Background. Psychological distress is a progressive health problem that has been linked to decreased quality of life among university students. This meta-analysis reviews existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have examined the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the relief of psychosomatic stress-related outcomes and quality of life among university students. Methods. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO (formerly PsychLit), Ovid MEDLINE, ERIC, Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library databases were searched in November 2023 to identify the RCTs for analysis. Data on pathology (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress), physical capacity (sleep quality and physical health), and well-being (mindfulness, self-kindness, social function, and subjective well-being) were analyzed. Results. Of the 276 articles retrieved, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Compared with control therapies, the pooled results suggested that MBSR had significant effects, reducing anxiety (SMD = −0.29; 95% CI: −0.49 to −0.09), depression (SMD = −0.32; 95% CI: −0.62 to −0.02), and perceived stress (SMD = −0.41; 95% CI: −0.60 to −0.29) and improving mindfulness (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.59), self-kindness (SMD = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.30 to 1.12), and physical health (SMD = −0.59; 95% CI: −1.14 to −0.04). No significant differences were observed in sleep quality (SMD = −0.20; 95% CI: −0.06 to 0.20), social function (SMD = −0.71; 95% CI: −2.40 to 0.97), or subjective well-being (SMD = 0.07; 95% CI: −0.18 to 0.32). The quality of the evidence regarding sleep quality and physical health outcomes was low. Conclusions. MBSR therapy appears to be potentially useful in relieving functional emotional disorders. However, additional evidence-based large-sample trials are required to definitively determine the forms of mindfulness-based therapy that may be effective in this context and ensure that the benefits obtained are ongoing. Future studies should investigate more personalized approaches involving interventions that are tailored to various barriers and students’ clinical characteristics. To optimize the effects of such interventions, they should be developed and evaluated using various designs such as the multiphase optimization strategy, which allows for the identification and tailoring of the most valuable intervention components.
{"title":"Effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on Mental Health and Psychological Quality of Life among University Students: A GRADE-Assessed Systematic Review","authors":"Yuanqing Pan, Fusen Li, Haiqian Liang, Xiping Shen, Zhitong Bing, Liang Cheng, Yi Dong","doi":"10.1155/2024/8872685","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/8872685","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Background</i>. Psychological distress is a progressive health problem that has been linked to decreased quality of life among university students. This meta-analysis reviews existing randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that have examined the effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on the relief of psychosomatic stress-related outcomes and quality of life among university students. <i>Methods</i>. The PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO (formerly PsychLit), Ovid MEDLINE, ERIC, Scopus, Google Scholar, ProQuest, and Cochrane Library databases were searched in November 2023 to identify the RCTs for analysis. Data on pathology (anxiety, depression, and perceived stress), physical capacity (sleep quality and physical health), and well-being (mindfulness, self-kindness, social function, and subjective well-being) were analyzed. <i>Results</i>. Of the 276 articles retrieved, 29 met the inclusion criteria. Compared with control therapies, the pooled results suggested that MBSR had significant effects, reducing anxiety (SMD = −0.29; 95% CI: −0.49 to −0.09), depression (SMD = −0.32; 95% CI: −0.62 to −0.02), and perceived stress (SMD = −0.41; 95% CI: −0.60 to −0.29) and improving mindfulness (SMD = 0.34; 95% CI: 0.08 to 0.59), self-kindness (SMD = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.30 to 1.12), and physical health (SMD = −0.59; 95% CI: −1.14 to −0.04). No significant differences were observed in sleep quality (SMD = −0.20; 95% CI: −0.06 to 0.20), social function (SMD = −0.71; 95% CI: −2.40 to 0.97), or subjective well-being (SMD = 0.07; 95% CI: −0.18 to 0.32). The quality of the evidence regarding sleep quality and physical health outcomes was low. <i>Conclusions</i>. MBSR therapy appears to be potentially useful in relieving functional emotional disorders. However, additional evidence-based large-sample trials are required to definitively determine the forms of mindfulness-based therapy that may be effective in this context and ensure that the benefits obtained are ongoing. Future studies should investigate more personalized approaches involving interventions that are tailored to various barriers and students’ clinical characteristics. To optimize the effects of such interventions, they should be developed and evaluated using various designs such as the multiphase optimization strategy, which allows for the identification and tailoring of the most valuable intervention components.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"77 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139920170","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}
Letícia dos Santos Dantas Lima, Luiz Felipe Domingues Passero, Alexandre Indriunas, Ingrid de Souza Santos, Luíza Francisco Uchôa Coqueiro, Kayo Alexandre Souza da Cruz, Adriana Batista de Almeida, José Carlos Fernandes Galduróz, Eliana Rodrigues
