This week's Medline hits on herbal medicine

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Nakagawa T, Goto H, Hikiami H, Yokozawa T, Shibahara N, Shimada Y.

Protective effects of keishi bukuryo gan on the kidney of spontaneously

diabetic WBN/Kob rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Oct 18; [Epub ahead of

print] Dept of Kampo Diagnostics, Institute of Natural Medicine, U of

Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. Keishi bukuryo gan

[KBG, Guizhi Fuling Wan], a traditional herbal formulation, is used clinically

to improve blood circulation. It consists of five crude drugs: Cinnamomi Cx,

Poria, Moutan Cx, Persicae S & Paeoniae Rx. In this study, the effects of

KBG against renal damage in spontaneously diabetic WBN/Kob rats were

examined. Oral administration of KBG significantly attenuated urinary

protein excretion & serum creatinine levels. It did not affect body weight loss

& blood glucose levels, but it suppressed renal & hepatic weights of

WBN/Kob rats. KBG also reduced fibronectin & transforming growth factor

beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) protein expression in the renal cortex. Furthermore,

lipid peroxidation levels in both kidney & liver were significantly lower than

those of untreated control WBN/Kob rats. Urinary excretion of 8-hydroxy-

deoxyguanosine was suppressed by KBG treatment. KBG reduces oxidative

stress by hyperglycemia, & it protects renal function & suppresses

fibronectin deposition induced by TGF-beta(1) production in WBN/Kob rats.

PMID: 17123761 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Ohura N, Kurita T, Takushima A, Shibata M, Harii K. Efficacy of a skin-

protection powder for use as a dressing for intractable ulcers. J Wound

Care. 2006 Nov;15(10):471-2, 474-6. Dept of Plastic, Reconstructive &

Aesthetic Surgery, Burn Care Unit, Kyorin U School of Medicine,Tokyo,

Japan. nohura-tky OBJECTIVE: Stomahesive skin-protection

powder has been reported to be useful as a skin-care & skin-barrier product

for the management of stomas.This study aimed to evaluate its efficacy, in

terms of wound healing, moisture retention & pain management, as an

alternative to conventional dressing materials. Both clinical & animal studies

were undertaken. METHOD: The efficacy of the Stomahesive powder was

tested by measuring the thickness of granulation tissue formed in a total

skin defect in a db/db mouse model. We then compared the healing

process using either the skin-protection powder or a conventional film

dressing material. In the clinical study 17 patients with various intractable

ulcers were treated with Stomahesive powder, & healing was evaluated.

RESULTS: In the mouse model, granulation tissue in the wounds treated

with the powder was 2.86 times thicker than that of the wounds treated with

the film dressing. In the clinical study, 16 out of 17 wounds healed

completely. CONCLUSION: The Stomahesive powder could be an effective

treatment modality for contact ulceration, superficial ulcers with complex

contours & morphology, & superficial ulcers contaminated by liquid faeces

or vaginal discharge that have not responded to conventional dressings.

Declaration of interest: None. PMID: 17124823 [PubMed - in process]

 

Staudinger JL, Ding X, Lichti K. Pregnane X receptor & natural products:

beyond drug-drug interactions. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2006

Dec;2(6):847-857. 1U of Kansas, Dept of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 1251

Wescoe Hall Dr, 5044 Malott Hall, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA.

stauding , 2UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, 5323 Harry

Hines Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75390-9041, USA, 3U of Kansas, Dept of

Pharmacology & Toxicology, 1251 Wescoe Hall Dr, 5044 Malott Hall,

Lawrence, Kansas 66045, USA. The pregnane X receptor (PXR, NR1I2) is

a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily that is activated by a myriad

of compounds & natural products in clinical use. Activation of PXR

represents the basis for several clinically important drug-drug interactions.

Although PXR activation has undesirable effects in patients on combination

therapy, it also mediates the hepatoprotective effects exhibited by some

herbal remedies. This review focuses on PXR activation by natural products

and the potential therapeutic opportunities presented. In particular, the

biological effects of St. John's Wort, gugulipid, kava kava, Coleus forskolii,

Hypoxis, Sutherlandia, qing hao, wu wei zi, gan cao & other natural products

are discussed. The impact of these natural products on drug metabolism &

hepatoprotection is highlighted in the context of activation and antagonism

of PXR.

PMID: 17125405 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Asai M, Iwata N, Yoshikawa A, Aizaki Y, Ishiura S, Saido TC, Maruyama K.

