Herbal

Acute hepatitis after treatment for hair loss with oral green tea extracts

2009-08-02T15:52:00.001-07:00

Nutritional additives based on green tea have been claiming various beneficial health effects. However, several case reports on hepatotoxicity after the intake of green tea derivatives containing Camellia Sinensis have been published. We report a patient with an acute hepatitis after intake of an oral green tea derivative claiming protection against hair loss, showing a histological image compatible with drug induced hepatitis. Other important causes of hepatitis were excluded. After cessation of this nutritional additive there was a rapid and sustained recovery.

We raise concern about the safety of nutritional additives with few proven beneficial effects and want to emphasize the importance of accurate and thorough history taking, with attention for over the counter drugs and herbal products.

"Acute hepatitis after treatment for hair loss with oral green tea extracts (Camellia Sinensis)."
Acta Gastroenterol Belg. 2009 Apr-Jun; 72(2): 262-4Verhelst X, Burvenich P, Van Sassenbroeck D, Gabriel C, Lootens M, Baert D

Highlight:
Treatment strategies for hot flushes.

Related:
Green tea polyphenol (—)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate treatment
Read Important Tips About Where To Buy Green Tea Capsules For
Green Tea Treatment for Acne
Green Tea Polyphenols Prevent Ultraviolet Light-Induced Oxidative
Homemade DIY acne spot treatment recipe with asprin and green tea
Can You Drink Sparkling Green Tea to Improve Your Health?

Complementary and alternative medicines and dietary interventions in multiple sclerosis: What is being used in South Australia and why?

2009-07-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

To investigate the usage patterns of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs), as well as dietary interventions, by South Australian people with multiple sclerosis (MS).

DESIGN:
Self-administered postal survey.

SETTING:
Questionnaire mailed to recipients of the South Australian (SA) MS Society newsletter (n=1230).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:
Patterns of CAMs use and dietary interventions, reasons for using/not using CAMs in MS, sources of CAMs information and monthly expenditure on CAMs/dietary interventions.

RESULTS:
A total of 428 surveys were returned (response rate 34.8%) of which 416 met the inclusion criteria for analysis. The majority of SA people with MS who responded reported using CAMs/dietary interventions (64.7%). Respondents with tertiary education and those with mild and moderate disease reported highest CAM use.

The most frequently used CAM product categories were vitamins (81.8%), essential fatty acids (80.7%) and minerals (62.5%). Commonly used herbal products included Ginkgo biloba (18.2%) and valerian (16.4%). Popular diets were the low fat (39.8%), low/no sugar (23.8%) and gluten-free (16.4%) diets.

The majority of those using CAMs/dietary interventions did so concurrently with conventional treatments (72.1%). Reasons for use included: general health and well-being; to alleviate 'general' as well as specific MS symptoms such as muscle weakness, urinary or memory problems and mobility.

Conventional health professionals, and friends/family, were the most common sources of information. Monthly expenditure was most commonly AUD$20-49/month.

CONCLUSION:
This study reports frequent use of CAM/dietary intervention amongst SA people with MS. The majority of users did so in conjunction with conventional treatments.

"Complementary and alternative medicines and dietary interventions in multiple sclerosis: What is being used in South Australia and why?"
Complement Ther Med. 2009 Aug; 17(4): 216-23Leong EM, Semple SJ, Angley M, Siebert W, Petkov J, McKinnon RA

Compound Cordyceps TCM-700C exhibits potent hepatoprotective capability in animal model.

2009-07-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

A herbal preparation "Compound Codyceps-TCM-700C (CC-700C)" was tested for hepatoprotective effect against the carbon tetrachloride induced liver damages in Sprague-Dawley rat model for a period of 6-weeks. Two dosage levels of CC-700C, respectively 286.2mg/kg-bw (L-TCM) and 2862mg/kg-bw (H-TCM), and a positive control Silymarin (Sigma) were used to compare their therapeutic effect.

Both CC-700C's and Silymarin showed nontoxic in nature, as evidenced by body weight gain, organ weights and appearance including liver, spleen, and kidney. The activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine-aminotransferase (ALT) were more effectively suppressed by CC-700C than Silymarin.

In addition, all levels of serum bilirubin, serum albumin, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), platelet count (PLT), and prothombin time (PT) except TG were shown effectively restored to normal values by CC-700C and Silymarin.

Moreover, although levels of glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GSH-Rd), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were equally maintained by these three preparations, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) was suppressed only by H-TCM, and SOD only by Silymarin. In contrast, the activity of catalase efficiently recovered to control level on administration of CC-700C, being far better than Silymarin.

Finally the liver collagen content, an indication of fibrosis, was also significantly suppressed by CC-700C, better effect was by L-TCM, but both levels were superior to Silymarin. Conclusively, the herbal preparation "Compound Cordyceps TCM-700C" is a potent hepatoprotective preparation. For therapeutic use, a dosage of 286.2mg/kg-bw would be sufficiently effective.

"Compound Cordyceps TCM-700C exhibits potent hepatoprotective capability in animal model"
Fitoterapia. 2009 Jul 8; Ko WS, Hsu SL, Chyau CC, Chen KC, Peng RY

Herbals in the Control of Ageing

2009-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

The significance of herbals and herbal products is gaining world wide recognition. The concept of complementary or alternative medicine is becoming much more widely accepted and there is an increasing belief in the efficacy of herbal remedies.

Recently, the role of herbal drugs, herbal products and certain phytochemicals in the control of ageing has been documented using modern scientific approaches. This review pulls together such studies and critiques the efficacy and value of herbal medicines in the control of the ageing process.

Herbals in the Control of Ageing
Drug Discov Today. 2009 Jul 8; Kapoor VK, Dureja J, Chadha RT (Hubmed)

Related :
Will Herbal Supplements Help You Get Rid of Your Wrinkle Problem?
The reality we must face is that as much as we cannot change nature, there are some things that we can deliberately do to minimize the inevitable effects of the aging process.
Make Sure Herbal Skin Care Products Can Really Help
It's not an herbal treatment for the skin, but it is the most important ingredient for preventing the signs of aging. Whatever you do, investigate the ingredients in herbal skin care lotions carefully
Fight the Effects of Age with Ease with Herbal Anti Aging Products
Herbal vitamins and anti aging supplements have now become very popular ways of fighting the effects of advancing age. Other than fulfilling the deficiencies in the body, these herbal vitamins and anti aging products also help
Herbal Anti-Aging Supplement–Why You Should Consider It?
It seems like there's an herbal anti-aging supplement on practically every shelf of health food stores today.
Herbal Life for Healthy Life
You can use Herbal Nutrition to be one step closer to the health life and it can be a great anti aging. It will fix your improper nutrition into proper nutrition.
How to Delay Aging ? Herbal Rhodiola Extract
Rhodiola rosea is now, according to recent research, becoming more widely accepted in the U.S. as a powerful anti-aging, anti-stress formula.

Role of Iodine, Selenium and Other Micronutrients in Thyroid Function and Disorders.

2009-07-15T15:35:00.001-07:00

Endocr Metab Immune Disord Drug Targets. 2009 Sep 1; Triggiani V, Tafaro E, Giagulli VA, SabbÃ C, Resta F, Licchelli B, Guastamacchia EMicronutrients, mostly iodine and selenium, are required for thyroid hormone synthesis and function. Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones and its deficiency is considered as the most common cause of preventable brain damage in the world. Nowadays about 800 million people are affected by iodine deficiency disorders that include goiter, hypothyroidism, mental retardation, and a wide spectrum of other growth and developmental abnormalities. Iodine supplementation, under form of iodized salt and iodized vegetable oil, produced dramatic improvements in many areas, even though iodine deficiency is still a problem not only for developing countries. In fact, certain subpopulations like vegetarians may not reach an adequate iodine intake even in countries considered iodine-sufficient. A reduction in dietary iodine content could also be related to increased adherence to dietary recommendations to reduce salt intake for preventing hypertension. Furthermore, iodine intakes are declining in many countries where, after endemic goiter eradication, the lack of monitoring of iodine nutrition can lead to a reappearance of goiter and other iodine deficiency disorders. Three different selenium-dependent iodothyronine deiodinases (types I, II, and III) can both activate and inactivate thyroid hormones, making selenium an essential micronutrient for normal development, growth, and metabolism. Furthermore, selenium is found as selenocysteine in the catalytic center of enzymes protecting the thyroid from free radicals damage. In this way, selenium deficiency can exacerbate the effects of iodine deficiency and the same is true for vitamin A or iron deficiency. Substances introduced with food, such as thiocyanate and isoflavones or certain herbal preparations, can interfere with micronutrients and influence thyroid function. Aim of this paper is to review the role of micronutrients in thyroid function and diseases.

[Effects of Liangxue Jiedu Decoction in treating psoriasis in a mouse psoriasis model.]

2009-07-15T03:48:00.001-07:00

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Jun; 7(6): 552-6Gu MJ, Gao SP, Li YMObjective: To study the effects of Liangxue Jiedu Decoction, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine with the function of blood-cooling and detoxicating, in treating psoriasis in mice and to explore its mechanism. Methods: (1) Sixty mice were randomly divided into Liangxue Jiedu Decoction group, compound Indigo Naturalis capsule group, acitretin capsule group and normal saline group. Another 10 mice were selected as blank control. After 2-week administration, mice were sacrificed to obtain samples. After hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, tail scales with granular layers were calculated by an optical microscope. (2) Except for ten mice in blank group, sixty female mice were injected intraperitoneally with diethylstilbestrol once daily. After 3-day injection, mice were randomly divided into four groups and treated as above description. After 2-week treatment, all mice were injected intraperitoneally with colchicine (2 mg/kg), and sacrificed 6 h after the injection. The mitotic rate in virginal epithelium was calculated after HE staining. Results: Compared with normal saline, Liangxue Jiedu Decoction could significantly inhibit the mitosis of mouse vaginal epithelium (P

[Anti-inflammatory effects and quantitative study of the combinations of active ingredients of Painong powder in mice.]

2009-07-14T15:22:00.001-07:00

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Jun; 7(6): 541-5Chen JC, Li LJ, Wen SM, He YC, Liu HX, Zheng QSObjective: To study the anti-inflammatory effects of the combinations of active components of Painong powder, a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and the quantitative analysis of their interactions. Methods: The mouse model of acute inflammation with increase of capillary permeability was induced by intraperitoneal injection of acetic acid. An orthogonal design with 2 levels (used and unused) was applied to assign the combinations groups of active ingredients including naringin and neohesperidin, peoniflorin, and platycodin. Aspirin and normal saline were administered as control. The pharmacodynamic interactions were analyzed by the optical density (OD) of infiltrated Evans blue. Results: The different combinations of active ingredients showed anti-inflammatory effect with different degree, and the predicted values of OD varied from 0.115 to 0.170. The maximum anti-inflammatory effect was from the combination of naringin, neohesperidin, paeoniflorin and platycodin, better than that of the saline group (P0.05). Paeoniflorin showed a dominant contribution to the formula, and platycodin the least. The combination of all active components exhibited synergism. Conclusion: The results suggest that all the ingredients are efficacious constituents of the formula, and paeoniflorin shows a dominant contribution to the formula. More information about prescription compatibility can be obtained by the orthogonal simulation method.

Spice: A never ending story?

2009-07-14T13:52:00.001-07:00

Forensic Sci Int. 2009 Jul 7; Lindigkeit R, Boehme A, Eiserloh I, Luebbecke M, Wiggermann M, Ernst L, Beuerle TOn January 22nd 2009, the German Health Authorities prohibited several non-traditional cannabinoids, that proved to be the active components in popular "Bio-Designer-Drugs" like "Spice" and analogous products. The recent detection of CP 47,497-C8 in Europe and Japan documents that these products have already spread world wide. We synthesized several potentially interesting alkylaminoindoles (alkylchain C(3) to C(7)) and isolated CP 47,497-C8 from "Spice Gold". The compounds were purified and characterized by NMR and mass spectrometry methods. With the aid of these authentic references we were able to detect and quantify added psychoactive compounds in different herbal blends. All samples that were acquired before the prohibition in December 2008 contained either CP 47,497-C8 (5.4-11.0mg/g) or JWH-018 (2.3mg/g). Some samples acquired in March 2009, 4 weeks after the prohibition took place, still contained CP 47,497-C8 (3.0-3.3mg/g) but JWH-018 was not detected anymore. Instead it was replaced by its non-regulated C(4)-homolog JWH-073 (5.8-22.9mg/g). Furthermore some of the new products did not contain any non-traditional cannabinoids. To our knowledge this is the first report of the appearance JWH-073 as a new designer drug. The data and method presented here will facilitate and accelerate the detection of these compounds in complex matrices.

Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto): A Systematic Review of Adverse Events.

2009-07-14T05:36:00.001-07:00

Drug Saf. 2009; 32(8): 637-47Agbabiaka TB, Pittler MH, Wider B, Ernst ESerenoa repens (W. Bartram) Small, also known as saw palmetto, is one of the most widely used herbal preparations for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Although a number of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews of the efficacy of S. repens for the treatment of LUTS and BPH have been published, no systematic review on its drug interactions or adverse events currently exists. This review assesses all available human safety data of S. repens monopreparations. Systematic literature searches were conducted from date of inception to February 2008 in five electronic databases; reference lists and our departmental files were checked for further relevant publications. Information was requested from spontaneous reporting schemes of the WHO and national safety bodies. Twenty-four manufacturers/distributors of S. repens preparations and four herbalist organizations were contacted for additional information. No language restrictions were imposed. Only reports of adverse events in humans from monopreparations of S. repens were included. Data from all articles, regardless of study design, reporting adverse events or interactions were independently extracted by the first author and validated by the second. Forty articles (26 randomized controlled trials, 4 non-randomized controlled trials, 6 uncontrolled trials and 4 case reports/series) were included. They suggest that adverse events associated with the use of S. repens are mild and similar to those with placebo. The most frequently reported adverse events are abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea, fatigue, headache, decreased libido and rhinitis. More serious adverse events such as death and cerebral haemorrhage are reported in isolated case reports and data from spontaneous reporting schemes, but causality is questionable. No drug interactions were reported. Currently available data suggest that S. repens is well tolerated by most users and is not associated with serious adverse events. The majority of adverse events are mild, infrequent and reversible, and include abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and fatigue, headache, decreased libido and rhinitis. We found no evidence for drug interactions with S. repens. However, higher quality reporting of adverse events is essential if safety assessments are to be improved in future.

Remedies containing asteraceae extracts: a prospective observational study of prescribing patterns and adverse drug reactions in german primary care.

2009-07-14T02:39:00.001-07:00

Drug Saf. 2009; 32(8): 691-706Jeschke E, Ostermann T, LÃ¼ke C, Tabali M, KrÃ¶z M, Bockelbrink A, Witt CM, Willich SN, Matthes HThe use of complementary therapies by patients has increased over the past 20 years, both in terms of self-medication and physician prescriptions. Among herbal medicines, those containing extracts of Asteraceae (Compositae), such as Echinacea spp., Arnica montana, Matricaria recutita and Calendula officinalis, are especially popular in the primary-care setting. However, there remains a gap between the growing acceptance of these remedies and the lack of data on their safety. The aim of this study was to analyse prescribing patterns and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) for Asteraceae-containing remedies in Germany. Primary-care physicians, all of whom were members of the German National Association of Anthroposophic Physicians were invited to participate in this prospective, multicentre, observational study. During the study period (September 2004 to September 2006), all prescriptions and suspected ADRs for both conventional and complementary therapies were documented using a web-based system. The study centre monitored all ADR reports and conducted a causality assessment according to Uppsala Monitoring Centre guidelines. Relative risks (RRs) and proportional reporting ratios (PRRs) were calculated. Thirty-eight physicians, 55% of whom were general practitioners and 45% were specialists, fulfilled the technical requirements and were included in the investigation. Because documenting all ADRs (i.e. serious and nonserious) was time consuming, only a subgroup consisting of seven physicians agreed to report nonserious in addition to serious ADRs. During the study period, a total of 50 115 patients were evaluated and 344 ADRs for conventional and complementary remedies were reported. Altogether, 18 830 patients (58.0% female, 60.3% children) received 42 378 Asteraceae-containing remedies. The most frequently prescribed Asteraceae was Matricaria recutita (23%), followed by Calendula officinalis (20%) and Arnica montana (20%). No serious ADRs for Asteraceae-containing remedies were reported. In the analysis of the subgroup of seven physicians who also documented nonserious ADRs, 11 nonserious ADRs for Asteraceae-containing remedies occurred in 6961 patients, resulting in an RR of 0.13 (95% CI 0.07, 0.23). The majority of reported ADRs for Asteraceae-containing remedies were classified as uncommon. A subgroup analysis comparing phytotherapeutic and homoeopathic preparations did not reveal any relevant differences. The PRR for Asteraceae-containing remedies with respect to all other prescriptions was 1.7 (95% CI 1.0, 2.0) for the system organ class 'skin and subcutaneous tissue disorders' (six ADRs) and 1.0 (95% CI 0.3, 3.6) for 'gastrointestinal disorders' (three ADRs). Neither result was significant according to the PRR criteria developed by Evans et al. This is the first study to provide a systematic overview of prescribing patterns and ADRs for Asteraceae-containing remedies in the German primary-care sector. Asteraceae-containing remedies were used frequently in this context, especially among children. Our results indicate that treatment with Asteraceae-containing remedies is not associated with a high risk of ADRs.

