Module 13

MODULE 13

Conserve Medicinal Herbs Activity

For this module, I chose eucalyptus, a medicinal endemic plant of Australia. I chose this simply because I had heard about it before but had no clue what it is, does, or even that it was endemic to Australia.

Medicinal Uses
Eucalyptus has Eucalyptol, which is used for dental hygiene and is an ingredient in mouthwash and other dental preparations.  It can be used in the cosmetic industry and as a perfume because it has a very fresh aroma.  It also has antiseptic properties, or antimicrobial.   Many also believe it has anti-inflammatory properties and analgesic, or painkiller, properties.  There are so many people who use the eucalyptus oil for medicinal purposes.  Many drugs that help with common cold symptoms has eucalyptus oil.  In particular, it has been used to lower fewer.  People with bronchitis inhale the vapor from the oil to help with decongestion.  In folk medicine, they used the eucalyptus oil for  the treatment of fungal infections and other skin wounds.  It can even be used to clean medical equipment, such as urethra catheters.  This makes sense due to its antimicrobial and anti fungal properties.  It can even be used as an insect repellant.  Some studies have even found it beneficial in stimulating the immune system. A variety of conditions have medicines that have eucalyptus oil in them including drugs that treat stuffed noses, burns, ulcers, diabetes, bladder issues, arthritis, wounds, acne, and the flu. 

Protected Status and Conservation Measures
Eucalyptus is very commonly used in Australia and other parts of the world.  It can be used in a ton of different industries and has a wide variety of uses.  Because of this, the Australian community works very hard to preserve this plant.  There are forests of eucalyptus trees in Australia and they've put much effort and times into managing these forests and re-growth is important after bush fires.  They are an important resource for Australians.  They also help provide shade and other symbiotic benefits for other fauna in Australia.  In addition, they serve as shelter for Australian animals.  You can find them in almost all parts of Australia, except for in high altitude areas, rainforest, and arid conditions.  They are actually the most planted hardwood tree in the entire world!  They have a ton of different species.  It is so valuable and it looks like Australia is doing an incredible job at maintain its protection and conservation.  It's insane how many different industries these trees can be used for and are vital for - no wonder Australians are doing such as great job conserving and protecting this species!

SOURCES

Medicinal uses

Importance, Conservation, and Protection

Module 12

MODULE 12

Psychoactive Botanicals Activity

My position on the legal status of marijuana is that it should be legal on the state and federal level for prescription use.  I have actually done a great deal of research on this topic and I have seem so many instances where the use of marijuana has helped people with depression, epilepsy, headaches, insomnia, and many more illnesses that negatively impact lives.  I have seen very little information proving health hazards of marijuana.  Of course, inhaling anything into your lungs can be bad; however, marijuana can be taken in many different forms and patients would not need to smoke it.

I think that marijuana should be legal for medical purposes for treating symptoms that are negatively impacting people's lives.  I think that dosages should be managed properly in order to maintain the growth of the brain in younger individuals.  I also think that laws should of course be put in place about abusing the drug and driving under the influence of marijuana, which is the only real aspect I've seen where it endangers lives.  

This class did not necessarily change my opinion because I have had this opinion for a long time but I would say that it helped me see things in a different light.  I never realized how many natural substances we used in our lives - in medicine or even in cooking.  I didn't realize how many drugs come from plants and natural sources and herbs.  I also didn't realize how widely used these plants have been in traditional and folk medicine practices.  One video that really changed the way I think about plants was the video discussing psychoactive drugs and their uses in traditional religions for ritualistic and religious purposes.  It is so interesting to me how nature provides us with so many different types of plants and how they can be used.  Of course, I disagree with taking advantage of these.  However, as someone who wants to be in Healthcare, I don't see why we can't take advantage of plants and their MEDICINAL uses in a safe and appropriate clinical setting.

Module 11

MODULE 11

ALOE EXPERIMENT

See Video Below:

THOUGHTS: The aloe vera leaf was much bigger than I expected.  It was also spiky, which I did not know and actually hurt to touch the spikes.  The inside smelled worse than I expected it to.  I didn't realize how easy it would be to extract the pulp.  I definitely thought it would be a much harder process.  I have never tasted Aloe juice; however I have definitely used it on my skin for burns and it does wonders!

