Herbal formulations as pharmacotherapeutic agents

Herbal medicines are popular as remedies for diseases by vast majority of world's population. Polyherbal preparations are products from medicinal plants. These are considered as safe since they are natural products. Herbal formulations which have reached widespread acceptability as therapeutic agents in India include noortropics, antidiabetics, hepatoprotective agents and lipid lowering agents. Pharmacological effects of many plants have been studied in various laboratories in India. However, there are many limitations regarding safety and efficacy of these preparations. Knowledge about active principles of herbal preparations are not well defined, information on toxicity and adverse effects of these formulations are lacking. Information regarding pharmacokinetics and bioavailability is not available. Packet inserts providing details regarding safety, and warning are not required for sale of these which are available as over the counter preparations. The risk of untested and unregulated remedies should be known to the lay public. Selection of plant material based on quality, standardisation of methods of preparation, enforcement of regulation regarding appropriate labels, are measures which will improve the quality and acceptability of herbal preparations as therapeutic agents. Documentation of research publications in journals and availability of information on website, are other measures to assist research in this field.     

Traditional knowledge of wild medicinal plants used by the inhabitants of Garam Chashma valley,district Chitral,Pakistan

Garam Chashma valley is a mountainous valley situated in the Hindukush mountain range in Pakistan. This area is blessed with rich and diverse medicinal flora extensively utilized by the local community to cure health issues. The present article aims to explore and document the indigenous traditional knowledge about wild plants and their curative properties. This survey was carried out during April 2018 to September 2019. Data was collected from 153 indigenous people through semi structure questionnaire, group discussion, field survey and formal talks with elder people. Quantitative analysis of recorded data was obtained by applying quantitative indices like Frequency of Citation (FC) Use Reports (UR), Family Use Value (FUV), Informant Consensus Factor (ICF), Use Value (UV) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC). About 83 plant taxa belonging to 36 different families were recorded for the treatment of 95 different disorders grouped into sixteen disease categories. Herbs were the most leading plant habit (81.9%) and dried plant material (51.8%) usually preferred for therapeutics uses. Among families Asteraceae (16.86%) was recorded as major taxon with highest number of species followed by Lamiaceae (12.06%). Leaves 33% were recorded most abundantly used plant part followed by flowers (17%). Regarding to formulations, decoction (39.3%) and powder (17.1%) were recorded most frequent mode of preparation while oral intake (78%) was most preferred administration route. About (40%) plants species were utilized to treat Gastrointestinal diseases (GIT) disorders. Informant consensus revealed that Gastrointestinal disorders and Dermatological disorders were top ranked ailments categories with 0.94 consensus. The current study imparted that medicinal plants are still used by the indigenous communities of Garam Chashma valley, district lower Chitral, Pakistan. Thus, this investigation provides basis for the conservation of medicinal flora in the area. Medicinal plants (MPs) having high value of FC, RFC, UV, FUV, FL and ICF should be further study for phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology to evaluate novel active ingredients for new drugs discovery.     

In vitro evaluation of influence of medicinal plant decoctions and antibacterial antibodies to bifidobacteria on bifidobacterium adhesion

Natural antibodies to the surface antigens of bifidobacteria contained in blood sera and determined in the passive hemagglutination test blocked the adhesion of bifidobacteria to human red blood cells in vitro. The decoctions of medicinal plants, often used by pediatricians for therapeutic purposes, were found to have a pronounced inhibiting effect on the adhesion of bifidobacteria after the preliminary treatment of both microorganisms and human red blood cells by these decoctions. Suggestion was made on the possible role of natural human antibodies in changing the contents of the indigenous intestinal microflora; the prolonged use of preparations obtained from medicinal plants could probably produce negative influence on the microbiocenosis of the intestine.     

