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Antibacterial Activity of Cycas rumphii Miq. Leaves Extracts against Some Tropical Human Pathogenic Bacteria
Abstract
Cycas rumphii is traditionally used to cure wide variety of ailments including malignant ulcers, wounds healing, sore throats and tuberculosis showing its great potential as an antimicrobial agent. Hence, aim of the present study was to explore antibacterial potential of the leaves of C. rumphii Miq. Dried leaves were separately macerated with methanol and double distilled water at room temperature to obtain methanol and aqueous (AQ) extracts. The methanol extract was further successively extracted with light petroleum ether (LPE), benzene (BZ), ethyl acetate (EtOAc) and methanol (MeOH) on hot water bath to get respective extracts. These extracts were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy at six different concentrations (500 μg, 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 mg mL 1) against seven G +ve and eleven G -ve hospital isolated bacterial strains causing several tropical diseases using disc diffusion method. EtOAc and MeOH extracts showed maximum antibacterial activity against most of the bacteria taken into account. The most susceptible Gram positive bacteria was S. albus with inhibition zone of 22 mm while most susceptible Gram negative bacteria was S. boydii with 21 mm inhibition zone with EtOAc extract while the most resistant bacteria was gram negative S. typhi. Bresent findings are suggestive of antibacterial agents in the leaves of C. rumphii which can be used in future for formulation of broad spectrum herbal antibacterial products. Results of present study also support various traditional uses associated with this plant which were suggestive of possible antibacterial potential of this plant. Hence, EtOAc and MeOH extracts of the leaves of C. rumphii deserve further investigations.
... E. coli and K. pneumonia were found to respond better to the methanol extract of C. revoluta leaves due to the presence of a high level of dihydro bilobetin (8) 19 , whereas the ethanol extract was more effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa 20 . The high antibacterial activity of C. revoluta and C. circinalis can be attributed to their high content of 2,3 dihydro amentoflavone (7), 2,3,2'',3'' tetrahydro bilobetin (14) and 2,3,2'',3'' tetrahydro isoginkgetin (15). These compounds displayed moderate antibacterial activity against MRSA with IC50 of 11.5, 12.5, and 5.9 μM, respectively, and S. aureus with IC50 of 8.2, 9.6, and 3.8 μM, respectively 21 . ...
... Additionally, moderate anticandidal activity was seen in the C. beddomei ethanol and ethyl acetate extracts 24 . Gram +ve Scaphirhynchus albus and Gram -ve Shigella boydii were significantly inhibited by C. rumphii ethyl acetate fraction 15 . ...
Cycadaceae is regarded as one of the largest cycad families. It is made up of the 120 species of the single genus Cycas. Genus Cycas is found only in tropical and subtropical climates. They are dioecious plants with male and female reproductive cones. Members of Cycadaceae family are excellent suppliers of a wide range of beneficial phytochemicals however, only a few numbers of species had undergone to phytochemical and pharmacological research. A wide battery of metabolites, including flavonoids, biflavonoids, phenolic acids, sterols, amino acids, lignans, and fatty acids, have been isolated and structurally identified from various Cycas species. Since biflavonoids are a defining trait of all cycads, we focused in this review on the various biflavonoids nuclei found in Cycadaceae and their distribution in distinct Cycas species among other isolated secondary metabolites. Therefore, we outlined the various biflavonoids nuclei found in Cycadaceae and their distribution in distinct Cycas species in this review. Additionally, we highlighted the diverse pharmacological effects of different Cycas species that their biflavonoid content can be credited with.
... The genus Cycas is a rich source of flavonoids, biflavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, lignans, fatty acids and sterols, which exhibit a plethora of biological activities [7][8][9]. Cycas rumphii Miq. is a member of the cycadaceae family native to Indonesia [10]. It is traditionally used in Southeast Asian countries, such as India, Bangladesh and Indonesia for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, boils, itchy skin lesions and sore throat. ...
... In addition, it is used for nephrotic pain, headache, bloody vomiting and flatulence [11,12]. The plant extract showed a potential antimicrobial activity against a range of human pathogenic bacteria [8]. There are no reports on the phytochemicals of Cycas rumphii Miq. ...