Module 10

MODULE 10

Herbs Activity

I visited the garden section at Home Depot and found…

1. Rosemary: 

Rosmarinus officinalis

Easy to grow; drought tolerant

Native to Mediterranean region

Medicinal uses: Anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, and helps fight cancer

2. Peppermint

 Mentha × piperita

Perennial in zones 3-11

Peppermint taste in natural form

Tolerate light frost

Hybrid mint

Medicinal uses: Common cold, light anti-inflammatory, and helps with digestion

3. Purple basil

Ocimum basilicum

Clove like, spicy flavor

Vibrant purple color with coppery shimmer

Standout in the garden

Medicinal Use: Anti-inflammatory

4. Italian oregano

Origanum x majoricum

For Italian, Greek, and Mexican dishes

Perennial zones 5-10

Medicinal uses: Antioxidant, anti-fungal, pain relief, bee stings

5. Lemongrass

Cymbopogon

Teas, Thai, and Asian foods

Grows well in containers

Perennial zones 8-11

Lemon flavor

Medicinal uses: Digestive tract problems, pain, high blood pressure, achy joints, fever, exhaustion, common cold, etc...

OTHERS IN GARDEN

Garden sage

Spearmint

Module 9

MODULE 9

Herb Cabinet Activity

I have used herbs as medicine and I am very happy with the response I got from them!  Two that I can think of are aloe in the gel form and chamomile tea with fresh mint.

I got gel aloe from my a grocery store at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina.  I got chamomile tea and fresh mint from my local grocery store in Atlanta.

I found them both to be extremely effective.  At Hilton Head, I used expired sunscreen and go so burned!  My skin is not too fair so getting burned was something that did not happen to me at all and I was fried!  And since I wasn't used to it, I was an absolute wimp about how much it hurt.  I bought aloe in the gel form right away and I immediately felt relief.  I was lucky that I and it because after 2 days, I was healed and able to go back out in the sun!

I bought chamomile tea when I was experiencing and upset stomach and heartburn.  I had been told that it helps a lot and so does mint tea, so I bought fresh mint to add to the tea - double whammy.  I felt relief almost immediately.  I was so surprised how these herbs and teas could fix a problem I had.

The herbal shop I visited actually had all 3 of these herbs to my surprise.  I didn't expect them to have very much and was pleasantly surprised that I recognized a lot of the herbs there!  I definitely feel confident in buying the herbs I used at the shop.  Aloe, chamomile, and mint all help with things that I caused - too much sun exposure and eating poorly at a meal.  I don't think I would use the herbs supplied in supplement form, however, because I feel like a healthy diet would help me get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals for my body!

Module 8

MODULE 8

Drugs derived from plants

There were 4 drugs that I could think of that are derived from plants.  These include codeine, morphine, ephedrine, and caffeine. 

1. CODEINE
Medicinal uses: Analgesic (painkiller), antitussive (suppress coughing)
Plant derived from: Papaver somniferium

2. MORPHINE
Medicinal uses: Analgesic (painkiller)
Plant derived from: Papaver somniferium

3. EPHEDRINE
Medicinal uses: Sympathomimetic (mimic sympathetic nervous system hormones), antihistamine
Plant derived from: Ephedra sinica

4. CAFFEINE
Medicinal uses: Central Nervous System (CNS) stimulant
Plant derived from: Camelllia sinensis

SOCIETY and USAGE

In general, I think these drugs have had positive effects on our society when taken for the right reasons.  Codeine and morphine are very common to use as painkillers.  Unfortunately, with pain killers, people can abuse them and use them for recreational use or even get addicted to them.  However, I know personally I have had a lot of surgeries and codeine helped me with pain management.  Codeine is also an antitussive and helps suppress coughing.  I got my tonsils out and this definitely helped me recover.  Ephedrine is an antihistamine which is obviously helpful to society because it helps with inflammation.  For example, you could use ephedrine if you had a swollen ankle. It also is a sympathomimetic, meaning it mimics the sympathetic nervous system.  It can be used to treat low blood pressure, especially if caused by other drugs.  It can also help with irregular breathing.  Caffeine is obviously a common used drug in society and I would say it definitely helps because we have all seen how the people of society can act without their morning coffee! I think that using plants to make drugs can be very beneficial for society with few negative consequences if used properly and heavily monitored by physicians, pharmacists, and patients.

NEWS SOURCE

America's trapped my opioid meds

This article discusses a very serious issue within our country - Opioid (like codeine and morphine) abuse and addiction. It says "Drugs take the lives of 129 Americans every day." - WOW.

