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Background: Despite the availability of mainstream biomedical healthcare in New York City (NYC), community-based ethnomedicine practices remain a low-cost, culturally relevant treatment for many immigrants. Previous urban ethnobotany research in NYC has established that several Caribbean communities continue using medicinal plants for women's health after immigration. This study sought to address to what extent: (1) NYC Haitian women continue using medicinal plants for women's health after migration; (2) their plants and the conditions treated were similar to those identified in an earlier survey with NYC immigrants from the Dominican Republic. Methods: Through an ethnobotanical survey, 100 Haitian women living in NYC and born in Haiti were interviewed about their knowledge of medicinal plants for women's health conditions. Reported species were purchased based on local names in NYC Haitian stores and markets, vouchered, and identified. Results: Nearly all Haitian women (97%) reported using medicinal plants while living in Haiti. Most Haitian women continued using medicinal plants after coming to the USA (83%). The 14% decrease, although significant (z = 3.3; p = 0.001), was mainly due to logistical difficulties with sourcing plants after recent immigration. Popular medicinal plant species reported were primarily global food plants, re-emphasizing the intertwined food-medicine relationship in Caribbean diasporas. Comparison with data from NYC Dominicans identified childbirth and puerperium, gynecological infections, and vaginal cleansing as priority Haitian women's health concerns treated with plants. Conclusion: Our findings support the global nature of Caribbean migrant plant pharmacopeia, predominantly centered around food plants and adapted to transnational urban settings. They underscore cultural diversity, dispelling the notion of one uniform traditional knowledge system labeled "Caribbean." The importance of preventative medicine for women's health, particularly the regular consumption of "healthy" foods or teas highlights the role food plants play in maintaining health without seeking treatment for a particular condition. Cross-cultural comparisons with other NYC Caribbean immigrants emphasize the importance of conducting ethnobotanical surveys to ground-truth plant use in the community. Such surveys can also identify culture-specific health priorities treated with these plants. Healthcare providers can leverage these insights to formulate culturally relevant and community-tailored healthcare strategies aligned with Haitian women's health beliefs and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Marketplaces reflect not only the commerce of an area, but also its culture. In Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture with Kaili as its capital, Guizhou Province, China, traditional medicine is thriving in both rural and urban areas. The local people rely extensively on plants for traditional medicines, and these are commonly sold in local specialized markets. The Kaili medicinal market is the biggest in the prefecture. However, ethnobotanical study on herbal plants traded in the traditional market in Kaili has not been performed. The aims of this study are: (1) to document medicinal plants traded in the Kaili traditional market and the associated traditional knowledge; and (2) to analyze the level of agreement among vendors in the purported uses of medicinal plants by using informant consensus (FIC) and the fidelity level (FL). Methods: Market surveys were conducted in 2014–2019 to collect information about medicinal plants and associated traditional knowledge. Information including vernacular names, preparation methods, and plant uses was obtained by interviewing 116 vendors of herbal plants. Specimens of fresh and dried herbs, collected as vouchers, were identified by the authors and other botanists at the Minzu University of China, and deposited in the herbarium at Minzu University of China. The level of agreement among information provided by different vendors was assessed using the FIC, and the percentage of vendors claiming the use of a certain medicinal plant for the same indication was assessed with the FL. Results: The Miao people comprise 53.4% of all informants in this study of medicinal plants. In total, 237 medicinal plant species traded in the Kaili traditional market were recorded. They belong to 219 genera and 107 families. These plants have been categorized into their purported treatments for 20 medical conditions. The inflammation category showed the highest FIC value of 0.95, showing the best agreement among market vendors claiming its usefulness to treat this condition. The FL index helped to identify 15 culturally important medicinal plant species based on the reported uses by 20 or more vendors in the market. Three medicinal plant species, Eleutherococcus gracilistylus, Sargentodoxa cuneata, and Stephania cepharantha, had an FL > 90%, being used to treat sprains/traumas, rheumatism, and heat/toxins. Conclusions: The medicinal plants sold in the Kaili market are highly diverse and have unique medicinal characteristics. The Miao people often use traditional herbal plants for disease prevention and thereby prioritize the use of medicinal plants in everyday life. The future of this medicinal marketplace, however, is uncertain since few young people (< 30 years old) are vendors or customers. Therefore, it is urgent to conserve traditional ethnomedicinal culture in local communities and pass on the associated traditional knowledge to future generations in this prefecture. And the next step should include further studies on FL > 90% plants' chemistry, pharmacology, biological activity, and toxicity for potentially developing functional foods or pharmaceutical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypericum species (Hypericaceae) are a group of important plants with medicinal, edible, and ornamental values. A phytochemical study on the whole plants of H. hengshanense W. T. Wang, a species endemic to China, led to the isolation and elucidation of 25 monoterpenoid acylphloroglucinols (MAPs). Among them, 10 are undescribed compounds, namely hyphengshanols