Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian – författare

Traditional Chinese herbs and fruits as medicines are an essential part of the health care system in most countries, especially countries which are located in Asia. China has had a historical relationship with medicinal plants for more than 2000 years. Traditional Chinese medicine theory emphasizes on the self-healing power of man for curing disease and keeping fitness, and many of its therapies are employed for enhancing this power. Traditional Chinese medicine plays an important role in sustainable agriculture and food systems, it also offers a holistic approach to prevent diseases while making appropriate use of organic and herbal products, especially growth by small-scale family farmers. Herbal remedies may also be classified into three categories, namely, modern herbs, theoretical herbs and empirical herbs, in accordance with their nature/characteristics and the nature of current usage. There is no doubt that herbal products will continue to play a crucial role in the health care system of human societies, not to mention that secondary metabolites of plants are economically important as drugs, fragrances, pigments, food additives and pesticides. Integrative use of modern agriculture and science of traditional Chinese herbs with novel technologies will secure production of medicinal herbs in China and other parts of the world.

The coronaviruses are ssRNA viruses that infect a wide range of mammalian and avian species; they are important causes of respiratory and enteric disease, encephalomyelitis, hepatitis, serositis and vasculitis domestic animals. In humans coronaviruses are one of several groups of viruses that cause the common cold. The genus Coronavirus together with the genus Torovirus from the family Coronaviridae; members of these two genera are similar morphologically. The Coronaviridae, Arteriviridae, and Roniviridae are within the order Nidovirales. Seven coronaviruses are known to infect humans, three of them are serious, namely, SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome, China, 2002), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome, Saudi Arabia, 2012), and SARS-CoV-2 (2019-2020). SARS is caused by a coronavirus (SARS-CoV) which exists in bats and palm civets in Southern China. Its family is Coronaviridae, and its genus is Coronavirus. The most important groups who are at risk are family members in close contact with cases, health-care workers in close contact with cases, elderly and immune compromised individuals appear at increased risk. MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus which can lead to secondary human infections. It is the sixth coronavirus that influences human. MERS-CoV is most likely derived from an ancestral reservoir bats. MERS outbreak was found in the Republic of Korea since 2015. Coronavirus entry is initiated by the binding of the spike protein (S) to cell receptors, specifically, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DDP4) and angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) for MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV, respectively. The genome sequence analysis has shown that SARS-CoV-2 belongs to betacoronavirus genus, which includes Bat SARS-like coronavirus, SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. On the basis of nucleic acid sequence similarity, the newly identified 2019-nCoV is a betacoronavirus. The RBD portion of the SARS-CoV-2 pike proteins has evolved to effectively target a molecular feature on the outside of human cells called ACE2, a receptor involved in regulating blood pressure. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was found so effective at binding the human cells. In SARS-CoV-2, M protein is responsible for the transmembrane transport of nutrient, the bud release and the formation of envelope, S protein, attaching to hose receptor ACE2, including two subunits S1 and S2. These diseases can be considered important models for emerging infectious diseases as it emerged from natural animal reservoirs. Early recognition, prompt isolation and appropriate supportive therapy are the main parameters in combating with these deadly infections.

