Herbal Science Research - ayurveda

Ayurvedic and collateral herbal treatments for hyperlipidemia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials [...]

Site Editor — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:05:24 -0700

Ayurvedic and collateral herbal treatments for hyperlipidemia: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs.: Altern Ther Health Med. 2007 Jul-Aug; 13(4): 22-8 Singh BB, Vinjamury SP, Der-Martirosian C, Kubik E, Mishra LC, Shepard NP, Singh VJ, Meier M, Madhu SG

BACKGROUND: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both developing and developed countries. An underlying cause of IHD involves retention and deposit of serum lipids in coronary arteries, decreasing blood flow. Drugs (conventional and herbal) are used to lower levels of serum cholesterol to help prevent IHD. The Ayurvedic medicine pharmacopoeia identified herbs that might contribute to a decrease in cholesterol and therefore reduce the risk of IHD. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted at 3 points: 2003, 2004, and 2007. Databases searched included PubMed, the National Library of Medicine, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Ovid, and EBSCO Information Services, and other search strategies also were used. Each article was assessed for quality by 3 people, and discrepancies were resolved by arbitration using a fourth person, who also read and scored each article. Additional assessments of safety using a scale and determination of reported efficacy/effectiveness of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental designs (QEDs) were made. RESULTS: RCTs generally received high quality scores and improved by decade of publication. More than 50% of garlic, more than 80% of guggul, and 100% of Arjuna RCTs reported product effectiveness. Safety scores did not improve by decade. The QEDs received medium and high quality scores, and 93% of them reported effectiveness. The QEDs had a higher mean score for safety reporting than the RCTs. CONCLUSIONS: Many studies received high quality scores and noted safety information and reported effectiveness or efficacy in a clear manner. This finding was not consistent with other systematic reviews that have found the highest reported efficacy/ effectiveness in studies of poorer quality. Ayurvedic herbs reviewed here should be considered by physicians when trying to manage hyperlipidemia in their patients.

Selective killing of cancer cells by leaf extract of Ashwagandha: identification of a tumor-inhibitory factor [...]

Site Editor — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 18:13:04 -0700

Selective killing of cancer cells by leaf extract of Ashwagandha: identification of a tumor-inhibitory factor and the first molecular insights to its effect.: Clin Cancer Res. 2007 Apr 1;13(7):2298-306 Authors: Widodo N, Kaur K, Shrestha BG, Takagi Y, Ishii T, Wadhwa R, Kaul SC

PURPOSE: Ashwagandha is regarded as a wonder shrub of India and is commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine and health tonics that claim its variety of health-promoting effects. Surprisingly, these claims are not well supported by adequate studies, and the molecular mechanisms of its action remain largely unexplored to date. We undertook a study to identify and characterize the antitumor activity of the leaf extract of ashwagandha. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Selective tumor-inhibitory activity of the leaf extract (i-Extract) was identified by in vivo tumor formation assays in nude mice and by in vitro growth assays of normal and human transformed cells. To investigate the cellular targets of i-Extract, we adopted a gene silencing approach using a selected small hairpin RNA library and found that p53 is required for the killing activity of i-Extract. RESULTS: By molecular analysis of p53 function in normal and a variety of tumor cells, we found that it is selectively activated in tumor cells, causing either their growth arrest or apoptosis. By fractionation, purification, and structural analysis of the i-Extract constituents, we have identified its p53-activating tumor-inhibiting factor as with a none. CONCLUSION: We provide the first molecular evidence that the leaf extract of ashwagandha selectively kills tumor cells and, thus, is a natural source for safe anticancer medicine.

PMID: 17404115 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Withanolides potentiate apoptosis, inhibit invasion, and abolish osteoclastogenesis through suppression of [NF-kappaB]...

