Assessment of Calendula officinal growing in Iraq

Evaluation of Iraqi medicinal plants is very crucial to help people avoid the use of herbs without prior knowledge which results in many side effects and sometimes even leads to death. The plant constituents vary according to season, weather and type of soil, therefore it is necessary to evaluate the chemical constituents and determine the time of collection of medicinal plants. In this research evaluation of the medicinal plant Calendula officinal grown in Iraq was performed by measuring the quantity of hyperoside found in the plant together with macroscopical and microscopical evaluation of the plant.

Phytochemical constituents (Alkaloids, tannins, saponins, steroid, terpenoid, flavonoids, and cardic glycoside ) of medicinal plant ( Aegle marmelos, Cynodon dactylon, Eclipta prostrata, Pongamia pinnata, Sida acuta and Tridax procumbens)with different Families were Compared and Assessed.The Importance of these plants in ethnomedicine and their Significance in Traditional Medicine and there chemical constituents were discussed

Background: Plants contributed numerous novel compounds for prophylactic and curative medicine to modern science.They are the important source of natural agents used in various pharmaceutical industries. Himalayan plants are abundant in various secondary metabolites such as anthraquinones, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids and terpenes. The Himalayan plants grown in high altitude and have around 6500 years old history as traditional medicines. Aim: This review article systematically presents information onHimalayan medicinal plants having anti-cancer potentials. Methodology: Around 160 articles were reviewed by using online search engines like PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and floras of different Himalayan countries. Results: An attempt has been made to review anticancer plants and active constituents isolated from several anti-cancerous plants of Himalayan regions. Eighty three anticancer plants are reported in this review and total twenty two active chemical constituents including phenolic compounds, glycosides, terpenoidsand alkaloids from the plants were reported active against various cancer cell lines. Conclusion: Several synthetic agents are used to cure cancer but number of undesired side effects occurs during chemotherapy. Hence, the research is going on to investigate natural therapies, such as the use of the plant derived productsin cancer treatment. They may reduce adverse side effects.

Nowadays, the use of medicinal plants increased significantly for the aim of producing more effective drugs with fewer side effects. Gynura procumbens (family Asteraceae) is a high value medicinal plant with different properties that are considered less, regardless of having great therapeutic potential in traditional medicine. Many pharmacological studies have established the ability of this plant to exhibit antimicrobial, antioxidant, hepatoprotection, antigenotoxic, antiplasmodial, cytotoxic, cardioactive, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, etc. The aim of this study was to review the updated phytochemical, pharmacological investigations as well as the traditional and therapeutic uses of G. procumbens. Important and different experimental data have been addressed along with a review of most of the phytochemicals identified in this plant.

ABSTRACT               Medicinal plants are a source of power that has existed since age-old. TOGA used by our ancestors in order to overcome health problems by making various ingredients of medicinal issues. Therefore the use of medicinal plant families or we called TOGA should be developed and circulated in the community, especially for all of households. But many people are still not aware of the utilization of family medicine. People often mistake them for the raw material too produce of traditional medicines and they do not understand yet how to process the material. It can cause side effects that are different for each person if given excessive doses of the drug. Health to our survival is very important, because without health we could not do any activities that can sustain our lifes. The method used observation and documentation. Medicinal plants are all kinds of plants that have their own uses as a medicine. Many parts of the plant can be used, such as the fruit, stems, leaves, and roots or tubers. Processing technology medicinal plants can be done by sorting, alteration, draining, and drying, storage, and so on. While herb processing can be done by grind, boil, and simmer.   Keywords: Medicinal plants, TOGA, Benefits, and Processing.

AbstractStudies of medicinal plants have been conducted in many municipalities and regions in Bulgaria, but only species diversity has been studied. Data from ethnobotanical studies in Bulgaria are scarce. The conducted ethno-botanical study of medicinal plants on the territory of Balchik municipality is performed for the first time. As a result, we found that the population of the municipality uses a small part of the medicinal plants: 89 species out of a total of 845 medicinal plants in Bulgaria. Medicinal plants are used mainly for side applications (71%) and to a lesser extent for medicinal purposes (29%). Urban and rural populations use almost the same number of medicinal plants. There are significant differences in the number of plants used by different ethnic groups, age groups and groups with different levels of education. Women use more medicinal plants in human medicine, and in applications for other purposes, more plants are used by men. Most medicinal plants are used by people of active age. The people of Balchik Municipality use for various purposes mostly cultivated medicinal plants, rather than wild and mostly alien species, than native ones. The majority of respondents (78%) do not use medicinal plant substitutes. Most of the people (92.5%) are not aware of the shortcomings of the medicinal plants or the possible side effects of their use.

SummaryMedicinal plants have been used for thousands of years in folk medicines and still are used for their health benefits. In our days medicinal plants are exploited for the isolation of plant-derived drugs as they are very effective and have relatively less or no side effects. However, the natural resources of medicinal plants are gradually exhausted and access to plant bioactive compounds is challenged by the low levels at which these products accumulate in native medicinal plants. For instance, to meet the market demands of 3 Kg per year of vinca alkaloids, powerful plant-derived anticancer drugs, 1.5×106Kg dry leaves are required. In this regard, this review aims to highlight the fact that endophytic fungi residing in medicinal plants are capable to biosynthesize pharmacologically active secondary metabolites similar or identical to those produced by their host medicinal plant. Furthermore, the evolutionary origin of the genes involved in these metabolic pathways as well as the approaches designed to enhance the production of these metabolites by the isolated endophytic fungi are also discussed.

Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir is a reservoir of enormous natural resources including the wealth of medicinal plants. The present paper deals with 12 medicinal plant species belonging to 8 genera of angiosperms used on pneumonia in cattle such as cows, sheep, goats and buffaloes in different areas of Poonch district. Due to poverty and nonavailability of modern health care facilities, the indigenous people of the area partially or fully depend on surrounding medicinal plants to cure the different ailments of their cattles. Further research on modern scientific line is necessary to improve their efficacy, safety and validation of the traditional knowledge.