Rabies is a major fatal zoonosis caused by the rabies virus, which infects wild animals, livestock, and humans. Its virus belongs to the lyssavirus genus, which also includes other lysaavirus species that cause rabies-like diseases and can be carried by domestic animals, wild carnivores and many bat species. The rabies virus is the only pathogen responsible for the large majority of rabies cases in humans. Rabies virus infects the peripheral nerves and then migrates into the central nervous system of the brain through the spinal cord, causing fatal encephalitis and myelitis and resulting the death of the infected subjects. Predominant rabies reservoirs are dogs in major vector of rabies throughout the world, particularly Asia, Latin American and Africa; foxes, in Europe, Arctic and North American; Raccoons in Eastern United States; skunks in Modwestern United States, Western Canada; coyotes in Asia, Africa and North America, mongooses in yellow mongoose in Asia and Africa, Indian mongoose in the Caribbean Islands, and bats in North American Europe, Center and South America. The genomic RNA of the classic rabies virus (RAVB) encodes five structural proteins: nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), matrix protein (M), glycoprotein (G0, and large protein (L). The G protein is the only protein on the surface of mature virus and plays an essential role in virus infection. Also, the G protein is a major antigenic stimulus of the hose immune system during infection and vaccination. There are three categories of exposure, (I) touching, feeding of animals or licks on intact skin, (II) Minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding or licks on broken and nibbling of uncovered skin which needs immediate vaccination and administration of rabies immunoglobulin, (III) single or multiple transdermal bites, scratches or vaccine contamination of mucous membrane saliva which needs local wound treatment. Vaccination against rabies is of primary importance in control of infection in both animals and humans. WHO also recommended only vaccines of high quality and efficacy. Rabies is preventable through prompt administration of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to exposed persons, but PEP access is limited in many rabies-endemic countries. The death toll can be significantly reduced through access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), consisting of wound cleaning, rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) and vaccination. Access to PEP is limited in many developing and under-developed countries with endemic rabies and PEP is often only available from health facilities in mega cities. Patients also need to pay for PEP and the costs are reported as a major obstacle for many victims. Rabies have been reported in all over the China, especially Hunan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi, Shandong, Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu, Hebei, Fujian, Yunnan and Liaoning. In China, rabies remains is still a public health problem and the strategies to control and prevent human rabies should be included public education and awareness about rabies, pet vaccination programs, elimination of stray animals and enhanced postexposure management. Domestic dogs are the primary reservoir and vector of rabies transmission in China, although RAVB has been isolated and detected in other animal species, such as cat, ferret badger, fox, pig, cattle and donkey. Unsuccessful control of rabies and inadequate PEP of cases might be the main parameters leading to the serious human rabies epidemic in China. It is widely accepted that rabies elimination requires an integrated approach by animal and human related services. There is an urgent need to have public health management which may improve sustainability and effectiveness of rabies eliminating programs. China needs to focus on prevention, strengthen multi-agency coordination mechanism, increase the quality of public health services in the years to come.

Thymoquinone has a wide a range of beneficial pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, neuro-, cardio-, nephro- and hepatoprotective activity, with tremendous immune-modulating properties. Thymoquinone demonstrates significant impact on the treatment of different cancer types, such as bladder cancer, bone cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer. Sulforaphane can be found in a wide variety of cruciferous vegetables, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, Chinese broccoli, broccoli sprouts, broccoli rabe, kohlrabi, collards, mustard, turnip, kale and radish. The most important health benefit of sulforaphane is its effects again breast cancer, lung cancer cells, human liver cancer cells, gastric cancer cell lines, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, pancreatic cancer, colon cell cancer, treatment of cancer cell senescence, anti-inflammatory properties, antineoplastic properties, the reduction of placental and endothelial oxidative stress, potential in mixed granulocyte asthma, treatment of various neurological disorders, protection again skeletal muscle disease, anti-allergic properties and effects against oxidative stress. Phloretin, a 7,8-dihydrochalcone flavonoid of plant origin, is usually present in the roots and leaves of apple, pear, kumquat, strawberry and vegetables. The most important health benefits of phloretin are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity and effects on cancer cells. Its antioxidant activity happens through scavenging of reactive oxygen species and reduction of lipid peroxidation, and its anti-inflammatory effects occur through decreasing the levels of cytokines, chemokines and adhesion molecules, decreasing the expression of COX-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase, and suppressing NF-κβ transcription. Phloretin affects cancer cells via cytotoxic and apoptotic activity, and the activation of immune cells against tumors. Epigallocatechin gallate is a tea catechin. The most important pharmacological activities of epigallocatechin gallate are antineoplastic properties, HIV infection, hypertension and associated complications, type II diabetes mellitus, its usage as cardioprotective, hepatoprotective and nephroprotective, and its applications in Alzheimer''s disease, Parkinson''s disease, and osteoporosis. Its importance in cancer treatment is due to its natural origins, safety, and low cost, but the main problem is its low bioavailability with various major limitations in epigallocatechin gallate studies.

