Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants from India

The results of a preliminary antimicrobial screening of the methanol extracts of Zingiber officinale, Asteracantha longifolia, Citrus acida, Salacia microsperma and Tinospora cordifolia are reported.     

Folklore medicinal plants of Nagaland,India

Traditional methods of treatment using plants and animals are predominant in rural societies of Nagaland, a state of North East India. As a result of an ethnobotanical survey conducted in 1993–1997, information on 36 such plant species from 35 genera and 28 families is presented.     

Traditional medicinal plants in Mizoram, India

In rural societies of Mizoram, India, traditional methods of treatment are followed in the majority of the populace. Information on 135 plant species from 122 genera and 65 families is presented here.     

Folklore medicinal plants of North Andaman Islands, India

The rural folk of North Andaman, India use the traditional medicine for their primary health care. Folklore medicinal uses of 72 interesting medicinal plant species along with botanical name, local name, family, habit, part used, disease for which the drug is administrated, mode of administration are presented. These 72 plant species which provide the crude drugs pertain to 67 genera and 43 families of Magnoliophyta from tropical rainforests. These plants used to cure 40 ailments. Most remedies were taken orally, accounting for 76% of medicinal use. Most of the remedies were reported to have been from trees (55.6%) and herb (22.2%) species. The most widely sought after plant parts in the preparation of remedies in the areas are the stem bark (33.8%) and root (23.9%).     

岑王老山自然保护区药用种子植物区系分析

岑王老山自然保护区共分布有野生药用种子植物147科561属1003种(包括种以下分类单位),是保护区种子植物区系的重要组成部分。分析表明:保护区药用种子植物区系的优势科明显,15种以上的科有15科,共含209属423种,虽然只占总科数的10.20%,但占总属数的37.25%和总种数的42.17%。属的组成复杂,含1~5种的属共542属,占总属数的96.61%。分布区类型多样,与世界各地联系广泛,科的分布区类型可划分为11类,其中热带分布85科,占总科数的70.83%,温带分布34科,占28.33%,中国特有分布1科,占0.83%;属的分布区类型可划分为15类,其中热带分布362属,占总属数的69.34%,温带分布153属,占29.31%,中国特有分布7属,占1.34%。同保护区种子植物区系的地理成分非常相似,以热带成分为主。     

Glucosinolates of seven medicinal plants from Thailand

Nasturtium montanum was shown to contain glucobrassicin, 9-methylthionyl glucosinolate, oct-7-enyl glucosinolate, non-7-enyl glucosinolate, dec-7-enyl glucosinolate, methylsulfonyloctyl glucosinolate, methylsulfonylnonyl glucosinolate, methylsulfonyldecyl glucosinolate, benzyl glucosinolate, and Cleome chelidonii contained glucocapparin and glucocleomin. Raphanus sativus contained sulforaphene, plus sulforaphane, glucodehydroerucin, and gluconapin; Lepidum sativum contained benzyl glucosinolate and glucotropaeolin; Eruca versicaria contained glucoerucin; Cleome viscosa contained glucocapparin and glucocleomin, while Gynandropsis gynandra contained glucocapparin.     

Biodiversity Conservation in the La Amistad Biosphere Reserve

Abstract

The AMISCONDE Initiative was created and promoted by Conservation International (CI). This paper analyzes the approach to biodiversity conservation of the Costa Rican portion of the Initiative in the context of CI's mission statement. Global, national and local challenges to biodiversity conservation are briefly reviewed. Then, the implementation of the AMISCONDE Initiative is examined. To provide a basis for comparison, two other well-known Costa Rican conservation programs are summarized. The Initiative differs from these other programs in its central emphasis. AMISCONDE focuses on community development, apparently prioritizing development above biodiversity protection. The paper concludes with several recommendations: that the Initiative place far greater emphasis on biodiversity through education, employment opportunities and collaboration with other organizations interested in the biota of the region; and that the program evaluate its impact on the protected area's biota. This would enable CI to determine the degree to which the impacts of the Initiative are consistent with its mission.     

