Plant selection for ethnobotanical uses on the Amalfi Coast (Southern Italy).

Background: Many ethnobotanical studies have investigated selection criteria for medicinal and non-medicinal plants. In this paper we test several statistical methods using different ethnobotanical datasets in order to 1) define to which extent the nature of the datasets can affect the interpretation of results; 2) determine if the selection for different plant uses is based on phylogeny, or other selection criteria.

Methods: We considered three different ethnobotanical datasets: two datasets of medicinal plants and a dataset of non-medicinal plants (handicraft production, domestic and agro-pastoral practices) and two floras of the Amalfi Coast.

Combining environmental factors and agriculturalists' observations of environmental changes in the traditional terrace system of the Amalfi coast (southern Italy).

Terraces are traditional engineered ecosystems that affect the hydro-geological equilibrium, slope stability, and local communities. The aims of this paper are (i) identifying environmental factors that affect terrace stability in the Amalfi Coast, (ii) defining agriculturalists' observations on environmental changes within that system and (iii) exploring potentiality of these observations to better define conservation strategies. All available data on physical and ecological factors recognized to affect the terrace system were collected and analyzed.

Ethnobotany as a pharmacological research tool and recent developments in CNS-active natural products from ethnobotanical sources.

The science of ethnobotany is reviewed in light of its multi-disciplinary contributions to natural product research for the development of pharmaceuticals and pharmacological tools. Some of the issues reviewed involve ethical and cultural perspectives of healthcare and medicinal plants. While these are not usually part of the discussion of pharmacology, cultural concerns potentially provide both challenges and insight for field and laboratory researchers.

From Polynesian healers to health food stores: changing perspectives of Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae).

Morinda citrifolia L (noni) is one of the most important traditional Polynesian medicinal plants. Remedies from isolated Polynesian cultures, such as that of Rotuma, illustrate traditional indications that focus upon leaves, roots, bark, and green fruit, primarily for topical ailments. Anecdotally collected Hawaiian remedies that employ noni fruit illustrate changing usage patterns with shifts in recent times to preparation of juice made of ripe or decaying fruit.

The ethnopharmacopoeia of Rotuma.

The traditional Rotuman herbal pharmacopoeia consists of many plants, each of which is used in a specific way for specific disease states. The practitioners of traditional medicine are specialists recognized by the culture as having spiritual power to promote health. These individuals have been interviewed in order to determine which plants are presently in use.

New glycosphingolipids from the marine sponge Halichondria panicea.

A novel sphingolipid containing an iso-fatty acid, (4E,8E)-N-13'-methyltetradecanoyl-1-O-beta-D-glucopyra nosyl-4-sphingadiene, was isolated from the Oregon marine sponge Halichondria panicea and its structure determined using a combination of spectroscopic and chemical degradation techniques. A second galactosyl-ceramide, which contained an unusually long chain fatty acid amide component, was also isolated from H. panicea.

Laser therapy of rheumatoid arthritis.

Thirty people with classical or definite rheumatoid arthritis received laser exposure to a Q-switch neodymium laser that operated at 1.06 micrometer with an output of 15 joules/cm2 for 30 nsec. One hand was lased at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) and metacarpal phalangeal (MCP) joints, whereas the other hand was sham lased.

Prostaglandins and inflammation: enhancement of monocyte chemotactic responsiveness by prostaglandin E2.

The effects of prostaglandins on human monocyte chemotaxis were studied in vitro. None of the prostaglandins tested, including members of the A, B, E or F series, were chemotactic for monocytes. Prostaglandin E2 however, enhanced the chemotactic responsiveness of monocytes to complement - activated human serum by almost 200%.