Toxoplasmosis and cancer are serious worldwide diseases, and the available drugs cause serious side effects. Investigation for new alternative therapies from natural sources is now an increasing concern. Herein, we carried out, for the first time, an in vitro screening of Cycas rumphii Miq. leaves for toxoplasmocidal effect, using Viruluent RH Toxoplasma gondii, and cytotoxic activity against HEPG-2, HCT-116 and HELA cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Among the tested extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction was the most effective against T. gondii, with an EC50 of 3.51 ± 0.2 µg/mL compared to cotrimoxazole (4.18 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and was the most potent against the tested cell lines, especially HEPG-2, with an IC50 of 6.98 ± 0.5 µg/mL compared to doxorubicin (4.50 ± 0.2 µg/mL). Seven compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction by extensive chromatographic techniques and fully elucidated using different spectroscopies. Compound (7) is an undescribed 4′, 4′′′ biapigenin di-C-glucoside, which showed a strong cytotoxic activity. Four known biflavonoids (1, 2, 4 and 5) in addition to a phenolic acid ester (3) and a flavonoid glycoside (6) were also isolated. Compounds (1, 3 and 6) were reported for the first time from C. rumphii.
... The genus Cycas is a rich source of flavonoids, biflavonoids, phenolic acids, tannins, lignans, fatty acids and sterols, which exhibit a plethora of biological activities [7][8][9]. Cycas rumphii Miq. is a member of the cycadaceae family native to Indonesia [10]. It is traditionally used in Southeast Asian countries, such as India, Bangladesh and Indonesia for the treatment of wounds, ulcers, boils, itchy skin lesions and sore throat. ...
... In addition, it is used for nephrotic pain, headache, bloody vomiting and flatulence [11,12]. The plant extract showed a potential antimicrobial activity against a range of human pathogenic bacteria [8]. There are no reports on the phytochemicals of Cycas rumphii Miq. ...
Toxoplasmosis and cancer are serious worldwide diseases, and the available drugs cause serious side effects. Investigation for new alternative therapies from natural sources is now an increasing concern. Herein, we carried out, for the first time, an in vitro screening of Cycas rumphii Miq. leaves for toxoplasmocidal effect, using Viruluent RH Toxoplasma gondii, and cytotoxic activity against HEPG-2, HCT-116 and HELA cancer cell lines using MTT assay. Among the tested extracts, the ethyl acetate fraction was the most effective against T. gondii, with an EC50 of 3.51 ± 0.2 µg/mL compared to cotrimoxazole (4.18 ± 0.01 µg/mL) and was the most potent against the tested cell lines, especially HEPG-2, with an IC50 of 6.98 ± 0.5 µg/mL compared to doxorubicin (4.50 ± 0.2 µg/mL). Seven compounds were isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction by extensive chromatographic techniques and fully elucidated using different spectroscopies. Compound (7) is an undescribed 4′, 4′′′ biapigenin di-C-glucoside, which showed a strong cytotoxic activity. Four known biflavonoids (1, 2, 4 and 5) in addition to a phenolic acid ester (3) and a flavonoid glycoside (6) were also isolated. Compounds (1, 3 and 6) were reported for the first time from C. rumphii.
... India is one of the World's top 12 mega diversity countries with 10 biogeographic regions and over 40 sites which are known for their high endemism and genetic diversity. India has more than one fourth (8000) of the world's known medicinal plant species (30,000) of which 90% are found in forests 2011a;2013). Plant species still serve as rich sources of many novel biological active compounds, as very few plants species have been thoroughly investigated for their medicinal properties (Abubakar et al., 2011;Caius,1986;Habbal et al., 2011;Paul et al., 2011). ...
Leucas cephalotes (Roth.) Spreng (family: Lamiaceae) is a rainy season weed widely distributed intropical regions of Asia at elevation up to 1,700 m, medicinally employed for the treatment of skindiseases, fever, hepatic disorders, urinary complaints cough and cold. The traditional uses of this plantstrongly suggest its possible antibacterial properties, but its efficacy has not been examined in broadscenes, in present communication, its antibacterial efficacy has been explored. Polar and non-polarextracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, aqueous, benzene, and petroleum ether) at five different concentrations(0.5, 1, 2, 5, and 10 mg/mL) were evaluated for their antibacterial efficacy against seven G+ and elevenG– hospital isolated bacteria. Disc diffusion method was followed to determine antibacterial activity.Phytochemical analysis of plant revealed presence of tannins, glycosides, saponins, steroids, phenoliccompounds and flavonoids as secondary metabolites. Maximum antibacterial activity was demonstratedby ethyl acetate and methanol extracts at a minimum concentration (0.5 mg/mL/disc). Extracts wereeffective on both types of test pathogens. From the present findings, it may be concluded that the plantcould be formulated in broad spectrum antibiotic and confirms the traditional uses in pathogenic diseases.
