Abstract: A method for the identification of a composition useful in the treatment of an overweight or obese person to reduce the person's body mass index is provided which comprises obtaining an extract of an ethnobotanical plant, and evaluating the activity of the extract in an assay. A composition is described for treating patient conditions made up of C. grandis standardized extract (AdipoCleave™) with cucurbitacins B and D as active ingredients, Cephalandrol, Cephalandrine A and B, and like compounds and cucurbitacins. The composition is effective to maintain normal blood sugar and normal levels of non-enzymatic protein glycosilation.

Abstract: An organic extract (PM-251) from a plant, Euphorbia hirta (Euphorbaceae) has been standardized. Agronomical standardization has been achieved on this plant by growing it in eastern North Carolina. Subsequently the PM 251 extract has been chemically and biologically standardized. The standardized extract has been tested for its efficacy as an anti-inflammatory product based on in vitro assays as well as in vivo (animal studies). The standardized extract has significant COX-2 (Cyclooxygenase) enzyme inhibition in vitro. PM-251 has proved to be a good anti-inflammatory agent in sub-acute rat models of inflammation in the doses of 100 mg/kbw, 200 mg/kbw and 400 mg/kbw body weights when given orally.

Abstract: A method for the identification of a composition useful in the treatment of an overweight or obese person to reduce the person's body mass index is provided which comprises obtaining an extract of an ethnobotanical plant, and evaluating the activity of the extract in an assay selected from the group consisting of a lipolysis assay, an assay that measures the amount of glycerol introduced by a cell into a suspension medium of the cell, an adipocyte differentiation assay, an assay that measures the level of the enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, an assay that measures the inhibition of differentiation of preadipocytes to adipocytes, an assay that measures the accumulation of lipid in an adipocyte, an assay that measures the de-differentiation of adipocytes into preadipocytes, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and composition for controlling rust disease in plants. Metabolites produced by Aphanocladium album mycoparasites are recovered and applied in an effective amount to plants at risk for acquiring rust disease More specifically, the application of the metabolite converts infective urediniospores that cause rust disease into non-infective teliospores. In a more specific aspect, the metabolite is reacted with another substance or under a specific reaction to result in a different compound which is also effective against rust disease.

Abstract: Pharmaceutical compositions are made from extracts obtained from ethnobotanical plants for inducing apoptosis in selected cells. Therapeutically effective amounts of the composition are administered to a mammal. Assays are used to determine the efficacy of such extracts in inducing apoptosis.

Abstract: A method for the identification of a composition useful in the treatment of an overweight or obese person to reduce the person's body mass index is provided which comprises obtaining an extract of an ethnobotanical plant, and evaluating the activity of the extract in an assay selected from the group consisting of a lipolysis assay, an assay that measures the amount of glycerol introduced by a cell into a suspension medium of the cell, an adipocyte differentiation assay, an assay that measures the level of the enzyme glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, an assay that measures the inhibition of differentiation of preadipocytes to adipocytes, an assay that measures the accumulation of lipid in an adipocyte, an assay that measures the de-differentiation of adipocytes into preadipocytes, and combinations thereof.

Abstract: Aliquots of extracts from ethnopharmacological plants that have activity against the effects of sarafotoxins present in snake venom are isolated and identified as antagonists of endothelin using a fluorescence-based assay. A process is provided for the identification of an antagonist of an endothelin selected from the group consisting of endothelin-1, endothelin-2, endothelin-3 and mixtures thereof. The process comprises extraction of ethnopharmacological plants with a solvent followed by evaporation of the solvent to form an aliquot containing at least one component of the extract, optionally purifying and isolating one or more component by chromatography, and subjecting the aliquot or purified component to a competitive fluorescent binding assay using biotinylated endothelin-1, wherein the plants having activity against the effects of one or more sarafotoxins present in snake venom.