Genotoxicity study of Hypiran and Chamomilla herbal drugs determined by in vivo supervital micronucleus assay with mouse peripheral reticulocytes.

2009-07-13T20:45:00.001-07:00

Acta Biol Hung. 2009 Jun; 60(2): 177-83Kalantari H, Ashrafi Dashtearjandi A, Kalantar EThe growth in popularity of Over The Counter (OTC) of medicinal products or other natural sources have taken a very large share of healthcare system therefore it is essential to determine their safety as for as public health is concerned.In this study Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) was obtained according to CSGMT protocol presented by the Environmental Mutagen Society of Japan. The positive group received mitomycin C in dose of 0.5 mg/kg. The peripheral blood samples before treatment (zero time) were considered as negative control. The MTD of Hypiron was 12 ml/kg and for Chamomilla was 10 ml/kg. Doses of MTD, 1/2 MTD and 1/4 MTD were considered for test groups. Then blood samples were prepared 48 hours after first administration of drugs and kept on precoated Acridine orange slides. The scoring of micronucleated reticulocytes were carried out per 2000 counted reticulocytes in each slide by fluorescent microscope. The results were statistically analyzed. Results of Hypiran were compared with negative control group and the P value was P > 0.05, but the p value of Chamomilla was P < 0.05. Also, the p value of Hypiran and Chamomilla compared with historical negative control group was less, therefore Chamomilla herbal drog can be classified as equivocul category of genotoxicity and Hypiran did not show genotoxicity.

Protection afforded by a herbal medicine, Sho-seiryu-to (TJ-19), against oleic acid-induced acute lung injury in guinea-pigs.

2009-07-13T18:09:00.001-07:00

J Pharm Pharmacol. 2009 Jul; 61(7): 925-32Yang CQ, Ishitsuka Y, Moriuchi H, Golbidi S, Jin ZJ, Irikura M, Irie TOBJECTIVES: The effect of a herbal medicine, Sho-seiryu-to (TJ-19), on oleic acid-induced lung injury, an animal model of acute respiratory distress syndrome or acute lung injury (ARDS/ALI), was examined. METHODS: Acute lung injury was induced by an intravenous injection of 15 mul/kg oleic acid to guinea-pigs. TJ-19 was administered by a single oral dose (3 g/kg) or by multiple oral doses (0.75 g/kg). KEY FINDINGS: The decrease in partial oxygen pressure of arterial blood (Pao(2)) and the increase in airway vascular permeability induced by the oleic acid injection were attenuated by a single dose of TJ-19. When TJ-19 was administered orally twice a day for two weeks and then oleic acid was injected, a potent prophylactic effect of the drug was observed. TJ-19 also prevented airway vascular hyperpermeability, lung cell injury, oxidative stress and thromboxane A(2) generation, associated with the oleic acid injection. CONCLUSIONS: TJ-19 significantly attenuated the oleic acid-induced lung injury probably through the antioxidative effect and inhibitory effect of thromboxane A(2) generation, although the precise inhibitory mechanisms were not fully elucidated due to the diversity in constituents of the herbal medicine. We suggest that TJ-19 is a promising drug candidate and a medicinal resource for preventing ARDS/ALI.

Evaluation of symptoms and palatability in healthy volunteers after ingestion of an iced dessert by using different flavours.

2009-07-13T14:10:00.001-07:00

J Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 2009 Apr-Jun; 23(2): 127-31Gallo A, Gasbarrini G, Nicoletti M, Montalto M, Addolorato GIt is well-known that digestion has a pivotal role in maintaining a state of wellbeing. The influence of certain foods and some herbal drugs has been ascertained. Epidemiological data show that the Mediterranean diet, with a high consumption of fresh vegetables and fruit, mainly citrus, has a beneficial effect and plays a protective gastrointestinal role. Previously, we assessed the influence on the eventual occurrence of symptoms during digestion of an iced dessert containing a mixture of digestive plant extracts, citrus juices and liquors, showing that its ingestion does not cause significant gastrointestinal symptoms in healthy volunteers. Taking into consideration that sensory properties of food may also influence digestion, we also evaluated the palatability of the product. In order to evaluate the effect of different tastes on the digestive processes, we performed a further similar evaluation with two new flavours. The ingestion of these iced desserts at the end of the meal does not cause significant gastrointestinal symptoms. Moreover, palatability median score shows a good appreciation of the products. Therefore, the combination of digestive herbs, citrus juice and liquors in different flavours gives rise to a product with a positive mix of good palatability, favourable acceptance and herbal constituents, able to maintain a good digestive condition.

sigma-1 receptors in major depression and anxiety.

2009-07-12T18:22:00.001-07:00

Expert Rev Neurother. 2009 Jul; 9(7): 1021-34Kulkarni SK, Dhir AMajor depression and anxiety are two of the major psychiatric disorders that have some overlapping pathophysiologies, the most significant being the dysfunction in the monoaminergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic systems. A large number of drugs that alter these neurotransmitter levels/systems are effective in the treatment of major depression and anxiety. However, full remission of the clinical symptoms has not been achieved, perhaps owing to the complex pathophysiology of the diseases. Thus, the search for newer targets and target-specific drugs continues. Recently, the role of sigma-receptors, particularly the sigma-1 receptor subtype, has been identified as a target for the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and sigma-1 receptor modulators are considered to be the drugs of the future for the treatment of major depression and anxiety. The present review attempts to discuss the role of sigma-1 receptors in the pathophysiology of major depression and anxiety and also tries to position the use of its receptor modulators in the treatment of these two major disorders. The role of sigma-1 receptors in the mechanism of antidepressant action of venlafaxine, bupropion, neurosteroids and one of the herbal antidepressants, berberine, is reviewed. Although, sigma-1 receptor modulators may be future therapeutic options, either as individual agents or adjuvants in the treatment of mental disorders, the topic needs further preclinical and clinical exploration.

Effect of sinomenine on the in vitro intestinal epithelial transport of selected compounds.

2009-07-11T23:29:00.001-07:00

Phytother Res. 2009 Jul 7; Lu Z, Chen W, Viljoen A, Hamman JHHerbal products can interfere with allopathic medicinal treatment through pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions. Although pharmacokinetic interactions that alter drug absorption may cause variable and unsatisfactory drug bioavailability, a drug absorption enhancement effect of a herb may be used to ensure sufficient absorption of poorly absorbable drugs. The effect of the hydrochloride salt of sinomenine, an alkaloid obtained from the plant Sinomenium acutum, on the transepithelial electrical resistance and transport of different compounds (including cimetidine, vitamin C, rutin, luteolin and insulin) across Caco-2 epithelial cell monolayers was investigated in this study. Sinomenine HCl induced a concentration dependent lowering effect on the transepithelial electrical resistance of Caco-2 cell monolayers, which was completely reversible. Sinomenine HCl significantly increased the transport of all the test compounds in the apical-to-basolateral direction compared with the control group and decreased the transport of cimetidine, a P-glycoprotein substrate, in the basolateral-to-apical direction. From these results it can be concluded that sinomenine HCl increases drug absorption across the intestinal epithelium by means of one or more mechanisms including a transient opening of the tight junctions (as indicated by a reduction in transepithelial electrical resistance) to allow for paracellular transport and/or inhibition of active drug efflux transport (as indicated by inhibition of basolateral-to-apical transport of cimetidine). Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of Bushen Kangshuai Tang in retrieving oxidative stress-induced reproductive defects in Caenorhabditis elegans.

2009-07-11T15:46:00.001-07:00

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Jun; 7(6): 532-40Cao XG, Hou LL, Chen JX, Lu QObjective: To explore the function of Bushen Kangshuai Tang (BKT), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, in alleviating oxidative stress-induced reproductive defects in organism nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Methods: The L4-larvae were cultured with 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of BKT with the final concentration of 0.33 g/mL. Ultraviolet irradiation [20 J/(m(2).min)], heat-shock (36 degrees centigrade, 2 h), and paraquat treatment (2 mmol/L, 2h) were exerted as the stresses. Reproduction was assayed by the egg number in uterus, brood size, and generation time. Results: Ultraviolet irradiation, heat-shock, and paraquat treatment could significantly reduce egg number in uterus and brood size, increase generation time, and suppress activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase of the treated wild-type N2 nematodes. Administration of BKT did not cause toxic or altered effects on reproduction under wild-type background in C. elegans. However, BKT administration at higher concentrations could not only effectively alleviate the reproductive defects induced by ultraviolet irradiation, heat-shock, and paraquat treatment, but also increase the catalase and superoxide dismutase activities suppressed by ultraviolet irradiation, heat-shock, and paraquat treatment as compared with the control. Moreover, administration of BKT at higher concentrations could largely recover the reproductive defects formed in mev-1 mutant nematodes with elevated oxidative stress. Conclusion: Oxidative stress can negatively regulate the reproductive process, and the administration of high concentrations of BKT will largely retrieve the oxidative stress-induced reproductive defects in exposed nematodes.

Methodology of pharmacodynamic evaluation on Chinese herbal medicine based on syndrome differentiation.

2009-07-11T03:50:00.001-07:00

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Jun; 7(6): 501-4Lu AP, Liu XW, Ding XRThe clinical application of Chinese herbal medicine should be based on syndrome differentiation in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and the pharmacological evaluation of herbal medicine in new drug discovery should be also based on the TCM syndrome differentiation. To clarify the Chinese herbal characteristics and mechanisms of action through pharmacological experiments is not only the inevitable requirement for Chinese herb modernization and internationalization, but also the key way to direct the clinical rational administration. Thus how to characterize the syndrome type in commonly used animal disease models becomes the key issue in pharmacological evaluation. Following the development of biomedicine, one important way to clarify the syndrome characteristics of animal disease model in the pharmacological evaluation is to compare the differences between the responsive and non-responsive animals, and to find out the responsiveness-related biocharacteristics. An important approach to set up the Chinese herbal pharmacological evaluation which is suitable for Chinese medicine differentiation is to utilize the method of surveying syndrome type with Chinese herb formula and select the responsive animal model to reflect certain syndrome type, and furthermore to clear up the syndrome characteristics of the animal model by investigating its modern biological basis and establishing the correct indications of special TCM syndrome type. This pharmacological evaluation way based on finding out the responsiveness-related biocharacteristics of herbal medicine could become more effective in evaluating drug effects, further improving the new drug discovery, and developing Chinese herbal medicine.

Suspected black cohosh hepatotoxicity-Challenges and pitfalls of causality assessment.

2009-07-10T23:11:00.001-07:00

Maturitas. 2009 Jul 6; Teschke R, Bahre R, Genthner A, Fuchs J, Schmidt-Taenzer W, Wolff AOBJECTIVES: Black cohosh (BC) is a herbal drug or herbal dietary supplement used for treatment of menopausal symptoms. Recently, however, reports have appeared about the occurrence of rare toxic liver disease in an assumed relationship with the use of BC. METHODS: We have analyzed and reviewed the data of all 69 reported cases with suspected BC hepatotoxicity. Causality for BC was assessed utilizing the scale of the original structured quantitative Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), or the main-test as its updated form. RESULTS: With the hepatotoxicity specific causality assessment methods, there was an excluded, unlikely, unrelated or unassessable causality for BC in 68 of 69 cases with liver disease. One patient had a possible causality for BC and a symptomatic cholelithiasis with confounding variables of fatty liver of unknown etiology; unknown BC brand including possible herbal mixture; unknown daily BC dosage; and an unassessable duration of BC usage. In general, the cases of the 69 patients were poorly documented. Confounding variables were: failure to identify the BC product; use of herbal mixtures with multiple ingredients in addition to BC; co-medication with synthetic drugs and dietary supplements including herbal ones; missing temporal association between BC use and development of liver disease; not specified modalities of BC treatment; failure of dechallenge after BC discontinuation; pre-existing liver diseases; insufficiently excluded other liver diseases; presence of alternative liver diseases. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of 69 cases shows little, if any, supportive evidence for a significant hepatotoxic risk of BC.

[Effects of Xuesaitong Injection on coagulation function of gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery: a randomized controlled trial.]

2009-07-10T20:32:00.001-07:00

Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Xue Bao. 2009 Jun; 7(6): 514-7Wang Y, Wang YT, Lin YH, Zou ZDObjective: To study the effects of Xuesaitong Injection, an extract from a Chinese herbal medicine, on coagulation function of gastric cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery. Methods: Fifty patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for gastric cancer were randomly divided into control group and Xuesaitong group, with 25 patients in each group. Conventional anti-infection and transfusion treatment was given to the patients in the control group, and intravenous drip infusion of 400 mg Xuesaitong Injection added into 250 mL 5% glucose injection was administered once daily to the patients in the Xuesaitong group for 6 days from the first day after laparoscopic operation besides the conventional anti-infection and transfusion treatment. The values of prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (FIB) and international normalized ratio (INR) were detected by using blood coagulation method, and the values of D-dimer (D-D) before operation, instantly and 3, 5, 7 days after operation were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the two groups. Furthermore, the development of deep vein thrombosis on the day 7 after operation was observed by vein angiography. Results: There were no significant differences in the values of PT, APTT, INR, FIB and D-D between the two groups before operation, and there were no significant changes in APTT and INR after operation in the two groups. The values of PT decreased in the two groups on day 3 after operation, while there was no significant difference between the two groups. The value of PT in the control group decreased gradually with the extension of postoperation time (P

Milnacipran versus other antidepressive agents for depression.

2009-07-10T18:03:00.001-07:00

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009; CD006529Nakagawa A, Watanabe N, Omori IM, Barbui C, Cipriani A, McGuire H, Churchill R, Furukawa TABACKGROUND: Although pharmacological and psychological interventions are both effective for major depression, antidepressant drugs are frequently used as first-line treatment in primary and secondary care settings. Milnacipran, a dual serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), is one of the antidepressant drugs that clinicians use for routine depression care. OBJECTIVES: To assess the evidence for the efficacy, acceptability and tolerability of milnacipran in comparison with tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), heterocyclics, SSRIs and other newer antidepressive agents in the acute-phase treatment of major depression. SEARCH STRATEGY: The Cochrane Collaboration Depression, Anxiety & Neurosis review group Controlled Trials Register (CCDANCTR-Studies and CCDANCTR-References) were electronically searched in August 2008. References of relevant trials and other reviews were also checked. Trial databases of the drug-approving agencies and ongoing clinical trial registers for all published and unpublished trials were hand-searched in 2007. All relevant authors were contacted for supplemental data. No language restriction was applied. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials comparing milnacipran with any other active antidepressive agents (including non-conventional agents such as herbal products like hypericum) as monotherapy in the acute phase of major depression were selected. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two reviewers independently checked eligibility, assessed methodological quality and extracted data from the eligible trials using a standardised data extraction form. The number of participants who responded to treatment or those who achieved remission were calculated on an intention-to-treat basis. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted, combining data from the included trials. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 16 randomised controlled trials (n=2277) were included in the meta-analysis.Despite the size of this sample, the pooled 95% confidence intervals were rather wide and there were no statistically significant differences in efficacy, acceptability and tolerability when comparing milnacipran with other antidepressive agents. However, compared with TCAs, patients taking milnacipran were associated with fewer dropouts due to adverse events (OR 0.55; 95%CI 0.35 to 0.85). There was also some weak evidence to suggest that patients taking milnacipran experienced fewer adverse events of sleepiness/ drowsiness, dry mouth or constipation compared with TCAs. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Currently, there is inadequate evidence to conclude whether milnacipran is superior, inferior or the same as other antidepressive agents in terms of efficacy, acceptability and tolerability in the acute phase treatment of major depression. However, there is some evidence in favour of milnacipran over TCAs in terms of dropouts due to adverse events (acceptability) and the rates of experiencing adverse events (tolerability). Information about other clinically meaningful outcomes such as cost-effectiveness and social functioning, including the ability to return to work, is lacking. Further study is needed to answer whether milnacipran would be the better choice of antidepressant for acute major depression.

Chinese herbal medicine for endometriosis.

