Natural products: a safest approach for obesity / 中国结合医学杂志

Obesity is recognized as a social problem, associated with serious health risks and increased mortality. Numerous trials have been conducted to find and develop new anti-obesity drugs through herbal sources to minimize adverse reactions associated with the present anti-obesity drugs. The use of natural products as medicine has been documented for hundreds of years in various traditional systems of medicines throughout the world. This review focuses on the medicinal plants such as Achyranthus aspera, Camellia sinensis, Emblica officinalis, Garcinia cambogia, Terminalia arjuna, etc., being used traditionally in Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha and Chinese, etc., systems of medicine. The review also highlights recent reported phytochemicals such as escins, perennisosides, dioscin, gracillin, etc., and the various extracts of the plants like Nelumbo nucifera, Panax japonicas, Cichorium intybus, Cyperus rotundus, Paeonia suffruticosa, etc., which have been successfully identified for the treatment of obesity.

Pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies on chenopodium album linn., root

The Chenopodium album Linn. [N.O. family Chenopodiaceae known as Lamb's Quarters] roots were studied to determine the various parameters for pharmacognostical standards. The present investigation deals with the first report on macro- and microscopical characters of root along with studies of histochemical colour reactions and physical constants like extractive values and ash values. Preliminary phytochemical studies of ethanolic and aqueous extract of the roots were carried out. The shade dried powder and different types of extracts [viz petroleum ether, ethanolic and the aqueous extract] have been also analyzed for their fluorescence characters