... The presence of blue color indicates the presence of bacteria. MIC was defined as the lowest concentration in which no transformation of MTT was observed [18][19][20] . ...
Banana (Musa paradisiaca L.) peels are usually considered as wastes and are discarded during the processing, which eventually contribute to polluting the environment. Hence, this study was aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of two different varieties of M. paradisiaca peels, i.e., Nangka [M. paradisiaca variety Nangka) and Tanduk [M. paradisiaca variety Tanduk) with regard to generate safe and cheap antimicrobials as well as address pollution related issues due to such wastes. Antimicrobial study was carried out on the extracts using disc diffusion and broth micro-dilution methods. The best activity through disc diffusion method for bacteria and fungi was demonstrated by Tanduk peel's ethanol and dichloromethane extracts against S. aureus (30 mm) and C. krusei (10 mm), respectively. However, the least active bacteria and fungi were found to be V. parahaemolyticus and C. albicans, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranged from 6.25 to 100 mg/mL. Tanduk peel's ethanol extract exhibited the lowest MIC and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values against B. cepacia (6.25 mg/mL) whereas for fungi, Tanduk peel's dichloromethane extract exhibited lowest MIC and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values against C. albicans (25 mg/mL). The results of MBC or MFC showed that some extracts were bactericidal or fungicidal while others were bacteriostatic or fungistatic against certain microbes. Banana peel waste's extracts could be potential antimicrobial alternatives and may be effective to utilize as a natural source of antimicrobial agent in pharmaceutical industries.
Microbes such as the White Spot Syndrome Virus account for severe losses in the shrimp farming industry globally. This review examines the literature on the mangrove plants of Asia and the Pacific with antibacterial, antifungal, or antiviral activities. All of the available data published on this subject were collected from Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, ChemSpider, PubChem, and a library search from 1968 to 2022. Out of about 286 plant species, 119 exhibited antimicrobial effects, and a total of 114 antimicrobial natural products have been identified including 12 with MIC values below 1 µg/mL. Most of these plants are medicinal. The mangrove plants of Asia and the Pacific yield secondary metabolites with the potential to mitigate infectious diseases in shrimp aquaculture.
Objective: To evaluate antibacterial sensitivity of 43 ethnomedicinally important plants
belonging to 25 different families from Western Uttar Pradesh, a northern province in India,
against hospital isolated pathogenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
Methods: Methanol (MeOH) and aqueous extracts of plants were subjected to sensitivity test
against S. aureus ATCC 25953 and two hospital isolated virulent strains of S. aureus SA1 and
SA2 following disc diffusion assay to determine sensitivity and agar dilution method to test
minimum inhibition concentration using Mueller-Hinton agar.
Results: Potential antibacterial activity was recorded for MeOH extracts against test pathogens,
while moderate antibacterial activity was observed in case of aqueous extracts. Out of 43 plant
species, 39 species were found sensitive to tested strains. Minimum inhibition concentration
values of MeOH extracts were demonstrated at low concentration ranging from 15.5 mg/mL
up to 45.5 mg/mL compared to aqueous extracts which were observed ranging from 30.0 mg/
mL up to 95.0 mg/mL.
Conclusions: The present findings strongly support traditional uses of these plants in the
treatment of infectious maladies and further urge of phytochemical and pharmacological
research to develop safer and cheaper drugs for the benefit of ailing humanity.
Problem statement: Chronic disease-causing bacteria of medical importance have developed resistance to antibiotics, hence, necessitating distinct and constant need for safe and efficient therapeutic agents. Plants are considered potent candidate for this aim. A way out of reducing antibiotic resistance and adverse effects on host is the employment of antibiotic resistance inhibitors of plant origin. Approach: About 5 kg pulverized Andrographis paniculata whole plant was macerated with MeOH at room temperature to get 305 g freeze dried MeOH extract. The bioautography of MeOH extract using Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis as indicator organisms revealed the presence of two potent antibacterial compounds. MeOH extract was further fractionated and purified by silica gel column chromatography which led to the isolation of a diterpene lactone and an entlabdane diterpene glycoside upon crystallization with absolute ethanol. Results: Two antibacterial compounds viz., 3-O-β-D-glucosyl-14-deoxyandrographolide and 14-deoxyandrographolide were successfully isolated and characterized. Their structures were exclusively elucidated through spectroscopic methods (UV, IR, 1H- and 13C NMR). Conclusion: A. paniculata possesses antibacterial activity and could be potential source of a new class of antibiotics that might be useful for infectious disease chemotherapy and control.
