Gendered medicinal plant knowledge contributions to adaptive capacity and health sovereignty in Amazonia

Local medical systems are key elements of social-ecological systems as they provide culturally appropriate and locally accessible health care options, especially for populations with scarce access to biomedicine. The adaptive capacity of local medical systems generally rests on two pillars: species diversity and a robust local knowledge system, both threatened by local and global environmental change. We first present a conceptual framework to guide the assessment of knowledge diversity and redundancy in local medicinal knowledge systems through a gender lens. Then, we apply this conceptual framework to our research on the local medicinal plant knowledge of the Tsimane’ Amerindians. Our results suggest that Tsimane’ medicinal plant knowledge is gendered and that the frequency of reported ailments and the redundancy of knowledge used to treat them are positively associated. We discuss the implications of knowledge diversity and redundancy for local knowledge systems’ adaptive capacity, resilience, and health sovereignty.     

Heavy metal bioaccumulation in selected medicinal plants collected from Khetri copper mines and comparison with those collected from fertile soil in Haridwar,India

Heavy metal distribution in medicinal plants is gaining importance not only as an alternative medicine, but also for possible concern due to effects of metal toxicity. The present study has been focused on emphasizing the heavy metal status and bioaccumulation factors of V, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se (essential metals) and Cr, Ni, Cd, As and Pb (potentially toxic metals) in medicinal plants grown under two different environmental conditions e.g., near to Khetri copper mine and those in fertile soils of Haridwar, both in India, using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (relative method) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. The copper levels in the medicinal plants from Khetri were found to be 3-4 folds higher (31.6–76.5 mg kg^?1) than those from Haridwar samples (7.40–15.3 mg kg^?1), which is correlated with very high copper levels (763 mg kg^?1) in Khetri soil. Among various heavy metals, Cr (2.60–5.92 mg kg^?1), Cd (1.47–2.97 mg kg^?1) and Pb (3.97–6.63 mg kg^?1) are also higher in concentration in the medicinal plants from Khetri. The essential metals like Mn (36.4–69.3 mg kg^?1), Fe (192–601 mg kg^?1), Zn (24.9–49.9 mg kg^?1) and Se (0.13–0.91 mg kg^?1) and potentially toxic metals like Ni (3.09–9.01 mg kg^?1) and As (0.41–2.09 mg kg^?1) did not show much variations in concentration in the medicinal plants from both Khetri and Haridwar. The medicinal plants from Khetri, e.g., Ocimum sanctum, Cassia fistula, Withania somnifera and Azadirachta Indica were found rich in Ca and Mg contents while Aloe barbadensis showed moderately high Ca and Mg. Higher levels of Ca-Mg were found to correlate with Zn (except Azadirachta Indica). The bioaccumulation factors (BAFS) of the heavy metals were estimated to understand the soil-to-plant transfer pattern of the heavy metals. Significantly lower BAF values of Cu and Cr were found in the medicinal plants from Khetri, indicating majority fraction of these metals are precipitated and were immobilized species unsuitable for plant uptake. Overall, Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) showed very high metal bioaccumulation.     

Induction of apoptosis in A431 cells via ROS generation and p53-mediated pathway by chloroform fraction of Argemone mexicana (Pepaveraceae)

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Argemone mexicana(Pepaveraceae) is an important medicinal plant commonly known as ‘maxican prickly poppy’ and is traditionally used to...     

Enhanced antioxidant capacity and upregulated transporter genes contribute to the UV-B-induced increase in blinin in Conyza blinii

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Conyza blinii (C. blinii) is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant mainly grown in Sichuan, China. C. blinii is suitable for studying the mechanism of...     

Impact of rhizosphere microorganisms on arsenic (As) transformation and accumulation in a traditional Chinese medical plant

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Panax notoginseng is an important traditional medicinal plant, but the commercial value is threatened by root-rot disease caused by rhizosphere...     

Understanding biochemical defense and phytoremediation potential of Leucas aspera in crude oil polluted soil

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The phytoremediation potential and enzymatic defense of a medicinal herb Leucas aspera was studied in the crude oil contaminated soil. The...     

Anti-angiogenic effects of aqueous extract from Agrostemma githago L. seed in human umbilical vein endothelial cells via regulating Notch/VEGF,MMP2/9, ANG2, and VEGFR2

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Abnormal angiogenesis contributes to the pathogenesis of various diseases. The medicinal usage of Agrostemma githago L. seed (A. githago herein) has...     

