Month: December 2010

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Herbs & Plants

Bidens pilosa

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Botanical Name : Bidens pilosa
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Bidens
Species: B. pilosa
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Asterales

Common names :   Anguad (Ig.)  Puriket (Bon.) ,Burbutak (Tag.)  Beggar ticks (Engl.,) ,Dadayem (Iv.)  Water marigold (Engl.) ,Nghuad (Tag.) Spanish needles (Engl.) ,Ñguad (Tag.) Black jack (Engl.) ,Pisau-pisau (C. Bis.) ,Chor pushpi,Picao Preto, Black-jack, Beggar-ticks, Cobbler’s pegs

Local names: Nguad (Ig.); dadayem (Jv.); pisau-pisau (C. Bis.); puriket (Bon.); beggar-ticks, bur marigold, Spanish needles, black jack (Engl.)

Habitat :   Bidens pilosa  is native to the Americas but it is known widely as an introduced species of other regions, including Eurasia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.It  is found in waste places, chiefly at medium altitudes, ascending to 2,200 meters, from the Batan and Babuyan Islands and northern Luzon to Mindanao. It is pantropic in distribution.

Description:
Bidens pilosa is an annual forb of gracile habit, growing up to 1.8 meters tall. It grows aggressively on disturbed land and often becomes weedy. The leaves are oppositely arranged and pinnate in form with three to five dentate, ovate-to-lanceolate leaflets. The petioles are slightly winged.This is an erect, branched, usually more or less hairy herb 0.2 to 1.5 meters in height. The leaves are 1- or 2-pinnatifid and 15 centimeters long or less, the upper one being usually much smaller; the segments are ovate-lanceolate, 2 to 5 centimeters long, and toothed. The flowering heads are about 8 millimeters long. The disc flowers are brown or yellowish and the ray ones, yellow or nearly white. The inner involucral-bracts have broad, scarious margins. The acheness are black, long and slender, linear, 1 to 1.5 centimeters long, and characterized by four projections at the apex.
click to see the pictures….….(01)…...(1)….(2).…(3)…...(4)..…..(5)…....(6).…....(7)..
Edible Uses:
• In sub-Saharan Africa, fresh or dried tender shoots and young leaves are eaten as vegetable in times of scarcity.
• In Uganda, leaves are boiled in sour milk.
• Leaves are added to salads and stews.
• Young shoots used to make tea.

Constituents :Plant contains iodine; the leaves, tanin and aponin; the flowers, suflur.

Medicinal Uses:
Parts used:
· Entire plant.
· Collect before flower opens, rinse, sun-dry, section into pieces or compress.

Antibacterial, antidysenteric, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antimalarial, diuretic, hepato-protective, antipyretic, antifungal.
Sweet tasting, mildly refrigerant.

According to Gibbs and Agcaoili the flowers are mixed by the Igorots with the balls of boiled rice which they set to ferment in the manufacture of crude spirits.
Burkill says that the leaves contain a little tannin.

The leaves are official in the Dutch (4) and Mexican (4) Pharmacopoeias.
According to Burkill the Malays boil the plant and take the infusion for coughs.
Caius reports that for sore eyes the pounded leaves are applied over the eyelids. In the Gold Coast and in Lagos the juice of the leaves is commonly squeezed into the eyes or the ears to cure complaints in those organs. In the latter case the leaves are first warmed in water with pepper. The leaves are also used as a styptic to stop bleeding from wounds. Watt and Breyer-Brandwijk say that the Zulus chew the young shoots for treatment of rheumatism. They also administer the powdered leaves in water as an enema for abdominal troubles, and rub the burnt seeds into incisions on the sides for the relief of pain. Caius reports that the leaves are used in Brazil as a styptic in stopping the floe of blood, and as a vulnerary. They are also applied to foul ulcers and swollen glands. In Columbia the infusion is used as a sudorific. Ridley quotes Holmes, who states that the Malays rub the leaves on the gums for toothache. Burkill adds the juice of the leaves is used in Java, Malaya, and Indo-China for eye complaints. In Java the leaves, heated, are applied to boils to ripen them. The leaves are said to be a substitute for tea in Mexico.

Crevost and Petelot state that in Indo-China the dried flower buds, ground and mixed with alcohol, are used as a mouth-wash in toothache. Caius says that among the Zulus the flower is used as a remedy for diarrhea.