Background: Bacopa monnieri (Linn) Pennell (Scrophulariaceae) is widely distributed in tropical regions of Asia, and used in the treatment of cough or as an antiseptic. The traditional use of this plant suggests its possible antibacterial properties, but its efficacy has not been examined yet. Objective: Evaluate the antibacterial efficacy against pathogenic bacteria using the disk diffusion method. Materials and methods: Five different concentrations (500 μg, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15 mg/mL) of crude leaf extracts of Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell were tested for antibacterial efficacy against seven Gram-positive and 11 Gram-negative bacteria. The sensitivity of plant fractions was tested using the disk diffusion method. Results: Maximum activity was revealed by ethyl acetate and methanol extracts, followed by aqueous, benzene, and petrol extracts. Phyto-chemical analysis of the plant leaf showed the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. Conclusion: This plant may be effective for treatment of different pathogenic diseases. Although large numbers of plant products are used to treat human diseases worldwide, information on the effectiveness of most plant species is either insufficient or lacking [1, 2]. India has great potential for discovery of novel plant-derived-drugs needed to combat various human diseases [3, 4]. Many medicinal plants are used in traditional phyto-therapy for centuries [5, 6]. Bacopa monnieri (Linn) Pennell (Scrophulariaceae) (B. monnieri) is growing widely in tropical regions of Asia, and used in the treatment of cough or as an antiseptic (see Appendix). The traditional use of this plant suggests possible antibacterial properties. However, its efficacy has not been examined fully yet. This study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of B. monnieri. Antibacterial screening of the crude leaf extracts was made using seven Gram-positive (G +ve) and 11 Gram negative (G -ve) bacteria.
Non-polar (dichloromethane) and polar (MeOH and aqueous) extracts of Andrographis paniculata (whole plant) were evaluated for in vitro antibacterial activity against 10 skin disease causing bacterial strains (6 gram positive strains; Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus anthracis, Micrococcus luteus) and 4 gram negative strains (Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Neisseria meningitis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) using disc diffusion method at three different concentrations; 1000, 500 and 250 µg/disc respectively. The extracts showed significant antibacterial activities against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains tested. Highest significant antibacterial activity was exerted by the aqueous extract against M. luteus at 1000 µg/disc and the least activity was exhibited by the DCM extract against N. meningitis at 250 µg/disc. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) observed were between 150 to 300 µg/ml and 250 to 400 µg/ml respectively, depending on microorganism and the nature of various extracts. Time-kill experiments indicated that A. paniculata extracts have bactericidal characteristic against most of the Gram positive bacteria and bacteriostatic activity against both Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria. These results candidly suggest the presence of promising antibacterial substances in the polar as well as non-polar extracts which could be the source of potential phytomedicine for the treatment of skin infections caused by the pathogenic bacterial strains. Our findings explicitly support its traditional claims and form a strong basis for further sincere efforts to explore A. paniculata's antibacterial potential to treat skin frailties efficaciously.
Aim of the present study was to screen thirteen plants for their in vitro antibacterial potentiality. The antibacterial activity of aqueous and methanolic extracts of the plants was evaluated against 5 microorganisms by agar well diffusion method. The screening experiments showed that 92% of the plants were active against gram positive bacteria while only 54% of plants were active against Gram negative bacteria. Amongst the 13 plants screened, Psoralea corylifolia showed best antibacterial activity and hence this plant was selected for further studies. The seed and aerial parts of Psoralea corylifolia was extracted successively using a series of various organic solvents. The antibacterial activity of these extracts was done against 5 microorganisms by agar disc diffusion method. All the extracts of seed and aerial parts were active against S. epidermidis and P. morganii while none of the extracts were active against A. fecalis. Maximum antibacterial activity was shown by dioxan extract of the seed. The present findings suggest that the dioxan extract of seed of P. corylifolia can be used as a promising novel antibacterial agent in the near future. & copy:2011 Academic Journals Inc.
The genus Cycas is reviewed for India. Eight species are treated, one of them published for the first time (Cycas indica). The species are placed within an infrageneric classification previously outlined. Distributions of all taxa are mapped, and a key to species is provided.