二丁与连翘药渣联合堆肥腐熟度评价

为了对不同比例的二丁与连翘药渣堆肥腐熟度进行评价,采用条垛式好氧堆肥方式,将二丁和连翘两种药渣按照5种不同的比例进行堆肥处理,通过分析堆肥过程中温度、pH、C/N和发芽指数等指标的变化规律,对堆肥腐熟度进行评价。结果表明:在试验处理条件下及堆肥周期内,单一药渣堆肥的两组处理未能完全腐熟,混合药渣堆肥的3组处理均已达到完全腐熟的标准,说明两种药渣混合后进行堆肥,可以有效促进堆肥的顺利进行,且二丁与连翘比例为2∶1(质量比)时发酵效果最好。3组混合药渣的发酵产物可以作为有机肥或土壤改良剂施用,也可以与化肥配合,制备成有机/无机配方肥。     

二丁与连翘药渣联合堆肥腐熟度评价

为了对不同比例的二丁与连翘药渣堆肥腐熟度进行评价,采用条垛式好氧堆肥方式,将二丁和连翘两种药渣按照5种不同的比例进行堆肥处理,通过分析堆肥过程中温度、pH、C/N和发芽指数等指标的变化规律,对堆肥腐熟度进行评价。结果表明:在试验处理条件下及堆肥周期内,单一药渣堆肥的两组处理未能完全腐熟,混合药渣堆肥的3组处理均已达到完全腐熟的标准,说明两种药渣混合后进行堆肥,可以有效促进堆肥的顺利进行,且二丁与连翘比例为2∶1(质量比)时发酵效果最好。3组混合药渣的发酵产物可以作为有机肥或土壤改良剂施用,也可以与化肥配合,制备成有机/无机配方肥。     

Valuation of commercial central Himalayan medicinal plants

This study estimates the national-level annual volume and value of commercial medicinal plant harvest in Nepal. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires administered to local medicinal plant traders (n=149) in 15 districts in Nepal and regional wholesalers (n=53) in India. The annual trade volume is estimated to range from 7000 to 27 000 tons, with 14 500 tons harvested in the case year 1997-1998. The corresponding annual export value, calculated using regional wholesaler purchasing prices in the main markets in India, is estimated at US dollars 7-30 million, with a value of US$16 million in 1997-1998. Around 10% of rural households are involved in commercial harvesting. Lower ecological zones dominate supplies in both volume and value terms; herbs constitute the most important life form in value terms. Around 36% of volume and 51% of value derive from destructive harvesting. It is argued that annual volume and value figures are likely to be conservative estimates. The implications of findings for Himalayan medicinal plant conservation and trade are briefly discussed.     

Isolation and characterization of a mesophilic cellulolytic endophyte Preussia africana from Juniperus oxycedrus

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The medicinal plant Juniperus oxycedrus is less recognized for the diversity of its fungal endophytes and their potential to produce extracellular...     

Adsorption of Cr(VI) by NaOH-modified microporous activated carbons derived from the wastes of Amaranthus retroflexus,Magnolia soulangeana,and Tanacetum Vulgar L.: mechanism,isotherms, and kinetic studies

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The study was designed to synthesize microporous activated carbons from the wastes of three medicinal herbs by NaOH as an activator followed by...     

Effects of multi-phase inoculation on the fungal community related with the improvement of medicinal herbal residues composting

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Composting has become the most important way to recycle medicinal herbal residues (MHRs). The traditional composting method, adding a microbial agent...     

Potential therapeutic effect of Chrysopogon zizanioides (Vetiver) as an anti-inflammatory agent

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Vetiver has a broad history of traditional medicinal uses, but only a handful of research article has reported its utility in treating diseases. But...     