Folkloric :
· Used as preventive for influenza or cold, used for treatment of swelling pain at the throat, fever among infants, fear of cold weather.
· Used for poisonous insects and snake bite.
· For enteritis, flatulence, diarrhea, appendicitis.
· For sprains, contusions, chronic ulcers.
· Used to stop wound bleeding.
· Leaves used for treatment of thrush and candida.
· For piles, chronic ulcers, various skin diseases.
· Dosage: use 30 to 60 gms of dried material or 90 to 150 gms fresh material in decoction. Fresh materials may be pounded and applied as poultice or boiled in water and applied as external wash.
· In Uganda, the sap from crushed leaves is used to speed up blood clotting in fresh wounds. Leaf decoction used for headaches. Plant sap is used for ear infections. Decoction of leaf powder for kidney ailments. Plant decoction used for flatulence.
· In southern Africa, used for malaria.
· In Zimbabwe, used for stomach and mouth ulcers, diarrhea and hangovers.
· In Peru, leaves are balled up and applied to toothaches.
· In the Amazon, used for hepatitis, angina, sore throat.
· In the Congo, plant used as poison antidote and to facilitate child delivery.
· In Nigeria, the powder or seed ash is used as a local anesthetic for cuts.
· In Brazil, the plant is traditionally used for conditions related to cancer.
Note: This plant closely resembles Bidens tripartita which may be differentiated on the shape of the leaves, however the medicinal function of this plant is identical with Bidens pilosa and hence may be used as a substitute.

Other Uses:
• Fodder for pigs.
• Seeds for chicken feed.
• Leaves used as stimulant alternative to tea.
• In Kenya, used for the extraction of natural dyes.
• In the Congo, roots are washed, dried and used as painting brush.

Studies:
• B. pilosa has been studied for antitumor activity. Some reports suggest antileukemic actions. Polyacetylenes from B. pilosa suggest antimicrobial activity. Some flavonoids have anti-inflammatory. Other studies have shown it to possess antibacterial, antidysenteric, antiinflammatory, antimalarial, diuretid, hepatoprotedtive and hypotensive effects.

• Hepatoprotective: Study of water extract from B pilosa on Wistar rats showed phytotherapeutic activity in hepatic damage induced by chronic obstructive cholestasis by hepatoprotective effects on liver function, decrease of rate of necrosis and liver fibrosis.

• Studies of anticancer and antipyretic activity of Bidens pilosa whole plant: Extracts from B. pilosa were tested for anticancer and antipyretic activity. Extracts were showed a significant cytotoxic effect against Hela cells by in vitro method and showed a comparable antipyretic activity.

• Anti-Tumor: (1) Study of an in vitro cytotoxicity using Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cell line assay, the chloroform extract showed the best antitumor activity.

• Anti-Malarial Activity: (1) New evidences of antimalarial activity of Bidens pilosa roots extract correlated with polyacetylene and flavonoids: The results showed the in vivo activity of the ethanol extract depends on polyacetylene and flavonoids. (2) Study showed the presence of flanonoid compounds believed to be responsible for the antimalarial activity. Its proven activity against P falcifarum drug-resistant parasites in vitro and in rodent malaria in vivo, suggests it a good candidate for further testing as a phytotherapeutic agent.

• Immunomodulation: (1) Study yielded flavanoids – centaurein and centaureidin, which stimulated IFN-gamma expression. (2) Study showed the butanol fraction of B pilosa has a dichotomous effect on helper T cell-mediated immune disorders, possibly through modulation of T cell differentiation.

• Anti-Herpes: Study showed the hot water extract of Bidens pilosa inhibited replication of the HSV.

• Antiinflammatory / Antiallergic: Results of studies on suspension and boiling water extract of dried powder from the aerial parts of B pilosa L var radiata Scherff inibited histamine release and production of IgE, suggesting it may be clinically useful in the prevention of type 1 allergic disease.

• Anti-Diabetic: Results of study on water extract of B pilosa suggests it ameliorates type 2 diabetes in mice through regulation of insulin secretion and islet protection.

• Anti-leukemic: Study of hot water extracts showed inhibition of leukemic cell lines and suggests it may be a useful medicinal plant for treating leukemia.

• Flavonoids / Hepatoprotective: Study in carbon tetrachloride-induced liver injury in mice and rats showed the total flavonoids of Bidens pilosa had a protective and therapeutic effect on animal liver injiury and could be associated with its antioxidant properties and inhibition of NF-kB activation.

