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Common Medicines from Herbs, Minerals and Animal Sources
Published in Mehwish Iqbal, Complementary and Alternative Medicinal Approaches for Enhancing Immunity, 2023
Organic products, such as fungal, botanical, shell, mineral, bee and animal products, constitute the earliest medical management form. Currently, several typically consumed drugs originate from herbs. Around 25% of the recommended drugs consist of at least one herbally originated active substance or synthetic constituent, which resembles a plant-extracted compound. More than 80,000 herbs are being used for their therapeutic uses throughout the globe. Typically, a particular plant part is utilised for medicinal preparations such as creams, extracts, tablets, tinctures, infusions or ointments. The therapeutic activities of such medicines are frequently reported under the categories of very common terminologies, such as laxative (a substance that is used to enhance the movements of the bowel and alleviate constipation), carminative (a substance that prevents the collection of gas in the GI tract or assists in the elimination of gases), antiseptic (to decrease the probability of infection), antitussive (an agent that inhibits cough) or demulcent (a substance that creates a smooth film on top of a mucous membrane, alleviating inflammation and minor pain) (Saad & Said, 2011).
An Overview of Important Endemic Plants and Their Products in Iran
Published in Raymond Cooper, Jeffrey John Deakin, Natural Products of Silk Road Plants, 2020
Mentha pulegium (Figure 7.24) is a perennial plant growing up to 0.6 m by 0.4 m. The flowers are hermaphrodite. It is suitable to grow in light (sandy), medium (loamy), and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. It is suitable to grow in the soil with acid, neutral, and basic (alkaline) pH. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. Its main value is as a digestive tonic where it increases the secretion of digestive juices and relieves flatulence and colic. Pennyroyal also powerfully stimulates the uterine muscles and encourages menstruation. The herb is antiseptic, anti-spasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, sedative, and stimulant. A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used in the treatment of fevers, headaches, minor respiratory infections, digestive disorders, menstrual complaints and various minor ailments. It is occasionally used as a treatment for intestinal worms. Externally, an infusion is used to treat itchiness and formication, inflamed skin disorders such as eczema, and rheumatic conditions such as gout. The essential oil in the leaves is antiseptic, though it is toxic in large doses (Zargari, 2014; Mozaffarian, 2011; Plant for a Future; Politeo et al., 2018).
Atlas of Autofluorescence in Plant Pharmaceutical Materials
Published in Victoria Vladimirovna Roshchina, Fluorescence of Living Plant Cells for Phytomedicine Preparations, 2020
Victoria Vladimirovna Roshchina
This spice plant has antimicrobial, antifungal, insecticidal, and antioxidative effects on human health (Kokkini 1991; Kulisic et al. 2004; Bakkali et al. 2008). In folk and officinal medicine, it is included in pharmaceutical categories such as pectoral, carminative, diaphoretic, and so on (Murav’eva et al. 2007). As a medicinal plant, European oregano has traditionally been used as a carminative, diaphoretic, expectorant, emmenagogue, stimulant, stomachic, and tonic. In addition, it has been used as a folk remedy against colic, coughs, headaches, nervousness, toothaches, and irregular menstrual cycles (Kintzios 2002a). The active material is the essential oil, which consists of phenolic monoterpenoids (carvacrol and thymol up to 40%) and terpenoid (mono- and sesquiterpenes, where geranyl acetate is dominant at 5%) compounds (Murav’eva et al. 2007).