Some of the vernacular or scientific names are related to possible medicinal and/or toxic properties that can reveal the presence of potential bioactive agents, contributing to the discovery of new drugs and/or knowledge of the risks associated with their use. This study sought to list the scientific and vernacular names of plants whose lexicons are related to those possible properties of plants and to compare them with the “ethno” (ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological) and pharmacological data available in the scientific literature. A floating reading of the two classical and reference works on Brazilian medicinal plants was performed, and plants with vernacular and/or scientific names related to the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties were listed. Correlations between the meanings of the species’ names (lexicon) and their possible biological properties were made from their translation from Latin by consulting dictionaries. A bibliographic survey was conducted on the “ethno” and pharmacological data for each species. Finally, data from these three dimensions (lexicon, “ethno,” and pharmacology) were classified and compared using a bioprospection classification. It resulted in a list of 90 plant species belonging to 47 families. 66 of the 90 species presented “ethno” data from the scientific literature, while 46 species presented pharmacological data. Of these, 46 (69.7%) and 27 (58.7%), respectively, showed equivalence with the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties of plants according to their lexicons. According to this study, half of the plants investigated demonstrate equivalence in the three dimensions analyzed (lexicons, “ethno,” and pharmacological data from the scientific literature). Gastrointestinal and nervous system categories are among the most common in all three dimensions. Plant lexicons may be closely linked to the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties and the study of plant lexicons may represent one more approach for the search for new drugs, mainly considering the gastrointestinal, nervous, and parasites categories.
{"title":"The Meaning of Plants’ Names: A New Discovering Approach to Its Medicinal and/or Toxic Properties","authors":"Letícia dos Santos Dantas Lima, Luiz Felipe Domingues Passero, Alexandre Indriunas, Ingrid de Souza Santos, Luíza Francisco Uchôa Coqueiro, Kayo Alexandre Souza da Cruz, Adriana Batista de Almeida, José Carlos Fernandes Galduróz, Eliana Rodrigues","doi":"10.1155/2024/6678557","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6678557","url":null,"abstract":"Some of the vernacular or scientific names are related to possible medicinal and/or toxic properties that can reveal the presence of potential bioactive agents, contributing to the discovery of new drugs and/or knowledge of the risks associated with their use. This study sought to list the scientific and vernacular names of plants whose lexicons are related to those possible properties of plants and to compare them with the “ethno” (ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological) and pharmacological data available in the scientific literature. A floating reading of the two classical and reference works on Brazilian medicinal plants was performed, and plants with vernacular and/or scientific names related to the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties were listed. Correlations between the meanings of the species’ names (lexicon) and their possible biological properties were made from their translation from Latin by consulting dictionaries. A bibliographic survey was conducted on the “ethno” and pharmacological data for each species. Finally, data from these three dimensions (lexicon, “ethno,” and pharmacology) were classified and compared using a bioprospection classification. It resulted in a list of 90 plant species belonging to 47 families. 66 of the 90 species presented “ethno” data from the scientific literature, while 46 species presented pharmacological data. Of these, 46 (69.7%) and 27 (58.7%), respectively, showed equivalence with the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties of plants according to their lexicons. According to this study, half of the plants investigated demonstrate equivalence in the three dimensions analyzed (lexicons, “ethno,” and pharmacological data from the scientific literature). Gastrointestinal and nervous system categories are among the most common in all three dimensions. Plant lexicons may be closely linked to the possible medicinal and/or toxic properties and the study of plant lexicons may represent one more approach for the search for new drugs, mainly considering the gastrointestinal, nervous, and parasites categories.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139920331","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}
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been the major cause of mortality all around the globe. Lespedeza cuneata abbreviated as L. cuneata with the authority name of Dumont de Courset (G. Don) is a perennial flowering plant commonly grown in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan. We aimed to investigate the L. cuneata extract’s antiplatelet and antithrombotic properties as GC-MS analysis indicated that the extract contained short-chain fatty acids, which have been reported to possess beneficial cardiovascular effects. L. cuneata was extracted using water, 50% EtOH, 70% EtOH, and 100% EtOH. For in vitro antiplatelet analysis, washed platelets were prepared and incubated with L. cuneata with 200 μg/mL of 50% EtOH in the presence of 1 mM of CaCl2 for 1 minute followed by agonist (collagen 2.5 μg/mL or ADP 10 μM or thrombin 0.1 U/mL) stimulation for 5 minutes over light transmission aggregometer. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to assess platelet shape change. ATP release and intracellular calcium mobilization were quantified to assess the granular content. Fibrinogen-binding assay and clot retraction assay assessed integrin αIIbβ3-mediated inside-out and outside-in signaling. Protein phosphorylation expression was investigated by western blot analysis. Finally, the in vivo antithrombotic efficacy was investigated by oral dosage of L. cuneata 200 and 400 mg/kg and aspirin 100 mg/kg for 7 days, and tail bleeding and FeCl3-induced murine thrombus model were performed. In vitro platelet aggregation and platelet shape change were dose-dependently suppressed by L. cuneata. Calcium mobilization, dense granules secretion, integrin αIIbβ3-mediated inside-out and outside-in signaling, and protein phosphorylation of MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways were significantly inhibited. In vivo assays revealed that L. cuneata prevents side effects of synthetic drugs via nonsignificantly increasing bleeding time and improving coronary artery blood flow and animal survival. Our results demonstrate that L. cuneata exhibited potent antiplatelet and antithrombotic effects and can be considered a potential herbal medicine with cardioprotective effects.