Berberine alters the processing of Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein to

decrease Abeta secretion. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006 Nov 15;

[Epub ahead of print] Dept of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama

Medical U, 38 Moro-hongo, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama 350-0495,

Japan; Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science

Institute, Japan. Berberine is an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from Coptidis

rhizoma, a major herb widely used in Chinese herbal medicine. Berberine's

biological activity includes antidiarrheal, antimicrobial, & anti-inflammatory

effects. Recent findings show that berberine prevents neuronal damage due

to ischemia or oxidative stress & that it might act as a novel cholesterol-

lowering compound. The accumulation of amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta)

derived from amyloid precursor protein (APP) is a triggering event leading to

the pathological cascade of Alzheimer's disease (AD); therefore the

inhibition of Abeta production should be a rational therapeutic strategy in the

prevention & treatment of AD. Here, we report that berberine reduces Abeta

levels by modulating APP processing in human neuroglioma H4 cells stably

expressing Swedish-type of APP at the range of berberine concentration

without cellular toxicity. Our results indicate that berberine would be a

promising candidate for the treatment of AD. PMID: 17125739 [PubMed - as

supplied by publisher]

 

Tunalier Z, Kosar M, Kupeli E, Calis I, Baser KH. Antioxidant, anti-

inflammatory, anti-nociceptive activities & composition of Lythrum salicaria

L. extracts. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Nov 22; [Epub ahead of print] Faculty

of Pharmacy, Dept of Pharmacognosy, Anadolu U, 26470 Eskisehir, Turkey.

Lythrum salicaria (purple loosestrife) known as " Tibbi hevhulma " in Turkish

is used for its several beneficial health effects against as diarrhea, chronic

intestinal catarrh, hemorrhoid & eczema in the form of a decoction or a fluid

extract & to treat varicose veins, bleeding of the gums, hemorrhoid and

eczema, externally. Dried herbal parts of Lythrum salicaria L. (Lythraceae)

were sequentially extracted with different solvents such as petroleum ether,

ethyl acetate, methanol & 50% aqueous methanol. Water extract of Lythrum

salicaria was also prepared under reflux. Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory &

anti-nociceptive activities of all the extracts were investigated using in vitro

& in vivo methods, respectively. Free radical scavenging activity (1,1-

diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, DPPH assay), iron(III) reductive activity, capacity

of the inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation & MDA formation, anti-

nociceptive activity (p-benzoquinone-induced abdominal constriction test) &

anti-inflammatory activity (carrageenan-induced hind paw edema model)

were used for all the extracts. In addition, the content of total phenolics,

flavonoids & flavonols in all the extracts were determined with

spectrophotometric methods. Results were compared with reference

antioxidants via ascorbic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, & gallic acid.

Qualitative & quantitative compositions of all the extracts were analysed

using a HPLC-PDA system. Polar fractions were found to be rich in

flavonoids such as isovitexin & isoorientin. PMID: 17125946 [PubMed - as

supplied by publisher]

 

de Barros MP, Sousa JP, Bastos JK, de Andrade SF. Effect of Brazilian

green propolis on experimental gastric ulcers in rats. J Ethnopharmacol.

2006 Oct 28; [Epub ahead of print] Nucleo de Ciencia e Tecnologia, Area

de Ciencias Biologicas e da Saude, Universidade do Oeste de Santa

Catarina, Campus de Videira, SC, Brazil. Propolis is a resinous hive product

collected by honeybees from plants. The propolis produced in Southeastern

of Brazil is known as green propolis because of its color. Modern herbalists

recommend its use because it displays antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral,

hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory & anti-ulcer

properties. The anti-ulcer activity of green propolis hydroalcoholic crude

extract was evaluated by using models of acute gastric lesions induced by

ethanol, indomethacin & stress in rats. Moreover, the effects of extract on

gastric content volume, pH & total acidity, using pylorus ligated model were

evaluated. Animals pretreated with propolis hydroalcoholic crude extract

(50, 250 & 500mg/kg) showed a significant reduction in lesion index, total

affected area & percentage of lesion in comparison with control group

(p<0.05) in the ethanol-induced ulcer model. Green propolis extract, at a

higher dose (500mg/kg), displayed a significant protection by reducing

(p<0.05) the evaluated parameters in the gastric ulceration induced by

indomethacin. In the stress-induced ulcer model it was observed a

significant reduction (p<0.05) in those parameters in animals treated with

green propolis extract (250 & 500mg/kg). Regarding the pylorus ligated

model it was observed that green propolis extract (250 & 500mg/kg)

displayed an anti-secretory activity, which lead to a reduction in the gastric

juice volume, total acidity & pH. These findings indicate that Brazilian green

propolis displays good anti-ulcer activity, corroborating the folk use of

propolis preparations, & contributing for its pharmacological validation.

