Search results for "MEDICINAL PLANTS"
showing 10 items of 108 documents
WILD RESOURCES OF THE PROSPECTIVE MEDICINAL PLANT ARUM MACULATUM L. IN BULGARIA
2015
Background: Arum maculatum L. (Araceae), has been known as a medicinal plant for centuries. In Bulgaria, this species is an officially acknowledged medicinal plant (Medicinal plant act 2000), even though it is not often used. Our ethnopharmacological survey demonstrated that A. maculatum is a promising plant for treatment of hemorrhoids and even preferable than the surgery which is so far considered the definitive treatment (Kochmarov et al 2015). Therefore the problem for the plant resources is crucial. Our survey on the natural distribution of the genus Arum in Bulgaria (Kozuharova et al. 2014) revealed that A. maculatum occurs only in eight floristic regions – data collected by literatur…
Natural products for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
2015
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disease characterized by persistent hyperglycemia. High blood sugar can produce long-term complications such as cardiovascular and renal disorders, retinopathy, and poor blood flow. Its development can be prevented or delayed in people with impaired glucose tolerance by implementing lifestyle changes or the use of therapeutic agents. Some of these drugs have been obtained from plants or have a microbial origin, such as galegine isolated from Galega officinalis, which has a great similarity to the antidiabetic drug metformin. Picnogenol, acarbose, miglitol, and voglibose are other antidiabetic products of natural origin. This review compiles the princi…
Tucupentol, a novel mono-tetrahydrofuranic acetogenin from Annona montana, as a potent inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I.
2009
Ten acetogenins, one of them new, were isolated from leaves and twigs of a Bolivian collection of Annona montana. The new compound that we named tucupentol (1) is a mono-tetrahydrofuranpentahydroxy-acetogenin. The inhibitory potency of tucupentol (1) on the mitochondrial complex I was evaluated, and this activity was compared with that of the known acetogenins, annonacin-A, cisannonacin-10-one, aromin, and gigantetronenin, also isolated from this plant material. The mentioned acetogenins acted as selective inhibitors of mitochondrial complex I in the 0.8-5.4-nM range. Fil: Álvarez Colom, Olga. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia. Instituto de Química …
Cytotoxicity of medicinal plants of the West-Canadian Gwich׳in Native Americans towards sensitive and multidrug-resistant cancer cells
2015
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance Traditional medicine of the Native Americans has a long tradition of medicinal plants, which also influenced modern oncology. For instance, podophyllotoxin the active ingredient of Podophyllum peltatum L. (Berberidaceae) used by Native Americans to treat warts led to the development of etoposide and teniposide. In the present investigation, we studied 10 medicinal plants used by the Gwich׳in First Nation of West-Canada, which have been used against diverse diseases including cancer. Material and methods Sensitive and multidrug-resistant (MDR) tumor cell lines expressing various ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters (P-glycoprotein/ ABCB1/MDR1 , MRP1…
From traditional Chinese medicine to rational cancer therapy
2007
Many natural products and derivatives thereof belong to the standard repertoire of cancer chemotherapy. Examples are Vinca alkaloids, taxanes and camptothecins. In recent years, the potential of natural products from plants, notably from medicinal plants used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been recognized by the scientific community in the Western world. To provide an example of the most recent developments in this field, we have selected several compounds, namely artesunate, homoharringtonine, arsenic trioxide and cantharidin, that are found in natural TCM products and that have the potential for use in cancer therapy. Controlled clinical studies have shown that homoharringtoni…
Quality and Efficacy of Tribulus terrestris as an Ingredient for Dermatological Formulations
2013
Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae) is an annual plant commonly known as Puncture vine. It is dramatically gaining interest as a rich source of saponins. T. terrestris is a promising ingredient for many industries and recent patents on dermatological applications support the use of this plant for cosmetics and hygiene. Nonetheless problems arise in the selection of the material to be used. The extracts of different origins may differ substantially. Natural speciation processes normally influence ‘variations’ in wild-crafted medicinal plants. The genus Tribulus is emblematic. Taxonomic status of T. terrestris is complicated by the wide geographical distribution leading to high levels of…
Pharmacogenomics of Cameroonian traditional herbal medicine for cancer therapy
2011
Abstract Ethnopharmacological relevance A socio-economic burden associated with cancers is reported in Africa. Ethnopharmacological usages such as immune and skin disorders, inflammatory, and others chould be considered when selecting plants used to treat cancer, since these reflect disease states bearing relevance to cancer or a cancer symptoms. Materials and methods Documented compounds of Cameroonian medicinal plants were used as keywords in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) database to establish a library of cytotoxic compounds. Cellular and pharmacogenomic profiling was then performed for the 10 most cytotoxic natural products. By COMPARE and hierarchical cluster analyses, candidate …
Essential oils of Salvia bracteata and Salvia rubifolia from Lebanon: Chemical composition, antimicrobial activity and inhibitory effect on human mel…
2009
Aim of the study: Salvia bracteata Banks et Sol. and Salvia rubifolia Boiss. are known in folk medicine of Lebanon for the treatment of microbial infections, cancer, urinary and pulmonary problems. In the present study the chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of essential oils from aerial parts of Salvia bracteata and Salvia rubifolia collected in Lebanon were evaluated. The oils were also tested for their potential antiproliferative effects against M14 human melanoma cells. Material and methods: The oils were studied by GC and GC-MS and their antibacterial activity (MIC and MBC) was tested against ten bacteria species using the broth dilution method. The inhibitory effect on hum…
Cytotoxicity and antileishmanial activity of Annona muricata pericarp
2000
Abstract Hexane, ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of Annona muricata pericarp were tested in vitro against Leishmania braziliensis and L. panamensis promastigotes, and against cell line U-937. The ethyl acetate extract was more active than the other extracts and even of Glucantime® used as reference substance. Its fractionation led to the isolation of three acetogenins — annonacin, annonacin A and annomuricin A.
Cytotoxic Spirostane-Type Saponins from the Roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum
2009
Four new spirostane-type saponins named borivilianosides E-H (1-4) were isolated from an ethanol extract of the roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum together with two known steroid saponins (5 and 6). The structures of 1-4 were elucidated using mainly 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry. The cytotoxicity of borivilianosides F (2), G (3), and H (4) and three known compounds was evaluated using two human colon cancer cell lines (HT-29 and HCT 116).