PCHRD develops anti-dengue solution from atis leaves

The fast rising cases of dengue victims and increase in mortality rate strike another headache to our government health officials. Most of dengue victims came from poor families that could hardly buy some mosquito repellant.   I found another article written by Danny O. Calleja  that would greatly help in preventing dengue cases, using the leaves of Atis that is locally available.   "Atis (Anona squamosa), a tropical plant that usually grows spontaneously in the Philippines, aside from bearing fruits of white, sweet, soft, juicy and mild agreeable flavored flesh, also yields leaves where government health researchers found extracts for the formulation of an effective anti-mosquito repellant.   As a result of its latest studies on atis, the Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) said it has came out with the Atis Lotion Mosquito Repellent that was formulated using the extracts of its leaves mixed with other locally available materials.   PCHRD, one of the five sectoral councils of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is a partnership-based national body responsible for coordinating and monitoring health research activities in the country. "This mosquito repellent will surely be a great help to the efforts of the government to address the dengue fever-menace currently spreading terror among residents especially school-age children in various parts of the country," Tomas Briñas, the regional director for Bicol of the DOST in announcing here Tuesday the PCHRD discovery.   It is not only against dengue, in fact, but against all mosquito-borne diseases like malaria and filariasis especially in areas of the country where incidence is high.   It also serves as a personal care product used in preventing mosquito bites that cause itchiness, inflammation and discomfort to individuals, he said. The repellent uses a washable, mineral oil - based formulation and its biodegrable since, it is derived from advantage against other well known repellents which are chemical based in formulation.   The Atis Lotion is composed of 10.125 percent mineral oil, 1.02 percent Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, nine percent Propylene Glycol, 0.22 percent Methyl Paraben, 0.135 percent Propyl Paraben, 70 percent water and 10 percent plant extract, Briñas said.   Indeed, atis is considered as among the country's important crops given its various uses not only for food but more for natural medicines.   The leaves, bark and seeds contain alkaloid and chloroplatinate, a group of nitrogen-containing compounds that are physiologically active as poisons or drugs that are used as ingredients for medicines that kill lice, Briñas said. The flesh of the fruit, he said is reported to contain upwards of 10 percent of sugar, mostly glucose at 5.40 percent and some fructose of 3.60 percent. In the Philippines the leaves are applied as a poultice to children with dyspepsia. Crushed seeds with coconut oil are applied on the scalp to rid it of lice. A decoction of the seeds is used as an enema for the children with dyspepsia.   According to Sanyal and Ghose, externally the leaves, the unripe fruit, and the seeds which contain acrid principle possess vermicidal and insecticidal properties.   The crushed seeds, in a paste with water, are applied to the scalp to destroy lice.   The same is used as an abortifacient if applied to the uteri in pregnant women.   The bruised leaves, with salt, make a good cataplasm to induce suppuration and fresh leaves crushed between the fingers and applied to the nostrils cut shorts fits and fainting.   The ripe fruit, bruised and mixed with salt, is applied as a maturant to malignant tumors to hasten suppuration. The unripe fruit is astringent and is given in diarrhea, dysentery and atonic dyspepsia.   The bark, according to Briñas has been reported by Nadkarni as a powerful astringent and tonic to stop diarrhea. The leaves are used as an anthelmintic and its decoction for rheumatic baths to alleviate pain.   For infected insect bites, juice extract after pounding an unripe fruit is applied directly to affected parts three times a day to cure the infection. The seeds are considered a powerful irritant to the conjunctiva while the roots are considered a drastic purgative.   Atis tree is small that grows only three to five meters high. Its leaves are hairy when young, oblong, eight to 15 centimeters long, with a petiole one to 1.5 centimeters long.   Flowers occur singly in the axils of the leaves, about 2.5 cm long, pendulous, three-angled, light green to yellow.   Fruit is large, slightly heart-shaped, six to nine centimeters long, the outside with knobby polygonal tubercles. When ripe, the fruit is light yellowish-green The PCHRD studies also revealed that atis possesses anti-inflammatory properties as it yielded two new cyclic peptides, cyclosquamosin H and I, together with six known cyclic peptides, squamin A, squamin B, cyclosquamosin A, D E and cherimolacyclopeptide B from the seeds. Compound 7 showed an inhibitory effect on the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.   Extracts of atis fruit pericarp was also tested for cytotoxic activity against Dalton 's lymphoma cells and HeLa cells.   The chloroform extract was found cytotoxic to the different cell lines tested and suggests the potential for AS fruit pericarp for the development of treatment for cancers.   The PCHRD said atis has an antihyperglycemic effect and alleviated liver and renal damage associated with STZ-induced diabetes mellitus in rats. The diabetic groups treated with aqueous leaf extract were compared with standard glibenclamide.   As hepatoprotective the study on diethylnitrosamine-induced liver injury in Swiss albino mice showed hepatoprotective effect, with improvement in biochemical parameters and confirmation by histopathological studies. The PCHRD also said that the ethanol crude extract of the fruit of atis for antimicrobial activity against some pathogenic microorganisms showed inhibitory activity against S aureus and S pneumoniae.   Results conclude the plant extract may serve as a valuable source of compounds with therapeutic antibiotic potentials.   Likewise, phytochemical study revealed the presence of quercetin in the atis seed extract and the results of the effects of quercetin suggest an involvement of this phytochemical in the mediation of antithyroidal activity, it added."   Source http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Health_21/PCHRD_develops_anti-dengue_solution_from_atis_leaves.shtml   #

