ABSTRACT
This study is a record of ethnomedicinal knowledge in Begumganj province focussed on medicinal plants and their local uses for primary health care. The aim was to document and preserve the ethnomedicinal knowledge used by traditional healers of Begumganj upazila, Bangladesh, to treat human diseases and evaluate the relative efficacy of the medicinal plants. The uses of medicinal plants were documented as an ethnomedicinal data sheet using direct observation, field interview, plant interview and group interview techniques from December 2012 to January 2014 in the study area. Data were collected from 98 traditional healers through a questionnaire survey and analyzed through informant consensus factor and fidelity level. This study revealed comprehensive relationship among various diseases and families, forms and parts of plants and modes of preparation. Overall, 75 plant species under 71 genera of 47 families were documented, which are used to treat 41 diseases. Data analysis revealed that 41.33%, 14.67%, 36% and 8% of the medicinal plant species were herbs, shrubs, trees, and climbers, respectively. Leaves were the most used parts, followed by stem, root, fruit, bark, latex and rhizome. The most frequently treated diseases were dysentery, rheumatism and skin diseases. This is the first ethnobotanical survey, which recorded the importance of medicinal plants in Begumganj upazila, Bangladesh.This study can contribute to preserving the indigenous knowledge on the traditional use of medicinal plants in this region and new drug development with attracting future generations towards traditional healing practice.
ABSTRACT
Helicobacter pylori is a well-known pathogen that is responsible for gastric disorders. Overcoming of the antibiotic-resistance is a main barrier to treat H. pylori infection. In our search for anti-H. pylori compounds from natural resources, bioactivity-guided isolation on the ethyl acetate fraction of Fraxinus mandshurica bark that had shown anti-H. pylori activity gave twelve compounds (1 - 12) of six coumarins, three phenylethanoids, two secoiridoids, and a lignan using silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex-LH 20, and recrystallization.The chemical structures were identified by spectroscopic data analysis, including 1D, 2D NMR, and mass spectrometry. Among them, compounds 2, 10, and 11 showed moderate growth inhibitory activity against three strains ofH. pylori, compared with positive controls of quercetin and metronidazole. Compounds 5, 6, 8, and 12 exhibited the inhibitory activity against strains 26695 or 43504. This is the first report on the anti-H. pylori activity of this plant and the isolated compounds.
ABSTRACT
Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity guided fractionation led to the isolation of five anthraquinones, two stilbenes and one naphthoquinone from the EtOAc fraction of Polygonum cuspidatum, using silica gel column chromatography, Sephadex-LH20, MPLC and recrystallization. The chemical structures were identified to be physcion (1), emodin (2), anthraglycoside B (3), trans-resveratrol (4), anthraglycoside A (5), polydatin (6), 2-methoxy-6-acetyl-7-methyljuglone (7) and citreorosein (8) by UV, ¹H-NMR, ¹³C-NMR and mass spectrometry. Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity including MIC values of each compound was evaluated. All of the isolates exhibited anti-H. pylori activity of which MIC values were lower than that of a positive control, quercetin. Compounds 2 and 7 showed potent growth inhibitory activity. Especially, a naphthoquinone, compound 7 displayed most potent antibacterial activity with MIC₅₀ value of 0.30 µM and MIC₉₀ value of 0.39 µM. Although anti-H. pylori activity of this plant was previously reported, this is the first report on that of compounds isolated from this species. From these findings, P. cuspidatum roots or its isolates may be useful for H. pylori infection and further study is needed to elucidate mechanism of action.