Characterization of potentially health-promoting constituents in sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum) cultivated in the Conero Natural Park (Marche region, Central Italy)
Published in Pharmaceutical Biology, 2023
Antonietta Maoloni, Teresa Pirker, Eva-Maria Pferschy-Wenzig, Lucia Aquilanti, Rudolf Bauer
Sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is an aromatic plant belonging to the Apiaceae family. The plant grows in coastal areas of Mediterranean and Black Sea and Atlantic Europe. It is rich in bioactive substances with nutritional and medicinal value (Alves-Silva et al. 2020). Its fleshy and succulent leaves are used for the preparation of cooked meals, salads, and pickles (Meot-Duros and Magné 2009; Generalić Mekinić et al. 2016). In folk medicine, they are applied as carminative, digestive, vermifuge, diuretic, depurative, anti-inflammatory, tonic, and antiscorbutic drug, as well as in the treatment of wounds and common cold (Atia et al. 2011; Zafeiropoulou et al. 2020). In recent years their ethyl acetate extracts showed activity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in vitro (Gnocchi et al. 2020), acting on the metabolic pathways (Gnocchi et al. 2021) and on the bioenergetic profile (Gnocchi et al. 2022) of HCC cells, and improving their sensitivity towards sorafenib, a commonly used chemotherapeutic drug (Gnocchi et al. 2023). Sea fennel is characterized by the presence of several bioactive constituents like vitamin C, essential fatty acids, essential oils, and polyphenols. Previous phytochemical studies revealed a high content of phenolic acids, mainly chlorogenic acids (Franke 1982; Cunsolo et al. 1993; Meot-Duros and Magné 2009; Generalić Mekinić et al. 2016, 2018; Pereira et al. 2017; Boutellaa et al. 2019; Najjaa et al. 2020).
Green synthesis and biomedicinal applications of silver and gold nanoparticles functionalized with methanolic extract of Mentha longifolia
Published in Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine, and Biotechnology, 2021
Abdur Rauf, Touqeer Ahmad, Ajmal Khan, Ghias Uddin, Bashir Ahmad, Yahia Nasser Mabkhot, Sami Bawazeer, Nadia Riaz, Bates Kudaibergenova Malikovna, Zainab M. Almarhoon, Ahmed Al-Harrasi
Mentha longifolia like other members of this family is used as a domestic herbal remedy, the whole plant is used as a medicine and sometimes rhizomes of the plant is also used [30]. A tea made from the leaves has traditionally been used to treat of fevers, headaches, digestive disorders and various minor ailments [31]. Moreover, the essential oil of this plant has numerous applications like anti-microbial activity, decongestant, anti-spasmodic effects, etc. The medicinal properties include diuretic effects [32], carminative, stomachic, digestive health improver and anti-inflammatory agent in folk medicines [33]. The essential oils and methanol extract of M. longifolia L. have reported for their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties [34]. The essential oil of M. longifolia L. also possess calcium channel blocking activity [35], hepatoprotective [36] and insecticidal activities [37]. Literature showed that two main classes, terpenoids and flavonoids, have been reported from M. longifolia [38–40]. The antimicrobial activities for these two class have also been reported [41]. Javed et al. synthesized AgNPs of M. longifolia to check their inhibitory potential against various bacterial strains [42]. Here, we report the rapid green synthesis of AgNPs and AuNPs using M. longifolia leaves extracts and examined their in vitro and in vivo pharmacological activities and also study their analgesic activities in mice.
Palliative Role of Aqueous Ginger Extract on N-Nitroso-N-Methylurea-Induced Gastric Cancer
Published in Nutrition and Cancer, 2020
Debjani P. Mansingh, Shalini Pradhan, Deeptarup Biswas, R. Barathidasan, Hannah R. Vasanthi
Ginger has been valued around the globe as an important commonly used cooking spice which contains a number of phytoconstituents. Indian ginger that is light-yellow in color having a characteristic odor which contains camphene, phellandrene, zingiberene, gingerol, gingerin, cineol, and borneol are the active principles in it other than resins and starch. Ginger owes its pungent flavor due to the presence of essential oil and resin. To specify, [8]-Gingerol, [10]-Gingerol, [12]-Gingerol, and Shogaol are known to have antioxidant (6), anti-inflammatory (7) and antitumor effects (8). Ginger has also has been suggested for the treatment of atherosclerosis, migraine headaches, rheumatoid arthritis, high cholesterol, ulcers, depression, common cold, flu-like symptoms, and even painful menstrual periods (8). Indian culinary uses ginger in a variety of dishes to add taste and as a sialagogue. It is also used in many GI tract disturbances as a stimulant, carminative, and digestive agent in Ayurveda and Siddha system of medicine practiced in India from time immemorial (9).