{"title":"Antiplatelet and Antithrombotic Activities of Lespedeza cuneata via Pharmacological Inhibition of Integrin αIIbβ3, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT Pathways and FeCl3-Induced Murine Thrombosis","authors":"Abdul Wahab Akram, Evelyn Saba, Man Hee Rhee","doi":"10.1155/2024/9927160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9927160","url":null,"abstract":"Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been the major cause of mortality all around the globe. <i>Lespedeza cuneata</i> abbreviated as <i>L. cuneata</i> with the authority name of Dumont de Courset (G. Don) is a perennial flowering plant commonly grown in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, China, and Taiwan. We aimed to investigate the <i>L. cuneata</i> extract’s antiplatelet and antithrombotic properties as GC-MS analysis indicated that the extract contained short-chain fatty acids, which have been reported to possess beneficial cardiovascular effects. <i>L. cuneata</i> was extracted using water, 50% EtOH, 70% EtOH, and 100% EtOH. For <i>in vitro</i> antiplatelet analysis, washed platelets were prepared and incubated with <i>L. cuneata</i> with 200 <i>μ</i>g/mL of 50% EtOH in the presence of 1 mM of CaCl<sub>2</sub> for 1 minute followed by agonist (collagen 2.5 <i>μ</i>g/mL or ADP 10 <i>μ</i>M or thrombin 0.1 U/mL) stimulation for 5 minutes over light transmission aggregometer. Scanning electron microscopy was performed to assess platelet shape change. ATP release and intracellular calcium mobilization were quantified to assess the granular content. Fibrinogen-binding assay and clot retraction assay assessed integrin <i>α</i>IIb<i>β</i>3-mediated inside-out and outside-in signaling. Protein phosphorylation expression was investigated by western blot analysis. Finally, the <i>in vivo</i> antithrombotic efficacy was investigated by oral dosage of <i>L. cuneata</i> 200 and 400 mg/kg and aspirin 100 mg/kg for 7 days, and tail bleeding and FeCl<sub>3</sub>-induced murine thrombus model were performed. <i>In vitro</i> platelet aggregation and platelet shape change were dose-dependently suppressed by <i>L. cuneata</i>. Calcium mobilization, dense granules secretion, integrin <i>α</i>IIb<i>β</i>3-mediated inside-out and outside-in signaling, and protein phosphorylation of MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways were significantly inhibited. <i>In vivo</i> assays revealed that <i>L. cuneata</i> prevents side effects of synthetic drugs via nonsignificantly increasing bleeding time and improving coronary artery blood flow and animal survival. Our results demonstrate that <i>L. cuneata</i> exhibited potent antiplatelet and antithrombotic effects and can be considered a potential herbal medicine with cardioprotective effects.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"88 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139762767","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}
Mohammad Amin Rajizadeh, Hamid Najafipour, Mohammad Abbas Bejeshk
Background. Asthma is a common disease with rising prevalence worldwide, especially in industrialized countries. Current asthma therapy with traditional medicines lacks satisfactory success, hence the patients’ search for alternative and complementary treatments for their diseases. Researchers have conducted many studies on plants with antiallergic and antiasthmatic effects in recent decades. Many of these plants are now used in clinics, and searching for their mechanism of action may result in creating new ideas for producing more effective drugs. Purpose. The goal of this review was to provide a compilation of the findings on plants and their active agents with experimentally confirmed antiasthmatic effects. Study Design and Method. A literature search was conducted from 1986 to November 2023 in Scopus, Springer Link, EMBASE, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to identify and report the accumulated knowledge on herbs and their compounds that may be effective in asthma treatment. Results. The results revealed that 58 plants and 32 herbal extracted compounds had antiasthmatic activity. Also, 32 plants were shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects or may act as bronchodilators and potentially have antiasthmatic effects, which must be investigated in future studies. Conclusion. The ability of herbal medicine to improve asthma symptoms has been confirmed by clinical and preclinical studies, and such compounds may be used as a source for developing new antiasthmatic drugs. Moreover, this review suggests that many bioactive compounds have therapeutic potential against asthma.