Site Editor — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 18:30:29 -0700

Withanolides potentiate apoptosis, inhibit invasion, and abolish osteoclastogenesis through suppression of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression.: Mol Cancer Ther. 2006 Jun;5(6):1434-45 Authors: Ichikawa H, Takada Y, Shishodia S, Jayaprakasam B, Nair MG, Aggarwal BB

The plant Withania somnifera Dunal (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian ginseng, is widely used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine to treat tumors, inflammation, arthritis, asthma, and hypertension. Chemical investigation of the roots and leaves of this plant has yielded bioactive withanolides. Earlier studies showed that withanolides inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and proliferation of tumor cells. Because several genes that regulate cellular proliferation, carcinogenesis, metastasis, and inflammation are regulated by activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), we hypothesized that the activity of withanolides is mediated through modulation of NF-kappaB activation. For this report, we investigated the effect of the withanolide on NF-kappaB and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression activated by various carcinogens. We found that withanolides suppressed NF-kappaB activation induced by a variety of inflammatory and carcinogenic agents, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1beta, doxorubicin, and cigarette smoke condensate. Suppression was not cell type specific, as both inducible and constitutive NF-kappaB activation was blocked by withanolides. The suppression occurred through the inhibition of inhibitory subunit of IkappaB alpha kinase activation, IkappaB alpha phosphorylation, IkappaB alpha degradation, p65 phosphorylation, and subsequent p65 nuclear translocation. NF-kappaB-dependent reporter gene expression activated by TNF, TNF receptor (TNFR) 1, TNFR-associated death domain, TNFR-associated factor 2, and IkappaB alpha kinase was also suppressed. Consequently, withanolide suppressed the expression of TNF-induced NF-kappaB-regulated antiapoptotic (inhibitor of apoptosis protein 1, Bfl-1/A1, and FADD-like interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme-inhibitory protein) and metastatic (cyclooxygenase-2 and intercellular adhesion molecule-1) gene products, enhanced the apoptosis induced by TNF and chemotherapeutic agents, and suppressed cellular TNF-induced invasion and receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand-induced osteoclastogenesis. Overall, our results indicate that withanolides inhibit activation of NF-kappaB and NF-kappaB-regulated gene expression, which may explain the ability of withanolides to enhance apoptosis and inhibit invasion and osteoclastogenesis.

From traditional Ayurvedic medicine to modern medicine: ...therapeutic targets for suppression of inflammation and cancer.

Site Editor — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 04:34:32 -0700

From traditional Ayurvedic medicine to modern medicine: identification of therapeutic targets for suppression of inflammation and cancer.: Authors: Aggarwal BB, Ichikawa H, Garodia P, Weerasinghe P, Sethi G, Bhatt ID, Pandey MK, Shishodia S, Nair MG

Cancer is a hyperproliferative disorder that involves transformation, dysregulation of apoptosis, proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis. Extensive research during the last 30 years has revealed much about the biology of cancer. Drugs used to treat most cancers are those that can block cell signalling, including growth factor signalling (e.g., epidermal growth factor); prostaglandin production (e.g., COX-2); inflammation (e.g., inflammatory cytokines: NF-kappaB, TNF, IL-1, IL-6, chemokines); drug resistance gene products (e.g., multi-drug resistance); cell cycle proteins (e.g., cyclin D1 and cyclin E); angiogenesis (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor); invasion (e.g., matrix metalloproteinases); antiapoptosis (e.g., bcl-2, bcl-X(L), XIAP, survivin, FLIP); and cellular proliferation (e.g., c-myc, AP-1, growth factors). Numerous reports have suggested that Ayurvedic plants and their components mediate their effects by modulating several of these recently identified therapeutic targets. However, Ayurvedic medicine requires rediscovery in light of our current knowledge of allopathic (modern) medicine. The focus of this review is to elucidate the Ayurvedic concept of cancer, including its classification, causes, pathogenesis and prevention; surgical removal of tumours; herbal remedies; dietary modifications; and spiritual treatments.