Eco-friendly management is important for farm animals healthy, so the use of naturally occurring compounds like herbs, herbal preparations and other botanicals are important for enhancement of overall animal health and satisfy consumer concerns. Key considerations in organic livestock production are the origins of livestock, livestock feed, living conditions, waste management, health care and record keeping. Some of the medicinal plants which are reported in livestock production are Hypoxis hemerocallidea, Peltophorum africanum, Drimia sanguine, Elephantorrhiza elephantine, Curcuma longa, Azadirachta indica, Myrsine Africana, Ficus thonningii Blume, Vitex thomasii De Wild, Boswellia frereana, Tillandsia recurvata, Solanum incanum L., Harrisonia abyssinica Oliv., Echinaceae purpurea, Moringa oleifera, Trichilia claussenii, Artemisia absinthium, Ecklonia cava, Carcia papaya, Acacia angustissima, Sesbania sesban, Cajanus cajan, Origanum vulgare, Annona senegalensis, Picrorhiza kurroa, Azadirachta indica, Morinda citrifolia, Rheum nobile, Carduus pycnocephalus, Herba agastaches, Cortez phellodendri, Gypsum fibrosum, Chenopodium album, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Zingiber officinale, Echinacea, and Devil''s claw. Medicinal plants have been used effectively for health care treatment to make a significant increase in both health and animals productivity. The utilization of traditional medicinal plants are cheaper, easier and more sustainable compare to synthetic drugs and pharmaceuticals. The goal of this manuscript is review on functions of important medicinal plants in livestock production.

Basil has shown positive effects against viral, fungal, bacterial and other infections. Basil leaves have been used in treatment of fevers, coughs, flu, asthma, bronchitis, influenza and diarrhea. Basil seed mucilage, commonly known as basil seed gum, can be considered as a thickening, stabilizing, surface-active, and emulsifying hydrocolloid as well as a fat substitute and texturizer. Pyrethrum flowers are used for the extraction of important insecticides, the pyrethrins, which are non-toxic to humans and other warm-blooded animals. Products containing natural pyrethrins are one of the major insecticide groups in organic farming and should be widely used in all countries, especially developing countries. Pyrethrins are the active ingredients derived from the natural insecticide pyrethrum, and pyrethroids are synthetic or manufactured versions of pyrethrins. The active constituents of pyrethrins are Pyrethrin I, Cinerin I, Jasmolin I, Pyrethrin II, Cinerin II and Jasmolin II. Shallots provide many health benefits. They reduce cancer risk, improve heart health, aid detoxification, help control diabetes, improve brain health, help to fight obesity, treat allergies, boost bone health, maintain vision health, boost immunity, improve skin health, increase abdominal health and keep hair healthy. The dominant medicinal properties of Persian shallots are their antibiotic properties, hypolipidemic properties, anticancer properties, antioxidant properties, hypoglycemic properties, kidney protective properties and hepatoprotective properties. Tremella mushrooms also provide important health benefits: they lower cholesterol, combat obesity, protect nerves, may fight cancer, and have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. The most powerful nutritional constituents of Tremella are amino acids, vitamins, minerals, polysaccharides, glucurmomannan 1,3-alpha-glucan, epitope 9beta-D-glucuronosyl, glucuronic acid, glucurmic acid, glucuronoxylomannan, N-acetylglucosamine, flavonoids, polyphenols, alkaloids and organic acids. Nutrition therapy based on traditional Asian medicine is quite effective at treating common diseases.

