Understanding tourists’ perceptions and appreciation of traditional food products (TFPs) is cruci... more Understanding tourists’ perceptions and appreciation of traditional food products (TFPs) is crucial for developing effective marketing and development strategies for poor economies with tourism potential, such as Cambodia. Lots of TFPs are derived from underutilised plant species, which are generally undervalued in economic terms. The aim of the study was to analyse tourists’ familiarity with both conventional (i.e., wider known and used) and underutilised Cambodian TFPs. A total of 1271 international tourists were interviewed in the country’s three most visited regions. A pairwise matrix was used to document tourists’ preferences, χ2 test to determine associations between respondents’ preferences and socio-demographic characteristics, a bivariate probit model to examine factors influencing these attitudes, and an ordered probit model to analyse factors influencing willingness-to-pay for TFPs. A total of 923 respondents (72.6%) were familiar with at least one TFP. Kampot pepper, pal...
Essential oils (EOs) have great potential in inhalation therapy for the treatment of respiratory ... more Essential oils (EOs) have great potential in inhalation therapy for the treatment of respiratory infections, however, innovative methods for evaluation of antimicrobial activity of their vapors are still needed. The current study reports validation of the broth macrodilution volatilization method for assessment of the antibacterial properties of EOs and shows growth-inhibitory effect of Indian medicinal plants against pneumonia-causing bacteria in liquid and vapor phase. Among all samples tested, Trachyspermum ammi EO exhibited the strongest antibacterial effect against Haemophilus influenzae, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 128 and 256 µg/mL in the liquid and vapor phases, respectively. Furthermore, Cyperus scariosus EO was found to be non-toxic to normal lung fibroblasts were assessed by modified thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay. Chemical analysis performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified α-citral, cyperotundone, and thymol as the main const...
Bacterial diarrhea remains a global health problem, especially in developing tropical countries. ... more Bacterial diarrhea remains a global health problem, especially in developing tropical countries. Moreover, dysbiosis caused by diarrheagenic bacteria and inappropriate antimicrobial treatment has been associated with intestinal carcinogenesis. Despite the rich tradition of the use of herbs for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in Cambodian and Philippine folk medicine, many of them have not yet been systematically studied for their in vitro selective inhibitory effects on intestinal bacteria and cells. In the present study, in vitro inhibitory activities of 35 ethanolic extracts derived from 32 Cambodian and Philippine medicinal plants were determined by broth microdilution method against 12 pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, cytotoxicity against intestinal cancer cells (Caco-2 and HT-29) using thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide cytotoxicity assay and safety to six beneficial intestinal bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) and intestinal normal cells (FHs 74 Int) were...
The ethnobotanical study of dye-yielding plants has been carried out in native communities of Shi... more The ethnobotanical study of dye-yielding plants has been carried out in native communities of Shipibo-Konibo Amerindians around Pucallpa city in Coronel Portillo Province of Ucayali Region in Peru. Eighteen plant species distributed among 14 families that are commonly used as sources of natural dyes in the studied area are reported in this study, whereas the botanical and vernacular names, plant parts used, color produced, forms of preparation and application of dye are given for each species. Among investigated species, Bixa orellana (Bixaceae), Buchenavia oxycarpa (Combretaceae), Swietenia macrophylla (Meliaceae), Terminalia amazonia (Combretaceae) and Terminalia catappa (Combretaceae) were reported to be the most popularly used by the local communities. Seven different colors (black, brown, green, pink, purple, red and yellow) were described to be prepared from the total number of studied species for textile and hair dying, body painting and food colorants.
Intestinal infections are extremely frequent disorders occurring in humans as well as in animals ... more Intestinal infections are extremely frequent disorders occurring in humans as well as in animals [1]. Among gastrointestinal diseases, Clostridium-associated diseases have assumed worrying proportions because of their enormous medical and economic impact [2]. Plants produce secondary metabolites, out of which some show antimicrobial activity and therefore there is a lot of research extensively studying the plants as promising human disease-controlling agents [3]. Certain plant derived compounds can serve as safe food preservatives [4] which do not cause damage to the human gut microflora. In this study we are continuously testing selective activity of plant-derived substances against potential pathogens of the human intestinal tract from the genera Clostridium, and at the same time the activity towards beneficial human intestinal microflora represented by the genera Bifidobacterium using the broth microdilution method. Three of the substances tested, namely thymoquinone (TQ), curcum...