[Chronic lead intoxication associated with Ayurvedic medication]

Site Editor — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 04:08:26 -0700

[Chronic lead intoxication associated with Ayurvedic medication]: Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2005 Dec 24;149(52):2893-6 Authors: Kanen BL, Perenboom RM

A 46-year-old man with multiple sclerosis had severe generalised pain for which treatment with paracetamol, ibuprofen, gabapentin and methyl-prednisolone had been unsuccessful. In addition normocytic anaemia without haemolysis and with a normal iron load was found. Due to bright red rectal blood loss and nausea, vomiting, weight loss, anorexia, abdominal pain and constipation a colonoscopy was planned. However, before this was performed, manual slide differentiation of a blood smear showed basophilic stippling and it turned out that the patient had been taking Ayurvedic medication up to one month before presentation. A moderately severe lead intoxication was diagnosed: 0.77 mg/l. The herbal medication had a very high lead content. The patient was successfully treated with the oral lead chelator 23-dimercaptosuccinic acid. Traditional and folk remedies often are important causes of lead poisoning.

New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has banned the sale of three Indian herbal products.

Site Editor — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 03:56:57 -0700

The Statesman: NEW YORK, Dec. 30. — New York Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has banned the sale of three Indian herbal products and advised people against using them, saying they contain dangerous levels of lead or mercury. It banned Jambrulin of Unjha Ayurvedic Pharmacy, Lakshmivilash Ras (Nardiya) manufactured by Baidyanath and Maha Sundarshan manufactured by Arya Aushadhi Pharmaceutical Works. — PTI

Are Ayurvedic herbs for diabetes effective?

Site Editor — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 03:28:46 -0700

Are Ayurvedic herbs for diabetes effective?: J Fam Pract. 2005 Oct; 54(10): 876-86 Shekelle PG, Hardy M, Morton SC, Coulter I, Venuturupalli S, Favreau J, Hilton LK

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and synthesize the evidence on the effect of Ayurvedic therapies for diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Systematic review of trials. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We found no study that assessed Ayurvedic as a system of care. Botanical therapy was by far the most commonly studied Ayurvedic treatment. Herbs were studied either singly or as formulas. In all, 993 titles in Western computerized databases and 318 titles identified by hand-searching journals in India were examined, yielding 54 articles reporting the results of 62 studies. The most-studied herbs were G sylvestre, C indica, fenugreek, and Eugenia jambolana. A number of herbal formulas were tested, but Ayush-82 and D-400 were most often studied. Thirty-five of the studies included came from the Western literature, 27 from the Indian. Seven were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 controlled clinical trials (CCTs) or natural experiments. Twenty-two studies went on to further analysis based on a set of criteria. Of these, 10 were RCTs, CCTs, or natural experiments, 12 were case series or cohort studies. There is evidence to suggest that the herbs C indica, holy basil, fenugreek, and G sylvestre, and the herbal formulas Ayush-82 and D-400 have a glucose-lowering effect and deserve further study. Evidence of effectiveness of several other herbs is less extensive (C tamala, E jambolana, and Momordica charantia). CONCLUSIONS: There is heterogeneity in the available literature on Ayurvedic treatment for diabetes. Most studies test herbal therapy. Heterogeneity exists in the herbs and formulas tested (more than 44 different interventions identified) and in the method of their preparation. Despite these limitations, there are sufficient data for several herbs or herbal formulas to warrant further studies.

Ayurveda and traditional chinese medicine: a comparative overview.

Site Editor — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 03:17:40 -0700

Ayurveda and traditional chinese medicine: a comparative overview.: Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2005 Dec;2(4):465-73 Authors: Patwardhan B, Warude D, Pushpangadan P, Bhatt N

Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicine (TIM) and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) remain the most ancient yet living traditions. There has been increased global interest in traditional medicine. Efforts to monitor and regulate herbal drugs and traditional medicine are underway. China has been successful in promoting its therapies with more research and science-based approach, while Ayurveda still needs more extensive scientific research and evidence base. This review gives an overview of basic principles and commonalities of TIM and TCM and discusses key determinants of success, which these great traditions need to address to compete in global markets.