Conservation policy–people conflicts: a case study from Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a World Heritage Site), India

Perceptions of local people towards conservation policy and related management interventions, nature and magnitude of policy–people conflicts and, possible options for conflict resolution were analysed in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site in Indian Himalaya. People's perceptions were discerned through participatory discussions covering 419 households distributed in 10 villages in the buffer zone. Traditional uncodified rights of local people were substantially reduced through policy interventions set in since 1860s. Local people as well as tourists were excluded from the core zone covering an area of 625 km² since 1982. Deterioration of rural economy due to damage to crop and livestock by wildlife and, termination of opportunities of income from wild medicinal plant resources and tourism in the core zone were the key negative impacts of conservation policy felt by more than 90% of respondents. Mean annual economic loss per household was estimated as Rs 1285, Rs 1195 and Rs 156 due to damage caused by wildlife to food crops, fruit trees and beehives, respectively, Rs 1587 due to ban on collection of wild medicinal plants for marketing and Rs 7904 due to ban on tourism in the core zone. Reserve authority granted compensation of livestock killed by wildlife but it was hardly 5% of the market value of killed livestock as assessed by the people. People did not appreciate much the present benefits from the reserve management in the form of wages for carrying out afforestation work, partial compensation of livestock depredation and availability of solar power devices, wool, and spinning devices. Approximately 95% respondents identified empowerment of local people in respect of realising income from timber from dead/diseased trees in community forests, income from medicinal plants in buffer zone and opening of core zone for tourism as potential development options. Improvement in rural economy, the prime concern of local people, has not received as much attention as legal enforcement of protection by the reserve management. There is a need for developing policies and management actions that serve the economic interests of local people together with enhancement of environmental conservation goal.     

Antimicrobial activity of some medicinal plants from Ghana

The results of a preliminary antimicrobial screening of the methanol extracts of Aframomum melegueta, Piper guineense, Xylopia aethiopica, Zingiber officinale, medicinal plants of Ghana, are reported.     

Anthelmintic activities of three medicinal plants from Nigeria

Aqueous extracts of the leaf, stem bark and root bark from Canna bidentata, Spondias mombin and Commiphora africana were examined for anthelmintic activity against earthworm. All the extracts demonstrated a concentration-dependent activity at tested concentrations of 10-80 mg/ml. Higher activities were observed at the higher concentrations, 40-80 mg/ml for all the plant extracts. C. bidentata with a paralysis time of 3-5 min and death time of 5-18 min at these concentrations for the stem bark, and S. mombin which exhibited comparatively higher efficacy (34-44 min paralysis time and 105 min death time for the leaf) at lower concentrations of 10-20 mg/ml were adjudged the outstanding anthelmintics of plant origin accordingly.     

Biodiversity of endophytic fungi from seven herbaceous medicinal plants of Malnad region,Western Ghats,southern India

A total of 3611 fungal isolates were recovered from 4200 leaf segments incubated from 7 medicinal herbs during monsoon, winter and summer seasons. These fungal isolates belonged to teleomorphic Asco-mycota （23.5%）, anamorphic Ascomycota producing conidiomata （17.4%）, anamorphic Ascomycota without conidiomata （46.9%）, Zygo-mycota （1.42%） and sterile forms （10.6%）. Chaetomium globosum, As-pergillus niger, Aureobasidium pullulans, Curvularia lunata, Fusarium spp., Penicillium spp., Pestalotiopsis spp., Trichoderma viridae, Cladosporium cladosporioides, were frequently isolated from more than one host plant. The number of endophytic isolates was higher in winter than in monsoon and summer seasons.     

石湖自然保护区野生珍稀药用植物现状及保护

石湖自然保护区共有野生珍稀药用植物26种。隶属20科、24属。其中国家级保护的有4科、6属、6种。省级保护的有17科、19属、20种，并对此提出了具体的保护措施和建议。     

Community Forestry in the Mayan Biosphere Reserve in Guatemala

Abstract

We present an initial assessment of a community forestry program in the Bethel Cooperative in Northern Guatemala, which is located within the Mayan Biosphere Reserve, part of the Man in the Biosphere Program. Implementing the polycyclic felling system, 20 forest plots will be harvested in succession, one every 20 years. Within the harvest areas and at control sites, permanent monitoring plots have been established to study tree growth and natural regeneration. An average incremental growth rate was determined to be 0.68 cm/yr and was independent of whether or not harvest occurred, but was not independent of the commercial classification of the trees. Size class structure revealed a mixed-aged stand for all commercial categories that was minimally impacted by harvest. Natural regeneration of saplings and small trees may be affected by harvest and could impose long-term limits on the production of marketable trees. However, current cutting practices, size class structure, and conservative estimates of tree growth indicate that consistent harvests can be sustained well into the future. Community income from and participation in forestry-related activities were significant. Finding new markets, enhancing the marketability of new species, and developing non-timber forest resource trade and related activities will be crucial for the success of this program.     

Antibacterial properties of essential oils from Thai medicinal plants

By using disc diffusion assay, the antimicrobial activity of 32 essential oil samples extracted from local plants or plants cultivated in Thailand was evaluated against zoonotic enteropathogens including Salmonella spp., Escherichai coli O157, Campylobacter jejunii and Clostridium perferingens which are important for broiler export. Out of the essential oil tested, only the essential oil of Zingiber cassumuna, Cinnamomum bejolghota, Mentha arvensis var. piperacens, Cymbopogon citratus and Ocimum basilicum var. citratum showed promising antibacterial activity against the bacteria tested.     