{"title":"An Updated Comprehensive Review of Plants and Herbal Compounds with Antiasthmatic Effect","authors":"Mohammad Amin Rajizadeh, Hamid Najafipour, Mohammad Abbas Bejeshk","doi":"10.1155/2024/5373117","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5373117","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Background</i>. Asthma is a common disease with rising prevalence worldwide, especially in industrialized countries. Current asthma therapy with traditional medicines lacks satisfactory success, hence the patients’ search for alternative and complementary treatments for their diseases. Researchers have conducted many studies on plants with antiallergic and antiasthmatic effects in recent decades. Many of these plants are now used in clinics, and searching for their mechanism of action may result in creating new ideas for producing more effective drugs. <i>Purpose</i>. The goal of this review was to provide a compilation of the findings on plants and their active agents with experimentally confirmed antiasthmatic effects. <i>Study Design and Method</i>. A literature search was conducted from 1986 to November 2023 in Scopus, Springer Link, EMBASE, Science Direct, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science to identify and report the accumulated knowledge on herbs and their compounds that may be effective in asthma treatment. <i>Results</i>. The results revealed that 58 plants and 32 herbal extracted compounds had antiasthmatic activity. Also, 32 plants were shown to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects or may act as bronchodilators and potentially have antiasthmatic effects, which must be investigated in future studies. <i>Conclusion</i>. The ability of herbal medicine to improve asthma symptoms has been confirmed by clinical and preclinical studies, and such compounds may be used as a source for developing new antiasthmatic drugs. Moreover, this review suggests that many bioactive compounds have therapeutic potential against asthma.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139762648","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}
Tekeste Abebe, Ariaya Hymete, Mirutse Giday, Daniel Bisrat
Depression, a global cause of disability and premature death, is often treated by traditional healers in Africa using medicinal herbs such as Ximenia americana (L.). With recent pharmacological studies showing the potential antidepressant properties of X. americana extract, this study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of the compound(s) isolated from X. americana extract using the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) models predictive of depression. The extracts, administered orally within a dose range of 100–400 mg/kg, notably decreased the immobility time in both the FST and the TST. The most significant reduction occurred at the highest dose of 400 mg/kg, with a decrease of 117.66 s in FST and 53.5 s in TST. However, this reduction in immobility was not linked to changes in movements, as observed in an open-field test (OFT), suggesting that the effect of the extracts was not due to activation of locomotion. Subsequently, a sesquiterpene lactone, dehydrocostus lactone (1) was isolated through solubility-based fractionation and column chromatography of the active root bark extract of X. americana. Dehydrocostus lactone (400 mg/kg) demonstrated a 46.50 s reduction in immobility time in the FST, which was comparable to the positive control, imipramine (30 mg/kg). With a highly favorable docking score of −8.365 kcal/mol on an antidepressant target, monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A; pdb ID: 2BXS), dehydrocostus lactone (1) potentially outperforms the standard MAO-A inhibitor drug, isocarboxazid (−5.847 kcal/mol). Dehydrocostus lactone (1) displayed strong interactions involving hydrogen bond and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions with specific MAO-A binding site residues. These findings highlight that the antidepressant-like activity of X. americana is partly attributed to the presence of dehydrocostus lactone. Additionally, it also supports the traditional medicinal use of the plant for treating depression.
