International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research

Forest-based medicinal plants rendering their services to the rural community of Assam, India

Ratul Arya Baishya¹, Jatindra Sarma² and Ajima Begum³

¹Research Investigator, Medicinal & Aromatic Plants Project National Institute of Rural Development, North Eastern Regional Centre Jawahar Nagar, Khanapara, Guwahati - 781022, Assam.

²Deputy Conservator of Forests, Logging Division Tinsukia – 786125, Assam.

³Assistant Professor, Department of Botany B.N. College, Dhubri – 783324, Assam.

Abstract

Forests are the main biological resource areas from where reportedly 80% of the medicinal plants are collected by the rural communities of the state. Traditional folk medicines, mainly based on plants, occupy a significant position today, especially in the developing countries, where modern health care service is limited. Medicinal plants are gaining global importance owing to the fact that herbal drugs are cost-effective, easily available and most reportedly, with negligible side effects. Safe, effective and inexpensive indigenous remedies had been practiced by the people of both tribal and rural society of Assam from time immemorial. Therefore, the need of the hour is to harness this natural resource sustainably for the socio-economic development of the indigenous communities. Hence, a strategy for sustainable harvesting practice needs to be developed that would ensure preservation of the valuable medicinal plants in situ while addressing the needs of the rural communities. The present study is, thus, an attempt to highlight the common medicinal plants of forested region as used by the rural poor community for different kinds of treatment as the rural local healers usually practice the treatment of diseases in their locality.

Key words: Folk medicine, medicinal plants, forest, sustainable collection, indigenous communities and local healers.

International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN 2169-303X Vol. 4 (1), pp. 309-313, March, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Study on the inhibition effects of some Vietnamese traditional medicinal plants on egg hatching and larval movement of goat Haemonchus contortus

¹Nguyen Van Thanh, ²Nguyen Thanh Hai, ³Dam Quang Thai and ⁴Miyamoto Atsushi

¹Department of Animal surgery and reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Trau Quy crossing, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, Vietnam.

²Department of Plant Bio-technology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Trau Quy crossing, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, Vietnam.

³Department of pharmacology and toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Trau Quy crossing, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, Vietnam.

⁴Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.

E-mail:[email protected]

Accepted 09 March, 2015

Abstract 

Six traditional herbs which are well-known in Vietnam for their effect on endoparasite treatment, including: Achyranthes Bidentata Blume, Cassia Alata L, Embelia Ribes Burn, Ipomoea Hederacea Jacq, Leucaena Glauca Benth and Solanumtorvum Swartz were collected to evaluate the inhibitory effect on the egg hatching and larval movement of goat Haemonchus contortus. The aqueous extracts was made and diluted to 5 %, 10 % and 20 %. All of the herbs showed inhibitory efficacies at different levels, therefore explains their traditional application as the anti-parasite plants. Cassia Alata L and Embelia Ribes Burn showed the best effect on the egg hatching, while Achyranthes Bidentata Blume showed the best effect on the larval movement. In all of 6 tested herbs and 3 tested concentrations, only Ipomoea Hederacea Jacq and Leucaena Glauca Benth extracts at 20 % had good inhibitory effect (more than 70%) on both of egg laying and larval movement. This result suggests that Ipomoea Hederacea Jacq and Leucaena Glauca Benth extracts at 20% have the most potential to apply in the Haemonchus contortus treatment. The follow-up in vivo experiments and clinical trials are still necessary to confirm the effect of those medicine plants and to widen their application.

Key words: Herbs, extracts, antiparasite, Ipomoea Hederacea Jacq, Leucaena Glauca Benth, goat, Haemonchus contortus.

International Journal of Medicinal Plant Research ISSN 2169-303X Vol. 4(1), pp. 296-308, March, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Introducing hyperaccumulator indicator plants for As, Mo, Cd, Hg, and Sb in Masjed–Daghi, Julfa (Iran)

Farnoosh Farjandi¹*, Hassan Bastani¹ and Sara Soleimani¹

¹Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran

E-mail: [email protected]

Accepted 15 March 2012

Abstract 

The aims of present study are investigation of endemic plants at Masjed-Daghi area introducing hyperaccumulator and indicator plants for As, Mo, Cd, Hg, and Sb elements and also describe the biogeochemical response pattern over Azerbaijan area. The Masjed-Daghi prospecting area is covered by Eocene flysch, andesite, trachyandesite, dacite, rhyodacite, Oligocene agglomerate, and Quaternary deposits. Previous researches reported copper porphyry mineralization and related epithermal gold veins in this area. This study presents that plants with high metal intake enabled us to obtain invaluable information about natural concentrations of chemical elements in the substrate and to recognize new potential areas for mineral prospecting. S. inflata has biological absorption coefficient mean exceeding or near hyperaccumulating criterion >1 for most of the elements investigated then could be as a hyperaccumulator. The indicator values belong to S. inflata, Artemisia sp., Salvia sp., Astragalus sp., P. harmala, M. coerulea and Cousinia sp.

Key words: Biogeochemical exploration, hyperaccumulator, indicator, biological absorption coefficient, Geobotany, copper porphyry, Masjed–Daghi, Julfa (Iran). 

