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The study described in this paper consists of a system that involves image processing techniques to extract relevant features related to leaf in conjunction with using artificial neural network in order to detect and identify some Philippine herbal plants. Real samples of twelve different herbal medicine plant leaves are collected where each leaf are isolated in single image. Several features are extracted using techniques in image processing. With the artificial neural network acting as autonomous brain network, the system can identify the species of the herbal medicine plant leaves being tested. The system can also provide information about the diseases the herbal plant can cure. For the training, a features dataset of 600 images coming from 50 images per herbal plant are used. With the aid of Python, a neural network model with optimized parameters are established producing 98.16 % identification for the whole dataset. To evaluate the actual performance of the system, a separate 72 sample images of herbal plants are tested with the neural network model implemented in MATLAB. Experimental results demonstrate a 98.61 % accuracy of herbal plant identification.

Objectives : The purpose of the study is to determine the neuroprotective effects of the water and 80% EtOH extract of some herbal medicine plant on ischemia·reperfusion-induced cell death in SK-N-SH human brain neuronal cells.Methods : SK-N-SH cells were treated with 3mM sodium azide and 10 mM 2-deoxy-D-glucose for 45 min, ptior to the addition of different concentrations of herbal medicine plant extract (0, 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 µg/ml) for 2 hr and then reperfused with growth medium, incubate d for 24 h. Cell viability was determined by WST-1 assay, and ATP/ADP levels were measured by ADP/ATP ratio assay kit. Results : Herbal medicine plant extract significantly inhibited decreasi ng the cell viability in ischemia-induced SK-N-SH cells. Also increased the ratio of ADP/ATP in ischemia-induced neuronal cells.Conclusions : Our results suggest that herbal medicine plant extract has a ne uroprotective property via increasing the energy levels in neuronal cells, suggesting that extract may has a therapeutic potential in the treatment of ischemic brain injury. The exact component and mec hanism remains for the future study.Key words : Herbal medicin plant, SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cell, Chemical isc hemic injury, neuroprotective effect

Alternative medicines remain under the regulatory control of the US Food and Drug Administration. A number of competent and professional researchers in the field of drug development have touted and proclaimed the safety and efficacy of smoked Cannabis sativa and kratom. In 2017, under international and national statutes, neither Cannabis sativa nor kratom are medicines. The community of scientists must maintain an objective scientific, verifiable and legally-sound methodology and lexicon in developing supportive data to advance constituents of the plant for NDA approvals. Use of the term “medical marijuana” is inappropriate.

Achyrocline satureoides is a medium-sized South American indigenous herb, commonly known as "Marcela" or "Macela". The infusion obtained from inflorescences of this plant is widely used in Brazilian folk medicine as an antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and hypocholesterolemic, mainly to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as gastric ulcers and dyspepsia. However, the antiulcer properties of this species have not yet been fully studied.This study was conducted to evaluate and contribute to validating the antiulcer activity of hydroalcoholic extract of inflorescences of Achyrocline satureoides.The antiulcer assays were performed using the ethanol-induced ulcer, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-induced ulcer protocols. Gastric secretion parameters were also evaluated (volume, pH and total acidity) by the pylorus ligated model, and the mucus in the gastric content was determined.In the ethanol-induced ulcer model, it was observed that the treatment with Achyrocline satureoides extract significantly reduced the lesion index by 75.1+/-8.6, 85.0+/-9.2, 86.6+/-7.4 and 75.5+/-5.3 for the groups treated with 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg of extract of inflorescences of Achyrocline satureoides and the positive control (omeprazole 30 mg/kg), respectively. Significant inhibition was also observed in the lesion index in the indomethacin-induced ulcer model, with decreases of 62.5+/-7.1, 62.5+/-6.1, 63.6+/-5.5 and 96.2+/-3.6 for the groups treated with 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg of extract and the positive control (cimetidine 100 mg/kg), respectively. The parameters of gastric secretion (pH, volume, [H(+)]) showed no alteration in the different doses of the treatment. On the other hand the treatment with the hydroalcoholic extract of Achyrocline satureoides (100, 250 and 500 mg/kg), significantly increased mucus production (p0.01), when compared with the groups treated with indomethacin (100 mg/kg), cimetidine (100 mg/kg) and negative control (vehicle). No signs of toxicity was observed in the acute toxicity study.The results of the present study show that hydroalcoholic extract of Achyrocline satureoides displays antiulcer activity, as demonstrated by the significant inhibition of the formation of ulcers induced using different models. However, this activity appears not be related to the antisecretor mechanisms. Moreover, this work suggests that preparations obtained from Achyrocline satureoides could be used for the development of new phytotherapic drugs for the treatment of gastric ulcer.

Accurate identification of the plant species that are present in herbal medicines is important for quality control. Although the dried roots of Aralia continentalis (Araliae Continentalis Radix) and Angelica biserrata (Angelicae Pubescentis Radix) are used in the same traditional medicine, namely Dok-Hwal in Korean and Du-Huo in Chinese, the medicines are described differently in the national pharmacopeia. Further confusion arises from the distribution of dried Levisticum officinale and Heracleum moellendorffii roots as the same medicine. Medicinal ingredients from all four plants are morphologically similar, and discrimination is difficult using conventional methods. Molecular identification methods offer rapidity and accuracy. The internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) was sequenced in all four plant species, and the sequences were used to design species-specific primers. Primers for each species were then combined to allow sample analysis in a single PCR reaction. Commercial herbal medicine samples were obtained from Korea and China and analyzed using the multiplex assay. The assay successfully identified authentic medicines and also identified inauthentic or adulterated samples. The multiplex assay will be a useful tool for identification of authentic Araliae Continentalis Radix and/or Angelicae Pubescentis Radix preparations in Korea and China.

