An-Najah Staff

Background In Palestine, medicinal plants have continued to play a vital role in fulfilling animal healthcare needs of rural communities. However, these valuable resources are being depleted mainly due to over-harvesting, inappropriate agricultural practices (e.g., over use of herbicides), agricultural expansion, and over-grazing. Therefore, immediate action is required to conserve these resources and document the associated knowledge. The purpose of this study was, thus, to document and analyze information associated with medicinal plants that are used in managing animal health problems in the West Bank, Palestine.
Materials and methods Ethnobotanical data were collected from Apr 2012, to Feb 2014 mainly using semi-structured interviews with informants sampled using purposive sampling technique and through field observations.
Results The study revealed the use of 138 medicinal plant species in the West Bank for the treatment of several livestock diseases, of these 75 species representing 70 genera and 33 families were reported by 3 independent informants or above. Classification of the ethnoveterinary plant species cited by three informants or above used in a rank-order priority (ROP) based on their claimed relative healing potential has demonstrated that the following are the plants with the highest efficacy: Camellia sinenses, Teucrium capitatum, and Salvia fruticosa with ROPs of 97.1, 93.2, and 91.4, respectively, are used primarily to relieve gastric disorders. Gastrointestinal disorders is the disease group in the study area that scored the highest Informant consensus factor (ICF) value (0.90), followed by urinary, and reproductive disorders (0.89). Conclusion Our study provided evidence that medicinal plants are still playing important role in the management of livestock diseases, and showed that ethnoveterinary plants used in animal health care in Palestine have been also recorded in human Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine (TAPHM), and demonstrated a strong link between human and veterinary medical practices. This survey has identified a number of important medicinal plants used by the Palestinian farmers of the West Bank area for the treatment of various animal ailments. It provides a baseline for future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations into the beneficial medicinal properties of such plants. 

The aim of this study was to carry an ethnopharmacological survey on medicinal herbs and the methodology used in extraction of active compounds. A survey study was carried out; it included herbalists, herbal shops and people who are involved in traditional Arabic medicine. For each disease included, informants were asked to list plants used, the used part from which the products were prepared as well as the method of preparation. A total of 109 plants were identified. Within the plants used, leaves (47.3%), fruits (18.5%) and seeds (18.0%) were the plant parts most widely used. Methods of preparation were mainly decoction (boiling) by 51%, and then infusion (drenching) by 17%. Some plants were prepared as creams, powders, syrups, added to food or cooked. Many plant species are still used by herbalists in our country for treating various human diseases and ailments. Most plants are prepared by boiling, which may cause degradation of active ingredients. Preparations should take into consideration the stability of the active ingredients.

The aim of this study was to carry an ethnopharmacological survey on medicinal herbs and the methodology used in extraction of active compounds. A survey study was carried out; it included herbalists, herbal shops and people who are involved in traditional Arabic medicine. For each disease included, informants were asked to list plants used, the used part from which the products were prepared as well as the method of preparation. A total of 109 plants were identified. Within the plants used, leaves (47.3%), fruits (18.5%) and seeds (18.0 %) were the plant parts most widely used. Methods of preparation were mainly decoction (boiling) by 51%, and then infusion (drenching) by 17%. Some plants were prepared as creams, powders, syrups, added to food or cooked. Many plant species are still used by herbalists in our country for treating various human diseases and ailments. Most plants are prepared by boiling, which may cause degradation of active ingredients. Preparations should take into consideration the stability of the active ingredients.

Ethanolic extracts of six plants: Arum palaestinum Bioss, Urtica pilulifera L., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Origanum syriacum L., Teucrium creticum L., and Teucrium polium L., used in Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine were evaluated for their antibacterial, anti-candida, and antidermatophyte activities using well diffusion, micro-dilution and food poisoned techniques. The extracts were tested against: six bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae; five Candida albicans isolates, and two dermatophytes: Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum. The most active plants extracts were T. capitata and O. syriacum against the tested bacteria, while the remaining plant extracts did not express any activity or exhibited only very low activity against tested bacteria species and candida isolates. O. syriacum was also the most active plant against all Candida strains with inhibition zones that ranged from 22.5 to 29.5 mm. On the other hand, T. capitata extract showed the highest activity against the test dermatophytes (producing a complete inhibition at = 45 µg/mL).

