Dear readers and authors,
I am pleased to bring you volume 7, issue 4 of Pharmacognosy Communications. In this issue we present 5 new original research reports examining the pharmacognosy of several important medicinal plants including reports on: the pharmacognostic features and phytochemical fingerprints of some unconventional green leafy vegetables native to DR Congo; the effects of some herbal extracts on the function and histopathology of carbon tetrachloride treated kidneys; the effects of the traditional Chinese medicine gengniananluyin (which consists of Leonurus-cardiaca spp. (motherwort), Fructuspsoraleae spp., Herbacistanches spp., Fructuscnidii spp., Lycium spp. (goji berry, wolfberry) fruit, Morinda officinalis, Astragalusmongholicus spp.and Rhizomacyperi spp.) on osteoblast ERa and ERβ expression, and thus its potential in the treatment of osteoarthritis; the growth inhibitory activity of extracts prepared from the New Zealand plant Pseudowintera colorata against the bacterial triggers of some autoimmune diseases; the anti-aging properties of the freshwater algae Chlorella emersonii KJ725233 and its potential as a cosmeceutical.
Our regular features are also continued in this issue. The Janus Corner continues, with short notifications of interest to readers of Pharmacognosy Communications. I encourage all readers to get involved with this section by sending in short notifications of work that may be of interest to your fellow readers, book reviews and letters to the editor. Two more high quality medicinal plant images are also included in this issue and a listing of upcoming conferences and meetings is also included. I encourage any conference organisers who would like to publicise their event to contact me with details so they can be included in future upcoming events sections of this journal. I look forward to bringing you the next issue of Pharmacognosy Communications. Keep submitting your quality research manuscripts and reviews and consider becoming involved/ submitting to the other sections (such as Janus Corner and the medicinal plant images etc) of the journal also. On behalf of myself and the editorial board, we look forward to bringing you the next issue of Pharmacognosy Communications in 3 months’ time.
