The rationalisation of the new multidrug and multitarget concept of therapy in classical medicine will have also great implication on the future basic research in phytomedicine and an evidence based phytotherapy. It requires a concerted cooperation between phytochemists, molecular biologists, pharmacologists and clinicians with the aim to use modern high-tech methods for the standardisation of ...

Datura stramonium is commonly known as Jimson weed and is widely used in phytomedicine to treat epilepsy, skin ulcers, etc as well as to kill the microbes associated with wound lesions. Antimicrobial activity of ethyl acetate and methanol extracts of leaves and flowers of Datura stramonium was investigated against antibiotic resistant pathogenic bacteria isolated from pus samples of skin and ur...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of NIPRD-AM1 on CYP3A4 in order to generate clinically significant data for its safe and efficacious use. MATERIALS AND METHODS NIPRD-AM1 is a phytomedicine developed from aqueous root extracts of Nauclea latifolia Smith (Rubiaceae) for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. The effect of NIPRD-AM1 on CYP3A4 was measured with and without the addition of NIPRD...

Ginkgo biloba, the ginkgo tree, is the oldest living tree, with a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, the leaf extracts have been widely sold as phytomedicine in Europe and as a dietary supplement worldwide. Effects of Ginkgo biloba extracts have been postulated to include improvement of memory, increased blood circulation, as well as beneficial effects to suff...

Emetine is a natural product alkaloid from ipecac species. It is one of the main active ingredients in ipecac syrup used as emetic, and has been used extensively in phytomedicine as an antiparasitic drug. It inhibits both ribosomal and mitochondrial protein synthesis and interferes with the synthesis and activities of DNA and RNA. For this reason, it has been a vital tool to pharmacologists and...

Lung cancer remains a deadly disease with unsatisfactory overall survival. Resveratrol (Res) has the potential to inhibit growth of several types of cancer such as prostate and colorectal examples. In the current study, we evaluated in vitro and in vivo anticancer efficiency of Res in a xenograft model with A549 cells. Cell inhibition effects of Res were measured by MTT assay. Apoptotis of A549...

Fifteen plant species were collected from the Nelspruit Botanical Garden based on a list of plants provided by Phytomedicine Programme at the University of Pretoria and their ethnopharmacological information. Hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), acetone and methanolic extracts were screened for antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis. The acetone extract of Milletia stulhimannii wa...

The potential role of the ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus (Wild) in the treatment of diabetes along with its antioxidant and antihyperlipidemic effects was studied in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Oral administration of ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus (EEAR) 200 and 400 mg/kg/b.w for 21 days significantly decreased the blood glucose level, fluid intake and considerably...

Both the functionalized and non functionalized carbon nanomaterials influence fruit and crop production in edible plants and vegetables. The fullerene, C60 and carbon nanotubes have been shown to increase the water retaining capacity, biomass and fruit yield in plants up to ~118% which is a remarkable achievement of nanotechnology in recent years. The fullerene treated bitter melon seeds also i...

Dwarf elder ( Sambucus ebulus L) is one of the best known medicinal herbs since ancient times. In view of its benefits as a widely applicable phytomedicine, it is still used in folk medicine of different parts of the world. In addition to its nutritional values, dwarf elder contains different phytochemicals among which flavonoids and lectins are responsible for most of its therapeutic effects. ...