Advances in Traditional Medicine最新文献

Acacia nilotica is a popular medicinal plant that grows all throughout Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. This is because the plant, from its roots to its leaves, contains a wide variety of compounds that have been utilized for ages in traditional medicine. To glean useful information, online databases like Science Direct, PubMed, Wiley, Springer, Sage, Google Scholar, and Hindawi combed through actual scientific research papers. requisites for inclusion We used terms like "A. nilotica," "A. nilotica antioxidant," "conventional medicine," "antidiabetic," "antibacterial," "medicine," "toxicity," "antiviral," and "antimicrobial," as well as any other relevant terms as our search criteria. Exclusion standards: No information from dubious online sources was used in our investigation. Thesis papers, review articles, and articles written in languages other than English were also not included. Unquestionably, the results of this study will be helpful in evaluating the efficacy of the crude extracts of A. nilotica components as potential sources of natural antioxidants, antimicrobials, antiparasites, antidiabetic, and anticancer agents. However, more study is needed to identify the precise chemical responsible for the biological activity and advance to clinical trials before application in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite all promising research that has been done so far, there is still a lack of data, particularly from clinical investigations, that supports the adjunct use of A. nilotica. This promotes more preclinical and clinical investigations into A. nilotica.

The current study evaluated the prospective toxicity of hydroalcoholic extract of Piper longum L. (HEPL) dried fruits with acute and sub-acute oral administration in Wistar rats. During acute toxicity study, female rats were orally administered with HEPL at a single dose of 300 mg/kg and repeated dose of 2000 mg/kg (OECD guidelines-423). Subacute toxicity of HEPL (250, 500, and 1000 mg/kg p.o.) was studied with the control group (1% CMC) by daily dosing in Wistar rats of both sexes for 28 days. To assess reversibility, other satellite groups were kept for another two weeks post-treatment. The acute toxicity study showed no lethal effects, and toxicity signs and LD₅₀ transpire more significantly than 2000 mg/kg. In subacute toxicity study, oral administration of extract for 28 days; caused no significant changes in body weights; food and water consumption of rats were observed. In addition, no toxic effects of the extract on rats for hematological and biochemical parameters were observed. Histopathological analysis revealed no signs of degeneration for kidneys, testis, and ovaries; however liver showed mild multifocal hepatocellular necrosis with infiltration of inflammatory cells in rats treated with 1000 mg/kg of HEPL. These results showed that 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg were found safe, in addition to some liver toxicity was found for 1000 mg/kg. It is concluded that the oral LD₅₀ of HEPL was more significant than 2000 mg/kg and is considered safe. Hence, Piper longum is safe in the short and long term for an oral dose.

This work aimed to apply the Design of Experiments (DOE) approach in microwave-assisted drying of Prasakanphlu (PSKP) herbal granules. Furthermore, DOE was applied in the formulation development of PSKP tablets. The 3² full factorial design consisted of two factors (i.e., microwave power and microwave time) and two responses (i.e., moisture content and eugenol content) that were used for optimized microwave-assisted drying of PSKP granules. The optimal condition was microwave power of 300 W for 15 min. This condition was used to dry the wet granules of PSKP for optimization of tablet formulation. The Box–Behnken design was applied in the formulation development of PSKP tablets; three factors (i.e., compression force, amount of polyvinyl pyrrolidone K30, and amount of sodium starch glycolate) and four responses (i.e., tablet thickness, hardness, friability, and disintegration time) were included in the design. Results showed that the optimal parameters were compression force of 1500 psi, 4.5% polyvinyl pyrrolidone K30, and 2% sodium starch glycolate. Furthermore, rapid dissolution of the optimal tablets was found. In conclusion, the work succeeded in applying DOE for PSKP granule drying by microwave and formulation development of PSKP tablets with desired properties.