Folk medicinal plants used in gynecological disorders in Tinsukia district, Assam, India

An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the treatment of gynecological disorders was carried out among the rural people in Tinsukia district, Assam, India.     

Distribution pattern and conservation of threatened medicinal and aromatic plants of Central Himalaya,India

A study was conducted to examine the distribution pattern of four rhizomatous medicinal and aromatic plant species (MAPs) viz., Angelica glauca, Pleurospermum angelicoides, Rheum emodi and Arne- bia benthamii in different forest stands in Central Himalaya. Results show that A. glauca and P. angelicoides had a higher (50%) frequency at Chipkoan, Garpak and Phagati forest, R. emodi had a higher (60%) frequency at Rishikund, Suki and Himtoli, and A. benthamii had a higher (70%) frequency at Suki and Khambdhar The densities of A. glauca (0.6 plants·m -2 ) and P. angelicoides (0.5 plants·m -2 ) were higher at Chipkoan and Garpak sites than at other micro-sites, while densities of R. emodi (0.8 plants·m -2 ) and A. benthamii (1.0 plants·m -2 ) were higher at Suki and Khambdhar sites. A. glauca had highest total basal covers (TBC) (1.2 cm 2 ·m -2 ) at Chipkoan, P. angelicoides had highest TBC (0.92 cm 2 ·m -2) at Lati kharak site, A. benthamii had the highest TBC (6.48 cm 2 ·m -2 ) atKhambdhar, and R. emodi had highest TBC (4.53 cm 2 ·m -2 ) at Rishikund. For the four studied species, A. glauca showed a contagious distribution, P. angelicoides and R. emodi showed the random and A. benthamii showed the regular type of distribution.     

Litter production,decomposition and nutrient mineralization dynamics of Ochlandra setigera: A rare bamboo species of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve,India

Litter production, decomposition and nutrient release dynamics of Ochlandra setigera, a rare endemic bamboo species of Nilgiri biosphere were studied during 2011-2012 using the standard litter bag technique. Annual litter production was 1.981 t·ha-1 and was continuous throughout the year with monthly variations. Litterfall followed a triphasic pattern with two major peaks in November, 2011 and January, 2012 and a minor peak in July, 2011. The rate of decomposition in O. setigera was a good fit to the exponential decay model of Olson(1963). Litter quality and climatic conditions of the study site(maximum temperature, monthly rainfall and relative humidity) influenced the rate of decomposition. Nutrient release from the decomposing litter mass was in rank order N = Mg K = Ca P. Nutrient release from litter was continuous and it was in synchrony with growth of new culms. Study of litter dynamics is needed before introduction of a bamboo species into degraded or marginal lands or Agroforestry systems.     

Molluscicidal evaluation of three common plants from India

Mortality caused by the aqueous extract of latex of Thevetia peruviana, Alstonia scholaris and Euphorbia pulcherrima against two harmful freshwater snails, Lymnaea acuminata and Indoplanorbis exustus, is reported. Latices of all the plants at high doses were also lethal to freshwater fish Channa punctatus, which shares the habitat with these snails, but within 24 h, LC90 of snail L. acuminata did not cause any mortality to fishes in a mixed population of snail and fish. Therefore, these plant extracts may eventually be of great value for the control of harmful aquatic snails and other molluscan pests.     

Agroforestry adoption in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve,Campeche, Mexico

Since farmers engage in a complex, dynamic process of learning-by-doing, evaluating economic incentives, and assessing risks in deciding whether to adopt agroforestry systems, a multi-pronged research approach is required for a complete analysis of adoption potential and to develop effective technological and institutional interventions. A case study is presented for using multiple approaches to analyse the potential for reforestation and improving livelihoods of small farmers through the adoption of agroforestry systems in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico. Specifically, the results from a participatory research project are combined with revealed preference analysis of a household survey to analyse past adoption decisions and preferences, identify limitations, test and evaluate alternatives, and evaluate methods for risk reduction. The participatory research trials suggest that continuous intercropping and line cleaning are equally effective for tree growth, while continuous cropping during the first years offers the additional advantage of early returns to investments through crop production. Farmer participation in the research process, planning of production systems, and annual evaluations, assisted farmers and researchers in identifying limitations, testing and evaluating alternatives, and improving the viability and sustainability of systems. The revealed preference analysis provides insights as to which households are most likely to initially adopt agroforestry systems developed through the participatory research trials. In general, households that originated from the Yucatan Peninsula with more education, more experience both in age of the head of household and technical and project experience, higher incomes, and those that had cleared more forestland were more likely to have experimented with agroforestry systems in the past.