Natural drugs are boon to mankind. They have few side effects as compared to allopathic medicine. This invention relates to herbal composition, having potent antibacterial and wound healing property. The formulation prepared is a gel, which is used for effective treatment of wounds and exhibits broad spectrum antibacterial action. Crude extracts of Punica granatum pericarp and Curcuma longa showed antibacterial activity against different strains of gram positive such as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis and gram negative microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris and Enterobacter aerogenes. The MIC is recorded as the lowest concentration of drug which showed clear fluid without turbidity. Minimum inhibitory concentration of Punica granatum peel ranged from 0.05 to 3.2 mg mL-1 and for Curcuma longa MIC ranged from 5 to 320 meg mL-1. Formulation containing these extracts, showed significant zone of inhibition for 0.5, 1, 2.5, 5% of which 5% showed maximum zone of inhibition (ranging from 20.2 to 26 mm) as compared to marketed preparation. The present investigation revealed that gel formulation has potential antibacterial activity.
To investigate the antibacterial potential of the polar and non-polar extracts of the seeds of Melia azedarach (M. azedarach) L. (Meliaceae) against eighteen hospital isolated human pathogenic bacterial strains.
Petrol, benzene, ethyl acetate, methanol, and aqueous extracts at five different concentrations (1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 mg/mL) were evaluated. Disk diffusion method was followed to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy.
All extracts of the seeds demonstrated significant antibacterial activity against tested pathogens. Among all extracts, ethyl acetate extract revealed the highest inhibition comparatively. The present study also favored the traditional uses reported earlier.
Results of this study strongly confirm that the seed extracts of M. azedarach could be effective antibiotics, both in controlling gram-positive and gram-negative human pathogenic infections.
In order to confirm the traditional uses of Coula edulis, the CH 2Cl2-MeOH (1: 1 v/v) extract of stem bark of this plant and its column fractions were screened for antimicrobial activity. The plant was dried and extracted by maceration in CH2-Cl2-MeOH (1:1 v/v). The dry extract was fractionated by silica gel column chromatography. Phytochemical screening was performed using common chemical standard methods. Antimicrobial activity was assayed by disc diffusion method and broth macro dilution method. From the results, it appeared that the crude extract of Coules edulis stem bark displayed antibacterial activities against four clinical isolates of bacteria and antifungal activities against six strains of Candida species. The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) values ranged from 12.5 to 25 mg mL-1 for bacteria and 1.56 to 6.25mg mL-1 for yeasts. The fractionation of crude extract gave eight fractions. Fractions F3 and F4 showed higher antibacterial activities while fractions F5 and F6 displayed higher antifungal activity compared to the crude extract. Their MICs ranged from 0.19 to 12.5 mg mL-1. Phytochemical screening indicated that the crude extract contains tannins, flavonoids, anthraquinones, anthocyanins, sterols and phenols. Coula edulis crude extract has the ability to inhibit bacterial and yeast growth. Fractionation enhanced the antimicrobial activity in some fractions. These results justify the traditional use of this plant for the treatment of infectious diseases.
Hexane, chloroform, methanol and water extracts of aerial part of a high altitude Himalayan medicinal plant Valeriana wallichii DC. (Valerianaceae) were tested for their in vitro antimicrobial properties against animal and plant pathogenic bacteria using disc diffusion method. Aqueous extract showed the highest activity against Staphylococcus aureus (23±1.0 mm zone of inhibition, MIC 250 and MBC 500 μg mL-1) followed by methanol extract against Bacillus subtilis (20±1.0 mm ZOI, MIC 31.25 μg mL-1 and MBC 500 μg mL-1), Staphyloccocus aureus (19±0.8 mm ZOI, MIC and MBC 125 μg mL-1) and hexane extract against Bacillus subtilis (18±1.2 mm ZOI, MIC and MBC 125 μg mL-1). Chloroform extract showed the least activity against the test bacteria. The inhibitory potential of V. wallichii extracts was found very notable as compared to Ampicillin (10 mcg) and Erythromycin (15 mcg) which were used as positive control against these tested microorganisms and therefore this plant can be used as a good source of antibiotic substances for possible treatment of bacterial infections of both plants and animals.