Conservation and development through medicinal plants: a case study from Ludian (Northwest Yunnan,China) and presentation of a general model

A model for community-based conservation and development is presented, potentially applicable wherever communities rely on locally collected medicinal plants. The motivational foundation for conservation offered by these plants relates to people’s interests in health support, financial income and cultural identity. The model is based on experiences in the Medicinal Plants Conservation Initiative, a four-year programme (2005–2008) of Plantlife International with national partners, involving 14 projects in 8 countries in East Africa and the Himalayas. All projects provide evidence on the question “How best can communities conserve their medicinal plants?”. One of the projects (in China) is described to illustrate the types of evidence offered by the projects. The model consists of three social elements (community groups, project teams, policy makers), the relationships between them, and types of activity suggested for each group. Not all types of activity are relevant in all contexts. It is suggested that faith-based organisations, women’s associations and indigenous people’s groups are often well placed to take the model forward in terms of practical application at the landscape scale. The (on-going) project in China is at Ludian, a Naxi community in Northwest Yunnan. There is a secondary project site at Yongzhi, a Tibetan and Lisu village. The Ludian project is notable within the modern Chinese context for establishment of the first community group concerned specifically with the conservation of medicinal plants and the first community protected areas for medicinal plants.     

Potential natural candidates in the treatment of coronavirus infections

Many viral infections do not have treatments or resistant to existing antiviral therapeutic interventions, and a novel strategy is required to combat virus-mediated fatalities. A novel coronavirus (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 and rapidly spread across the globe. COVID-19 has impacted human society with life-threatening and unprecedented health, social, and economic issues, and it continues to affect millions of people. More than 5,800 clinical trials are in place worldwide to develop treatments to eradicate COVID-19. Historically, traditional medicine or natural products, such as medicinal plants, marine organisms and microbes, have been efficacious in treating viral infections. Nevertheless, important parameters for natural products, including clinical trial information, pharmacokinetic data, potency and toxicity profiles, in vivo and in vitro data, and product safety require validation. In this review article, an evaluation is performed of the potential application of natural product-based antiviral compounds, including crude extracts and bioactive chemical compounds obtained from medicinal plants, marine organisms, and microbes, to treat the viral infections COVID-19.     

Assessment of Heavy Metals in Pharmacological Important Medicinal Plants Consumed in the Bannu District,Pakistan

This study assesses the contents of heavy metals in the four most commonly used indigenous medicinal plants in the Bannu District, Pakistan. The rapid appraisal approach was used along with semi-structured interviews with elderly people and herbalists for selection of indigenous plants. Heavy metals were determined via flame atomic absorption spectrometer by acid digestion of samples. Four medicinal plants were selected after interviews of 53 local residents and herbalists. Plant and soil samples were obtained for evaluations from a wastewater zone (WWZ) and a clean water zone (CWZ). Indigenous plants from the WWZ showed considerably higher metal contents compared to the CWZ. The trend of metals for indigenous medicinal plants grown in clean water was Mn > K > Na > Zn > Co > Fe > Cu while for wastewater the trend appeared as Co > K > Na > Zn > Fe > Mn > Cu. An alternative significant extent of research is needed to qualify the assessment of the human health insinuations of consumption of indigenous remedies. The heavy metal content of administering herbal medicine should be screened, as formulation and processing of medicine may affect heavy metal contents of the remedies.     

Indigenous oral knowledge of wild medicinal plants from the Peren district of Nagaland,India in the Indo Burma hot-spot

The paper report the oral traditional knowledge of wild medicinal plants usage by the indigenous ethnic tribal community from the Peren district of Nagaland, India in the Indo-Burma Hotspot. The pioneer study was based on the semi-structured interview of locals (N = 240) in the 12 villages of the Peren District during 2014 ‐ 2018. In total, 179 ethnomedicinal plants from 140 genera and 72 families were documented and identified. The medicinal plants were used for the treatment of 96 different ailments grouped into 18 categories. The medicinal plants also showed high versatile nature with 85 species reported to treat five / eleven different ailments, respectively. The ethnobotanical information obtained from the field documentation will contribute in the development of potential drugs in the future from the diverse wild medicinal plants of the region and contribute towards the preservation of the oral tradition that is disappearing.     

