01About This Special Issue
A medicinal plant is any plant which, in one or more of its organs, contains substances that can be used for therapeutic purposes, or which are precursors for chemo-pharmaceutical semi-synthesis. When a plant is designated as ‘medicinal’, it is implied that the said plant is useful as a drug or therapeutic agent or an active ingredient of a medicinal preparation. Medicinal plants may therefore be defined as a group of plants that possess some special properties or virtues that qualify them as articles of drugs and therapeutic agents, and are used for medicinal purposes.Plants have formed the basis of sophisticated traditional medicine (TM) practices that have been used for thousands of years by people in China, India, and many other countries. Nowadays plants are still important sources of medicines, especially in developing countries that still use plant-based TM for their healthcare.
Plants can provide biologically active molecules and lead structures for the development of modified derivatives with enhanced activity and reduced toxicity. Some of the useful plant drugs include vinblastine, vincristine, taxol, podophyllotoxin, camptothecin, digitoxigenin, gitoxigenin, digoxigenin, tubocurarine, morphine, codeine, aspirin, atropine, pilocarpine, capscicine, allicin, curcumin, artemesinin and ephedrine among others. In some cases, the crude extract of medicinal plants may be used as medicaments.
Plants have provided humans with many of their essential needs, including life-saving pharmaceutical agents. There are more than 270,000 higher plants existing on this planet. But only a small portion has been explored phytochemically. So, it is anticipated that plants can provide potential bioactive compounds for the development of new ‘leads’ to combat various diseases. As a vast proportion of the available higher plant species have not yet been screened for biologically active compounds, drug discovery from plants should remain an essential component in the search for new medicines & the scientific study.
Therefore this issue is dedicated to “Medicinal Plants” which will include but not limited to:
1. Medicinal plants and their importance for the mankind
2. Medicinal plants and their properties
3. Review of medicinal plants
4. Medicinal plants of different regions of India
5. Ethanomedicinal plants
6. Tissue culture of medicinal plants
7. Bioactive plants from medicinal plants
02Meet the Guest Editors
Our distinguished editors bring deep subject-matter expertise to curate high-quality research and ensure a rigorous peer-review process.
Guest Editor
Gokhan Zengin
Department of Biology, Science Faculty, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
Guest Editor
Yilmaz Kaya
Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey
Guest Editor
Debasish Kundu
American Nutritional Medical Association, Stockton, CA, USA, Kolkata, India
Guest Editor
Firuza Tursunkhodjaeva
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of the Chemistry of Plant Subtances, Uzbek Academy of Sciences, Tashkent City, Uzbekistan
Guest Editor
Sibi G
Department of Biotechnology, Indian Academy Degree College (Autonomous), Centre for Research and Post Graduate Studies, Bangalore, India
Guest Editor
MALA AGARWAL
B.B.D.Government P.G. College,Chimanpura(Shahpura),Jaipur.Rajasthan., Jaipur, India
Guest Editor
Vineeta Garg
Jaipuria Medical College & Hospital, Jaipur, India
03Published Articles
The following articles have been published in this special issue.
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Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 50-55Received: 22 November 2014Accepted: 2 December 2014Published: 18 May 2015DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.18Downloads:Views:Abstract: Medicinal plants have been used in virtually all cultures as a source of medicine. Assurance of the safety, quality, and efficacy of medicinal plants and herbal products has now become a key issue in industrialized and in developing countries. The widespread use of herbal remedies and healthcare preparations is described in the Vedas and the Bible ... Show More -
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 45-49Received: 19 November 2014Accepted: 24 November 2014Published: 3 January 2015DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.17Downloads:Views:Abstract: The Genus Salvadora is an oil yielding and medicinally potent genus belongs to the family Salvadoraceae. This genus consists of number of evergreen trees which occur in saline and non-saline habitats. Salvadora persica and Salvadora oleoides are two important species which are identified in India. Salvadora persica L.is reported to have more phyto-... Show More
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In Vitro Regulation of Bioactive Compounds in Trigonella Species by Mutagenic Treatments
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 40-44Received: 19 November 2014Accepted: 5 December 2014Published: 30 December 2014DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.16Downloads:Views:Abstract: Seeds of Trigonella foenum-graecum and Trigonella corniculata were treated with different concentrations of EMS, MMS and NaN3 to study the effect on steroidal sapogenins production. Enhanced level of both the steroidal sapogenins was observed with all the three chemical mutagens with maximum augmentation in EMS at 0.1 M. -
Pharmacology, Phytochemistry and Therapeutic Application of Prosopis cineraria Linn: A Review
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 33-39Received: 8 December 2014Accepted: 9 December 2014Published: 27 December 2014DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.15Downloads:Views:Abstract: Prosopis cineraria is locally known as Khejri one of the most common tree of the Indian desert belonging to family Mimosacease. It has been reported that the plant contains anti -inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antifungal, anticancer, antidiabetic, hypolipidemic, abortifacient, antioxidant, antimicrobial and wound healing properties. This is a prefer... Show More -
Tissue Culture of Momordica charantia L.: A Review
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 24-32Received: 22 November 2014Accepted: 25 November 2014Published: 27 December 2014DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.14Downloads:Views:Abstract: Plant tissue culture is the technique to culture plant cells or tissues under controlled aseptic conditions on a synthetic medium .It has value in basic research like cell biology, genetic transformation studies &biochemistry for the production of medicinally valuable secondary metabolites. Besides this also has commercial application. This review ... Show More -
An Overview on Giant Milkweed (Calotropis procera (Ait.) Ait. f.)
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 19-23Received: 17 November 2014Accepted: 24 November 2014Published: 27 December 2014DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.13Downloads:Views:Abstract: C. procera in India holds a pride of place largely because of its pharmacological uses and economic values. Arka (C. procera) an important drug of Ayurveda is known from the earliest time. Traditionally Calotropis is used alone or with other medicines to treat common disease such as fevers, rheumatism, indigestion, cough, cold, eczema, asthma, elep... Show More -
Pharmaceutical Potential of Aquatic Plant Pistia stratiotes (L.) and Eichhornia crassipes
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 10-18Received: 16 November 2014Accepted: 19 November 2014Published: 27 December 2014DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.12Downloads:Views:Abstract: Pistia stratiotes L. commonly known as water lettuce belongs to Araceae. It has been used in various medicines for the treatment of eczema, leprosy, ulcers, piles, stomach disorder, throat and mouth inflammation, a few to mention. Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms (Waterhyacinth), an aquatic perennial herb present throughout the world, has a myria... Show More -
Issue: Volume 3, Issue 1-1, January 2015Pages: 1-9Received: 16 November 2014Accepted: 19 November 2014Published: 27 December 2014DOI: 10.11648/j.jps.s.2015030101.11Downloads:Views:Abstract: India is called the botanical garden of the world for its rich natural resources. Over 6000 plants in India are in used in traditional, folklore and herbal medicine. The Indian system of medicine has identified 1500 medicinal plants of which 500 are commonly used. Plants have a long therapeutic history over thousands of years and still considered t... Show More