Gugulipid (GL), an extract of Commiphora mukul, has been safely used for thousands of years in the Indian Ayurveda medicine practice for the treatment of different ailments and has been used recently in many clinical trials that focused on its cholesterol-lowering effect. GL has recently been paid great attention for its cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic potential. Z- and E-Guggulsterone have been identified as the major active components of GL. Studies have shown that GL as well as Guggulsterones can inhibit cancer growth in vitro and in vivo and lead to prevention of cancer initiation, promotion and progression. Although the action mechanisms of GL are not completely understood, GL has been revealed as a multitargeted cancer chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent. The increased understanding of the anti-cancer activity of GL and its molecular targets would allow us to improve its efficacies in different types of human cancers by single and/or combination strategies.

BACKGROUND: Feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major risk factor for animals and humans as several toxins can exist as residues in meat and milk products, giving rise to carry-over to consumers via ingestion of foods of animal origin. The starting point for prevention, in this chain, is to eliminate the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi in the animal forage. Ten plant extracts, recommended in Islamic medicine, were evaluated as antifungal agents against mycotoxigenic Aspergilli, i.e. Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus, growth in organic maize silage. RESULTS: Most extracts had remarkable antifungal activities using both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods. Cress (Lepidium sativum) seed extract was proven to be the most powerful among the plants examined. Blending of the most effective extracts (garden cress seed, pomegranate peel and olive leaf extracts), individually at their minimal fungicidal concentrations, with maize silage resulted in the reduction of inoculated A. flavus colony counts by 99.9, 99.6 and 98.7%, respectively, whereas silage blending with the combined extracts completely prohibited fungal growth for up to 30 days of incubation under aerobic conditions. CONCLUSION: Besides the health promoting effects, silage blending with the bioactive plant extracts examined could lead to the required protection from pathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry

Background z-Guggulsterone (z-Gug) and Gugulipid (GL) have been used to treat a variety of ailments. We now report their anti-cancer effect and mechanism against human breast cancer. Methods Using the human estrogen receptor-positive (MCF-7) and triple-negative (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells as well as the normal human mammary epithelial cell line (HMEC), we evaluated the anti-breast-cancer efficacy and apoptosis inducing activity of GL. We determined the cellular and molecular mechanism of GL-inhibited breast cancer cell growth. Results GL significantly inhibited growth of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells with an IC50~2 μM at pharmacologically relevant concentrations standardized to its major active constituent z-Gug. The GL-induced growth inhibition correlated with apoptosis induction as evidenced by an increase in cytoplasmic histone-associated DNA fragmentation and caspase 3 activity. The GL-induced apoptosis was associated with down-regulation of the β-Catenin signaling pathway. The decreased expression of Wnt/β-Catenin targeting genes, such as cyclin D1, C-myc and survivin, and the inhibition of the activity of the transcription factor (T-cell factor 4, TCF-4) were observed in GL-treated breast cancer cells. The GL treatment resulted in a significant reduction of β-Catenin /TCF-4 complex in both of the cancer cells. The GL-induced apoptotic cell death was significantly enhanced by RNA Interference of β-Catenin and TCF-4. On the other hand, the normal human mammary epithelial cell HMEC, compared with the human breast cancer cells, is significantly more resistant to growth inhibition and apoptosis induction by GL. Conclusion The present study indicates that the β-Catenin signaling pathway is the target for GL-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in human breast cancer.

Background Headache has been recognized since antiquity. From the late nineteenth to the early to mid-twentieth century, Italian folk remedies to treat headache were documented in a vast corpus of literature sources. Aim The purpose of this paper is to bring to light the plant-based treatments utilized by Italian folk medicine to heal headache in an attempt to discuss these remedies from a modern pharmacological point of view. Moreover, we compare the medical applications described by Hippocrates, Pliny the Elder, Dioscorides, Galen and Serenus Sammonicus with those utilized by Italian folk medicine to check if they result from a sort of continuity of use by over two thousand years. Results A detailed search of the scientific data banks such as Medline and Scopus was undertaken to uncover recent results concerning the anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and analgesic activities of the plants. Fifty-eight (78.4%) plant-based remedies have shown in vivo, in vitro or in human trials a large spectrum of anti-inflammatory, anti-nociceptive and analgesic activities. Moreover, thirty-one of remedies (41.9%) were already included in the pharmacopoeia between the 5th century BC and the 2nd century AD. Conclusion Italian folk medicine could be a promising source of knowledge and could provide evidences for active principles that have not as of yet been fully used for their potential.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is one the natures versatile medicine plant, it is an important vegetable in Egypt. Mixture agriculture system was used to increase yield in various crops. Three garlic cultivars were used ; Balady,Sids40 and Eggaseed1. The garlic cultivars and their mixtures were grown for two seasons, the fresh and cured yield were recorded and relative yield total (RYT) and mixture effect were calculated. Significant differences were found between monoculture and mixture system. Mixtures had a positive effect on yield. RYThigher value was found with the "Mixture 80% Balady+20%" of either colored (Sids 40 or Eggaseed1) recording 0.896 and 0.929 respectively; and the same mixture gave a higher value of fresh yield. For the mixture effect% the higher value was founded with the mixture 80% Balady+20% Eggaseed1or Sids 40. Mixture cultivar system reduce disease severity of garlic purple blotch disease, and the data showed there was a significant differences between mixtures and monoculture for the sensitivity of garlic cultivars to this disease. Garlic (Allium sativum) is one the natures versatile medicine plant, it is an important vegetable in Egypt. Mixture agriculture system was used to increase yield in various crops. Three garlic cultivars were used ; Balady,Sids40 and Eggaseed1. The garlic cultivars and their mixtures were grown for two seasons, the fresh and cured yield were recorded and relative yield total (RYT) and mixture effect were calculated. Significant differences were found between monoculture and mixture system. Mixtures had a positive effect on yield. RYT higher value was found with the "Mixture 80% Balady+20%" of either colored (Sids 40 or Eggaseed1) recording 0.896 and 0.929 respectively; and the same mixture gave a higher value of fresh yield. For the mixture effect% the higher value was founded with the mixture 80% Balady+20% Eggaseed1or Sids 40. Mixture cultivar system reduce disease severity of garlic purple blotch disease, and the data showed there was a significant differences between mixtures and monoculture for the sensitivity of garlic cultivars to this disease.