抑郁症是导致残疾和过早死亡的一个全球性原因，非洲的传统治疗师经常使用 Ximenia americana（L.）等药草治疗抑郁症。最近的药理学研究表明，X. americana 提取物具有潜在的抗抑郁特性，因此本研究旨在利用预测抑郁症的强迫游泳试验（FST）和尾悬试验（TST）模型，评估从 X. americana 提取物中分离出来的化合物的抗抑郁作用。在 100-400 毫克/千克的剂量范围内口服这些提取物可显著缩短强迫游泳试验和尾悬浮试验中的静止时间。最高剂量为 400 毫克/千克时，减少幅度最大，FST 减少了 117.66 秒，TST 减少了 53.5 秒。然而，正如在开阔地试验（OFT）中所观察到的那样，不动性的降低与运动的变化无关，这表明提取物的作用并不是由于激活了运动。随后，通过对 X. americana 的活性根皮提取物进行基于溶解度的分馏和柱层析，分离出一种倍半萜内酯--脱氢木内酯（1）。去氢木香烃内酯（400 毫克/千克）在 FST 中可减少 46.50 秒的不动时间，与阳性对照亚胺培南（30 毫克/千克）相当。脱氢木香内酯（1）在单胺氧化酶A（MAO-A；pdb ID：2BXS）这一抗抑郁靶点上的对接得分为-8.365 kcal/mol，非常有利，有可能超过标准的MAO-A抑制剂药物异恶唑（-5.847 kcal/mol）。去氢木香内酯（1）与特定的 MAO-A 结合位点残基之间存在强烈的相互作用，包括氢键、疏水作用和静电作用。这些发现突出表明，X. americana 的抗抑郁活性部分归因于脱氢木香内酯的存在。此外，这也支持了该植物治疗抑郁症的传统医学用途。
{"title":"Antidepressant-Like Activity and Molecular Docking Analysis of a Sesquiterpene Lactone Isolated from the Root Bark of Ximenia americana (L.)","authors":"Tekeste Abebe, Ariaya Hymete, Mirutse Giday, Daniel Bisrat","doi":"10.1155/2024/6680821","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6680821","url":null,"abstract":"Depression, a global cause of disability and premature death, is often treated by traditional healers in Africa using medicinal herbs such as <i>Ximenia americana</i> (L.). With recent pharmacological studies showing the potential antidepressant properties of <i>X. americana</i> extract, this study aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like effects of the compound(s) isolated from <i>X. americana</i> extract using the forced swim test (FST) and tail suspension test (TST) models predictive of depression. The extracts, administered orally within a dose range of 100–400 mg/kg, notably decreased the immobility time in both the FST and the TST. The most significant reduction occurred at the highest dose of 400 mg/kg, with a decrease of 117.66 s in FST and 53.5 s in TST. However, this reduction in immobility was not linked to changes in movements, as observed in an open-field test (OFT), suggesting that the effect of the extracts was not due to activation of locomotion. Subsequently, a sesquiterpene lactone, dehydrocostus lactone (<b>1</b>) was isolated through solubility-based fractionation and column chromatography of the active root bark extract of <i>X. americana</i>. Dehydrocostus lactone (400 mg/kg) demonstrated a 46.50 s reduction in immobility time in the FST, which was comparable to the positive control, imipramine (30 mg/kg). With a highly favorable docking score of −8.365 kcal/mol on an antidepressant target, monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A; pdb ID: 2BXS), dehydrocostus lactone (<b>1</b>) potentially outperforms the standard MAO-A inhibitor drug, isocarboxazid (−5.847 kcal/mol). Dehydrocostus lactone (<b>1</b>) displayed strong interactions involving hydrogen bond and hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions with specific MAO-A binding site residues. These findings highlight that the antidepressant-like activity of <i>X. americana</i> is partly attributed to the presence of dehydrocostus lactone. Additionally, it also supports the traditional medicinal use of the plant for treating depression.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139666761","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}
Gebreselema Gebreyohannes, Desta Berhe Sbhatu, Andrew Kimang’a Nyerere, Abrha Gebreselema Gebrehiwot
Objective. This study aims to investigate the bacterial biofilm-inhibitory effect of mushroom extracts. Methods. Mushrooms were collected from Arabuko-Sokoke and Kakamega forests and identified using morphological and molecular approaches. Auricularia auricula-judae, Microporus xanthopus, Termitomyces umkowaani, Trametes elegans, and Trametes versicolor were extracted by chloroform, 70% ethanol, and hot water. Extracts were tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923). Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 20.0. Results. Chloroform, 70% ethanol, and hot water extracts of A. auricula-judae (50 μg/mL) showed statistically significant antibiofilm activities against P. aeruginosa, E. coli, and S. aureus ().M. xanthopus extracts (250 μg/mL) revealed significantly significant antibiofilm activities against each test bacterium (). All extracts of T. umkowaani (250 μg/mL) exhibited statistically significant antibiofilm activities against S. aureus only
While incredible medical advancements in chemotherapeutics development for cancer treatment have been made, the majority of these are not selective in their mechanism of action, leading to adverse effects. Given the systemic toxicity associated with these therapies, they are not well suited for long-term use. Natural health products, or NHPs, may provide a way to selectively target the oxidative and metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer cells. White tea (Camelia sinensis) and rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) are two natural extracts that have been studied extensively for their medicinal properties. However, their anticancer activity and mechanism of action are yet to be fully elucidated. We have examined the extracts’ cancer cell-killing ability as well as their interactions with common chemotherapeutics in MDA-MB-231 cells, a triple-negative breast cancer cell line, in vitro. Cell death measurement, morphological and biochemical characterization of apoptotic cell death, mechanisms of action (mitochondrial depolarization and oxidative stress), and immunofluorescence assays to estimate the percentage of cancer stem cells (CSCs) were performed following treatment with Synthite tea extract (STE) and rosemary extract (RE), provided by Synthite Industries Limited alone and in combination with cisplatin and paclitaxel. The key findings in this study are that STE and RE alone demonstrated very efficient anticancer activity against TNBC, and more importantly, the administration of the extracts in conjunction with cisplatin and paclitaxel sensitizes cancer cells to achieve enhanced cell death. In addition, CSCs were found to be sensitive to treatment with STE alone and in combination with RE and exhibited greater sensitivity to combination therapies compared to chemotherapeutic alone. The significance of these observations is that STE and RE, well-tolerated NHPs, have the potential to enhance the efficacy of current chemotherapeutics when combined, as well as prevent relapse for TNBC.