A–D, (+)-empetrilatinol A, (−)-empetrilatinol B, (−)-hyperjovinol A, (9 S ,2′ S)-dauphinol F, and (8 R ,2′ S)-empetrikathiforin. In addition, the absolute configurations of other six compounds were firstly determined in the current study. The structures were established by ultraviolet (UV), high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectrum (HR-ESI-MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) data. The absolute configurations were determined by experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data analyses. Cytotoxicity assays on five human cell lines HL-60, A549, SMMC-7721, MDA-MB-231, and SW480 revealed that 16 compounds exhibited broad-spectrum antiproliferative activities with IC 50 ranging from 7.54 to 45.70 μM. Ten undescribed monoterpenoid acylphloroglucinols and 15 known analogs were isolated and identified, including six pairs of stereoisomers. Their cytotoxicity against five cancer cell lines was evaluated. [Display omitted] • MAPs were isolated from Hypericum hengshanense including 10 undescribed ones. • The absolute configurations of 16 MAPs were determined by ECD calculations. • Six pairs of stereoisomers were separated via chiral-phase HPLC. • Sixteen isolates showed cytotoxicity against five cancer cell lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnopharmacological relevance The leaves of Phaleria nisidai Kaneh. (Thymelaeaceae) are brewed into a tea commonly used as a tonic, strengthening beverage and immune enhancer in Palau, Micronesia. Recently, the leaves of P. nisidai have been shown to contain toxic daphnane diterpene esters which may pose a public health threat to Palauans. Aims of the study This project documents the use frequency, preparation and side effects of P. nisidai . The content of daphnane diterpene esters in aqueous and methanol extracts and infusions prepared by healers in Palau is compared to assess the risk of daphnane ingestion associated with traditional consumption. Quantitative results are correlated with an in vitro assessment of the immunomodulating activity of the extracts. Materials and methods Research participants, comprising traditional healers and laypeople, were interviewed concerning use patterns and side effects of P. nisidai . Several traditional healers prepared and provided boiled tea samples for chemical analysis. Leaves were collected and methanolic and aqueous extractions were prepared in the laboratory. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultured with various concentrations of methanol and aqueous leaf extracts and their output of IFNγ was measured using ELISA. Cell proliferation was also assessed using the MTT assay. The concentration of selected daphnane diterpene esters in healer-prepared infusions, lab methanol and lab aqueous extracts was quantified using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-triple quadrupole detection (UPLC-MS-TQD). Results Through structured interviews it was determined that P. nisidai tea was used frequently, with many participants drinking it daily. The reported side effects were mild, and with the exception of diarrhea ( n =2), no side effect was mentioned more than once. Methanol extracts contained 4.0 μg simplexin, 17.6 μg acetoxyhuratoxin and 2.3 μg huratoxin per g dry leaf material. In traditional water infusions provided by healers and in standardized lab-prepared aqueous extracts all three compounds were below the limit of detection (16.3 ng/mL) using our UPLC-MS-TQD method. Methanol and aqueous extracts increased the release of IFNγ by PBMCs ( p <0.05); however, methanol extracts were significantly more active than aqueous extracts ( p <0.05). Methanol and aqueous extracts significantly increased proliferation of PBMCs, causing at least 60% more cell proliferation than negative control ( p <0.05). Conclusions The presence of daphnane diterpene esters in a frequently consumed traditional beverage was initially viewed as a public health concern, though interview data reveal that Palauans do not observe toxicity or side effects associated with their use of P. nisidai tea. Concurrently, daphnanes are present in methanolic extracts but not detected in aqueous preparations indicating that the traditional method of preparation avoids the extraction of these potentially toxic compounds, while still maintaining immunostimulant activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elephantopus scaber is an ethnomedicinal plant used by the Zhuang people in Southwest China to treat headaches, colds, diarrhea, hepatitis, and bronchitis. A new δ-truxinate derivative, ethyl, methyl 3,4,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-δ-truxinate (1), was isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of the entire plant, along with 4 known compounds. The antioxidant activity of these 5 compounds was determined by ABTS radical scavenging assay. Compound 1 was also tested for its cytotoxicity effect against HepG2 byMTT assay (IC50 = 60μM), and its potential anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antitumor bioactivities were predicted using target fishing method software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rhizome of Curcuma longa (turmeric) is often used in Asia as a spice and as a medicine. Its most well-studied component, curcumin, has been shown to exhibit poor bioavailability in animal studies and clinical trials. We hypothesized that the presence of lipophilic components ( e.g., turmerones) in turmeric extract would affect the absorption of curcumin. The effects of turmerones on curcumin transport were evaluated in human intestinal epithelial Caco-2 cells. The roles of turmerones on P-glycoprotein (P-gp) activities and mRNA expression were also evaluated. Results showed that in the presence of α- and aromatic turmerones, the amount of curcumin transported into the Caco-2 cells in 2 hours was significantly increased. α-Turmerone and verapamil (a P-gp inhibitor) significantly inhibited the efflux of rhodamine-123 and digoxin ( i.e., inhibited the activity of P-gp). It is interesting that aromatic turmerone significantly increased the rhodamine-123 efflux and P-gp ( MDR1 gene) mRNA expression levels. The effects of α- and aromatic turmerones on curcumin