University of Macau / Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences

Utafiti ambao ni msingi wa habari hizo umefanywa katika miezi za Oktoba mpaka Disemba 2000 katika wilaya wa Kwale na Kilifi huko nchi ya Kenya. Wanachama wa timu ya utafiti wetu walikuwa Prof. F. Rottland, ambaye aliweka taratibu msamiati wa miti uliokusanywa, na Bw. Mohamed Pakia ambaye ni mwanabiolojia na aliyehojiana wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari kuhusu ujuzi wa miti na mitishamba wao. Bw. Pakia ameshafanya kazi katika Coastal Forest Conservation Unit, yaani watu ambao husaidia wazee wa kimijikenda katika kuhifadhi misitu mitakatifu inayoitwa \"makaya\" na inatumiwa kwa matambiko na kama makaburi. Bw. Pakia ametambua: Ni hatari ya kupoteza ujuzi wa miti na mitishamba iliyotumiwa nanma ya kimila miongoni mwa wanafunzi wa shule ya sekondari: vijana hawajui matumizi ya mimea na pia wamepotea moyo wa kutaka kujua mambo hayo. Katika habari zifuatazo ninatoa mifano ya ule ujuzi wa watu wazima na wazee.

M. Tech. Architecture (Professional) / Herbalism has been practised by various cultures in various countries around the world, including China, India and Africa for thousands of years. South Africa is home to a rich variety of medicinal plant species. Our natural resources and existing knowledge of traditional medicines and treatments form part of our heritage and should be protected, studied, documented and further researched to ensure the safe and effective use of herbal remedies for the public and future generations. Current issues that we are facing in South Africa are the informality of traditional medicines and the concern that the industry is unregulated, misunderstood by many and that the survival of our natural plant resources is under threat as a result of overexploitation. In response, this dissertation addresses these issues through the design of a consulting healthcare and research facility for natural medicine within Hatfield, Pretoria. The facility is intended to reach and educate the urban community in an attempt to bridge the gap between formal and informal medical fields. Urban agriculture will aim to form the foundation of the learning experience by promoting public awareness for natural medicine and the conservation of our natural resources regarding medicinal plants in a practical, experimental and experiential way. The proposed facility sets out to formalise indigenous traditional medicine in order to arrive at a sustainable commodity within the African urban environment. A further aim is to draw together various natural healing practices and processes experienced in the modern world, such as herbalism, homeopathy, osteopathy, naturopathy and chiropractic. This shared facility should create a symbiotic environment where these natural medicine modalities can operate within a controlled and regulated environment. In so doing, traditional practices may safely be commercialised as a proven alternative to allopathic medicine. The target user for this project will be the middle to high income urban groups that rely primarily on formal medical practices. Evidence based design principles informed the programme of the building relating to the creation of healing environments within healthcare centres.

Thesis (MTech. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences)--Tshwane University of Technology, 2009. / Quality control procedures are vital in the pharmaceutical industry to guarantee the authenticity and quality of products. A major challenge in quality assurance of herbal material is the vast variation of active constituents in plants from the same species. As a result of this variation, the selection of only a few compounds as criteria for quality control is inadequate. Pelargonium (P.) sidoides is indigenous to South Africa and highly valued by traditional healers as a remedy to treat coughs, upper respiratory tract irritations and gastrointestinal conditions. An ethanolic extract of P. sidoides is used in the proprietary herbal tincture known as Umckaloabo®. The composition and concentration of polyphenols are parameters which determine the quality of this herbal medicine because it provides several therapeutic benefits in the non-specific medicinal treatment of infectious diseases. Despite the commercial development of P. sidoides very few studies have been conducted to document the full phytochemical range of variation for natural populations and no study has been published on the development of a fast accurate quality control method for the validation of raw material.

