Etetor R. Eshiet
SEEED (Sustainable Energy Environmental and Educational Development)
USA
Title: Herbal Plant Decoctions and the potential for Efficacious Disease Therapy: A study on Lyophilized Brickellia cavanillesii (Asteraceae)
Biography
Biography: Etetor R. Eshiet
Abstract
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in disease therapy has increased exponentially in recent years. Herbal plant decoctions, an integral component of CAM, are a veritable source of alternative medicine. Treatment using herbal extracts constitutes a tremendous resource for alternative remedy especially at disease onset. A scientific investigation of traditional herbal plants may provide valuable leads for the development of alternative drugs and therapeutic remedies. The dearth of valid ethnobotanical information on herbal plants used in disease therapy remains an impediment to the utilization of CAM by clinicians. Factors such as improper identification and standardization of these herbal plants constitute a potential reason for concern. Consequently, it is imperative that studies are undertaken to assure the quality, efficacy, and safety of these plants. Our plant of interest, Brickellia cavanillesii (Asteraceae), one of the more popular herbal plants consumed in Central America, Mexico, and the southwestern parts of the U.S.A. for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus, is believed to possess hypoglycemic and anti-oxidative properties. Unfortunately, little is known about its chemical composition. This study investigates the lyophilized extracts of B. cavanillesii in an attempt to elucidate its use as a therapeutic agent; chromatographic methods were utilized to analyze the methanolic extract of lyophilized Brickellia cavanillesii. The identified compounds were found to be the primary constituents of the essential oils of many plants and flowers. Essential oils are employed widely in traditional disease remedies.