I do agree with this article in terms of drugs being more available now than they were in the past.  Yes, painkillers were more difficult to get in the past but it makes sense for them to be a tightly controlled substance given the high potential for abuse. I also agree that it negatively impacts our society because so many people are affected by drug addicts - not even just the addicts themselves. I also agree that we need to have programs in place for people who are struggling with opioid addition.  I am also in agreement that Congress expressing concern is beneficial for society.

I definitely agree with this article that opioids should be tightly controlled and that those struggling with addition need help! That being said, I believe that drugs like codeine and morphine are very helpful in terms of pain management for seriously painful procedures and injuries.  We can all work together to be able to use these helpful yet powerful drugs in a good way!

Module 7

MODULE 7

Chemical Reactions and Me Activity 

Chemical reaction net equation:

4e- + O2 + 4 H+ --> 2 H2O

Introduction

The most interesting chemical reaction discussed in Module 7 in my opinion was the DIGESTIVE PROCESS.  The citric acid cycle and electron transport chain (and ATP synthase) are necessary for the synthesis of ATP, the source of energy in our bodies.  This is why I picked this reaction because I believe it is most important for humans.  This reaction releases reactive oxygen species; however, it is so important that our bodies do it anyways!  We need energy for survival and these steps allow us to take the food we eat and convert it to energy (in the form of ATP) so our body can perform work.  An interesting fact about this is that when someone gets the death penalty, the drug actually stops a vital pathway in this system and shuts down the ability for our body to form a proton gradient, which drives ATP synthesis and forms ATP from ADP and Pi.  Without ATP, our body cannot perform necessary functions and we die.  This is a vital process in our bodies.  It's interesting to me because our bodies are so efficient and the only reason they would do something that releases reactive oxygen species (ROS) is because the reaction is more favorable in another way (aka generating ATP from food for our survival). 

Now that we understand more about this pathway, let's take a look at how this pathway releases ROS…

The reason we are able to generate this proton gradient is because we are trying to reduce O2 to water.  Electron flow through the Electron Transport Chain until they are able to reduce oxygen to water.  During this process, electrons travel down the chain to reduce O2.  When O2 gets reduced, it grabs 2 protons to form H2O.  Without this need to reduce water, the electrons would not travel down this pathway and we would not be able to generate any ATP. It is literally the reason we breathe oxygen.

The problem, however, is that this pathway actually releases 2% ROS, reactive oxidative species.  These can be good to destroy invading bacteria and viruses; however, they can often cause a lot of damage, including inflammation. One interesting problem that ROS can cause is making our lipid bilayer membranes more stiff, which is a HUGE problem! We need those bilayers to be fluid!

GOOD NEWS! Antioxidants naturally found in your body (and taken in externally from food) can help to counteract this oxidative stress so our bodies can continue this vital pathway!

Module 6

MODULE 6

Cooking with Herbs: BASIL

I chose to cook with basil because I was in the mood for an italian inspired dish.  I already had chicken and garlic in the fridge and decided to make italian chicken with tomatoes and basil.

Season the chicken with spices.  I used salt, pepper, garlic and herb.

Chop roma tomatoes and basil.  Chop garlic if using fresh garlic. Set aside.

Put olive oil in pan and allow it to get hot.

Cook chicken in skillet until thoroughly cooked and browning occurs on edges. Set chicken aside

   ----->  

Pour chopped tomatoes into skillet.  Allow tomatoes to simmer and turn into thick salsa.

Add garlic and butter (use coconut oil for healthier alternative)

Once butter has melted, add chicken back into pot and allow it to heat up for about 2 minutes.

Top skillet off with fresh chopped basil

Plate it and enjoy!

CONCLUSION

The fresh basil absolutely improved the taste of my dish!  It made it taste very fresh and flavorful.  I posted the final product on snapchat and numerous people told me it looked so good and asked for the recipe!  I don't know if any of them have tried it yet.  However, when asked if they could use dried basil, I said no.  The fresh basil is what gave this italian dish its incredible flavor.  I will definitely use herbs for cooking again.  Based on my research online, looks like my next dish will be guacamole with fresh cilantro… stay tuned!

Module 5

MODULE 5

MAKING MINT TEA

I chose mint tea for this component of module 5 because mint is known to soothe the stomach due to its anti-inflammation properties.

Making the tea was very simple! I just needed to heat up water, rip the mint leaves apart to release more of the flavor, and pour the warm water over the leaves.  I could have chosen to drain the leaves or leave them in after it sits.  The tea should sit for 3-7 minutes depending on how strong you want it.

