1,721,480 research outputs found
Dandelion
No full textThe industry of nutritional supplements is increasing worldwide, and health professionals and consumers demand evidence that supports the benefits and safe use of these supplements. This book aims to assess the clinical evidence of many nonvitamin and nonmineral (NVNM) nutritional supplements available in the market, in order to be a valuable decision-making tool. This book aims also to be an instrument for medical doctors, pharmacists as well as all health practitioners who did not receive comprehensive education regarding supplementation in order to assure their rational and safe use of NVNM supplements.The book firstly addresses the history, definition, and legislation of dietary supplements. In the second part, it focuses on nonessential nutrients: S-adenosyl-methionine, astaxanthin, lutein, and zeaxantine; chondroitin and glucosamine; choline; carnitines and l-cysteine; creatine; coenzyme Q10 and embelin; quercetin; lipoic acid; methylsulphonylmethane; melatonin; resveratrol; and rutin and curcumin. The third part of the book is devoted to the extracts from plants and algae. Forty-six plant and algae extracts are addressed, including: artichoke (Cynara scolymus); beet (Beta vulgaris); bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus); tailwort (Borago officinalis); brown algae (Phaeophyceae); cruciferous vegetables (Brassicaceae); elderberry (Sambucus nigra); fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum); feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium); ginseng (Panax
ginseng); goji berry (Lycium barbarum); horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum); ispagula (Plantago ovata); konjac (Amorphophallus konjac); mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana); orthosiphon (Orthosiphon stamineus); rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea); St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum); turmeric (Curcuma longa); and pomegranate (Punica granatum). The fourth part of the book is dedicated to animal extracts including bee products (royal jelly and propolis), chitosan, and shark cartilage, while the fifth part addresses extracts from yeast and fungi (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Monascus purpureus, Reishi mushrooms, and Ophiocordyceps sinensis). Chapters dedicated to NVNM nutritional supplements give information on sources, availability, relation with health, and possible interactions of these with other supplements, drugs, or foods, based on clinical evidence. Finally, the challenges of food supplements are discussed and future trends are presented. We are conscious of many other NVNM nutritional supplements that could have been addressed. We hope that this edition will be well received and that in the future, other NVNM nutritional supplements can be addressed
Essential Oils from Aromatic and Medicinal Plants as Effective Weapons Against Mosquito Vectors of Public Health Importance
No full textThe fight against mosquito-borne diseases has recently seen the failure of control programmes based on synthetic chemical treatments to combat larvae and adults of mosquito vectors. This has led to several problems linked to residual substances causing a detrimental impact on environment and human health and to the development of resistance in mosquitoes. In this scenario, new eco-friendly and alternative strategies for the management of mosquito-borne diseases come from the use of plant essential oils (EOs). These are complex mixtures of small, volatile and lipophilic compounds, mostly belonging to monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids and phenylpropanoids, produced by aromatic plants belonging to several botanical families such as Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Geraniaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Poaceae, Rutaceae, Verbenaceae and Zingiberaceae. An important ecological role played by EOs is defending plants from several enemies such as bacterial and fungal pathogens, viruses, insects and parasites. EOs represent ideal candidate ingredients to be incorporated in insecticidal formulations since scientific evidences have documented their efficacy against larvae and adults of several mosquitoes (e.g. Anopheles, Aedes and Culex) even at low doses (<50 ppm), the multiple mode of action and wide spectrum of efficacy, the low toxicity on nontarget organisms and environment and the unlikely capacity to induce insect resistance. In this chapter, we gave an overview of the most important EOs obtained from commercially important botanical families with documented efficacy against mosquito vectors. Particular attention has been paid to highlight their strengths and weakness and the future challenges leading to the replacement of conventional insecticides by agrochemical companies
Antiprotozoal Activity of Natural Products
No full textDear Colleagues,
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), caused by protozoan parasites, are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among the world’s low-income populations. They affect more than 1 billion people worldwide, causing around 500000 deaths each year and social discrimination and physical suffering. Of the 17 major NTDs, the life-threatening diseases Leishmaniasis, Malaria, Chagas disease, and human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) are considered the most challenging due to their limited therapeutic options and high mortality rates. The absence of eagerly desired vaccines and the availability of limited chemotherapeutics, some with reduced efficacy and considerable drawbacks, hinder the efficient treatment of these diseases. Therefore, the discovery and development of novel effective, safe, and inexpensive antiprotozoal agents remain an urgent need. In this scenario, natural products can play an important role as potential lead compounds as they might have advantages over conventional chemical-based drugs (e.g., fewer drawbacks, better bioavailability, and less long-term toxicity). On this basis, this Special Issue is designed to gather review papers and original articles dealing with the potential antiprotozoal activities of plant secondary metabolites, including different classes such as terpenoids, alkaloids and phenolics. The Special Issue welcomes contributions on the following topics:
Phytochemical analysis and biological evaluation (in vitro and/or in vivo studies) of plant extracts/essential oils and isolated compounds.