Religious books, especially the Bible, include many plants and herbs which have been used as traditional medicines for thousands of years. Aloe vera (John 19:39-40), Anise (Matthew 23:23), Balm (Ezeiel 27:17, Genesis 37:25, Genesis 43:11, Genesis 37:25, Jeremiah 8:22, Jeremiah 46:11, Jeremiah 51:8), Bitter herbs such as Coriander seed, Cilantro root, Wild lettuce, Wild endives (Exodus 2:8, Exodus 12:8), Cassia (Exodus 30:24, Ezekiel 27:19, Psalms 45:8), Cinnamon (Exodus 30:23), Cumin (Isaiah 28:25), Fig (Judges 9:10-11, Numbers 13:21-23, Numbers 20:5, Deuteronomy 8:7-9, 1 Samuel 30:11-12, Nehemiah 13:15, 1 Samuel 25:18, 2 Samuel 16:1, 1 Chronicles 12:40, 2 Kings 20:107, Genesis 3:6-7, Isaiah 38:21, and etc.), Flax (Leviticus 6:10), Frankincense (Matthew 2:10-11, Exodus 30:24), Garlic (Numbers 11:5-6), Hyssop (1 King 4:33, Psalm 51:7), Mandrake (Genesis 30:14, Song of Songs 7:13), Milk thistle (Genesis 3:18), Mint (Luke 11:41, Matthew 23:23), Mustard seed (Luke 17:6), Myrrh (Esther 2:12, Genesis 43:11, Proverbs 7:17), Nard (Song 1:12, Song 4:13, Song 4:14, Mark 14:3, John 12:3), Pistachio nuts and Almond (Genesis 43:11), Saffron (Song of Solomon 4:14), and Turmeric (Song of Solomon 4:14-15) are important medicinal plants which have been mentioned in the Bible. In recent years, the use of herbal medicines and their natural products has increased rapidly across the world. The aim of this manuscript is to review the notable health benefits and pharmaceutical advantages of medicinal plants and herbs which have been mentioned in the Bible.

Waste is an unavoidable byproduct of most human activity. Economic development and rising living standards in Asia have led to increases in the quantity and complexity of generated waste, while industrial diversification and the provision of expanded health-care facilities have added substantial quantities of industrial and agricultural hazardous waste and biomedical waste into the waste stream with potentially severe environmental and human health consequences. Residue is generated from several agricultural activities including cultivation, livestock production and aquaculture. Composting is one of the alternative ways to manage organic waste in an environmentally friendly manner which can improve both soil fertility and structure. Recycling of agricultural waste should be improved to develop the economy, protect the environment, save natural resources and build a shared vision of environmental protection. Agricultural residue as a source of biomass can be used to produce biogas. It is necessary to draw attention to the opportunities associated with recycling agricultural waste. It is also important to determine the most suitable means of converting agricultural waste into valuable material to increase productivity, help the environment, and save energy. Also, a considerable amount of research should be done on food waste with a view to the recovery of energy or other important related products.

