Plant derived substances have recently become of great interest owing to their versatile applications. Medicinal plants are the richest bioresource of drugs of traditional systems of medicine, modern medicines, nutraceuticals, food supplements, folk medicines, pharmaceutical intermediates and chemical entities for synthetic drugs. The beneficial medicinal effects of plant materials typically result from the combinations of secondary products present in the plant. The medicinal actions of plants are unique to particular plant species or groups are consistent with this concept as the combinations of secondary products in a particular plant are often taxonomically distinct. Ecological function of secondary products may have some bearing on potential medicinal effects for humans and the secondary products involved in plant defense through cytotoxicity toward microbial pathogens could prove useful as antimicrobial medicines in humans, if not too toxic. In contrast to synthetic pharmaceuticals based upon single chemicals, many phytomedicines exert their beneficial effects through the additive or synergistic action of several chemical compounds acting at single or multiple target sites associated with a physiological process. The present review is focused on phytochemistry and pharmacological importance of medicinal plants.

Humboldtia vahliana Wight, Ic.tt belongs to the family Caesalpiniaceae is an unarmed erect small tree, commonly called as Attuvanchi in Malayalam. Stem bark which is used in the treatment of apasmara by tribal healers of Urulanthanni area, Ernakulum district in Kerala, India. Apasmara of Ayurveda aptly comes under the epilepsy of modern literature, especially under tonic-clonic / generalized seizure. Epilepsy (Apasmara) is an electrical disturbance resulting from sudden, recurrent, and disorderly discharge of neurotransmitter in brain cells. The prevalence of epilepsy has been estimated at 5-10 persons per1000. In this study ghee prepared with Humboldtia vahliana (GHV) was tested for chronic anticonvulsant effect by Maximal electro shock seizure test in female wistar albino rats (150-200mg). The experiment was carried out with 5 groups having 6 albino rats per group. ‘Phenytoin’ was given to the standard group. Group I, III, IV, V were given distilled water, vehicle (cow’s ghee), effective dose of GHV, double dose of GHV respectively. Complete abolition or reduction time (in seconds) of hind limb extension is considered as anticonvulsant activity of drug. At the end of experiment effective dose of GHV and double dose of GHV showed significant chronic anticonvulsant action as compared with vehicle and control. Group IV (effective dose) was able to reduce the Time of Tonic Hind Limb extension (THE) by 44.34%with p value 0.007 (compare with control). Group V (double dose) was able to reduce the Time of Tonic Hind Limb extension by 59.53% with p value 0.004 (compared with control). This change was statistically significant at p<0.05.

A 41-year-old male patient radiologically diagnosed as a case of avascular necrosis of head of both femur with Grade 2 of Ficat and Arlet classification, presented with the following chief complaints of pain in both hip joints, more on left side, of Harris Hip score was 66 and associated with decreased range of movements with slight limping. This presentation was correlated with Asthikshayaja vyadhi and treated accordingly. Initially, patient had been administered dipana and pacana followed by snehapana and koshtasodhana by virechana. Further panchathikthaka ksheera vasthi (medicated enema prepared with milk and ghee) was administered. This resulted with improvement of Harris hip score to 91.

Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve is a paradise of floral and faunal diversity, located in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Recent survey conducted in this biosphere reserve during the rainy season (August-October 2012), revealed the occurrence of defoliator, Botyodes asialis Guen. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae), severely damaging Casearia tomentosa Roxb. (family Samidaceae). This is the first record of occurrence of this insect in Achanakmar-Amarkantak biosphere reserve. Some observations on the growth and development of this potential defoliator were recorded.

Background Guggulu is an oleo gum resin obtained from the plant Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhand., used in Ayurved ic medicines for various ailments like anti-inflammatory conditions, hyperlipidemia, thyroid disorders etc. Guggulsterones E & Z are responsible for these broad ranges of pharmacological actions. It is recommended to do Shodhana (purification) before incorporating it into medicinal formulations. Sahasrayoga, an Ayurvedic text, emphasizes the purification of Guggulu in a particular media, which is a long run practice in Kerala. Objectives To compare the physicochemical and phytochemical parameters, quantitative estimation of Guggulsterone E & Z using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC) and qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of Guggulu before and after purification. Methods Shodhana of Guggulu was performed in Water boiled with crushed fresh leaves of Neem (Azadirachta indica) and fresh rhizome of turmeric (Curcuma longa) using a special equipment (Dolayantra). Preliminary physicochemical and phytochemical evaluation, quantification of Guggulsterones E & Z using HPTLC and GC-MS analysis of raw and purified Guggulu were performed. Results Phytochemical evaluation of metabolites revealed marked variations. The mean concentrations of Guggulsterone E & Z showed significant differences before and after purification (p<0.01). On GC-MS analysis, it was found that few new compounds were added in the purified Guggulu. Conclusions Therapeutic efficacy of Guggulu might have enhanced after traditional purification.