Journal of Herbal Medicine最新文献

Introduction

Globally, oral disease is a major health problem, which affects the quality of life. The role of oral microflora in the oral diseases is well established. However, with the increase in the frequency of oral disease, the development of antimicrobial drug resistance to the existing drugs has insisted on searching for alternative drugs from plant sources. Herein, herbal-based mouthwash is formulated to effectively control the dominant oral pathogens.

Methods

The antimicrobial activity of plant extracts was evaluated against oral pathogens by zone of inhibition test. Mouthwash was formulated with one gram of each plant extracts (Rosa damascena flower petals, Coleus amboinicus leaves, Psidium guajava leaves, and Phyllanthus acidus fruits) in 10% ethanol. Antimicrobial efficacy of the formulated mouthwash was assessed against Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans by standard protocol. Also, the antibiofilm effect of the formulated mouthwash was assessed against preformed S mutans biofilm and visualised using SEM and CLSM.

Results

The formulated mouthwash exhibits excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. The minimum inhibitory concentration result indicates that the susceptibility of the pathogens was found as follows: S aureus < S mutans < C albicans < E faecalis < E coli. Also, it shows a great anti-inflammatory effect. SEM and CLSM images reveal that the formulated mouthwash has the potential to inhibit the oral biofilm of S. mutants.

Conclusions

This study concludes that the formulated herbal-based mouthwash might be useful in controlling multiple oral pathogens and biofilms.

Introduction

Striae gravidarum (SG) is the most prevalent physiological skin change experienced by pregnant women during gestation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of topical Sesamum indicum L. (Sesame) and Rosa damascena Mill. (R damascena) oils because of their skin-healing properties in preventing SG in nulliparous females.

Methods

This study was a triple-blinded, randomised, controlled trial conducted on 150 nulliparous mothers in the age group of 18–35 from 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. Participants were randomly assigned to the R damascena oil, Sesame oil, or placebo group with a 1:1:1 randomisation ratio. They received the allocated intervention of 1 g, twice/d, without massaging the abdomen for 20 weeks. Socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics and SG risk factors were completed at baseline. Davey's and Kamini's methods were used as data-gathering tools for assessing striae and itching.

Results

There were no significant differences between study groups in baseline characteristics. The occurrence of striae between 35 and 38 weeks of pregnancy was similar (72%, 74%, and 74% among R damascena oil, Sesame oil, and the placebo group, respectively; P = 0.919). More than 50% of participants had severe SG. The itching was reported by 40%, 54%, and 40% of participants among the R damascena oil, Sesame oil, and control groups, respectively (P = 0.129), which was mild mostly. Skin redness and itching following topical oil use were the reported side effects.

Conclusions

This study indicated that using R damascene and Sesame oil 10% did not affect the incidence and severity of striae and itching compared to the control.

Animal experimentation has long been an integral part of biomedical and cosmetics research, with historical roots dating back to ancient Greece. During that period, physicians constrained by cultural taboos that forbade the use of human cadavers, turned to the dissection of animals for their anatomical studies. The use of specific animal models in research has often been justified by the remarkable biological similarities between animals and humans. However, there are instances where animal models, such as fish and frogs, are used, despite significant disparities in their anatomy and physiology compared to humans. In herbal medicine research, animal experimentation has found various applications. Numerous plant species from diverse global regions, including the United Kingdom, United States, China, India, and Africa, have been studied to identify their pharmacological properties and therapeutic indications. Nevertheless, the use of animals in these studies, while offering undeniable advantages, remains a subject of intense debate and contention, mainly arising from the ethical challenges it presents, as well as the substantial financial burden it imposes, and its inability to reliably predict human responses. This paper, therefore, proposes a comprehensive list of research methodologies that are ethical, practical, cost-effective, and consistent with the real ethos of herbal medicine. These alternative methods, which include in vitro studies, human cell cultures, computational modelling, culturally sensitive clinical trials, and ethnobotanical surveys, have the potential to provide cost-effective healthcare solutions, without subjecting animals to unnecessary suffering.

Introduction

To determine what natural and herbal remedies were used in the fight against COVID-19 and analyze the potential of these products to create a risk for surgical patients.

Methods

The study was conducted with a descriptive and cross-sectional research design. The data were collected between September and October 2021. In the study, convenience sampling, which is a non-probability sampling method, was used. An online questionnaire was applied to the participants on social media platforms. In the data collection process, 1 488 individuals were reached.