2009-07-10T16:14:00.001-07:00

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009; CD006568Flower A, Liu JP, Chen S, Lewith G, Little PBACKGROUND: Endometriosis is characterized by the presence of tissue that is morphologically and biologically similar to normal endometrium in locations outside the uterus. Surgical and hormonal treatment of endometriosis have unpleasant side effects and high rates of relapse. In China, treatment of endometriosis using Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is routine and considerable research into the role of CHM in alleviating pain, promoting fertility, and preventing relapse has taken place. OBJECTIVES: To review the effectiveness and safety of CHM in alleviating endometriosis-related pain and infertility. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Menstrual Disorders and Subfertility Group Trials Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library) and the following English language electronic databases (from their inception to the present): MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, NLH on the 30/04/09.We also searched Chinese language electronic databases: Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Sci & Tech Journals (VIP), Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (TCMLARS), and Chinese Medical Current Contents (CMCC). SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) involving CHM versus placebo, biomedical treatment, another CHM intervention, or CHM plus biomedical treatment versus biomedical treatment were selected. Only trials with confirmed randomisation procedures and laparoscopic diagnosis of endometriosis were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Risk of bias assessment, and data extraction and analysis were performed independently by three review authors. Data were combined for meta-analysis using relative risk (RR) for dichotomous data. A fixed-effect statistical model was used, where appropriate. Data not suitable for meta-analysis are presented as descriptive data. MAIN RESULTS: Two Chinese RCTs involving 158 women were included in this review. Both these trials described adequate methodology. Neither trial compared CHM with placebo treatment.There was no evidence of a significant difference in rates of symptomatic relief between CHM and gestrinone administered subsequent to laparoscopic surgery (95.65% versus 93.87%; risk ratio (RR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.93 to 1.12, one RCT). The intention-to-treat analysis also showed no significant difference between the groups (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.18). There was no significant difference between the CHM and gestrinone groups with regard to the total pregnancy rate (69.6% versus 59.1%; RR 1.18, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.59, one RCT).CHM administered orally and then in conjunction with a herbal enema resulted in a greater proportion of women obtaining symptomatic relief than with danazol (RR 5.06, 95% CI 1.28 to 20.05; RR 5.63, 95% CI 1.47 to 21.54, respectively).Overall, 100% of women in all the groups showed some improvement in their symptoms.Oral plus enema administration of CHM showed a greater reduction in average dysmenorrhoea pain scores than did danazol (mean difference (MD) -2.90, 95% CI -4.55 to -1.25; P < 0.01).Combined oral and enema administration of CHM showed a greater improvement, measured as the disappearance or shrinkage of adnexal masses, than with danazol (RR 1.70, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.78). For lumbosacral pain, rectal discomfort, or vaginal nodules tenderness, there was no significant difference either between CHM and danazol. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Post-surgical administration of CHM may have comparable benefits to gestrinone but with fewer side effects. Oral CHM may have a better overall treatment effect than danazol; it may be more effective in relieving dysmenorrhea and shrinking adnexal masses when used in conjunction with a CHM enema. However, more rigorous research is required to accurately assess the potential role of CHM in treating endometriosis.

Spearmint herbal tea has significant anti-androgen effects in polycystic ovarian syndrome. a randomized controlled trial.

2009-07-09T20:44:00.001-07:00

Phytother Res. 2009 Jul 7; Grant PHirsutism in polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), consequent to elevated androgen levels leads to significant cosmetic and psychological problems. Recent research in Turkey has shown that spearmint tea has antiandrogenic properties in females with hirsutism. No research has yet been undertaken to assess whether a reduction in androgen levels brought about by spearmint tea, translates to a clinical improvement in the degree of hirsutism.This study was a two centre, 30 day randomized controlled trial. Forty two volunteers were randomized to take spearmint tea twice a day for a 1 month period and compared with a placebo herbal tea. At 0, 15 and 30 days of the study serum androgen hormone levels and gonadotrophins were checked, the degree of hirsutism was clinically rated using the Ferriman-Galwey score and a questionnaire (the modified DQLI = Dermatology Quality of Life Index) was used to assess improvements in the level of self-reported hirsutism.Forty one of 42 patients completed the study. Free and total testosterone levels were significantly reduced over the 30 day period in the spearmint tea group (p < 0.05). LH and FSH also increased (p < 0.05). Patient's subjective assessments of their degree of hirsutism scored by the modified DQLI were significantly reduced in the spearmint tea group (p < 0.05). There was, however, no significant reduction in the objective Ferriman-Galwey ratings of hirsutism between the two trial groups over the trial duration (p = 0.12). There was a clear and significant alteration in the relevant hormone levels. This is associated clinically with a reduction in the self-reported degree of hirsutism but unfortunately not with the objectively rated score.It was demonstrated and confirmed that spearmint has antiandrogen properties, the simple fact that this does not clearly translate into clinical practice is due to the relationship between androgen hormones and follicular hair growth and cell turnover time. Simply put, the study duration was not long enough. The original studies from Turkey were in fact only 5 days long. The time taken for hirsutism to resolve is significant and a much longer future study is proposed as the preliminary findings are encouraging that spearmint has the potential for use as a helpful and natural treatment for hirsutism in PCOS. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

[Therapeutic effects of traditional Chinese herbal formula with Smilax glabra on mice's lead poisoning]

2009-07-08T08:21:00.001-07:00

Zhong Yao Cai. 2009 Mar; 32(3): 404-6Xia DZ, Wang HM, Yang Q, Jiang LQ, Xia MOBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of traditional Chinese herbal formula with Smilax glabra on lead expelling and oxidative damage in lead-poisoned mice. METHODS: Mice were received intraperitoneal injections of lead acetate to establish lead-poisoned models. The concentration of lead, zinc and copper in blood, brain, liver, kidney and bone were determined. The lipid peroxidation of liver was systematically evaluated. RESULTS: The traditional Chinese herbal formula had no influence on body weight and organ weight/body weight ratio of lead-poisoned mice. The traditional Chinese herbal formula might significantly reduce the concentration of lead in blood, rain, liver, kidney and bone, and the rate were 74%, 48%, 56%, 51% and 44%, but had no influence on zinc's and copper' s concentration. The decreasing rate of MDA levels in liver by the traditional Chinese herbal formula was 31%. In addition, the increase rate of GSH levels and the activities of GSH-Px and SOD in liver by traditional Chinese herbal formula were 63% ,76% and 66%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The traditional Chinese herbal formula with Smilax glabra can significantly advance the excretion of lead and protect liver against oxidative damage induced by lead.

Ethylacetate extract from Draconis Resina inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses in vascular smooth muscle cells and macrophages via suppression of ROS production.

2009-07-07T21:20:00.001-07:00

Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Jul 2; Heo SK, Yi HS, Yun HJ, Ko CH, Choi JW, Park SDDraconis Resina (DR) is a type of dragon's blood resin obtained from Daemomorops draco BL. (Palmae). DR has long been used as a traditional Korean herbal medicine, and is currently used in traditional clinics to treat wounds, tumors, diarrhea, and rheumatism, insect bites and other conditions. In this study, we evaluated fractionated extracts of DR to determine if they inhibited the production of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. The results of this analysis revealed that the ethylacetate extract of Draconis Resina (DREA) was more potent than that of other extracts. Moreover, DREA inhibited the production of nitric oxide (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS), prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-8 and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC) and RAW 264.7 macrophages. Furthermore, treatment with an NADPH oxidase assembly inhibitor, AEBSF, efficiently blocked LPS-induced mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) activation, as did DREA. These findings indicate that DREA inhibits the production of NO, PGE(2), TNF-alpha, IL-8, and IL-6 by LPS via the inhibition of ROS production, which demonstrates that DREA inhibits LPS-induced inflammatory responses via the suppression of ROS production. Taken together, these results indicate that DREA has the potential for use as an anti-atherosclerosis agent.

Growth inhibition of estrogen receptor positive human breast cancer cells by Taheebo from the inner bark of Tabebuia avellandae tree.

2009-07-07T18:57:00.001-07:00

Int J Mol Med. 2009 Aug; 24(2): 253-60Mukherjee B, Telang N, Wong GYSelective estrogen receptor (ER) modulators are used as a therapy for ER+ clinical breast cancer, but they exhibit adverse effects. Herbal medicines may provide an alternative or complementary approach. Taheebo, extracted from the inner bark of the Tabebuia avellandae tree found in the Brazilian Amazon, exhibits selective anti-proliferative effects in carcinoma cell lines. The present study identifies the mechanistic leads for the inhibitory effects of Taheebo. Human breast carcinoma derived ER+MCF-7 cells were used as the model. Aqueous extract of Taheebo was the test compound. Cell cycle analysis, clonogenic assay, and global gene expression profiles were the quantitative parameters. Taheebo treatment resulted in a dose/time-dependent growth inhibition (S phase arrest, reduced clonogenecity) and initiation of apoptosis (chromatin condensation). A 6-h treatment with 1.5 mg/ml Taheebo modulated the gene expression of G2 specific cyclin B1 (-2.0-fold); S phase specific PCNA (-2.0-fold) and OKL38 (+11.0-fold); apoptosis specific GADD-45 family (+1.9-5.4-fold), Caspases (+1.6-1.7-fold), BCL-2 family (-1.5-2.5-fold), estrogen responsive ESR1 (-1.5-fold), and xeno-biotic metabolism specific CYP 1A1 (+19.8 fold) and CYP 1B1 (+7.9-fold). The anti-proliferative effects of Taheebo correlate with down-regulated cell cycle regulatory and estrogen responsive genes, and up-regulated apoptosis specific and xeno-biotic metabolism specific genes. These data validate a rapid mechanistic approach to prioritize efficacious herbal medicines, thereby complementing the existing endocrine therapy for breast cancer.

Antiplasmodial Activity of Punica granatum L. Fruit Rind.

2009-07-07T16:51:00.001-07:00

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 2; Dell'agli M, Galli GV, Corbett Y, Taramelli D, Lucantoni L, Habluetzel A, Maschi O, Caruso D, Giavarini F, Romeo S, Bhattacharya DETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Sun-dried rind of the immature fruit of Punica granatum L. (Punicaceae) (Pg) is presently used as a herbal formulation (OMARIA) in Orissa, India, for the therapy and prophylaxis of malaria. The aims of this study were: (i) to assess in vitro the antiplasmodial activity of the methanolic extract, of a tannin enriched fraction and of compounds/metabolites of the antimalarial plant, (ii) to estimate the curative efficacy of the Pg extracts and (iii) to explore the mechanism of action of the antiplasmodial compounds. Urolithins, the ellagitannin metabolites, were also investigated for antiplasmodial activity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chloroquine-susceptible (D10) and - resistant (W2) strains of Pf were used for in vitro studies and the rodent malaria model P. berghei - Balb/c mice was used for in vivo assessments. Recombinant plasmepsins 2 and 4 were used to investigate the interference of Pg compounds with the metabolism of haemoglobin by malaria parasites. RESULTS: The Pg methanolic extract (Pg-MeOH) inhibited parasite growth in vitro with a IC(50) of 4.5 and 2.8mug/ml, for D10 and W2 strain, respectively. The activity was found to be associated to the fraction enriched with tannins (Pg-FET, IC(50) 2.9 and 1.5mug/ml) in which punicalagins (29.1%), punicalins, ellagic acid (13.4%) and its glycoside could be identified. Plasmepsin 2 was inhibited by Pg-MeOH extract and by Pg-FET (IC(50) 7.3 and 3.0mug/ml), which could partly explain the antiparasitic effect. On the contrary, urolithins were inactive. Both Pg-MeOH extract and Pg-FET did not show any in vivo efficacy in the murine model. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro studies support the use of Pg as antimalarial remedy. Possible explanations for the negative in vivo results are discussed.

Simultaneous determination of eight major steroids from Polyporus umbellatus by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detections.

2009-07-06T23:00:00.001-07:00

Biomed Chromatogr. 2009 Jul 1; Zhao YY, Cheng XL, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Lin RC, Sun WJPolyporus umbellatus is a widely used diuretic herbal medicine. In this study, a high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-mass spectrometric detection (HPLC-APCI-MS) method was developed for qualitative and quantitative analysis of steroids, as well as for the quality control of Polyporus umbellatus. The selectivity, reproducibility and sensitivity were compared with HPLC with photodiode array detection and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). Selective ion monitoring in positive mode was used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of eight major components and beta-ecdysterone was used as the internal standard. Limits of detection and quantification fell in the ranges 7-21 and 18-63 ng/mL for the eight analytes with an injection of 10 microL samples, and all calibration curves showed good linear regression (r(2) > 0.9919) within the test range. The quantitative results demonstrated that samples from different localities showed different qualities. Advantages, in comparison with conventional HPLC-diode array detection and HPLC-ELSD, are that reliable identification of target compounds could be achieved by accurate mass measurements along with characteristic retention time, and the great enhancement in selectivity and sensitivity allows identification and quantification of low levels of constituents in complex Polyporus umbellatus matrixes. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A systematic review of the efficacy and safety of herbal medicines used in the treatment of obesity.

2009-07-06T01:41:00.001-07:00

World J Gastroenterol. 2009 Jul 7; 15(25): 3073-3085Hasani-Ranjbar S, Nayebi N, Larijani B, Abdollahi MThis review focuses on the efficacy and safety of effective herbal medicines in the management of obesity in humans and animals. PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and IranMedex databases were searched up to December 30, 2008. The search terms were "obesity" and ("herbal medicine" or "plant", "plant medicinal" or "medicine traditional") without narrowing or limiting search elements. All of the human and animal studies on the effects of herbs with the key outcome of change in anthropometric measures such as body weight and waist-hip circumference, body fat, amount of food intake, and appetite were included. In vitro studies, reviews, and letters to editors were excluded. Of the publications identified in the initial database, 915 results were identified and reviewed, and a total of 77 studies were included (19 human and 58 animal studies). Studies with Cissus quadrangularis (CQ), Sambucus nigra, Asparagus officinalis, Garcinia atroviridis, ephedra and caffeine, Slimax (extract of several plants including Zingiber officinale and Bofutsushosan) showed a significant decrease in body weight. In 41 animal studies, significant weight loss or inhibition of weight gain was found. No significant adverse effects or mortality were observed except in studies with supplements containing ephedra, caffeine and Bofutsushosan. In conclusion, compounds containing ephedra, CQ, ginseng, bitter melon, and zingiber were found to be effective in the management of obesity. Attention to these natural compounds would open a new approach for novel therapeutic and more effective agents.

Herbal Supplement Use and Blood Lead Levels of United States Adults.

2009-07-05T22:31:00.001-07:00

J Gen Intern Med. 2009 Jul 3; Buettner C, Mukamal KJ, Gardiner P, Davis RB, Phillips RS, Mittleman MABACKGROUND: Some herbal supplements may contain lead. OBJECTIVE: To examine whether use of specific herbal dietary supplements during the last 30 days is associated with blood lead levels in US men and women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. STUDY POPULATION: NHANES participants from 1999-2004, a representative sample of the civilian non-institutionalized US population. MEASUREMENTS: Lead was measured in blood. Associations between lead and self-reported supplement use were estimated using multivariable regression weighted to account for NHANES sampling. Herbal supplements investigated were those previously reported to contain high heavy metal content: Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine herbs, echinacea, ginkgo, ginseng, St. John's wort, and "other" herbs (specifically, kava, valerian, black cohosh, bee pollen, and nettle). MAIN RESULTS: Among 6,712 women >/=20 years, those using herbal supplements had lead levels that were 10% higher than non-users (95% CI 3%-17%, p = 0.005). Women using Ayurvedic or traditional Chinese medicine herbs, St. John's wort, and "other" herbs had lead levels 24% (95% CI 5%-45%, p = 0.01), 23% (95% CI 4%-46%), p = 0.02), and 21% (95% CI 2%-44%, p = 0.03) higher, respectively, than non-users. No significant associations were observed between herb use and lead levels among men (n = 6,095). Among reproductive-aged women (16-45 years), herbal supplement users had lead levels 20% higher than non-users (95% CI 5%-34%, p = 0.008). In contrast, garlic and other dietary supplements were not associated with higher lead levels. CONCLUSION: Use of specific herbal supplements is associated with higher blood lead levels among women. Our data suggest testing guidelines for herbal supplements and regulations limiting lead in supplements are needed.

Anti-tumor effect of Liqi, a traditional Chinese medicine prescription, in tumor bearing mice.

2009-07-05T19:01:00.001-07:00

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2009 Jul 1; 9(1): 20Ji DB, Ye J, Jiang YM, Qian BWABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Liqi, an herbal preparation used in traditional Chinese medicine, has been used to treat cancer in China for centuries. We investigated the anti-tumor effects of liqi and their mechanisms in mice that had been xenografted with tumors. METHODS: Sarcoma 180 tumor, Lewis lung carcinoma, and SGC-7901 cells were implanted in BALB/c mice, C57BL/6 mice, and BALB/c nude mice, respectively. Liqi was administered to subgroups of these mice. The tumor weight and size were measured. Cell cycle assay and T lymphocyte subsets were determined by flow cytometry. The activity of NK cells and TNF was tested using cytotoxicity assay on YAC-1 cells and L929 cells, respectively, and the activity of IL-2 was tested with an IL-2-dependent CTLL-2 cell proliferation assay. Platelet aggregation was monitored by measuring electric impedance, and the levels of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) in blood were measured by 125I-TXB2 and 125I-Keto-PGF1alpha radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: The results showed that liqi inhibited tumor growth in tumor-implanted mice and arrested the cell proliferation in the G0/G1 phase and reduced the portion of cells in S and G2/M phase for SGC-7901 cells. Liqi increased the activity of NK cells and TNF-alpha, stimulated IL-2 production and activity, and regulated T lymphocyte subpopulations. Liqi inhibited the Lewis lung carcinoma metastasis by inhibiting platelet aggregation and normalizing the balance between TXA2 and PGI2. CONCLUSIONS: All these findings demonstrated that liqi has an anti-tumor effect in vivo. The mechanism may be related to immune regulation and anticoagulation effects.