Foodborne toxico-infections causing gastrointestinal disorders are an issue in developing countri... more Foodborne toxico-infections causing gastrointestinal disorders are an issue in developing countries. Among the culprits are Clostridium pefringens causing food poisoning or C. butyricum causing infant botulism. Antibiotic treatment can destroy beneficial bifidobacteria which helps create positive intestinal flora. In this work we tested five phytocompounds with possible selective antimicrobial activity against clostridial pathogens (Clostridium butyricum, C. clostridioforme, and C. perfringens), and towards beneficial intestinal microflora representatives (Bifidobacterium animalis, B. catenulatum and B. longum) in vitro using the broth microdilution method [4]. The results showed that 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ), a natural aromatic alkaloid, possesses significant degree of selective antimicrobial action, affecting bifidobacteria at MIC ≥ 2048 µM while inhibiting clostridia with MIC ranging from 512 µM to 128 µM.
Bifidobacteria having probiotic effects are intensively studied for their use as preparations for... more Bifidobacteria having probiotic effects are intensively studied for their use as preparations for prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders [1]. Reliable methods for bifidobacteria detection and isolation are therefore of increasing importance. In the samples where low amounts of bifidobacteria are expected, the use of selective agar for enumeration and isolation is necessary. In the media developed so far, the antibiotic mupirocin is used [2,3], nevertheless some clostridial strains can overgrow bifidobacteria what causes the underestimation of bifidobacterial counts [4]. This indicates the need for modified medium with selectivity against clostridia. According to our previous research, among 25 natural phytocompounds tested, 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) possesses significant bifidobacteria/clostridia selective effect. Our further results of agar dilution susceptibility assay showed that bifidobacterial plate counts, were not affected by 8HQ in the concentration of 200 μg/...
African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative medicines (AJTCAM), Feb 5, 2009
Plant drugs used in African traditional medicine are important source of compounds with various b... more Plant drugs used in African traditional medicine are important source of compounds with various biological activities [1]. For the specific situation of Uganda, there is little information on medicinal plant use by traditional healers in Karamoja region (north-east Uganda). Moreover, even though there are some reports on pharmacology of Ugandan medicinal plants [2], their antioxidative activities are still poorly documented. Thus we decided to investigate antioxidative activity of seven Ugandan tree species selected ...
Understanding tourists’ perceptions and appreciation of traditional food products (TFPs) is cruci... more Understanding tourists’ perceptions and appreciation of traditional food products (TFPs) is crucial for developing effective marketing and development strategies for poor economies with tourism potential, such as Cambodia. Lots of TFPs are derived from underutilised plant species, which are generally undervalued in economic terms. The aim of the study was to analyse tourists’ familiarity with both conventional (i.e., wider known and used) and underutilised Cambodian TFPs. A total of 1271 international tourists were interviewed in the country’s three most visited regions. A pairwise matrix was used to document tourists’ preferences, χ2 test to determine associations between respondents’ preferences and socio-demographic characteristics, a bivariate probit model to examine factors influencing these attitudes, and an ordered probit model to analyse factors influencing willingness-to-pay for TFPs. A total of 923 respondents (72.6%) were familiar with at least one TFP. Kampot pepper, pal...
Essential oils (EOs) have great potential in inhalation therapy for the treatment of respiratory ... more Essential oils (EOs) have great potential in inhalation therapy for the treatment of respiratory infections, however, innovative methods for evaluation of antimicrobial activity of their vapors are still needed. The current study reports validation of the broth macrodilution volatilization method for assessment of the antibacterial properties of EOs and shows growth-inhibitory effect of Indian medicinal plants against pneumonia-causing bacteria in liquid and vapor phase. Among all samples tested, Trachyspermum ammi EO exhibited the strongest antibacterial effect against Haemophilus influenzae, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 128 and 256 µg/mL in the liquid and vapor phases, respectively. Furthermore, Cyperus scariosus EO was found to be non-toxic to normal lung fibroblasts were assessed by modified thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide assay. Chemical analysis performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identified α-citral, cyperotundone, and thymol as the main const...
Bacterial diarrhea remains a global health problem, especially in developing tropical countries. ... more Bacterial diarrhea remains a global health problem, especially in developing tropical countries. Moreover, dysbiosis caused by diarrheagenic bacteria and inappropriate antimicrobial treatment has been associated with intestinal carcinogenesis. Despite the rich tradition of the use of herbs for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders in Cambodian and Philippine folk medicine, many of them have not yet been systematically studied for their in vitro selective inhibitory effects on intestinal bacteria and cells. In the present study, in vitro inhibitory activities of 35 ethanolic extracts derived from 32 Cambodian and Philippine medicinal plants were determined by broth microdilution method against 12 pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, cytotoxicity against intestinal cancer cells (Caco-2 and HT-29) using thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide cytotoxicity assay and safety to six beneficial intestinal bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) and intestinal normal cells (FHs 74 Int) were...