International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN: 2169-303X Vol. 3 (4), pp. 290-295, September, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment of trace metal levels in commonly used vegetables sold at selected Markets in Ghana.

Sarpong K, Dartey E and Owusu-Mensah I

Faculty of Science and Environment Education,University of Education, Winneba, Ghana. P.O. Box 40, Asante - Mampong, Ghana.

*Corresponding author. E-mail:[email protected]

Accepted 12 June, 2014

Abstract 

Trace metal levels were assessed in edible parts of thirteen (13) common vegetables sold at seven (7) selected markets; Kumasi, Asante-Mampong, Obuasi, Nkenkesu, Akomadan, Daboase and Nobekwaw in Ghana. The vegetable samples were analysed for Pb, Fe, Zn and Cu using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. The concentration of Pb registered in Lactuca sativa (1.82 mg/kg), Daucus carota (1.72 mg/kg), Solanum melongena (1.44 mg/kg) and Cucumis sativus (1.37 mg/kg) all from Obuasi were above the FAO/WHO MPL of 0.3 mg/kg. The mean concentrations of Zn in the vegetable samples were all below the FAO/WHO MPL of 100 mg/kg with the exception of Piper nigrum from Kumasi which recorded a mean Zn value of 298.78 mg/kg. The highest mean Fe concentration of 698.79 mg/kg was registered in Lycopersicum esculentus, above the WHO/FAO MPL for Fe of 425 mg/kg.  The mean concentration of Cu recorded for all the vegetables were below the FAO/WHO MPL of 73 mg/kg for Cu. The overall mean concentration of trace metals in the vegetables analysed appeared to be within safe limits laid down by FAO/WHO.

Key words: Trace metals, maximum permissible level, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, mean concentration, edible parts.

International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN: 2169-303X Vol. 3 (3), pp. 284-289, March, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation acaricidal efficacy of Camellia sasanqua thumb seed oil against the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and the dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus

¹Nguyen Thanh Hai^* and ²Miyamoto Atsushi

¹Department of Plant Bio-technology, Faculty of Biotechnology, Hanoi University of Agriculture, Trau Quy crossing, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, Vietnam.

 ²Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, 1-21-24 Korimoto, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan.

*Corresponding author.E-mail: [email protected]

Tel: (+84) 438760135, Mobile: (+84) 914598399

Acepted 25 February, 2014

Abstract 

Our study was the first research to investigate the in vitro and in vivo effect of Camellia sasanqua thumb seed oil on the cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and the dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus, which are the most common ticks infested on cattle and dogs in Vietnam. The lethal dose 50 (LD50, the dose that induced the death of 50% experimental ticks within 360 minutes tested time) and the lethal dose 100 (LD100, the dose that induced the death of 100% experimental ticks within 360 minutes tested time) of the crude oil were 4.61 ± 0.4% and 9.18 ± 0.7% with Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus and 5.43 ± 0.6% and 9.50 ± 0.3% with Rhipicephalus sanguineus in the larval immersion tests. The trial clinical treatment performed on dogs infested with Rhipicephalus sanguineus showed that only one treatment including 2 times of 10.0% oil spraying at 24 hours interval was able to eliminate all of the ticks. Our study proved both of in vitro and in vivo acaricidal effect of Camellia sasanqua thumb seed oil and therefore suggested the potential of applying this botanical oil in the tick control.

Key words: Camellia sasanqua thumb, acaricide effect, seed oil, Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, tick, dog, cattle.

International Journal of Medicinal Plants Research ISSN: 2169-303X Vol. 3 (2), pp. 269-283, February, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in mice cervix

Jordan Estes¹, Benjamin Coe¹, Joe Ann McCoy², Chris Okunji³, Chishimba Nathan Mowa^{1, 4},

¹ Department of Biology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, United State of America.

² Bent Creek Germplasm Repository, Brent Creek, NC, United State of America.

³ United States Pharmacopeia, Rockville, Maryland, United State of America.

⁴ Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa.

*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] 

Accepted 28 October, 2013

Abstract

Every minute approximately 1,400 babies are born prematurely world-wide and over 100 of these infants die. Causally, premature births are largely caused by infection-induced inflammation and current treatments are either unsafe or ineffective. Here, we test use of natural products [Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench, root extract] (EP) with anti-bacterial and inflammatory activities and a long history of safe use to attenuate induction of inflammation in the cervix. Studies using three different complementary models, that is, non-pregnant in vivo, non-pregnant ex vivo and preterm labor models, were conducted. We also sought to decipher mechanisms likely to mediate EP’s anti-inflammatory activities by blocking the activity of heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1). Tissues were harvested and evaluated using real time-PCR, Western blot and/or histology. Here, we compare the suitability of the three models and show that EP attenuates the activity of the master inflammation transcription factor, nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) (phosphorylated), and expression of select pro-inflammatory cytokines associated with inflammation-induced preterm labor. We also show that HO-1 may mediate EP anti-inflammatory activities in the cervix. These findings are significant as they provide important data that could potentially lead to the development of natural strategies for modulating infection-induced preterm labor.

Key words: Echinacea, cervical remodeling, preterm labor, Mice, lipopolysaccharide.