Biodegradation of creosote and pentachlorophenol in contaminated groundwater: chemical and biological assessment

Shake flask studies examined the rate and extent of biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 42 components of coal-tar creosote present in contaminated groundwater recovered from the American Creosote Works Superfund site, Pensacola, Fla. The ability of indigenous soil microorganisms to remove these contaminants from aqueous solutions was determined by gas chromatographic analysis of organic extracts of biotreated groundwater. Changes in potential environmental and human health hazards associated with the biodegradation of this material were determined at intervals by Microtox assays and fish toxicity and teratogenicity tests. After 14 days of incubation at 30 degrees C, indigenous microorganisms effectively removed 100, 99, 94, 88, and 87% of measured phenolic and lower-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and S-heterocyclic, N-heterocyclic, and O-heterocyclic constituents of creosote, respectively. However, only 53% of the higher-molecular-weight PAHs were degraded; PCP was not removed. Despite the removal of a majority of the organic contaminants through biotreatment, only a slight decrease in the toxicity and teratogenicity of biotreated groundwater was observed. Data suggest that toxicity and teratogenicity are associated with compounds difficult to treat biologically and that one may not necessarily rely on indigenous microorganisms to effectively remove these compounds in a reasonable time span; to this end, alternative or supplemental approaches may be necessary. Similar measures of the toxicity and teratogenicity of treated material may offer a simple, yet important, guide to bioremediation effectiveness.     

Biodegradation of creosote and pentachlorophenol in contaminated groundwater: chemical and biological assessment.

Shake flask studies examined the rate and extent of biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) and 42 components of coal-tar creosote present in contaminated groundwater recovered from the American Creosote Works Superfund site, Pensacola, Fla. The ability of indigenous soil microorganisms to remove these contaminants from aqueous solutions was determined by gas chromatographic analysis of organic extracts of biotreated groundwater. Changes in potential environmental and human health hazards associated with the biodegradation of this material were determined at intervals by Microtox assays and fish toxicity and teratogenicity tests. After 14 days of incubation at 30 degrees C, indigenous microorganisms effectively removed 100, 99, 94, 88, and 87% of measured phenolic and lower-molecular-weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and S-heterocyclic, N-heterocyclic, and O-heterocyclic constituents of creosote, respectively. However, only 53% of the higher-molecular-weight PAHs were degraded; PCP was not removed. Despite the removal of a majority of the organic contaminants through biotreatment, only a slight decrease in the toxicity and teratogenicity of biotreated groundwater was observed. Data suggest that toxicity and teratogenicity are associated with compounds difficult to treat biologically and that one may not necessarily rely on indigenous microorganisms to effectively remove these compounds in a reasonable time span; to this end, alternative or supplemental approaches may be necessary. Similar measures of the toxicity and teratogenicity of treated material may offer a simple, yet important, guide to bioremediation effectiveness.     

Hand Hygiene – Evaluation of Three Disinfectant Hand Sanitizers in a Community Setting

Hand hygiene is acknowledged as the single most important measure to prevent nosocomial infections in the healthcare setting. Similarly, in non-clinical settings, hand hygiene is recognised as a key element in helping prevent the spread of infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of three different disinfectant hand sanitizers in reducing the burden of bacterial hand contamination in 60 healthy volunteers in a community setting, both before and after education about the correct use of hand sanitizers. The study is the first to evaluate the efficacy and ease of use of different formulations of hand rubs used by the general population. The products tested were: Sterillium (perfumed, liquid), desderman pure gel (odorless, gel) and Lavit (perfumed, spray). Sterillium and desderman are EN1500 (hygienic hand rub) certified products (available in pharmacy) and Lavit is non EN1500 certified and available in supermarkets. The two EN1500 certified products were found to be significantly superior in terms of reducing bacterial load. desderman pure gel, Sterillium and Lavit reduced the bacterial count to 6.4%, 8.2% and 28.0% respectively. After education in the correct use of each hand rub, the bacterial load was reduced even further, demonstrating the value of education in improving hand hygiene. Information about the testers'' perceptions of the three sanitizers, together with their expectations of a hand sanitizer was obtained through a questionnaire. Efficacy, followed by skin compatibility were found to be the two most important attributes of a hand disinfectant in our target group.     

