Balanites
Screening of Tanzanian medicinal plants for anti-Candida activity. (1/3)
BACKGROUND: Candida albicans has become resistant to the already limited, toxic and expensive anti-Candida agents available in the market. These factors necessitate the search for new anti-fungal agents. METHODS: Sixty-three plant extracts, from 56 Tanzanian plant species obtained through the literature and interviews with traditional healers, were evaluated for anti-Candida activity. Aqueous methanolic extracts were screened for anti-Candida activity by bioautography agar overlay method, using a standard strain of Candida albicans (ATCC 90028). RESULTS: Twenty- seven (48%) out of the 56 plants were found to be active. Extracts of the root barks of Albizia anthelmintica and Balanites aegyptiaca, and roots of Plectranthus barbatus showed strong activity. CONCLUSION: The extracts that showed strong anti-Candida activity are worth of further investigation in order to isolate and identify the active compounds. (+info)Mortality, recruitment and change of desert tree populations in a hyper-arid environment. (2/3)
BACKGROUND: Long-term vegetation changes in hyper-arid areas have long been neglected. Mortality, recruitment and change in populations of the ecologically and culturally important and drought persistent Acacia tortilis and Balanites aegyptiaca are therefore estimated in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, and are related to the primary agents of change, water conditions and human intervention. METHODOLOGY: A change analysis using high-resolution Corona images (1965) in combination with field data (2003) is the basis for recruitment, mortality and change estimates. For assessing the influence of water conditions on patterns in recruitment and survival, different types of generalized linear models are tested. CONCLUSIONS: The overall trend in population size in that part of the Eastern Desert studied here is negative. At some sites this negative trend is alarming, because the reduction in mature trees is substantial (>50%) at the same time as recruitment is nearly absent. At a few sites there is a positive trend and better recruitment. Frequent observations of sprouting in saplings indicate that this is an important mechanism to increase their persistence. It is the establishment itself that seems to be the main challenge in the recruitment process. There are indications that hydrological variables and surface water in particular can explain some of the observed pattern in mortality, but our results indicate that direct human intervention, i.e., charcoal production, is the main cause of tree mortality in the Eastern Desert. (+info)Laboratory assessment of the molluscicidal and cercariacidal activities of Balanites aegyptiaca. (3/3)
(+info)'Balanites' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Balanitaceae. It includes several species of trees and shrubs that are native to Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. The most well-known species is Balanites aegyptiaca, which is commonly known as the desert date or Egyptian myrobalan.
The tree produces a small, yellowish fruit that is rich in antioxidants and has been used in traditional medicine to treat various ailments such as skin diseases, diarrhea, and fever. The bark, roots, and leaves of the tree also have medicinal properties and have been used to treat conditions such as malaria, rheumatism, and venereal diseases.
It's worth noting that while 'Balanites' species have potential medicinal uses, more research is needed to fully understand their safety and efficacy. Additionally, it's important to consult with a healthcare provider before using any plant or herbal remedy for medical purposes.
A cercaria is a larval stage in the life cycle of certain flatworms, including trematodes (flukes) and schistosomes. These parasitic worms have complex life cycles that involve multiple hosts. Cercariae are released from the intermediate host, usually a snail, into the water where they swim around searching for their next host. They are typically characterized by the presence of a tail, which they use to move through the water. Once they find a suitable host, such as a vertebrate, they penetrate the skin and transform into another larval stage called a schistosomulum or metacercaria. This stage then migrates through the body of the host and eventually develops into an adult worm that lives in the tissues of the final host. Cercariae can cause infection and disease in both humans and animals, depending on the specific species of trematode or schistosome involved.