Ethanolic extracts of six plants: Arum palaestinum Bioss, Urtica pilulifera L., Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav., Origanum syriacum L., Teucrium creticum L., and Teucrium polium L., used in Traditional Arabic Palestinian Herbal Medicine were evaluated for their antibacterial, anti-candida, and antidermatophyte activities using well diffusion, micro-dilution and food poisoned techniques. The extracts were tested against: six bacterial strains including Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae; five Candida albicans isolates, and two dermatophytes: Microsporum canis, and Trichophyton rubrum. The most active plants extracts were T. capitata and O. syriacum against the tested bacteria, while the remaining plant extracts did not express any activity or exhibited only very low activity against tested bacteria species and candida isolates. O. syriacum was also the most active plant against all Candida strains with inhibition zones that ranged from 22.5 to 29.5 mm. On the other hand, T. capitata extract showed the highest activity against the test dermatophytes (producing a complete inhibition at = 45 µg/mL). 

The aim of this study was to carry an ethnopharmacological survey on medicinal herbs and the methodology used in extraction of active compounds. A survey study was carried out; it included herbalists, herbal shops and people who are involved in traditional Arabic medicine. For each disease included, informants were asked to list plants used, the used part from which the products were prepared as well as the method of preparation. A total of 109 plants were identified. Within the plants used, leaves (47.3%), fruits (18.5%) and seeds (18.0%) were the plant parts most widely used. Methods of preparation were mainly decoction (boiling) by 51%, and then infusion (drenching) by 17%. Some plants were prepared as creams, powders, syrups, added to food or cooked. Many plant species are still used by herbalists in our country for treating various human diseases and ailments. Most plants are prepared by boiling, which may cause degradation of active ingredients. Preparations should take into consideration the stability of the active ingredients.

Ethanolic extract of dried Rumex cyprius Murb (polygonaceae) was tested against four pathogenic fungi: three dermatophytes, Microsporum canis, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and T. rubrum, and the causative agent of chalkbrood disease of bees, Ascophaera apis. The extract showed considerable activity against all these fungi. One of the main constituents of Rumex cyprius was isolated and tested for its antimycotic activity. It showed a significant activity against the test fungi and was identified as 1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthracene-9,10-dione based on its IR, UV-V and ¹H NMR spectra.

This study has been carried out to evaluate the possible In vitro interaction between ethanolic extracts of Rus coriaria (seed), Sacropoterium spinosum (seed) and Rosa damascena (flower) and certain known antimicrobial drugs including oxytetracycline HCl, penicillin G, cephalexin, sulfadimethoxine as sodium and enrofloxacin. Synergy testing of these extracts and antibiotics was carried out against 3 multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains using microdilution method. Results of this study showed that there is a decrease in the MIC in case of combination between ethanolic plant extracts and test antimicrobial agents. The most interesting result that the combination between R. coriaria and these antibiotics, which showed a high decrease in MIC and a strong bactericidal activity against these strains. These results may indicate that combinations between R. coriaria extract and these antibiotics could be useful in fighting emerging drug-resistance P. aeruginosa, this may due to that R. coriaria extract contain natural inhibitors working by different mechanisms or inhibiting efflux pumps. Now we have experiments underway leading to the identification of the active molecules present in R. coriaria. Further, in vivo experiments are needed to confirm Pseudomonal protection

The antibacterial effects of single and combined plant extracts of water, ethanol and methanol for two nutraceuticals utilized in Palestine were studied against multiple drug resistances Pseudomonas aeruginosa using well diffusion method. These plants are Rhus coriaria and Thymus vulgaris. Combinations of these extracts showed an additive action against this pathogen.