Darbo tikslas: Sukurti, įvertinti, išanalizuoti varškės gaminius su biologiškai aktyviais augalais. Tyrimo uždaviniai: 1. Išanalizuoti literatūrą apie biologiškai aktyvius augalus, pieno produktų – varškės naudą žmogaus mityboje (literatūros analizė). 2. Išanalizuoti raugintų pieno produktų asortimentą didžiuosiuose prekybos centruose. 3. Atlikti vartotojų nuomonės apie varškės gaminius apklausos analizę. 4. Sukurti technologines korteles varškės gaminiams su biologiškai aktyviais augalais gaminti. 5. Atlikti eksperimentą vaikų reabilitacijos ligoninėje „Lopšelis“ (pagaminti varškę su biologiškai aktyviais augalais, atlikti pagamintos varškės juslinius vertinimus (atlieka vaikai ir suaugę žmonės). 6. Vartotojų nuomonės juslinio tyrimo metodikos (darželinio amžiaus vaikams) sukūrimas. 7. Varškės gaminių sudėties tyrimai. Išvados: 1. Literatūros analizė parodė, kad varškė turi daug teigiamų savybių sveikatai. Panaudojus jos gamyboje biologiškai aktyvius augalus, galima sukurti įvairesnius produktus vartotojams. Biologiškai aktyvūs augalai – vieni dažniausiai naudojamų funkcionaliojo maisto veikliųjų dalių raugintų pieno produktų gamyboje. Tyrinėjama jų įtaka sveikatai, jie vis plačiau pritaikomi maisto produktų gamyboje. 2. Atlikus Lietuvos didžiuosiuose prekybos centruose esančių raugintų pieno produktų su biologiškai aktyviais augalais tyrimą, nustatyta, kad Lietuvos rinkoje mažai raugintų pieno gaminių, ypač varškės ir jos gaminių, su biologiškai aktyviais augalais... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / According to medical specialists, Lithuania compared to other European countries has higher incidence rates of diet-related diseases including cardiovascular, oncologic, chronic degenerative joint and other diseases. These problems could be reduced by consuming functional foods. One of the main functional food active parts are many types of herbs. Food products that contains herb extracts reduces risks of various illnesses because it connects free radicals in human body, positively affects immune system. Worldwide most valuable are those herbs that has good taste, many antioxidants and has antibacterial function: those herbs are spices, honey bush, hibiscus. Curd has lots of valuable features for health. Producing curd with biological active herbs it is possible to create various products for customers. Biological active herbs – one of the most used functional food active parts for acidified milk product production. Exploring its influence to human health and more widely used making food products. The goal of the paper: Create, evaluate and analyze curd products with biological active herbs. Objectives: 1. Analyze literature about biological active herbs, milk products – curd benefits in humans nutrition. 2. Analyze acidified milk product variety in biggest shopping centers. 3. Perform people’s opinion analysis about curd products. 4. Create technological cards for curd products with biological active herbs to make. 5. Make an experiment in children rehabilitation hospital... [to full text]

Lietuvoje prieskoninės arbatos tampa populiaresnės, dėl prieskonių ir žolių vis labiau atskleidžiamų teigiamų savybių žmogaus sveikatai. Tačiau jų pasirinkimas yra dar nedidelis. Tyrimo tikslas buvo sukurti kelias prieskoninių arbatų kompozicijas ir įvertinti jų juslines savybes bei antimikrobinį poveikį. Buvo sukurtos keturios arbatų kompozicijos: „Virškinimo arbata“, „Rytinė arbata“, „Vakarinė arbata“ ir „Afrodiziakas“. Arbatų kompozicijos buvo maišomos namų sąlygomis. Juslinės savybės vertintos taikant juslinės aprašomosios analizės metodus. Specialiai apmokyta 6 vertintojų grupė atrinko pagrindines arbatų kompozicijų savybes. Antimikrobinės arbatų kompozicijų savybės buvo įvertintos difuzijos į agarą metodu prieš Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium. Atlikta arbatų kompozicijų juslinė analizė parodė, kad skirtingos sudėties arbatos mėginiai skyrėsi instrumentiniu metodu įvertintos spalvos charakteristikomis. Juslinės skonio ir kvapo savybės priklausė nuo arbatos sudėties, ir nors visų arbatos mėginių skonis ir kvapas buvo gana intensyvūs, sodrūs, tačiau atskiri jaučiami skoniai ir kvapai priklausė nuo arbatos sudėties. Preliminarus priimtinumo vertinimas parodė, kad „Afrodiziako“ arbatos skonis ir kvapas vertintas kaip mažiau priimtini nei kitų arbatos mėginių, gal būt, todėl, kad jos skonis, kvapas bei pojūtis burnoje labiau priminė buljoną nei arbatą, o tai daugeliui vartotojų yra neįprasta. Priimtino vartotojams... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Spice tea is becoming more popular in Lithuania regarding spices and herbs growing disclosed positive characteristics to human health. However, their selection is still limited. The goal of the research was to create a few teas compositions of spices and evaluate the organoleptic characteristics and antimicrobial effect. There were created four tea compositions, "Digestive Tea", "Morning Tea", "Evening Tea" and "Aphrodisiac". Tea compositions were home-made. Organoleptic characteristics were tested using descriptive sensory analysis methods. Specially trained 6 assessors group has sorted main characteristics of the tea compositions. Antimicrobial compositions of tea were evaluated by the agar diffusion method against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium. Analysed teas sensory compositions showed that differences were found in tea compositions characteristics based on instrumental colour analysis instrumental method. Sensory flavour and aroma characteristics were based on the tea composition, despite all tea samples – flavour and fragrance were quite intense, however separately felt flavours and fragrances were based on, composition of tea. Preliminary assessment of the acceptability showed that the "Aphrodisiac" tea flavour and aroma selected as less acceptable than other tea samples, perhaps because of its taste, aroma and mouth feel were more like as broth than tea, which is unusual for most of the users. To consumers... [to full text]

