scholarly journals Medicinal Plants from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean Used as Immunostimulants

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro ◽  
María del Carmen Juárez-Vázquez ◽  
Nimsi Campos-Xolalpa

A literature review was undertaken by analyzing distinguished books, undergraduate and postgraduate theses, and peer-reviewed scientific articles and by consulting worldwide accepted scientific databases, such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, SCIELO, Medline, and Google Scholar. Medicinal plants used as immunostimulants were classified into two categories: (1) plants with pharmacological studies and (2) plants without pharmacological research. Medicinal plants with pharmacological studies of their immunostimulatory properties were subclassified into four groups as follows: (a) plant extracts evaluated forin vitroeffects, (b) plant extracts with documentedin vivoeffects, (c) active compounds tested onin vitrostudies, and (d) active compounds assayed in animal models. Pharmacological studies have been conducted on 29 of the plants, including extracts and compounds, whereas 75 plants lack pharmacological studies regarding their immunostimulatory activity. Medicinal plants were experimentally studiedin vitro(19 plants) andin vivo(8 plants). A total of 12 compounds isolated from medicinal plants used as immunostimulants have been tested usingin vitro(11 compounds) andin vivo(2 compounds) assays. This review clearly indicates the need to perform scientific studies with medicinal flora from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean, to obtain new immunostimulatory agents.

Planta Medica ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 80 (06) ◽  
pp. 482-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond Muganga ◽  
Luc Angenot ◽  
Monique Tits ◽  
Michel Frédérich

Author(s):  
Meseret Tadelo ◽  
Tamirat Wato ◽  
Tilahun Negash

Background: Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) belongs to the family Solanaceae. In Ethiopia, control of early blight is largely dependent on fungicidal application. There is a research need to identify effective botanical extracts to control Alternaria solani that cause early blight of tomato and for evaluation of plant extracts through different solvents on the target pathogen. Methods: In vitro experiment was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of crude extracts of 16 selected medicinal plants against Alternaria solani. Thus, crude extracts were extracted from medicinal plants with different solvents (methanol, ethanol and petroleum at (25%, 50% and 100%) concentrations. The Alternaria solani was isolated from infected tomato leaves showing early blight symptoms. Evaluation of plant extracts was carried out against Alternaria solani using food poisoned technique on PDA. Result: Results showed that most of the methanolic extract plants were showed significant inhibition of the mycelial growth as compared to ethanolic and petroleum ether extracts. A higher rate of mycelial reduction was recorded by ethanol extracts of Allium sativum at all concentrations (100%) followed by methanol extracts of Allium sativum at 25%, 50%, 100% concentration (90.02%, 97.01%, 100% respectively). The effectiveness of extracts against Alternaria solani depends on use at the higher concentrations and various solvents. For crude extracts that have shown higher inhibitory effects against Alternaria solani in vitro conditions, actual chemical compounds should be identified. Furthermore, it is also important to evaluate these plants on other microbes, study to test in vivo and to assess their real potential field condition wherever early blight is an important disease of tomato.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 584-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerija Vujčić ◽  
Sandra Radić Brkanac ◽  
Ivana Radojčić Redovniković ◽  
Siniša Ivanković ◽  
Ranko Stojković ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Konney Laryea ◽  
Lawrence Sheringham Borquaye

The economic costs associated with morbidity and mortality due to malaria and malaria associated complications in many sub-Saharan countries and other malaria endemic regions of the world are huge. Reports of emergence of parasite resistance to current malaria drugs have complicated malaria treatment and require the development of new therapeutic agents. The folkloric use of medicinal plants for the management of malaria is well documented. This work evaluated the antiplasmodial activities and toxicity of some medicinal plants used to treat malaria and malaria-like symptoms in Ghana. Plant extracts were obtained by cold maceration in 70% ethanol. Antiplasmodial efficacies were assessed in vitro against 3 strains of Plasmodium falciparum strains (FCM, W2, and CAM06) and in vivo via the 4-day suppressive test in Plasmodium berghei infected mice. Cytotoxicity and acute toxicity were assessed in mammalian cells and mice, respectively. All extracts were active against at least one of the Plasmodium falciparum strains in in vitro evaluations with IC50’s in the range of 4–116 μg/mL, whereas Bidens pilosa extracts, with a chemosuppression rate of 75%, was the most active plant in the in vivo experiments. All plant extracts displayed very weak to no cytotoxicity against the mammalian cell line used and exhibited very good selectivity towards the Plasmodium parasites. Syzygium guineense and Parinari congensis extracts were the most toxic in the acute toxicity tests. Altogether, the results indicate that the medicinal plants do possess impressive antiplasmodial properties and provide scientific basis for their use in traditional herbal medicine.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1278-1285
Author(s):  
Mohamed Yafout ◽  
Amine Ousaid ◽  
Ibrahim Sbai El Otmani ◽  
Youssef Khayati ◽  
Amal Ait Haj Said

The new SARS-CoV-2 belonging to the coronaviruses family has caused a pandemic affecting millions of people around the world. This pandemic has been declared by the World Health Organization as an international public health emergency. Although several clinical trials involving a large number of drugs are currently underway, no treatment protocol for COVID-19 has been officially approved so far. Here we demonstrate through a search in the scientific literature that the traditional Moroccan pharmacopoeia, which includes more than 500 medicinal plants, is a fascinating and promising source for the research of natural molecules active against SARS-CoV-2. Multiple in-silico and in-vitro studies showed that some of the medicinal plants used by Moroccans for centuries possess inhibitory activity against SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV-2. These inhibitory activities are achieved through the different molecular mechanisms of virus penetration and replication, or indirectly through stimulation of immunity. Thus, the potential of plants, plant extracts and molecules derived from plants that are traditionally used in Morocco and have activity against SARS-CoV-2, could be explored in the search for a preventive or curative treatment against COVID-19. Furthermore, safe plants or plant extracts that are proven to stimulate immunity could be officially recommended by governments as nutritional supplements.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kondeti Ramudu Shanmugam ◽  
Bhasha Shanmugam ◽  
Gangigunta Venkatasubbaiah ◽  
Sahukari Ravi ◽  
Kesireddy Sathyavelu Reddy