Different molecular or marked-assisted breeding methods are marker-assisted selection, marker-assisted backcrossing, marker-assisted recurrent selection, and genome wide selection. Molecular breeding has been developed to mimic the essential feature of natural evolution which is diversity. The key limitation to molecular breeding is the lack of biochemical understanding of any particular traits such as color, fragrance and flavor of crops. Genome evolution is usually viewed through the lens of growth in size and complexity over time, exemplified by plants and animals. Functional genomics is inundating the pharmaceutical industry with large numbers of potential gene targets from several sources such as gene expression profiling experiments (DNA microchips, proteomics) or database mining. Genome editing technologies are powerful tools for studying gene function and for crop improvement which rely on engineered endonucleases to generate double stranded breaks at target loci. The greatest contribution of QTL mapping to plant breeding will be the basic understanding of the genetic architecture of quantitative traits, thereby relating specific genetic loci with the biological mechanisms associated with desirable phenotypes. QTL mapping provides a starting point for dissecting complex traits into their component alleles and it may help to quantify relative impacts of alleles on the traits and locates genomic regions responsible for marker-trait association, and finally, it may provide a foundation of marker-assisted selection which expedites the breeding process given the proper estimation of position and the effects of QTLs. SDRs form a structural motif for enzymes that catalyze a wide variety or reactions, even if sequences identify often is low. In all taxa (bacteria, plants, insects, vertebrates), members of SDR superfamily are known. The number of SDR members increases considerably every year, but the number of SDR families starts to converge. The SDR superfamily is one of the largest known protein families and comprises thousands of members found in species ranging from bacteria to humans. SDR involvement has been demonstrated in a variety of primary and secondary metabolisms. The multiplicity of SDRs in plant kingdom is mainly explained by the diversification of large families involved in different secondary metabolism pathways, suggesting that the chemical diversification that accompanied the emergence of vascular plants acted as a driving force for SDR evolution. SDR families are either involved in the secondary metabolism routes (terpenoids, alkaloids, phenolics) or participate in developmental processes (hormone biosynthesis or catabolism, flower development). Proteins are essential parts of organisms and participate in virtually every process within cells. Peptides are small polymers of amino acid monomers that are bonded together and distinguished from proteins by their size. Peptides are used in clinical research to examine the inhibition of cancer proteins and other diseases. Some advantages of peptides are high potency, high selectivity, broad range of targets, low toxicity, low accumulation in tissue, and high chemical and biological diversity.

This book includes five chapters, each of which describes in detail the healing and medicinal properties of various plants. The plants described in this book include ajwain, asafoetida, barberry, fenugreek and fig. Products derived from these plants are described as well. Some medical applications of these plants include treatment of asthma, lowering of blood pressure, and reduction of acne.

The potential of medicinal plants as a safe option in treating obesity and overweight has gained attention in recent years. Obesity has become a major public health concern, and its incidence is rising at an alarming rate. Obesity is one of the major types of metabolic syndrome, resulting in various types of problems such hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and excess fat accumulation. Hepatitis is a systematic viral infection that predominantly affects the liver and is classified into five types on the basis of the causative virus. Hepatitis is a major health-related disease spread worldwide with frequent occurrence of epidemics. Three main types of hepatitis are known as hepatitis A, B, and C, and two other types are D and E. Each is caused by a different virus, and all three types can be acute, lasting for 6 months or less, and types B and C can be chronic, lasting for longer. The most important herbs which are used to prevent and treat different kinds of hepatitis are cordyceps (Cordyceps sinensis), milk thistle (Silybum marianum), licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra), and reishi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum). The most important signs and symptoms of hepatitis are flu, jaundice, abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, dark urine, diarrhea, whole body itching, mild anemia, and enlarged and tender liver. The most important anti-hepatitis medical plants are Curcuma longa Linn., Ganoderma lucidum, Phyllanthus amarus or Phyllanthus niruri, Phyllanthusanus, Acanthus ilicifolius L., Oenanthe javanica, Swertia patens, Swertia chirayita, Boehmeria nivea, Citrus Sinensis, Rhodiola kirilowii, Acacia nilotica, Boswellia carterii, Embelia schimperi, Quercus infectoria, Trachyspermum ammi, Piper cubeba, Syzygium aromaticum, Zingiber officinale, Silybum marianum, Saxifraga melanocentra, Mentha longifolia, Ocimum basilicum, Taraxacum Officinalis, Lepidium sativum, Trigonella foenum graecum, Azadirachta indica, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Jatropha curcas Linnaeus, Cynara scolymus, Matricaria chamomilla, Cassia fistula, Marchantia thallus, Silybum marianum, Sophora flavescens, Flacourtia indica Governor,s Plum and Morinda citrifolia. It seems that the use of natural and traditional medicinal plants in the treatment of hepatitis may provide new solutions and more favorable results.