Heating up water…

Take mint out of packaging, wash it…

Rip or cut mint leaves and put them in tea cup or tea pot…

Pour hot water over mint and allow to sit for 2-7 minutes ( I did 7 to enhance mint flavor)

FINAL PRODUCT!

Overview

I enjoyed making this tea because it was very simple and I liked being able to use the fresh mint.  I also enjoyed the taste of the tea at the end!  I am a regular tea drinker.  I think in the future, I will use mint to add flavor to my other teas, like green tea.  Mint serves as a good additional flavor to tea; however, tea with mint alone simply tasted like flavored water.  I definitely think the medicine was successful because I drank the tea after I ate a little too much at dinner and it calmed my stomach.  I would definitely create this tea again, especially if I am experiencing stomach discomfort.  I will also start adding mint to other teas!

Module 4

MODULE 4

Watch experiment here

We got very good results are were clearly able to see different bands of color.  Ours was different than the previous video because our bands were closer together and less separated.  This means that the products in our leaves were more similar.  This was a very interesting and successful project.  It was exciting how well ours worked and how good of results we got.  The bands separated so well and all you needed was some alcohol and filter paper and leaves! It was also interesting to see who the 3 different sets of leaves varied in colors.  Some were darker and some were lighter and some had bands that were very similar in color and length, which means that some of the leaves could have similar components.  See photo results below!

Module 3

MODULE 3

Phytochemistry at home

I used a lemon as my citrus fruit for this experiment.  See results in link below!

CITRUS EXPERIMENT

The RESULTS of this experiment were basically a reaction that occurred between squeezing the juice on the candle and the fire.  The fire sparked up in the direction of the lemon peel.  Citrus fruit has volatile oils and limonene that could cause this reaction.  LIMONENE is a liquid hydrocarbon with a strong smell.  It is a type of terpene. It is sensitive to light. It has 2 regions of electron density that are very reactive, which probably accounts for what we saw in the reaction!  Limonene is also readily flammable, so dripping it onto fire would also result in what we saw.  This experiment was really interesting to see how the phytochemicals really do play a role.

Module 2

Module 2

Pink Petunia axillaris

My roommate planted this flower last semester and it has seen great progress.  It's so exciting to finally be able to explain the flower scientifically.  I can also do more research now and help her with the growth!

Photos



Description
- aka Pink petunias
- Dicotyledons
- Flower type
- Light pink on edges of flower
- Yellow in the middle surrounded by darker pink
- Ovate shape
- Leaves are opposite one another
- Herbaceous perennial

Ilex aquifolium

My landlord said he planted this when he first bought the house over 30 years ago and they are still growing perfectly! My roommates and I actually laughed when I told them I was choosing this for part of my project because the leaves fall to the ground and drives us nuts because they're so spiky that they actually make it difficult to walk in our backyard without shoes! My roommate also loves it because it reminds her of christmas all year round!

Photos

Description
- aka Common holly
- Evergreen tree
- Woody stem
- Dark green on top and lighter on bottom
- Green berries
- Dicot
- Vascular plant
- Leaves are not opposite or alternating - more random

Module 1

MODULE 1

During my trip to Kroger, I found the following herbs…

DILL

Dill is known to be useful as an anti-disease herb and have antioxidant properties.  It has healing components of monoterpenes and flavonoids.  Module 1 discusses how people rely on natural sources for remedies.  For example, a smoker, who would have high levels of oxidants, would benefit from dill.

CILANTRO

Module 1 discusses herbs and the human experience with them in the modern world.  Cilantro has essential oils, which Module 1 also touches on, that make it healthy and they have antioxidant properties. Cilantro is used commonly in dishes, especially Mexican dishes.

MINT

Module 1 describes how some herbs can be used to make teas and Native American Indians often practiced this.  Mint can be used in tea and helps with digestion and inflammation.  It can soothe the stomach. 

ABOUT ME

About Me Video

My name is Jordan McBride and I am a 4th year Nutrition Science major.  I am taking HORT 3440 this summer because I am interning for a pharmaceutical company in August and I am very interested in how herbal and natural medicines can be applied to sicknesses and diseases.  I think that herbs and medicinal plants can be very beneficial in preventing and treating disease.  I believe they are very useful in preventative medicine and can be applied to almost every field of medicine.  By taking this class, I hope to develop more of an appreciation for the natural herbs and plants that can be used in healthcare.  Since I will be doing my internship at a pharmaceutical company, there will be an importance on manufactured drugs and it will be interesting to see how natural remedies can apply to modern medicines and pharmaceutical practices.

MY FAMILY

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