Pharmaceutically important plants used in traditional system of Arab medicine for the treatment of livestock ailments in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A study on the pharmaceutical importance of some medicinal pants used for the treatment of livestock ailments was conducted during summer 2010 in different parts of Saudi Arabia, where no such study has been conducted so far. The aim of the study was to identify and document the medicinal plants used for the treatment of different livestock ailment in the traditional system of Arab medicine. Ethnoveterinary information was collected through the show-and-tell/semi-structured method and personal interviews during field trips. The methodology is largely based on the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, which is based on the premise that livelihood is not about resource productivity but it is about people and their lives. The study revealed 24 plants species of ethno-veterinary importance. These were used for the curing of various livestock ailments such as gastrointestinal disorders, fever, cough, respiratory tract infection, urinary tract diseases, promote lactation, wound healing, placenta removal, deworming, carminative, paralysis and flatulence in Arab system of medicine. Some plants were used singly while many others were used in combination with other plants or edible items. Similarly, few plants species are considered for the treatment of only one specific disease while several other have multiple such uses. The detail local uses, local recipe preparation, application and disease treated were reported for each species. The study concluded that, the medicinal plant knowledge of the people is strongly influenced by Arab system of traditional medicine and that medicinal plants have exerted and continue to exert, a strong influence on the standardization of plant knowledge among rural populations in Saudi Arabi. However, distinct local use of plants also exists; indicating that plant knowledge specific to the local Badous is alive and practiced. The study recommends scientific validity and toxicity tests of the medicinal plants used in traditional Arab system of medicine.

Cultural Implications of Moghat (Glossostemon bruguieri) and Breastfeeding in Egypt: A Brief Narrative Review

“…The root mucilages were found to have remarkable hypoglycemic activity, and decreased the blood glucose level in diabetic rats by 54. One study exploring the pharmaceutical effects of some medicinal plants used in the treatment of livestock ailments found that Moghat could be used in treating some gastrointestinal disorders, such as diarrhea in camels, sheep, cows, and goats (Sher & Alyemeni, 2011). One recent study evaluating Moghat as a potential functional food drink found significant amounts of non-starch polysaccharides, including dietary fiber, pectin, and mucilages; major minerals calcium, magnesium, and iron, minor minerals zinc, manganese, and copper, as well as high amount of oleic and linolenic acids, represented up to 80% of the total fatty acids (Gamel, Abd El-Razek, & Damir, 2010).…”

Isolation and characterization of some flavonoids from the leaf of Tapinanthus globiferus growing on Vitex doniana

“…It is commonly known as mistletoe (English), Kauchi (Hausa), afomo (Yoruba), and Osisi/Okwuma osa (Igbo) in Nigeria. T. globiferus is used in ethnomedicine to treat itching (Burkill, 2000), tumour (Yineger and Yewhalaw, D., 2007) and removal of placenta after parturition (Sher and Alyemeni, 2011). The plant is also used to treat diseases such as hypertension, ulcers, epilepsy, diabetes, weakness of vision and promoting muscular relaxation before delivery (Bassey, 2012).…”

Cytotoxic and Anti-excitotoxic Effects of Selected Plant and Algal Extracts Using Comet and Cell Viability Assays

“…Plicosepalus curvi orus (family Loranthaceae) is a medicinal plant grown in Saudi Arabia. Traditionally, stems were valued for cancer treatment in Yemen [10,11] .Various phytochemical studies of crude leaf extracts of P. curvi orus showed the presence of avonoids, avane gallates, sterols, and terpenoids [12]. Al-Taweel et al [13] and recently, Orfali, et al [14] isolate quercetin (P1), catechin (P2), and a avane gallate-2S, 3R-3, 3′, 4′, 5,7-pentahydroxy avane-5-Ogallate (P3) ( Fig.…”