Wednesday, 30 November 2016
No honourable man or woman could ever accept advice from people who never cared for us at the most difficult times
To so many Africans, Fidel Castro is a hero. Here’s why | Sean Jacobs https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/30/africa-fidel-castro-nelson-mandela-cuba?CMP=share_btn_tw
Turmeric: a spice for life?
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/article/PIIS1470-2045%2816%2930587-3/fulltext?elsca1=etoc#.WD7vQBWtVX0.twitter
Frightened by Donald Trump? You don’t know the half of it | George Monbiot
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/nov/30/donald-trump-george-monbiot-misinformation?CMP=share_btn_tw
Evil Kermit: the perfect meme for terrible times
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/nov/30/evil-kermit-perfect-meme-terrible-times?CMP=share_btn_tw
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
The aloe vera gels many Americans buy at Walmart, Target and Walgreens contain no evidence of aloe vera at all
http://bloom.bg/2ghhmWL via @business
Some 'aloe vera' products sold at Walmart, Target contain no aloe at all, study http://www.torontosun.com/2016/11/23/some-aloe-vera-products-sold-at-walmart-target-contain-no-aloe-at-all-study-finds
Some 'aloe vera' products sold at Walmart, Target contain no aloe at all, study http://www.torontosun.com/2016/11/23/some-aloe-vera-products-sold-at-walmart-target-contain-no-aloe-at-all-study-finds
Herbal Support for Sexual Health
Benefits of #herbal ingredients for #sexual #health. #botanicals http://bit.ly/2fGrKH7 via @NatProdInsider
GÖtz Harnischfeger 1939-2016
by Hannah Bauman
HerbalGram. 2016; American Botanical Council
Götz Harnischfeger, PhD, died on April 26, 2016, at the age of 77. Harnischfeger was a botanist, chemist, and pharmacist who expanded the fields of plant biochemistry and medicinal plant research as both an educator and a member of the German phytomedicine industry. He spent most of his career at Schaper & Brümmer, a German company that developed the world’s leading clinically studied black cohosh (Actaea racemosa, Ranunculaceae) extract.
Harnischfeger studied pharmacy at the University of Frankfurt in Germany before earning his PhD in the United States at Florida State University. He returned to Germany to complete his post-doctorate studies at the University of Göttingen in 1976, after which he served as a professor of botany for the university. In 1982, he was appointed as a professor of plant biochemistry.
After leaving academia, Harnischfeger joined the phytopharmaceutical industry in a variety of management and research positions, focusing his efforts on improving standardization of phytomedicines and embracing the challenge of staying ahead of rapidly evolving analytical methods. His reputation as an expert on natural product research grew, and he co-authored and assisted in the development of several landmark publications on the subject, including Stabilitätsprüfung in der Pharmazie(“Stability Testing in Pharmaceutics”) and an updated edition of Hermann Hager’s Handbook of Pharmaceutical Practice.
“I met Professor Harnischfeger in 1991 when I joined the natural product research-oriented pharmaceutical company Schaper & Brümmer, where he was manufacturing/production manager,” wrote Eckehard Liske, PhD, who was the head of the international medical department at Schaper & Brümmer (email to M. Blumenthal, June 27, 2016). “In the following years we had numerous discussions on central issues of rational phytotherapy regarding plant extraction, whole extract versus single marker substances, active ingredients, and quality control. Pretty soon I realized that Professor Harnischfeger was a world-renowned expert in this research field. Looking back, I must say that he made me familiar with the philosophy of rational phytotherapy resulting in evidence-based herbal medicine. I am very grateful to him for these discussions.”
Mark Blumenthal, founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council, recalled the first time he met Harnischfeger. “I met Dr. Harnischfeger through the late Professor Varro E. Tyler, with whom he had formed a professional relationship and friendship over the years,” he said. “As a key scientist at Schaper & Brümmer, he made an excellent (and entertaining) presentation at one conference on his company’s production of black cohosh extract. He was instrumental in developing a unique program in which the company grew its own black cohosh in Germany — probably the first commercial-scale cultivation of this indigenous wild eastern North American medicinal plant outside of the United States — thereby reducing pressure on wild populations.”