{"title":"Green Tea Leaves and Rosemary Extracts Selectively Induce Cell Death in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Cells and Cancer Stem Cells and Enhance the Efficacy of Common Chemotherapeutics","authors":"Chris Raad, Abby Raad, Siyaram Pandey","doi":"10.1155/2024/9458716","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9458716","url":null,"abstract":"While incredible medical advancements in chemotherapeutics development for cancer treatment have been made, the majority of these are not selective in their mechanism of action, leading to adverse effects. Given the systemic toxicity associated with these therapies, they are not well suited for long-term use. Natural health products, or NHPs, may provide a way to selectively target the oxidative and metabolic vulnerabilities in cancer cells. White tea (<i>Camelia sinensis</i>) and rosemary (<i>Salvia rosmarinus</i>) are two natural extracts that have been studied extensively for their medicinal properties. However, their anticancer activity and mechanism of action are yet to be fully elucidated. We have examined the extracts’ cancer cell-killing ability as well as their interactions with common chemotherapeutics in MDA-MB-231 cells, a triple-negative breast cancer cell line, <i>in vitro</i>. Cell death measurement, morphological and biochemical characterization of apoptotic cell death, mechanisms of action (mitochondrial depolarization and oxidative stress), and immunofluorescence assays to estimate the percentage of cancer stem cells (CSCs) were performed following treatment with Synthite tea extract (STE) and rosemary extract (RE), provided by Synthite Industries Limited alone and in combination with cisplatin and paclitaxel. The key findings in this study are that STE and RE alone demonstrated very efficient anticancer activity against TNBC, and more importantly, the administration of the extracts in conjunction with cisplatin and paclitaxel sensitizes cancer cells to achieve enhanced cell death. In addition, CSCs were found to be sensitive to treatment with STE alone and in combination with RE and exhibited greater sensitivity to combination therapies compared to chemotherapeutic alone. The significance of these observations is that STE and RE, well-tolerated NHPs, have the potential to enhance the efficacy of current chemotherapeutics when combined, as well as prevent relapse for TNBC.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139579316","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}
Background. Yin deficiency (YD) is a pathological condition characterized by emaciation, afternoon fever, dry mouth, and night sweats. The incidence of YD is 23.3%. A 27-item Yin Deficiency Scale (YDS) was developed to estimate the clinical severity of YD. This study aimed to develop three short-form YDS versions to reduce the burden of response time, using three item-reduction approaches: Rasch, equidiscriminatory item-total correlation (EITC), and factor-based analyses. Methods. Two datasets were analyzed from previous studies (169 outpatients from May to June 2009 and 237 healthy college students from January to April 2016). The optimal response category was examined using Rasch analysis. Items with higher item-total correlations were determined using the EITC. Using a factor-based approach, the items were reduced, while maintaining the original YDS construct. Reliability was estimated using the person separation index (PSI) and Cronbach’s α values. The predictive accuracy was examined using the area under the curve (AUC). Finally, the relationship between YD and dysfunctional breathing (DB) was examined using factor scores from the YDS and the Korean version of the Nijmegen Questionnaire (KNQ). Results. We developed two 14-item YDS versions using the Rasch and EITC approaches, and a 16-item YDS version using a factor-based approach. Rasch analysis suggested an optimal response category of five points. The PSI of Rasch and Cronbach’s α of the EITC and factor-based versions were 2.19, 0.855, and 0.827. The AUCs of the three short-form YDS were 0.812, 0.811, and 0.818. The sensitivity of the EITC-YDS was 0.632, which was lower than its specificity of 0.875. The fatigue-related scores of the factor-based YDS were fairly correlated with the factor scores of the KNQ estimating the DB (r = 0.349–0.499). Conclusion. The 14-item Rasch- and 16-item factor-based YDS may replace the original YDS during YD’s primary screening, epidemiological surveys, and health checkups.