PMID: 17126509 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Qa'dan F, Petereit F, Mansoor K, Nahrstedt A. Antioxidant oligomeric

proanthocyanidins from Cistus salvifolius. Nat Prod Res. 2006

Nov;20(13):1216-24. Faculty of Pharmacy, The U of Petra, PO Box 961343,

Amman, Jordan. The purified proanthocyanidin oligomers of Cistus

salvifolius herb extract accounted for 78% of the total proanthocyanidins

and 73% of the total antioxidant activity of this extract. To elucidate the

structure of the oligomer, it was depolymerized by acid catalysis in the

presence of phloroglucinol. The structures of the resulting flavan-3-ols &

phloroglucinol adducts were determined on the basis of 1D- & reverse 2D-

NMR (HSQC, HMBC) experiments of their peracetylated derivatives,

MALDI-TOF-MS & CD spectroscopy. These observations resulting from the

degradation with phloroglucinol were confirmed by 13C NMR spectroscopy

of the oligomer. The mean molecular weight of the higher oligomeric

fraction was estimated to be 5-6 flavan-3-ol-units. PMID: 17127512

[PubMed - in process]

 

Narayan S, Veeraraghavan M, Devi CS. Pterocarpus santalinus: an In Vitro

study on its anti-Helicobacter pylori effect. Phytother Res. 2006 Nov 24;

[Epub ahead of print] Dept of Biochemistry, U of Madras, Guindy Campus,

Chennai 600 025, India. The anti-H. pylori activity of Pterocarpus santalinus

(PS), a traditional herb, has been assessed & compared with that of

bismuth subcitrate, through in vitro studies employing rat gastric epithelial

cell cultures & H. pylori isolates from gastric mucosal biopsy patients. The

MIC of PS was found to be 20 microg/mL. H. pylori was co-cultivated with

rat gastric epithelial cells in the presence/absence of PS at its MIC. A

reduction in the activity of urease, a normal appearance of the epithelial

cells on electron microscopic examination, a decrease in lipid peroxidation

and lactate dehydrogenase suggests the possible anti-H. pylori activity of

PS. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 17128431 [PubMed -

as supplied by publisher]

 

Sachin BS, Sharma SC, Sethi S, Tasduq SA, Tikoo MK, Tikoo AK, Satti NK,

Gupta BD, Suri KA, Johri RK, Qazi GN. Herbal modulation of drug

bioavailability: enhancement of rifampicin levels in plasma by herbal

products & a flavonoid glycoside derived from Cuminum cyminum.

Phytother Res. 2006 Nov 24; [Epub ahead of print] Division of

Pharmacology, Regional Research Laboratory (CSIR), Canal Road,

Jammu-Tawi, 180016 India. The bioavailability of rifampicin (RIF) in a fixed

dose combination (FDC) used for the treatment of tuberculosis remains an

area of clinical concern & several pharmaceutical alternatives are being

explored to overcome this problem. The present study presents a

pharmacological approach in which the bioavailability of a drug may be

modulated by utilizing the herb-drug synergism. The pharmacokinetic

interaction of some herbal products & a pure molecule isolated from

Cuminum cyminum with RIF is shown in this paper. An aqueous extract

derived from cumin seeds produced a significant enhancement of RIF

levels in rat plasma. This activity was found to be due to a flavonoid

glycoside, 3',5-dihydroxyflavone 7-O-beta-d-galacturonide4'-O-beta-d-

glucopyranoside (CC-I). CC-I enhanced the C(max) by 35% & AUC by 53%

of RIF. The altered bioavailability profile of RIF could be attributed to a

permeation enhancing effect of this glycoside. Copyright © 2006 John

Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 17128432 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Grant L, McBean DE, Fyfe L, Warnock AM. A review of the biological &

potential therapeutic actions of Harpagophytum procumbens. Phytother

Res. 2006 Nov 24; [Epub ahead of print] Institute of Comparative Medicine,

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, U of Glasgow, Bearsden Road, Glasgow