Results

The most frequently used herbal remedies by the participants were garlic (62.8%), ginger (53.4%), linden (42.3%), turmeric (37.9%), and oregano (35.6%). The most frequently used natural remedies were lemon (65.4%), honey (53.8%), yogurt (47.2%), traditional soups (33.5%), and vinegar (33.1%). The most frequently used supplements of vitamins were vitamin D (42.4%) vitamin C (41.1%), vitamin B12 (22.4%), vitamin E (8.7%), and fish oil/Omega-3 fatty acids (7.5%). Among the participants who reported that they used natural and herbal remedies (n = 710), only 6.9% were determined to have undergone a surgery in this period. Furthermore, 89.8% of these individuals who presented to the hospital for a surgery had not been asked whether they used natural or herbal remedies by healthcare professionals.

Conclusion

The intake of garlic and vitamin E supplements according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the intake of garlic, ginger, turmeric/curcumin, and vitamin E supplements according to the Society for Perioperative Assessment and Quality Improvement Consensus Statement should be stopped before a surgery.

Introduction

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of using Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) plant on menstrual and menopausal symptoms in district where VAC is commonly used.

Methods

The menstrual and menopausal symptoms of a total of 225 women aged between 18-65, living in Aydın province, Turkey, and its districts, who either used VAC or not were compared, following purposive sampling method. The research data were collected with an online survey form between March and December 2021. The data collected from the women in the VAC group (n=104, 46.2%) and the women in the non-VAC (n=121, 53.8%) group were compared in this study.

Results

It was found that the rate of experiencing symptoms before menstruation was higher in women who did not take VAC compared to the women who took VAC (P < 0.05). Almost all of those who experienced menopausal symptoms were in the group that did not take VAC.

Conclusion

The type, duration and time of VAC use were associated with the effect of menstruation on daily life, but not with menopausal symptoms.

Introduction

Secondary metabolites produced in plants play a vital role in their adaptation to various biotic and abiotic stresses in the environment. Plant secondary metabolites possess significant value in the pharmaceutical and other herbal medicine-related industries. Therefore, the isolation and characterisation of plant secondary metabolites have gained a special interest in recent years. The elucidation of secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways is required in the metabolic engineering of plant secondary metabolites in heterologous organisms.

Methods

Data were retrieved from various online electronic resources, including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus, among others. Keywords such as Solanaceae plants, secondary metabolites, transcriptomic, medicinal plants, and RNA sequencing were used to formulate search strategies across approximately 111 research and review articles.

Results

The outcomes of the de novo transcriptomic studies performed in Solanaceae medicinal plants have been extensively elucidated with a primary focus on the identification of candidate genes, pathway analysis differential gene expression analysis, the discovery of molecular markers, and the identification of transcription factors.

Discussion

The primary significance of de novo transcriptomic studies performed in Solanaceae medicinal plants has been discussed with significant limitations necessitating attention. Moreover, recent and future trends of de novo transcriptomic studies have been addressed with the intention of encouraging more de novo transcriptomic studies in Solanaceae medicinal plants.

Introduction

The ethanolic extract of Anethum graveolens (dill) and its major constituents, chlorogenic acid (CGA) and ellagic acid (EA), were investigated for hepatoprotective effects in a HepG2 cell fatty liver model.

Methods

HepG2 cells were induced with a combination of oleic (1mM OA) and palmitic (1mM PA) acids and treated with either 10 µM fenofibrate, 1-10 µg/mL CGA or EA, 60-360 µg/mL A. graveolens extract, or left untreated (n=4-5 per group). After 48 hours, cell medium and cells were collected for alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and fatty acid accumulation assays. The mRNA and protein expression levels of free fatty acid (FFA) synthetic pathway-related genes were determined using reverse transcription/real-time polymerase chain reaction and Western blotting analysis, respectively.

Results

HepG2 cells treated with OA and PA showed increased ALT, AST, and ROS levels, fatty acid accumulation, and modified mRNA and protein expression of PPAR, SREBP1, ACC, ACOX, FAS, SCD1, and HMGCR fatty acid synthesis-related genes. The CGA, EA, and A. graveolens extract showed hepatoprotective activities in OA and PA-induced HepG2 cells by preventing fatty acid accumulation and restoring mRNA and protein expression levels of the fatty acid synthesis-related genes to control levels, with comparable efficacy to the standard anti-lipidemic drug, fenofibrate. Furthermore, CGA, EA, and A. graveolens extract did not increase ALT and ROS levels in HepG2 cells, in contrast to fenofibrate.