Harnischfeger’s commitment to the safety and quality of herbal medicinal products drew him to a number of professional committees. He was a member of Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker (German Chemical Society), Deutsche Botanische Gesellschaft (German Botanical Society), and Gesellschaft für Arzneipflanzen- und Naturstoff-Forschung (GA; Society for Medicinal Plant and Natural Product Research). He also served as an elected member of the Deutscher Arzneibuch Ausschuss Pharmazeutische Biologie (German Pharmacopeia Committee on Pharmacognosy) from 1992 to 2005, and a member of the expert group on phytochemistry for the European Pharmacopoeia for 15 years. In recognition for his work relating to public health, he was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1999.
“The internationalization of GA is … due [in part] to his never-ending activities to promote this society to a global acceptance and impact,” noted Gerhard Franz in his remembrance of Harnischfeger for the July 2016 GA newsletter. “He attended all the annual member meetings and his criticism was feared by many members and even some presidents of the GA.”
In his personal life, Harnischfeger was a deeply devout Catholic and served as an archivist and church historian for his parish. He was also a member of the German Association of the Holy Land and was awarded the Star of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem in 1996. He is survived by his wife Jeanne.
—Hannah Bauman
Re: Bergamot Has Positive Quantitative and Qualitative Effects on Plasma Lipids, Decreases Oxidative Stress, and Improves Control of Plasma Glucose Levels
| |
Date: 11-15-2016 | HC# 041624-556 |
Giglio RV, Patti AM, Nikolic D, et al. The effect of bergamot on dyslipidemia. Phytomedicine. October 2016;23(11):1175-1181.
Dyslipidemia is often treated with statins, which inhibit 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme-A (HMG-CoA) reductase. Some patients with dyslipidemia have adverse reactions to prescription statins or do not reach target plasma lipid levels with statins alone. Herbal treatments may help patients reduce total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride (TG) levels. Citrus (Citrus spp., Rutaceae) fruits have been found to benefit lipid metabolism and may help reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The fruit of bergamot (Citrus bergamia) is high in flavonoids and has been shown to be antimicrobial, analgesic, and anti-inflammatory, and to alter plasma glucose and lipid concentrations. The goal of this review was to summarize research of the effect of bergamot on plasma lipid concentrations and lipid metabolism.
PubMed and Scopus were searched up to September 2015 for preclinical and clinical studies with any of the following keywords: bergamot, cardiovascular risk, dyslipidemia, lipids, lipoproteins, high density lipoprotein, low density lipoprotein, lipid-lowering drugs, nutraceuticals, natural compounds, and statin.
Eleven preclinical studies were found. These studies were conducted in animal models and in isolated cell lines. Bergamot contains the flavonoids neoeriocitrin, neohesperidin, naringin, rutin, neodesmin, poncirin, brutieridin, melitidin, and rhoifolin. In rats with hypercholesterolemia, brutieridin, melitidin, and neoeriocitrin have statin-like qualities and reduce TC, TGs, LDL-C, and very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C). Similar results were found in rats with hyperlipidemia. In addition, oxidation levels of LDL-C and malondialdehyde levels were lower in rats fed bergamot. These findings are consistent with a decrease in oxidative stress with bergamot consumption. Bergamot juice was also found to scavenge free radicals in vitro. Studies have also investigated the mechanisms by which bergamot acts on plasma lipid levels. A study in rats found increased excretion of sterols in fecal material with consumption of bergamot. Bergamot flavanones from the peel (brutieridin, melitidin, and HMG-neoeriocitrin) also have been found to bind to the active site of HMG-CoA reductase, causing inhibition of the enzyme in a manner similar to statins. In human hepatoma cells (HepG2), the bergamot constituents naringenin and hesperetin decreased synthesis of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins.