G61 1QH, Scotland. Harpagophytum procumbens (Hp), commonly known

as Devil's Claw is a perennial plant which thrives in arid conditions. For

centuries, it has been used as a traditional treatment for a variety of

illnesses, including fevers, skin complaints, arthritis & diseases of the

digestive tract as well as an appetite stimulant. Since its introduction to

Europe in the early twentieth century, it has become a popular

antiinflammatory & analgesic preparation amongst herbalists for supportive

or adjuvant treatment of degenerative joint diseases, tendonitis, headache,

backache & menstrual pain. The validity of Hp as an effective

antiinflammatory & analgesic preparation, particularly in the relief of

arthritic

symptoms, has been investigated in numerous animal, clinical & in vitro

studies. Although some contradictory evidence exists, the majority of animal

studies appear to indicate Hp as an effective antiinflammatory & analgesic

preparation in the treatment of acute & subacute inflammation. Clinical trials

support Hp as a beneficial treatment for the alleviation of pain and

improvement of mobility in a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Analysis

of the in vitro & ex vivo studies that currently exist, indicate that Hp has

significant effects on numerous proinflammatory markers. However, the

exact mechanism(s) by which Hp may reduce inflammation remain to be

elucidated. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID: 17128436

[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Suh SJ, Yoon JW, Lee TK, Jin UH, Kim SL, Kim MS, Kwon DY, Lee YC,

Kim CH. Chemoprevention of Scutellaria bardata on human cancer cells

and tumorigenesis in skin cancer. Phytother Res. 2006 Nov 24; [Epub

ahead of print] Dept of Biological Sciences, Sungkyunkwan U, Chunchun-

Dong 300, Suwon City, Kyunggi-Do 440-746, Korea. Scutellaria barbata D.

Don (Lamiaceae) (SB) is a perennial herb, which is natively distributed

throughout Korea & southern China. This herb is known in traditional

Chinese medicine as Ban-Zhi-Lian & in traditional Korean medicine as

Banjiryun. SB has been used as an antiinflammatory & antitumor agent. The

SB showed strong growth-inhibitory activity & cancer chemopreventive

activity in assays representing three major stages of carcinogenesis. The

SB was found to act as an antimutagen; it mediated antiinflammatory

effects; inhibited cyclooxygenase & hydroperoxidase functions

(antipromotion activity). In addition, SB inhibited the development of

preneoplastic lesions in carcinogen-treated mouse mammary glands in

culture & inhibited tumorigenesis in a mouse skin cancer model. On the

other hand, an inhibitory effect of SB on the growth of gynecological cancer

cell lines such as HeLa cell & human ovary cancer (HOC) was shown.

When HOC cells were treated with SB, the expression of cyclooxygenase-2

was inhibited. These data suggest that SB merits investigation as a

potential cancer chemopreventive agent in humans, especially in

gynecological cancers. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. PMID:

17128438 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

 

Ibrahim M, Khan AA, Tiwari SK, Habeeb MA, Khaja MN, Habibullah CM.

Antimicrobial activity of Sapindus mukorossi & Rheum emodi extracts

against H pylori: In vitro & in vivo studies. World J Gastroenterol. 2006 Nov

28;12(44):7136-42. Centre for Liver Research & Diagnostics, Deccan

college of Medical Sciences & Allied Hospitals, Kanchanbagh, Hyderabad

500064, India. ibrahim_cce AIM: to evaluate the

antibacterial activity of Sapindus mukorossi (S. mukorossi) & Rheum emodi

(R. emodi). METHODS: Powders of S. mukorossi & R. emodi were

extracted successively with petroleum ether, benzene, chloroform & ethanol

& were concentrated in vacuum. The disk diffusion method was used for in

vitro studies & in vivo studies were performed on male Wister rats. Thirty

resistant clinical isolates of H pylori, as determined by their antibiotic

sensitivity patterns by E-test, along with two Gram +ve (S. aureus, B.

subtilis) & two Gram -ve (E. coli, P. vugaris) organisms were screened for

their susceptibility patterns against these extracts. RESULTS: In our

screening, all 30 resistant isolates & the other four organisms (two Gram

+ve S. aureus, B. subtilis & two Gram -ve, E. coli, P. vugaris) were sensitive

to the test compounds. It was found that ethanol & chloroform extracts of S.

mukorossi & ethanol & benzene extracts of R. emodi inhibited H pylori at

very low concentrations. In the in vitro study, the isolates showed a

considerable zone of inhibition at very low concentrations (10 mug/mL) for

both the extracts. In the in vivo study, the H pylori infection was cleared with

minimal doses of extracts of S. mukorossi (2.5 mg/mL) & R. emodi (3.0

mg/mL) given orally for seven days. CONCLUSION: We can conclude from

this study that the extracts of S. mukorossi & R. emodi inhibited the growth

of pylori in vitro and, in in vivo studies, the H pylori infection cleared

within

seven days at very low concentrations. We also found that H pylori did not

acquire resistance against these herbal extracts even after 10 consecutive

passages. PMID: 17131475 [PubMed - in process]

 

Chatterjee M, Sil PC. Hepatoprotective effect of aqueous extract of

phyllanthus niruri on nimesulide-induced oxidative stress in vivo. Indian J

Biochem Biophys. 2006 Oct;43(5):299-305. Dept of Chemistry, Bose

Institute, 93/1, Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road Kolkata-700009, India.

