Ethnomedicinal Information on Plants Used for the Treatment of Bone Fractures, Wounds, and Sprains in the Northern Region of the Republic of Benin.

Medicinal plants are frequently used in African countries due to their importance in the treatment of various conditions. In the northern Republic of Benin, traditional healers are recognized as specialists in the treatment of fractures, wounds, and sprains. The present study was conducted to document the practices (diagnosis and materials) and traditional knowledge accumulated by healers in this region on their area of specialty.

Chemical Profile and Antimicrobial Activity of the Fungus-Growing Termite Strain Used in Traditional Medicine in the Republic of Benin.

The fungus growing termite species () is used in nutrition and traditional medicine in the Republic of Benin for the treatment of infectious and inflammatory diseases. Previous findings demonstrated evidence of anti-inflammatory and spasmolytic properties of . The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antimicrobial potential of different extracts of samples and determine the chemical profile of an ethanolic extract.

Ethnomedicinal survey and in vitro confirmation of anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic properties of the termite strain Macrotermes bellicosus used in traditional medicine in the Republic of Benin.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Insects and insect-derived products play a vital role in traditional medicine in many parts of the world since ancient times. Among these insects, fungus-growing termites like Macrotermes bellicosus (M. bellicosus) are widely used in nutrition and traditional medicine in various societies of sub-Saharan Africa.

Modulation of postsynaptic potentials in rat cortical neurons by valerian extracts macerated with different alcohols: involvement of adenosine A(1)- and GABA(A)-receptors.

Valeriana officinalis (valerian) is used traditionally as a mild sedative. Research into valerian is sparse, and studies differ greatly with respect to design, measures and preparations used. This study compares the action of a methanol (M-E), ethanol (E-E) and an extract macerated with ethylacetate (EA-E) from roots of valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.

Valerian extract Ze 911 inhibits postsynaptic potentials by activation of adenosine A1 receptors in rat cortical neurons.

In this study we evaluated the adenosine A1 receptor-mediated effect of valerian extract (Ze 911) on postsynaptic potentials (PSPs) in pyramidal cells of the rat cingulate cortex in a slice preparation. We first observed that N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, 0.01 - 10 microM), an adenosine A1 receptor agonist, inhibited PSPs in a concentration-dependent manner.