Parasite control in the age of drug resistance and changing agricultural practices.

2009-07-05T17:58:00.001-07:00

Vet Parasitol. 2009 Jun 13; Molento MBThe benefits of using antiparasitic drugs in farm animals are unquestionable. However, despite anthelmintic use as the predominant control strategy, extreme parasite infection cases are appearing in sheep and goat production; these impact productivity and have show mortality rates reaching pre-drug use levels. This was a predictable situation resulting from the loss of efficacy by all available products, particularly when some products were used as the sole intervention. The concepts of agroecology and holistic agriculture, which advocate the use of integrated management strategies, such as target selected treatment, herbal medicine, and the application of other parasite control alternatives, are not completely new, but are undergoing a resurgence because of their more sustainable appeal. The objective of this review article is to examine the problem of parasite control in the face of parasite drug resistance and to outline some strategies that may be used in parasite control programmes. Before they are accepted and recommended by the WAAVP, agroecological methods such as those listed above and described in detail herein should be validated based on scientific evidence of their efficacy for parasite control and should be tested for both host and environmental safety.

Effect of Three Herbal Extracts on NO and PGE2 Production by Activated Mouse Macrophage-like Cells.

2009-07-03T21:27:00.001-07:00

In Vivo. 2009 Jul-Aug; 23(4): 537-44Chu Q, Hashimoto K, Satoh K, Wang Q, Sakagami HThree Chinese herbal extracts, Drynaria baronii, Angelica sinensis and Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc (referred to as DB, AS, CO, respectively), were investigated for their possible anti-inflammatory activity. DB, AS and CO inhibited nitric oxide (NO) production by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated mouse macrophage-like RAW264.7 cells. Western blot and RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that this was due to the inhibition of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression at both protein and mRNA levels. Electron-spin resonance spectroscopy showed that DB, AS and CO dose-dependently scavenged the NO radical produced by NOC-7 in the presence of carboxy-PTIO. In order to confirm the anti-inflammatory potency, effects on prostaglandin (PG) E(2) production and the expression of enzymes involved in the arachidonic acid pathway were next investigated. DB and CO effectively inhibited the PGE(2) production by LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells, although the extent of inhibition of PGE(2) production was slightly lower than that of NO production. AS only marginally inhibited the LPS-stimulated PGE(2) production. DB, AS and CO inhibited cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 expression at both protein and mRNA levels, but to much lesser extents as compared with that for iNOS expression. These data further substantiate the anti-inflammatory potency of DB, AS and CO.

Triptolide functions as a potent angiogenesis inhibitor.

2009-07-03T15:27:00.001-07:00

Int J Cancer. 2009 Jun 30; He MF, Huang YH, Wu LW, Ge W, Shaw PC, But PPTriptolide is a key anti-inflammatory compound of the Chinese herbal medicine Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (Celastraceae). It also possesses potent anti-tumor activity. In this study, we show that triptolide is an angiogenesis inhibitor based on various angiogenesis assays. The IC(50) in in vitro assays was 45 nM, which was much lower than the plasma concentrations of triptolide in the rat or human administered with T. wilfordii extracts for treating inflammation. When dosed in vivo, triptolide potently inhibited angiogenesis at 100 nM in Matrigel plug assay. Triptolide at 0.75 mg/kg/day significantly blocked tumor angiogenesis and tumor progression in murine tumorigenesis assay. The underlying mechanism of triptolide correlated with down-regulation of proangiogenic Tie2 and VEGFR-2 expression in HUVEC by semi-quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Although Tie2 inhibition appeared to be a later event as compared with VEGFR-2, Tie2 over-expression significantly attenuated the inhibitory effect of triptolide on endothelial proliferation and network formation. By contrast, Tie2 knockdown mimicked the inhibitory effect of triptolide on endothelial network formation. Our findings suggest that anti-tumor action of triptolide is partly via inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by blocking two endothelial receptor-mediated signaling pathways, and triptolide can be a promising anti-angiogenic agent. (c) 2009 UICC.

Comments on serious anaphylaxis caused by nine Chinese herbal injections used to treat common colds and upper respiratory tract infections.

2009-07-03T01:59:00.001-07:00

Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2009 Jun 23; Ji K, Chen J, Li M, Liu Z, Xia L, Wang C, Zhan Z, Wu XReports describing severe allergic shock and fatality following treatment of a common cold or upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) with a Chinese herbal injection were collected. Our analysis of the risks associated with this treatment suggested that the potential risk of serious, or even lethal, anaphylaxis should preclude its use in treating common colds and URTIs. In light of our findings herein, we propose the following five suggestions for improving the clinical safety of delivering Chinese herbal injections as medical treatments. First, Chinese herbal injections should not be delivered in the clinic to treat patients in accordance with Bian zheng lun zhi (broad-spectrum application based on holistic Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory and methodology), but rather they should be administered to target specific indicated disease processes. Second, Chinese herbal injection indications should be based on the results of double-blind randomized controlled clinical trials. Third, Chinese herbal injections should be used only in cases involving severe disease or to rescue patients in critical condition; they should not be used to treat mild, relatively innocuous diseases, such as common colds and upper respiratory tract infections, given the risk of doing harm. Fourth, Chinese herbal injection formulas should include materials from only a single or a small number of plant sources in known quantities. Fifth, more studies examining the toxicology and allergenic potential of Chinese herbal injections are needed.

Gastroprotective Effect of an Aqueous Suspension of Black Cumin Nigella sativa on Necrotizing Agents-Induced Gastric Injury in Experimental Animals.

2009-07-02T23:08:00.001-07:00

Saudi J Gastroenterol. 2008 Jul; 14(3): 128-34Al Mofleh IA, Alhaider AA, Mossa JS, Al-Sohaibani MO, Al-Yahya MA, Rafatullah S, Shaik SABACKGROUND/AIM: Previous studies on "Black seed" or "Black Cumin" Nigella sativa (NS) have reported a large number of pharmacological activities including its anti-ulcer potential. These studies employed either fixed oil, volatile oil components or different solvent extracts. In folkloric practices, NS seeds are taken as such, in the form of coarse dry powder or the powdered seeds are mixed with water. This study examines the effect of NS aqueous suspension on experimentally induced gastric ulcers and basal gastric secretion in rats to rationalize its use by herbal and Unani medicine practitioners. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was conducted at the Medicinal, Aromatic and Poisonous Plants Research Center, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Acute gastric ulceration was produced by various noxious chemicals (80% ethanol, 0.2 M NaOH, 25% NaCl and indomethacin) in Wistar albino rats. Anti-secretory studies were undertaken in a separate group of rats. Gastric wall mucus contents and non-protein sulfhydryl concentration were estimated, and gastric tissue was examined histopathologically. RESULTS: An aqueous suspension of Black seed significantly prevented gastric ulcer formation induced by necrotizing agents. It also significantly ameliorated the ulcer severity and basal gastric acid secretion in pylorus-ligated Shay rats. Moreover, the suspension significantly replenished the ethanol-induced depleted gastric wall mucus content levels and gastric mucosal non-protein sulfhydryl concentration. The anti-ulcer effect was further confirmed histopathologically. CONCLUSION: These findings validate the use of Black seed in gastropathies induced by necrotizing agents. The anti-ulcer effect of NS is possibly prostaglandin-mediated and/or through its antioxidant and anti-secretory activities.

Abnormal Savda Munziq, an Herbal Preparation of Traditional Uighur Medicine, may Prevent 1,2-dimethylhydrazine-induced Rat Colon Carcinogenesis.

2009-07-02T15:58:00.001-07:00

Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009 Jun 26; Yusup A, Upur H, Umar A, Berke B, Yimit D, Lapham JC, Moore N, Cassand PThe study tried to assess the chemoprotective effect of abnormal Savda Munziq (ASMq) on 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-induced rat colon carcinogenesis. Male F344 rats were randomized into eight groups: Group 1 was served as control, no DMH injection was given and treated daily with normal saline. Rats in Groups 2-8 were given a single intraperitoneal injection of DMH (20 mg/kg body weight) at the beginning of the study. Group 2 was served as negative control, administered with normal saline until the end of the experiment after the single DMH injection. Groups 3-5 were served as pretreatment group, administered with ASMq ethanol extract at 400, 800 and 1600 mg/kg body weight, respectively, until the 45th day, continued by normal saline administration for another 45 days. Groups 6-8 were served as the treatment group, administered with normal saline for the first 45 days from the day of DMH injection, ASMq ethanol extract at three different doses to be administered until the end of the second 45th day. All rats were sacrificed at 91st day and the colons were analyzed for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) formation and crypt multiplicity. Results showed that ASMq ethanol extract reduced the number of ACF, AC and crypt multiplicity significantly (P < 0.05). It suggested that ASMq ethanol extract had chemoprotective effects on DMH-induced colon carcinogenesis, by suppressing the development of preneoplastic lesions, and probably exerted protection against the initiation and promotion steps of colon carcinogenesis.

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-07-02T02:28:00.001-07:00

Drugs Aging. 2009; 26(5): 423-36Loya AM, GonzÃ¡lez-Stuart A, Rivera JOThe use of multiple medications, herbs or nutritional supplements can lead to adverse consequences, particularly in the elderly. A significant consequence resulting from polypharmacy, polyherbacy and nutritional supplement use is the potential for interactions to occur among the various products. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of polypharmacy, polyherbacy, nutritional supplement use and potential product interactions among older adults living on the US-Mexico border. This was a descriptive study that involved the administration of a bilingual (English/Spanish) questionnaire to a convenience sample of adults aged >/=60 years recruited from senior centres located within the most populated US-Mexico border region from June 2005 to March 2006. Participant demographics were collected in addition to information about current use of prescription medications, over-the-counter (OTC) medications, herbal products and nutritional supplements (i.e. nutraceuticals and vitamins or minerals). The outcomes measured were the number of prescription medications, OTC medications, herbal products, vitamins/minerals and nutraceuticals per participant. Furthermore, the number of potential interactions and major interactions between drugs, herbal products and nutritional supplements were identified for each participant. Additionally, product use patterns between men and women and among locations within the border region were compared. One-hundred-and-thirty participants (mean age 71.4 years) were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The prevalence of polypharmacy among all participants was 72.3% (n = 94), with 38.5% (n = 50) taking five or more concomitant medications (major polypharmacy). Twenty-one participants (16.2%) in the study sample reported taking two or more herbal products (polyherbacy). Thirty-four participants (26.2%) reported taking two or more vitamin/mineral supplements and nine (6.9%) reported using two or more nutraceuticals. Participants living on the US side of the border had higher rates of major polypharmacy, polyherbacy and use of nutritional supplements than those living on the Mexican side of the border. Overall, there were no significant differences in medication, herbal product and nutritional supplement use patterns between men and women. Evaluation of potential interactions revealed that 46.2% (n = 60) of participants were at risk of having at least one potential drug-drug interaction. Regarding drug and herbal product-supplement interactions, 31.5% (n = 41) of participants were at risk of having at least one possible interaction. The prevalence of polypharmacy among older adults living on the US side of the border was similar to national trends (estimates suggest that one-quarter to one-half of US adults aged >/=65 years take five or more medications). However, polypharmacy was less common in older adults living on the Mexican side of the border. Additionally, herb use was higher in older adults living on the US-Mexico border than has been reported in national surveys of US adults, which indicate that less than one-quarter of adults have used a herbal product within the previous 12 months. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that older adults living on the US side of the border consumed more herbs and nutritional supplements than their Mexican counterparts. In addition to describing product use patterns on the border, these findings suggest that almost half of the older adult participants were at risk for a potential drug-drug interaction, with approximately one-third having a potential interaction between their medications, herbs or nutritional supplements.

Japanese herbal medicine in functional gastrointestinal disorders.

2009-07-01T17:54:00.000-07:00

Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2009 Jul; 21(7): 688-96Suzuki H, Inadomi JM, Hibi TManagement of functional gastrointestinal disorders is hindered by both poor efficacy and adverse effects of traditional pharmacological therapy. Herbal medicine may be an attractive alternative based on the perception of its 'natural' approach and low risk of side effects; however, the lack of standardization of drug components has limited the ability to perform rigorous clinical studies in Western countries. Japanese herbal medicine (JHM) is a standardized form of herbal medicine with regards to the quality and quantities of ingredients. While extensively studied and widely used in Asia, there is a paucity of data upon which physicians in other parts of the world may draw conclusions regarding the effectiveness of herbal medicine for gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to summarize the most recent developments in JHM for treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders. Animal and human studies were systematically reviewed to identify published data of JHM used for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The herbal components of JHM were examined. Results describing the physiological and clinical effects of JHM were abstracted, with an emphasis on functional gastrointestinal disorders. JHM are associated with a variety of beneficial physiological on the gastrointestinal system. Patient-based clinical outcomes are improved in several conditions. Rikkunnshi-to reduces symptoms and reverses physiological abnormalities associated with functional dyspepsia, while dai-kenchu-to improves symptoms of postoperative ileus and constipation in children. This updated summary of JHM in the field of gastrointestinal disorders illustrates the potential for herbal medication to serve a valuable role in the management of patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-07-01T15:11:00.001-07:00

Determination of senkirkine and senecionine in Tussilago farfara using microwave-assisted extraction and pressurized hot water extraction with liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

2009-07-01T02:38:00.001-07:00

Talanta. 2009 Jul 15; 79(2): 539-46Jiang Z, Liu F, Goh JJ, Yu L, Li SF, Ong ES, Ong CNTussilago farfara (Kuan Donghua) is an important Chinese herbal medicine which has been shown to contain many bioactive compounds and widely used to relieve cough and resolve phlegm. However, besides therapeutic bioactive compounds, this herb has been found to contain toxic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), mainly senkirkine and traces of senecionine. In this report, conditions for microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and pressurized hot water extraction (PHWE) were optimized for the extraction of the PAs. The results were compared against heating under reflux. It was found that the binary mixture of MeOH:H(2)O (1:1) acidified using HCl to pH 2-3 was the optimal solvent for the extraction of the PAs in the plant materials. Liquid chromatography (LC) with ultra-violet (UV) detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) in the positive mode was used for the determination and quantitation of senkirkine and senecionine in the botanical extract. The proposed extraction methods with LC/MS allow for the rapid detection of the major and the minor alkaloids in T. farfara in the presence of co-eluting peaks. With LC/MS, the quantitative analysis of PAs in the extract was done using internal standard calibration and the precision was found to vary from 0.6% to 5.4% on different days. The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantitation (LOQs) for MAE and PHWE were found to vary from 0.26 microg/g to 1.04 micro/g and 1.32 micro/g to 5.29 microg/g, respectively. The method precision of MAE and PHWE were found to vary from 3.7% to 10.4% on different days. The results showed that major and minor alkaloids extracted using MAE and PHWE were comparable to that by heating under reflux. Our data also showed that significant ion suppression was not observed in the analysis of senkirkine and senecionine in the botanical extracts with co-eluting peaks.

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-06-30T16:37:00.001-07:00

Antihyperlipidemic effect of Garlip, a polyherbal formulation in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.

2009-06-30T15:15:00.001-07:00

Food Chem Toxicol. 2009 Jun 22; Banu GS, Kumar G, Murugesan AGThis study was undertaken to investigate the effect of Garlip, a poly herbal drug composed of aqueous extract of six medicinal plants on blood glucose, plasma insulin, tissue lipid profile, and lipidperoxidation in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. Aqueous extract of Garlip a, poly herbal drug was administered orally (200 mg/kg body weight) for 30 days. The different doses of Garlip on blood glucose and plasma insulin in diabetic rats were studied and the levels of lipid peroxides [TBARS, and Hydroperoxide] and tissue lipids [cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipides and free fatty acids] were also estimated in streptozotocin induced diabetic rats. The effects were compared with tolbutamide. Treatment with Garlip and tolbutamide resulted in a significant reduction of blood glucose and increase in plasma insulin. Garlip also resulted in a significant decrease in tissue lipids and lipid peroxide formation. The effect produced by Garlip was comparable with that of tolbutamide. The decreased lipid peroxides and tissue lipids clearly showed the antihyperlipidemic and antiperoxidative effect of Garlip apart from its antidiabetic effect.

Ramelteon: new drug. Insomnia: no role for risky placebos.

