Current Traditional Medicine - Volume 2, Issue 3, 2016

There is substantial evidence for the formation of Aβ and their conversion into toxic species under hyperglycemic condition. So, we can say that brain is one of the most important sites for diabetic end organ damage and AZ can be considered as a type of Diabetes. Till date we don’t have proper therapy for successful prevention of neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative diseases and research focuses to bring drugs that can either slow down disease progression or provide prophylaxis. However, Ayurveda that has numerous plants which can execute amazing and outstanding properties with (few) actions of herbs that are quite new to the conventional medicine. Polyphenolic compounds, found in various types of plant parts, that are antioxidant by nature having useful prophylactic properties for the treatment of excitotoxicity and oxidative cell death. Plants become source material for the development of drugs, as herbs have recently become attractive for targeting different pathologies as health-beneficial foods (physiologically functional foods). As an addition to various potent reviews that provided the therapeutic effect/efficacy information about various herbals as better neuro modulators, herein we have given up to date information of various phytoconstituents, polyherbal formulations and extracts which were found effective in the treatment of AZ. Although there are several herbals that have been proved to increase cognitive abilities, here we mentioned the herbals that were tested against various AZ insults.

Wound and the process of wound healing are the two most important concerns of human being. Irrespective of the cause of wounds, the entire process of healing has been subjected to many facets of research since early days initially with natural and then with synthetic as well as natural remedies. But prominent among the most natural remedies, the plant based ones, has been proved to be time-tested. Throughout the world tribals as well as the folklore traditions used a huge number of plant extracts for curing cuts, wounds, bruises and burns. They are now attracting due scientific attention by the researchers. This paper will describe the common wounds, mechanism of their healing and some commonly used herbs and medicinal plants used as wound healers. Published papers were searched for the names of medicinal plants with magical wound healing activity. Evaluation of the articles was done on the basis of the evidences of in vitro, animal, or clinical research and possible mechanisms involved in wound healing. The specialized biological and pharmacological mechanisms for the presence of bioactive compounds in some herbs have been verified for wound healing activity. Several plants being traditionally utilized by the people all over the world are not been validated for long. Consistent and organized scientific investigations on these plants can help us to exploit these treasures to their fullest extent and thereby to unravel the novelty.

Objective: To compare the antibacterial potency of cold press Nigella sativa oil against 49 clinical isolates. Method: A controlled disc diffusion method based on British Society of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy antibiotic susceptibility testing guidelines was used. Results: Reproducible results were obtained that allowed comparison of intra species sensitivity. Staphylococcus aureus isolates (18) from skin and soft tissue infections were highly susceptible (31 to 51mm zones of inhibition, ZOI), with significant differences (p<0.01) in sensitivity between many of the isolates, but no significant difference (p >0.05) between methicillin- sensitive and -resistant isolates. Streptococcus spp. isolates (6) from skin and soft tissue infections produced consistently lower mean ZOI (22 to 27mm). Haemophilus infuenzae isolates (4) from respiratory tract infections showed little variation in ZOI (22 to 23mm). Conversely, two respiratory tract Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates showed markedly different sensitivity (p<0.01) to the oil (24 and 40mm). For the first time, antibacterial activity of N. sativa oil against Neisseria gonorrhoeae is reported (29 to 38mm). All Gram-negative isolates (14) - Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa - were uninhibited by the oil, while ZOI for Grampositive isolates exceeded those obtained for first line antibiotics used to treat the relevant infections. There was no evident link between isolate antibiotic resistance profile and extent of growth inhibition by the oil. Conclusion: N. sativa oil has a potential for combatting antibiotic resistant Gram-positive infections at various body sites, including sexually transmitted disease. Significant strain variation in sensitivity to the oil within some species is revealed.

Background: Polygonatum verticillatum (Mahameda) is an important ingredient of Ashtawarga and other costly Ayurvedic formulations. Nowadays, due to large scale and indiscriminate collection of wild material, it has come under the category of endangered plants. To overcome the scarcity, substitutes of Mahameda are being commonly used in market by manufacturers. These substitutes differ from authentic plant by Ayurvedic and pharmacologic theory of drug action that leads to lowered efficacy of the formulation along with high charging from consumers on pretext of using costly Ashtawarga plants in the formulation. Objective: To isolate and quantify the therapeutically active ingredients that can be used as marker for identification of unauthorized substitution. Methods: Methanolic extract of rhizomes of plant was subjected to preliminary phytochemical screening followed by column chromatography for isolation of marker/markers. Column was first eluted with pure hexane and polarity of solvent was gradually increased. Total 1180 fractions were collected and pooled on the basis of TLC profiling. The single compound was isolated and confirmed by chemical test, melting point, spectral analysis and compared with reference compound as well as literature. Quantification of isolated compound in the extract was done by HPTLC. Results: Phytochemical screening of extract shows the presence of flavonoids, carbohydrates, terpenoids, phenolics and alkaloids. A pure white crystalline powder characterized as 4- hydroxy-3-methoxy-cinnamic acid (Ferulic acid) was isolated by column chromatography. The yield of isolated ferulic acid was found to be 0.89 %. Conclusion: The isolated compound is the first report of presence of novel compound ferulic acid in this plant and can also be used as a marker for standardization.