Microbes in beach sands: integrating environment,ecology and public health

Beach sand is a habitat that supports many microbes, including viruses, bacteria, fungi and protozoa (micropsammon). The apparently inhospitable conditions of beach sand environments belie the thriving communities found there. Physical factors, such as water availability and protection from insolation; biological factors, such as competition, predation, and biofilm formation; and nutrient availability all contribute to the characteristics of the micropsammon. Sand microbial communities include autochthonous species/phylotypes indigenous to the environment. Allochthonous microbes, including fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) and waterborne pathogens, are deposited via waves, runoff, air, or animals. The fate of these microbes ranges from death, to transient persistence and/or replication, to establishment of thriving populations (naturalization) and integration in the autochthonous community. Transport of the micropsammon within the habitat occurs both horizontally across the beach, and vertically from the sand surface and ground water table, as well as at various scales including interstitial flow within sand pores, sediment transport for particle-associated microbes, and the large-scale processes of wave action and terrestrial runoff. The concept of beach sand as a microbial habitat and reservoir of FIB and pathogens has begun to influence our thinking about human health effects associated with sand exposure and recreational water use. A variety of pathogens have been reported from beach sands, and recent epidemiology studies have found some evidence of health risks associated with sand exposure. Persistent or replicating populations of FIB and enteric pathogens have consequences for watershed/beach management strategies and regulatory standards for safe beaches. This review summarizes our understanding of the community structure, ecology, fate, transport, and public health implications of microbes in beach sand. It concludes with recommendations for future work in this vastly under-studied area.     

Small ruminant feed systems: perceptions and practices in the transitional zone of Ghana

Background

Medicinal plants are used by 80% of people from developing countries to fulfill their primary health needs, occupying a key position on plant research and medicine. Taking into account that, besides their pharmaceutical importance, these plants contribute greatly to ecosystems' stability, a continuous documentation and preservation of traditional knowledge is a priority. The objective of this study was to organize a database of medicinal plants including their applications and associated procedures in Canhane village, district of Massingir, province of Gaza, Mozambique.

Methods

In order to gather information about indigenous medicinal plants and to maximize the collection of local knowledge, eleven informants were selected taking into account the dimension of the site and the fact that the vegetation presents a great homogeneity. The data were collected through intensive structured and semi-structured interviews performed during field research. Taxonomical identification of plant species was based on field observations and herbarium collections.

Results

A total of 53 plant species have been reported, which were used to treat 50 different human health problems. More than half of the species were used for stomach and intestine related disturbances (including major diseases such as diarrhea and dysentery). Additionally, four species with therapeutic applications were reported for the first time, whose potential can further be exploited. The great majority of the identified species was also associated with beliefs and myths and/or used as food. In general, the community was conscientious and motivated about conservational issues and has adopted measures for the rational use of medicinal plants.

Conclusions

The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the Canhane village. The local community had a rich ethnobotanical knowledge and adopted sound management conservation practices. The data compiled in this study show the social importance of the surveyed plants being a contribution to the documentation of PGR at the national and regional level.     

Traditional medicinal plant knowledge and use by local healers in Sekoru District, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

The knowledge and use of medicinal plant species by traditional healers was investigated in Sekoru District, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia from December 2005 to November 2006. Traditional healers of the study area were selected randomly and interviewed with the help of translators to gather information on the knowledge and use of medicinal plants used as a remedy for human ailments in the study area. In the current study, it was reported that 27 plant species belonging to 27 genera and 18 families were commonly used to treat various human ailments. Most of these species (85.71%) were wild and harvested mainly for their leaves (64.52%). The most cited ethnomedicinal plant species wasAlysicarpus quartinianus A. Rich., whose roots and leaves were reported by traditional healers to be crushed in fresh and applied as a lotion on the lesions of patients ofAbiato (Shererit). No significant correlation was observed between the age of traditional healers and the number of species reported and the indigenous knowledge transfer was found to be similar. More than one medicinal plant species were used more frequently than the use of a single species for remedy preparations. Plant parts used for remedy preparations showed significant difference with medicinal plant species abundance in the study area.     

Dermatological remedies in the traditional pharmacopoeia of Vulture-Alto Bradano, inland southern Italy

This study documents indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and the threats affecting them. The study was carried out in Mana Angetu district between January 2003 and December 2004. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi structured interviews, field observations, preference and direct matrix ranking with traditional medicine practitioners. The ethnomedicinal use of 230 plant species was documented in the study area. Most of the plants (78.7%) were reportedly used to treat human diseases. The most frequently used plant part were roots (33.9%), followed by leaves (25.6%). Most of the medicinal species (90.4%) were collected from the wild. Direct matrix analysis showed that Olea europaea L. Subsp. cuspidata (Wall. ex G. Don) was the most important species followed by Acacia tortilis (Forssk.) Hayne (120) indicating high utility value of these species for the local community. The principal threatening factors reported were deforestation (90%), agricultural expansion (85%) and fire (53%). Documenting the eroding plants and associated indigenous knowledge can be used as a basis for developing management plans for conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants in the area.     