Mode of action studies of natural products.
Structure-activity relationships studies including hemi-synthesized molecules.
Synergistic and antagonistic studies of mixtures of natural products
Development of new anti-protozoal agent formulations
Prof. Dr. Filippo Maggi
Dr. Riccardo Petrelli
Guest Editor
Recent Advances in Extraction, Phytochemical Analysis and Bioactivity of Nonfood Plants with Well Established Relationships with Humans
No full textDear Colleagues,
As we know, medicinal and aromatic plants are important mainly because they contain plant secondary metabolites (such as essential oils, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins, vitamins, and other bioactives). While plant secondary metabolites are produced by pathways derived from primary metabolites, they do not play a direct role in the growth and development of the plant cells but, rather, have roles associated with plant protection and defense mechanisms.
Medicinal and aromatic plants have been used by humankind for a long time. Every traditional medicine system (e.g., Ayurveda, Siddha medicine, Unani, ancient Iranian medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, traditional African medicine, and traditional Korean medicine) may include hundreds to thousands of medicinal plants used for various forms of herbal medicine or for the production of extracts and pure chemicals that are being used by modern medicine for treatment, or prevention of various diseases.
However, there are some medicinal and aromatic plant species that have established special relationships with humans; these plants and their products have been utilized by humankind for centuries or millennia and are still some of the most utilized species and sources for plant natural products in modern times. This Special Issue will focus on “Recent Advances in Extraction, Phytochemical Analysis, and Bioactivity of Non-Food Plants with Well-Established Relationships with Humans”. These include tobacco (Nicotiana sp), hops (Humulus lupulus), hemp (Cannabis sativa), coffee (Coffea arabica), cacao (Theobroma cacao), tea (Camellia sinensis), cinchona (Cinchona officinalis), and opium poppy (Papaver somniferum).
Dr. Valtcho Jeliazkov
Dr. Filippo Maggi
Prof. Dr. Tessema Astatkie
Guest Editor
Insecticidal Activity of Plant Secondary Metabolites
Full text linkDear Colleagues,
Plant secondary metabolites display a plethora of biological functions, among which the biochemical defense against insects and other organisms is one of the most important ones. For this purpose, they synthesize alkaloids, terpenoids, and phenolics which act as allelochemicals through highly diverse modes of action leading to major changes on the arthropods’ physiology and behavior. Thus, they represent a complementary and alternative strategy to manage populations of pests and vectors. In this framework, the present Special Issue welcomes original research articles and reviews shedding light on recent advancements about the use of plant secondary metabolites and related formulations against arthropod targets of health and agricultural importance. This Special Issue welcomes contributions on the following topics:
- Phytochemical analysis and biological evaluation of plant-borne secondary metabolites;
- Lethal and sub-lethal effects of plant-borne insecticides and acaricides;
- Repellent effects of plant-borne secondary metabolites on insects and mites;
- Modes of action of green insecticides, acaricides, and repellents;
- Toxicity of green insecticides and acaricides on non-target species, including aquatic organisms;
- Structure–activity relationships characterizing green insecticides and acaricides;
- Synergistic and antagonistic studies focusing on green insecticides and acaricides;
- Development of insecticidal and acaricidal formulations with extended shelf-life and prolonged bioactivity in the field.
Prof. Dr. Filippo Maggi
Dr. Giovanni Benelli
Guest Editor
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
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