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Methotrexate (MTX) is a chemotherapy drug used to treat cancer and inflammatory diseases; however, its clinical applicability is limited due to its cytotoxic nature. The present study tested elecampane (Inula helenium L.) rhizome extract (ERE) for its protective effects against MTX-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity in male rats. The rats were divided into five experimental groups (n = 10): control (physiological saline); MTX, physiological saline, and MTX [40 mg/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.)] on the fourth day; and three groups in which rats concurrently received MTX plus three doses of ERE (100, 200, 400 mg/kg) orally for 10 consecutive days. The findings revealed that MTX administration substantially elevated serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine. Additionally, it increased malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and tumor necrotic factor-α (TNFα) levels in the liver and renal tissues while decreasing superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) activities. However, treatment with ERE at a dosage of 400 mg/kg reversed the adverse effects of MTX toxicity by decreasing the levels of TC, LDL-C, MDA, AST, ALT, ALP, IL-1β, TNFα and increasing the activities of GPx, CAT, and SOD in the tissues mentioned above. A histological examination of the liver and renal tissues also confirmed the ameliorating effects of ERE. The present study indicated that EER could inhibit MTX-induced hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity by improving antioxidant defense and decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation.

Diabetes is a major deadly disease. In 2019 alone, it caused an estimated 1.5 million deaths world-wide. Cases of diabetes are rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. Natural remedies that can lower the glucose level would be very useful, particularly to people living in low- and middle-income countries. A 2-year case study was carried out, therefore, to determine if Nigella sativa tea can lower the glucose level in a 72-year-old man with type-2 diabetes, stage 3–4 chronic kidney disease, and congestive heart failure. Changes in body weight, lipids, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) were also studied. N. sativa tea was prepared with N. sativa, barley, and wheat seeds. The 72-year-old drank approximately 50 ml of N. sativa tea daily, in the morning. Results showed that after drinking N. sativa tea daily, hypoglycemia started to occur and occurred more frequently as time went by and that the glycated hemoglobin, HbA1c, was decreasing. Subsequently, the dosages of insulin glargine and insulin aspart were reduced by 33% and 50%, respectively. Results also showed that weight loss led to the 72-year-old cutting back his intake of the diuretic furosemide by at least 50%. His triglycerides level was also lower and there were no changes in his total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. His eGFR was stable but his UACR was worsening. N. sativa tea is easy to prepare, costs very little, and could be a natural remedy for mitigating diabetes and edema. Many more studies on N. sativa are warranted.

This study evaluated the ameliorative effect of Amaranthus spinosus leaf methanol extract (ASLME) against doxorubicin-induced multi-organ damage in Sprague Dawley Rats. Forty-nine (49) male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly stratified into 7 groups with 7 rats per group. Groups A and B received distilled water for 7 days. Groups C, D, and E were pretreated for 7 days with 200 mg/kg silymarin, 500 and 1000 mg/kg ASLME, respectively followed by intraperitoneal injection of 20 mg/kg doxorubicin (DOX) to groups B, C, D, and E on the 8th day. Groups F and G were orally administered 500 and 1000 mg/kg ASLME respectively for 7 days with an intraperitoneal injection of distilled water on the 8th day. After 48 h of DOX administration, blood was withdrawn by cardiac puncture, and organs were excised for biochemical and histopathological assays. Pretreatment with ASLME decreased the levels of tissues malondialdehyde and nitric oxide as well as serum tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) with a concomitant (p < 0.05) increase in the levels of serum interleukin-10 (IL-10) and tissues reduced glutathione in a dose-dependent manner compared to group B. The activities of antioxidant enzymes increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the ASLME pretreated groups as well as groups F and G when compared to group B. Administration of doxorubicin induced degenerative hepatic, nephrotic and cardiac biomarkers and histological changes in Group B, while remarkable reversal of these pathological features was observed in groups pretreated with ASLME. Our findings suggest the chemo-protective effect of ASLME against doxorubicin-induced multi-organ damage, by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammation in rats.