Methanol extracts of Piper longum L., Piper betle L., Piper attanuatum Buch-Ham. [type-2], Piper hymenophyllum Miq., Piper sarmentosum Roxb., Piper argyrophyllum L., Piper attanuatum Buch.-Ham. [type-1] and Piper chaba Hunter were checked for their antibacterial efficiency against 15 clinically important bacterial strains. Cefotaxime sodium (100 μg disc-1) was used as standard. Crude leaf powder suspensions of these 8 Piper species were also evaluated for acute and chronic anti-inflammatory study at a dose of 300 mg kg-1. Diclofenac sodium was used as the standard drug. Carrageenan and dextran models were studied for acute inflammation while cotton pellet-induced granuloma was used for chronic inflammation study. ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s t-test were employed for statistical analysis. Piper species showed better anti-inflammatory activity than antibacterial activity. Piper sarmentosum , Piper argyrophyllum , Piper longum , Piper betle and Piper chaba has biologically important properties and they should be further explored and the active principle should be elucidated in order to bring out the promising antibacterial and anti-inflammatory agent.
This article is derived from a broad, twenty-year study of ethnobotany and folk medicine among pastoral nomads in the Middle East which took place from 1984 to 2004. The article presents examples of different treatments of diseases and disorders of the urinary tract carried out by healer herbalists. The preparation of remedies includes boiling infusions, extraction of dry or fresh leaves, flowers, seeds or whole plants. Some of these plants were used both as food and as medicine, by ingesting different parts of the plants, such as leaves, flowers, fruits, and so on, either while soft, cooked or dried. Data were collected by using unstructured interviews and by observation. These plants were identified by healers, patients, and university botanists. This paper identified eighty-five plant species, which belong to thirty-six families. The most representative families are: Asteraceae (8), Brassicaceae (6), Poaceae (6), Umbelliferae (6).
The Holy Land has absorbed millions of immigrants in recent centuries: Jews from East and West, Druze, Circassians, Muslim and Christian Arabs. The land is unique and diverse in geographical location and ethnic groups, and also in its cultural characteristics, including traditional medicine and use of materia medica. However, these traditions have waned over the years. The young state of Israel adopted a "melting pot" approach to fashion Jews from all over the world into Israelis.
The traditional medicine and materia medica of different ethnic groups (Yemenite, Iranian, and Iraqi Jews) are reviewed in this paper, as well as the ethno-botanical survey (first conducted in the 1980s, covering Bedouins, Druze, Circassians, and Muslim and Christian Arabs), and the matching ethno-pharmacological survey (conducted in the late 1990s) covering the medicines sold in stores.
Present-day healers are usually not young and are believed to be the end of the chain of traditional medical knowledge. The ethno-diversity of Israel is becoming blurred; modernity prevails, and ethnic characteristics are fading. The characteristic lines of traditional medicine and materia medica have hardly lasted three generations.
A salient former dividing line between ethnic groups, namely their use of different medicinal substances, paradoxically becomes a bridge for conservative users of all groups and religions. Shops selling these substances have become centers for "nostalgia" and preserving the oriental heritage, traditional medicine, and medicinal substances!
Plants or their crude extracts have been used since prehistory to treat human ailments. Plants are still used in this way in many parts of the world, but Western scientific medicine has tended to isolate active compounds, or make derivatives of them, for use as drugs. Compounds produced by the plant have been important pharmaceuticals since the isolation of morphine almost two hundred years ago and new naturally occurring compounds such as paclitaxel are continually being introduced commercially. Bioactive molecules may also be produced from chemicals found in plants by chemical modification using synthetic chemistry or microorganisms (as in the production of steroids). A third major contribution of plant chemicals to drugs is their utilization as templates for the design of new compounds made by synthesis (e.g. the discovery of aspirin and related compounds from substances in willow bark). New pharmaceuticals from plants are being discovered by examining traditional medicines and by large-scale bioassay screening processes. In addition, the chemical survival systems of plants that exist in hostile environments are receiving increasing attention as leads to discover active compounds. The knowledge of botanical relationships helps find new sources of known compounds of interest and novel compounds with similar structures from related species. Future prospects for the discovery of new compounds from plants are broadened by the new technologies of gene manipulation, tissue culture, and combinatorial chemistry, so it is very likely that natural products from plants will continue to play an important role in the fight against disease. Keywords (Audience): General Public
Ethnobotany, as a research field of science, has been widely used for the documentation of indigenous knowledge on the use of plants and for providing an inventory of useful plants from local flora in Asian countries. Plants that are used for traditional herbal medicine in different countries are an important part of these studies. However, in some countries in recent years, ethnobotanical studies have been used for the discovery of new drugs and new drug development. In general, experiences gained from ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies in China and Himalayan countries have helped drug production and new drug development. At the same time, in many cases, over-harvesting, degradation of medical plants, and loss of traditional medical knowledge in local communities are common problems in these resource areas. Issues of indigenous knowledge, intellectual property rights, and uncontrolled transboundary trade in medicinal plants occur frequently in the region. This paper discusses ethnobotanical approaches of traditional medicinal studies, in reference to experiences from China and Himalayan countries, with an emphasis on the conservation of traditional medical knowledge and medical plant resources.