Three clinical studies were found. In one study, bergamot alone was compared to placebo, two dosages of rosuvastatin (10 or 20 mg per day), and bergamot plus the lower dose of rosuvastatin. Bergamot decreased TC and LDL-C to a similar extent as 10 mg per day of rosuvastatin. Bergamot also significantly reduced the ratio of LDL-C to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and markers of oxidative stress. Additionally, bergamot significantly enhanced the effect of rosuvastatin in patients with mixed hyperlipidemia. In a second study, the effect of bergamot versus placebo was compared in patients with metabolic syndrome and fatty liver disease. Bergamot significantly reduced fasting glucose levels, LDL-C, TGs, and small, dense LDL levels, and increased HDL-C compared to placebo. In a final study, the effect of bergamot was assessed in patients who had to discontinue use of statins due to adverse effects. Patients were divided into four groups. One group had hypercholesterolemia, a second group had hyperlipidemia, the third group had hyperlipidemia plus metabolic syndrome, and the last group had discontinued statins due to muscle cramps and a significant increase in serum creatine kinase levels. In the first three groups, bergamot decreased plasma TC and LDL-C and increased HDL-C. In the group with metabolic syndrome, control of plasma glucose levels increased with bergamot consumption, and in the fourth group, TC and LDL-C decreased with bergamot consumption.
The results of these studies suggest that bergamot has positive quantitative and qualitative effects on plasma lipids, decreases oxidative stress, and improves control of plasma glucose levels. The dosages of bergamot used in human studies range between 500 mg and 1300 mg per day. It is unknown if these dosages are appropriate or if drug interactions could occur with bergamot consumption. In addition, the flavonoids are the most studied component of bergamot, but other active compounds are known to exist within bergamot. Studies of these compounds would be useful. The authors suggest that further studies should be conducted to determine appropriate dosage, drug interactions, and the mechanism of action of bergamot.
—Cheryl McCutchan, PhD
Re: Combining Whey Protein and Cocoa Decreases Spikes in Blood Glucose and Increases Adiponectin Production after Consumption
| |
Date: 11-15-2016 | HC# 051633-556 |
Campbell CL, Foegeding EA, Harris GK. Cocoa and whey protein differentially affect markers of lipid and glucose metabolism and satiety. J Med Food. 2016;19(3):219-227.
Diets consisting of 30% or more calories from protein, and particularly, whey protein, have been shown to be effective in inducing satiety and reducing food intake. The high branched-chain amino acid content, specifically leucine, of whey proteins is associated with inducing satiety. Polyphenols found in cocoa (Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae), fruits, and tea (Camellia sinensis, Theaceae) have been shown to increase satiety, insulin sensitivity, and lipid metabolism. These authors examined the combined health effects of cocoa polyphenolics and whey proteins and aimed to evaluate the effects of these ingredients upon lipid and glucose metabolism and markers of satiety in vitro and in a randomized, single-blind, crossover, clinical trial conducted at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In vitro, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were treated with 0.5-100 µg/mL cocoa polyphenolic extract (CPE) and/or 1-15 mM leucine and assayed for lipid accumulation and leptin production. Leptin is a hormone that increases the feeling of fullness between meals and affects weight management.1 The authors report that cellular lipid accumulation significantly decreased with preadipocyte treatment of 50 µg/mL (35%) and 100 µg/mL (50%) CPE. CPE plus 15 mM leucine reduced lipid accumulation by 22-36%. Leucine treatments of 1 mM to 15 mM significantly increased adipocyte leptin production by 26-37%. Though not statistically significant, CPE treatment of 0.5 µg/mL increased leptin secretion by 25% over a negative control plus solvent.
The effects of leucine upon leptin secretion in this study were not as great as those in previous studies. For example, in earlier studies, adipocyte treatment with 5 mM leucine was reported to increase leptin secretion 2- to 5-fold within 4 hours of treatment.2,3 The reduced effect observed in the current study may be due to the treatment method, say the authors, as complete growth media were supplemented with leucine rather than administering leucine in the absence of most essential nutrients. "Our approach was designed to prevent cellular nutrient starvation and provided a more realistic representation for higher animal studies. However, this approach may have diminished the observed effects of leucine upon leptin secretion," write the authors.
Nine healthy subjects aged between 18 and 35 years participated in the clinical trial, which included 4-hour sessions once weekly for 6 weeks. The subjects were not dieting, had not lost or gained significant weight during the preceding year, had not recently started or ended a regular exercise program, were not allergic to dairy or cocoa ingredients, and had no history of type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus.
