Search Results (4)

Intercropping medicinal and aromatic plants with other crops has demonstrated substantial potential for improving sustainable agricultural systems. Across a wide range of species, including yarrow, dill, wormwood, pot marigold, ajowan, coriander, saffron, cumin, lemongrass, Moldavian dragonhead, fennel, hyssop, dragons head, lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, mint, black cumin, basil, rose-scented geranium, aniseed, patchouli, rosemary, sage, summer savory, marigold, thyme, fenugreek, and vetiver, integration with cereals, legumes, vegetables, and perennial trees enhanced both land use efficiency and overall crop productivity. These systems often resulted in improved essential oil (EO) yield and composition, optimized plant growth, and increased economic returns, particularly when combined with organic inputs or biofertilizers. In addition to productivity gains, intercropping provides important ecological benefits. It can enhance soil fertility, stimulate microbial activity, and contribute to effective pest and weed management. Incorporating medicinal and aromatic plants into orchards, vineyards, or agroforestry systems further supported biodiversity. It influenced secondary metabolite production in companion crops, demonstrating the multifunctional role of these species in integrated farming systems. Overall, intercropping medicinal and aromatic plants represents a versatile and economically viable approach for sustainable crop production. The selection of compatible species, careful management of planting ratios, and appropriate agronomic practices are critical to maximizing both biological and economic benefits. Such strategies not only increase farm profitability but also promote environmental sustainability and resilience in diverse cropping systems. This review explores the effects of MAP integration on agroecological performance and identifies key mechanisms and practical outcomes. Full article

Achillea atrata L. is a traditionally used medicinal plant. With its pronounced antimicrobial potential, this alpine Achillea species may also be used in modern phytotherapy to treat MRSA infections and prevent dermal infections, such as acne vulgaris. For the present study, A. atrata was cultivated in its natural habitat in Switzerland as well as in Germany to elucidate the potential of standardizing plant material derived from this species for pharmaceutical production. Phytochemical characterization of phenolic constituents by HPLC-DAD-MSⁿ revealed that environmental conditions have only a minor impact on the phenolic profile. Metabolic differences between cultivated and wild plants grown in the same environment suggested the possible existence of genetically derived chemotypes. In total, 28 substances were identified, with marked differences in the occurrence of phenolic compounds observed between flowers and leaves. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, 7 phenolic compounds have been reported for the first time in A. atrata in the present study. The quantitation of individual constituents revealed their contents to depend on environmental factors and to reach their maximum at increasing altitudes. The results here presented may help to select and cultivate A. atrata plant material with defined and constant compound profiles, which is of particular importance for potential pharmaceutical use. Full article

Culinary herbs and spices are widely used as a traditional medicine in the treatment of diabetes and its complications, and there are several scientific studies in the literature supporting the use of these medicinal plants. However, there is often a lack of knowledge on the bioactive compounds of these herbs and spices and their mechanisms of action. The aim of this study was to use inverse virtual screening to provide insights into the bioactive compounds of common herbs and spices, and their potential molecular mechanisms of action in the treatment of diabetes. In this study, a library of over 2300 compounds derived from 30 common herbs and spices were screened in silico with the DIA-DB web server against 18 known diabetes drug targets. Over 900 compounds from the herbs and spices library were observed to have potential anti-diabetic activity and liquorice, hops, fennel, rosemary, and fenugreek were observed to be particularly enriched with potential anti-diabetic compounds. A large percentage of the compounds were observed to be potential polypharmacological agents regulating three or more anti-diabetic drug targets and included compounds such as achillin B from yarrow, asparasaponin I from fenugreek, bisdemethoxycurcumin from turmeric, carlinoside from lemongrass, cinnamtannin B1 from cinnamon, crocin from saffron and glabridin from liquorice. The major targets identified for the herbs and spices compounds were dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4), intestinal maltase-glucoamylase (MGAM), liver receptor homolog-1 (NR5A2), pancreatic alpha-amylase (AM2A), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA), protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 9 (PTPN9), and retinol binding protein-4 (RBP4) with over 250 compounds observed to be potential inhibitors of these particular protein targets. Only bay leaves, liquorice and thyme were found to contain compounds that could potentially regulate all 18 protein targets followed by black pepper, cumin, dill, hops and marjoram with 17 protein targets. In most cases more than one compound within a given plant could potentially regulate a particular protein target. It was observed that through this multi-compound-multi target regulation of these specific protein targets that the major anti-diabetic effects of reduced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia of the herbs and spices could be explained. The results of this study, taken together with the known scientific literature, indicated that the anti-diabetic potential of common culinary herbs and spices was the result of the collective action of more than one bioactive compound regulating and restoring several dysregulated and interconnected diabetic biological processes. Full article

Background: Native Americans have had a rich ethnobotanical heritage for treating diseases, ailments, and injuries. Cherokee traditional medicine has provided numerous aromatic and medicinal plants that not only were used by the Cherokee people, but were also adopted for use by European settlers in North America. Methods: The aim of this review was to examine the Cherokee ethnobotanical literature and the published phytochemical investigations on Cherokee medicinal plants and to correlate phytochemical constituents with traditional uses and biological activities. Results: Several Cherokee medicinal plants are still in use today as herbal medicines, including, for example, yarrow (Achillea millefolium), black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa), American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius), and blue skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora). This review presents a summary of the traditional uses, phytochemical constituents, and biological activities of Cherokee aromatic and medicinal plants. Conclusions: The list is not complete, however, as there is still much work needed in phytochemical investigation and pharmacological evaluation of many traditional herbal medicines. Full article