2009-06-30T06:39:00.001-07:00

Prescrire Int. 2008 Oct; 17(97): 183-6(1) Patients complaining of insomnia should first be treated with non-drug measures (information, advice). Short-course benzodiazepine therapy can be tried if non-drug measures and established herbal remedies fail; (2) Ramelteon, a drug that antagonises receptors for melatonin, a hormone involved in circadian rhythms, is being considered for European marketing authorization in the treatment of insomnia; (3) Ramelteon has only been compared with placebo in clinical trials. Only one of three trials in which the patients were studied in their normal environment showed that ramelteon reduced the time to sleep onset, only by about 10 minutes. A similar reduction was observed in the artificial conditions of a sleep laboratory. There was no effect on sleep duration or on the number of night-time awakenings; (4) Ramelteon does not appear to have the disadvantages of benzodiazepines, such as residual daytime drowsiness, rebound insomnia on drug withdrawal, and dependence. But ramelteon provokes hyperprolactinaemia and was carcinogenic in experimental animals; (5) In practice, when a drug is needed for a patient complaining of insomnia, the best options are phytotherapy or short-course benzodiazepine treatment.

Studies on the metabolism of mitragynine, the main alkaloid of the herbal drug Kratom, in rat and human urine using liquid chromatography-linear ion trap mass spectrometry.

2009-06-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

J Mass Spectrom. 2009 Jun 17; Philipp AA, Wissenbach DK, Zoerntlein SW, Klein ON, Kanogsunthornrat J, Maurer HHMitragynine (MG) is an indole alkaloid of the Thai medicinal plant Mitragyna speciosa (Kratom in Thai) and reported to have opioid agonistic properties. Because of its stimulant and euphoric effects, Kratom is used as a herbal drug of abuse. The aim of the presented study is to identify the phase I and II metabolites of MG in rat and human urine after solid-phase extraction (SPE) using liquid chromatography-linear ion trap mass spectrometry providing detailed structure information in the MS(n) mode particularly with high resolution. The seven identified phase I metabolites indicated that MG was metabolized by hydrolysis of the methylester in position 16, O-demethylation of the 9-methoxy group and of the 17-methoxy group, followed, via the intermediate aldehydes, by oxidation to carboxylic acids or reduction to alcohols and combinations of some steps. In rats, four metabolites were additionally conjugated to glucuronides and one to sulfate, but in humans, three metabolites to glucuronides and three to sulfates. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of a photosensitive, high-throughput chip-based superoxide dismutase (SOD) assay to explore the radioprotective activity of herbal plants.

2009-06-30T01:45:00.001-07:00

Biosens Bioelectron. 2009 May 27; Naoghare PK, Kwon HT, Song JMAppropriate pharmacological interventions and modalities are needed to protect humans against the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation. We disclose a rapid chip-based approach to elucidate the radioprotective/antioxidant potential of herbal plants using a photodiode array (PDA) microchip system. Red light absorption property of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) formazan was applied to chip-based superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity measurements of six herbal plant extracts in a high-throughput manner. SOD activities obtained via gel-based assays were in line with the data obtained through the chip-based assay and hence validated our approach. Compared to amifostine, all the tested herbal plant extracts, except apricot kernel, demonstrated greater radioprotective properties. Among the tested herbal extracts, pueraria root showed the highest antioxidant/radioprotective activity and can be considered a preferred radioprotector candidate. Low standard deviations and high statistical confidence obtained during the assay prove the sensitivity and consistency of this approach. The developed approach has several advantages (simplicity, rapidness and portability) over existing methods and can be applied to high-throughput screening of the radioprotective properties of various unexplored plants species.

Place of birth and characteristics of infants with congenital and early-onset hearing loss in a developing country.

2009-06-29T23:01:00.001-07:00

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2009 Jun 18; Olusanya BO, Somefun AOOBJECTIVE: To determine the characteristics of infants with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and the relationship with place of birth. METHODS: Subjects were drawn from hospital-based and community-based universal infant hearing screening programs concurrently conducted from May 2005 to April 2008 in Lagos, Nigeria. Maternal and infant characteristics of children born in hospitals and detected with SNHL were compared with those born outside hospitals. Each program consisted of a first-stage screening with transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE) followed by second-stage automated auditory brainstem response (AABR). Hearing status was confirmed by diagnostic auditory brainstem response, tympanometry and visual response audiometry. RESULTS: A total of 4718 infants were screened under the hospital-based program out of which 12 (0.3%) infants were confirmed with SNHL whereas 71 (1.0%) of the 7179 infants screened under the community-based program were confirmed with SNHL. Of all infants with SNHL 39 (47.0%) were born in hospitals suggesting that 27 (38.0%) of infants under the community-based program were born in hospitals. Prevalence of SNHL ranged from 4.0 per 1000 among infants born in government hospitals to 23 per 1000 among those born in family homes. Mothers of those born outside hospitals were significantly likely to belong to the Yoruba tribe (p

Simultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spect

2009-06-29T18:11:00.001-07:00

J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2009 May 30; Deevanhxay P, Suzuki M, Maeshibu N, Li H, Tanaka K, Hirose SSimultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum was successfully performed by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/IT-TOF MS). A total of 32 compounds, including 2 benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, 3 aporphine alkaloids, 12 quaternary protoberberine alkaloids, 10 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, 3 tetrahydroprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound were simultaneously separated and characterized by matching the empirical molecular formulae with those published in literature and the multi-stage mass spectrometry (MS(n)) data obtained using structural information from IT, accurate mass measurement obtained from TOF MS, and HPLC separation. A total of 20 compounds, including 4 novel natural products were identified or tentatively identified for the first time from Coscinium fenestratum. In the positive-ion mode, 8-oxoprotoberberines produced [M+H](+) and [M+Na](+); the fragmentation of 8-oxodihydroprotoberberines produced [M+H-CH(3)] (+), [M+H-CH(3)-CH(3)](+), and [M+H-CH(3)-CH(3)-CO](+), while 8-oxotetrahydroprotoberberines generated [M+H-CH(3)](+), [M+H-CH(3)-CH(3)](+), [M+H-CH(3)-H](+), and iminium ions from the cleavage of the protoberberine skeleton. The method can be applied for the analysis of 8-oxoberberine and other alkaloids in Coptis japonica, Phellodendron amurense, and other herbal medicines.

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-06-29T16:18:00.001-07:00

Simultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spect

2009-06-29T15:27:00.001-07:00

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-06-29T01:52:00.001-07:00

Simultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spect

2009-06-28T20:50:00.001-07:00

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-06-28T18:07:00.001-07:00

Ultrastructural Changes on Clinical Isolates of Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, and Microsporum gypseum Caused by Solanum chrysotrichum Saponin SC-2.

2009-06-28T15:48:00.001-07:00

Planta Med. 2009 Jun 23; LÃ³pez-Villegas EO, Herrera-Arellano A, de Los Ãngeles MartÃnez-Rivera M, Alvarez L, Cano-Nepauseno M, Marquina S, RodrÃguez-Tovar AV, Tortoriello JWorldwide, dermatophytoses represent a high percentage of all superficial mycoses. The most frequently isolated dermatophyte is TRICHOPHYTON RUBRUM. SOLANUM CHRYSOTRICHUM is a vegetal species widely used in Mexican traditional medicine to treat skin infections; its extract has been used to formulate an herbal medicinal product that is used successfully to treat TINEA PEDIS. Spirostanic saponin SC-2 from S. CHRYSOTRICHUM possesses high activity against dermatophytes. The present study reports the ultrastructural changes observed by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in clinical isolates of T. RUBRUM, T. MENTAGROPHYTES, and MICROSPORUM GYPSEUM induced by saponin SC-2. Strains were grown in RPMI 1640 containing SC-2 (1600 microg/mL). Fungi were harvested at 6, 12, 24, and 48 h; controls without SC-2 were included. T. MENTAGROPHYTES was the most susceptible to the SC-2 saponin, followed by M. GYPSEUM, while T. RUBRUM was the most resistant. The main alterations caused by the SC-2 saponin were as follows: i) loss of cytoplasmic membrane continuity; ii) organelle degradation; iii) to a lesser extent, irreversible damage to the fungal wall; and iv) cellular death.

Inhibitory effect of saponin fraction from Codonopsis lanceolata on immune cell-mediated inflammatory responses.

2009-06-28T02:19:00.001-07:00

Arch Pharm Res. 2009 Jun; 32(6): 813-22Byeon SE, Choi WS, Hong EK, Lee J, Rhee MH, Park HJ, Cho JYSaponin components are known to be pharmaceutically, cosmetically and nutraceutically valuable principles found in various herbal medicine. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory role of saponin fraction (SF), prepared from C. lanceolata, an ethnopharmacologically famous plant, on various inflammatory responses managed by monocytes, macrophages, lymphocytes and mast cells. SF clearly suppressed the release of nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, but not prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)). While this fraction did not scavenge the reactivity of SNP-induced radicals in RAW264. 7 cells, it negatively modulated the phagocytic uptake of macrophages treated with FITC-dextran. Interestingly, SF completely diminished cell-cell adhesion events induced by both CD29 and CD43, but not cell-fibronectin adhesion. Concanavalin (Con) A [as well phytohemaglutinin A (PHA)]-induced proliferation of splenic lymphocytes as well as interferon (IFN)-gamma production were also clearly suppressed by SF treatment. Finally, SF also significantly blocked the degranulation process of mast cell line RBL-2H3 cell as assessed by DNP-BSA-induced beta-hexosaminidase activity. The anti-inflammatory activities of SF on NO production seemed to be due to inhibition of nuclear factor (NF)-kappaB activation signaling, since it blocked the phosphorylation of inhibitor of kappaB (IkappaB)alpha as well as inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression. Therefore, these results suggest that SF may be considered as a promising herbal medicine with potent anti-inflammatory actions.

Neuroprotective effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate against beta-amyloid-induced oxidative and nitrosative cell death via augmentation of antioxidant defense capacity.

2009-06-27T22:03:00.001-07:00

Arch Pharm Res. 2009 Jun; 32(6): 869-81Kim CY, Lee C, Park GH, Jang JHbeta-Amyloid (Abeta) peptide, a major component of senile plaques has been regarded to play a crucial role in the development and neuropathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Increasing data from in vitro and in vivo studies indicate that Abeta-induced damages in neurons and glia are mediated via nitrosative as well as oxidative stress. Therefore, recent researches have been focused on searching for dietary and herbal manipulations to protect against the Abeta-induced oxidative and/or nitrosative cell death. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), one of these candidates is a major polyphenolic compound present in green tea and has been reported to exhibit potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of EGCG against Abeta-induced oxidative and/or nitrosative cell death in BV2 microglia. Abeta treatment led to apoptosis in BV2 cells as revealed by DNA fragmentation, perturbation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, and alterations in the expression of apoptosis-regulator Bcl-2 family proteins. EGCG pretreatment effectively ameliorated Abeta-induced cytotoxicity and manifestation of proapoptotic signals. Furthermore, BV2 cells exposed to Abeta underwent nitrosative stress as shown by the increased expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and subsequent production of nitric oxide (NO) and peroxynitrite, which were effectively suppressed by EGCG pretreatment. To elucidate a molecular mechanism underlying the neuroprotective effect of EGCG, we have examined the cellular metabolism of reduced glutathione (GSH) with antioxidant properties. EGCG treatment fortified cellular GSH pool through elevated mRNA expression of gamma-glutamylcysteine ligase (GCL), the rate limiting enzyme in the glutathione biosynthesis. These results suggest that EGCG may have preventive and/or therapeutic potential in AD patients by augmenting cellular antioxidant defense capacity and attenuating Abeta-mediated oxidative and/or nitrosative cell death.

Differential effect of Shenmai injection, a herbal preparation, on the cytochrome P450 3A-mediated 1'-hydroxylation and 4-hydroxylation of midazolam.

2009-06-27T21:41:00.001-07:00

Chem Biol Interact. 2009 Aug 14; 180(3): 440-8Xia C, Sun J, Wang G, Shang L, Zhang X, Zhang R, Wang X, Hao H, Xie LShenmai injection (SMI), one of the most popular herbal preparations, is widely used for the treatment of coronary atherosclerotic cardiopathy and viral myocarditis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Shenmai injection (SMI) on the CYP3A-mediated metabolism of midazolam (MDZ). The present study demonstrated that SMI could significantly inhibit MDZ 4-hydroxylation but activate its 1'-hydroxylation in human liver microsomes (HLMs), rat liver microsomes (RLM) and recombinant human CYP3A4 and CYP3A5. The opposing effect of SMI was characterized by the kinetic change of increasing Vmax/Km for MDZ 1'-hydroxylation and decreasing Vmax/Km for MDZ 4-hydroxylation in HLM and RLM. The presence of SMI enhanced the inhibition of ketoconazole on MDZ 4-hydroxylation but weakened or reversed its inhibition on MDZ 1'-hydroxylation in HLM. After single or multiple pretreatment with SMI, the ratios of AUC(4-OH MDZ)/AUC(MDZ) in rats were significantly decreased, while the ratios of AUC(1'-OH MDZ)/AUC(MDZ) were increased. Among the major components in SMI, total ginsenoside (TG), ophiopogon total saponins (OTS), ophiopogon total flavone (OTF), ginsenoside Rd, ophiopogonin D and ophiopogonone A exhibited significant inhibition on both 4-hydroxylation and 1'-hydroxylation of MDZ in HLM and RLM, while no activation on MDZ metabolism was observed in the presence of these major constituents alone or together. To further explore the responsible components, 3 mL of SMI was loaded on a solid phase extraction (SPE) C18 cartridge and then separated by different concentrations of methanol. The fractions eluted with 60% and 90% methanol both showed significant activation on MDZ 1'-hydroxylation in HLM, but the fraction eluted with 30% methanol had no such effect. The results indicated that the activation of SMI on MDZ 1'-hydroxylation might be mainly resulted from the lipid-soluble components in SMI.

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-06-27T17:27:00.001-07:00

Simultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spect

2009-06-27T17:16:00.001-07:00

Simultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spect

2009-06-26T18:23:00.001-07:00

Prevalence of Polypharmacy, Polyherbacy, Nutritional Supplement Use and Potential Product Interactions among Older Adults Living on the United States-Mexico Border: A Descriptive, Questionnaire-Based

2009-06-26T15:37:00.001-07:00

Simultaneous characterization of quaternary alkaloids, 8-oxoprotoberberine alkaloids, and a steroid compound in Coscinium fenestratum by liquid chromatography hybrid ion trap time-of-flight mass spect

2009-06-26T06:27:00.001-07:00

[Influence of modified qianjin huanglian pill on pancreas of mice with insulin resistance]

2009-06-26T02:14:00.001-07:00

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2009 Mar; 29(3): 242-5Tian AP, Zou CH, Sun SJOBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of modified Qianjin Huanglian Pill (QJHL), a Chinese herbal compound, on pancreas in mice with monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) induced insulin resistance (IR) and its molecular mechanism. METHODS: Controlled by rosiglitazone (Ros), the MSG indiced IR mice were treated with QJHL for 28 days. The laboratory indices were examined including fasting serum glucose (FSG), fasting serum insulin (FSI), insulin sensitivity index (ISI), and morphological changes of pancreas, and levels of insulin receptor (InsR), insulin receptor substrate (IRS1/2) and glucose transporter (GLUT2) mRNA expression in pancreas tissue were determined by the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS: As compared with the model group, the level of FSG was lower (P < 0.01) and ISI was higher (P < 0.05) after treatment in the QJHL treated group, with pancreatic islet hyperplasia and hypertrophy ameliorated significantly (P < 0.01). And these changes were similar to those in the Ros treated group (P > 0.05). Moreover, the level of GLUT2 mRNA expression in pancreas of the QJHL group increased significantly (P < 0.01), while it was unchanged in the Ros group. CONCLUSION: QJHL could reduce IR, ameliorate pathological changes of pancreas, which is possibly related with its action on increasing GLUT2 mRNA expression in the pancreas tissue.

Re-positioning the Role of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine as Essential Health Knowledge in Global Health: Do They Still Have a Role to Play?

2009-06-26T01:17:00.001-07:00

Nurs Leadersh (Tor Ont). 2009; 10(4): 62-75Hollenberg D, Zakus D, Cook T, Xu XWTraditional, complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM), drawn from indigenous medical and/or healing knowledge systems from around the world, has for the last 30 years been recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as providing culturally acceptable, affordable and sustainable primary healthcare. TCAM knowledge has been known for some time to assist with birthing practices, acute injuries, infectious diseases and parasites. Although the focus on TCAM began in earnest by the WHO in 1978, and was re-emphasized between 2002 and 2008, TCAM has for the most part been overlooked in large-scale international health programs. This paper follows recent global interest in TCAM and examines notable developments that have specific relevance for TCAM integration in global primary healthcare. Drawing on established work by Bodeker and others, we focus on how TCAM is used in the context of health promotion, disease prevention and the reduction of infectious diseases. Specific examples include the use of TCAM practitioners for HIV/AIDS prevention awareness and direct treatment of AIDS-related symptoms; the use of TCAM herbs for the treatment of malaria and the use of home herbal gardens for health maintenance. The final contribution of the paper helps to theorize inherent challenges and possible solutions to integrating TCAM into global health that have not been widely discussed to date.

