Journal of ethnopharmacology
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Review
Traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of wild banana (Musa acuminata Colla): A review.
Musa acuminata, the wild species of banana is a plant of the tropical and subtropical regions. Over the past few decades, the health benefits of M. acuminata have received much attention. All parts of the plant including fruits, peel, pseudostem, corm, flowers, leaves, sap and roots have found their use in the treatment of many diseases in traditional medicine. Literature review have indicated use of M. acuminata in the treatment of various diseases such as fever, cough, bronchitis, dysentery, allergic infections, sexually transmitted infections, and some of the non-communicable diseases. The reported pharmacological activities of M. acuminata include antioxidant, antidiabetic, immunomodulatory, hypolipidemic, anticancer, and antimicrobial especially anti-HIV activity. This review presents information on the phytochemicals and pharmacological studies to validate the traditional use of different parts of M. acuminata in various diseases and ailments. A comprehensive assessment of the biological activities of M. acuminata extracts is included and possible mechanisms and phytochemicals involved have also been correlated to provide effective intervention strategies for preventing or managing diseases. ⋯ This review presents information on phytochemicals and pharmacological activities of M. acuminata plant parts. Pharmacological studies support the traditional uses of the plant, and probably validate the uses of M. acuminata by the indigenous people to treat and heal many infections and diseases. Some studies on animal models have been carried out, which also provide evidence of efficacy of the M. acuminata plant as a therapeutic agent. These observations suggest that M. acuminata plant parts possesses pluripharmacological properties, and can be used in designing potent therapeutic agents. However, individual bioactive constituent(s) from different parts of this plant need further investigations to confirm various pharmacological claims, and to explore the potential of M. acuminata in the development of drugs and use in functional foods.
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Da Chuanxiong Formula (DCXF) which origins from Jin Dynasty is a famous classical 2-herb Chinese medicinal prescription. It is composed of dried rhizomes of Ligusticum chuanxiong (Chuanxiong Rhizoma, CR) and Gastrodia elata (Gastrodiae Rhizoma, GR) at the ratio of 4:1 (w/w). It has been used to treat headache which is caused by wind pathogen and blood stasis for thousands of years in China. ⋯ These results indicated that DCXF inhibited inflammation in LPS-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells through inactivation of NF-κB pathway.
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Nauclea officinalis Pierrc ex Pitard. is a Chinese medicinal herb that contains high level of alkaloids which is the most abundant and active constituent. Strictosamide isolated from Nauclea officinalis Pierrc ex Pitard. showed significant effects on inflammatory response, compared with pumiloside, 3-epi-pumiloside, vincosamide, 3α,5α-tetrahydrodeoxycordifoline lactam and naucleamide A-10-O-β-D-glucopyranoside of this plant. ⋯ At present study, the results indicated that the anti-inflammatory activity of strictosamide was associated with the restraint of NO, TNF-α and IL-1β via negative regulation of both NF-κB and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells.
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Bullatine A, a C20-diterpenoid alkaloid and one of the major effective ingredients in Aconiti brachypodi Radix (Xue-shang-yi-zhi-hao), can block pain hypersensitivity in a variety of rodent models through expression of spinal microglial dynorphin A. ⋯ These results suggest that bullatine A produces antinociception without induction of tolerance and inhibits morphine antinociceptive tolerance, and provide pharmacological basis for concurrent bullatine A and morphine treatment for chronic pain and morphine analgesic tolerance.
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Polygoni multiflori radix praeparata (PMRP), Ecliptae herba (EH) and Rehmanniae radix praeparata (RRP) are the most frequently-used herbs by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners for the treatment of vitiligo. Their abilities to stimulate melanogenesis, melanocyte migration and MITF (microphthalmia associated transcription factor) protein expression were evaluated in this study. ⋯ An aqueous extract of EH has a synergistic effect on melanocytes by up-regulating tyrosinase activity, enhancing melanin synthesis and promoting melanocyte migration as well as elevating MITF protein expression. RRP exhibits a significant stimulating effect on melanogenesis and MITF protein expression. These results suggest that EH and RRP contain substances with direct enhancing effects on melanogenesis and migration, possibly via their effects on MITF protein expression.