Plants Used for Reproductive Health by Nahua Women in Northern Veracruz,Mexico

Plants Used for Reproductive Health by Nahua Women in Northern Veracruz, Mexico. This paper reports the use of medicinal plants by Nahua women in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. It documents the women’s plant knowledge for reproductive purposes, which includes uses such as conception, pregnancy, birth, contraception, menstruation, post-partum, and general reproductive health. The concept of equilibrium is very important in regaining health among the Nahua; consequently, many of the medicinal plants have this as their primary purpose. The introduction of biomedical clinics and hospitals in the region has had a significant effect on the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants. Additionally, the midwives are not taking any new apprentices and laywomen are not passing on their knowledge to future generations. This generational gap contributes to the loss of knowledge about medicinal plants. This research contributes to the study of indigenous ethnobotany by (a) creating a record of the plant knowledge possessed by indigenous women, (b) giving voice to some of their health concerns, (c) indicating how the introduction of biomedicine has affected their plant use, and (d) providing a framework for understanding how marginal peoples around the world respond to the impact that globalization and change has on their health needs and local ethnobotanical knowledge.     

Medicinal Plant Use and Health Sovereignty: Findings from the Tajik and Afghan Pamirs

Medicinal plants are indicators of indigenous knowledge in the context of political volatility and sociocultural and ecological change in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Medicinal plants are the primary health care option in this region of Central Asia. The main objective of this paper is to demonstrate that medicinal plants contribute to health security and sovereignty in a time of instability. We illustrate the nutritional as well as medicinal significance of plants in the daily lives of villagers. Based on over a decade and half of research related to resilience and livelihood security, we present plant uses in the context of mountain communities. Villagers identified over 58 cultivated and noncultivated plants and described 310 distinct uses within 63 categories of treatment and prevention. Presence of knowledge about medicinal plants is directly connected to their use.     

Indigenous Medicinal Plants in Mexico: the Example of the Nahua (Sierra de Zongolica)

As in most peasant cultures medicinal plants are a very important resource for the Nahua of the Sierra de Zongolica (Mexico). Documentation of the current indigenous medicinal uses of 203 plants in this region was conducted during 18 months of fieldwork. The 816 individual reports documented were divided into nine groups of indigenous uses. The frequency of usage of the individual plants reported was employed in the analysis of the ethnobotanical importance of the respective plants. Plants cited more frequently in a group of indigenous uses are regarded as of greater ethnobotanical importance than those cited only by a few informants. Data on phytochemistry, pharmacology and ethnobotany from the scientific literature were used to evaluate possible biological or pharmacological and toxicological effects of some particularly important plants. For most plants detailed studies on these actions are still lacking, which would allow a conclusive evaluation. This ethnobotanical evaluation forms the basis for such studies which have been started on some plants, and for better understanding their potential as minor economic products of the region. These uses may also give incentives to the conservation of the local biodiversity.     

Indigenous Medicine and Primary Health Care: The Importance of Lay Knowledge and Use of Medicinal Plants in Rural South Africa

Indigenous medicine is important to rural livelihoods, but lay knowledge and use of medicinal plants has not been extensively studied. Research in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, showed that medicinal plants were frequently used by villagers and contributed to their ability to cope with health problems. Knowledge of plants and household remedies was extensive and varied in that households often held different knowledge. Villagers mainly relied on common species, and were generally aware of alternative species for a certain ailment. People were flexible in their use of indigenous and western health care, which were both perceived as beneficial. Improved cooperation between health care systems could improve health standards. Extraction of medicinal plants has been described as unsustainable in the region—a situation not found in the study area. It is argued that conservation policies aimed to restrict access should be differential and potentially not include local consumption, since this may be ecologically unnecessary and entail local hardships.