{"title":"Development of the Short-Form Yin Deficiency Scale Using Three Item Reduction Approaches","authors":"Young-Jae Park, Ji-Myung Ok","doi":"10.1155/2024/5533815","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/5533815","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Background</i>. Yin deficiency (YD) is a pathological condition characterized by emaciation, afternoon fever, dry mouth, and night sweats. The incidence of YD is 23.3%. A 27-item Yin Deficiency Scale (YDS) was developed to estimate the clinical severity of YD. This study aimed to develop three short-form YDS versions to reduce the burden of response time, using three item-reduction approaches: Rasch, equidiscriminatory item-total correlation (EITC), and factor-based analyses. <i>Methods</i>. Two datasets were analyzed from previous studies (169 outpatients from May to June 2009 and 237 healthy college students from January to April 2016). The optimal response category was examined using Rasch analysis. Items with higher item-total correlations were determined using the EITC. Using a factor-based approach, the items were reduced, while maintaining the original YDS construct. Reliability was estimated using the person separation index (PSI) and Cronbach’s <i>α</i> values. The predictive accuracy was examined using the area under the curve (AUC). Finally, the relationship between YD and dysfunctional breathing (DB) was examined using factor scores from the YDS and the Korean version of the Nijmegen Questionnaire (KNQ). <i>Results</i>. We developed two 14-item YDS versions using the Rasch and EITC approaches, and a 16-item YDS version using a factor-based approach. Rasch analysis suggested an optimal response category of five points. The PSI of Rasch and Cronbach’s <i>α</i> of the EITC and factor-based versions were 2.19, 0.855, and 0.827. The AUCs of the three short-form YDS were 0.812, 0.811, and 0.818. The sensitivity of the EITC-YDS was 0.632, which was lower than its specificity of 0.875. The fatigue-related scores of the factor-based YDS were fairly correlated with the factor scores of the KNQ estimating the DB (<i>r</i> = 0.349–0.499). <i>Conclusion</i>. The 14-item Rasch- and 16-item factor-based YDS may replace the original YDS during YD’s primary screening, epidemiological surveys, and health checkups.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139499064","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}
Zeinab Shaki, Farzaneh Ghaffari, Fatemeh Alijaniha, Mohammad Kamalinejad, Anoshiravan Kazemnejad, Babak Daneshfard, Mohsen Naseri, Mohammad Reza Heidari
Introduction. Anethum graveolens (AG), commonly known as dill, is a plant from the Apiaceae family that has been traditionally used as a skin softener and purifying agent in Persian medicine. In a previous study conducted on male rats, dill was found to have anti-inflammatory effects. The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of topical application of Anethum graveolens oil on pruritus severity, skin dryness, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods. In the current clinical trial, the participants were randomly assigned to one of these groups: topical AG preparation, sesame oil, or a control group receiving no treatment. The study was double-blind and placebo-controlled. The topical treatment was applied twice a day for one month to areas of the skin affected by pruritus. The outcome measures included the severity of skin dryness, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Duo’s Uremic Pruritus Severity Scale, and the Itchy QoL questionnaire. Results. This study involved 106 hemodialysis patients, and after intervention for one month, the medication group had a significantly lower mean score of sleep quality (3.24 ± 2.41) than the placebo (4.54 ± 3.11) and control (5.05 ± 3.21) groups (). The mean change in pruritus severity was significantly greater in the medication group (−17.28 ± 8.938) than the placebo (−5.91 ± 5.398) and control (−3.43 ± 3.228) groups (
{"title":"Effect of Dill (Anethum graveolens) Oil on Pruritus and Quality of Life of Hemodialysis Patients: A Randomized Double-Blind Three-Arm Controlled Trial","authors":"Zeinab Shaki, Farzaneh Ghaffari, Fatemeh Alijaniha, Mohammad Kamalinejad, Anoshiravan Kazemnejad, Babak Daneshfard, Mohsen Naseri, Mohammad Reza Heidari","doi":"10.1155/2024/3077603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/3077603","url":null,"abstract":"<i>Introduction</i>. <i>Anethum graveolens</i> (AG), commonly known as dill, is a plant from the Apiaceae family that has been traditionally used as a skin softener and purifying agent in Persian medicine. In a previous study conducted on male rats, dill was found to have anti-inflammatory effects. The current study aimed to examine the efficacy of topical application of <i>Anethum graveolens</i> oil on pruritus severity, skin dryness, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients undergoing hemodialysis. <i>Methods</i>. In the current clinical trial, the participants were randomly assigned to one of these groups: topical AG preparation, sesame oil, or a control group receiving no treatment. The study was double-blind and placebo-controlled. The topical treatment was applied twice a day for one month to areas of the skin affected by pruritus. The outcome measures included the severity of skin dryness, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Duo’s Uremic Pruritus Severity Scale, and the Itchy QoL questionnaire. <i>Results</i>. This