For each session, the subjects arrived at the laboratory after fasting overnight and completed a baseline hunger questionnaire and underwent a blood draw. They were then randomly assigned to consume 1 of six 340-g beverages, each providing 130-150 calories. The beverages included a placebo (maltodextrin); whey protein isolate (WPI) (donated by Davisco Foods International, Inc.; Le Sueur, Minnesota); Dutch-process low-polyphenolic cocoa (LP) and high-polyphenolic cocoa (HP) (donated by The Hershey Company; Hershey, Pennsylvania); LP+WPI; and HP+WPI. The cocoa-containing beverages LP and HP each provided 36 g cocoa. The subjects ranked beverage liking, provided blood samples to measure glucose and adiponectin levels, and ranked their hunger levels at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 hours after beverage consumption.
The authors report blood glucose increases compared with baseline with the WPI (8%), HP+WPI (12%), LP+WPI (16%), HP (27%), LP (39%), and placebo (58%) interventions. The WPI intervention significantly lowered glucose levels 30 minutes after consumption (P<0.05). Compared with the LP intervention, HP significantly decreased the 30-minute spike in blood glucose (P<0.05). No significant differences were found between the HP+WPI and LP+WPI interventions. All beverages increased serum adiponectin levels above baseline, except for the placebo beverage, which lowered levels below baseline at all time points after consumption. Adiponectin concentrations peaked between 30 and 60 minutes after consumption. The greatest increases in adiponectin levels were seen with the WPI and HP beverages and were significantly higher than the placebo at 0.5-2 hours and 1 hour after consumption, respectively.
Compared with baseline, all hunger ratings significantly decreased at 30 and 60 minutes after consumption. No significant differences were found in the overall hunger ratings during the 4 hours among beverage treatments. The authors suggest that this lack of differences among treatments was likely due to the limited size of this pilot study, the low calorie content of the beverages, or the use of a robust placebo.
"Overall," state the authors, "our results reinforced those of previous studies: WPI and HP significantly decreased spikes in blood glucose and increased adiponectin production." These findings "indicate that combined cocoa and whey protein consumption may be a potential tool in the formulation of low calorie, satiety-inducing foods."
This study was partially supported by a grant from the Dairy Research Institute (Rosemont, Illinois).
―Shari Henson
References
1Fantuzzi G. Adipose tissue, adipokines, and inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2005;115(5):911-919.
2Roh C, Han J, Tzatsos A, Kandror KV. Nutrient-sensing mTOR-mediated pathway regulates leptin production in isolated rat adipocytes. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2003;284(2):E322-E330.
3Cammisotto PG, Bukowiecki LJ, Deshaies Y, Bendayan M. Leptin biosynthetic pathway in white adipocytes. Biochem Cell Biol. 2006;84(2):207-214.
UK Government Uses Aid Money to Back Oil Drilling in UNESCO World Heritage Site
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/38532-uk-government-uses-aid-money-to-back-oil-drilling-in-unesco-world-heritage-site via @truthout
New research shows that poverty, ethnicity and gender magnify the impact of austerity on BME women
http://wbg.org.uk/news/new-research-shows-poverty-ethnicity-gender-magnify-impact-austerity-bme-women/ via @WomensBudgetGrp
Nature’s Emporium: The Botanical Drug Trade and the Commons Tradition in Southern Appalachia, 1847–1917
Environmental History
(2016)
21
(4):
660-687.
doi:
10.1093/envhis/emw063
First published online:
August 25, 2016
Luke Manget
Abstract
From the 1840s through the end of the
nineteenth century, the southern Appalachian region emerged as the
United States’ most
important supplier of so-called crude botanical
drugs to the growing pharmaceutical industry centered in the
northeastern
and Midwestern United States. This article
investigates the role of ecology, markets, and local culture in
sustaining this
trend. It argues that mountain entrepreneurs and
the remarkable biodiversity of the Appalachian ecosystems combined with
harvesters’
intimate knowledge of the landscape and a local
commitment to common rights to make the region the nation’s foremost
supplier
of crude drugs. The botanical drug trade provides
an interesting divergence from the typical narrative of commodification.
