Metabolomic fingerprinting of plant extracts,JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 12 2006L. Mattoli Abstract The standardization and quality control of plant extracts is an important topic, in particular, when such extracts are used for medicinal purposes. Consequently, the development of fast and effective analytical methods for metabolomic fingerprinting of plant extracts is of high interest. In this investigation, electrospray mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and 1H NMR techniques were employed with further statistical analyses of the acquired data. The results showed that negative ion mode ESI-MS is particularly effective for characterization of plant extracts. Different samples of the same species appear well-clustered and separated from the other species. To verify the effectiveness of the method, two other batches of extracts from a species, in which the principal components were already identified (Cynara scolymus), were analyzed, and the components that were verified by the principal component analysis (PCA) were found to be within the region identified as characteristic of Cynara Scolymus extracts. The data from extracts of the other species were well separated from those pertaining to the species previously characterized. Only the case of a species that was strictly correlated from a botanical point of view, with extracts that were previously analyzed, showed overlapping. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Cordyceps fungi: natural products, pharmacological functions and developmental productsJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 3 2009Professor Xuanwei Zhou Abstract Objectives Parasitic Cordyceps fungi, such as Cordyceps sinensis, is a parasitic complex of fungus and caterpillar, which has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries particularly in China, Japan and other Asian countries. This article gives a general idea of the latest developments in C. sinensis research, with regard to the active chemical components, the pharmacological effects and the research and development of products in recent years. Key findings The common names for preparations include DongChongXiaCao in Chinese, winter worm summer grass in English. It has many bioactive components, such as 3,-deoxyadenosine, cordycepic acid and Cordyceps polysaccharides. It is commonly used to replenish the kidney and soothe the lung, and for the treatment of fatigue. It also can be used to treat conditions such as night sweating, hyposexuality, hyperglycaemia, hyperlipidaemia, asthenia after severe illness, respiratory disease, renal dysfunction, renal failure, arrhythmias and other heart disease and liver disease. Because of its rarity and outstanding curative effects, several mycelia strains have been isolated from natural Cordyceps and manufactured by fermentation technology, and are commonly sold as health food products. In addition, some substitutes such as C. militaris and adulterants also have been used; therefore, quality control of C. sinensis and its products is very important to ensure their safety and efficacy. Summary Recent research advances in the study of Cordyceps, including Cordyceps mushrooms, chemical components, pharmacological functions and developmental products, has been reviewed and discussed. Developing trends in the field have also been appraised. [source] | |||||||||||||