Pharmaceuticals in the river Elbe and its tributaries

Medicinal drugs were found to be ubiquitous in the river Elbe, its tributary the river Saale and in other tributaries at their points of entry into the Elbe. The distribution of concentration peaks along the investigated river stretches provides an indication that they are mainly due to the emission of treated waste water from municipal sewage treatment works. This leads to the conclusion that medicinal substances can be regarded as faecal indicators for water pollution caused by human activity. The main substances found in the Elbe in 1998 were diclofenac, ibuprofen and carbamazepine as well as various antibiotics and lipid regulators in the concentration range of <20-140 ng/l. The more thorough investigations carried out in 1999 and 2000 show that in addition to the drugs (phenazone, isopropyl-phenazone and paracetamol) metabolite concentrations contributed significantly to the total concentration of pharmaceuticals in the Elbe. The metamizole metabolites N-acetyl-4-aminoantipyrine (AAA) and N-formyl-4-aminoantipyrine (FAA) were found in concentrations from <20 to 939 ng/l. A multivariate statistical analysis revealed a high correlation in respect of the distribution of persistent substances. The metoprolol distribution throughout the Saale demonstrated that the tributaries cause either an increase (Weisse Elster, Unstrut, Ilm) or a reduction (Wipper, Bode) in the concentration, depending on the respective load of waste water. Wide scale sampling in Saxony during 2002 showed the ubiquitous occurrence of carbamazepine in surface waters. The ecotoxicological effects of this contamination cannot be assessed at present. This is due to the fact that no legal framework in respect of these medicinal drugs for human consumption has been established and therefore little research and no risk assessment has been carried out. Therefore it is urgently necessary to include at least the quantitatively most significant substances in the new assessment concept of the EC White Paper.     

Some aspects of toxic contaminants in herbal medicines

A World Health Organisation survey indicated that about 70-80% of the world populations rely on non-conventional medicine mainly of herbal sources in their primary healthcare. In recent years, we have witnessed the increasing growth in popularity of over-the-counter (OTC) health foods, nutraceuticals, and medicinal products from plants or other natural sources in developed countries. This indirectly indicates that the public is not satisfied with their orthodox medical (OM) treatment. Such increase in popularity has also brought concerns and fears over the professionalism of practitioners, and quality, efficacy and safety of their treatment methods and products from herbal and natural sources available in the market. Over the past decade several news-catching episodes in developed communities indicated adverse effects, sometimes life threatening, allegedly arisen consequential to taking of OTC herbal products or traditional medicines from various ethnic groups. These OTC products may be contaminated with excessive or banned pesticides, microbial contaminants, heavy metals, chemical toxins, and for adulterated with orthodox drugs. Excessive or banned pesticides, heavy metals and microbial contaminants may be related to the source of these herbal materials, if they are grown under contaminated environment or during collection of these plant materials. Chemical toxins may come from unfavourable or wrong storage conditions or chemical treatment due to storage. The presence of orthodox drugs can be related to unprofessional practice of manufacturers. Some of these environment related factors can be controlled by implementing standard operating procedures (SOP) leading to Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Good Laboratory Practice (GLP), Good Supply Practice (GSP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for producing these medicinal products from herbal or natural sources. The public's belief that herbal and natural products are safer than synthetic medicines can only be ascertained by imposing regulatory standards on these products that should be manufactured using these Good Practices. Using Chinese medicines, as examples, this paper illustrate how advances in chemical and biomedical analysis would help to detect intentional and unintentional toxic contaminants in herbal substances. The paper also summarises how modernization and progress are being carried out to get the best out of Chinese medicines for public healthcare.     

Opportunities and Challenges to Capturing the Multiple Potential Benefits of REDD+ in a Traditional Transnational Savanna-Woodland Region in West Africa

The REDD+ scheme of the United Nations intends to offer developing countries financial incentives to reduce the rates of deforestation and forest degradation for reducing global CO₂ emissions. This is combined with building carbon stocks in existing wooded ecosystems and fostering other soil, biodiversity and water conservation objectives. Successful application of REDD+ to the Xylophone Triangle of West Africa faces substantial challenges and risks to both meeting REDD+ objectives and to the local people’s rights and livelihoods. The transnationality of the culturally coherent area requires collaboration of three national governments. The opportunities, however, are great to capitalize on the region’s biodiversity, the well-developed traditional ecological knowledge and the use of local medicinal plants as an integral part of the agro-ecosystem. Possibilities open to, not only sequester carbon, but also to increase the resilience of the ecosystem and of independent rural livelihoods in the face of climate change and globalization.     

Application of the comet assay and detection of DNA damage in haemocytes of medicinal leech affected by aluminium pollution: A case study

This report describes an investigation of genotoxic effects in medicinal leech (Hirudo verbana) exposed to water and sediment of Lake Njivice (Krk Island, Croatia) contaminated by aluminium compounds. The levels of primary DNA damage in leech haemocytes and loss of DNA integrity caused by acute and chronic exposure to contaminated water and sediment were investigated using the alkaline comet assay. Genotoxic effects induced by acute exposure to contaminants were evaluated on leech haemocytes and blood cells of fish and mouse treated ex vivo. The effects of chronic exposure were assessed on haemocytes sampled from an animal kept under laboratory conditions on contaminated water and sediment for 180 days. The results indicate the DNA damaging potential of aluminium compounds present in an excess amount in tested samples.