Let’s fight Dengue

Aedes Mosquito

Dengue cases in the Philippines rise up at a very high level. The Department of Health (DoH) has recorded a 40% jump in dengue cases in the 1st 6 months of 2010 compared to the same period last year.

Based on available data, DoH said 25,283 cases have been recorded between January 1 and June 26 this year. Death cases also rapidly increase. People are trying anything they can do to prevent and cure dengue. Previously I have mention here the plant called mangagaw or tawa that said to help cure dengue. In our place mangagaw  or tawa is used as juice to prevent dengue specially during symptoms of fever.

Below is an article posted in the abs-cbnNEWS.com titled Can fruits really cure dengue? Posted at 07/19/2010 7:41 PM | Updated as of 07/21/2010 10:26 AM.

Papaya Tree

MANILA, Philippines - Papaya leaves can help dengue fever patients fully recover from their illness, a recent study showed.

Dr. Sanath Hettige, who conducted the research on 70 dengue fever patients, said papaya leaf juice helps increase white blood cells and platelets, normalizes clotting, and repairs the liver.

Speaking to Sri Lankan news agency Lankapuvath, Hettige said these are the main aspects of the body that are affected by dengue fever.

There is a condition to this remedy, however.

According to Hettige, the papaya leaf juice will not be as effective during the final stages of dengue fever since, by then, the patient's organs are already badly affected by the disease.

Given this, he suggested that patients consume the remedy as early as possible.

Juice recipe

Hettige said adults should consume 10 ml of fresh papaya leaf juice (without water, salt or sugar) twice a day, along with their prescribed medication, to get its full effect.

Kids aged between 5 and 12, meanwhile, were asked to take in 5 ml 2 times a day.

Here's how to make papaya leaf juice, as told by Hettige to Lankapuvath:

1. Take fresh, mature leaves from a papaya tree. Leaves from the "Red Lady" papaya (papaw) variety are more effective.

2. Wash the leaves with clean water.

3. Crush the leaves in a pestle, without water or salt.

4. Squeeze the crushed leaves to extract the juice.

Durian also a cure?

Durian Fruit

Durian, known for its distinct taste and odor, is also rumored to be a cure for dengue fever. Like papaya leaves, durian is said to do wonders to a patient's platelet count.

In a hospital in Davao City, several dengue patients are consuming the fruit in hopes of recovering from the disease, a local newspaper reported over the weekend.

The Department of Health, however, said that no study has been conducted yet on the efficacy of durian on dengue fever cases.

"There's no established proof yet," Dr. Jo-anne Lobo, specialist in infectious diseases among children, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Dengue fever is an acute illness caused by a bite of a striped Aedes aegypti mosquito. In the Philippines, dengue fever outbreaks usually occur during the rainy season, or from June to September.

Common symptoms include fever, headache, rashes, severe muscle pain, and a drop in platelet count. In extreme cases, hemorrhaging and death can follow.

These are all result of peoples initiative to help fight dengue. Specially there is no specific cure for dengue.

 Source http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/lifestyle/07/19/10/can-fruits-really-cure-dengue

Mangosteen Health Benefits

Mangosteen Fruit

 

Mangosteen has been used as a part of the traditional medicine of some Asian countries for a over longer period of time already.

