Quality standard study of Li folk medicine callicarpa nudiflora powder

Objective:To establish the quality standard of Li folk medicine callicarpa nudiflora powder by modern analytical method.Methods:TLC was used to identify the powder.Five heavy metals and harmful elements(Pb,Cd,As,Hg and Cu)in the powder were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and hydride atomic fluorescence spectrometry.The content of luteolin and Mullein glycoside in the powder was determined by HPLC.Results:the fluorescent spots of TLC identification of powder were clear,and the separation of the two main components was good.It has good specificity,reproducibility and durability,which can be used for the identification of the powder.The inspection items of heavy metals for the identification of powder were established.It was stipulated that:according to the determination method,the lead should not exceed 5 mg/kg;the cadmium should not exceed 0.3 mg/kg;the arsenic should not exceed 2 mg/kg;the mercury should not exceed 0.2 mg/kg;the copper should not exceed 20 mg/kg.The content of luteolin and Mullein glycoside in the powder were determined by HPLC and the content inspection item of the powder was established.It was stipulated that the content of luteolin and Mullein glycoside in the powder should not be less than 0.48%and 5.83%,which can be used for the content limit inspection of the powder.Conclusion:the quality standard method established by our institute is advanced and operable,and can be used for the quality control of the powder.

Zhao Xuemin:A Celebrated Doctor of Folk Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine originated from the application of herbs and other natural materials. Since Tang Dynasty, there are two mainstreams during the development of TCM: folk TCM and classic TCM. Without any support from the government, folk TCM got fade away. However, during Qing Dynasty, Zhao Xuemin collected a large amount of folk prescriptions which were called zoufang and edited into Chuanya Neibian and Chuanya Waibian. Zhou Xuemin was respected as a celebrated medical scientist of Qing Dynasty due to his great contribution.

Ethnobotanics used in folk medicine of Tamil culture in Sri Lanka： a scientific review

Tamil culture has recognized the potential use of plant herbs for prevention and treatment of different diseases. These folk remedies have been practiced by Sri Lankan Tamils even after modernization. This review focuses on frequently used medicinal plants among Sri Lankan Tamil communities, such as Cuminum cyminum, Azadirechta indica, Coriandrum sativum, Sesamum indicum, Zingiber officinale, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Moringa oleifera, Plectranthus amboinicus, Allium sativum and Curcuma Ionga, for their documented medicinal properties, which include antimicrobial, antioxidant, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, hypocholesterolemic, antidiabetic and diuretic effects.

Ethnomedicinal Investigation of Medicinal Plants of Chakrata Region(Uttarakhand)Used in the Traditional Medicine for Diabetes by Jaunsari Tribe

The Himalayan region is the treasure house of natural wealth,particularly of medicinal and aromatic plants.These plants are used by the Indian traditional healers for the past many centuries to treat various ailments such as skin disorders,asthma,diabetes,snake bite,fever,pain,eye diseases,diarrhoea,indigestion,jaundice,burn,wound,liver disorder,CNS disorders and urinary tract infection.The indigenous traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and therapies of various local communities has been lost due to changes in traditional culture and the introduction of modern technologies.Therefore,it is essential to explore the traditional knowledge of the indigenous medicinal plants mainly in such areas where there is a severe threat to natural vegetation owing to human inhabitation.The present study aimed to explore the medicinal plants of Chakrata region(Jaunsar-Bawar Hills),Uttarakhand,India used in the folk medicine for the management of diabetes by Jaunsari Tribe.In a comprehensive feld survey,the information about the medicinal plants have been mainly collected from the traditional healers and other elderly people belong to the tribal community.All the information about the medicinal plants of the study area was documented in a feld book.Various tools have been used to collect the samples for identifcation purpose and the authentication of the plants was done with the help of taxonomists.The literature on these plants was also searched from online(PubMed and Scopus)as well as from some textbooks and Ayurvedic classical texts.The present survey-based work described a total of 54 plants belonging to 47 genera and 30 families used in the traditional medicine for the management of diabetes in Chakrata region.The information gathered from the local community revealed that the plants are efective in diabetes and one can use most of them without consulting a practitioner or traditional healer.The literature revealed that most of the surveyed plants are already used in the preparation of various antidiabetic formulations such as Chandraprabha vati,Nishamalaki chunra,Amritamehari churna and Nisakathakadi kashayam along with various patent drugs which are frequently prescribed by the Ayurvedic practitioners in India.The present study explored the traditional as well as scientifc knowledge on the antidiabetic plants used by the tribal community.The documented information on these plants can be further used by the scientifc community to develop new drugs/formulations with the help of modern techniques.

