Search

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Hidden in the documents of the dark past of the trans-Atlantic slavery are gems of ethnomedicinal observations, supported by herbarium specimens, which tell of the traditional medicine of a by-gone slave society in the Caribbean. In the context of the former Danish West Indies (now US Virgin Islands), we identify pre-1900 medicinal plants and their historical uses, and trace their status in the traditional medicine of St. Croix today (2014). By a combined historical and ethnobotanical approach we assess the scale of loss and preservation of traditional medicinal knowledge on St. Croix, and explore the drivers involved in the disappearance of knowledge in the oral tradition of medicine., Materials and Methods: Names, uses and identities of 18th and 19th century medicinal plant uses in the Danish West Indies were derived from manuscripts and publications of Von Rohr (1757/58), Oldendorp (1777), West (1793), Benzon (1822), Riise (1853), Eggers (1876;1879) and Berg and Eggers (1888). The presence of the plant species in the pre-1900 Danish West Indies was confirmed by review of herbarium specimens in the University of Copenhagen Herbarium (C). The same species were collected on St. Croix in 2014 or their ecological status discussed with local specialists. Semi-structured interviews supported by photographs and specimens were conducted with six medicinal plant specialist on St. Croix, to document and compare contemporary names and uses of the historically used medicinal plants., Results and Discussion: The historic ethnomedicinal sources revealed 102 medicinal uses of 64 plant species. Thirty-eight (37%) of the pre-1900 medicinal uses were traced in interviews, while sixty-four uses (63%) appear to be forgotten, discontinued or otherwise lost. Thirteen species appear to have entirely lost their status as medicinal plants on St. Croix, while 32 species (50%) have lost uses while retaining or gaining others. While 20% of the lost medicinal plant uses can be explained by biodiversity loss, and others likely have become obsolete due to advances in public health and scientific medicine, 33 of the 64 lost medicinal uses of non-rare species uses fall in the same categories as the preserved uses (fever, stomach, wound, laxative, pulmonary, intestinal, pain, anthelmintic, blood purifier, eye-inflammation). We therefore argue that at least half of the known pre-1900 medicinal plant uses have become culturally extinct for other reasons than to biodiversity loss or modern obsoleteness., Conclusions: The present study utilized knowledge from an oral medicinal tradition, documented in the context of a colonial society. Without doubt, basis for further similar studies exists in the more or less accessible archives, herbaria and collections of former colonial powers. Such studies could directly benefit the descendants of the original intellectual property holders culturally and economically, or serve as stepping stones to integrate, or re-integrate, lost medicinal plant uses in both local and wider evidence-based contexts., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ascariasis affects more than 1 billion people worldwide, mainly in developing countries, causing substantial morbidity. Current treatments for Ascaris infection are based on mass drug administration (MDA) with synthetic anthelmintic drugs such as albendazole, however continual re-infection and the threat of drug resistance mean that complementary treatment options would be highly valuable. Here, we screened ethanolic extracts from 29 medicinal plants used in Africa (Ghana) and the Caribbean (US Virgin Islands) for in vitro anthelmintic properties against Ascaris suum, a swine parasite that is very closely related to the human A. lumbricoides. A wide variety of activities were seen in the extracts, from negligible to potent. Extracts from Clausena anisata, Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides and Punica granatum were identified as the most potent with EC50 values of 74, 97 and 164 μg/mL, respectively. Our results encourage further investigation of their use as complementary treatment options for ascariasis, alongside MDA., (© A.R. Williams et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2016.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The plants tested in this study were examples of plants historically used to treat or alleviate several types of stomach disorders manifested by e.g. stomachache, diarrhoea or dysentery. These plants have been consumed typically as a decoction, sometimes mixed with other flavourings. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-Blastocystis activity of 24 plant parts from 21 medicinal plants from Ghana., Materials and Methods: The medicinal plants were collected in the Greater Accra region of Ghana. Every plant part was tested in three different extracts; an ethanolic, a warm, and a cold water extract, at a final concentration of 1 mg/mL for the initial screening, and in a range from 0.0156 to 1mg/mL for determination of inhibitory concentrations. The obligate anaerobic parasitic gut protist Blastocystis (subtype 4) was used as a 48 h old subcultivated isolate in the final concentration of 10(6) cells/mL. Plant extracts inoculated with Blastocystis were incubated at 37 °C for 24 h and 48 h. Both MIC minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) assays and minimal lethal concentration (MLC) assays were performed after 24 h and 48 h. The half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was derived after 24 h and 48 h. Antimicrobial activity was tested against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria for all 24 plant parts at a final concentration of 1mg/mL., Results: Screening of the 24 different plant parts showed significant anti-Blastocystis activity of six of the ethanolic extracts: Mallotus oppositifolius, IC50, 24 h 27.8 µg/mL; Vemonia colorata, IC50, 24 h 117.9 µg/mL; Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, cortex IC50, 24 h 255.6 µg/mL; Clausena anisata, IC50, 24 h 314.0 µg/mL; Z. zanthoxyloides, radix IC50, 24 h 335.7 µg/mL and Eythrina senegalensis, IC50, 24 h 527.6 µg/mL. The reference anti-protozoal agent metronidazole (MTZ) had an IC50, 24 h of 7.6 µg/mL. Only C. anisata showed antimicrobial activity at a concentration of 800 µg/mL., Conclusion: Six ethanolic plant extracts showed significant anti-parasitic activity against Blastocystis. M. oppositifolius showed nearly as good activity as the reference anti-protozoal drug MTZ. Historically, the active plants found in this study have been used against dysentery, diarrhoea or other stomach disorders. Nowadays they are not used specifically for dysentery, but they are being used as medicinal plants against various stomach disorders., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Laportea aestuans (L.) Chew (Urticaceae) was historically ingested together with chalk by pregnant women in Ghana when suffering from heartburn. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antacid activity of the aerial parts of L. aestuans., Materials and Methods: Aerial parts of L. aestuans were collected in the Accra region of Ghana. The antacid activity was measured according to Fordtran׳s titration model. 90 mL tap water and test material in a 500 mL beaker were warmed to 37°C on a magnetic stirrer and was continuously stirred at approximately 30 rpm in order to mimic the movements of the stomach. A titration was carried out with an artificial gastric acid to the end point of pH 3. The acid secretion rate was approximately 3 mL and pH was monitored with a pH meter. Concentrations of 666 and 1332 mg dried plant material were tested, both with and without addition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)., Results: Both CaCO3 and L. aestuans had a significant better ability than water to neutralise an artificial stomach acid. 666 mg plant material together with CaCO3 compared to CaCO3 alone showed approximately the same neutralisation time. When mixing 1332 mg plant material with CaCO3 the neutralisation time was significantly higher than for CaCO3 alone and exhibited an antacid profile that was able to maintain the neutralising activity one pH-unit higher for an extended period of time., Conclusion: The results indicate that L. aestuans showed an antacid activity when combined with CaCO3. With further investigations of the active compound, mechanism of action and possible toxicity, the plant could form the basis of a novel antacid., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The roots of Rubia tibetica are chewed as an antidote to anaphylaxis caused by bites of the tick Ornithodoros lahorensis by the Wakhi people in Afghanistan., Aims of the Study: To test whether Rubia tibetica possess anti-histamine effect., Materials and Methods: Water and ethanol extracts of roots of Rubia tibetica were tested for anti-histamine effect on the H1-receptor in the guinea pig ileum assay. Fixed concentrations of plant extract with increasing concentrations of histamine were examined. Mepyramine was used as control., Results and Conclusion: The ethanol extract of Rubia tibetica showed dose-dependent anti-histamine effect, whereas the water extract had little activity. The chewing of Rubia tibetica roots may alleviate the fatal swelling of the tongue during anaphylaxis.