China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Plant-based Nanomaterials and their Antimicrobial Activity
Published in Mahendra Rai, Chistiane M. Feitosa, Eco-Friendly Biobased Products Used in Microbial Diseases, 2022
Mayuri Napagoda, Priyalatha Madhushanthi, Dharani Wanigasekara, Sanjeeva Witharana
In an ethnobotanical study carried out in the Bunda District, Mara Region of Tanzania, 52 plants belonging to 29 Families were reportedly used for various infectious diseases. Out of these families, Papilionaceae was the most frequent, followed by Compositae, Anacardiaceae, Labiatae and Mimosaceae. Chenopodium ambrosioides, Hoslundia opposita, Euphorbia tirucalli, Combretum adenogonium, Dichrostachys cinerea, Cardiospermum halicacabum were some of the commonly used plant species among the communities in this region. A large number of plant species were used in the treatment of venereal diseases, particularly syphilis and gonorrhea (Maregesi et al. 2007). Moreover, 52 plant species in 25 families were identified in a more recent study conducted for the documentation of traditional knowledge on medicinal plants in the management of sexually transmitted infections in Sesheke District of the Western Province, Zambia. Diseases like gonorrhea, syphilis and genital herpes were frequently controlled with the use of plants such as Terminalia sericea, Strychnos cocculoides, Cassia occidentalis, Momordica balsamina and Peltophorum africanum (Chinsembu 2016).
Basic steps
Published in C. P. Khare, Evidence-based Ayurveda, 2019
Mustaadi GanaMusta (Cyperus rotundus), Paathaa (Cissampelos pareira), Nishaadwai (Curcuma longa, Berberis aristata), Tikta (Picrorhiza kurroa), Vacha (Acorus calamus), Elaa (Elettaria cardamomum), Ruk (Kushtha: Saussurea lappa), Vishaa (Ativishaa: Aconitum heterophyllum), Chaara (Priyaala: Buchanania lanzan fruit), Elaa (bigger variety: Amomum subulatum), and Shaarngishtha (Physalis minima or Cardiospermum halicacabum).Drugs of Mustaadi Gana contain shodhana (internal cleansing) components; paachana (carminative) and stanya (galactogogue) properties. They cure stana roga (diseases of the breast), and jvara (fever).Charaka’s Varga: Lekhaniya (reducing obesity and scarifying), stanyashodhana (purifier of breast milk).Vagbhat’s Mustaadi Gana:Mustaa, Vacha, Agni (Chitraka = Plumbago zeylanica), Dwinisaa (Haridraa and Daaruharidraa), Dwitiktaa (Katurohini and Kaakatikta = Picrorhiza kurroa and Cardiospermum helicacabum), Bhallaataka (Semecarpus anacardium), Paathaa, Triphala, Vishaakhyaa (Aconitum heterophyllum), Kushtha, Truti (Elettaria cardamomum), Haimavati (Sweta vacha = Iris germanica)
Herbal Therapies
Published in Anil K. Sharma, Raj K. Keservani, Surya Prakash Gautam, Herbal Product Development, 2020
H. Shahrul, M. L. Tan, A. H. Auni, S. R. Nur, S. M. N. Nurul
One of the herbs used in dermatology is the Acalypha indica (Figure 4.3). It is a weed plant used by elder generations in many countries, particularly in Asia and Africa. It is a traditional medicine for treating parasites, scabies and other skin disorders (Ramalashmi et al., 2018). Even though the plant is known for its therapeutic purposes, some locals consume this plant as vegetable or as fried snack. The ethno-medicinal purposes of A. indica plant toward skin can be either from the leaves or the whole plant. It can be consumed directly or in a combination with other ingredients as a treatment. The preparation of the plants whether fresh or dry is an important aspect for determining its therapeutic efficacy (Zahidin et al., 2017). The leaves are the most abundant part and easy to be separated. It can be either eaten raw or in the form of decoction. In addition, the leaves are also used to treat gum and teeth disease, insect bites, pimples and wound healing (Zahidin et al., 2017). Application of A. indica topically can reduce soreness of the insect bites as this herb has the potential to reduce pain from inflammation and act as a potential analgesic drug (Sudhakar et al., 2016). The saponin constituent found in the plant is believed to contribute the anti-inflammatory properties of A. indica. Furthermore, the leaves contain anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties which are useful in protecting the skin from external hazards and accelerate healing properties (Selvamani and Balamurugan, 2015). Alkaloid content in A. indica has anti-bacterial activity (Pradeep et al., 2014). This could be due to the presence of tannin, flavonoids, polyphenol, saponin and protein in the herbs. The antioxidant and antibacterial properties of the plant are exhibited through the inhibition of bacterial growth (Batubara et al., 2016). In some practices, the whole plant is consumed in treating mouth ulcers. The mixture of its leaves with oil or other herbs such as black cumin and Cardiospermum halicacabum can be applied to treat skin ailments (Zahidin et al., 2017). The fresh A. indica possesses natural phytochemicals including fatty acid, volatile compound and essential oil that are beneficial for numerous therapeutic activities. During the drying process, the fresh A. indica leaves produce a strong smell. This is due to the volatile compounds present in this plant. They may play a role in the healing process. Loss of 80% weight after the drying process shows the high moisture and volatile compound composition in this plant. However, the remaining phytochemical in the dried plant is still beneficial and provides therapeutic properties for dermatological disorders (Zahidin et al., 2017). The aqueous extract of A. indica caused cell death in dermal cancer cells. The extract induces apoptosis and cell death by interacting with the cell membrane proteins and inducing cellular leakage and finally leading to cell death (Banala et al., 2017).
Promising treatment strategies to combat Staphylococcus aureus biofilm infections: an updated review
Published in Biofouling, 2020
P. S. Seethalakshmi, Riya Rajeev, George Seghal Kiran, Joseph Selvin
Physical and chemical methods employed in metallic nanoparticle synthesis may involve toxic materials that are detrimental for humans as well as the environment. In contradiction to this, green synthesis facilitates the engineering of less toxic nanoparticles employing a cost-effective method which is easy to execute and optimize (Gour and Jain 2019). Punniyakotti et al. (2020) synthesized copper nanoparticles using Cardiospermum halicacabum leaf extract which reduced biofilm formation by S. aureus significantly at a slightly higher concentration than the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC). Erci et al. (2020) found that copper oxide nanoparticle synthesized using leaf extract of Thymbra spicata effectively inhibited S. aureus biofilms and imparted toxicity to L929 mouse fibroblast cells only at higher concentrations. Green synthesis of AuNPs, using Padina tetrastromatica seaweed extract disrupted the established biofilms of S. aureus (Salam et al. 2020). Divya et al. (2019) synthesized AgNPs from a cell-free supernatant of the coral-associated bacterium Alcaligenes sp., which effectively dispersed the biofilms of S. aureus.