Traditional Medicine in Asia

Traditional Medicine in Asia
Antifertility Activity
The serious problem of population
explosion and the limitations of modern
drugs used in the control of conceptions
have attracted the attention of several
scientists sufficiently for them to investigate
medicinal plants for antiinfertility activity in
both females and males.
The test models usually employed are
anti-implantation study in rats, litre size,
estrogenic or anti-estrogenic or abortifacient
activity in rats, study of the response
of isolated rat uterus induced contracture,
in vitro spermicidal activity, etc. In males,
the test models are the effects on testes in
male dogs, the effect on spermatogenesis
in dogs, mating behavioural study, etc.
Some of the plants screened for antifertility
activities are:
� Bupleurum marginata;
� Embelia ribes;
� Thespesia populnea;
� Hibiscus rosa-sinensis;
� Plumbago zeylanica;
� Xeromphis spinosa;
� Annona squamosa;
� Lygodium flexuosum;
� Adhatoda vasica;
� Azadirachta indica;
� Trichopus zeylanicum.
Kamboj and Dhawan (1982) have
presented a review of medicinal plants
screened for antifertility activity in
experimental animals. (49) Embelin isolated
from berries of Embelia ribes was reported
by Prakash (1981) as possessing significant
anti-implantation activities. 50
Hibiscus rosa sinensis flowers have been
used in traditional medicine as antifertility
agents. They have shown both anti-fertility
and aborticacient activities in rats. 51
Plumbago zeylanica was studied by
Chowdhary, and reported to possess some
260
degree of activity. Lygodium flexuosum was
studied by Gaitonde, et al, on the basis of
its use in folklore practices among Adivasis
in Maharashtra, India. The plant extracts
showed significant anti-implantation
activities in three species of animals and
the effect was reversible.
Chemotheapeutic Agents
The chemotherapeutic era started with
penicillins isolated from molds. Thereafter,
several compounds possessing antimicrobial,
antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic
activities have been studied and
introduced as chemotherapeutic agents.
The test system is to note the effect of the
plant product on the in vitro culture of
micro-organisms or to study the effect in
experimental animals infected with the
organisms. Some of the plant products
showing such chemotherapeutic activities
are:
� Clausena anisata;
� Cassia alata;
� Semecarpus anacardium;
� Cinnamomum zeylanicum;
� Azadirachta indica.
Antiviral Activity
This is shown by the following plants:
� Phyllanthus amarus;
� Glycyrrhiza glabra.
Antimalarials
� Artemisia japanica;
� Artemisia maritima;
� Azadirachta indica.
Most investigators in this field have
used standard in vitro assays. Clausena
anisata was active against both grampositive
and gram-negative bacteria. 52
Annona glabra was reported to possess a
substantial anti-microbial, anti-fungal and
moderate degree of insecticidal activities.