• Oxytocic: Study to validate the claimed uses of Bidens pilosa and Luffa cylindrica inducing labor during childbirth showed the aqueous leafy extracts of Bp and Lc increased rat uterine motility suggesting oxytocic activity and validates their therapeutic herbal uses in childbirth.

• Mutagenic Potential: A study to evaluate the capacity of teas of B pilosa and Mikania glomerata to induce DNA damages and mutagenic effects showed dose-dependent and preparation-form effects and suggests caution in the phytotherapeutic use of the plants.

• Vasodilating / Calcium Antagonist: Study showed the vasodilating properties of the neutral extract of B pilosa and indicate a potential as a calcium antagonist.

• Cytopiloyne / T Helper Cell Modulator / Anti-Diabetes: Study yielded a novel bioactive polyacetylenic glucoside, cytopiloyne. Results showed it functions as a T cell modulator, an activity that may directly contribute to its ethnopharmacologic effect on precenting diabetes.

• Anti-COX-2 / Anti-PGE2 / Anti-Inflammatory: In a study of interleukin-1ß induced inflammation in normal human dermal fibroblasts, B pilosa inhibited the phosphorylation of MAPKs, COX-2 expression and subsequently PGE2 production.

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:

Click to access dadayem.pdf

http://www.stuartxchange.org/Dadayem.html
http://vaniindia.org.whbus12.onlyfordemo.com/herbal/plantdir.asp
http://www.javaherbal.blogspot.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bidens_pilosa

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Healthy Tips

Whey Protein Can Bring Down Blood Pressure and Cholesterol

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New research shows that consuming whey protein, made from materials leftover from the production of cheese, can help reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. The effect depends on the specific type of high blood pressure an individual has, and has no known side effects, potentially making whey protein an alternative treatment option for some patients.

Beverages supplemented by whey-based protein can significantly reduce elevated blood pressure, reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease, a Washington State University study has found.

Research led by nutritional biochemist Susan Fluegel and published in International Dairy Journal found that daily doses of commonly available whey brought a more than six-point reduction in the average blood pressure of men and women with elevated systolic and diastolic blood pressures. While the study was confined to 71 student subjects between the ages of 18 and 26, Fluegel says older people with blood pressure issues would likely get similar results.

“One of the things I like about this is it is low-cost,” says Fluegel, a nutritional biochemistry instructor interested in treating disease through changes in nutrition and exercise. “Not only that, whey protein has not been shown to be harmful in any way.”

Terry Shultz, co-author and an emeritus professor in the former Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, said the findings have practical implications for personal health as well as the dairy industry.

“These are very intriguing findings, very interesting,” he said. “To my knowledge, this hasn’t been shown before.”

The study, which Fluegel did for her doctorate in nutritional biochemistry, notes that researchers in a 2007 study found no blood-pressure changes in people who took a whey-supplemented drink. At first, she saw no consistent improvement either. But then she thought to break out her subjects into different groups and found significant improvements in those with different types of elevated blood pressure. Improvements began in the first week of the study and lasted through its six-week course.

The supplements, delivered in fruit-flavored drinks developed at the WSU Creamery, did not lower the blood pressure of subjects who did not have elevated pressure to begin with. That’s good, said Fluegel, as low blood pressure can also be a problem.

Other studies have found that blood-pressure reductions like those seen by Fluegel can reduce cardiovascular disease and bring a 35 to 40 percent reduction in fatal strokes.

Health benefits aside, researchers are excited about the prospect of improving the market for whey, a cheese byproduct that often has to be disposed of at some expense. Its potential economic impact is unclear, says Shannon Neibergs, a WSU extension economist, “but any positive use of that product is going to be beneficial.”

Source : Elements4Health

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Herbs & Plants

Bergenia ciliata

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Botanical Name : Bergenia ciliata Sternb.
Family :  Saxifragaceae
Genus :Bergenia
Species :Bergenia ciliata

Synonyms : Bergenia ligulata – Engl.,Megasea ciliata – Haw.,Saxifraga ciliata – (Haw.)Royle.,Saxifraga ligulata – Wall.,Saxifraga thysanodes – Lindl. B.ligulata E.L
Common Name : Pashanbhed, Pakhanbad, Dhoklambu, Patharchat, Silphoda

