Shabnum Shaheen

Traditional management of diabetes in Pakistan: Ethnobotanical investigation from Traditional Health Practitioners.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The uses of anti-diabetic plants are well anchored in the traditional health care system of Pakistan. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ethno-botanical study about the uses of plants for the treatment of diabetes. The aim of the study is to record indigenous knowledge on anti-diabetic plants from Traditional Health Practitioners (THPs) and diabetic patients. In addition, it is aimed to ascertain and validate the traditional uses of anti-diabetic plants by citing pharmacological activities and phytochemical constitutes from previously published literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS The ethno-medicinal data was documented during 14 field surveys, each comprising of 10 days, from 3 regions of Pakistan (Islamabad, Khyber Pukhtoonkhwa and Deserts of Sindh). In total, 113 THPs and 44 diabetic patients were interviewed using open-ended and semi-structured questionnaires. Quantitative indices, including Relative Frequency of Citation percentage (RFC %) and Disease Consensus Index (DCI) were calculated. The documented data is authenticated by comparing with 28 published articles on ethno-botanical aspects and many pharmacological studies. RESULTS In total, 120 plant species belonging to 50 families were reported. The ethno-botanical results indicated that Moraceae (11 species); herb (56 reports) is dominant life form; the leaves (56 reports) are the most used plant part and decoction (24%) is the preferred mode of preparation. The quantitative analysis shows that RFC% ranges from 14 to 42 and DCI varies from 0.15 to 0.74. By comparing to previous studies, 64 species are reported new in traditional treatment of DM; 40 species are new to pharmacological evidence and 3 species are new to phytochemical studies. CONCLUSIONS This study recoded the significant indigenous knowledge about anti-diabetic plants among the THPs and diabetic patients in Pakistan. This type of ethno-botanical knowledge on traditional use of anti-diabetic plants is an important step in designing detailed pharmacological and clinical trials for Diabetes Miletus treatment. It is recommended that further pharmacological and phytochemical analysis should be conducted on those species which lack previous references in literature and have highest Frequency of Citation (FC), Disease Consensus Index (DCI) and Relative Frequency of Citation percentage (RFC%).

Comparative nutritional analysis between Vigna radiata and Vigna mungo of Pakistan

Vigna radiata (mung bean) and Vigna mungo (mash bean) of the family Fabaceae are among staple food in Pakistan. The experiments were conducted on these beans to determine the proximate composition such as moisture, ash, fibre, fat and protein content. The protein isolates from V. radiata and V. mungo was prepared and their functional properties (foaming, nitrogen solubility index and SDS gel electrophoresis) were also analyzed . All biochemical constituents were analyzed using official methods of analysis of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (2005). Results show that they have high protein content and play significant role in human nutrition. These beans have high nitrogen solubility and less fat content; which is a characteristic generally needed for healthy food. This research concluded that V. radiata has high percentage of moisture (9.74 ± 0.19), fat (1.35 ± 0.048) and protein content (22.5 ± 0.24) as compared to V. mungo (7.9 ± 0.06, 1.01 ± 0.01, 21.3 ± 0.24, respectively). 54 and 33% of protein isolates were made from V. radiata and V. mungo , respectively . The functional properties analysis enhances their acceptability in food industry.

Elemental dispersive spectrophotometer analysis and morpho-anatomical characterization of Panicum species from Pakistan

The present study was conducted to identify, evaluate and compare the anatomical data and elemental composition of the Panicum species present in Pakistan. The study is based on the six species of the genus Setaria represented in Pakistan. The elemental dispersive spectrophotometer (EDS) detector was used for the first time in Pakistan for quantitative and qualitative determinations of the elements present in the phytoliths of grasses. Leaf epidermal anatomy was found taxonomically useful, which helps at the species level and showed that in all the six species of the genus, leaf is bifacial. Epidermal cells show the difference in shape of silica bodies, prickles, micro hairs and macro hairs. A lot of variation was observed in the silica bodies of the genus Panicum showing it as a new taxonomical tool during EDS analysis.

Micromorphological investigation of leaf epidermis and seeds of Vitaceae from Pakistan using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy

This present study is the first report on the detailed foliar epidermal anatomy and micromorphology of seeds of five species of Vitaceae from Pakistan using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The studied species occur at various localities particularly higher altitude. Qualitative and quantitative leaf micromorphological characters investigated here are related to shape and size of epidermal cells, anticlinal wall pattern, stomatal pore, guard cell, stomatal complex, subsidiary cells, and trichomes. Variations in size and shape were observed in the studied species. Irregular, polygonal and elongated epidermal cells with straight or undulate margins, stomata anomocytic type, and trichomes nonglandular, unicellular to multicellular in all the studied plants. Seed micromorphological qualitative characters studied are shape of margins, integument cell, apical notch, chalaza, anticlinal wall thickness, and quantitative characters are number of seeds per berry, length, and width of seed, length to width ratio. The detailed distribution and microscopic characteristics investigated of family Vitaceae has a distinguished role in identification at genus and species level and may provide evidence in the determination of taxonomic rank of the family in the phylogenetic tree. This study possesses potential for plant taxonomists to further evaluate the species for phytochemical studies and physiology.