Instead of restructuring nature into productive
landscapes governed by capitalist values, the commodification of
medicinal
herbs helped reinforce common rights and expand
ecological knowledge of the landscape. This process shaped late
nineteenth-century
Appalachian life by increasing the importance of
the forests in rural economies. Although mountain people continued to
harvest
medicinal herbs well into the twentieth century,
resource depletion, habitat destruction, economic changes, and other
factors
fundamentally changed the dynamics of this
gathering commons.
Monday, 28 November 2016
Conservatives, liberals team up against animal research
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/11/conservatives-liberals-team-against-animal-research
Phytochemical Content and Pharma-Nutrition Study on Eleutherococcus senticosus Fruits Intractum.
Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2016;2016:9270691. Epub 2016 Oct 24.
Author information
- 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 9 Marie Curie-Skłodowska Street, 85-094 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
- 2Department of Pharmaceutical Botany, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
- 3Department of Pharmacognosy, Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University, 9 Medyczna Street, 30-688 Cracow, Poland.
- 4Natural Products Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, 2300 RA Leiden, Netherlands.
- 5Department of Biology and Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, 4a Chodźki Street, 20-093 Lublin, Poland.
Abstract
Optimization of the process of aromatic and medicinal plant maceration in grape marc distillates to obtain herbal liqueurs and spirits
J Sci Food Agric. 2016 Nov;96(14):4760-4771. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.7822. Epub 2016 Jul 11.
Author information
- 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo (Campus Ourense), As Lagoas s/n, 32004, Ourense, Spain.
- 2Laboratory of Agro-food Biotechnology, CITI-Tecnópole, Tecnological Park of Galicia, San Cibrao das Viñas, Ourense, Spain.
- 3Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal.
- 4Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Vigo (Campus Ourense), As Lagoas s/n, 32004, Ourense, Spain. smcortes@uvigo.es.
- 5Laboratory of Agro-food Biotechnology, CITI-Tecnópole, Tecnological Park of Galicia, San Cibrao das Viñas, Ourense, Spain. smcortes@uvigo.es.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
RESULTS:
CONCLUSION:
© 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.
KEYWORDS:
Box-Benhken design; aromatic and medicinal plant (AMP); color parameters; herbal liqueurs; herbal spirits; maceration processAloe vera-induced acute liver injury: A case report and literature review
Clin Res Hepatol Gastroenterol. 2016 Nov 14. pii: S2210-7401(16)30150-4. doi: 10.1016/j.clinre.2016.10.002. [Epub ahead of print]
Author information
- 1AP-HP, Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Nutrition, DHU Hepatinov, 92140 Clamart, France; Université Paris-Sud, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, 92140 Clamart, France.
- 2AP-HP, Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Nutrition, DHU Hepatinov, 92140 Clamart, France; Université Paris-Sud, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, 92140 Clamart, France; INSERM U996, IPSIT, Labex Lermit, 92140 Clamart, France.
- 3Centre Médical Luxembourg, 75005 Paris, France.
- 4AP-HP, Hôpital Antoine-Béclère, Service d'Hépato-Gastroentérologie et Nutrition, DHU Hepatinov, 92140 Clamart, France; Université Paris-Sud, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, 92140 Clamart, France; INSERM U996, IPSIT, Labex Lermit, 92140 Clamart, France. Electronic address: gabriel.perlemuter@aphp.fr.
Abstract
The botanical explorer's legacy: a promising bioprospecting tool.
Drug Discov Today. 2016 Nov 16. pii: S1359-6446(16)30429-9. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.11.011. [Epub ahead of print]
Author information
- 1Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Electronic address: helmstaedter@em.uni-frankfurt.de.
Abstract
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- PMID:
- 27866010
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.drudis.2016.11.011
- [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Faecal egg counts and immune markers in a line of Scottish Cashmere goats selected for resistance to gastrointestinal nematode parasite infection.
Vet Parasitol. 2016 Oct 15;229:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2016.08.027. Epub 2016 Sep 17.