.
Habitat : E. Asia – Himalayas from Afghanistan to E. Tibet.  On moist rocks and under forest shade, 1900 – 2600 metres in Kashmir .Woodland Garden; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Ground Cover;

Description:
An evergreen Perennial growing to 0.3m by 0.5m. Leaves few, spreading, 4-11 x 3-10 cm, glabrous or hirsute, suborbicular to orbicular or broadly obovate, base cordate or sometimes rounded, apex rounded or sometimes abruptly acuminate; margin entire to occasionally denticulate at top, ciliate. Petiole 1-2(-5)cm long, glabrous or hirsute. Inflorescence a one sided raceme or corymbose, often subtended by an ovate leafy bract; bract glabrous or sparsely ciliate; scape and inflorescence greenish or pink tinged. Peduncle up to 10 cm long; flowers pink to purplish, pedicellate. Sepals c. 7 mm long, oblong. Petals 10 x 4 mm, unguiculate, limb orbicular. Filaments c. 1 cm long, pink to red. Carpels 2. Styles c. 7 mm long. Carpels and styles green or pinkish. Capsule 13 x 6 mm, including styles. Seeds elongated, c. 1 mm long, brown, minutely tuberculate.

click to see the pictures……...(01)...(1).....(2)....(3)....(4).…...(5).……..(6).....

It is hardy to zone 7 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from March to May. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs)
The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay and nutritionally poor soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Cultivation :
Succeeds in full sun or light shade in most soils but prefers a deep fertile soil that does not dry out fully. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are at their best in a medium-heavy soil. Succeeds in shade or semi-shade-. The leaf colour is best when plants are grown in a poor soil in a sunny position[188]. Dislikes cold winds . The plant is hardy to about -20°c, but the flowers and young leaves are rather sensitive to frost so it is best to choose a position with shade from the early morning sun. This species is only hardy in sheltered gardens of south and west Britain. If the leaves are cut back by frost then they are soon replaced by fresh leaves in the spring. The roots of this plant are commonly collected from the wild for medicinal purposes. Overcollection in many areas of its range are a cause for conservation concern. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. The different species of this genus will hybridise freely when grown near each other.

Propagation:
Seed – surface sow in a greenhouse. Make sure that the compost does not dry out. Two weeks cold stratification can speed up germination which usually takes 1 – 6 months at 15°c. Fresh seed, sown as soon as it is ripe in late spring is liable to germinate better than stored seed. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in light shade in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Division in late spring after flowering or in autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted straight into their permanent positions whilst smaller clumps are best potted up and kept in a cold frame until they are growing away well.

Edible Uses:
The flowers are boiled and then pickled.

Medicinal Uses:
Lithontripic; Ophthalmic; Poultice; Tonic.

A juice or powder of the whole plant is used to treat urinary troubles in Nepal. The juice of the leaves is used as drops to relieve earaches . The root is used as a tonic in the treatment of fevers, diarrhoea and pulmonary affections. The root juice is used to treat coughs and colds, haemorrhoids, asthma and urinary problems. Externally, the root is bruised and applied as a poultice to boils and ophthalmia, it is also considered helpful in relieving backache. The root of this plant has a high reputation in indigenous systems of medicine for dissolving stones in the kidneys.

Other Uses
Ground cover; Tannin.

The root contains 14 – 16% tannin. A good ground cover plant, forming a slowly spreading clump.

Resources:
http://server9.web-mania.com/users/pfafardea/database/plants.php?Bergenia+ciliata
http://vaniindia.org.whbus12.onlyfordemo.com/herbal/plantdir.asp
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=5&taxon_id=242308319
http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bergenia_ciliata.JPG

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Herbs & Plants

Barringtonia acutangula

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Botanical Name :Barringtonia acutangula Gaertn
Family: Lecythidaceae
Genus: Barringtonia
Species: B. acutangula
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Ericales
Synonym(s):
Barringtonia edaphocarpa Gagnep
Barringtonia pedicellata Ridley
Barringtonia spicata Blume

Common Names :Ingar, Ambuja, Hijjala, Samudraphala, Dhatri phala, Indian Oak


Habitat :Native to coastal wetlands in southern Asia and northern Australasia, from Afghanistan east to the Philippines and Queensland.
Barringtonia racemosa is mainly a coastal species that thrives under very humid, moist conditions. It is common along tropical and subtropical coasts in the Indian Ocean, starting at the east coast of South Africa. It is also common in Mozambique, Madagascar, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, southern China, northern Australia, the Ryukyu Islands of Japan and a number of Polynesian islands. It does grow well under dry conditions but it cannot tolerate even mild frost

