Current Issue : July - September Volume : 2015 Issue Number : 3 Articles : 6 Articles
Objective. We sought to demonstrate that maca root may be an effective treatment for antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction\n(AISD) in women. Method. We conducted a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of maca root (3.0 g/day) in 45 female\noutpatients (mean age of 41.5 �± 12.5 years) with SSRI/SNRI-induced sexual dysfunction whose depression remitted. Endpoints were\nimprovement in sexual functioning as per the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX) and the Massachusetts General Hospital\nSexual Function Questionnaire (MGH-SFQ). Results. 45 of 57 consented females were randomized, and 42 (30 premenopausal and\n12 postmenopausal women) were eligible for a modified intent-to-treat analysis based on having had at least one postmedication\nvisit. Remission rates by the end of treatmentwere higher for the maca than the placebo group, based on attainment of anASEX total\nscore ? 10 (9.5% for maca versus 4.8% for placebo), attaining an MGH-SFQ score ? 12 (30.0% for maca versus 20.0% for placebo)\nand reaching anMGH-SFQ score ? 8 (9.5% for maca versus 5.0% for placebo). Higher remission rates for the maca versus placebo\ngroup were associated with postmenopausal status. Maca was well tolerated. Conclusion. Maca root may alleviate SSRI-induced\nsexual dysfunction in postmenopausal women. This trial is registered with NCT00568126....
Several species of Bauhinia are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, and\ninflammation, among other conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the antiulcer effect of a hydroalcoholic extract\nfrom the leaves of B. holophylla. The chemical profile of the extract was determined by HPLC-PAD-ESI-IT-MS. A dose-effect\nrelation was constructed using the ethanol-induced gastric ulcer model in male Wistar rats. Histological analyses and studies of\nantioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities were performed in stomach samples. The involvement of SH compounds, NO, K+\nATP\nchannels, and ?2-adrenergic receptors in the gastroprotective effect was evaluated. A toxicity study was performed with a single oral\ndose of 5000mg/kg. The extract was composed mainly of cyanoglucoside and flavonol-O-glycosides derivatives of quercetin and\nmyricetin. SH compounds, NO release, K+\nATP channel activation, and presynaptic ?2-adrenergic receptor stimulation each proved\nto be involved in the antiulcer effect. The levels of GSH and activity of GR and GPx were increased, and the levels of TNF-?, IL-6\nand IL-10 were modulated. There was an antidiarrheal effect and there were no signs of toxicity. B. holophylla presents antiulcer\nactivity mainly by decreasing oxidative stress and attenuating the inflammatory response, without inducing side effects....
Propolis or bee glue has been used for centuries for various purposes and is especially important in human health due to\nmany of its biological and pharmacological properties. In this work we showed quorum sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity of\nten geographically distinct propolis samples from the United States using the acyl-homoserine lactone- (AHL-) dependent\nChromobacterium violaceum strain CV026. Based on GC-MS chemical profiling the propolis samples can be classified into several\ngroups that are as follows: (1) rich in cinnamic acid derivatives, (2) rich in flavonoids, and (3) rich in triterpenes. An in-depth\nanalysis of the propolis from North Carolina led to the isolation and identification of a triterpenic acid that was recently isolated\nfrom Hondurian propolis (Central America) and ethyl ether of p-coumaric alcohol not previously identified in bee propolis. QSI\nactivity was also observed in the second group US propolis samples which contained the flavonoid pinocembrin in addition to\nother flavonoid compounds. The discovery of compounds that are involved in QSI activity has the potential to facilitate studies that\nmay lead to the development of antivirulence therapies that can be complementary and/or alternative treatments against antibiotic\nresistant bacterial pathogens and/or emerging pathogens that have yet to be identified....
Objectives. We aimed at evaluating both the efficacy and safety of TJ-54 (Yokukansan) in patients with treatment-resistant\nschizophrenia. This randomized, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted. Methods. One hundred and\ntwenty antipsychotic-treated inpatients were included. Patients were randomized to adjuvant treatment with TJ-54 or placebo.\nDuring a 4-week follow-up, psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Results. TJ-\n54 showed a tendency of being superior to placebo in reduction total, positive, and general PANSS scores in treatment-resistant\nschizophrenia, but the difference was not statistically significant in both per-protocol set (PPS) and intention-to-treat (ITT).\nHowever, in PPS analysis, compared to the placebo group, the TJ-54 group showed statistically significant improvements in the\nindividual PANSS subscale scores for lack of spontaneity and flow of conversation (TJ-54: ?0.23 �± 0.08; placebo: ?0.03 �± 0.08,\nP < 0.018), tension (TJ-54: ?0.42 �± 0.09; placebo: ?0.18 �± 0.09, P < 0.045), and poor impulse control (TJ-54: ?0.39 �± 0.10; placebo:\n?0.07 �± 0.10, P < 0.037). Conclusions. The results of the present study indicate that TJ-54 showed a tendency of being superior\nto placebo in reduction PANSS scores in treatment-resistant schizophrenia, but the difference was not statistically significant.\nHowever, compared to the placebo group, TJ-54 group showed statistically significant improvements in the individual PANSS\nsubscale scores....
Objective. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a frequent clinical finding in western world.The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy\nof a ginger and artichoke supplementation versus placebo in the treatment of FD. Methods. A prospective multicentre, double\nblind, randomized, placebo controlled, parallel-group comparison of the supplement and placebo over a period of 4 weeks was\nperformed. Two capsules/daywere supplied (before lunch and dinner) to 126 FD patients (supplementation/placebo: 65/61). Results.\nAfter 14 days of treatment, only supplementation group (SG) showed a significant amelioration (SG: ?S = +1.195 MCA score\nunits (u), P = 0.017; placebo: ?P = +0.347 u, P = 0.513). The intercept (?) resulted to be significantly higher in SG than in\nplacebo (?S ? ?P = +0.848 u, P < 0.001). At the end of the study, the advantage of SG versus placebo persists without variation\n(?S ? ?P = +0.077 u, P = 0.542). In SG, a significant advantage is observed for nausea (?S ? ?P = ?0.398 u, P < 0.001), epigastric\nfullness (?S ? ?P = ?0.241, P < 0.001), epigastric pain (?S ? ?P = ?0.173 u, P = 0.002), and bloating (?S ? ?P = ?0.167 u,\nP = 0.017). Conclusions.The association between ginger and artichoke leaf extracts appears safe and efficacious in the treatment of\nFD and could represent a promising treatment for this disease....
Vitex agnus-castus (VAC) is a plant that has recently been used to treat the symptoms of menopause, by its actions on the central\nnervous system. However, little is known about its actions on disturbances in lipid metabolism and nonalcoholic fat liver disease\n(NAFLD), frequently associated with menopause. Ovariectomized (OVX) rats exhibit increased adiposity and NAFLD 13 weeks\nafter ovary removal and were used as animal models of estrogen deficiency. The rats were treated with crude extract (CE) and a\nbutanolic fraction ofVAC(ButF) and displayed the beneficial effects of a reduction in the adiposity index and a complete reversion of\nNAFLD. NAFLD reversion was accompanied by a general improvement in the liver redox status. The activities of some antioxidant\nenzymes were restored and the mitochondrial hydrogen peroxide production was significantly reduced in animals treated with CE\nand the ButF. It can be concluded that the CE and ButF from Vitex agnus-castus were effective in preventing NAFLD and oxidative\nstress, which are frequent causes of abnormal liver functions in the postmenopausal period....
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