Folk Medicinal Plants Used by Local Herbalists in and around Rajshahi Metropolitan City,Bangladesh

Folk medicinal plants used by local herbalists in and around Rajshahi metropolitan city were recorded.The study include 111 medicinal plants used to cure various diseases such as diarrhea,diabetes,toothache,fever,worm,snake-bite,blood disease,cough,menstrual disease,wound,itches,chicken pox,constipation,dysentery,eczema,piles,sex problems,skin diseases,headache,anemia,burning sensation,bronchitis,paralysis,jaundice,asthma,etc.Finally,this study shows that traditional medicine really contributes to the health care of the population and deserves to be accompanied.The identified medicinal plants will guide future research into natural substances for the development of improved traditional medicines.

GIS Mapping, Biomonitoring and Distribution of Heavy Metal Concentrations Using Neem (Azadirachta indica) Bark in Makurdi Town, Benue State, Nigeria

The present work determined the concentration and spatial distribution of heavy metals (As, Hg, Cr, Cd and Pb) in soil samples from Makurdi and its environs using geographic information system (GIS). The specific objective is to produce the spatial distribution maps showing the spatial distribution of toxic heavy metals in the study area. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), a GIS technique was used to produce dotted maps showing the spatial distribution of heavy metals in neem bark for better visualization of contamination zones and non-contamination zones. The map reveals few hotspot areas showing areas of high concentrations of the heavy metals investigated which were identified in red colours, the following concentration ranges were obtained;As (4.71 - 6.43 mg/kg), Cd (13.9 - 16.84 mg/kg), Cr (46.3 - 60.84 mg/kg), Hg (3.70 - 5.05 mg/kg) and Pb (24.02 - 31.34 mg/kg). These hotspot areas were found close to business outlets, fuel filling and service stations, farm sites where the application of fertilizers and pesticides were persistent coupled with heavy traffic of vehicles and other machinery which was associated with As, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr been released into the environment thus, suggesting anthropogenic activities controlling the concentration of these heavy metals in the study areas. The cumulative effect of these heavy metals into the barks of neem could pose as danger, because this plant is used as herbs in folk medicine.

A new alkaloid from Solanum cathayanum

A new alkaloid compound I was obtained from Solanum cathayanum, a folk medicine of Hubei Province, together with a known alkaloid, orotic acid ethyl ester. On the basis of spectroscopic data and chemical methods, I was identified as 8-hydroxy-3-methoxy- 5H-pyrido[2, 1-c]pyrazin-5-one. Compound I can inhibit the production of NO in peritoneal macrophage of mice induced with LPS. The content of NO was determined by enzyme methods. 2007 Jun Zhi Wang. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Diastereoisomeric saponins from the rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis

A pair of diastereoisomeric furostanol saponins was obtained from the n-butanol fraction of methanol extract from Tupistra chinensis rhizomes, a folk medicine of Shennongjia Forest District of Hubei Province. Their structures were determined, on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences.

Furostanol saponins with inhibitory action against COX-2 production from Tupistra chinensis rhizomes

Two furostanol saponins were obtained from the n-butanol fraction of methanol extract from Tupistra chinensis rhizomes, a folk medicine of Shennongjia Forest District of Hubei Province. Their structures were determined as （25S）-26-O-（β-D-glucopyranosyl）- furost-1β, 3β, 22α, 26-tetrol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-（1 → 4）-β-D-glucopyranosyl-（1 → 2）-β-D-glucopyranoside （1） and （25R）- 26-O-（β-D-glucopyranosyl）-furost-1β, 3β 22a, 26-tetrol 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-（1 → 4）-β-D-glucopyranosyl-（1 → 2）-β-D-glu- copyranoside （2）, on basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences. 1 and 2 displayed marked inhibitory action towards COX-2 production in macrophages of the rat abdomen induced by LPS at 20 μg/mL.