Gastric ulcer is a serious global health challenge, and various natural products are being investigated to prevent and manage the condition. This study evaluated the gastroprotective and ulcer healing potentials of Nigerian bee propolis flavonoid-rich extract (NPE) on acetic acid-induced gastric ulcers in albino rats. Sixty adult male albino rats (222 ± 6.4 g) randomised into 5 groups (n = 12) were studied. Group A (SHAM) was left untreated, while gastric ulcer was induced in groups B (NPE), C (omeprazole) and D (saline). Group E (PRPE) was pre-treated with NPE prior to ulcer induction. The rate of ulcer contraction, volume and pH of gastric juice, and histopathological parameters were evaluated. The results showed a significantly higher rate of contraction (P = 0.001) between days 9 and 12 (NPE > OME > PRPE > SAL) and a significant decrease (P = 0.003) in the volume of gastric juice between days 9 and 12 (NPE < OME < PRPE). Gradual increase in pH was observed in all the groups from days 3 to 12, with a significantly higher rate (P < 0.001) between day 6 and 12 (SHAM > NPE > OME > PRPE > SAL). Histological evaluation showed significantly high neutrophils and macrophages on day 6 (P = 0.006) and lymphocytes (P = 0.004) between day 6 and 12 in the OME and NPE groups. NPE showed gastroprotective and ulcer healing properties by inhibiting ulcer formation and facilitating the curation of induced ulcers and is, therefore, a valuable alternative to conventional gastric ulcer therapy, especially in poor resource settings.

Zanthoxylum species are credited with various uses in ethnomedicine due to their rich metabolite composition. In Kenya, these include management of cancer and microbial related ailments. However, there are limited reports showing how the bioactivity of Kenyan Zanthoxylum species is linked to their phytochemical profiles. This study therefore aimed at examining the chemical variation among five Zanthoxylum species found in Kenya (Z. chalybeum, Z. gilletii, Z. holtzianum, Z. paracanthum and Z. usambarense) using metabolomics approaches and the anti-oxidant and antimicrobial activities of these species. In a Folin–Ciocalteu test, the phenolic content of the stem bark extracts of these species were 73.083–145.272 mg TAE/g, while the alkaloids (in bromothymol blue chromogenic test) and flavonoids (in aluminium chloride test) were found to be 152.39–207.19 mg ME/g, and 109.416–186.413 mg CE/g, respectively. These extracts also exerted strong antioxidant activities in the 2,2-iphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric ion reducing antioxidant power assays. In a broth dilution assay, the extract of the stem bark of Z. holtzianum ability showed the highest antimicrobial activity, followed by Z. chalybeum stem bark extract. The activities were positively correlated to both flavonoids and alkaloids concentrations, while the concentration of phenolics had weak negative correlation to antimicrobial activities. A chemometric analysis of the liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry profiles led to grouping of the species into three clusters. This study illustrates the variation in the bioactivity of Zanthoxylum species based on metabolite composition and justifies the wide usage of Zanthoxylum species in Kenyan traditional medicinal practices.

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Cervical spondylosis (CS) is a degenerative age-related disorder affecting the cervical region of the spinal cord which manifests mainly with radiating pain in the neck, numbness in fingers, and headache. To control the symptoms and manage the disease progression, a combination of Complementary and Alternative Medicine with conventional management is necessary. Hence this study is aimed to evaluate the effect of Revulsive Compress (RC) along with the Integrated Naturopathy and Yoga (INY) approach in patients with CS. Out of 210 subjects screened, 60 subjects between the ages of 40 to 85 years were selected for the study. The subjects were randomly assigned into two groups, Group 1 (n = 30) Case group taking RC with INY and Group 2 (n = 30) control group taking only INY protocol for 10 days. Pain, Symptom score, Range of Motion (ROM), and Quality of life (QOL) were assessed before and after the intervention on the 11th day. The result of this study shows that with 10 days of RC and INY intervention, there was a significant reduction in the pain [Visual analog scale (VAS): p = 0.001] and symptom score [Neck disability index: p = 0.001] when compared to the control group. There was a significant improvement in QOL and ROM. The results of this study show that RC intervention with INY is having a substantial effect on patients with CS. Pain and Symptom score have been reduced significantly with marked improvement in QOL and ROM. Hence, this intervention can be used in the management of patients with CS, either as an individual or accompanied by management.