Effects of mixed herbal extracts from parched Puerariae radix, gingered Magnoliae cortex, Glycyrrhizae radix and Euphorbiae radix (KIOM-79) on cardiac ion channels and action potentials.

2009-06-25T18:00:00.001-07:00

J Korean Med Sci. 2009 Jun; 24(3): 403-12Park SJ, Choi KS, Shin DH, Kim JS, Jang DS, Youm JB, Choe H, Earm YE, Kim SJKIOM-79, a mixture of ethanol extracts from four herbs (parched Puerariae radix, gingered Magnoliae cortex, Glycyrrhizae radix and Euphorbiae radix), has been developed for the potential therapeutic application to diabetic symptoms. Because screening of unexpected cardiac arrhythmia is compulsory for the new drug development, we investigated the effects of KIOM-79 on the action potential (AP) and various ion channel currents in cardiac myocytes. KIOM-79 decreased the upstroke velocity (V(max)) and plateau potential while slightly increased the duration of action potential (APD). Consistent with the decreased V(max) and plateau potential, the peak amplitude of Na+ current (I(Na)) and Ca2+ current (I(Ca,L)) were decreased by KIOM-79. KIOM-79 showed dual effects on hERG K+ current; increase of depolarization phase current (I(depol)) and decreased tail current at repolarization phase (I(tail)). The increase of APD was suspected due to the decreased I(tail). In computer simulation, the change of cardiac action potential could be well simulated based on the effects of KIOM-79 on various membrane currents. As a whole, the influence of KIOM-79 on cardiac ion channels are minor at concentrations effective for the diabetic models (0.1-10 microg/mL). The results suggest safety in terms of the risk of cardiac arrhythmia. Also, our study demonstrates the usefulness of the cardiac computer simulation in screening drug-induced long-QT syndrome.

[Survey of investigations on Daodi Chinese medicinal materials in China since 1980s]

2009-06-25T14:57:00.001-07:00

Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2009 Mar; 34(5): 519-23Xiao X, Chen S, Huang L, Xiao PIn the recent 20 years, three major investigational achievements about Daodi CMM (Chinese medicinal materials) have been made as follows: (1) The herbal textual about Daodi CMM have been collected and revised systematically, and the causes and pattern of Daodi CMM formation and development were illustrated. (2) A series of appraising methods and marks for Daodi CMM have been set up initially, the scientific connotation of Daodi CMM has been clarified primarily, which promotes the development of pharmacognosy discipline consequently. (3) Based on the Daodi CMM research program, the GAP of CMM with good quality, high yield and best benefit has been carried out elementarily, which is helpful to solve some economic problems and troubles which the peasant, countryside and agriculture always worry about. However, there are still some puzzles and misunderstandings about Daodi CMM to be treated with seriously. The main research aspects of Daodi CMM in the future could be focused on: (1) Identification and authentication of the species and producing area of Daodi CMM. (2) Establishment and implement of the commercial specification criterion of Daodi CMM. (3) Standardization of the planting and processing technologies for Daodi CMM.

Prevention of recurrent urinary tract infection in children.

2009-06-25T05:41:00.001-07:00

Curr Opin Infect Dis. 2009 Feb; 22(1): 72-6Williams G, Craig JCPURPOSE OF REVIEW: Urinary tract infection (UTI) in children is common (5-10%) and recurs in 10-30%. UTI causes an unpleasant, usually febrile illness in children. This review focuses on studies evaluating interventions to prevent UTI in children and published between January 2007 and June 2008. RECENT FINDINGS: Three relevant updated Cochrane reviews, six randomized trials and an evidence-based guideline were published in the study period. Five of the six trials and one of the three Cochrane updates included data on the effects of relevant interventions in children. Three of the six trials investigated the efficacy of long-term, low-dose antibiotics as prophylaxis, and the other trials and both Cochrane updates evaluated complementary therapies such as vitamin A, probiotics and herbal supplements. SUMMARY: The benefit of prophylactic antibiotics for the prevention of recurrent UTI in children remains unclear because of underpowered and suboptimally designed trials, but these studies suggest that any benefit is likely to be small, and clinical significance may be limited. The trials of complementary interventions (vitamin A, probiotics, cranberry, nasturtium and horseradish) generally gave favourable results but were not conclusive. Children and families who use these products should be aware that further infections are possible despite their use.

Modulation of the activity of ABC transporters (P-glycoprotein, MRP2, BCRP) by flavonoids and drug response.

2009-06-25T01:07:00.001-07:00

J Pharm Sci. 2009 Jun 18; Alvarez AI, Real R, PÃ©rez M, Mendoza G, Prieto JG, Merino GThe present article aims to review the up-to-date information on the most recent studies of the interaction of flavonoids with ABC transporters, in particular the drug pharmacokinetic consequences of such a relationship. In addition, the modulation of the expression of the ABC transporters by flavonoids is also illustrated. Flavonoids are a large group of plant polyphenols present extensively in our daily diets and herbal products. High intake of isoflavones has been associated with a variety of beneficial effects on several common diseases. These polyphenols interact with ABC drug transporters involved in drug resistance and drug absorption, distribution and excretion. A number of studies have demonstrated inhibition of drug transporters by flavonoids. This flavonoid-ABC-transporter interaction could be beneficial for poorly absorbed drugs but could also result in severe drug intoxication, especially drugs with a narrow therapeutic window. On the other hand, flavonoids are themselves substrates of ABC transporters. These proteins can affect the oral availability and tissue distribution of these compounds, modifying their beneficial effects. The challenge is to find a suitable way to predict harmful drug-flavonoid interactions mediated by these transporters. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association J Pharm Sci.

Identification of gamma-ray irradiated medicinal herbs using pulsed photostimulated luminescence, thermoluminescence, and electron spin resonance spectroscopy.

2009-06-24T21:44:00.001-07:00

Anal Bioanal Chem. 2009 Jun 16; Pal S, Kim BK, Kim WY, Kim MJ, Ki HA, Lee KH, Kang WS, Kang IH, Kang SJ, Song JMDried herbal samples consisting of root, rhizome, cortex, fruit, peel, flower, spike, ramulus, folium, and whole plant of 20 different medicinal herbs were investigated using pulsed photostimulated luminescence (PPSL), thermoluminescence (TL), and electron spin resonance spectroscopy (ESR) to identify gamma-ray irradiation treatment. Samples were irradiated at 0-50 kGy using a 60Co irradiator. PPSL measurement was applied as a rapid screening method. Control samples of 19 different herbs had photon counts less than the lower threshold value (700 counts 60 s-1). The photon counts of non-irradiated clematidis radix and irradiated evodia and gardenia fruits were between the lower and upper threshold values (700-5,000 counts 60 s-1). TL ratios, i.e., integrated areas of the first glow (TL1)/the second glow (TL2), were found to be less than 0.1 in all non-irradiated samples and higher than 0.1 in irradiated ones providing definite proof of radiation treatment. ESR spectroscopy was applied as an alternative rapid method. In most of the irradiated samples, mainly radiation-induced cellulosic, sugar, and relatively complicated carbohydrate radical ESR signals were detected. No radiation-specific ESR signal, except one intense singlet, was observed for irradiated scrophularia and scutellaria root and artemisiae argyi folium.

Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Superoxide Dismutase Inhibitor-Induced Pancreatitis in Rats: A Histopathologic and Immunohistochemical Study.

2009-06-24T18:06:00.001-07:00

Pancreas. 2009 Jun 12; Joo KR, Shin HP, Cha JM, Nam S, Huh YOBJECTIVES:: Korean red ginseng (KRG) is a representative herbal remedy in Korea. We examined the effects of KRG treatment on superoxide dismutase inhibitor-induced experimental pancreatitis. METHODS:: Sprague-Dawley rats and KRG from the roots of a 6-year-old fresh Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer plant were used in this study. Pancreatitis was induced by intraperitoneal injection of diethyldithiocarbamate for 4 weeks. Korean red ginseng was fed orally to rats for the next 3 weeks. At week 7, all rats were killed, and pancreatic tissues were analyzed. RESULTS:: No histological alterations were detected in the pancreata of normal and KRG control groups. Tissues from the non-KRG-treated pancreatitis group exhibited marked pancreatic damage including changes in histological architecture, acinar cell necrosis and degeneration, and cytoplasmic vacuolization. However, tissues from the KRG-treated pancreatitis group exhibited no cellular damage and had normal histological pancreatic architecture. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that the expressions of nuclear factor kappaB, tumor necrosis factor alpha, inducible nitric oxide synthase, and the oxidant stress markers, malondialdehyde and 4-hydroxynonenal, were significantly decreased in the KRG-treated pancreatitis group as compared with the non-KRG-treated pancreatitis group. CONCLUSIONS:: Our results suggest that KRG has antioxidant therapeutic effects on superoxide dismutase inhibitor-induced pancreatitis by inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB.

Effects of Oxymatrine from Ku Shen on Cancer Cells.

2009-06-24T16:14:00.001-07:00

Anticancer Agents Med Chem. 2009 Sep 1; Ho JW, Ngan Hon PL, Chim WOOxymatrine is one of active constituents isolated from Ku Shen, which is the dried root of Sophora flavescens Ait. The herb used in different herbal formulations is commonly known with specific pharmacological properties for treatment of liver disorders and other diseases such as arrhythmia, eczema and skin disorders, leukopenia and bronchitis. Sophora flavescens Ait is known to enhance liver functions and reduce hepatotoxicity due to oxidative stress and liver injury. The protection of cells from chemical toxicity is important in reducing liver damage. Reduction of oxidative stress by active components of herbal medicines is shown to be beneficial and important in regulating the normal functions of the liver. In this study, effects of oxymatrine on cancer cells after treatment of the cell line with DMSO were reported. This review described for cells without oxymatrine pre-treatment, cell injury was implicated as indicated by the decrease in cell viability. Ku Shen showed protective effects on cells from the DMSO-induced toxicity. The results show that oxymatrine can inhibit the G(2) and M phase of H4IIE. The findings suggest that anti-inflammatory constituents such as oxymatrine could mediate cell division of cancer cells and reduce cell cytotoxicity due probably to its capacity to inhibit the metabolic activation of hepato-toxin, a critical factor in the pathogenesis of chemical-induced liver injury.

Celastrol potentiates radiotherapy by impairment of DNA damage processing in human prostate cancer.

2009-06-24T15:53:00.001-07:00

Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2009 Jul 15; 74(4): 1217-25Dai Y, Desano JT, Meng Y, Ji Q, Ljungman M, Lawrence TS, Xu LPURPOSE: Celastrol is an active ingredient of traditional herbal medicine and has recently been identified as a potent natural proteasome inhibitor. In the present study, we evaluated the radiosensitizing potential of celastrol in the human prostate cancer PC-3 model. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Clonogenic assays were performed to determine the radiosensitizing effect of celastrol. Apoptosis was examined by flow cytometry using Annexin V and propidium iodide staining and by a caspase-3 activation assay. DNA damage processing was examined by immunofluorescent staining and Western blot for phosphorylated H2AX (gammaH2AX). The PC-3 xenograft model in the athymic nude mouse was used for the determination of the in vivo efficacy of celastrol combined with radiotherapy. The tumor samples were also analyzed for apoptosis and angiogenesis. RESULTS: Celastrol sensitized PC-3 cells to ionizing radiation (IR) in a dose- and schedule-dependent manner, in which pretreatment with celastrol for 1 h followed by IR achieved maximal radiosensitization. Celastrol significantly prolonged the presence of IR-induced gammaH2AX and increased IR-induced apoptosis. Celastrol, combined with fractionated radiation, significantly inhibited PC-3 tumor growth in vivo without obvious systemic toxicity. The combination treatment increased gammaH2AX levels and apoptosis, induced cleavage of poly(adenosine diphosphate-ribose)polymerase and Mcl-1, and reduced angiogenesis in vivo compared with either treatment alone. CONCLUSION: Celastrol sensitized PC-3 cells to radiation both in vitro and in vivo by impairing DNA damage processing and augmenting apoptosis. Celastrol might represent a promising new adjuvant regimen for the treatment of hormone-refractory prostate cancer.

Screening of the hypoglycemic effect of eight Vietnamese herbal drugs.

2009-06-24T04:34:00.001-07:00

Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2009 Apr; 31(3): 165-9Hoa NK, Phan DV, Thuan ND, Ostenson CGThe prevalence of type 2 diabetes in developing countries is increasing. In Vietnam, several plants are thought to be useful for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. This study has been performed to screen the hypoglycemic effects of eight Vietnamese herbs used in traditional medicine for the treatment of diabetes. Blood glucose levels were measured before and several times after oral or i.p. administration of the ethanol-based plant extracts in normal mice. The extracts that reduced blood glucose both orally and i.p. were also studied in glucose tolerance tests in mice. Gynostemma pentaphyllum Makino (Cucurbitaceae) at doses of 200 and 300 mg/kg i.p. or 1500 mg/kg orally reduced blood glucose in mice (P < 0.001 for all compared to control group using NaCl 0.9%). Similarily, Anemarrhena asphodeloides Bunge (Liliaceae) at 200 and 300 mg/kg i.p. (P < 0.001 vs. control group) and 1500 mg/kg orally reduced blood glucose 4 h after administration (P < 0.001). Angiopteris evecta Forst. Hoffn. (Marattiaceae) 300 mg/kg i.p. and 1500 mg/kg orally strongly reduced blood glucose levels (P < 0.001 vs. control groups). All three extracts when dosed at 1000 mg/kg orally suppressed the rise in blood glucose in normal mice during a glucose tolerance test. We have found three herbs that reduced blood glucose and inhibited increases in blood glucose after a glucose challenge in normal mice.

Neferine enhances insulin sensitivity in insulin resistant rats.

2009-06-23T21:35:00.001-07:00

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 6; 124(1): 98-102Pan Y, Cai B, Wang K, Wang S, Zhou S, Yu X, Xu B, Chen LETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Neferine was isolated from green seed embryo of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn which has been used as an anti-obesity agent in traditional Chinese herbal medicine. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of neferine on enhancing insulin sensitivity in insulin resistant rats compared with rosiglitazone and to potentially reveal its role in mediating the anti-obesity properties of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fasting blood glucose (FBG), fasting blood insulin (FINS), triglycerides (TG) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were measured, and the oral glucose tolerance test for 2-h plasma glucose level (2-h PG) was carried out. The glucose infusion rate (GIR) was used to measure the insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp technique. RESULTS: The levels of FBG, FINS, TG, TNF-alpha and 2-h PG all decreased significantly in the rosiglitazone and neferine groups compared with the insulin resistance (IR) model group. Neferine diminished the 2-h PG more than did rosiglitazone treatment. Compared to the IR model group, the treatments of neferine and rosiglitazone remarkably increased GIRs but no difference between these two treatments themselves was evident. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that neferine has effects similar to rosiglitazone in decreasing fasting blood glucose, insulin, TG, TNF-alpha and enhancing insulin sensitivity in insulin resistant rats.

The Use and the User of Herbal Remedies During Pregnancy.

2009-06-23T18:46:00.001-07:00

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Jun 19; Holst L, Wright D, Haavik S, Nordeng HAbstract Background: The physiologic changes that occur during pregnancy can lead to a variety of conditions that can usually be self-treated. There are no licensed medicines for conditions such as morning sickness or insomnia in pregnancy, and evidence from Western countries suggests that patients often resort to using herbal medicines. Research on the health behaviors of pregnant women in the United Kingdom with respect to herbal remedies has not been undertaken. Objective: The objective of this study is to describe the use and the user of herbal remedies during pregnancy and to study the sources of information about herbs used. Design: The study design was a survey among expectant mothers more than 20 weeks pregnant presenting at an antenatal clinic. Setting: The setting was an antenatal clinic and antenatal ultrasound department at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. One thousand and thirty-seven (1037) questionnaires were handed out between November 2007 and February 2008. Results: Five hundred and seventy-eight (578) questionnaires were returned (55.7%). Three hundred and thirty-four (334) of the 578 respondents (57.8%) reported using herbal remedies during pregnancy with a mean of 1.2 remedies per woman (median: 1, range: 0-10). The most commonly used remedies were ginger, cranberry, and raspberry leaf. The most probable user had been pregnant before and had a university degree. "Family and friends" were the most frequently cited source of information about herbal remedies during pregnancy, and more than 75% of the users reportedly did not tell their doctor or midwife about the use. Conclusions: A large percentage of the women in the study used herbal remedies during pregnancy-many of them without informing their doctor or midwife. Doctors or midwives should ask pregnant women if they use herbal remedies during pregnancy. Health care personnel should be open to discuss the use of herbal remedies during pregnancy and be able to give balanced information as the use is so widespread.