Different parts of Mangosteen plant is used in treatment of some diseases. The named mangosteen, has nothing to do with mangoes. It is the fruit of evergreen mangosteen trees, which are natives to the southeast Asian countries. The fruits of purple mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) of the genus Garcinia, turn reddish purple, when ripe. These fruits, which are almost round in shape are a little smaller than tennis balls in size. The rind of this fruit is bitter and so, is not edible. The inner edible portion is in the form of wedged segments and is white in color. The largest among the segments may carry the seed. The flavor of mangosteen is very unique and delicate. It can be explained as sweet, laced with a slight sourness. However, it is not the taste of the fruit, which is valued, but the various health benefits associated with it.

There were studies that Mangosteen is rich in nutrients and anti Oxidants

Below listed are some of its health benefits.

1. Anti-fatigue (energy booster)

2. Powerful anti-inflammatory (prevents inflammation)

3. Analgesic (prevents pain)

4. Anti-ulcer (stomach,

mouth and bowel ulcers)

5. Anti-depressant (low to moderate)

6. Anxyolytic (anti-anxiety effect)

7. Anti-Alzheimerian (helps prevent dementia)

8. Anti-tumor and cancer prevention (multiple categories cited)... shown to be capable of killing cancer cells

9. Immunomodulator (multiple categories cited) - helps the immune system

10. Anti-aging

11. Anti-oxidant

12. Anti-viral

13. Anti-biotic (modulates bacterial infections)

14. Anti-fungal (prevents fungal infections)

15. Anti-seborrheaic (prevents skin disorders)

16. Anti-lipidemic (blood fat lowering, LDL)

17. Anti-atherosclerotic (prevents hardening

of arteries)

18. Cardioprotective (protects the heart)

19. Hypotensive (blood pressure lowering)

20. Hypoglycemic (anti-diabetic effect, helps lower blood sugar)

21. Anti-obesity (helps with weight loss)

22. Anti-arthritic (prevention of arthritis)

23. Anti-osteoporosis (helps prevent the loss of bone mass)

24. Anti-periodontic (prevents gum disease)

25. Anti-allergenic (prevents allergic reaction)

26. Anti-calculitic (prevents kidney stones)

27. Anti-pyretic (fever lowering)

28. Anti-Parkinson

29. Anti-diarrheal

30. Anti-neuralgic (reduces nerve pain)

31. Anti-vertigo (prevents dizziness)

32. Anti-glaucomic (prevents glaucoma)

33. Anti-cataract (prevents cataracts)

34. Pansystemic - has a synergistic effect on the whole body

In Philippines, people used to make a decoction of mangosteen leaves and bark, which was beneficial in bringing down body temperature and also to treat thrush, dysentery, diarrhea and urinary disorders. By the eighteenth and nineteenth century, mangosteen was introduced to other parts of the world, but this tree in thrived in a very few regions, other than its native place. This fruit is sometimes referred to as the queen of fruits, due to its nutritional value and the presence of some compounds that offer various mangosteen health benefits.

It is said to be effective in preventing diseases, like, arthritis, cancer, osteoporosis, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, kidney stones, cataract, glaucoma, Alzheimer's, neuralgia, etc. It is also said that this fruit can be effective in treating depression, aging, obesity, skin diseases, allergies, ulcers, diarrhea, fever, pain, and many others.

Moringa Plant the tree of life

Moringa Leaf

Moringa Plant is very abundant in the Philippines it is used as herbal treatment for various diseases and most of all used as food.

The article below describe Moringa as a very useful plant that has full of medicinal value and benefits.

Moringa Oleifera’s health benefits have been well understood and cherished for many centuries. The history of the moringa tree goes back centuries; there are historical references to Moringa oil being placed in the tombs of ancient Egyptians. Its usefulness is legendary.

In fact, the Moringa tree’s benefits are so significant that it has been called the Tree of Life in many cultures.

For centuries, the peoples of India and Africa have benefited from using the moringa plant. After hundreds of years of use on the other side of the planet, today the astounding health benefits of Moringa are pushing its introduction to the Western hemisphere.