A comparative study on the antimicrobial properties of extracts from medicinal plants obtained by two different methods was carried out. The screening of the antimicrobial activity of extracts from six plants was conducted by a disc diffusion test against Gram-positive, -negative and fungal organisms. The most active extracts (inhibition diameter >/=12 mm) were assayed for the minimum inhibitory concentration and submitted to phytochemical screening by thin-layer chromatography and bioautography. The results obtained indicate that the diethyl ether extracts were the most efficient antimicrobial compounds. The activity was more pronounced against Gram-positive and fungal organisms than against Gram-negative bacteria. Bioautography showed that the antimicrobial activity was probably due to flavonoids and terpenes.
The function of microbial MDRs remains a hotly debated subject. Given the very broad substrate specificities of some MDRs, like the RND pumps that can extrude all classes of amphipathic compounds (cationic, neutral, and anionic), it seems difficult to develop a rationale for pinpointing possible natural substrates of these translocases. At the same time, several clues can be used to guide our search for natural MDR substrates. One is the fact that amphipathic cations appear to be the preferred substrates of MDRs. These substances are extruded by MDRs of all 5 known families and are the almost exclusive substrates of SMR and MF family MDRs. The universal nature of amphipathic cations as MDR substrates suggests that these were the substances that fueled the evolution of MDR pumps. Two factors apparently favored this particular class of molecules for the role of original MDR substrates--need and opportunity. Unlike other substances, amphipathic cations accumulate in the cell driven by the membrane potential, which makes cations potentially the most dangerous toxins. At the same time, amphipathic cations are highly hydrated and do not permeate the membrane as readily as neutral compounds, making it feasible to design a defense based on an efflux pump. The paucity of known cationic (non-basic) antimicrobials might be a result of using MDR-expressing microbial cells for antibiotic discovery. Plant amphipathic cations, the berberine alkaloids, are good MDR substrates. The Berberis plants produce 5'-methoxyhydnocarpin-D, an MDR inhibitor that potentiates the action of berberine. It is suggested that the further evolution of MDR pumps was determined largely by the barrier function of the membrane they reside in. Thus Gram negative bacteria have an outer membrane barrier that slows the penetration of virtually all amphipathic molecules, and transenvelope MDRs of the RND and EmrAB-type extrude their substrates across this barrier. A low permeability of the cytoplasmic membrane of yeast similarly allows for the operation of broad-specificity ABC and MF MDRs. The presence of MDR sensors that regulate the expression of some MDR pumps strongly suggests that defense against external toxins is the function of these MDRs. The BmrR transcriptional activator of the MerR family induces expression of the Bmr pump in B. subtilis and is a sensor specifically designed to recognize amphipathic cations. Similarly, the OacR repressor binds chemically unrelated cations, which leads to the expression of the QacA pump in S. aureus. In E. coli, the EmrR sensor of the MarR repressor family binds unrelated neutral molecules, allowing for expression of the transenvelope EmrAB pump.
Previous reports from this laboratory have shown that flavonoids including apigenin are capable of inducing oxidative DNA cleavage in the presence of copper ions. In the present report, we have examined the ability of amentoflavone, a biflavonoid which is a dimer of apigenin, to catalyze the degradation of DNA. Amentoflavone was found to degrade calf thymus DNA in the presence of Cu(II) at a rate almost twice that of apigenin. Amentoflavone was also shown to reduce Cu(II) to Cu(I) and to generate hydroxyl radicals in the presence of copper ions. In the presence of Cu(II), the absorption spectrum of amentoflavone undergoes a shift and a quenching effect indicating that the biflavonoid is capable of binding to copper ions. Amentoflavone and apigenin were isolated from Cycas rumphii and Trifolium alexandrinum, respectively. The results are discussed in relation to the putative chemopreventive mechanism of amentoflavone.