Investigation of contribution of individual constituents to antioxidant activity in herbal drugs using postcolumn HPLC method.

2009-06-20T17:22:00.001-07:00

Medicina (Kaunas). 2009; 45(5): 382-94Raudonis R, Jakstas V, Burdulis D, Benetis R, Janulis VThe most important attention is paid to the search of natural antioxidants and their evaluation in medicinal and food raw materials of plant origin. A number of plants, their extracts, food products, and medicinal preparations appear to be the objects of scientific research. Effectiveness and informative character of research, undoubtedly, depend on relevance, sensitivity, and efficiency of the methods chosen. The aim of this work was to develop and validate the postcolumn high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-DPPH method as well as its application in the evaluation of antioxidant activity of known and unknown compounds scavenging free radicals and existing in medicinal plant raw materials. HPLC-separated compounds were identified at the wavelength of 275 nm, and then the mobile phase with analytes flowed through a mixing tee to the reaction coil, where DPPH reagent solution was supplied. The solution flow rate was 0.4 mL/min. The reaction coil was connected with UV/VIS type detector, which measured absorption of flowing solution at the wavelength of 520 nm. It was determined that vitexin rhamnoside, the dominant compound in the leaves of Crataegus monogyna, was not a significant radical scavenger. The most active antioxidant in the leaves and flowers of Crataegus monogyna was chlorogenic acid. The most active antioxidant in Origanum vulgare raw material was rosmarinic acid. Identified analytes in the extracts of Achillea millefolium that possessed radical-scavenging properties were chlorogenic acid, luteolin-7-O-glucoside, rutin, and luteolin.

Hot Topics in Chinese Herbal Drugs Research Documented in PubMed/MEDLINE((R)) by Authors Inside China and Outside of China in the Past 10 Years: Based on Co-Word Cluster Analysis.

2009-06-19T15:25:00.001-07:00

J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Jun 17; Li HY, Cui L, Cui MAbstract Objective: This study aims to gain an overview of hot topics related to research focused on Chinese herbal drugs by authors inside China and outside of China in the past 10 years. Methods: PubMed/MEDLINE was utilized in order to investigate and select research that was published on "Chinese herbal drugs" from 1998 to 2007, by authors located both inside and outside of China (MeSH terms were downloaded and ranked). MeSH terms that frequently appeared were identified and co-word analysis was carried out for two groups: (1) authors located in China, and (2) authors based outside of China, respectively. The hot topics concerning research into Chinese herbal drugs were concluded after cluster analysis and related document analysis. Results: For authors in the China group versus those outside the China group, the search results were 4790 versus 2609 citations and approximately 40,000 versus 20,000 MeSH terms, respectively. The threshold value of highly frequent terms was set at 30 versus 20, and the cumulative frequency percentage of these terms was 40.92% versus 36.67%, respectively. Thus, 43 highly frequent MeSH terms were identified and 43 x 43 co-word matrices were acquired for each group. The appearance frequency of MeSH showed that most research focused on pharmacology, therapeutic application, phytotherapy, side-effects of Chinese herbal drugs, and identification of active chemical components in herbs. Conclusion: The hot topics are as follows: (1) anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activities, anticancer activity of phytogenic antineoplastic agents, and neuroprotective effects of Chinese herbal drugs; (2) common diseases treated with Chinese herbal drugs include hepatocirrhosis, diabetes, angina, chronic hepatitis B in China, and diabetes, asthma, prostate cancer, and hepatocirrhosis outside of China; (3) Chinese herbal nephropathy and acute hepatitis induced by Chinese herbal drugs; (4) PC-SPES (PDQ((R))) for the treatment of prostate cancer, which was a hot topic for researchers located outside of China; (5) research on extraction of active components from medicinal plants; and finally (6) research related to the identification of the Chinese herbal drugs component with state-of-the-art technologies in China.

[Effect of lingdankang composite combined dendritic cell-cytokine induced killer cells in treating leukemia]

2009-06-19T14:03:00.001-07:00

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2009 Apr; 29(4): 347-50Liu QC, Wu WH, Li GROBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect and safety of Chinese herbal medicine Lingdankang Composite (LDK) combined dendritic cell-cytokine induced killer cells (DC-CIK) in treating leukemia. METHODS: Subjects were selected from leukemia patients who achieved hematological complete remission (HCR) but not achieved molecular biological remission (MBR), or with minimal residual leukemia (MRL) positive. Twenty patients, 19 of acute leukemia and 1 of chronic myelocytic leukemia, were enrolled. DC and CIK from patient's peripheral blood monocyte were separated respectively by blood cell separator, then DC-CIK was obtained through respective culture followed with mixed cultivation of them, and was infused back to the patient self via intravenous injection. The back infusion of DC-CIK was performed once every 15-20 days for 4-6 times in total. Meantime, LDK was administered orally every day. RESULTS: In the 20 patients treated, 4 case of HCR achieved MBR, the negatively reversed marker gene was AML1/ETO in 1 case, CBFbeta/MYH11 in 1, bcr/abl in 1, and the other 1 was IgH gene rearrangement; 3 patients with positive MRL were reversed to negative. The 3-year CR rate was 75% with a medium CR period of 25 months (10-37 months). Except transient fever and chill in 5 cases, no other remarkable adverse reaction happened during or after DC-CIK infusion. CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of LDK and autologous DC-CIK in treating patients with HCR shows an obvious effect of clearing MRL, it is the appropriate choice for curing leukemia of HCR, and is safety for intravenous infusion, so it has potential clinical prospect.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the characteristic flavourings menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and witho

2009-06-19T07:31:00.001-07:00

Anal Chim Acta. 2009 Jul 30; 646(1-2): 128-40Schulz K, Bertau M, Schlenz K, Malt S, Dressler J, Lachenmeier DWA rapid HS-SPME-GC-MS (headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) method has been developed for determination of menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and without enzymatic cleavage. These flavour compounds are characteristic markers for consumption of peppermint liqueurs as well as certain digestif bitters, herbal and bitter liqueurs. This method enabled the detection of the four compounds with a limit of detection (LOD) of 2.1 ng mL(-1) (menthone and isomenthone), 2.8 ng mL(-1) (neomenthol) and 4.6 ng mL(-1) (menthol), and a limit of quantification (LOQ) of 3.1 ng mL(-1) (menthone and isomenthone), 4.2 ng mL(-1) (neomenthol) and 6.8 ng mL(-1) (menthol) in serum samples. The method shows good precision intraday (3.2-3.8%) and interday (5.8-6.9%) and a calibration curve determination coefficient (R(2)) of 0.990-0.996. Experiments were conducted with a volunteer, who consumed peppermint liqueur on three different days under controlled conditions. At defined intervals, blood samples were taken, and the concentration-time profiles for serum menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol, as free substances as well as glucuronides, were determined. Both menthol and neomenthol underwent a rapid phase II metabolism, but minor amounts of free substances were also detected. Menthone and isomenthone were rapidly metabolised and were found in lower concentrations and over a shorter time span than the other analytes. In blood samples taken from 100 drivers who claimed to have consumed peppermint liqueur prior to the blood sampling, menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol were detected in the serum as free substances in concentrations between 3.1 and 7.0 ng mL(-1) in eight cases (menthone), 3.1 and 11.3 ng mL(-1) in eight cases (isomenthone), 5.3 and 57.8 ng mL(-1) in nine cases (neomenthol) and 8.0 and 92.1 ng mL(-1) in nine cases (menthol). The sum values of free and conjugated substances ranged between 4.2 and 127.8 ng mL(-1) in 35 cases for neomenthol and 11.0 and 638.2 ng mL(-1) in 59 cases for menthol. Menthone and isomenthone were not conjugated. These test results confirmed that the analysis of characteristic beverage aroma compounds, such as menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol, can be used for specific verification of post-offence alcohol consumption claims.

Mechanisms of inhibiting proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells by serum of rats treated with Dahuang Zhechong pill.

2009-06-19T02:49:00.001-07:00

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 6; 124(1): 125-9Zhang YH, Liu JT, Wen BY, Liu NDahuang Zhechong pill (DHZCP), a famous and classical Chinese herbal prescription, consists of twelve traditional Chinese drugs: Eupolyphaga sinensis Walker., Rheum officinale Baill., Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi., Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., Prunus persica Batsch., Prunus armeniaca L., Paeonia lactiflora Pall., Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch., Toxicodendron vernicifluum F.A. Barkl., Tabanus bivittatus Mats., Hirudo nipponica Whitman. and Holotrichia diomphalia Bates., and is clinically used to treat hepatic diseases, gynecopathy and atherosclerosis in China. Our previous studies confirm that DHZCP is able to significantly inhibit proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) in vivo and in vitro. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the mechanisms of inhibition of VSMCs proliferation by DHZCP with the method of Serum Pharmacology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: VSMCs proliferation of rat was assayed by measuring the cell viability with the MTT method, and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) expression in VSMCs was examined by the immunocytochemical method. Cycle and apoptosis of VSMCs were evaluated with flow cytometry. RESULTS: The serum of DHZCP-treated rats not only inhibited endothelin-1 (ET-1) stimulated cell proliferation and PDGF expression in VSMCs, but also promoted apoptosis of the proliferated VSMCs. Meanwhile, the serum of rats containing DHZCP interfered with the cycle of PDGF-stimulated VSMCs, increasing proportion of the cells in G(0)/G(1) phases and decreasing proportion of the cells in S and G(2)/M phases. CONCLUSION: These suggest that the inhibitory effect of DHZCP on VSMCs proliferation is partially attributed to depressing PDGF expression in VSMCs, retarding the cell cycle and to promoting apoptosis of VSMCs.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the characteristic flavourings menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and witho

2009-06-18T22:13:00.001-07:00

[Effect of Chinese herbal medicine for benefiting qi and nourishing yin to promote blood circulation on ventricular wall motion of AMI patients after revascularization]

2009-06-18T15:21:00.001-07:00

Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2009 Apr; 29(4): 300-4Li YQ, Jin M, Qiu SLOBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Chinese herbal medicine for benefiting qi and nourishing yin to promote the blood circulation (abbr. as CHM) in promoting ventricular wall motion and myocardial contraction in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients after revascularization. METHODS: Subjects were 80 AMI patients after revascularization, of those, the 40 patients in the TCM group were treated with Xinyue Capsule and compound Tanshinon Tablet upon the basic conventional Western medical treatment and the other 40 in the control group were given conventional Western medicine alone, the course for them all was 3 months. Cardiac function indexes, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), wall motion indices, normal myocardial percentage (NMP), longitudinal systolic peak strain (LSPS) and rate (LSPSR), were observed by Doppler ultrasound under dobutamine stress at the 14 days after revascularization and the end of 3-month treatment. RESULTS: Except the 5 cases (3 in the TCM group and 2 in the control group) dropped out in the observation period, the trial was completed in 75 patients totally. LVEF, NMP, minus LSPS of left ventricular anterior apex and inferior basement, minus LSPSR of anterior apex, middle, basement, and minus LSPSR of inferior middle, basement were more significantly increased in Chinese medicinal treatment group than those in the control group at 14-day after revascularization (P < 0.01). The treatment group, minus LSPS and minus LSPSR of the left ventricular anterior apex and the inferior basement were at markedly higher levels compared with the controls at 3-month after revascularization (P < 0.05). Minus LSPSR of the left ventricular anterior apex and the inferior basement in the treatment group at 3-month was higher than that at 14-day after revascularization (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CHM combining with conventional Western medicine treatment could improve the left ventricular contractive function and wall motion in AMI patients after revascularization.

Red yeast rice for dyslipidemia in statin-intolerant patients: a randomized trial.

2009-06-18T13:57:00.001-07:00

Ann Intern Med. 2009 Jun 16; 150(12): 830-9, W147-9Becker DJ, Gordon RY, Halbert SC, French B, Morris PB, Rader DJBACKGROUND: Red yeast rice is an herbal supplement that decreases low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and tolerability of red yeast rice and therapeutic lifestyle change to treat dyslipidemia in patients who cannot tolerate statin therapy. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Community-based cardiology practice. PATIENTS: 62 patients with dyslipidemia and history of discontinuation of statin therapy due to myalgias. INTERVENTION: Patients were assigned by random allocation software to receive red yeast rice, 1800 mg (31 patients), or placebo (31 patients) twice daily for 24 weeks. All patients were concomitantly enrolled in a 12-week therapeutic lifestyle change program. MEASUREMENTS: Primary outcome was LDL cholesterol level, measured at baseline, week 12, and week 24. Secondary outcomes included total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglyceride, liver enzyme, and creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels; weight; and Brief Pain Inventory score. RESULTS: In the red yeast rice group, LDL cholesterol decreased by 1.11 mmol/L (43 mg/dL) from baseline at week 12 and by 0.90 mmol/L (35 mg/dL) at week 24. In the placebo group, LDL cholesterol decreased by 0.28 mmol/L (11 mg/dL) at week 12 and by 0.39 mmol/L (15 mg/dL) at week 24. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was significantly lower in the red yeast rice group than in the placebo group at both weeks 12 (P < 0.001) and 24 (P = 0.011). Significant treatment effects were also observed for total cholesterol level at weeks 12 (P < 0.001) and 24 (P = 0.016). Levels of HDL cholesterol, triglyceride, liver enzyme, or CPK; weight loss; and pain severity scores did not significantly differ between groups at either week 12 or week 24. LIMITATION: The study was small, was single-site, was of short duration, and focused on laboratory measures. CONCLUSION: Red yeast rice and therapeutic lifestyle change decrease LDL cholesterol level without increasing CPK or pain levels and may be a treatment option for dyslipidemic patients who cannot tolerate statin therapy.

A strategy for evaluating antipyretic efficacy of Chinese herbal medicines based on UV spectra fingerprints.

2009-06-18T07:25:00.001-07:00

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jul 6; 124(1): 79-86Ni LJ, Zhang LG, Hou J, Shi WZ, Guo MLETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Quality analysis and control of Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) or herbal medicines (HM) are being more and more investigated based on fingerprint analysis, and there are also some researches on correlating fingerprints of CHM to their efficacy. Multi-component analysis methods together with fingerprints are considered potential useful tools to select candidate herbal drugs from extracts of herbs in pharmacological/bio-prospecting investigations. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore a strategy for evaluating efficacy strength of CHM samples based on their spectra fingerprints and validate it. METHODOLOGY: Radix bupleuri (RB), a typical Chinese medicinal herb for relieving exterior syndrome, and Flos lonicerae (FL), Fructus forsythiae (FF), and Radix isatidis (RI) that are widely applied Chinese herbs for heat clearing and detoxifying, were selected as herbal sources. The aqueous extracts, volatile oils and mixtures of the extracts and oils of the four herbs, plus Ibuprofen suspension (IS), Shuanghuanglian oral liquid (SHL), mixture of SHL and the volatile oils of FL and FF, were used for subject samples to do antipyretic experiments on rats. Ultraviolet spectra were used as the spectra fingerprints to represent chemical characteristics of the samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) and canonical correlation analysis (CCA) were adopted as evaluation tools to establish the correlation between pharmacological and spectra data, from which a spectral index for evaluating antipyretic effects of CHM samples was constructed. Furthermore, four compound samples were designed by mixing 50% volatile oils and 50% aqueous extracts of the four herbs with different ratios to validate the strategy. RESULTS: Efficacy sequence of the 15 calibrating and 4 validating CHM samples, defined by the first canonical correlative variable U(1) of their UV spectra, was consistent with that given by pharmacological experiments. CONCLUSIONS: The strategy proposed in this study could be applied to evaluate efficacy strength of CHM and helpful for screening candidate herbal drugs from different herbs or prepared by different technologies.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the characteristic flavourings menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and witho

2009-06-18T02:44:00.001-07:00

Effects of a Brazilian herbal compound as a cosmetic eyecare for periorbital hyperchromia ("dark circles").

2009-06-17T23:08:00.001-07:00

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2009 Jun; 8(2): 127-35Eberlin S, Del Carmen Velazquez Pereda M, de Campos Dieamant G, Nogueira C, Werka RM, de Souza Queiroz MLBackground Evidence suggests that periorbital hyperchromia (dark circles) occurs mainly as a consequence of postinflammatory hemodynamic congestion producing a typical bruising aspect on the lower eyelids. Aims To evaluate the clinical effects of Pfaffia paniculata/Ptychopetalum olacoides B./Lilium candidum L.-associated compound (PPLAC) on periorbital hyperchromia and to study in vitro its underlying anti-inflammatory and antioxidant mechanisms. Methods Twenty-one volunteers presenting with periorbital hyperchromia received a serum sample containing 5.0% PPLAC, which was applied topically in the periorbital area twice a day for 28 days. Skin color was measured using variations in the individual typological angle (DeltaITA(0)) and skin luminance (DeltaL*) calculated in the area around the eyes and in the adjacent area. Colorimetric readings were taken at the onset and end of the 28-day treatment. Volunteers were also asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning the improvement in "dark circles." The anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of PPLAC were measured by quantification of prostaglandin E(2), leukotriene B(4), histamine, and superoxide dismutase levels using an in vitro model of human skin culture. Results Topical application of PPLAC led to a significant improvement in skin luminance and tone in the periorbital area, which was demonstrated by increased values of ITA(0) and L* in about 90% of volunteers. In addition, subjects reported reduced intensity and improved appearance of "dark circles." A dose-dependent decreased production of inflammatory mediators, concomitant to increased antioxidant enzyme levels, was observed in our in vitro studies, under basal and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated conditions. Conclusions Although the precise mechanisms related to PPLAC remain to be clarified, our results indicate that the reduction in the inflammatory process as well as the antioxidant protection against deleterious elements may be considered as an integral approach to preserve the integrity of vascular endothelium, preventing the hemodynamic congestion that culminates in the formation of "dark circles" around the eyes.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the characteristic flavourings menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and witho

2009-06-17T05:08:00.001-07:00

The Effect of Enteric-Coated, Delayed-Release Peppermint Oil on Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

2009-06-16T16:06:00.001-07:00

Dig Dis Sci. 2009 Jun 9; Merat S, Khalili S, Mostajabi P, Ghorbani A, Ansari R, Malekzadeh RHerbal remedies, particularly peppermint, have been reported to be helpful in controlling symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). We conducted a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study on 90 outpatients with IBS. Subjects took one capsule of enteric-coated, delayed-release peppermint oil (Colpermin) or placebo three times daily for 8 weeks. We visited patients after the first, fourth, and eighth weeks and evaluated their symptoms and quality of life. The number of subjects free from abdominal pain or discomfort changed from 0 at week 0 to 14 at week 8 in the Colpermin group and from 0 to 6 in controls (P < 0.001). The severity of abdominal pain was also reduced significantly in the Colpermin group as compared to controls. Furthermore, Colpermin significantly improved the quality of life. There was no significant adverse reaction. Colpermin is effective and safe as a therapeutic agent in patients with IBS suffering from abdominal pain or discomfort.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the characteristic flavourings menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and witho

2009-06-16T15:27:00.001-07:00

Antiepileptic drugs and other medications: what interactions may arise?

2009-06-16T13:55:00.001-07:00

Curr Treat Options Neurol. 2009 Jul; 11(4): 253-61Mani R, Pollard JRMany patients with epilepsy are on lifelong therapy with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), and AEDs are used for other conditions such as mood stabilization and headache prophylaxis. These drugs have high potential for clinically significant interaction with nonepilepsy drugs. Interactions occur largely through altered pharmacokinetics. One drug may increase the hepatic clearance of another, leading to attenuated efficacy of the affected drug. Alternatively, inhibition of liver metabolism by one drug can cause acute toxicity by reducing clearance of another drug. To identify potential drug interactions before they lead to toxicity or therapy failure, the treating clinician should combine knowledge of the patient's overall history with a general knowledge of comorbid conditions in which significant interactions involving AEDs are most likely to occur. Treatments susceptible to interactions include anticoagulants, antiarrhythmics, antibiotics, antiretroviral drugs, immunosuppressives, antineoplastics, and contraceptives. Therefore, it is important to obtain periodically a thorough history of medical problems, use of medications or herbal remedies, and adverse effects of medications. Physicians managing epilepsy patients should also strive to avoid potential drug interactions by favoring low-interaction AEDs in patients taking many other types of drugs. There is quite a large degree of patient heterogeneity in the extent of any given interaction between an AED and another drug. Indeed, some groups of patients may have different susceptibilities to such interactions because of genetic and environmental influences on drug metabolism. Effective treatment with AEDs should include attention to drug interactions.

Headspace solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry determination of the characteristic flavourings menthone, isomenthone, neomenthol and menthol in serum samples with and witho

2009-06-16T01:42:00.001-07:00

A mini review of traditional chinese medicine for the treatment of depression in china.

2009-06-15T22:54:00.001-07:00

Am J Chin Med. 2009; 37(2): 207-13Zhao H, Wan X, Chen JXTo systematically evaluate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for treating depression in China, the electronic medical database from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) was searched using Chinese and the date is set, from 1st January 1994 to 1st August 2008. The 18 studies that met the entry criteria along with 1,260 randomized patients were included in this review. All studies with words like "randomization" or "quasi-randomization" in their abstracts were included, whether they used blinding or not. The results showed that the Chinese medicine treated group did not decrease the scores of the self-rating depression scale (-1.02, 95% CI -2.16 ~ 0.12, p = 0.08) and the scores of the Hamilton depression scale (-0.45, 95% CI -0.98 ~ 0.08, p = 0.10). The results showed there is no evidence to support that traditional Chinese medicine for depression has improved, which may be due to the low quality in all the trials. Therefore, more qualified, randomized controlled clinical trials are warranted to assure its efficacy.

Targeting BuChE-inflammatory Pathway by SK0506 to Manage Type 2 Diabetes and Alzheimer Disease.

2009-06-15T14:33:00.001-07:00

Neurochem Res. 2009 Jun 7; Kamal MA, Tan Y, Seale JP, Qu XType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) affect a large percent of the population worldwide. Experimental studies have revealed that T2DM and AD share several molecular processes that underlie their respective degenerative pathology. Based on this information, we quantified TNF-alpha, IL-6 levels, serum glucose, serum triglyceride, hepatic triglyceride, serum AST, serum ALT and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) in various rat tissues. HFD was fed to rats resulting in increased body weight, fasting blood glucose, IL-6, TNF-alpha levels, hepatic triglyceride, serum AST, serum ALT and BuChE. SK0506 treatment significantly prevented weight gain induced by HFD feeding. SK0506, but not Rosiglitazone, significantly reduced serum and hepatic triglycerides levels. Treatment with SK0506 also ameliorated elevated levels of both inflammatory markers (TNF-alpha and IL-6) and serum liver enzymes (ALT and AST) significantly in HFD fed rats. BuChE activity also reduced in skeletal muscle and adipose tissues of rats treated by SK0506. In conclusion, current study has opened new potential avenues towards research for management of T2DM and AD by Chinese herbal extracts, "SK0506".

Antioxidant effect of tianwang buxin pills a traditional chinese medicine formula: double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

2009-06-15T13:49:00.001-07:00

Am J Chin Med. 2009; 37(2): 227-39Gim GT, Kim HM, Kim J, Kim J, Whang WW, Cho SHReactive oxygen species (ROS) and their derivatives play important roles in the development of diseases such as, cardiovascular disease, ischemic disease, and aging. Much effort has been devoted to finding both an effective and non-toxic antioxidant traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal formula. Tianwang Buxin Pills (TBPs) have been used in TCM to treat mild cognitive impairment and palpitations. Recently, research has revealed that TBPs are effective against oxidative stress and psychological stress in experimental studies. However, randomized controlled trials (RCT) are rare. This study was conducted to assess the antioxidative and anti-stress effects of TBPs by analyzing (determination) reactive oxygen metabolites (d-ROMs test) of the blood, the stress response inventory (SRI), and the Korean version of the WHO Quality of Life Scale Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF) in 39 healthy volunteers (Placebo group = 20, TBPs group = 19) before and after oral administration of TBPs for 4 weeks. However, d-ROMs test, SRI, and WHOQOL-BREF values did not differ significantly between the two groups. These results indicate that TBPs do not effectively restrain ROS or their derivatives.

Reduction of beta-Asarone in Acori Rhizoma by Decoction.

2009-06-15T12:39:00.001-07:00

Planta Med. 2009 Jun 8; Chen C, Spriano D, Meier Bbeta-Asarone, the major constituent of the essential oil from the traditional Chinese herbal drug "Acori rhizoma" is regarded as carcinogenic in rodents and potentially genotoxic. Thus, the limit for the ingestion of this constituent from herbal medicinal products has been set at 0.115 mg beta-asarone/person/day. The present study demonstrates that a decoction procedure, traditionally used for Chinese herbal preparations and intended as the standard procedure in Ph. Eur., was able to significantly reduce the amount of beta-asarone. HPLC analysis indicated that the content of beta-asarone in dried herbal drug ranged from 15.22 to 25.34 mg/g. During a 1-hour decoction, the amount of beta-asarone decreased more than 85 % and the aqueous extract contained the equivalent of only 0.46-2.19 mg beta-asarone per gram of herbal drug. If this aqueous extract was heated for a further 2 hours, the final content of beta-asarone was reduced to the equivalent of no more than 0.005 mg per gram of herbal drug. This low level of beta-asarone should be acceptable for therapeutic use. It was noted that decoction of Acori rhizoma in the presence of other herbal substances impaired, to some extent, the reduction in beta-asarone.

Inhibitory effect of eupatilin and jaceosidin isolated from Artemisia princeps on carrageenan-induced inflammation in mice.

2009-06-15T01:06:00.001-07:00

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jun 5; Min SW, Kim NJ, Baek NI, Kim DHETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Artemisia princeps Pampanini (family Asteraceae) is an herbal medicine widely used as a hepatoprotective, antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial agent in Korea, China, and Japan. AIM OF THE STUDY: This study aimed to elucidate the anti-inflammatory effect of the main constituents, eupatilin and jaceosidin, isolated from Artemisia princeps. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used carrageenan-induced inflammation in an air pouch on the back of mice and carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in rats to determine the anti-inflammatory effects of eupatilin and jaceosidin. Inflammatory makers-, such as expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and activation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappaB), were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays and immunoblot analyses. RESULTS: Eupatilin and jaceosidin blocked carrageenan-induced increase in leukocyte number and protein levels in air pouch exudates. Eupatilin and jaceosidn inhibited COX-2 expression and NF-kappaB activation, and markedly reduced TNF-alpha, IL-1beta, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE(2)) levels. They also inhibited hind paw edema induced by carrageenan. Eupatilin and jaceosidin had similar activity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that eupatilin and jaceosidin may reduce inflammation by inhibiting NF-kappaB activation, and that Artemisia princeps inhibits inflammation because of these constituents.

A herbal extract with acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase inhibitory activity and its potential for treating metabolic syndrome.

2009-06-14T18:39:00.001-07:00

Metabolism. 2009 Jun 4; Chen CH, Chang MY, Lin YS, Lin DG, Chen SW, Chao PMAcetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACC) plays a crucial role in fatty acid metabolism, and its inhibition is an effective approach for treating metabolic syndrome. Partially purified ACC from rat liver was used to screen herbs commonly used in Taiwanese folk medicine for ACC inhibitory effects. An ethanol extract of Polygonum hypoleucum Ohwi (EP), the Taiwan tuber fleece flower, was found to have the highest inhibitory activity (half-maximal inhibitory concentration = 30 mug/mL). We then tested the physiologic effects of EP using high-fat (HF) diet-fed C57BL/6J mice. After 4 weeks, body weight and levels of blood glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, and leptin were significantly reduced (P < .05) in mice fed a 3% EP-containing HF diet. The EP also improved the glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity of HF diet-fed mice. In addition, EP at concentrations of 0.0725 and 0.145 mg/mL (2.5- and 5-fold higher than the half-maximal inhibitory concentration) was also effective in decreasing ACC and fatty acid synthase activity and the triacylglycerol content of HepG2 cells incubated in high-glucose (30 mmol/L) medium. These results show that EP, acting by inhibiting ACC activity, is effective in alleviating the symptoms associated with metabolic disease.

Analysis of the constituents in rat plasma after oral administration of Shexiang Baoxin pill by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS.

2009-06-14T18:36:00.001-07:00

Biomed Chromatogr. 2009 Jun 10; Jiang P, Liu R, Dou S, Liu L, Zhang W, Chen Z, Xu R, Ding JA valid method using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization (ESI) and ion trap mass spectrometry was established for the study of the absorbed components in rat plasma after oral administration of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Shexiang Baoxin pill. The plasma was deproteinated by adding methanol prior to liquid chromatography, in which separation was carried out on a Symmetry C(18 )column (5 microm, 250 x 4.6 mm). A linear gradient with 0.5% formic acid-water-acetonitrile was used as mobile phase. Mass spectra were acquired in both negative and positive modes. Twenty-one components including 17 components from Shexiang Baoxin pill and four metabolites were observed from a comprehensive analysis of the chromatography of Shexiang Baoxin pill, controlled plasma and dosed plasma. All of the 17 prototype compounds and three of the metabolites were identified by comparing their retention behaviors and MS and MS/MS spectra with reference compounds and literature data. This study developed an integrated method for screening the bioactive constituents in plasma after oral adminstration of Chinese herbal medicine and provided helpful chemical information for further pharmacology and active mechanism research on TCM. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Experimental study on the effect of Kang-Lai-Te induced apoptosis of human hepatoma carcinoma cell HepG2.

2009-06-14T16:29:00.001-07:00

Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int. 2009 Jun; 8(3): 267-72Lu Y, Wu LQ, Dong Q, Li CSBACKGROUND: Kang-Lai-Te (KLT) is extracted from the traditional Chinese herbal medicine Semen Coicis, which has been used in China as an effective clinical drug for over a thousand years. It contains numerous ingredients with anti-tumor effects. In our previous studies on transplanted hepatomas in rats, KLT could stop the cells in the G2+M stage of cell cycle and then reduce the number of cells entering the stage G0 and G1, but the mechanism of the anti-proliferative effect was unknown. In this experiment, we examined whether KLT inhibits HepG2 cell growth, if so, tried to explore its mechanism. METHODS: KLT at different concentrations was used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro, respectively. The proliferation inhibitory rate was evaluated by MTT assay, induction of cell apoptosis rate and the protein levels of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) were determined by flow cytometry (FCM), and the expression of Fas and FasL mRNA was detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: KLT produced an obvious time and dose-dependent inhibitory effect on HepG2 cells, and marked apoptosis was detected by FCM. The protein of Fas increased by 11.01%, 18.71%, 28.71% and 37.15%; the protein of FasL increased by 1.49%, 1.91%, 3.27% and 3.38% in comparison with the control (P

Paving roads for new drugs in oncology.

2009-06-14T14:31:00.001-07:00

Recent Pat Anticancer Drug Discov. 2009 Jun; 4(2): 137-45Zaenker KS, Entschladen FLow productivity and the escalating costs of drug development have been well documented over the past years. A fraction of new pre-clinical compounds successfully pass experimental test batteries, and less than 10% of these compounds that enter clinical trials ultimately make it to the market. These challenges in the "critical path" of drug development will be discussed for drugs in the field of oncology, regarding the i) the impact of FDA and EMEA guidelines, and ii) microdosing studies/phase 0 trials before a drug enters phase I to III, to inform drug development, compressing drug development timelines and decision-making for continuation into clinical trials. Moreover, this review should embark on i) how to find new key molecules involved in life-and-death decision of a cell, how ii) old drugs will have a revival for new indications, because of novel information for their mode of action, and iii) how the revolutionary advances - high-throughput technologies, gene therapy and the deciphering of the human genome - do have their potential to develop personalized therapy. Therapy has progressed from an age of administering herbal remedies and organ extracts to an era of meticulously planned drug discovery, when pharmaceutical industry was born in a Western understanding. The relevant patents are discussed.

Neuroprotective role of Convolvulus pluricaulis on aluminium induced neurotoxicity in rat brain.

2009-06-14T13:31:00.001-07:00

J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jun 5; Bihaqi SW, Sharma M, Singh AP, Tiwari MAIM OF THE STUDY: Convolvulus pluricaulis (Convolvulaceae) has long been used as traditional herbal medicine in India as nerve tonic. We investigated neuroprotective effects of aqueous extract from Convolvulus pluricaulis (CP) against aluminium chloride induced neurotoxicity in rat cerebral cortex. MATERIAL, METHOD AND RESULT: Daily administration of CP (150mg/kg) for three months along with aluminium chloride (50mg/kg) decreased the elevated enzymatic activity of acetylcholine esterase and also inhibited the decline in Na(+)/K(+)ATPase activity which resulted from aluminium intake. Beside, preventing accumulation of lipid and protein damage, changes in the levels of endogenous antioxidant enzymes associated with aluminium administration were also rectified. Oral administration of CP preserved the mRNA levels of Muscarinic receptor 1 (M1 receptor), Choline acetyl transferase (ChAT) and Nerve Growth Factor-Tyrosine kinase A receptor (NGF-TrkA). It also ameliorated the upregulated protein expression of Cycline dependent kinase5 (Cdk5) induced by aluminium. The potential of CPE to inhibit aluminium induced toxicity was compared with rivastigmine tartrate (1mg/kg), which was taken as standard. The potential of the extract to prevent aluminium induced neurotoxicity was also reflected at the microscopic level, indicative of its neuroprotective effects. CONCLUSION: Convolvulus pluricaulis possesses neuroprotective potential, thus validating its use in alleviating toxic effects of aluminium.