Because the moringa tree is rich with nutrients, and because the tree’s various parts can all be used in some way, moringa’s many benefits are different depending on the part of the plant being used. Truth be told, the Moringa Tree’s health benefits alone are as varied as the different parts of the tree itself.

The young, immature Moringa Oleifera pods are the most valued and widely used of all the tree parts. The pods are extremely nutritious, containing every essential amino acid needed for a complete protein source, along with many vitamins, minerals, co-enzymes and antioxidants.

An interesting additional benefit of moringa seeds is found in the seed cake left over from the moringa oil extraction process. The seed cake can be used as a coagulant to clarify dirty and turbid water. The seed cake is used as an effective means of removing sediment and bacteria from water, helping to purify and treat water naturally where industrial water treatment is not available.

Moringa leaves are perhaps equally valuable to the seeds, and provide powerful benefits to anyone who is conscious of their nutrient intake. The leaves of the moringa tree are among the most protein-dense leaves of any plant species, and contain every essential amino acid required for a whole source of protein. Moringa leaves contain levels of Vitamin A comparable to carrots, calcium comparable to milk, and vitamin C comparable to oranges, as well as high amounts of other vitamins and minerals.

Importantly, these nutrients are not synthesized in a facility and packed into a pill, where the nutrients are largely unavailable for the body to absorb and use. The leaves are easily digested when put into capsules and provide high levels of available nutrients to your body.

Moringa leaf can also be used for tea, either alone or in combination with other teas. Even a small glass of moringa tea benefits the drinker with a host of nutrients. The benefits of the moringa tree to mankind make it a wonderfully useful plant species for a variety of vital purposes. It is no surprise that it is known as the Tree of Life in the cultures of its native habitat.

How can Moringa oleifera benefit you? The possibilities are endless. Here are just a few of the many real benefits people discover when taking Moringa oleifera:

Increased physical energy - Tune your body up with naturally occurring nutrients to make your energy last longer

Mental and emotional balance - Moringa oleifera's amazingly powerful nutrient compounds help restore stability to the chemicals that govern our thoughts and emotions. You have to experience it to appreciate it!

Faster recovery - Moringa oleifera's complete amino profile, along with dozens of vitamins and minerals, makes it a perfect recovery food after grueling workouts and physical strain.

Nutrient-dense mother's milk - Increased iron, potassium, Vitamins A, B, C, E, and dozens of other important nutrients are all readily absorbed from Moringa oleifera and transferred from mother's milk to the growing newborn. No wonder Moringa is called 'Mother's Best Friend' in cultures across Africa!

Health blood - antioxidants and unique regulating compounds help control blood sugar and keep the blood free of unhealthy substances.

Just a few of the other many benefits of moringa oleifera include increased flexibility, improved sensory perception, better sleep cycles, and improved memory.

Start using moringa now.

Source http://www.moringasource.com/moringa-benefits.php

Research found Watermelon to help erectile dysfunction and function as Natural Viagra

Watermelon

A research conducted by Bhimu Patil of Texas A&M University suggests that watermelon has an effect in the body like to that of Viagra, or else a natural remedy for erectile dysfunction that some of men suffering now.

 
Recently a research revealed that the watermelon flesh contains higher levels of the amino acid citrulline that surprised researchers of what they think. It is believed that most of the citrulline resides in the inedible peel of the fruit.

This discovery is very significant because the body converts citrulline into arginine, another amino acid that functions as a precursor to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide, in turn, plays a critical role in the dilation of blood vessels and the process of penile erection.

The functions primarily of some drugs like Viagra are to target the nitric oxide signaling pathway in the penis.

Bhimu Patil hopes that other researchers will begin to directly study watermelon's effects on erection. But they others are skeptical.

Just because nitric oxide is required for an erection, "that doesn't mean eating something that is rich in citrulline will make enough arginine that it will lead to better penile erections," said Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Sexual Medicine and a former consultant for companies that make erectile dysfunction drugs.

"The vast majority of Americans produce enough arginine," he said. "Men with erectile dysfunction are not deficient in arginine."

Patil acknowledges that he doesn't know how much watermelon a man would need to eat to have an effect. Knowing that a four-ounce serving of watermelon contains approximately 150 milligrams of citrulline does not tell researchers what effects that much citrulline will have in the body, he said.

In a 2007 study, participants were able to increase their arginine levels 11 percent in three weeks by drinking three eight-ounce glasses of watermelon juice per day.