Antifungal potential of Indian medicinal plants

Fourteen Indian plants, selected based on their use in respiratory and other disorders in traditional systems of medicine, were analyzed for their potential activity against fungi. The antifungal activity was investigated by disc diffusion, microbroth dilution and percent spore germination inhibition tests against pathogenic Aspergilli. Methanolic extracts of Solanum xanthocarpum and Datura metel inhibited the growth of Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus and A. niger and their in vitro MICs were found to be 1.25-2.50 mg/ml by both microbroth dilution and percent spore germination assays. In disc diffusion assay, a concentration of 0.062 mg/disc of methanol extract of D. metel showed significant activity against Aspergilli. S. xanthocarpum exhibited similar activity at 0.125 mg/disc.     

Evaluation of anti-acne activity of selected Sudanese medicinal plants

Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disease in the world, and the number of antibiotics resistant to acne-inducing bacterial strains has been increasing in the past years. Natural substances from plants are promising candidates to treat this disease. The methanol and 50 % (v/v) ethanol extracts of 29 plant species traditionally used in Sudan for treatment of a variety of diseases were tested in vitro for their potential anti-acne activity. The activities of these extracts were determined using an antibacterial assay against Propionibacterium acnes, a lipase inhibitory assay, and l,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity assay. The results showed that methanol and 50 % ethanol extracts of Terminalia laxiflora Engl & Diels wood exhibited good antibacterial activity (minimum inhibitory concentration 0.13 mg/ml). The 50 % ethanol extracts of Abrus precatorius L. seed, T. laxiflora Engl & Diels and methanol extract of Acacia nilotica (L.) pods showed lipase inhibitory activity more than 70 % at 500 μg/ml. The methanol extracts of A. nilotica (L.) pods showed the best DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ 1.32 μg/ml). Total phenolic, flavonoid and total tannin contents of selected plant extracts shown anti-acne activities were investigated. Almost all selected extracts contained phenolic compound. The highest level of flavonoids (38.87 μg/mg) was detected in T. brownii bark, whereas the highest amount of tannin was detected in A. nilotica (L.) bark (88.01 %).     

Evaluation of antitumor activity of some medicinal plants of Bangladesh by potato disk bioassay.

The antitumor activity of the ethanolic extracts of 12 medicinal plants of Bangladesh, including the vincristine-vinblastine producing Catharanthus roseus was studied using the potato disk bioassay technique. Among these, 10 plant extracts at 25.0-microgram/disc exhibited significant inhibition of crown gall tumors caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens.     

Inhibitory effects of selected Thai medicinal plants on Na+,K+-ATPase

Extracts of ten Thai indigenous medicinal plants having ethnomedical application in the treatment of dysuria were tested for their Na(+),K(+)-ATPase inhibitory activity. The hexane extracts of Cyperus rotundus and Orthosiphon aristatus showed high potent inhibitory activity on crude enzyme Na(+),K(+)-ATPase from rat brain.     

Free radical scavenging activity of extracts prepared from fresh leaves of selected Chinese medicinal plants

The free radical scavenging activity of the 80% methanolic extracts from fresh leaves of 300 Chinese medical woody plants was assessed with the aid of the stable DPPH radical. Among the plants screened, 56 species had strong free radical scavenging capacities, with IC50 values lower than 0.5 mg leaves per milliliter. Analysis of the medical uses of these plants showed that most of them are employed for their effects on hemostasis, as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial or for treatment of dysentery. These uses may be directly linked to the content in tannins and flavonoids and consequently to their free radical scavenging activities.     

Obesity and medicinal plants

The effects of some medicinal plants (i.e. Fucus vesiculosus, Citrus aurantium) that are claimed to be useful in the treatment of obesity are reviewed.     

Antioxidant, icthyotoxicity and brine shrimp lethality tests of Magonia glabrata

The ethanolic extract of the fruit bark from Magonia glabrata yielded shikimic acid, scopoletin, sitosterol glycoside and 2-O-methyl-l-inositol. Antioxidant, icthyotoxicity and brine shrimp lethality activities were observed in this extract. The major constituent, 2-O-methyl-l-inositol, was found to be inactive in two assays but showed moderate activity as a radical scavenger.     

药用植物多倍体研究进展

概述了多倍体的原理及药用植物多倍体的应用优势;总结了人工诱导染色体加倍的常用方法和染色体加倍的鉴定方法;并提出了药用植物多倍体在该领域中存在的问题及研究前景。     

Antibacterial activity of Venda medicinal plants

Crude methanol and water extracts of 36 plants, employed in the treatment of diseases of probable bacterial etiology by the Venda people, were screened for antibacterial activity. Combretum molle, Peltophorum africanum, Piper capense, Terminalia sericea and Zanthoxylum davyi were the most active and presented MIC values < or =1.00 mg/ml.     

Insecticidal activity of certain medicinal plants

The methanol extracts of eight species of medicinal plants were tested for insecticidal activity in third instar larvae of Egyptian cottonworm (Spodoptera littoralis). All extracts showed a certain degree of larval toxicity. The extracts of Ocimum basilicum, Origanum majorana and Salvia officinalis appeared to be highly toxic. The extracts significantly affected the growth indexes [relative growth rate (RGR), efficiency of conversion of ingested food (ECI), efficiency of conversion of digested food (ECD)].     

Antibacterial and brine shrimp lethality tests of biflavonoids and derivatives of Rheedia gardneriana

The hydroalcoholic extract of the leaves from Rheedia gardneriana yielded volkensiflavone (1), fukugetin (2), fukugiside (3), GB2a-I-7-O-glucoside (4) and epicatechin (5). Compounds 1-5, and some derivatives of 1 and 2 were evaluated for lethality to brine shrimp larvae and for antibacterial activity.     

广东省药用珍稀濒然植物资源

分析了广东省药用珍稀濒然植物资源的特点和现状。其具有组成多样、用途广泛而分布局限等特点。在分析其资源特点上的基础上，提出了保护和合进开发利用这些资源的建议。     

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.     

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.     

Molluscicidal activity of some Moroccan medicinal plants

Among 14 plants of Moroccan folk medicine tested for molluscicidal activity, ethyl acetate extract from Origanum compactum and hexane extracts from both Chenopodium ambrosioides and Ruta chalepensis were the most active (LC(90)=2.00, 2.23 and 2.23 mg l(-1), respectively) against the schistosomiasis-transmitting snail Bulinus truncatus.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

黑龙江省野生药用观赏植物资源

对黑龙江省野生药用观赏植物资源的种类、生活型、药用价值、观赏价值及分布特点进行了详细介绍，并对其合理开发和利用提出了建议。