transport as well as P-gp activities were shown here for the first time. The presence of turmerones did affect the absorption of curcumin in vitro. These findings suggest the potential use of turmeric extract (including curcumin and turmerones), rather than curcumin alone, for treating diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a collaborative educational strategy to actively engage students from underrepresented minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) in the study of ethnobotanical knowledge and practices of Dominicans in New York City and the Dominican Republic. Three Dominican students from Hostos Community College in New York City were taught basic botany in preparation for their training as research assistants in an ongoing Dominican ethnomedicine project at The New York Botanical Garden. The aim of this internship was to teach appropriate research skills while raising awareness and promoting cultural appreciation of Dominican and Latino health traditions. Students were selected based on their academic achievements and potential, their interest in learning more about Dominican culture and traditions, and their bilingual (English-Spanish) skills. At the end of the six month internship period the students were competent in basic botanical identification techniques, plant collection methodology, ethnobotanical interviewing, as well as research data management, and expressed increased awareness of the richness of Dominican medicinal plant knowledge. The inclusion of underrepresented minority students enrolled in community colleges in ethnobotanical research can contribute to safeguarding cultural traditions, especially in urban settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Despite persistent questions about the safety of black cohosh (Actaea racemosa L., syn. Cimicifuga racemosa L.), its products continue to be one of the most popular botanical supplements in the United States market. Black cohosh products have been associated with cases of liver toxicity, but subsequent evaluation found some products to be adulterated with other related plants from the same genus. US FDA regulations require that black cohosh products be unadulterated, and correct identification of different species of Actaea is a key first step for their good manufacturing practice. We have developed a phytochemical method to distinguish four different groups of Actaea, including: species other than A. racemosa, Asian species, A. racemosa, and North American species other than A. racemosa. Using HPLC–TOF-ESI-MS technique and principal component analysis, we identified 15 chemical markers (1–3, 5–6, 8–10, 12, 16–21). Three marker compounds were unambiguously identified using authentic standards, and 12 marker compounds were tentatively identified by comparison of fragmentation patterns with previously reported data. The presence of these marker compounds is critical for discrimination among the four groups of closely related plants. The use of metabolic profiling to distinguish black cohosh from related species of Actaea has broader implications in the identification of markers to help authenticate other important medicinal plants. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Cinnamomum carolinense, locally known as madeu, is a tree endemic to the volcanic mountains of the Island of Pohnpei in the Eastern Carolines of the South Pacific. The bark is harvested from trees and brewed to make a medicinal tea and hot beverage that is regularly consumed. Many species of Cinnamomum contain the known hepatocarcinogen safrole, sparking concern regarding habitual consumption of this beverage. HPLC-PDA analysis confirmed the presence of the carcinogen in alcoholic extracts of Cinnamomum carolinense bark shavings (0.435%, w/w), but safrole was not detected in the tea. The limit of detection and limit of quantitation of safrole were determined to be 1.25 and 3.75μg/mL, respectively. The traditional preparation method, which boils the bark shavings, degrades the safrole. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The traditional medicinal markets held during the Dragon Boat Festival are common and important in China's countryside. In Jianghua, a Yao autonomous county in Hunan Province in China, the medicinal market also plays an important role for the application, conservation, and communication of traditional Yao medicinal knowledge. Methods: During the Dragon Boat Festival in 2016 and 2017, ethnobotanical surveys and inventories were conducted in the medicinal market of Jianghua County, and voucher plant specimens were collected, identified, and deposited in a herbarium. Quantitative analysis included measurement of frequency of occurrence for species in the marketplace and the relative importance index for the number of uses for a given species. Results: A total of 306 plant species (249 genera, 113 families) and their related information about the medicinal market were collected. Some major findings include the following: (1) Using the whole plant as medicine is more common than other medicinal plant parts; (2) treating rheumatism and clearing inner heat are the most frequent medicinal uses; and (3) taking a medicinal bath is the most frequent modality to administer the traditional medicine. The frequency of occurrence and the relative importance index of some medicinal plants were analyzed, as well as the demographics and the number of stalls and the status of traditional Yao medicinal knowledge in Jianghua. Based on the investigation, suggestions were proposed for better protecting the medicinal market and preserving traditional medicinal knowledge in Jianghua County. Conclusion: The medicinal market during the Dragon Boat Festival in Jianghua County possesses an important cultural value and helps to conserve the traditional Yao medicinal knowledge. The medicinal plants sold at the market showed great diversity and unique local characteristics. The medicinal market is facing some challenges in such a rapidly developing era. Cultivation of young healers and maintaining the local biodiversity might be the key solutions for the development of local medicinal market and local Yao medicinal knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]