eCAM: An Emerging Linkage with Ethnopharmacology?

Therapeutic perspectives of the black cumin component thymoquinone: A review

The dietary phytochemical thymoquinone (TQ), belonging to the family of quinones, mainly obtained from the black and angular seeds of Nigella sativa, is one of the promising monoterpenoid hydrocarbons, which has been receiving massive attention for its therapeutic potential and pharmacological properties. It plays an important role as a chemopreventive and therapeutic agent in the treatment of various diseases and illnesses. The aim of this review is to present a summary of the most recent literature pertaining to the use of TQ for the prevention and treatment of various diseases along with possible mechanisms of action, and the potential use of this natural product as a complementary or alternative medicine. Research findings indicated that TQ exhibits numerous pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, neuroprotective, and anticancer, among others. Conclusions of this review on the therapeutic aspects of TQ highlight the medicinal and folk values of this compound against various diseases and ailments. In short, TQ could be a novel drug in clinical trials, as we hope.

Corals and their potential applications to integrative medicine

Over the last few years, we have pursued the use and exploitation of invertebrate immune systems, most notably their humoral products, to determine what effects their complex molecules might exert on humans, specifically their potential for therapeutic applications. This endeavor, called “bioprospecting,” is an emerging necessity for biomedical research. In order to treat the currently “untreatable,” or to discover more efficient treatment modalities, all options and potential sources must be exhausted so that we can provide the best care to patients, that is, proceed from forest and ocean ecosystems through the laboratory to the bedside. Here, we review current research findings that have yielded therapeutic benefits, particularly as derived from soft and hard corals. Several applications have already been demonstrated, including anti-inflammatory properties, anticancer properties, bone repair, and neurological benefits.

Cassia auriculata: Aspects of Safety Pharmacology and Drug Interaction

Safety pharmacology studies help in identifying preclinical adverse drug reactions. We carried out routine safety pharmacology with focus on cardiovascular variables and pharmacokinetic herb-drug interaction studies on rats fed with standardized traditional hydro-alcoholic extract and technology-based supercritical extract of Cassia auriculata for 12 weeks. Our studies indicate that both these extracts are pharmacologically safe and did not show any significant adverse reactions at the tested doses. The traditional hydro-alcoholic extract did not show any significant effect on pharmacokinetics; however, the technology-based supercritical extract caused a significant reduction in absorption of metformin. Our results indicate the need to include pharmacokinetic herb-drug interaction studies as evidence for safety especially for technology-based extracts.

Parallels between zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary and human complementary medicine in northeastern Brazil

AIM OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study was to describe the local zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinay medicine of semi-arid of NE Brazil (Caatinga biome) and to contribute to future research about the validation of the effects and side effects of these animal products. In this sense, we sought to determine the connections between human and animal ethnopharmacology and their implications for ethnoveterinary medicine in northeastern Brazil.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study we analyze data gathered through fieldwork conducted in the semi-arid of Paraiba State, NE Brazil, where 123 people (98 men and 25 women) provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. The information obtained through semi-structured interviews was complemented by free interviews and informal conversations.

RESULTS

A total of 46 animal species (43 vertebrates and 3 invertebrates) were found to be used to treat 33 different ailments in livestocks and pets and 62 conditions in humans. Interviewees cited a wide range of materials derived from animal bodies (or their metabolic products) that are used as remedies in local EVM, nonetheless, fats (and/or suet) is the most frequently reported natural remedies. EVM practices have close relationships with human complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and probably evolved based on traditional human medicine practices; as such, the division between EVM and CAM is not always obvious from the viewpoint of the local residents. Descriptions of diseases, symptoms or treatments were often associated with both humans and animals (especially livestock), and 24 animal species (52%) were prescribed to treat similar ailments in both humans and animals based on local knowledge about CAM.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that traditional knowledge of animal-based medicines in ethnoveterinary practices co-evolved with traditional knowledge of human ethnomedicine. The examination of folk knowledge and animal health practices will give us a better understanding of human interactions with their local environment and aid in formulating appropriate strategies for the validation of traditional remedies and for natural resource conservation.

Animal-based remedies as complementary medicines in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil

Animals (and their derived products) are essential ingredients in the preparation of many traditional remedies. Despite its prevalence in traditional medical practices worldwide, research on medicinal animals has often been neglected in comparison to medicinal plant research. This work documents the medicinal animals used by a rural community in the semi-arid region, inserted in Caatinga Biome, where 66 respondents provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. We calculated the informant consensus factor to determine the consensus over which species are effective for particular ailments, as well as the species use value to determine the extent of utilization of each species. We recorded the use of 51 animal species as medicines, whose products were recommended for the treatment of 68 illnesses. The informant consensus in the use of many specific remedies is fairly high, giving an additional validity to this folk medicine. Eight species not previously reported as having medicinal use were recorded. The local medicinal fauna is largely based on wild animals, including some endangered species. Given a high proportion of medicinal animals observed in the study area, it is logical to conclude that any conservation strategy should include access to modern health care.

Cytotoxic effects of bangladeshi medicinal plant extracts

To investigate the cytotoxic effect of some Bangladeshi medicinal plant extracts, 16 Bangladeshi medicinal plants were successively extracted with n-hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water. The methanolic and aqueous extracts were screened for cytotoxic activity against healthy mouse fibroblasts (NIH3T3) and three human cancer-cell lines (gastric: AGS; colon: HT-29; and breast: MDA-MB-435S) using the MTT assay. Two methanolic extracts (Hygrophila auriculata and Hibiscus tiliaceous) and one aqueous extract (Limnophila indica) showed no toxicity against healthy mouse fibroblasts, but selective cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells (IC₅₀ 1.1–1.6 mg mL⁻¹). Seven methanolic extracts from L. indica, Clerodendron inerme, Cynometra ramiflora, Xylocarpus moluccensis, Argemone mexicana, Ammannia baccifera and Acrostichum aureum and four aqueous extracts from Hygrophila auriculata, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, X. moluccensis and Aegiceras corniculatum showed low toxicity (IC₅₀ > 2.5 mg mL⁻¹) against mouse fibroblasts but selective cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ 0.2–2.3 mg mL⁻¹) against different cancer cell lines. The methanolic extract of Blumea lacera showed the highest cytotoxicity (IC₅₀ 0.01–0.08 mg mL⁻¹) against all tested cell lines among all extracts tested in this study. For some of the plants their traditional use as anticancer treatments correlates with the cytotoxic results, whereas for others so far unknown cytotoxic activities were identified.