Review on herbal medicines

The purpose of this article is to study and to verify the therapeutic effects and margin of safety of traditional medicines used by the tribal community for treating various diseases as described in ancient literature found in our country. Herbs have been important contributors to the quality of human life for thousands of years. Herbal medicine is the oldest and most widely used form of medicine in the world today. Throughout history plants have served humankind as valuable components of seasonings, teas, cosmetics, dyes, and medicines. Medicinal plants have a traditionally important position in the socio-cultural, spiritual, and medicinal arena of rural and tribal lives throughout the world; India is rich in indigenous herbal resources due to its diverse climatic and soil conditions and multiple ecological regions. In Himalayan region of India, more than 2000 medicinal plant species exist. Although medicinal plants have been used since long, their scientific substantiation has recently been initiated. Looking into the steady expansion in the global population and prevalence of various diseases, such studies are the need of time to ensure availability of drugs in sustainable manner from natural sources for future generations. Based on the therapeutic and commercial importance of medicinal plants, the Cyperus rotundus has been undertaken to evaluate various ethnopharmacological parameters, as it has been used by number of tribal communities in Central part and Southern part of India. According to the WHO estimates about 80% of the of the world's population (mostly in developing countries) rely on traditional medicine, almost plant-based drugs, for their primary healthcare needs. Plants products also play an important role in the health-care systems of the remaining 20% of the population residing in developed countries. Currently, at least 122 phytoconstituents, derived from 94 plant species, can be considered as important drugs that are in use in one or more countries as therapeutic agents.

Medicinal plants are the gift of nature and play an important role as a part of our diet to maintain health. They also serve as a versatile weapon to combat against a number of diseases. Every civilization has its own experience and knowledge of therapeutic uses of plants. The belief and observations regarding traditionally used medicinal plants, increasing the interest of people to use them against urolithiasis. Urolithiasis is a common problem afflicted for many centuries with high recurrence. World population of about 12% suffers with urolithiasis. All over the world in different countries and cultures people use plants for the prevention and cure of kidney stone according to their ethnopharmacological information. These formulations are very effective that's why these are used for hundreds of years. This review covers the eighty (80) medicinal plants of most cited family Asteraceae against urolithiasis along with their historical antiurolithiatc background shared in well-known books of Dioscorides, Pliny the Elder, Al Razi and Ibn Sina. This information was extracted to compose antiurolithiatic plants with their parts and formulations used in 21 countries such as Algeria, Scientifically proved pharmacological activities of the same part of plant have direct (litholytic) and in direct pharmacological effects like analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, astringent, demulcent, diuretic, litholytic, lithotriptic, antiurolithiatic, antispasmodic, ACE inhibition and Phospholipase A2 inhibition also shared as a plausible mechanism of action. The route of administration is oral in all cases. Hopefully, this book will not only be useful for the general public but also attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery. This valuable ethnopharmacological information will provide the opportunities for the future research and development of new natural antiurolithiatic compounds.

Urolithiasis is a common worldwide problem with high recurrence. This review covers thirteen (13) antiurolithiatic plants of family Boraginaceae, twenty (20) from Brassicaceae, twenty three (23) from Malvaceae and twenty four (24) from Poaceae used globally in different countries. Hopefully, this review will not only be useful for the general public but also attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery.

The present study was intended to evaluate the various pharmacognostical procedures in the leaves of Capparis sepiaria Linn., (Capparidaceae). The various pharmacognostical parameters were carried out as per WHO guidelines procedure i.e., bitterness, fineness, microscopical sections, loss on drying, water and alcoholic extractive values, water insoluble ash, acid soluble ash, total ash, swelling index, foaming index, heavy metal analysis, phytochemical analysis and toxicity studies (acute, subacute and chronic toxicity). The study was extended with analyzing the chemical compounds identification in the EECS (ethanolic extract of Capparis sepiaria by using GC-MS. The presence of various phytoconstituents such as glycosides, reducing sugars, flavonoids, saponins, starch and terpenoids is evidenced in EECS & AECS. The results showed that acid insoluble ash (1.70%), total ash (8.68%), water soluble ash (3.42%), water extractive (31.55%), alcohol extractive (5.06%), foaming index (105.26 Unit), loss on drying (9.84%), swelling index (4.16%), acute toxicity (nil), sub-acute toxicity (nil), chronic toxicity (nil). The study was concluded with the plant has standardized as per the World Health Organization procedures. The result of the pharmacognostical standardization of this plant serves as a reference piece and helps in future identification and authentication of this plant specimen. Might be the plant C. sepiaria has potential property by the standardization and it can be included in the normal flora of the plant kingdom.
Keywords C. sepiaria; Microscopical; Macroscopical standardiz

Urolithiasis is a common worldwide problem with high recurrence. This review covers thirty six (36) families starting from alphabet M to R. It includes Rubiaceae (17); Phyllanthaceae and Rutaceae (09); Polygonaceae (08); Pinaceae and Piperaceae (06) (01) plant used globally in different countries. Hopefully, this review will not only be useful for the general public but also attract the scientific world for antiurolithiatic drug discovery.

Background: Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), commonly known as an Amrita in the classical texts of Ayurveda, belongs to the family Menispermaceae and is one of the most frequently used drugs in Ayurvedic pharmacopoeias. In the recent past, this drug has attracted the attention of clinicians for its immunomodulatory activities. Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia of India recommends both external and internal applications of Guduchi for the management of different disease conditions. Aim: To prepare a comprehensive data of internal administration of Guduchi recorded in various Ayurvedic texts. Materials and methods: This review portrays the wide usage of Guduchi through internal administration, which comprises 56 various Samhita (treatise), Chikitsa grantha (compendia of Ayurveda), and Rasagrantha (compendia related to Rasashastra). Results: It is observed that about 1,526 formulations, having Guduchi as an ingredient, are used to combat almost 95 varied diseases. Among these diseased conditions,...