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Ginger (Zingiber officinale) belonging to the family Zingiberaceae is a perennial herb. It is widely distributed in tropical Asia. In India, it is cultivated mainly in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra. It is one of the most common spices, which is in use since centuries for its versatile medicinal actions like antiemetic, stomachic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, aphrodisiac etc in traditional system of medicine (Unani, Ayurveda, and Chinese medicine). It is useful for the treatment of various gastrointestinal, pulmonary, cardiovascular and sexual disorders. The phytochemical study of ginger showed the presence of many volatile oils and oleo-resins like gingerol, zingerone, zingiberol etc. Numerous experimental and clinical trials have proven ginger for its range of therapeutic activities such as antibacterial, antidiabetic, antiemetic, hypolipidaemic, hepatoprotective etc properties. The present article aims to explore traditional Unani and pharmacological activities of this herb reported till date.

Epilepsy has now become the most serious brain disorder. A number of synthetic antiepileptic drugs are available in practice, however their effectiveness does not grip true with the entire population suffering from epilepsy. Traditional systems of medicine are popular in developing countries and most of the population relies on traditional medicines for their primary health care need. Medicinal plants to be an important source of traditional medicines. Various plants are used for the treatment of epilepsy in traditional system of medicines and various plants are yet to be scientifically investigated. Phytoconstituents have been the basis of treatment of human diseases including epilepsy. Herbal products are extensively used for the treatment of many diseases worldwide and where allopathic fails or has severe side effects. Psycho neural drugs are also have very serious side effects like physical dependence, tolerance, deterioration of cognitive function and effect on respiratory, digestive and immune system. So the treatments through herbal medicines are widely used across the world due to their wide applicability and therapeutic efficacy with least side effects, which in turn has accelerated the research regarding natural therapy. In this review we have summarized some herbal antiepileptics.

Careya arborea Roxb. (Lecythidaceae) is a significant medicinal plant known as kumbhi in Ayurveda. Though, most of the plant parts are used in traditional systems of medicine, bark and leaves constitute the important medicinal parts. The present review gives an account of the updated information on its phytochemical and pharmacological properties. The review reveals that numerous phytochemical constituents have been isolated from the plant possessing hepatoprotective, antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticoagulant, analgesic, antidiarrhoeal and various other important activities. Leaves are used in filaria, colic, loose motions and ulcers. Bark is used as an antipyretic, abortifacient, antipruritic and in smallpox, urinary discharges and rheumatic pain. Since last few decades, extensive exploration has been done to establish the biological activities and pharmacology of the extracts and plentiful chemical constituents including flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, terpenoids and many other have been isolated.

Certain dietary contents, biological supplements might influence the occurrence or treatment of epilepsy. Some studies have found that the supplementation with individual nutrients reduced seizure frequency or improved other aspects of health in patients with epilepsy. Potentially beneficial dietary interventions include treating blood glucose dysregulations. Identifying and avoiding allergenic foods, and avoiding suspected triggering agents such as alcohol, aspartame, and monosodium glutamate. The Atkins diet (very low in carbohydrates) is a less restrictive type diet that may be effective in some cases. Nutrients that may reduce seizure frequency include vitamin B6, magnesium, vitamin E, manganese, taurine, dimethylglycine, and omega-3 fatty acids. Administration of thiamine may improve cognitive function in patients with epilepsy. Supplementation with folic acid, vitamin B6, biotin, vitamin D, and L-carnitine may be needed to prevent or treat deficiencies resulting from the use of anticonvulsant drugs. Vitamin K1 has been recommended near the end of pregnancy for women taking anticonvulsants. Melatonin may reduce seizure frequency in some cases, and progesterone may be useful for women with cyclic exacerbations of seizures. In most cases, nutritional therapy is not a substitute for anticonvulsant medications. However, in selected cases, depending on the effectiveness of the interventions, dosage reductions or discontinuation of medications may be possible. However, nutrient supplementation may be necessary to prevent or reverse the effects of certain deficiencies that frequently result from the use of antiepileptic drugs.

Eruptive xanthomas that are characterized by yellowish red papules results from hyperlipidemia, particularly hypertriglyceridemia. The hyperlipidemia responsible for this disorder can be caused by a primary genetic defect, a secondary disorder, or both. Some medications such as estrogen or retinoid treatments may cause eruptive xantomas by increasing serum lipids. We present a case eruptive xantomas triggered by hawthorn vinegar.

This study has been geared to document primary information on common complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) used to treat and/or manage common dermatological disorders in Mauritius, a tropical multicultural island in the Indian Ocean. Data from 355 key informants was collected via a semi-structured questionnaire. Pearson correlation and Chi-squared test were performed to delineate any association. Quantitative indexes including the Importance Value (IV) and fidelity value were calculated. Results tend to indicate that cultural reasons were behind the use of CAM among Mauritians and traditional knowledge was mainly acquired either from parents/relatives or from self-experience. Among the medicinal plants mentioned, Aziadiracta indica (IV = 0.78) and Paederia tomentosa (IV = 0.70) were found to be most used plants. Calendula officinalis (IV = 0.15), Centella asiatica (IV = 0.22) and Agauria salicifolia (IV = 0.11) were also recorded to be used for common dermatological disorders though greatly under-utilised. Animal products were mentioned by 38.0% respondents and cow ghee was found to be commonly used in the management of measles (IV = 0.88). Spiritual healing was found to be used mainly for measles and warts. Given the plethora of novel information documented from the present survey, it can be suggested that the Mauritian population still relies to a great extent on CAM which needs to be preserved and used sustainably. Nonetheless, further investigation is required to probe the possible active constituents that could be the basis of an evidence based investigation to discover new drugs.

Plectranthus amboinicus Benth (Lamiaceae) is a medicinal plant native to India, and its leaves are widely used in several traditional medicinal preparations. The purpose of this study was to detect and quantify phenolics present in ethyl acetate and acetone extracts of P. amboinicus leaves, and evaluate their antioxidant, antibacterial, antimutagenic and anticancer activities. The HPLC chromatograms of crude leaf extracts indicated the presence of phenolics like caffeic acid, coumaric acid, rutin, quercetin and gallic acid, which were present in the range of 0.01 - 1.41 mg/g in ethyl acetate and 0.03 - 1.93 mg/g in the acetone extract. The acetone extract showed statistically (p < 0.05) higher antioxidant activity (IC50, 99.59 µg/ml) than ethyl acetate extract (IC50, 149.96 µg/ml). Statistically (p < 0.05) higher antimutagenicity was shown by acetone extract (46.16%) as compare to ethyl acetate extract (12.16%) at 500 µg/plate concentration. The acetone extract showed higher antibacterial activity than ethyl acetate extract, and both the extracts showed highest activity against B. cereus (375 and 625 µg/ml, respectively) and lowest activity against Y. enterocolitica (1000 and 1125 µg/ml, respectively). Both the extracts also showed inhibitory effect on cancer cell lines HCT-15 and MCF-7. These results suggest that the leaves of P. amboinicus possess various biological activities, and validate the traditional use of the leaves of P. amboinicus against cold, infection and ulceration.