A widely used new blood thinner that is routinely given to heart patients after angioplasty appears in rare cases to trigger a deadly blood disease. The drug, called Plavix, prevents blood clots and has been taken by more than 3 million people worldwide since its introudction two years ago. For …
The Nilgiris have wealth of diversity, which includes the varied floral and faunal diversity. Besides, tribal diversity is also high in this region. The Nilgiris are of the major hill stations that are home to around ten different primitive tribal communities with distinctive cultures. Based on their geographical isolation, the …
Union Minister of Tribal Welfare Shri P.R. Kyndiah will be launching 'Vindhya Herbals' on May 18, 2008 at 7 pm. at Phulwari Pragati Maidan New Delhi. The function will be jointly organised by TRIFED and Madhya Pradesh State Minor Forest Federation. Kunwar Vijay Shah Chairman of M.P., MFP will be …
Medicinal plants harvested from the wild remain of immense importance for the well-being of millions of people around the world. Providing both a relief from illness and a source of income, over 70,000 plant species are thought to be medicinal. Loss of habitat combined with over-harvesting threatens the survival of …
The present paper documents the wealth of 62 medicinal plant species used by the indigenous Nath community of Assam in different types of health treatment. The botanical name, family name, vernacular name, parts used and their application has been provided in the present paper. Out of 62 plants studied, parts …
The present study makes an attempt to find out the beliefs and practices related to health care system of the Sonowal Kachari tribe of Assam. The study reveals that the Sonowal Kachari believes that certain diseases are caused by malevolent super natural forces and they try to cure them by …
indian camphorweed, that grows in lowlands and swamps, may hold the key to a cure for amoebiasis, a disease caused by the parasite Entamoeba histolytica that mostly hits the poor. A team of researchers from Jadavpur University and Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, both in Kolkata, have isolated a compound …
Fertile herbs A cocktail of herbal drugs can cure male infertility caused by diabetes, claims a research team from West Bengal. The team from Vidyasagar University has found that the cocktail produced from banana root, tamarind, jamun seeds and ivy gourd leaves not only decreased levels of blood glucose but …
Products derived from medicinal plants have been used for therapeutic purposes for centuries. Herbal products are generally considered safe and have been proven effective against certain ailments. They are also extensively used, particularly in many Asian, African and other developing countries (Patwardhan et al., 2005). There is an urgent need …
Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, may have hit upon a way to make malaria treatment easily accessible. They have found that a combination of curcumin from turmeric (a common spice in India) and artemisinin from Artemisia annua (a Chinese herb) is highly effective against drug-resistant malaria …
Though there are more than 160 species of the plasmodium parasite, only four infect humans. Amongst the two common ones, Pf is more closely related to the parasite that causes malaria in chimpanzees and birds. Pv, in contrast, is more like the one that affects macaques, a tropical monkey. Chimpanzee …
help is at hand to meet the demand for artemisinin, the only medicine for drug-resistant malaria. Researchers at the University of California in Berkeley, usa, have introduced genes from the Chinese herb Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) into yeast so that it produces high amounts of artemisinic acid
compounds derived from cannabis can destroy cancer cells, according to researchers at Barts and the London Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry in the uk. Led by Wai Man Liu, the team had earlier shown that the active ingredient in cannabis, tetrahydrocannabinol (thc), could treat some forms of cancer. …
Indian researchers have shown that a compound extracted from fenugreek seeds (methi in Hindi) can be used for nasal delivery of medicines. Scientists from the department of pharmaceutical technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, used the mucilage (sticky substance produced in certain plants) from methi seeds to develop a nasal gel to …
the department of ayurveda, yoga, unani, s iddha and homeopathy (ayush) under the Union ministry of health and family welfare (mohfw) recently issued a notification making it mandatory for manufacturers of herbal products to mention on containers that the amount of heavy metals is
an indian plant, Sanjeevani (Sellaginella bryopteris), may prove as miraculous as revealed in the epic Ramayana, where it brings a mortally wounded Lakshman, the brother of Lord Rama, back to life. A team of scientists led by Nand K Sah from Gwalior-based Madhav Institute of Technology and Science claims a …
Did Nepali Maoist rebels make (Indian) Rs 3.15 crore last year from the trade in medicinal herb Yar Tsa Gumba (Cordyceps sinensis) in Dolpo, a mountain region in Nepal's Midwest? Yes, say local sources, quoting the figure. The government doesn't know the exact amount of profit, but it has concluded …
sri lanka's environmentalists are alarmed at the recent alleged export of a large consignment of a threatened medicinal plant to Japan for use in drug manufacture. The kothala himbutu creeper (Salacia reticulata Wight), which is scarce and takes very long to grow, has been used for generations to fight diabetes. …