A Furostanol Saponin from the Cytotoxic Fraction of Tupistra chinensis Rhizomes

A furostanol saponin was obtained from the n-butanol fraction of methanol extract from Tupistra chinensis rhizomes, a folk medicine of Shennongjia Forest District of Hubei Province. Its structure was determined as 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-（25S）-22-O-methyl-5β-furost-1β, 3β, 5β, 22α; 26-pentaol-26-O-β-D-glucopyranoside （1） on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic evidences. The n-butanol fraction displayed marked inhibitory activity in vitro towards HeLa and HL-60 human tumor cell lines by MTT method.

Ethnobotanics of Certain Medicinal Plants of Bukhara Region (Uzbekistan)

The article presents data on the ethnobotanical characteristics of 12 species of medicinal and food plants in the Bukhara region, where the climatic conditions are specific, hot and dry. These plants were used by the local population in ancient times and now as food and natural remedies. As a result of the study, data on the use of medicinal plants in food were collected on the basis of surveys of rural residents, housewives and elderly people of the city of Bukhara and the region. It is worth noting that due to the demand of the modern era, the study of the nutritional and therapeutic aspects of medicinal plants that grow naturally, their scientific and practical significance, determines the possibility of their use in folk medicine.

Antitumor Effects of Ethanol Extract from Ventilago leiocarpa Benth on Sarcoma 180 Tumor-Bearing Mice and Possible Immune Mechanism

Objective To explore the antitumor effects of ethanol extract from Ventilago leiocarpa Benth(EEVLB)on sarcoma 180(S180)tumor-bearing mice and the potential mechanism.Methods Sixty mice were randomly assigned to 6 groups according to a random number table:normal group,model group,5-fluorouracil(5-FU)group(0.02 g·kg^(−1)),and high-,medium-,low-dose EEVLB groups(100,84,and 56 g of raw material·kg^(−1)body weight,respectively),with 10 mice each group.All treatments were given once daily for 10 consecutive days.Effects of EEVLB on inhibiting tumor growth and immune function in mice were evaluated among all groups after the treatments by detecting tumor inhibition rate,organ index,serum levels of interleukin(IL)-2,-6,-10,CD3^(+)CD4^(+)T lymphocytes,CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)ratio,caspase-3 and Bcl-2.Results EEVLB with different concentrations achieved inhibition of tumor growth in vivo,wherein the high-dose group showed the most significant reduction in tumor weight and increased apoptosis of tumor cells(P<0.05).In addition,both net weight gain and spleen index of mice showed uptrend in EEVLB treatment groups(P<0.05).Besides,serum levels of IL-2 and IL-6,percentages of CD3^(+)CD4^(+)T lymphocytes and ratio of CD4^(+)/CD8^(+)in peripheral blood were elevated in high-and medium-dose EEVLB groups compared with the model group(P<0.05).Also,upregulation of caspase-3 and downregulation of Bcl-2 were observed at protein levels in the high-dose EEVLB group(P<0.01).Conclusions EEVLB exhibits promising antitumor activity in vivo.This effect might be due to activation of apoptotic signaling pathway,increase of cytokine levels and enhancement of immune function in tumor-bearing mice.

Antimicrobial Agents from Selected Medicinal Plants in Libya

Objective： To test the in vitro antimicrobial efficacy of water and methanol extracts of 23 plant species that are commonly used in Libyan folk medicine. Methods： The antimicrobial activity was determined using the well-diffusion method. Four test microorganisms were used namely, Escherichia coil, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis. The minimum inhibitory concentration （MIC） was determined for the high biologically active crude plant extracts. Results： Among 23 medicinal plants used in the study, only 5 methanolic extracts [Rosmarinus offcinalis L., Carduus marianium L., Lantana camara L., Rhus tripartite （ueria） Grande, and Thymus capitatus （L.） Hoffm （link）] showed the highest antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and Salmonella species, while 22 methanolic and aqueous extracts showed moderate to weak antimicrobial activity on all tested organisms. However 19 of the extracts showed no activity at all against Gram -ve and Gram ＋ve microorganisms. MIC was found to be 1.25 mg/mL （Thymus capitatus）, 3 mg/mL （Rhus tripartite）, 4 mg/mL （Carduus marianium）, 5 mg/mL （Rosamarinus officinalis） and 5 mg/mL （Lantana camara）, respectively. Condusions： The present results revealed that, crude methanolic extracts of the investigated Libyan folk medicinal plants exhibited mild to high in vitro antibactedal activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms.