European Journal of Integrative Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Safety and efficacy of Piper longum L. for acute respiratory infections: A systematic review","authors":"Anugraha George ,&nbsp;Prakash Bangalore Nagendrappa ,&nbsp;Unnikrishnana Payyappallimana ,&nbsp;Xiao-Yang Hu ,&nbsp;Xiaowen Zhang ,&nbsp;Sadia Wali ,&nbsp;Merlin Willcox","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to global public health by compromising the effectiveness of infection prevention and treatment strategies. This escalating issue necessitates the exploration of alternative treatments and natural remedies to reduce reliance on antibiotics. <em>Piper longum</em> L. has historically been used in the treatment of respiratory infections in Ayurvedic medicine. This systematic review aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of <em>Piper longum</em> in managing Acute Respiratory Infections (ARIs).</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Nine databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, AMED, ProQuest, CNKI, and Google Scholar) were systematically searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled clinical trials (NRCTs) evaluating <em>Piper longum</em>. The primary outcomes assessed were improvement in acute respiratory infections, ARI symptoms and side effects. A narrative approach was used to synthesize the data. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess study quality, and Rayyan was used to screen eligible studies. Data extraction was performed independently by two reviewers.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Two studies met the inclusion criteria (one RCT and one NRCT). One study reported that <em>Piper longum</em> improved symptoms of acute respiratory infections (ARIs), including frequency of cough bouts, sleep disturbances, sputum production, crepitations, throat infections, wheezing, nasal discharge, and loss of appetite. Side effects associated with <em>Piper longum</em> ranged from minimal (such as chest burning) to none. However, the methodological quality of the included trials was generally poor.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div><em>Piper longum</em> may be beneficial and safe for relieving symptoms of ARIs. Nevertheless, these findings should be interpreted with caution due to the poor methodological quality and heterogeneity of the included studies. To better understand the efficacy and safety of <em>Piper longum</em>, well-designed trials with rigorous methodologies and transparent reporting are necessary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102559"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"‘Biographical continuity’: A qualitative study of the role of complementary and alternative medicine in restoring the self after breast cancer diagnosis","authors":"Joana Almeida ,&nbsp;Kavi Sharma ,&nbsp;Jonathan Gabe ,&nbsp;Richard Simcock ,&nbsp;John L. Anderson","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Breast cancer patients frequently use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) alongside biomedical treatment for symptom relief and to address the disruption caused by diagnosis and treatment. These experiences, however, are often overlooked within the cancer clinical encounter. This study explored CAM use in women with breast cancer, focusing on three main research questions: Why do women with breast cancer use CAM? In what ways does CAM help them maintain or regain a sense of normality? What barriers or tensions do they face when considering or using CAM?</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study used a qualitative interpretative-constructivist research design to analyse the subjective meanings women with breast cancer ascribed to their CAM use during their breast cancer journey. Unstructured interviews were conducted with nine female breast cancer patients undertaking treatment at a major NHS cancer centre in Southeast England. The interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The women engaged with a wide range of CAM therapies during their cancer journey. CAM was used not only to alleviate symptoms, but also to restore a sense of ‘ordinariness’ and biographical continuity. Central to this process were practices of self-care, self-help, and self-management, and the collaboration of CAM practitioners and open-minded medical doctors. Barriers included dominant biomedical approaches, limited information sharing and communication about CAM, financial and geographical constraints, and little clinical validation by medical staff.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>These women experienced tensions and conflicts when trying to use CAM alongside cancer treatment. They sought overall well-being but often encountered barriers to accessing CAM and sharing their experiences within a biomedical context. The study highlights the role and value of CAM in restoring a sense of normality in the lives of breast cancer survivors, and recommends raising professional awareness of CAM use by women with breast cancer, normalising CAM dialogue in the clinical encounter, and considering relational care in training.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102558"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145269965","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing different acupuncture methods for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome: A systematic review and network meta-analysis","authors":"Rong Li ,&nbsp;Yu Zhang ,&nbsp;YuHang Xie ,&nbsp;XiaoQin Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102556","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102556","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Acupuncture involves many different methods that can effectively treat Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). However, the comparative efficacy of different acupuncture-related methods remains unclear. This study aims to evaluate and rank the effectiveness of various acupuncture therapies for CFS through a network meta-analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A comprehensive search of the three Chinese and four English databases for randomized controlled trials evaluating the use of acupuncture in treating CFS, published from database inception to July 2025, was performed, focusing on FS-14 scores and total effective rates as primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. Bayesian network meta-analysis was used to compare the effectiveness of 9 different intervention methods.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Thirty-five randomized controlled trials comprising 2383 participants were included. Pairwise comparison revealed that moxibustion (mean difference [MD]: 12.43, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 4.03 to 21.14) and acupuncture (MD: 11.15, 95 %CI: 3.3 to 19.39) were more effective than Western medicine in improving FS-14 scores. Regarding the total effective rate, the therapeutic effect of moxibustion is superior to that of acupuncture (risk ratio [RR]: 0.82, 95 %CI: 0.74 to 0.9) and Western medicine (RR: 1.5, 95 %CI: 1.33 to 1.71). The SUCRA ranking results revealed that regardless of FS-14 score or total effectiveness, moxibustion yielded the first curative effect.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Moxibustion may be advantageous in alleviating the fatigue symptoms of patients with CFS. However, the number of included studies was limited, and high-quality research is needed to confirm our conclusions.</div></div><div><h3>Protocol registration</h3><div>PROSPERO: CRD42024534790</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102556"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145117619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of Qingwei Zhitong pellets combined with bismuth quadruple therapy for Helicobacter pylori eradication: A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Zhen Li ,&nbsp;Xiaolin Zhao ,&nbsp;Kun Huang ,&nbsp;Yong Cai ,&nbsp;Chanjuan Fan ,&nbsp;Dongling Xie ,&nbsp;Lili Zhai ,&nbsp;Sheng Li ,&nbsp;Xiaomei Zhang ,&nbsp;Haiou Ding ,&nbsp;Pan Wang ,&nbsp;Jianping Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>We previously reported that Qingwei Zhitong pellets (QZP)-containing quadruple therapy was safe and effective for <em>Helicobacter pylori</em> (<em>H. pylori</em>) eradication. However, it remains unclear whether QZP adjunctive to bismuth-based quadruple therapy (BQT) enhances <em>H. pylori</em> eradication rates and reduces adverse events. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adding QZP to BQT on the eradication rate of <em>H. pylori</em>.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>In this single-center, randomized controlled trial, 336 patients were randomized 1:1:1 to receive 14-day therapy with either BQT (compound bismuth aluminate 1.3 g three times daily, rabeprazole 20 mg twice daily, amoxicillin 1 g twice daily, clarithromycin 500 mg twice daily), BQT plus QZP (3.2 g three times daily), or triple therapy (rabeprazole, amoxicillin, clarithromycin at aforementioned doses) plus QZP (3.2 g three times daily). The primary endpoint was the eradication rate of <em>H. pylori</em>. Secondary endpoints included symptom improvement, adverse effects, and treatment compliance.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>In intention-to-treat analysis, eradication rates were significantly higher with BQT-QZP (85.7 %) than with TT-QZP (73.2 %) or BQT (74.1 %) (RR 0.85, 95 % CI 0.76–0.96 and RR 0.86, 95 % CI 0.78–0.96, respectively). BQT-QZP showed superior symptom outcomes, with higher rates of complete resolution (13.4 % vs. 6.3 % and 4.5 %) and overall improvement (86.6 % vs. 63.4 % and 53.6 %). BQT-QZP also resulted in the highest total effective rate (71.4 % vs. 54.5 % and 60.7 %) and healing rate (19.6 %). The three groups demonstrated comparable rates of overall adverse events, and treatment compliance rates were high, with comparable levels between the groups.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>A 14-day BQT combined with QZP quintuple therapy achieves an acceptable eradication rate as first-line anti-<em>H. pylori</em> therapy.</div></div><div><h3>Registration</h3><div>ChiCTR2300077090.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"80 ","pages":"Article 102557"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145270029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Yifei moxibustion treatment for acute exacerbations of asthma: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial","authors":"Jiaxin Xu ,&nbsp;Peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Jianya Yang ,&nbsp;Yang Xie ,&nbsp;Donghui Huang ,&nbsp;Cuiling Feng ,&nbsp;Suyun Li","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Asthma is one of the most prevalent global chronic respiratory diseases and significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Yifei moxibustion is an external therapy that involves herb-partitioned moxibustion along the Governor Channel (Du Meridian). While Yifei moxibustion has demonstrated therapeutic potential in managing chronic airway disease through extensive clinical application, its efficacy in asthma treatment remains insufficiently validated, due to the absence of rigorously controlled, high-quality randomized clinical trials. This study aims to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Yifei moxibustion in asthma management while preliminarily investigating its correlation with immune regulation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This is a multicenter, open-label, randomized controlled trial. A total of 384 participants with poorly controlled asthma will be randomly allocated to the Yifei moxibustion group and the usual care control group at a 1:1 ratio. The Yifei moxibustion consists of 90-minute sessions every 10 days, starting 10 days before the first Sanfu day. Each year includes 5 treatment sessions, for a total of 2 years of treatment. The primary outcome measure is the frequency of acute exacerbations. Secondary outcomes comprise Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), and Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) scores. All the above outcomes will be assessed before treatment, after treatment, and every 13 weeks during the follow-up period. Pulmonary function and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements will be conducted at baseline, 52 weeks, and 104 weeks. Laboratory blood biochemical analysis will be carried out at baseline, 7, 52, 59 and 104 weeks. The adverse events of the Yifei moxibustion will be evaluated at each treatment session and follow-up period.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of Yifei moxibustion in managing acute asthma exacerbations while preliminarily investigating its correlation with immune regulation, providing clinical references for asthma treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>Clinical Trials.gov NCT 06777472. Registered on 10 January 2025.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102552"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of acupuncture pain management guidelines based on the AGREE II tool","authors":"Sixuan Wang ,&nbsp;Bo Li ,&nbsp;Mei Luo ,&nbsp;Ying Cui ,&nbsp;Yuxian Li ,&nbsp;Xinming Yang ,&nbsp;Yufeng Tu ,&nbsp;Mingyue Li ,&nbsp;Xiangdong Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study aimed to assess the methodological quality of clinical practice guidelines for acupuncture in pain management, with the goals of identifying areas requiring improvement and providing insights for the development of high-quality guidelines in the future.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Two researchers conducted an independent literature review and screening. The included guidelines were evaluated using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE II) Instrument. The literature search was performed across the following databases and websites: China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the New Zealand Ministry of Health website, SinoMed, and other relevant platforms. Six domains were assessed: Scope and Purpose, Stakeholder Involvement, Rigour of Development, Clarity of Presentation, Applicability, and Editorial Independence. SPSS 23.0 was employed to assess inter-rater reliability, calculate domain scores, and analyze the mean standardized percentage and standard deviation for each domain.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 19 guidelines were incorporated into the analysis, with an inter-rater reliability coefficient exceeding 0.75. These guidelines originated from China (<em>n</em> = 16, 84.2 %), South Korea (<em>n</em> = 2, 10.5 %), and the United Kingdom (<em>n</em> = 1, 5.3 %). Based on the AGREE II scores, five guidelines were rated as high-quality, 12 as average-quality, and two as low-quality. The scores for each domain were as follows: Scope and Purpose (76.46 % ± 4.07 %), Stakeholder Involvement (61.99 % ± 13.95 %), Rigour of Development (61.13 % ± 14.28 %), Clarity of Presentation (76.17 % ± 7.71 %), Applicability (31.36 % ± 11.88 %), and Editorial Independence (46.05 % ± 35.26 %).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The existing clinical practice guidelines for acupuncture in pain management remain limited in quantity and generally lack methodological rigour. Notably, significant deficiencies were observed in the domain of Applicability, indicating an urgent need for improvement in this area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102553"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preference and usage of herbal and orthodox medicines and dosage form preferences among adults visiting two hospitals in Ho, Ghana: a cross-sectional survey","authors":"Hilda Amekyeh ,&nbsp;Doris Kumadoh ,&nbsp;Salifu Nanga ,&nbsp;Donatus Wewura Adongo ,&nbsp;Gideon Krobea-Asante ,&nbsp;Barbara Owusu-Ansah ,&nbsp;Kwabena Larbi Awuku-Larbi ,&nbsp;Albert Ekow Mensah ,&nbsp;John Korbuvi ,&nbsp;Mike Okweesi Aggrey","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102554","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102554","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>The usage and preferences of treatments among patients must be understood to guide policy development and improve healthcare. Additionally, the dosage form in which a medicine is presented to a patient can influence compliance with therapy. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the preference of herbal medicine versus orthodox medicine, usage of the two medicine types, and desired oral and topical formulations among adults.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A cross-sectional study was conducted among 430 respondents at the outpatient departments of Ho Municipal Hospital and Ho Teaching Hospital in the Ho municipality of Ghana. Participants were purposively sampled to complete a questionnaire, after which the data were analyzed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Participants mostly preferred orthodox medicine (78.8 %). Treatment preference was influenced by age (<em>p</em> = 0.033) and educational level (<em>p</em> = 0.013). Key reasons for preferring either treatment were perceived effectiveness (55.8 %, orthodox; 14.4 %, herbal) and safety (60.0 %, orthodox; 9.5 %, herbal). Unprescribed medicine usage (herbal/orthodox) was attributed to self-medication (11.6 %), radio/TV adverts (12.6 %), and non-professional advice (36.5 %). Tablets (54.9 %), capsules (54.0 %), and liquids (44.9 %) were the preferred oral formulations; younger and older participants largely preferred liquids and capsules, respectively. Educational level influenced capsule preference (<em>p</em> = 0.039). Income level showed significant associations with capsules (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.00001), liquids (<em>p</em> = 0.012), and powders (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.00001). Ointments (61.2 %), creams (56.3 %), and gels (25.3 %) were the preferred topical products, with preferences significantly affected by income, education, and religion.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our findings indicate a higher preference for orthodox medicine over herbal medicine as well as preference for conventional oral and topical dosage forms. Indiscriminate medicine usage by some participants was also observed, indicating that control of medicine information in the media and enhanced public education on medicine safety are needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102554"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Photodynamic and cytotoxic activities of Onosma aucheriana extract: Molecular interactions and antioxidant potential","authors":"Metin Caliskan ,&nbsp;Sercin Ozlem Caliskan ,&nbsp;Emine Incilay Torunoglu ,&nbsp;Erdi Can Aytar ,&nbsp;Alper Durmaz","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102549","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102549","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>This study investigates the anticancer, photodynamic, antioxidant efficiency and molecular interaction profiles of <em>Onosma aucheriana</em> methanol extract.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>The cell viability of normal (HEK293) and gastric cancer (MKN28) cell lines was evaluated using IC₅₀ values, including photodynamic activity under green light. Antioxidant potential was assessed through DPPH radical scavenging, while phytochemical contents were quantified spectrophotometrically. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis identified major compounds, and molecular docking studies explored their interactions with target proteins.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Cell viability assays showed a dose-dependent reduction in cell viability, with IC₅₀ values of 1036 μg/mL for HEK293 and 951.8 μg/mL for MKN28. To assess photodynamic activity, green light was used, revealing IC₅₀ values of 56.62 μg/mL for normal cells and 32.53 μg/mL for cancer cells. A more pronounced reduction in cell viability was observed in cancer cells compared to normal cells. However, it demonstrates significant photodynamic activity at a concentration approximately 1/18th of the IC₅₀ value for normal cells and about 1/29th of the IC₅₀ value for cancer cells. The extract, with a DPPH radical scavenging IC₅₀ value of 154.15 ± 1.04 µg/mL, exhibits strong antioxidant activity, which is greater than that of BHT (230 ± 10 µg/mL). The total flavanol, flavonoid, phenolic, proanthocyanidin, and tannin contents are quantified as 24.30 ± 1.23 mg QE/g, 32.96 ± 3.23 mg QE/g, 6.31 ± 0.79 mg GAE/g, 83.41 ± 12.95 mg CAE/g, and 27.32 ± 2.30 mg GAE/g, respectively. GC–MS analysis reveals inositol (30.47 %), 4-((1E)‑hydroxy-1-propenyl)-2-methoxyphenol (23.04 %), 3-amino-2,6-dimethylpyridine (7.41 %), and 3-buten-2-one, 4-(4‑hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethyl-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0] hept‑1-yl) (5.99 %) as major components. Molecular docking studies reveal that 3-buten-2-one, 4-(4‑hydroxy-2,2,6-trimethyl-7-oxabicyclo[4.1.0] hept‑1-yl) exhibits strong binding interactions with BAF complex (6LTJ), inositol shows substantial hydrogen bonding, and 4-((1E)‑hydroxy-1-propenyl)-2-methoxyphenol demonstrates significant binding with several receptors.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The <em>O. aucheriana</em> extract exhibited strong antioxidant activity and a novel photodynamic cytotoxic effect that became prominent under green light exposure. These findings suggest that the extract may possess versatile therapeutic potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102549"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154516","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The effectiveness and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. for patients with chronic kidney disease: an overview of systematic reviews","authors":"Chen-pei Liu ,&nbsp;Yang-yang Lei ,&nbsp;Yue-qi Zhang ,&nbsp;Bang-tai Cao ,&nbsp;Xiao-han Bian ,&nbsp;Hui-min Liang ,&nbsp;Tran Anh Kieu ,&nbsp;Thomas John Osilama ,&nbsp;Ogbe Susan Enechojo ,&nbsp;Yan Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102551","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102551","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Many systematic reviews (SRs)/meta-analyses (MAs) have explored the effectiveness and safety of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. (TwHF) for chronic kidney disease (CKD), yet findings remain inconsistent, and their quality has not been adequately assessed. We aimed to identify these SRs/MAs and assess their evidence level.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted a comprehensive literature search across eight databases up to December 13, 2024. For each included SR/MA, we used A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews 2 (AMSTAR2), the Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews tool (ROBIS), and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) to assess methodological quality, risk of bias, and evidence certainty, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 32 SRs/MAs were analyzed. The AMSTAR 2 checklist showed that the methodological quality of all the included SRs/MAs was very low. The ROBIS tool suggested that 8 SRs/MAs were assessed as having low overall risk of bias, while the remaining were assessed as having high overall risk of bias. High-quality evidence from GRADE suggested that in nephrotic syndrome patients, the combination of TwHF and prednisone significantly increased the effectiveness rate (OR=3.37, 95 %CI: 1.99–5.17; N=10; I²=30 %), reduced recurrence rate (OR=0.34, 95 %CI: 0.20–0.57; N=6; I²=34 %), decreased 24-hour urinary total protein (MD=-0.98, 95 %CI: -1.27 to -0.70; N=8; I²=56 %), and improved serum albumin levels (MD=0.79, 95 %CI: 0.44–1.14; N=8; I²=39 %) compared to prednisone alone. In addition, 18 pieces of moderate-quality evidence with GRADE assessment were found, which indicated that the combination of TwHF and prednisone significantly reduced the incidence of both gastrointestinal adverse events (OR=0.49; 95 % CI: 0.29 to 0.83; N=4; I²=0 %) and leukopenia (OR=0.37; 95 % CI: 0.18 to 0.75; N=6; I²=0 %) compared to prednisone monotherapy. However, combining TwHF with angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) significantly increased adverse event incidence compared to ACEI/ARB alone.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>TwHF may potentially improve treatment outcomes in patients with CKD. Conclusions regarding both effectiveness and safety are only meaningful when confined to specific CKD subgroups and treatment comparisons. Furthermore, due to substantial heterogeneity and generally low methodological quality, the findings of this study should be interpreted with caution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 102551"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Inhibitory effects of wogonin on hepatocellular carcinoma through modulation of lactate metabolism and suppression of regulatory T-cell differentiation","authors":"Fansheng Meng ,&nbsp;Yiheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Xujing Gu ,&nbsp;Tianle Ma ,&nbsp;Zhipeng Chen ,&nbsp;Huihua Fang ,&nbsp;Li Wu ,&nbsp;Huaning Xu ,&nbsp;Yan Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eujim.2025.102545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Wogonin, an active flavonoid derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Scutellaria baicalensis, has been reported to regulate cellular metabolism. Increasing evidence suggests that wogonin inhibits regulatory T-cell (Treg) differentiation and modulates immune responses both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our previous findings demonstrated that lactic acid, a metabolic byproduct of glycolysis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, promotes the differentiation of naïve CD4⁺ <em>T</em> cells into Tregs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The effects of wogonin (1.25, 5, and 20 μg/mL) on naïve CD4⁺ <em>T</em>-cell differentiation were examined in the presence of lactic acid. The proportion of Tregs was analyzed using flow cytometry. Protein and mRNA expression levels of TGF-β, p-Smad2, p-Smad3, LDHA, p-mTOR, HIF-1α, ATP5B, and FOXP3 were measured by western blotting (WB) and RT-PCR, respectively. Levels of IL-10, α-KG, and 2-HG were quantified using ELISA. To further assess <em>in vivo</em> efficacy, a mouse hepatoma transplantation model was established by subcutaneous injection of H22 cells. Seven days after inoculation, mice were treated with wogonin (12.5 or 25 mg/kg). After three weeks, mice were euthanized. Tumors underwent histological analysis by HE staining, while CD4⁺and CD8⁺ <em>T</em>-cell populations were assessed via immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. LDHA enzyme activity, intracellular and extracellular lactate and glucose concentrations were measured by ELISA. FOXP3 and IL-10 mRNA levels were evaluated by RT-PCR.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Supplemental lactic acid significantly increased Treg differentiation following cytokine stimulation (anti-CD3, anti-CD28, and TGF-β). Conversely, wogonin treatment significantly and dose-dependently reduced Treg differentiation and LDHA expression. Through inhibitor screening, c-Myc was identified as a critical molecular target of wogonin. Mechanistically, wogonin suppressed c-Myc activity, subsequently downregulating LDHA expression and enzyme activity, reducing abnormal accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG), normalizing the 2-HG/α-KG ratio, and ultimately decreasing FOXP3 and IL-10 expression.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Wogonin suppresses Treg differentiation and exerts anti-HCC effects by inhibiting c-Myc-mediated LDHA expression and disrupting the 2-HG/ATP5B/mTOR/HIF-1α signaling pathway. Given its potential to reshape the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment, further investigation into its combination with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors is warranted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11932,"journal":{"name":"European Journal of Integrative Medicine","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 102545"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145003928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}