Current Issue : April - June Volume : 2012 Issue Number : 2 Articles : 8 Articles
Diverse and significant benefits against cold/flu symptoms and seasonal allergies have been observed with a dried fermentate\n(DF) derived from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (EpiCor) in multiple published randomized trials. To determine if DF may influence\nother immune conditions, two separate animal studies were conducted. Study 1 examined the ability of DF to prevent or reduce\ninflammation when given orally for 14 days to rats prior to receiving 1% carrageenan (localized inflammation model). DF\nsignificantly (P < 0.05) reduced swelling at all time points (1, 2, 3, 6, 12, and 24 hours) versus the control. Edema severity and PGE2\nlevels were reduced by approximately 50% and 25% (P < 0.05), respectively. Study 2 examined the ability of DF to treat established\ninflammation induced by type-2 collagen in mice over 4 weeks (autoimmune arthritis model). Significantly reduced arthritis\nscores, antibody response to type-2 collagen, and interferon-gamma levels were observed compared to controls (all parameters\nP < 0.05). DF favorably impacts multiple acute and potentially chronic immunologic inflammatory control mechanisms and\nshould be further tested in clinical trials....
Plant extracts have a long history to be used in folk medicine. Cassia alata extracts are known to exert antibacterial activity but\r\ndetails on compounds and mechanism of action remain poorly explored. We purified and concentrated the aqueous leaf extract\r\nof C. alata by reverse phase-solid phase extraction and screened the resulting CaRP extract for antimicrobial activity. CaRP extract\r\nexhibited antimicrobial activity for Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus epidermidis, S. aureus, and Bacillus subtilis. CaRP also\r\ninhibited biofilm formation of S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa. Several bacterial growth-inhibiting compounds were detected when\r\nCaRP extract was fractionated by TLC chromatography coupled to bioautography agar overlay technique. HPLC chromatography\r\nof CaRP extract yielded 20 subfractions that were tested by bioautography for antimicrobial activity against S. aureus and S.\r\nepidermidis. Five bioactive fractions were detected and chemically characterized, using high-resolution mass spectrometry (qTOFMS/\r\nMS). Six compounds from four fractions could be characterized as kaempferol, kaempferol-O-diglucoside, kaempferol-Oglucoside,\r\nquercetin-O-glucoside, rhein, and danthron. In the Salmonella/microsome assay CaRP showed weak mutagenicity\r\n(MI < 3) only in strain TA98, pointing to a frameshift mutation activity. These results indicate that C. alata leaf extract contains\r\na minimum of 7 compounds with antimicrobial activity and that these together or as single substance are active in preventing\r\nformation of bacterial biofilm, indicating potential for therapeutic applications....
In spite of the impressive progress in the investigation of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), the complex mechanisms underlying the\r\nonset and deterioration of HE are still not fully understood. Currently, none of the existing theories provide conclusive explanations\r\non the symptoms that link liver dysfunction to nervous system disorders and clinical manifestations. This paper summarized the\r\ndiagnostic and therapeutic approaches used for HE in modern medicine and traditional Chinese medicine and provided future\r\nperspective in HE therapies from the viewpoint of holistic and personalized Chinese medicine....
Meditation practice alters intrinsic resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the default mode network (DMN). However,\nlittle is known regarding the effects of meditation on other resting-state networks. The aim of current study was to investigate\nthe effects of meditation experience and meditation-state functional connectivity (msFC) on multiple resting-state networks\n(RSNs).Meditation practitioners (MPs) performed two 5-minute scans, one during rest, one while meditating. A meditation na�¨ive\ncontrol group (CG) underwent one resting-state scan. Exploratory regression analyses of the relations between years of meditation\npractice and rsFC and msFC were conducted. During resting-state, MP as compared to CG exhibited greater rsFC within the\nDorsal Attention Network (DAN). Among MP, meditation, as compared to rest, strengthened FC between the DAN and DMN\nand Salience network whereas it decreased FC between the DAN, dorsal medial PFC, and insula. Regression analyses revealed\npositive correlations between the number of years of meditation experience and msFC between DAN, thalamus, and anterior\nparietal sulcus, whereas negative correlations between DAN, lateral and superior parietal, and insula. These findings suggest that\nthe practice of meditation strengthens FC within the DAN as well as strengthens the coupling between distributed networks that\nare involved in attention, self-referential processes, and affective response....