In the exploration into new therapeutic agents for human disease, medicinal herbs offer an enormous resource due to their wide range of biologically active components. However, because of these biologically active components, medicinal herbs can also have toxic side effects. The focus of this thesis is the effect of herbal therapies, both good and bad, on chronic kidney disease (CKD) and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Tubulointerstitial fibrosis is considered one of the defining characteristics of CKD. In Chapter 1, the literature regarding the pathogenesis of tubulointerstitial fibrosis is reviewed, beginning with the mechanisms of its development, the main structural and functional features, and the molecular mediators. The structural features include activation of resident fibroblasts and transition of tubular epithelial cells into myofibroblasts, deposition of extracellular matrix proteins, increased apoptosis of normal cells of the renal nephron and development of tubular atrophy, increased renal oxidative stress, and hypoxia of renal tissues. Molecular mediators that are explored include angiotensin II, transforming growth factor-ß1 and numerous other cytokines and growth factors. Pharmacological manipulation of these features and their molecular mediators for regression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis is then discussed. Currently, the gold standard of therapy for people with CKD is blockade of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and/or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Because of the complexity of the pathogenesis of renal fibrosis and the multiple mechanisms by which ACEIs and ARBs work, this portion of the thesis focuses on the qualities that additional agents should have to complement their actions. These additional agents could work by decreasing oxidative damage, by decreasing fibroblast numbers through apoptosis, through the interruption of inflammatory, fibrotic mediators, by increasing anti-inflammatory mediators or through other mechanisms. The literature review therefore continues with a discussion of the historical use of medicinal herbs in genitourinary pathologies and the known contributions that medicinal herbs can make to the treatment or development of tubulointerstitial fibrosis and CKD. From this review, a large number of herbs were identified as having traditional use in renal disorders or as being of interest, currently, to researchers of renal pathologies. However, much information is lacking regarding the mechanisms by which the hypothesised benefits occur, making it impossible to assess which herb(s) may offer valuable additive support or alternative treatments to the therapies currently given to people with CKD. Furthermore, there is a lack of information regarding toxicity of these herbs; many herbs have never been assessed in cell culture or in animal toxicity studies. It was apparent that preliminary in vitro work was necessary before in vivo pharmacological work could be undertaken. This thesis, therefore, aimed to test the following hypotheses: (1) That medicinal herbs used currently for treatment of renal dysfunction have high anti-oxidant properties that can be further enhanced by specific extraction processes; (2) That the in vitro testing of selected extracts from medicinal herbs, identified in (1), will reveal some anti-oxidant benefits or indications of toxicity that need careful analysis in animal studies; (3) That careful in vivo testing of specific toxic medicinal herbs identified in these leadup studies will define specific pathological processes that predict an outcome of CKD; and (4) That careful in vivo testing of selected medicinal herbs, used in conjunction with more conventional medicines for CKD, will show an additive benefit when used to ameliorate development of CKD induced using an established animal model. The subsequent laboratory work was designed to test the validity of these hypotheses and the results are then presented in Chapters that each comprise a publication. The aim of Chapter 2 was to present a systematic analysis of the oxidant properties of 55 medicinal herbs that have been used traditionally to treat kidney and urinary disorders or have been of recent interest to researchers of renal disorders. Since different extraction processes yield different constituents, each of the herbs was sequentially extracted with three solvents of decreasing polarity. An assay was performed on each of the fractions to determine the oxygen radical absorbance capacity. The aim of Chapter 3 was to test the benefit or otherwise of each of the three extracts of the chosen herbs using an in vitro cell study. Each extract was tested for potential toxic, apoptotic, mutagenic and antioxidant activity on normal mammalian renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52E). The effect of the extracts on renal fibroblasts (NRK-49F) was also analysed. Several specific hypotheses arose from the combination of the systematic analyses and the literature review regarding benefits and toxicities of a number of the extracts. The subsequent in vivo work was designed to test the validity of two of these hypotheses. The aim of Chapter 4 was to test the hypotheses developed from the results of the previous Chapter. The herb Dioscorea villosa had demonstrated extreme cytotoxicity to mammalian renal epithelial cells and had caused transdifferentiation of epithelial cells into fibroblasts. An in vivo rodent model was used to test chronic dosage with this herb and its toxicity and predisposition for induction of CKD verified. The aim of Chapter 5 was to determine whether a herbal preparation (Angelica sinensis and Astragalus membranaceus) that had some support from the literature and the results from Chapters 2 and 3, could complement the actions of ACEIs in a rodent model of renal fibrosis (unilateral ureteral obstruction). The combination of herbal medicines and the ACEI was significantly more effective than the ACEI alone in ameliorating several characteristics of CKD development. To conclude the thesis, Chapter 6 provides an overview discussion of the results and a critical analysis of the methods used. Further, Chapter 6 looks towards future experiments that are planned to further resolve issues of concern about effects on renal health from use of medicinal herbs. .