Conclusion

A. graveolens extract, CGA, and EA are good candidates for development as preventive health supplements for fatty liver disease therapy.

Introduction

Lung cancer has one of the highest death rates in the world. modern medicine is the main treatment, but it has many side effects. Scholars have turned their attention to botanical drugs. It is found that in addition to treating lung cancer, it can also reduce side effects, improve the immunity of patients and the quality of lives of patients.

Methods

We searched journal papers from the Web of Science database dated from January 2002 to March 2023 in the field of botanical drugs treating lung cancer, we used Cite Space, VOS viewer, Pajet analysis software to analyze publication, author, institution, country, keyword, keyword cluster, journals of co-citation analysis, burst keyword, and drew visual maps.

Results

814 articles were obtained,Liu Liang published the most papers in the field, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine was an important scientific research institution, and it had more cooperation with other institutions. China had the largest number of publications. The research content mainly focused on lung cancer, apoptosis, traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese herb medicine, efficacy, chemotherapy, signalling pathways, mechanisms, and in vitro. Ten significant clusters were generated by keyword cluster analysis. The Journal Of Ethnopharmacology (929 citations) and Cancer Research (683 citations) were excellent journals in the JCR1 region. The top 18 burst keywords showed the hot research issues in the past more than 20 years.

Conclusion

The research is still in initial stage. This paper shows the current situation, research progress, and hotspots of the field with the help of visual maps.

Introduction

Spices, derived from plant products, contain distinct aromatic substances that enhance the ,flavour, taste, and overall quality of food. The rich diversity in flora, fauna, and culture in the Northeastern states of India is reflective of unique food habits. In addition to utilising wild edible plants in their cuisine, these communities incorporate certain plant species for food preservation and flavour enhancement in traditional food preparation.

Methods

This review aims to shed light on the often-overlooked anticancer properties of locally available spice plants. The focus is on identifying bioactive compounds within these plants that contribute to their potential health benefits. The study assesses the anticancer activities of crude extracts and bio-active compounds obtained from 17 spices against various types of cancer.

Results

Among 34 bioactive compounds from spices, 2-methoxycinnamaldehyde, thymoquinone, piperine and Isoegomaketone exhibit the highest anticancer activity. The primary mechanisms underlying the anticancer activities of these spices involve inducing apoptosis, inhibiting proliferation and metastasis, and modulating the expression of apoptotic genes, proteins, and associated pathways. Notably, specific bioactive compounds have yet to be reported for Pimpinella anisum L, Persicaria odorata (Lour) Sojak, Zanthoxylum acanthopodium DC, and Zanthoxylum armatum DC.

Conclusions

This comprehensive review contributes valuable insights for the identification and standardisation of active plant-based pharmaceutical ingredients with promising anticancer potentials.

Introduction

Traditionally, gastrodin extracted from Rhizoma Gastrodiae has been used to treat various neurological diseases. The objective of this systematic review with meta-analysis is to evaluate the potential benefits of gastrodin as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of acute stroke.

Methods

Relevant literature from multiple medical databases was searched until October 12, 2023, to identify randomised controlled trials investigating the use of gastrodin as an adjuvant therapy for acute stroke treatment. The total response rate and marked improvement rate were defined as >18% and >45% improvement in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, respectively.

Results

A total of 12 randomised controlled trials, including 1 174 stroke patients, were identified. Compared to conventional treatment alone, the combination of gastrodin and conventional treatment significantly improved the total response rate (risk ratio 1.24; 95% CI 1.15–1.34) and marked improvement rate (risk ratio 1.37; 95% CI 1.18–1.59). Adjuvant treatment with gastrodin also resulted in a reduction in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (weighted mean difference [WMD] −3.08 points; 95% CI −3.75 to −2.41), haematoma volume (WMD −3.57 cm³; 95% CI −4.26 to −2.87), and blood neuron-specific enolase level (WMD −3.81 μg/l; 95% CI −6.21 to −1.41), as well as an increase in blood brain-derived neurotrophic factor level (WMD 0.81 ng/ml; 95% CI 0.50–1.12).

Conclusions

Gastrodin, when used as an adjuvant therapy, may yield additional beneficial effects in patients with acute stroke. However, future high-quality trials are necessary to further support this evidence.