Nimesulide (NIM), an atypical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)

is also used as analgesic. In the present study, we evaluated its effect on

the prooxidant-antioxidant system of liver & the hepatoprotective potential of

aqueous extract of the herb Phyllanthus niruri (PN) on NIM-induced

oxidative stress in vivo using a murine model, by determining the activities

of hepatic anti-oxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) & catalase

(CAT), levels of reduced glutathione (GSH) & lipid peroxidation (expressed

as malonaldialdehyde, MDA). Aqueous extract of PN at a dose of 50 or 100

mg/kg body wt was administered either intraperitoneally or orally for 7 days,

before NIM administration at a dose of 8 mg/kg body wt twice daily for 7

days in mice. Animals were sacrificed 24 h after administration of final dose

of NIM. In another set of experiments, both aqueous extract of PN (at a

dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg body wt) & NIM (8 mg/kg body wt) were

administered simultaneously for 7 days. Animals were sacrificed 24 h after

administration of final dose of the extract & NIM, liver tissues were

collected, & the activities of SOD & CAT & levels of GSH & lipid

peroxidation end-product (as MDA), were determined from the livers of all

the experimental animals. Appropriate NIM control was maintained for all

sets of experiments. NIM administration (8 mg/kg body wt) for 7 days

caused significant depletion of the levels of SOD, CAT & reduced GSH,

along with the increased levels of lipid peroxidation. Intraperitoneal

administration of the extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg body wt for 7 days,. prior

to NIM treatment, significantly restored most of the NIM-induced changes

and the effect was comparable to that obtained by administering 100 mg/kg

body wt of the extract orally. Thus, results suggested that intraperitoneal

administration of the extract could protect liver from NIM-induced hepatic

damage more effectively than oral administration. Antioxidant property of

the aqueous extract of PN was also compared with that of a known potent

antioxidant, vitamin E. The PN extract at a dose of 100 mg/kg body wt along

with NIM was more effective in suppressing the oxidative damage than the

PN extract at a dose of 50 mg/kg body wt. Results suggested that beneficial

effect of the aqueous extract of PN, probably through its antioxidant

property, might control the NIM-induced oxidative stress in the liver. PMID:

17133737 [PubMed - in process]

 

Kong XF, Hu YL, Yin YL, Wu GY, Rui R, Wang DY, Yang CB. Chinese

herbal ingredients are effective immune stimulators for chickens infected

with the newcastle disease virus. Poult Sci. 2006 Dec;85(12):2169-75.

Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary

Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural U, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R. China, 210095;

This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of 4 Chinese herbal

ingredients (CHI) as immune stimulators for an active vaccine in chickens

using both in vitro & in vivo assays. The CHI used were Astragalus

polysaccharide (APS), Isatis root polysaccharide (IRPS), Propolis

polysaccharide, & Epimedium flavone at various concentrations. Two

hundred 14-d-old male White Roman chickens were randomly divided into

10 groups. Chickens in groups 1 to 9 were inoculated with the New-castle

disease virus (NDV) strain IV vaccine by intranasal & intraocular

administration. Chickens in groups 1 to 8 were also administered

subcutaneously on the dorsal region of the neck with 0.5 mL of the

corresponding CHI at 2 doses: 29 & 58 mg/kg of BW for APS & IRPS &

7.25 & 14.5 mg/kg of BW for the others, once daily for 3 successive days. In

group 9 (CHI-free control) & group 10 (both vaccine- & CHI-free control),

chickens were injected with 0.5 mL of physiological saline. New-castle

disease virus-specific serum hemagglutination inhibition antibody (Ab)

production in immunized chickens was quantified using established

methods. The results indicate that a majority of the CHI used at appropriate

concentrations were effective in enhancing in vitro proliferation of chick

embryo fibroblasts in response to the NDV infection. In vivo administration

of CHI to vaccinated chickens (7.25 to 58 mg/kg of BW, depending on type)

increased serum anti-NDV hemagglutination inhibition Ab titer

concentrations, compared with the administration the NDV alone. For all

CHI, a beneficial effect on the Ab production was observed on d 21 after the

initiation of the vaccination. On the basis of the in vivo doses used, Propolis

polysaccharide & Epimedium flavone were more potent than APS & IRPS in

promoting the humoral immune response in the young birds (P < 0.05).

Collectively, these findings suggest that appropriate doses of CHI can be

used as novel, effective immune stimulators for chickens. PMID: 17135673

[PubMed - in process]

 

Best regards,