Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Integration Of Medicinal Fungi Into The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden, Anthony Makashov

Senior Honors Projects

The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Medicinal Garden is a one-of-a-kind resource that houses close to 300 medicinal plants and is filled to the brim with educational opportunities. For the College of Pharmacy, this garden has been the centerpiece of many classes taught here at the University of Rhode Island and has roots as a physical teaching space. While the garden contains a plethora of plant species, medicinal fungi have yet to have been included in the garden, despite their relevance as both sources of pharmaceutical drug discovery and as natural products with inherent physiological benefits themselves. The purpose of my …

Integration Of Native American Medicinal Plants Into The Heber W. Youngken Jr. Garden, Emily Lyn Murray

Senior Honors Projects

Healthcare among Native American tribes was focused on all aspects of a patient’s life, such as physical, spiritual, and environmental elements. Healthy outcomes were obtained by maintaining a balance among all of these components. This “bio-psycho-socio-spiritual” approach to healthcare was thought to not only play a role in the health of a certain individual, but the health of the tribe as a whole. An illness was not only precipitated by a physical source, but by an imbalance of these components. Medicinal plants served as an integral role in direct physical healing, as well as an important element for the execution …

The Pharmacognosy And Therapeutic Efficacy Of Turmeric (Curcuma Longa): A Systematic Review, Maghan Ballantyne

Senior Honors Projects

Turmeric is a well-known natural product, native to Southeast Asia, commonly

used for a variety of cultural traditions and health benefits. Generally referred

to as curcumin, it is a member of the Zingiberaceae, or ginger family, utilized

for its roots and known for its vibrant yellow hue. Culturally, it is primarily

incorporated into cooking and as an integral part of religious rituals and

ceremonies. Chemically, turmeric is classified as a phenolic compound, made

up of many curcuminoids, each with varying levels of activity. Therapeutically,

its health benefits include anti-inflammatory, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-oxidant

and anti-pruritic properties. The pharmacognosy of curcumin modulates

inflammatory …