Over the years, ethno-botanical and traditional medicine has received great interest by our society. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sixty herbal medicines registered for ethno-medical usage in Oman, with acknowledged use by 80-99% of the population. These plants are, collectively, believed to have analgesic, anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, anti-viral and in some instances immune modulatory properties. Despite being widely used locally, the majority of people are oblivious about the possible side effects that follow erroneous usage. As plants have been widely incorporated in traditional medicine, plant poisoning has become a worldwide concern. Locally, these plants appear to be readily available all over the Country. This article discusses six different plants that are used frequently by the natives of Oman and are widely available here; being Nerium oleander, Adenium obesum, Euphorbia cactus, Ficus cordata, Datura metel and Calotropis procera. The aim is to highlight the distribution of those plants in the Country, their medical and non-medical uses, poisonous parts and finally toxicity and possible side effects. The objective is to increase awareness among physicians, health care workers and the public about plants and their effects.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death after cardiovascular disease. In 2015, >8.7 million people died worldwide due to cancer, and by 2030 this figure is expected to increase to ~13.1 million. Tumor chemotherapy drugs have specific toxicity and side effects, and patients can also develop secondary drug resistance. To prevent and treat cancer, scientists have developed novel drugs with improved antitumor effects and decreased toxicity. Ailanthone (AIL) is a quassinoid extract from the traditional Chinese medicine plant Ailanthus altissima, which is known to have anti-inflammatory and antimalarial effects. An increasing number of studies have focused on AIL due to its antitumor activity. AIL can inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis by up- or downregulating cancer-associated molecules, which ultimately leads to cancer cell death. Antitumor effects of AIL have been observed in melanoma, acute myeloid leukemia, bladder, lung, breast, gastric and prostate cancer and vestibular neurilemmoma. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first review to describe the antitumor mechanisms of AIL.

Medicinal plants and their derivatives are human-friendly, nutritional supplements, and their use in the poultry industry is increasing today. Cynara scolymus is a very high-quality antioxidant medicine plant that has recently attracted the attention of poultry and nutrition researchers to supplement their rations and reduce feed costs. In the present study, the effect of powder and extract of C. scolymus on broilers has reviewed. This review shows that the impact of C. scolymus on production performance, carcass characteristics, liver enzymes activity, and meat characteristics of broiler chickens are not significant. However, the negative impact of this compound on these properties has not reported. Moreover, cholesterol levels reduced by the dietary C. scolymus supplementation. The impact of C. scolymus powder and extract on chickens' broiler immunity was not significant in the cited literature, but dietary C. scolymus powder increases Newcastle antibody titers and lowers blood pressure. Dietary C. scolymus under heat stress increased anti-sheep red blood cell titers. No substantial studies have conducted on the effect of C. scolymus on broilers. Therefore, it is not possible to determine a single dosage for the use of C. scolymus powder or extract in broiler diets to the improvement of the broiler characteristics. More researches are needed to determining the appropriate dosage to achieve maximum performance.

The liver is a vital metabolic organ for drug and xenobiotic metabolism which is influenced by chemical and natural toxins. Liver injury is associated with systemic oxidative stress, which leads to cellular necrosis, fibrosis, tissue lipid peroxidation, and depletion in glutathione levels. Considering the lack of reliable hepato-protective drugs in modern medicine, plant-derived phytoconstituents seem to be a noteworthy option. Naringin is an abundant flavonoid found in citrus fruits with various pharmacological benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic, activities. In this review, we summarize available data from recent studies about the hepatoprotective effects of naringin against chemical toxicants and discuss the possible mechanisms of actions.

BackgroundResearches and publication discussing performance of medicinal plants as anti-obesity have proliferated in recent years. In the view of ethnopharmacology, empiric evidence of Indonesian medicinal plants in management of obesity is widely accepted. In attempt to find anti-obesity agent, it is evidenced that the disorder can be resolved through inhibition of pancreatic lipase since the mechanism allowed to retard absorption of fat into cells. This current work aimed to screen Indonesian medicinal plants by using ethnopharmacology and meta-analysis approaches, emphasizing their ability to deal with obesity via pancreatic lipase inhibition. MethodsThe study followed two stages, i.e. systematic review and meta-analysis. Data from 6 scientific (Scopus, Science Direct, Proquest, Ebsco, Cengage Library and Emerald) were collected, screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The eligibility of the trials was determined according to criteria as follows: (1) design for lipase inhibition experiments; (2) population in all researches using in vitro protocols for antiobesity in last 10 years; (3) intervention for comparison between lipase inhibition IC50 properties of selected medicinal plants and orlistat; and (4) data adequacy enabling to estimate the standardized mean difference (SMD) and the corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI). Further, all published papers we reviewed were written in English. Furthermore, steps of meta-analysis were performed on the selected data. Extraction of data in these articles collected number of samples, average values and standard deviation of IC50. The values focused on IC50 of samples in inhibiting lipase activities performed by plant extracts and orlistat as control. ResultA total 10 selected data meet the inclusion criteria. Morever these plant can be found and common as traditional medicine plant in Indonesia ConclusionAs the results, there were top 10 anti-obesity medicinal plants as follows: i.e. kelor (Moringa oleifera) leaves, kemangi (Ocimum basilicum) leaves, asam jawa (Tamarindus indica) leaves, asam gelugur (Garcinia atroviridis) fruit, lengkuas (Alpinia galanga) rhizome, and kencur (Kaempferia galanga) rhizome, kumis kucing (Orthosipon aristatus) leaves, jambu biji leaves (Psidium guajava leavaes), serai wangi (Cymbopogon nardus) and kayu secang (Caesalpinia sappan).

