Journal of ethnopharmacology
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Acalypha is the fourth largest genus of the Euphorbiaceae family with approximately 450-570 species. Several Acalypha species are used as medicinal plants in Africa and in the Mascarene Islands. Almost every part of the plant including the leaves, stem and roots are used as traditional remedies to treat and manage a panoply of ailments. However, there is no updated compilation of traditionally important medicinal plants from the Acalypha genus. The present review therefore, endeavors to provide for the first time an updated compilation of documented ethnopharmacological information in relation to the ethnomedicinal, ethnoveterinary, zoopharmacognosy, phytochemistry and biological activities of medicinal plants from the Acalypha genus which can subsequently open new perspectives for further pharmacological research. ⋯ The present review represents 32.3% of species from the Acalypha genus and can be considered as the first compilation of ethnopharmacologically useful plants from this genus. There is a great potential to discover new biologically active phytochemicals from the Acalypha genus because only few species have been studied comprehensively. Therefore, the clinical evaluation of species from this genus is warranted in future studies to confirm the ethnomedicinal claims and for the safety approval of therapeutic applications.
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Shexiang Tongxin dropping pill (STDP) is a formulation of Traditional Chinese Medicine mainly used for clinical treatment of stable angina pectoris in China. ⋯ Our results demonstrated for the first time that STDP attenuated atherosclerotic lesions in ApoE(-/-) mouse model. Moreover, STDP treatment exhibited multi-targeting effects on pathological, biochemical and molecular aspects of atherosclerosis implicating lipid regulation, fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress. Findings from the current study warrant further evaluation of the clinical application of STDP in atherosclerosis treatment.
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Anti-inflammatory effects of Antrodia camphorata, a herbal medicine, in a mouse skin ischemia model.
Antrodia camphorata, a highly valued polypore mushroom native only to Taiwan, has been traditionally used as a medicine for anti-inflammation. ⋯ These results demonstrated that methanolic extracts of wood-cultured fruiting bodies and solid-state-cultured mycelia from Antrodia camphorata have excellent anti-inflammatory activities and thus have great potential as an addition for hydrocolloid dressings.