Background : Diabetes is a major public health problem in the world. It affects each and every part of the human body and also leads to organ failure. Hence, great progress made in the field of herbal medicine and diabetic research. Objectives: Our review will focus on the effect of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants which are used to treat diabetes in India and other countries. Methods: Information regarding diabetes, oxidative stress, medicinal plants and bioactive compounds were collected from different search engines like Science direct, Springer, Wiley online library, Taylor and francis, Bentham Science, Pubmed and Google scholar. Data was analyzed and summarized in the review. Results and Conclusion: Anti-diabetic drugs that are in use have many side effects on vital organs like heart, liver, kidney and brain. There is an urgent need for alternative medicine to treat diabetes and their disorders. In India and other countries herbal medicine was used to treat diabetes. Many herbal plants have antidiabetic effects. The plants like ginger, phyllanthus, curcumin, aswagandha, aloe, hibiscus and curcuma showed significant anti-hyperglycemic activities in experimental models and humans. The bioactive compounds like Allicin, azadirachtin, cajanin, curcumin, querceitin, gingerol possesses anti-diabetic, antioxidant and other pharmacological properties. This review focuses on the role of bioactive compounds of medicinal plants in prevention and management of diabetes. Conclusion: Moreover, our review suggests that bioactive compounds have the potential therapeutic potential against diabetes. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies are needed to validate these findings.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 499-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémi Safi ◽  
Marwan El-Sabban ◽  
Fadia Najjar

Ferula hermonis Boiss, is an endemic plant of Lebanon, locally known as “shilsh Elzallouh”. It has been extensively used in the traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac and for the treatment of sexual impotence. Crude extracts and isolated compounds of ferula hermonis contain phytoestrogenic substances having a wide spectrum of in vitro and in vivo pharmacological properties including anti-osteoporosis, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-fungal, anti-cancer and as sexual activity enhancer. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight the traditional and novel applications of this plant’s extracts and its major sesquiterpene ester, ferutinin. The phytochemical constituents and the pharmacological uses of ferula hermonis crude extract and ferutinin specifically will be discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 1227-1243
Author(s):  
Hina Qamar ◽  
Sumbul Rehman ◽  
D.K. Chauhan

Cancer is the second leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Although chemotherapy and radiotherapy enhance the survival rate of cancerous patients but they have several acute toxic effects. Therefore, there is a need to search for new anticancer agents having better efficacy and lesser side effects. In this regard, herbal treatment is found to be a safe method for treating and preventing cancer. Here, an attempt has been made to screen some less explored medicinal plants like Ammania baccifera, Asclepias curassavica, Azadarichta indica, Butea monosperma, Croton tiglium, Hedera nepalensis, Jatropha curcas, Momordica charantia, Moringa oleifera, Psidium guajava, etc. having potent anticancer activity with minimum cytotoxic value (IC50 >3μM) and lesser or negligible toxicity. They are rich in active phytochemicals with a wide range of drug targets. In this study, these medicinal plants were evaluated for dose-dependent cytotoxicological studies via in vitro MTT assay and in vivo tumor models along with some more plants which are reported to have IC50 value in the range of 0.019-0.528 mg/ml. The findings indicate that these plants inhibit tumor growth by their antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, anti-metastatic and anti-angiogenic molecular targets. They are widely used because of their easy availability, affordable price and having no or sometimes minimal side effects. This review provides a baseline for the discovery of anticancer drugs from medicinal plants having minimum cytotoxic value with minimal side effects and establishment of their analogues for the welfare of mankind.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-231
Author(s):  
Minky Mukhija ◽  
Bhuwan Chandra Joshi

Background: Peptic ulcer is a deep gastrointestinal erosion disorder that involves the entire mucosal thickness and can even penetrate the muscular mucosa. Nowadays, several plants and compounds derived from it have been screened for their antiulcer activity. In the last few years, there has been an exponential growth in the field of herbal medicine. This field has gained popularity in both developing and developed countries because of their natural origin and less side effects. Objective: This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of currently available knowledge of medicinal plants and phytoconstituents reported for their anti-ulcer properties. Methods: The worldwide accepted database like SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, NISCAIR, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Web of Science, Wiley, SciFinder and Google Scholar were used to retrieve available published literature. Results: A comprehensive review of the present paper is an attempt to list the plants with antiulcer activity. The review narrates the dire need to explore potential chemical moieties that exert an antiulcer effect, from unexploited traditional plants. Furthermore, the present study reveals the intense requirement to exploit the exact mechanism through which either the plant extracts or their active constituents exhibit their antiulcer properties. Conclusion: This article is the compilation of the plants and its constituents reported for the treatment of peptic ulcers. The Comprehensive data will surely attract the number of investigators to initiate further research that might lead to the drugs for the treatment of ulcers. As sufficient scientific data is not available on plants, most of the herbals cannot be recommended for the treatment of diseases. This can be achieved by research on pure chemical structures derived from plants or to prepare new lead compounds with proven beneficial preclinical in vitro and in vivo effects. However, a lot remains to be done in further investigations for the better status of medicinal plants.


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