In veterinary medicine plant based medicine is achieving a huge importance worldwide. This research was subjected to rectify the hydrophilic Moringa Oleifera alcoholic leaves extract could improve the immune system in vaccinated and non-vaccinated broiler Hubbard chickens experimentally exposed to Newcastle disease (ND) virus. Seventy five chicks with age one day old were splitted randomly into five groups equally in distribution with fifteen chick in each group. Group I was untreated unvaccinated (control negative group) while group IV was infected group with NDV (control positive group). The experimental Groups II and V were given daily oral treatment of hydrophilic alcoholic leaves extract of M. oleifera at 200 mg/kg body weight until day 21 of age while groups III and V were ND vaccinated with La Sota strain of ND vaccines. The four groups (II, III, IV, V) were infected with ND virus velogenic strain (VNDV) on day 21. Following to infection, Monitoring of birds were done daily for clinical signs, postmortem examination, morbidity and mortality. Cellular, humeral immune response and phagocytic activity were evaluated and the data were statistically analyzed using (SPSS). Total and differential cell numbers as well as Haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titre increased in the extract treated and vaccinated group which give total protection against NDV much more than treated and unvaccinated group. As a result it could be recommended to use M. Olifera extract from the first day of rearing in Hubbard chicken with ND vaccination program as a prophylactic treatment in protection of birds against ND infection.

Medicinal plants play a major role in medical and health needs. In developing countries, there is an increasing attempt to incorporate the traditional medicines, especially herbal preparations in the local healthcare systems and people are increasingly turning to herbal medicine. Plant derived therapies are suggested for its cost effectiveness, fewer side effects and lesser frequencies of resistance. The aim of this study is to understand the free radical scavenging properties of selected Indian medicinal plants and their cytotoxicity against oral cancer cell lines.The plant parts were shade dried, powdered and extracted using methanol solvent. These extracts were analyzed for the free radical scavenging properties in Cell lines by Nitric oxide assay. Further, an MTT assay was performed to understand the cytotoxicity of the extracts. Data showed a significant percentage of inhibition of the free radicals and cytotoxicity against the oral cancer cell lines.Selected plants have been shown to possess inhibitory potentials against ROS-linked oral cancers and may be used for targeted phytotherapy

Hippocratic doctrine of four humors and qualities is implicated to be a pioneer of modern endocrinology because of the concept of dyscrasia. Imbalance in humors causes disease. Unani scholars were aware of endocrinological disorders like endocrinologic syndrome (i.e., association of amenorrhea and galactorrhoea in a non-pregnant woman), castration, contraceptives techniques, infertility, obesity, diabetes etc., and also their mode of remedy, albeit with a phenomenological approach. Their understanding of the symptoms and signs related to endocrinologic syndromes, which were explained in detail in the recent account of the endocrine system, is presented here with historical chronology. The survey was carried out from the literature of the Unani system of medicine, and the same was analyzed from the observations reported in various indexed journals and reputed books. The paper details the account of endocrinologic syndrome from the Greek era to the end of the medieval ages. - Description of the endocrinal disorders is mentioned in Unani Medicine for centuries, albeit with a different name for the disease category.- According to Unani Medicine, this disease arises due to abnormal quality and quantity of humour.- Renowned Unani scholars like Hippocrates (370-460 BC), Aristotle (384-322 BC), Aretaeos of Kappadokia(81-96 AD), Galen (130-200 AD), Zakaria Razi (865-925 AD), Majusi (930-994 AD), Ibn-e-Sina (980-1037 AD), Albucasis (1013-1106 AD) and Ismail Jorjani (1042-1137 AD) also treated such ailments through Unani medicine (plant, mineral and animal origin drugs).-Majusi performed surgery of Goiter and mentioned in his treatise and recommended the method of surgery.-Albucasis performed the first successful thyroidectomy under opium (Papaver somniferum L.) sedation and simple ligatures and hot cautery in the name of 'elephantiasis' of the throat (goiter).- The principles of treatment in Unani medicine may provide a guide for better management of endocrinal disorders (e.g., hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes etc.).- The treatment in Unani medicine for various diseases/syndromes/signs, which are now likely associated with hormone dysfunction, can open up the new field of Unani therapeutics for these diseases for the exploration of better treatment options.

Declining life expectancy and increasing all-cause mortality in the United States have been associated with unhealthy behaviors, socioecological factors, and preventable disease. A growing body of basic science, clinical research, and population health evidence points to the benefits of healthy behaviors, environments and policies to maintain health and prevent, treat, and reverse the root causes of common chronic diseases. Similarly, innovations in research methodologies, standards of evidence, emergence of unique study cohorts, and breakthroughs in data analytics and modeling create new possibilities for producing biomedical knowledge and clinical translation. To understand these advances and inform future directions research, The Lifestyle Medicine Research Summit was convened at the University of Pittsburgh on December 4–5, 2019. The Summit's goal was to review current status and define research priorities in the six core areas of lifestyle medicine: plant-predominant nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress, addictive behaviors, and positive psychology/social connection. Forty invited subject matter experts (1) reviewed existing knowledge and gaps relating lifestyle behaviors to common chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, many cancers, inflammatory- and immune-related disorders and other conditions; and (2) discussed the potential for applying cutting-edge molecular, cellular, epigenetic and emerging science knowledge and computational methodologies, research designs, and study cohorts to accelerate clinical applications across all six domains of lifestyle medicine. Notably, federal health agencies, such as the Department of Defense and Veterans Administration have begun to adopt “whole-person health and performance” models that address these lifestyle and environmental root causes of chronic disease and associated morbidity, mortality, and cost. Recommendations strongly support leveraging emerging research methodologies, systems biology, and computational modeling in order to accelerate effective clinical and population solutions to improve health and reduce societal costs. New and alternative hierarchies of evidence are also be needed in order to assess the quality of evidence and develop evidence-based guidelines on lifestyle medicine. Children and underserved populations were identified as prioritized groups to study. The COVID-19 pandemic, which disproportionately impacts people with chronic diseases that are amenable to effective lifestyle medicine interventions, makes the Summit's findings and recommendations for future research particularly timely and relevant.

This is an overview of plant use for medicinal applications, a practice from old civilizations still used around the world. According to WHO, nearly 80% of people use herbal medicine plant extracts as their primary health solution. Ethnobotany emerges as a research field to document and understand the traditional knowledge about plants and their roles in society. Diseases like diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and cancer are the predominant challenges to global health, chronic diseases accounting for two-thirds of deaths worldwide. This document discusses ethnobotanical studies on many medicinal plants affecting these diseases.

PARTNER VILLAGE IN FAMILY MEDICINE PLANT CULTIVATION TOWARDS CIBIRU WETAN VILLAGE AS A HERBAL CENTER. The area of ​​Cibiru Wetan Village is a farming area because besides the limited water supply, the land is hilly. With the initiative and participation of women farmer groups which had so many achievements and skills, it was necessary to explore the potential that could provide a new icon for Cibiru Wetan Village. The purpose of the activity was to socialize and practice the cultivating of the medicinal plants carried out by a group of women farmers with simple and effective technology and finally able to become a center of dried herbs production. The method used in the cultivation program for medicinal plants was divided into three stages. The first stage was to provide material counseling on family medicinal plants including the understanding of the benefits of the plant, the second stage was to provide an explanation or training in planting family medicinal plants and the last stage or third stage was to practice directly in planting these medicinal plants. The results showed a positive understanding of both groups for both the socialization and counseling stages as well as for the practice of medicinal plants cultivation. It could be concluded, the partner village activities in medicinal plants cultivation could improve the understanding of the target group.

Background Triptolide, an active ingredient of Chinese medicine plant Tripterygium wilfordii Hook.f., has been shown to exert anti-tumor, immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fertility pharmacological effects. However, triptolide also causes severe side effects, which are manifested as toxicities in multiple organs. The aim of this study was to analyze the role of extrahepatic cytochrome P450 enzymes in triptolide-induced toxicity. Methods Xh-CL mouse model with normal liver, but low extrahepatic P450 expression levels was used in this study. Xh-CL mice and C57BL/6 (wildtype, WT) mice were treated with 200 μg/kg triptolide intraperitoneally every other day for 30 days. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), creatine (Cre), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were detected by kits. The changes of tissue were observed with H&E staining. Two groups of mice (Xh-CL and WT animals), were received a single dose of 1 mg/kg TP by oral gavage for pharmacokinetic analysis. Results Xh-CL mice displayed higher serum levels of ALT, AST, Cre, and BUN compared to untreated Xh-CL mice. The organ-to-body weight ratio for spleen was high, while that for testes was low. Histopathological changes were observed in multiple organs. However, compared with triptolide-treated WT mice, no significant differences in either blood chemistry or histopathology were recorded. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic studies showed no significant differences between triptolide-treated Xh-CL and WT mice. Conclusions Our findings suggest that sub-chronic triptolide treatment can induce toxicities in mouse kidney, spleen, and testis with or without normal local P450 functions. Therefore, extrahepatic P450s play an insignificant role in triptolide-induced toxicity. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13020-018-0179-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

A comprehensive ethnobotanical study was conducted in Acipayam, situated in the western part of Turkey. This paper includes details of plants used in folk medicine and ethnopharmacological information obtained during this study. The aim of the authors was to collect and identify plants used by local people for therapeutic purposes and to present information about traditional herbal medicine. Plant specimens collected during field‐work form the subject of this investigation. Information was obtained by means of open and semi-structured interviews with local people. In addition, cultural importance index (CI) and use report (UR) values were calculated. Ninety-one taxa of plants used in folk medicine and belonging to 38 families were identified in this study. Of these, 82 species were wild, and 9 species were cultivated. The most common families were Lamiaceae (18.7%), Asteraceae (14.3%) and Rosaceae (6.6%). Consequently, 191 medicinal uses (remedies) of 91 taxa were recorded. According to the use reports (UR), the most important medicinal plants were Cydonia oblonga (99 UR), Juniperus oxycedrus subsp. oxycedrus (99 UR), Pinus brutia (98 UR), Hypericum perforatum (90 UR), Viscum album subsp. austriacum (82 UR) and Salvia tomentosa (80 UR). Infusion (38.2%) was the most common preparation method used within the research area. The ethnomedicinal capabilities of eight species (Amelanchier parviflora var. dentata, Echinops viscosus subsp. bithynicus, Onopordum sibthorpianum, Origanum hypericifolium, Quercus trojana, Salvia adenophylla, Sideritis montana. subsp. remota and Tamarix smyrnensis) have been recorded for the first time in Turkey.

This study attempts to use bibliometry as a tool for exploration of the passage of development of the science and technology through analysis of the scientific publications from a developing country by taking into account its state of higher education and the unique political, economic and geo-bio-environmental conditions. It deals with Nepal considering its scientific output during 1966–2016 reflected as publications indexed in the Web of Science Database. Preliminary examination of the publication record for Nepal reveals a number of the following characteristics: (1) low volume, negligible growth and lack of distinct trend until 1989; (2) a marked growth followed by stagnation linked to political instability during the next 15 years; and (3) recovery and accelerated growth thereafter. Research publications during 2004–2013 increased thrice compared to 1994–2003, with expansion and shifts in disciplinary profile expressed in Essential Science Indicators 22 fields. Detailed bibliometric analysis of the 2004–2013 publications (3011 articles and reviews) from Nepal suggests the citation impact of about the world average, but very high (76%) average international co-authorship. The disciplinary profile is diverse judging from seven most productive fields (clinical medicine, plant and animal science, environment/ecology, geosciences, agricultural sciences, and chemistry) with 4–40% national disciplinary share. Clinical medicine, geosciences and agricultural sciences exhibit relatively high impact. Fields with the smaller share (< 3%), such as molecular biology and genetics, economics and business, psychiatry and psychology, materials science, and biology and biochemistry, exhibit citation impact distinctly higher than the world average. Publications from Nepal show the presence of a vast international collaborative network that is dominated by authors affiliated to institutions in the USA, India, UK, Japan, South Korea and Germany. Based on the analysis of the disciplinary diversity and the national versus global relative disciplinary shares, Nepal’s publication profile is inferred to be a hybrid of the ‘bio-environmental’ and ‘western’ models. Concerning the state of the development of science and technology in Nepal during 2004–2013, the high dependence on international collaboration in the internationally visible publications in most of the bio-environmental, physico-chemical and engineering fields points to basically a ‘building-up stage’. In clinical medicine (with a large share of public health) and geosciences, however, Nepal has demonstrated research strengths evident from the high citation impact in these fields. Moreover, the available data suggest that significant advances were made in higher education sector in both fields during the last 25 years. Despite the notable negative effect of the prolonged domestic armed political conflict on the research activities and acquisition of new data in the field-based sciences, the post-conflict period shows signs of recovery in both domestic and international collaborations leading to again an accelerated growth in scientific publications.

The manufacturing sector was an early promoter of CO2 mitigation and low-carbon development strategies in many countries. The basic unit for these development strategies is enterprises. In order to quantify their performance on resource saving and emission reduction, this study proposed a carbon flow analysis (CFA) approach based on substance flow analysis (SFA). Four special evaluation indicators including the percentage of carbon stored in the product (RC-P), the percentage of carbon as CO2 ( R C - C O 2 ), the percentage of carbon in solid waste (RC-SW), and the percentage of carbon in COD (RC-COD) were developed. A case study was conducted in an herbal medicine plant, which consumes huge amounts of fossil fuel and discharges 255 tons of biomass waste per year. Cleaner production (CP) technologies were introduced to achieve low-carbon transformation and the CFA approach was used to evaluate the effectiveness. After implementing CP technologies, RC-P was 4.23%, 1.65 times higher than before, meaning that the carbon utilization efficiency of the firm increased by 65%. The R C - C O 2 was 62.70%, meaning that an 11.13% reduction was obtained. The RC-SW increased by 23.05%, and the absolute amount of carbon in solid waste was reduced by 45.35 tons. If the whole Chinese herbal medicine industry implemented this CP technology integration, it would save 914,622 tce of fossil fuels, reduce herb residue discharge by 1.14 million tons and reduce CO2 emissions by 1.72 million tons per year. This research provided a model and an effective assessment tool for low-carbon transformation of industries that produce large amounts of biomass waste.

Diabetes type 2 is associated with impaired insulin production and increased insulin resistance. Treatment with antidiabetic drugs and insulin strives for normalizing glucose homeostasis. In Ethiopian traditional medicine, plant extracts of Melia azedarach are used to control diabetes mellitus and various gastrointestinal disorders. The objective of this study was to clarify the antidiabetic effects of M. azedarach leaf extracts in diabetic type 2 experimental animals. In this study, mice were injected with Melia extract intraperitoneally. Plasma glucose was studied by using tail vein sampling in acute experiments over 4 h and chronic experiments over 21 days with concurrent insulin and body weight assessments. Glucose tolerance was studied by using intraperitoneal glucose (2 mg/g) tolerance test over 120 min. Gastric emptying of a metabolically inert meal was studied by the gastric retention of a radioactive marker over 20 min. Melia extracts displayed acute, dose-dependent antidiabetic effects in ob/ob mice similar to glibenclamide (p

Cancer is the second cause of death after cardiovascular diseases. With due attention to rapid progress in the phytochemical study of plants, they are becoming popular because of their anticancer effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effective medicinal plants in the treatment of cancer and study their mechanism of action. In order to gather information the keywords “traditional medicine,” “plant compounds,” “medicinal plant,” “medicinal herb,” “toxicity,” “anticancer effect,” “cell line,” and “treatment” were searched in international databases such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus and national databases such as Magiran, Sid, and Iranmedex, and a total of 228 articles were collected. In this phase, 49 nonrelevant articles were excluded. Enhancement P53 protein expression, reducing the expression of proteins P27, P21, NFκB expression and induction of apoptosis, inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway, and reduction of the level of acid phosphatase and lipid peroxidation are the most effective mechanisms of herbal plants that can inhibit cell cycle and proliferation. Common treatments such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy can cause some complications. According to results of this study, herbal extracts have antioxidant compounds that can induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation by the investigated mechanisms.

Diabetes mellitus is an expeditiously growing health problem in developed as well as developing countries that either arises from insulin deficiency or resistance to insulin. The disease is marked by hyperglycemia which leads to glycation of many proteins including human serum albumin. Glycation is a nonenzymatic reaction between free amino groups and sugars (mainly glucose) resulting in formation of a diverse class of irreversible heterogenous compounds, collectively termed advanced glycation end products (AGEs). These AGEs are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetes and its associated complications that include atherosclerosis, diabetic retinopathy, diabetic neuropathy, wound healing, etc. Various plant extract and phytocompounds are known to exhibit antidiabetic properties and are used traditionally as well. In this chapter, we have presented an overview of the complications associated with diabetes due to AGEs along with the biochemical mechanism involved in glycation, highlighting the therapeutic potential of common herbal medicine/plant products in the management of diabetes.

Genus Phyllanthus includes more than 1000 species, is widespread in tropical regions, and has long been used as a herbal medicine. Plant extracts and Ayurvedic formulations are used to treat pain, fever, wounds, diarrhea, gallbladder disease, urinary disorders, rheumatism, and other inflammatory conditions, including arthritis. Most herbaceous Phyllanthus species have been reported to contain active metabolites with a wide range of pharmacological properties. This chapter reviews the in vivo and in vitro evidence of the antiinflammatory, antioxidative, antinociceptive, and chondroprotective activities of Phyllanthus. These medicinal properties contribute to improvement of both low-grade and chronic inflammation of arthritis and the active components of the Phyllanthus species are potential candidates as novel arthritic therapies.

Tithonia diversifolia (TD) is known as medicine plant which contains antioxidants and has been known as anti-diabetic medicine. Diabetic patient has increased blood glucose, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malondialdehyd (MDA) level. In other side, the super oxide dismutase (SOD) level commonly attenuates. The aims of this study was to analyze the effect of Tithonia diversifolia and catechin in blood glucose, malondialdehyd (MDA), and Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) level on diabetic and high fat induced rats. The design of this study was Randomized Posttest Control Group Design using Wistar strain rats which were divided into 4 groups. After treatment, all groups of rats were sacrificed to take blood samples then measured blood glucose, MDA and SOD level. Statistical analysis of data to examine differences in treatment and control was conducted by one way Anova test with a 95% confidence level (?=0.05). There was difference of glucose level (p=0.020) between control and treatment groups, but there were no differences in MDA level (p=0.103) and SOD level (p=0.207).

Consequences that arise as population growth and negative paradigm about fecal waste become one of unhealthy residential factors. However, if managed properly and correctly it can improve the welfare of the community. The management of biotic waste (biotin) into biotic and biococopit variations can be used to optimize the utilization of waste management. The management of this activity aims to cultivate environmental awareness, self-sufficiency of food and medicine, and optimization of narrow land use. The results to be achieved in this activity is community empowerment urban village Berkas is to improve the ability and skills of housewives in managing biotin variation as an effort to green the yard, coastal and family medical plants. Socialization is the initial stage of community empowerment. Counseling and training are the methods applied to this activity through personal and group approaches. Socialization is done by introducing variation of planting medium, plant type, and crop management. Meanwhile, the training that was carried out was planting, care and crop management. Optimization of narrow space utilization by utilizing biotin variation is expected to create a society with self-sufficient conditions of food and medicine. In addition, biotin variations become a new resource in the utilization of waste in the environment around urban village Berkas. Keywords : empowerment, biotin, self-sufficient food, medicine plant

Background Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease by autoimmune disorder that primarily affects joints. Usually RA has been treated with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs but biological response modifiers has developed the treatment of RA. Among these anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF) agents were the first to be successfully used in treating RA. Various anti-TNF-α therapy might be lead to substantial functional improvement in RA patients. Objectives We studied the isolated two polypeptides (Rp53, Rp54) from Rubia philippinensis, traditional medicine plant, about anti-inflammation effects in fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) derived from patients with RA. Methods The effects of polypeptides on anti-inflammation were measured by cytokine assay kits (TNF-α, IL-6). The underlying for NF-κB signalling pathway was examined by western blot and NF-kB reporter activity. We examined the effect of Rp53 on the formation of the TNFR1 signalling complex, recruitment of TRADD, RIP in response to TNF by immunoprecipitation experiments. To determine whether Rp53 induced TNF receptor 1 shedding were exposed to these compounds for 1 hour, and then culture media and cell lysates were analysed by Western blotting using anti-TNF receptor 1 antibody. Results Pretreatment with Rp53 resulted in a remarkable decrease of the secretion of TNF-induced proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 in RA–FLS. Rp53 strongly inhibited the nuclear factor kB (NF-κB) signalling pathway induced by TNF-α, but not that induced by IL-1β. Analysis of the upstream signalling events affected by Rp53 revealed that it strikingly inhibited the TNF-induced recruitment of TNFR1-associated death domain protein (TRADD) and receptor-interacting protein (RIP) to TNFR1. Rp53 reduced the interaction with TNFR1 to TNF cytokines and enhanced the activation of the p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. Rp53, the polypeptides induced the proteolytic cleavage of TNF-R1 and its release into the culture medium by shedding of TNF receptor 1 ectodomain by TNF-α-converting enzyme (TACE). Along with the TACE inhibitor TAPI-2, the p38 kinase inhibitor SB203580 suppressed the ectodomain shedding of TNF receptor 1 induced by Rp53. Conclusions Rp53 induces the TACE-dependent ectodomain shedding of TNF receptor 1 through the activation of p38 MAP kinase, and thereby inhibits the TNF-α induced NF-κB signalling pathway in RA-FLS cells. Disclosure of Interest None declared

Crotalaria burhia Buch.-Ham. (C. burhia) (Fabaceae), is an undershurb found distributed in arid parts of the world. It extensively grows in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. It is a highly medicinal plant. The leaves, branches and roots can be used as a cooling medicine. Plant juice is useful for treatments of gout, eczema, hydrophobia, pain and swellings, wounds and cuts, infection, kidney pain, abdominal problems, rheumatism and joint pain in traditional medicine system. The medicinal activity is the result of the presence of various important phytochemicals like alkaloids, flavonoids, phenols, polyphenols, tannins, steroids, triterpenoids, anthraquinones, crotalarine, monocrotaline, croburhine, crosemperine, quercetins and β-sitosterol. C. burhia is also known to possess antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive activities, which supports its traditional uses. In this article, a comprehensive account of phytochemical constituents and pharmacological activities is presented along with traditional uses of C. burhia.

Plant-made biopharmaceuticals have long been considered a promising technology for providing inexpensive and efficacious medicines for developing countries, as well as for combating pandemic infectious diseases and for use in personalized medicine. Plant virus expression vectors produce high levels of pharmaceutical proteins within a very short time period. Recently, plant viruses have been employed as nanoparticles for novel forms of cancer treatment. This review provides a glimpse into the development of plant virus expression systems both for pharmaceutical production as well as for immunotherapy.

Careful characterization and standardization of the composition of plant-derived food supplements is essential to establish a cause-effect relationship between the intake of that product and its health effect. In this review we follow a specific grape seed extract containing monomeric and oligomeric flavan-3-ols from its creation by Jack Masquelier in 1947 towards a botanical remedy and nutraceutical with proven health benefits. The preparation's research history parallels the advancing insights in the fields of molecular biology, medicine, plant and nutritional sciences during the last 70 years. Analysis of the extract's flavanol composition emerged from unspecific colorimetric assays to precise high performance liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance fingerprinting techniques. The early recognition of the preparation's auspicious effects on the permeability of vascular capillaries directed research to unravel the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. Recent clinical data revealed a multitude of favorable alterations in the vasculature upon an 8 weeks supplementation which summed up in a health benefit of the extract in healthy humans. Changes in gene expression of inflammatory pathways in the volunteers' leukocytes were suggested to be involved in this benefit. The historically grown scientific evidence for the preparation's health effects paves the way to further elucidate its metabolic fate and molecular action in humans.