study involved 106 hemodialysis patients, and after intervention for one month, the medication group had a significantly lower mean score of sleep quality (3.24 ± 2.41) than the placebo (4.54 ± 3.11) and control (5.05 ± 3.21) groups (<span><svg height=\"8.8423pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.2064009pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 19.289 8.8423\" width=\"19.289pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.658,0)\"></path></g></svg><span></span><span><svg height=\"8.8423pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.2064009pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"22.8711838 -8.6359 28.182 8.8423\" width=\"28.182pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.921,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,29.161,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,32.125,0)\"><use xlink:href=\"#g113-49\"></use></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,38.365,0)\"></path></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,44.605,0)\"></path></g></svg>).</span></span> The mean change in pruritus severity was significantly greater in the medication group (−17.28 ± 8.938) than the placebo (−5.91 ± 5.398) and control (−3.43 ± 3.228) groups (<span><svg height=\"9.2729pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.6370001pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"-0.0498162 -8.6359 19.289 9.2729\" width=\"19.289pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)\"><use xlink:href=\"#g113-81\"></use></g><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,11.658,0)\"></path></g></svg><span></span><span><svg height=\"9.2729pt\" style=\"vertical-align:-0.6370001pt\" version=\"1.1\" viewbox=\"22.8711838 -8.6359 28.182 9.2729\" width=\"28.182pt\" xmlns=\"http://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\"><g transform=\"matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,22.921,0)\"","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139475293","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}
The present study evaluates the human health risk of metals in locally consumed herbal preparations used to treat diabetes. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used after microwave-assisted digestion to mineralize the samples. Toxic metal assessment was done by adopting mathematical modeling for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks in the exposed population and comparing the raw results with maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by regulatory authorities. Hazard quotient (HQ) values for Fe, Hg, Cu, Pb, and Zn were recorded above 1. Noncarcinogenic health risks remain in 29% of samples for Fe, 67% of samples for Hg, 17% of samples for Cu, 33% of samples for Pb, and 4% of samples for Zn. Hazard index (HI) values in 33% of samples were above 1. Carcinogenic risks for Pb, Cr, Cd, and Ni were higher than the acceptable limit (1 × 10−6). Carcinogenic health risks exist in 54% of samples for Pb, 58% of samples for Cr, 46% of samples for Cd, and 58% of samples for Ni. MRLs for metals were crossed in samples in varying degrees. This is a harrowing account and may put public health safety at risk. Considering these facts, there should be more investigation into toxic metals in other frequently marketed herbal drugs in the antidiabetic and other therapeutic classes. Pre- and postmarket monitoring strategies for the preparations should also be in place to ensure safe consumption.
{"title":"Health Risk Assessment of Metals in Antidiabetic Herbal Preparations: A Safety Screening","authors":"Nazmul Islam, Rausan Zamir, Md. Omar Faruque","doi":"10.1155/2024/6507185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/6507185","url":null,"abstract":"The present study evaluates the human health risk of metals in locally consumed herbal preparations used to treat diabetes. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) was used after microwave-assisted digestion to mineralize the samples. Toxic metal assessment was done by adopting mathematical modeling for carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks in the exposed population and comparing the raw results with maximum residue limits (MRLs) set by regulatory authorities. Hazard quotient (HQ) values for Fe, Hg, Cu, Pb, and Zn were recorded above 1. Noncarcinogenic health risks remain in 29% of samples for Fe, 67% of samples for Hg, 17% of samples for Cu, 33% of samples for Pb, and 4% of samples for Zn. Hazard index (HI) values in 33% of samples were above 1. Carcinogenic risks for Pb, Cr, Cd, and Ni were higher than the acceptable limit (1 × 10<sup>−6</sup>). Carcinogenic health risks exist in 54% of samples for Pb, 58% of samples for Cr, 46% of samples for Cd, and 58% of samples for Ni. MRLs for metals were crossed in samples in varying degrees. This is a harrowing account and may put public health safety at risk. Considering these facts, there should be more investigation into toxic metals in other frequently marketed herbal drugs in the antidiabetic and other therapeutic classes. Pre- and postmarket monitoring strategies for the preparations should also be in place to ensure safe consumption.","PeriodicalId":12236,"journal":{"name":"Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine","volume":"292 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139462658","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}
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