The aim of this dissertation was a representation of chemical composition of herb samples, NDF degradability examination by in sacco method and energy evaluation. Degradability of dry matter was also part of results. During the years 2006 and 2007, twenty-four sampling of pasture herbage from three different farms and six sampling of meadow herbage were realized. The other aim of this study was a monitoring of pasture herbage composition in three farms using the seven-member combination scale abundance and dominance Braun-Blanquet. Chemical composition and high of pasture herbage was also determined. The aim of other study was to determine which of two kinds of dicotyledonous plants- Sanguisorba officinalis and Plantago lanceolata added to a meadow hay in amount of 10 % goats prefer. Seven goats of brown shorthaired and white shorthaired breed were used in four preference tests. The other part of this trial was a monitoring the influence of Plantago lanceolata on goat milk composition. There was 45 % of Plantago lanceolata added in a meadow hay for experimental goats.

Existem no Rio de Janeiro cento e oito grupos que produzem remédios com ervas medicinais de maneira voluntária. Desde 2000, formam a Rede Fitovida para transmitir conhecimento e debater soluções conjuntas para as dificuldades que enfrentam. É um movimento sem filiação partidária ou religiosa cujas características principais são o trabalho voluntário e a venda de preparações medicamentosas a preço de custo. É composto por mulheres com 50 anos ou mais, de camadas populares, que se reúnem em cozinhas comunitárias. O objetivo da pesquisa é analisar os aspectos culturais práticas curativas e transmissão de conhecimentos  de um grupo que integra a Rede Fitovida. Através da metodologia antropológica e do registro audiovisual, o que possibilita um olhar mais cuidadoso sobre os fenômenos sociais, esta pesquisa visa compreender quem são essas mulheres, o que fazem e por que o fazem. Na medida em que participam de uma rede de trocas, além de cuidarem da saúde de si, dos familiares e vizinhos, as mulheres da Rede Fitovida se constituem como um movimento social reivindicatório  pois demandam o reconhecimento do Estado pelo saber que detêm  e transformam a própria percepção enquanto sujeitos em processo de envelhecimento, resignificando alguns estigmas negativos da velhice. / In Rio de Janeiro State, there are one hundred and eight groups of women who produce medicines with herbs. Since 2000, they are organized in a network called Rede Fitovida to transmit their knowledge and debate how to deal with their common difficulties. Its a social movement without party or religion affiliation composed by old women from popular layers that get together at kitchens of communitarian centers. None of them receive money or any other kind of payment for their work. Their activity is volunteer and non- profitableThe objective of this ethnography is to analyze cultural aspects of a group that belongs to this network, such as healing practices and knowledge transmission. Through an anthropological methodology and audiovisual documentation  which allows a more careful look on the social phenomena  this research aims to understand who are those women, what they do and why. As part of a network of exchanges, besides taking care of their health and of their neighborhoods, these women create a social movement that demands the recognition for their traditional knowledge by the State. They also change their own perception of individuals in aging process, overcoming the negative elderly stigmas

Master of Science / Food Science Institute - Animal Sciences and Industry / J. Scott Smith / The popularity of convenience foods and consumer awareness have indirectly increased the demand for novel and naturally occurring compounds that can delay oxidative deterioration and maintain nutritional quality of foods. Natural antioxidants from certain herbs and spices such as rosmarinic acid from rosemary, thymol from oregano, eugenol from clove, curcumin from turmeric are rich in polyphenolic compounds that provide long term oxidative stability as well as offer additional health benefits. High antioxidative capacity of herbs and spices phenolics could potentially substitute synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl gallate (PG), octyl gallate, and tert-butylated hydroquinone (TBHQ) in the food system. Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are thermally unstable and decompose at higher temperatures. However, widely used cooking methods such as baking, frying, boiling, and roasting use high thermal temperature that can chemically degrade herbs and spices and diminish their antioxidative capacity, but they have been little studied. In this context, this review deals with the need of natural antioxidants, spices and herbs as natural antioxidants, their origin, chemical composition, pharmacological, and antioxidant properties. Moreover, the impact of temperature on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of various herbs and spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, mace, oregano, rosemary, sage, and turmeric is highlighted. Different antioxidant assays are also studied and this approach revealed that there is a clear correlation between total phenolic content (TPC) and TAC of herbs and spices and specific phenolic compounds are responsible for the antioxidative capacity of particular herb and spice. These findings identified the optimum cooking temperature-time combination which results in the highest retention of antioxidative capacity and assures higher quality of food for the maintenance of human health.