The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) as a therapy and preventative care measure for cardiovascular diseases\n(CVD) may prove to be beneficial when used in conjunction with or in place of conventional medicine. However, the lack of\nunderstanding of a mechanism of action of many CAMs limits their use and acceptance in western medicine. We have recently\nrecognized and characterized specific nitric oxide (NO) activity of select alternative and herbal medicines that may account for\nmany of their reported health benefits. The ability of certain CAM to restore NO homeostasis both through enhancing endothelial\nproduction of NO and by providing a system for reducing nitrate and nitrite to NO as a compensatory pathway for repleting NO\nbioavailability may prove to be a safe and cost-effective strategy for combating CVD. We will review the current state of science\nbehind NO activity of herbal medicines and their effects on CVD....
To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Tien-Hsien Liquid Practical (THL-P), a Chinese herbal mixture, in patients with refractory\r\nmetastatic breast cancer, we performed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, phase IIa pilot trial.\r\nPatients were randomly assigned to either receive THL-P or matching placebo and followed up every 4 weeks for 24 weeks.\r\nThe primary endpoint was changes in the global health status/quality of life (GHS/QOL) scale. The secondary endpoints were\r\nchanges in functional and symptom scales, immunomodulating effects, and adverse events. Sixty-three patients were enrolled\r\nbetween June 2009 and June 2011. The intent-to-treat population included 28 patients in the THL-P group and 11 patients in\r\nthe placebo group. Compared to the placebo group, the THL-P group had significant improvement from baseline to last visit in\r\nGHS/QOL (41.7 versus -33.3; P < 0.05), CD3, CD4/CD8, CD19, CD16+56 positive cells (P < 0.05), and higher levels of physical,\r\nrole, emotional, and cognitive functioning, as well as decreased fatigue and systemic side effects. Treatment-related adverse events\r\nwere mild constipation and localized itching, and no serious adverse events were reported. THL-P appears to be a safe alternative\r\nadjuvant treatment for patients with refractory metastatic breast cancer, as it effectively improves QOL and palliates cancer-related\r\nsymptoms....
Two previous investigations were performed to assess the activity of Gelsemium sempervirens (Gelsemium s.) in mice, using\r\nemotional response models. These two series are pooled and analysed here. Gelsemium s. in various homeopathic centesimal\r\ndilutions/dynamizations (4C, 5C, 7C, 9C, and 30C), a placebo (solvent vehicle), and the reference drugs diazepam (1 mg/kg body\r\nweight) or buspirone (5 mg/kg body weight) were delivered intraperitoneally to groups of albino CD1 mice, and their effects on\r\nanimal behaviour were assessed by the light-dark (LD) choice test and the open-field (OF) exploration test. Up to 14 separate\r\nreplications were carried out in fully blind and randomised conditions. Pooled analysis demonstrated highly significant effects of\r\nGelsemium s. 5C, 7C, and 30C on the OF parameter ââ?¬Å?time spent in central areaââ?¬Â and of Gelsemium s. 5C, 9C, and 30C on the\r\nLD parameters ââ?¬Å?time spent in lit areaââ?¬Â and ââ?¬Å?number of light-dark transitions,ââ?¬Â without any sedative action or adverse effects on\r\nlocomotion. This pooled data analysis confirms and reinforces the evidence that Gelsemium s. regulates emotional responses and\r\nbehaviour of laboratory mice in a nonlinear fashion with dilution/dynamization....
Honey is one of the oldest substances used in wound management. Efficacy of Gelam honey in wound healing was evaluated in\r\nthis paper. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups of 24 rats each (untreated group, saline group, Intrasite\r\nGel group, and Gelam honey group) with 2 cm by 2 cm full thickness, excisional wound created on neck area. Wounds were\r\ndressed topically according to groups. Rats were sacrificed on days 1, 5, 10, and 15 of treatments. Wounds were then processed\r\nfor macroscopic and histological observations. Gelam-honey-dressed wounds healed earlier (day 13) than untreated and saline\r\ntreated groups, as did wounds treated with Intrasite Gel. Honey-treated wounds exhibited less scab and only thin scar formations.\r\nHistological features demonstrated positive effects of Gelam honey on the wounds. This paper showed that Gelam honey dressing\r\non excisional wound accelerated the process of wound healing....
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