• CELLMED
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.26.1-26.7
• /
• 2013

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is a perennial herb. It is widely distributed in tropical Asia. In India, it is cultivated mainly in Kerala, Andhia Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra. It is one of the most common spices, which is in use since centuries for its versatile medicinal actions like antiemetic, stomachic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac etc in traditional system of medicine (Unani, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine). It is useful for the treatment of various gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular and sexual disorders. The phytochemical study of ginger showed the presence of many volatile oils and oleo-resins like gingerol, zinger one, zingiberol etc. Numerous experimental and clinical trials have proven ginger for its range of therapeutic activities such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiemetic, hypolipidaemic, hepatoprotective etc properties. The present article aims to explore traditional Unani and pharmacological activities of this herb reported till date.

• CELLMED
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.1.1-1.6
• /
• 2020

Since times immemorial, people have been dependant on plants for the various nutritional and pharamacological properties. Folk and traditional medicine recognizes thousands of plant species having miraculous benefits. Fig (Ficus carica Linn.) has been part of folk-lore since centuries. Ficus carica Linn. (Moraceae) is a huge deciduous tree, with more than 800 species. Different parts of Ficus carica like bark, root, leaves, fruit and latex have their own valuable importance and are frequently used for the treatment of various illnesses. Fruit of Ficus carica is commonly called as fig (anjeer) has various medicinal properties used in Unani, Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional system of medicines. Fig fruit is mostly used in gastro intestinal and respiratory disorders. In Unani medicine, fig is used as a diuretic, mild laxative and expectorant. Phytochemical studies on the leaves and fruits of the plant have shown that they are rich in Phenolics, Flavonoids, Vitamin C, Alkaloids, Saponins, Coumarins, tannins, organic acids, and volatile compounds due to which it is having great antioxidant property. Most interesting therapeutic effects include hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, anticancer, antimicrobial and hypolipidemic activities.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.11 no.2
• /
• pp.109-114
• /
• 2005

Leucas aspera Link. (Lamiaceae) is an important medicinal plant in indigenous systems of medicine in India and commonly known as 'Thumbai'. It has various ethnomedicinal values as various traditional communities find diverse medicinal properties. It is used as antipyretic, stimulant, expectorant and diaphoretic drug. The present communication deals with the detailed pharmacognostical evaluation of whole plant of L. aspera collected from five different geographical zones of the country-Uttar Pradesh, Orissa, Karnataka, West Bengal and Gujarat. The botanical characters and TLC fingerprint profile of all the samples were quite similar but some variations were observed in physicochemical parameters. However, some microscopical characters and TLC profile can be used as diagnostic characters for identification of L. aspera, for example amphistomachic leaves and two types of trichomes-abundant, non glandular, uniseriate, 1-3 celled and few glandular, 2-5 celled stalk with rounded tip. Presence of some components at $R_fs-0.56$, 0.65 and 0.76 under UV 366 and at $R_fs-0.31$, 0.43, 0.60, 0.76 and 0.82 under visible light after derivetization in TLC profile may also be used as diagnostic character.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.32 no.2 s.125
• /
• pp.93-97
• /
• 2001

Aurantii Fructus has been used in traditional medicine as a digestant, expectorant, and in the treatment of diarrhea, anal prolapse. For the quality control of this crude drug, hesperidin was isolated from the ethylacetate fraction of Citrus aurantium (Rutaceae) and identified by the spectroscopic evidences. A quantitative analysis of hesperidin using HPLC method exhibited that the average contents of hesperidin were $2.13{\pm}1.16%$ in 57 samples collected throughout the various regions of Korea.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.223-231
• /
• 1986

Experimental studies were conducted to investigate for the effect of Mahaengkamsuk-tang on analgesic, antipyretic, antiinflammatory, secretion of respiratory tract, isolated ileum. Mahaengkamsuk-tang was composed of Ephedrae Herba, Armenicae Semen, Glycyrrhizae Radix, Gypsum Fibrosum. The following results has been obtained; analgesic and antipyretic actions were obtained. Anti-inflammatory effects in the paw edema induced by 1% dextran was significantly shown in rats. Spontaneous motilities of isolated ileum of mice were strongly suppressed, and contractions of isolated ileum of mice induced by acetylcholine chloride, barium chloride and histamine were remarkably inhibited. Expectorant effect was shown in rabbits. Continuous hypotensive action was seen.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
• /
• v.26 no.2
• /
• pp.139-147
• /
• 1995

Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum is a wild plant growing only in Jeju-island, Korea, and in Japan. The whole part of this plant has been known to have the pharmacological actions such as analgesic, anti-inflammatory, platelet-aggregation inhibitory, antitussive, and expectorant. With these assumed actions, the leaves (Crinum folium) of this plant has been used in the folk remedies for arthritis and arthralgia. There is, however, no scientific evidences for the pharmacological actions of Crinum asiaticum var. japonicum. In the present study, the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and platelet-aggregation inhibitory actions of Crinium folium were evaluated using writhing test, tail-flick test, carrageenin antiedema test, in vitro thromboxane $B_2$ quantitation assay and in vitro platelet aggregation test. In order to obtain the partially purified fraction whose pharmacological action is excellent, the methanol extract of Crinium folium was fractionated consecutively into four biological fractions such as ether, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water fractions and their pharmacological actions of the fractions were investigated. Putting our results together, Crinium folium, especially ethyl acetate fraction was proven to have significant analgesic, anti-inflammatory and platelet-aggregation inhibitory actions by inhibition of prostanoids biosynthesis as one of its mechanism of action.

• Journal of Physiology & Pathology in Korean Medicine
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.156-162
• /
• 2006

In the present study, the author intended to investigate whether two oriental medical prescriptions named GSGT and GCPT significantly affect mucin release from cultured hamster tracheal surface epithelial (HTSE) cells. Confluent HTSE cells were metabolically radiolabeled with 3H-glucosamine for 24 hrs and chased for 30 min in the presen+ce of GSGT or GCPT to assess the effect of each agent on 3H-mucin release. Possible cytotoxicities of each agent were assessed dy measuring lactate dehydrogenase(LDH) release. Also, the effects of GSGT and GCPT on contractility of isolated tracheal smooth muscle were investigated. (1) GSGT did not affect mucin release without cytotoxicity ; (2) GCPT significantly stimulated mucin release from cultured HTSE cells, with significant cytotoxicity ; (3) GSGT and GCPT did not affect contractility of isolated tracheal smooth muscle. We suggest that the effects of GCPT and its components should be further investigated and it is of great value to find, from oriental medical prescriptions, novel agents which have potent expectorant effects on mucin secretion from airway goblet cells.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.133-137
• /
• 2009

The root of Astragalus membranaceus is a traditional folk medicine that has been used for many therapeutic purposes in Asia. It reportedly acts as an immunostimulant, tonic, hepatoprotective, diuretic, antidiabetic, analgesic, expectorant, sedative, and anticancer drug. In this study, metabolomic profiling was applied to the roots of A. membranaceus of different ages using NMR coupled with two multivariate statistical analysis methods: such as principal components analysis (PCA) and canonical discriminant analysis (CDA). This allowed various metabolites to be assigned in NMR spectra, including $\gamma$-aminobutyric acid (GABA), aspartic acid, succinic acid, glutamic acid, glutamine, N-acetyl aspartic acid, acetic acid, arginine, alanine, threonine, lactic acid, and valine. The score plot from PCA and also CDA allowed a clear separation between samples according to age.

• Natural Product Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.2
• /
• pp.61-67
• /
• 2021

Since ancient times, various herbal medicines have been used in folk medicine to treat a variety of diseases. While the majority of drugs belong to the Kingdom of Plantae, some drugs from the Kingdom of Animalia are listed in various Materia medica of alternative medicines. Animal-derived drugs are mentioned in the Unani system of Medicine (USM) and have been used successfully to treat a variety of diseases. Marjān (Corallium rubrum) is a vital marine drug of animal origin that has been used in USM since ancient times and continues to be used today. It possesses a variety of beneficial pharmacological properties, including tonic effects on the heart, brain, stomach, and eyes, pregnancy protection, expectorant, and hemostyptic properties. It is used to treat hemoptysis, palpitation, bleeding piles, hemiplegia, heart failure, and general weakness. It is also an ingredient in a variety of Unani formulations with pharmacological significance. Unani physicians expanded the uses of Marjan and successfully used it to treat a variety of new diseases. There is a dearth of scientific research on its pharmacological and medicinal properties. The urgent need is to validate the Unani claims about its beneficial cardiac and nervine actions, as well as other significant actions mentioned in the Unani literature.

• Korean Journal of Medicinal Crop Science
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.233-237
• /
• 2009

Astragalus membranaceus has a long history of medicinal use in Chinese herbal medicine. It has been shown to have immunostimulant, tonic, antioxidant, antiperspirant, diuretic, anti-diabetic, expectorant properties, and a supplementary medicine during cancer therapy. In this study, we investigated the effect of anti-oxidation of Astragalus membranaceus root extract. The anti-oxidative activities of water, 80% methanol, and 100% methanol extracts from Astragalus membranaceus were analyzed by DPPH free radical scavenging activity, Superoxide dismutase-like activity, reducing power, and crude ash. The water extract demonstrated to be more effective than methanol extract for a DPPH radicals scavenging activities and reducing power. Superoxide dismutase-like activity showed higher efficiency in 80% methanol extract. Our results indicate that Astragalus membranaceus extracts could be used as a source of antioxidant ingredients in the food industry.