Medicinal plants have been an important source of plant-based medicines, health products, phytochemicals, food supplements, cosmetics etc. In traditional systems of medicine, plant parts such as stem, stem bark, root, root bark, leaves, fruits and exudates are used in the treatment and prevention of various diseases and disorders. Cupressus sempervirens, also known as the Mediterranean cypress or Italian cypress, is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, North America and subtropical Asia at higher altitudes. Literature survey regarding its pharmacology revealed that Cupressus sempervirens has antiseptic, aromatherapeutic, astringent, balsamic or anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, astringent, antiseptic, deodorant and diuretic activities. Literature survey regarding chemistry showed that monoterpenes, diterpenes, flavonoid glycoside and biflavonoid compounds are found in this species. The present review aims to highlight the chemistry, traditional uses and biological activities of the Cupressus sempervirens plant.

Objective We present the case of a 52-year-old patient, 108 kg, admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) of New Caledonia Hospital Center in August 2018 for confusional syndrome and major agitation requiring the establishment of an important chemical restraint. Case history In terms of medical history, the patient, a bricklayer with chronic cough in a context of diffuse interstitial pneumonitis related to chronic cement inhalation treated with long-term oxygen therapy and an association of micophenolate mofetil and prednisone, presented a month earlier a respiratory decompensation of infectious origin. On the morning of his new admission, he was perfectly fine. Then, he progressively presented coughing fits as well as neurological disorders. Medical examination in ED found tachycardia with heart rate = 92, confusional state associated with non-reactive bilateral mydriasis, language disorder, obsession and severe agitation, no fever. A mucocutaneous dryness was also noted. Blood and CSF biological investigations, cerebral CT with injection performed under midazolam sedation, revealed no abnormality. Patient was transferred to ICU for further sedation in front of persistent agitation, despite cyamemazine, haloperidol and clorazepate administrations. EEG found well-organised activity without seizure or paroxysm. From the interview with the family, it finally emerged that, if the patient did not consume any intoxicant, he was treated in addition to his immunosuppressive treatment with Lercanidipine, Esomeprazole, Allopurinol and Amitryptiline. Furthermore, he has been self-medicating for a week by plant decoctions for an episode of ichthyosarcotoxism of the ciguatera type. In front of the characteristic symptomatology of an anticholinergic syndrome, a poisoning by plants of the genus Datura or Brugmensia was considered. Methods Blood and urine samples were taken 4 h after the appearance of the disorders for toxicological analysis using LC-UV-DAD (Acquity® Waters® system) and LC-MS/MS (Alliance® and QuatroMicro® Waters® system). Results LC-UV-DAD urine analysis showed the presence of scopolamine and signed an acute intoxication by a probable tropical datura. Quantification, performed a posteriori by LC-MS/MS, confirmed the intoxication. Atropine concentrations were: undetected and 6.2 ng/mL in blood and urine, respectively; scopolamine concentrations were: 1.6 ng/mL and 643 ng/mL in blood and urine, respectively. Taking into account an elimination half-life of scopolamine between 1 h and 3 h, these concentrations are compatible with the clinical signs observed. It is likely that the patient has mistaken the leaves of “octopus bush” (Heliotropium foertherianum, Boraginaceae), a reputed traditional medicine plant to treat ciguatera fish poisoning, with leaves of a Brugmensia spp (Solanaceae). Conclusions Given the heavy medical history of this patient, the questioning of his entourage has been crucial in the rapid orientation of the investigations in search of poisoning by plant and, taking into account the toxidrome presented in a tropical context, to look more specifically for the presence of scopolamine in the patient's urine. Subsequently, evolution was gradually favourable with normal neurological examination and hospital discharge at day 7.

Golden Root is a rare medicine plant, difficult for cultivation, with a wide potential in treating cardiovascular and other diseases because of its biologically active compounds. Therefore there are researches about in vitro cultivation of Rhodiola rosea. It is well known that biotechnological experiments provide slowly and in a non-efficient way the needed protocols about multiplication, growing and rooting in in vitro nutrient media. The previously collected data of such experiments were analyzed and computationally trained in order to identify the nutrient media that give the best results for growing and rooting, taking into account the limitations such as insufficiency of the plant material and in vitro nutrient media cost.The proposed analysis contributes to the optimization of biotechnology experiments giving new directions for the theoretically fitting quantity of nutrient medium ingredients necessary for in vitro growth and rooting of Golden root, taking into account criteria such as biolo...

Sinomenine is a monomer extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine plant Sabia japonica, which possesses several pharmacological properties including prominent abirritation, mitigation, anti-inflammation, immune suppression, cough relief, stimulation of histamine release, decrease in blood pressure and antiarrhythmia. Sinomenine is clinically employed to treat rheumatic disease. To investigate the impact of combined sinomenine treatment with acupuncture on the progression of arthritis and explore the potential underlying molecular mechanisms, the present study analyzed a collagen-induced arthritis model. Results from the combined curative (CC) treatment group (combined treatment with sinomenine and acupuncture) demonstrated a decrease in volume changes and arthritis score changes within rat paws, and increased the overall body weight in arthritic rats. CC treatment significantly decreased tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and IL-8 serum levels in arthritic rats. CC treatment significantly increased superoxide dismutase and inhibited malondialdehyde levels in arthritic rats. The protein expression of cyclooxygenase-2, inducible nitric oxide synthase, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)2 and MMP9 in arthritic rats was suppressed owing to CC treatment. Finally, nuclear factor κB and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) protein expression in arthritic rats were also suppressed following CC treatment. The results indicate that the combined treatment of sinomenine and acupuncture on collagen-induced arthritis takes effect through the nuclear factor κB and MAPK signaling pathway.