Author information
- 1Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK. Electronic address: dave.mcbean@moredun.ac.uk.
- 2Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland, James Clerk Maxwell Building, The King's Buildings, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh, UK.
- 3Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Bush Loan, Penicuik, Midlothian, UK.
Abstract
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Gastrointestinal nematodes; Goats; SelectionA survey of UK prescribers' experience of, and opinions on, anthelmintic prescribing practices for livestock and equines
Prev Vet Med. 2016 Nov 1;134:69-81. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2016.10.001. Epub 2016 Oct 5.
Author information
- 1Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, UK.
- 2Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZJ, UK.
- 3Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZJ, UK.
- 4Moredun Research Institute, Pentlands Science Park, Midlothian EH26 0PZ, UK. Electronic address: jacqui.matthews@moredun.ac.uk.
Abstract
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Anthelmintics; Equines; Helminths; Livestock; Prescribing practices; Suitably qualified persons; VeterinariansReprint of "Survey and first molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (G1) in Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) in Buenos Aires province, Argentina".
Acta Trop. 2016 Nov 22. pii: S0001-706X(16)30932-9. doi: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.11.008. [Epub ahead of print]
- 1Laboratorio
de Zoonosis Parasitarias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de
Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata,
Argentina (FCEyN, UNMdP, Arg.), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones
Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Funes 3350, Nivel Cero, 7600 Mar del
Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address:
parasitosna@gmail.com.
- 2Laboratorio de
Paleoparasitología, Departamento de Biología, (FCEyN, UNMdP, Arg.),
CONICET, Funes 3350, 7600 Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 3Laboratorio
de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del
Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, CONICET, R.P. Kreder 2805,
3080 Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.
- 4Laboratorio de
Zoonosis Parasitarias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias
Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina
(FCEyN, UNMdP, Arg.), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y
Técnicas (CONICET), Funes 3350, Nivel Cero, 7600 Mar del Plata, Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
- 1Laboratorio de Zoonosis Parasitarias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina (FCEyN, UNMdP, Arg.), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Funes 3350, Nivel Cero, 7600 Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: parasitosna@gmail.com.
- 2Laboratorio de Paleoparasitología, Departamento de Biología, (FCEyN, UNMdP, Arg.), CONICET, Funes 3350, 7600 Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- 3Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, CONICET, R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080 Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.
- 4Laboratorio de Zoonosis Parasitarias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Argentina (FCEyN, UNMdP, Arg.), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Funes 3350, Nivel Cero, 7600 Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Echinococcosis; Epidemiology; Wildlife; Zoonoses; cox1Small-Scale Farmers as Stewards of Useful Plant Diversity: A Case Study in Portland Parish, Jamaica
- 1st Logan Sander
- 2nd Ina Vandebroek
Abstract
For
centuries, small-scale farmers in Jamaica have managed and cultivated a
variety of plants for use as subsistence and market crops, fodder,
construction materials, and medicine. Free-listing, casual
conversations, guided visits to 35 farm plots and 16 homegardens,
semi-structured interviews with 16 farmers, and quantitative analysis
were used to identify the factors that most correlate with useful plant
richness on these lands. Jamaican farmers reported on average 87
different useful plant ethnotaxa (ethnovarieties, including
single-variety species as one ethnotaxon) of cultivated and wild plants
growing on all their land holdings, across an average of 62 biologically
distinct species. The cumulative acreage controlled by a farmer (total
land size), consisting of their homegarden (“yard”) and all their farm
plots, explained 61% of the variation in useful plant richness recorded
for each farmer (r = 0.78; p < 0.001). In contrast, there was no
effect from the farmers’ age, their level of farming experience, or
household size. Overall, mean ethnotaxa richness was higher on farm
plots than homegardens (p = 0.012) because of their larger size.
However, on a per-unit area basis (0.1 acres), homegardens contained
more useful plants than farm plots (p = 0.005). While homegardens were
important repositories of wild plants that are commonly used as
medicines and as regular teas for consumption in the morning, farm plots
were important repositories of timber trees. This nuanced understanding
of factors that contribute to useful plant richness may help to direct
efforts to support local farmers and better utilize the capacity of
those farmers who most promote useful plants. These results underscore
the complexity of agrobiodiversity conservation in rural Jamaica.