The ethnobotanical study of dye-yielding plants has been carried out in native communities of Shi... more The ethnobotanical study of dye-yielding plants has been carried out in native communities of Shipibo-Konibo Amerindians around Pucallpa city in Coronel Portillo Province of Ucayali Region in Peru. Eighteen plant species distributed among 14 families that are commonly used as sources of natural dyes in the studied area are reported in this study, whereas the botanical and vernacular names, plant parts used, color produced, forms of preparation and application of dye are given for each species. Among investigated species, Bixa orellana (Bixaceae), Buchenavia oxycarpa (Combretaceae), Swietenia macrophylla (Meliaceae), Terminalia amazonia (Combretaceae) and Terminalia catappa (Combretaceae) were reported to be the most popularly used by the local communities. Seven different colors (black, brown, green, pink, purple, red and yellow) were described to be prepared from the total number of studied species for textile and hair dying, body painting and food colorants.
Intestinal infections are extremely frequent disorders occurring in humans as well as in animals ... more Intestinal infections are extremely frequent disorders occurring in humans as well as in animals [1]. Among gastrointestinal diseases, Clostridium-associated diseases have assumed worrying proportions because of their enormous medical and economic impact [2]. Plants produce secondary metabolites, out of which some show antimicrobial activity and therefore there is a lot of research extensively studying the plants as promising human disease-controlling agents [3]. Certain plant derived compounds can serve as safe food preservatives [4] which do not cause damage to the human gut microflora. In this study we are continuously testing selective activity of plant-derived substances against potential pathogens of the human intestinal tract from the genera Clostridium, and at the same time the activity towards beneficial human intestinal microflora represented by the genera Bifidobacterium using the broth microdilution method. Three of the substances tested, namely thymoquinone (TQ), curcum...
Foodborne toxico-infections causing gastrointestinal disorders are an issue in developing countri... more Foodborne toxico-infections causing gastrointestinal disorders are an issue in developing countries. Among the culprits are Clostridium pefringens causing food poisoning or C. butyricum causing infant botulism. Antibiotic treatment can destroy beneficial bifidobacteria which helps create positive intestinal flora. In this work we tested five phytocompounds with possible selective antimicrobial activity against clostridial pathogens (Clostridium butyricum, C. clostridioforme, and C. perfringens), and towards beneficial intestinal microflora representatives (Bifidobacterium animalis, B. catenulatum and B. longum) in vitro using the broth microdilution method [4]. The results showed that 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ), a natural aromatic alkaloid, possesses significant degree of selective antimicrobial action, affecting bifidobacteria at MIC ≥ 2048 µM while inhibiting clostridia with MIC ranging from 512 µM to 128 µM.
Bifidobacteria having probiotic effects are intensively studied for their use as preparations for... more Bifidobacteria having probiotic effects are intensively studied for their use as preparations for prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders [1]. Reliable methods for bifidobacteria detection and isolation are therefore of increasing importance. In the samples where low amounts of bifidobacteria are expected, the use of selective agar for enumeration and isolation is necessary. In the media developed so far, the antibiotic mupirocin is used [2,3], nevertheless some clostridial strains can overgrow bifidobacteria what causes the underestimation of bifidobacterial counts [4]. This indicates the need for modified medium with selectivity against clostridia. According to our previous research, among 25 natural phytocompounds tested, 8-hydroxyquinoline (8HQ) possesses significant bifidobacteria/clostridia selective effect. Our further results of agar dilution susceptibility assay showed that bifidobacterial plate counts, were not affected by 8HQ in the concentration of 200 μg/...
African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative medicines (AJTCAM), Feb 5, 2009
Plant drugs used in African traditional medicine are important source of compounds with various b... more Plant drugs used in African traditional medicine are important source of compounds with various biological activities [1]. For the specific situation of Uganda, there is little information on medicinal plant use by traditional healers in Karamoja region (north-east Uganda). Moreover, even though there are some reports on pharmacology of Ugandan medicinal plants [2], their antioxidative activities are still poorly documented. Thus we decided to investigate antioxidative activity of seven Ugandan tree species selected ...
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