Current Traditional Medicine - Volume 8, Issue 5, 2022

Background: Obesity is a complex health and global epidemic issue. It is an increasing global health challenge covering high social and economic costs. Abnormal accumulation of fat in the body may increase health risks, including diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, cardiovascular diseases, stroke, and cancer. Synthetic drugs available in the market are reported to have several side effects. Therefore, the management of obesity needs to involve the traditional use of medicinal plants, which helps in searching for new therapeutic targets and supports the research and development of anti-obesity drugs. Objective: This review aimed to update the data and provide a comprehensive report on currently available knowledge regarding medicinal plants and phytochemicals constituents reported for their anti-obesity activity. Methodology: An electronic search of the periodical databases, like Web of Science, Scopus, Pub- Med, Scielo, Niscair, ScienceDirect, Springerlink, Wiley, SciFinder, and Google Scholar with information reported during 1991-2019, was made to retrieve published data. Results: This review attempts to list the medicinal plants with anti-obesity activity. It focuses on plant extracts, isolated chemical compounds, their mechanism of action, and preclinical, experimental model, and clinical studies for further scientific research. Conclusion: This review summarizes the medicinal plants and their constituents reported for the management of obesity. The data will fascinate the researcher to initiate further research that may lead to the discovery of a drug for the management of obesity and its associated secondary complications. Several herbal plants and their respective lead constituents have been screened by preclinical in-vitro and in-vivo clinical trials and were found to be effective in treating obesity. Therefore, there is a need to develop and screen a large number of plant extracts, and this approach can surely be a driving force for discovering anti-obesity drugs from medicinal plants.

Background: Toxoplasmosis, which is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is a widespread parasitic disease that affects approximately one-third of the world's population. Due to the significant side effects of anti-Toxoplasma drugs, it is necessary to acquire new drugs with low toxicity, high activity, cheaper and more effective. Objective: Earthworm has long been used as a therapeutic source of medicine in China and other parts of the Far East. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate of antiparasitic effects of Eisenia fetida extract against T. gondii in the Vero cell line. Materials and Methods: The effects of the extract on the parasite, Vero cell, and the parasitized cells were estimated by MTT assay in vitro. Apoptosis was also measured by flow cytometer in three groups of extract-treated parasites, extract-treated Vero cells, and extract-treated parasitic Vero cells, respectively. Results: The inhibitory effect of E. fetida extract and sulfadiazine was more than 85% and 65% on the parasite, respectively. Intracellular multiplication of the parasite in Vero cells during the 3 hours test showed a significant decrease compared to the 1-hour test (p<0.05). Flow cytometric analysis showed that with increasing concentration of E. fetida, apoptosis increased significantly (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results showed that E. fetida extract in vitro could have a significant antiparasitic effect against T. gondii.

Background: Chronic wounds and injuries represent a significant burden for health care professionals due to the difficulties related to their management. The selection and use of appropriate dressings have become essential for successful treatment. Honey has been used for thousands of years as a biological treatment because its bioactive components contribute to the healing process. Objective: This case report aims to demonstrate the efficiency of Argania honey dressing on pressure ulcers. Case Presentation: The wound care was achieved using pure raw Argania honey with no additives, pasteurization, or manipulation. A previous mechanical debridement process was necessary before the application of honey dressings to a right heel bedsore in a 69-year-old man who suffered an ischemic stroke. Results: This case report describes for the first time the complete healing of a right heel bedsore using Argania honey dressing. Bedsore demonstrated rapid recovery and complete healing over approximately 18 weeks (124 days, between June and October 2021). Conclusion: With the rise of natural medicines and some pathologies that are resistant to conventional treatments, Argania honey can be an asset for its therapeutic effects on the skin, but more studies are needed to explain and identify the complexity of mechanisms involved to ensure this complete healing process.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder, the prevalence of which is increasing alarmingly throughout the world and imposes a serious impact on the health of the population as well as national economies. Effective management and primary prevention are essential to decrease the burden of diabetes faced by all nations. Although different therapies are available for diabetes, no known therapy can completely cure the disease, and many of them have a number of side effects with other limitations like long-term treatment, expensiveness, and less availability. Hence, the present review has given an emphasis on common dietary materials to find out a readily available source of anti-diabetic agents. Objective: The purpose of this work is to explore the anti-diabetic properties of certain spices which are most frequently used in Bangladesh and reported for their use in traditional treatment of diabetes and/or investigated scientifically for anti-diabetic activity. Methods: Two electronic databases, namely Pub Med and Google Scholar, were used for conducting a comprehensive search to collect information and data. Results: In this review, a total of 10 spices have been compiled with a brief description of their origin, part used, chemical constituents, mechanism of action, methods of experiment, model animals, and reported beneficial effects in diabetes with other pharmacological activities. Conclusion: The observed results of this study indicate the possibility of developing a therapeutic strategy called alternative and complementary medicine for the management of diabetes. The results also provide a starting point for researchers working with bioactive dietary plants with anti-diabetic potential.