Use of topical herbal remedies and cosmetics: a questionnaire-based investigation in dermatology out-patients.

J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2009 May 21; Corazza M, Borghi A, Lauriola MM, Virgili AAbstract Background Although topical remedies and cosmetics based on herbal ingredients are becoming increasingly popular with the public due to the perception that botanical compounds are safer and healthier than their synthetic counterparts, a large number of adverse cutaneous effects of plant extracts, notably contact sensitization, have been reported in medical literature. Objective To evaluate the prevalence of herbal compound usage in a dermatological out-patient population and to estimate the incidence of consequent cutaneous side-effects. Methods Four hundred patients were subjected to a self-administered 15-item questionnaire to assess both prevalence and type of topical botanical preparations used and occurrence of skin adverse reactions. Results Two hundred forty-one patients (60.25%) reported use of natural topical products, predominantly aloe, marigold, chamomile, propolis and arnica. Females used herbal products, for both medicinal and cosmetic purposes, more frequently than males. Fifteen patients (6.22%) referred one or more adverse cutaneous reactions. Conclusion Herbal preparations were widely used in the examined population, but, despite the common belief in the innocuous nature of botanical extracts, the incidence of side-effects referred by the patients confirms that they should be regarded as a potential source of adverse skin events. The lack of adequate patch testing in case of suspected contact allergic dermatitis, incomplete or misleading product labelling, and the risk of chemical adulteration may represent further concerns as regards application of botanical products. Conflicts of interest None declared.

Epidemiological study of psoriasis in the national health insurance database in taiwan.

Acta Derm Venereol. 2009; 89(3): 262-6Chang YT, Chen TJ, Liu PC, Chen YC, Chen YJ, Huang YL, Jih JS, Chen CC, Lee DD, Wang WJ, Lin MW, Liu HNThe aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, treatment modalities and comorbidity of psoriasis in Taiwan. A nationally representative cohort of 1,000,000 individuals from the National Health Insurance database was followed up for the years 2000 to 2006. Their claims data was used for an epidemiological study. The mean one-year prevalence of psoriasis was 0.23% for men and 0.16% for women, respectively. The prevalence of psoriasis increased more rapidly in male patients aged 30 years and over and reached its peak in patients aged 70 years and over, regardless of sex. Overall, 98.4% of patients received treatment with topical corticosteroids, while 13.1% used Chinese herbal medicines and 13.6% received systemic treatment. Patients with psoriasis had a higher comorbidity of diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, and hypertension. In conclusion, in contrast to Caucasians, the prevalence of psoriasis in Taiwanese people is high er in men than in women and the prevalence increases significantly in patients over 70 years of age.

Bioavailability of salvianolic acid B and effect on blood viscosities after oral administration of salvianolic acids in beagle dogs.

Arch Pharm Res. 2009 May; 32(5): 773-9Gao DY, Han LM, Zhang LH, Fang XL, Wang JXSalvianolic acid B (SalB) is an active component isolated from Chinese herbal medicine Salvia miltiorrhiza. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of absolute oral bioavailability (F) of SalB in beagle dogs and the effect on blood viscosity after intravenous and oral administration of Salvianolic acids (SAs). A gradient elution HPLC method was developed and validated to determine the concentration of SalB and its three possible metabolites in plasma. After SAs (180 mg/kg, p.o.; 9 mg/kg, i.v.) were given, the AUCs of SalB were 1680 +/- 670 and 7840 +/- 1140 ng/mL.h, respectively. The F of SalB in dogs was calculated to be only 1.07 +/- 0.43%. The blood viscosity was remarkably decreased after a single intravenous injection of SAs (9 mg/kg). However, no significant change of blood viscosity was observed after a single oral administration of SAs (180 mg/kg). The results suggested that the F of SalB was extremely low and single oral administrated SAs had no effect on ameliorating blood viscosity in beagle dogs.

[6]-gingerol induces reactive oxygen species regulated mitochondrial cell death pathway in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells.

Chem Biol Interact. 2009 May 26; Nigam N, Bhui K, Prasad S, George J, Shukla YSince skin cancer incidence and prevalence is constantly rising up the charts despite all efforts, search for newer, better agents for protection and treatment is required. Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe), a monocotyledonous herb, is widely used as a herbal medicine, given the presence of homologous phenolic ketones, of which [6]-gingerol is the major one. The quantity of [6]-gingerol in the fresh ginger rhizome was found to be 104-965mug/g in common varieties of ginger available in Indian market. Herein, [6]-gingerol was assessed for its anti-apoptotic effects in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. [6]-gingerol treatment exhibited considerable cytotoxicity as indicated by growth inhibition of A431 cells mediated via generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Increase in ROS led to decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and subsequent induction of apoptosis. Results revealed that perturbations in mitochondrial membrane are associated with deregulation of Bax/Bcl-2 ratio at gene transcriptional level as well as protein level, where treatment with [6]-gingerol leads to upregulation of Cytochrome c and Apaf-1 subsequently culminating in triggering of Caspase cascade. These firmly suggest that [6]-gingerol can be effectively used for the treatment of skin cancer.

Pharmaceutical Analysis and Clinical Efficacy of Kampo Medicine, Maoto, Extract Suppository Against Pediatric Febrile Symptoms.

Yakugaku Zasshi. 2009; 129(6): 759-766Nishimura N, Doi N, Uemura T, Taketani T, Hayashi G, Kasai T, Kanai R, Yamaguchi S, Iwamoto K, Naora KA traditional Chinese herbal medicine, Kampo medicine, maoto, has been widely used in the treatment of febrile symptoms caused by viral infection. This herbal extract granule for oral use, however, is not well accepted by infants or young children due to its unpleasant taste and odor. Therefore, we prepared Kampo medicine, maoto, suppository and investigated the pharmaceutical and clinical efficacy of the suppository. Kampo medicine, maoto, granules were micro-pulverized and homogeneously dispersed into Hosco-H15 to prepare suppositories containing 0.25 to 1.0 g herbal extract by the conventional fusion method. Content of l-ephedrine, an index compound of Kampo medicine, maoto, in the extract granules and suppositories was determined by using a high performance liquid chromatographic method. Physicochemical experiments revealed that the suppository containing 0.5 g herbal extract had the most suitable melting point of 34 degrees C. Contents of l-ephedrine in the suppository were constant, 93-96% of those in the same amount of the extract granules in different three lots. Upper and lower portions of the suppository had the same content of l-ephedrine. The suppository maintained more than 95% of l-ephedrine content through 6 months at 4 degrees C, room temperature and 40 degrees C, although maldistribution of the extract constituent was observed after storage at 40 degrees C. The suppository was administered to 21 pediatric febrile patients at a dose of 1/3 to 2 full pieces depending on their body weight and physical status. Significant reduction (p