Description:
Barringtonia acutangula is a midium size freshwater mangrove tree  or shrub  grows in alluvium sandy clay  on banks of river & creeks,floodplains. It has a straight, unbranched stem that leads to a rounded crown and is usually 4-8 m tall, but occasionally reaches 15 m. The bark is greyish brown to pink with white blotches and raised dots and lines. The branches are marked with leaf scars.
The leaves are alternate and carried in clusters at the ends of branches, are 180-320 x 55-145 mm, with petioles 5-12 mm long. The midribs are prominent on the lower side of the leaf and the branching veins are visible on both sides.

click to see the pictures…..>.....(1).…....(2).…....(3).…....(4)..…...(5)……..(6).…
The flowers are produced on hanging racemes up to 1 m long.It blooms during January -December.  The buds are pinkish red and split open to bring forth masses of delicate stamens in white sprays up to 35 mm wide, which are often tinged with pink. The flowers give off a pungent, putrid yet faintly sweet odour in the morning. The fruit are quadrangular, 65 x 40 mm. Each fruit contains a single seed surrounded by spongy, fibrous flesh that provides the buoyancy that allows the fruit to be carried off with the tide.

Click to see for more pictures:


Conservation status : Barringtonia racemosa is not threatened in any way.

Medicinal Uses:
Its bark contains potent opioid painkillers.The fruit is spoken of as Samudra-phala and Dh?triphala or “nurse’s fruit,” and is one of the best known domestic remedies. When children suffer from a cold in the chest, the seed is rubbed down on a stone with water and applied over the sternum, and if there is much dyspnoea a few grains with or without the juice of fresh ginger are administered internally and seldom fail to induce vomiting and the expulsion of mucus from the air passages. To reduce the enlarged abdomen of children it is given in doses of from 2 to 3 grains in milk. Rumphius states that the roots are used to kill fish, and this use of the bark is known in most parts of India. The fish are said to be not unwholesome.
Barringtonia racemosa has similar properties, the bark, root and seed being bitter. Ainslie states that in Java and in Ternate the seeds are used for intoxicating fish. The powdered seeds of these plants induce sneezing.

You may click to see :-
*Antibacterial activity of Barringtonia acutangula against selected urinary tract pathogens

* Traditional use of Barringtonia acutangula Gaertn in fish farming

Disclaimer:
The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplements, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider.

Resources:
http://vaniindia.org.whbus12.onlyfordemo.com/herbal/plantdir.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barringtonia_acutangula
http://florabase.dec.wa.gov.au/browse/profile/5289
http://iu.ff.cuni.cz/pandanus/database/details.php?id=242
http://www.worldagroforestry.org:8090/sea/Products/AFDbases/WD/asps/DisplayDetail.asp?SpecID=399
http://www.flickr.com/photos/phuonglovejesus2782010/5065287585/

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Exercise Healthy Tips

Regular Exercise Reduces a Large Number of Health Risks

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Regular exercise can reduce the risk and symptoms of more than 20 physical and mental health conditions, and can also slow down how quickly your body ages.

A review of research, which summarized the findings of 40 papers published between 2006 and 2010, found that exercise affects conditions including cancer, heart disease, dementia, stroke, type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity and high blood pressure.

Science Daily reports:
“… [A]part from not smoking, being physically active is the most powerful lifestyle choice any individual can make to improve their health.”

A separate study also found that women who exercise for 150 minutes a week or more could be reducing their risk of endometrial cancer, whether or not they are overweight.

Researchers examined data collected from a case-control study that included almost 700 women with endometrial cancer and compared them to a similar number of age-matched control women. Those who exercised for 150 minutes a week or more had a 34 percent reduced risk of endometrial cancer.

Newswise reports:
“This association was more pronounced among active women with a body mass index (BMI) less than 25, or underweight women, where the reduction in risk was 73 percent compared with inactive women with a BMI more than 25, or what is commonly considered overweight.

Although BMI showed a strong association with endometrial cancer, even women who were overweight, but still active, had a 52 percent lower risk.”

Resources:
Science Daily November 16, 2010
International Journal of Clinical Practice December 2010; 64(13):1731-4
Newswise November 12, 2010

Posted by: Dr. Mercola | December 09 2010

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