Perceived reasons for changes in the use of wild food plants in Saaremaa, Estonia.
Appetite. 2016 Dec 1;107:231-241. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.08.011. Epub 2016 Aug 9.
Author information
- 1Estonian Literary Museum, Vanemuise 42, Tartu, Estonia. Electronic address: renata@folklore.ee.
Abstract
Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KEYWORDS:
Estonia; Ethnobotany; Perception of changes; Perception of the availability of plants; Saaremaa; Unlearning debt; Wild food plantsChemical profile and biological activities of Cedrelopsis grevei H. Baillon bark essential oil
Article in Plant Biosystems · November 2016
DOI: 10.1080/11263504.2016.1255271
- 1st Roberta Tardugno6.66 · Università Ca' Foscari Venezia
- Last Stefania Benvenuti34.26 · Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Abstract
Cedrelopsis grevei H. Baillon bark, endemic plant from Madagascar, is used in folk medicine for the treatment of rheumatism, muscular pain, and for its antifungal and antibiotic activities. In this paper, the phytochemical composition, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and cytotoxic activities of C. grevei bark essential oil (EO), its non-polar (I and II) and polar (III) fractions and its main compounds (ishwarane, β-elemene and α-copaene) were investigated.
The GC–MS analysis pointed out the presence of 36 components, representing about 80% as semi-quantitative characterization of the total. The presence of ishwarane, β-elemene and α-copaene as the main constituents highlighted its peculiar composition as a sesquiterpene-rich phytocomplex. Moreover, the quantification was performed for the first time by means of the experimental and predicted response factors (ERFs and PRFs, respectively).
As regards the biological activity, C. grevei EO and its fractions showed weak antioxidant activity against Trolox. The whole EO demonstrated instead considerable antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, while its polar-fraction evidenced an interesting bioactivity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Finally, C. grevei EO and its fractions exhibited an interesting cytotoxic activity on human lung cancer cells (A549) and human colorectal cancer cells (CaCo-2).
The GC–MS analysis pointed out the presence of 36 components, representing about 80% as semi-quantitative characterization of the total. The presence of ishwarane, β-elemene and α-copaene as the main constituents highlighted its peculiar composition as a sesquiterpene-rich phytocomplex. Moreover, the quantification was performed for the first time by means of the experimental and predicted response factors (ERFs and PRFs, respectively).
As regards the biological activity, C. grevei EO and its fractions showed weak antioxidant activity against Trolox. The whole EO demonstrated instead considerable antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, while its polar-fraction evidenced an interesting bioactivity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. Finally, C. grevei EO and its fractions exhibited an interesting cytotoxic activity on human lung cancer cells (A549) and human colorectal cancer cells (CaCo-2).
FITOQUÍMICA Y ACTIVIDADES BIOLÓGICAS DE PLANTAS DE IMPORTANCIA EN LA MEDICINA TRADICIONAL DEL VALLE DE TEHUACÁN-CUICATLÁN
Article · December 2015
DOI: 10.1016/j.recqb.2015.09.003
- 1st Tzasna Hernandez18.7 · Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
- 3rd Rocío Serrano
- Last Rafael Lira30.29 · Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Abstract
En este trabajo, se presenta una revisión acerca de los estudios realizados por nuestro grupo de trabajo, enfocados a la generación de conocimiento sobre la fitoquímica y diferentes actividades biológicas de 10 especies vegetales empleadas en la medicina tradicional en el Valle de Tehuacán-Cuicatlán, Puebla. Las propiedades biológicas de los extractos, fracciones, compuestos puros y aceites esenciales, incluyeron, según el caso: la actividad antibacteriana, antifúngica, antioxidante, fotoprotectora, hipoglucemiante y antiinflamatoria. Los resultados obtenidos al evaluar las diferentes propiedades biológicas de las plantas indican una estrecha relación entre la fitoquímica, la farmacognosia y el uso de la planta en la medicina tradicional de las especies utilizadas en esta región del país
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