Comparative SEM and LM foliar epidermal and palyno-morphological studies of Amaranthaceae and its taxonomic implications

Palynological features as well as comparative foliar epidermal using light and scanning electron microscope (SEM) of 17 species (10genera) of Amaranthaceae have been studied for its taxonomic significance. Different foliar and palynological micro‐morphological characters were examined to explain their value in resolving the difficulty in identification. All species were amphistomatic but stomata on abaxial surface were more abundant. Taxonomically significant epidermal character including stomata type, trichomes (unicellular, multicellular, and capitate) and epidermal cells shapes (polygonal and irregular) were also observed. Pollens of this family are Polypantoporate, pores large, spheroidal, mesoporous region is sparsely to scabrate, densely psilate, and spinulose. All these characters can be active at species level for identification purpose. This study indicates that at different taxonomic levels, LM and SEM pollen and epidermal morphology is explanatory and significant to identify species and genera.

Microbial assessment of pathogenic bacterial growth in ice cream and kulfa

Current study was focused to examine the total bacterial count in packed and unpacked ice cream and kulfa collected from 12 different localities of Lahore. The bacterial colonies were isolated and grown on agar‐broth media under sterilized conditions. Serial dilution technique was used to compose the replicates to get total viable count of bacteria. Results in case of packed ice cream samples indicated maximum (618 × 10–6 CFU/g) and minimum (79 × 10–6 CFU/g) bacterial count while in case of unpacked ice cream samples maximum and minimum bacterial count was 163 × 10–6 CFU/g and 71 × 10–6 CFU/g, respectively. Whereas in case of packed kulfa samples, maximum and minimum recorded bacterial count was 163 × 10–6 CFU/g and 72 × 10–6 CFU/g, respectively. The LM and SEM of the isolated bacteria were also performed for correct identification. Results indicated that the total bacterial count recorded in the samples exceeded the standard tolerable range which can lead to serious health damage of consumers.

Microscopic investigations and pharmacognostic techniques used for the standardization of herbal drug Nigella sativa L.

A comprehensive account on standardization of herbal drug Nigella sativa L. (Tukhm‐e‐Kalonji) by using microscopic as well as pharmacognostic parameters. In the field of herbal medicines, the main issues are quality, purity, and effectiveness, as in many cases herbal drugs are knowingly or unknowingly substituted or adulterated with similar species or varieties. In herbal market the seeds of N. sativa are commonly adultered with seeds of Allium cepa L. intentionally or accidentally due to their similar morphology. In the present study, the microscopic characterization of herbal drug was done by morphological, palynological, and anatomical features. A great diversity was found in anatomical features of two species, as irregular epidermal cells, actinocytic stomata, and nonglandular trichomes were found in N. sativa while in A. cepa epidermal cells were rectangular in shape, stomata type was paracytic, and trichomes were absent. Pharmacognostic characterization was made by fluorescence analysis and physiochemical parameters. Physicochemical parameters like moisture content, total ash, acid insoluble ash, water soluble ash, and water insoluble ash were also evaluated. The above parameters, being reported to the first time for the studied plant species, and are significant towards establishing the microscopic and pharmacognostic standards for future identification and authentication of genuine herbal drug.

Green vegetation: a promising source of color dyes

Abstract The present study aimed for the extraction of color dyes from different sources, such as Brassica oleracea, Brassica campestris, Citrus limon, Citrus limetta, Tagetes erecta, Spinacea oleracea, Beta vulgaris, Rosa indica and Curcuma longa. The leftovers of such plants were mainly used for color dye extraction and their confirmation using spectrophotometric analysis. The specific color pigments like carotenoids, anthocyanin, chlorophyll and betanin were found to be the main coloring agents that impart specific color to the samples. Among all these samples, the maximum yield was obtained from C. limetta aqueous peel extract, and among all the temperatures employed room temperature was found out to be the most suitable temperature for the stability of color extracts. The extracted colors were utilized in candy making and sugar syrup making and were also used for coloring various foods stuffs. Moreover, the extracted color dyes were applied for dyeing purposes on cotton cloth with alum showing better and more enhancing color fastness results than the lime.

Edible Wild Plants: A Solution to Overcome Food Insecurity

Wild food is considered as all the non-domesticated plant and animal resources that are collected and hunted from forests and bushlands for the purpose of human feasting. However edible wild plants can be defined as the “Plants which as whole or their any part (roots, leaves or fruits) are acceptable for eating purpose by urban and rural communities.” It is very important to note that plants have many parts, i.e., stem, root, shoot, leaves, fruit, seeds, and buds, and if any part (at least one) is comestible, then that plant is considered to be an edible one. A plant considered to be an edible one could also have poisonous, medicinal, bitter, woody, and hairy parts as well. So it is very important to identify which plant is an edible one; in other case it could have disastrous consequences. The FAO defines the wild edible plants in such following words: “Plants that grow spontaneously in self-maintaining populations in natural or semi-natural ecosystems and can exist independently of direct human action” [1]. Another definition stated that WEPs as the plant species can be used as food sources and are never cultivated and never domesticated, but these can get from their wild habitat [2].

List of Useful Edible Wild Plants for Daily Use

This chapter documents the conservation and use of WEPs in Bullen district, northwestern Ethiopia. The data was obtained by focus group discussions and interviews. Different WEPs were identified. Among these plants 35.5 % were trees and 31.1 % were shrubs. All plant parts are used either as raw or cooked collected mostly by women and childre. In areas where is the food insufficiency, the WEPs are used mostly as compared to the areas where food is sufficient. Many plants have medicinal uses but some also have side effects causing constipation, abdominal pain and diarrhea. For conservation and sustainable use of WEPs the community participation was suggested.