herbal

Human hair growth enhancement in vitro by green tea epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG).: Phytomedicine. 2007 Aug;14(7-8):551-5 Authors: Kwon OS, Han JH, Yoo HG, Chung JH, Cho KH, Eun HC, Kim KH

Green tea is a popular worldwide beverage, and its potential beneficial effects such as anti-cancer and anti-oxidant properties are believed to be mediated by epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a major constituent of polyphenols. Recently, it was reported that EGCG might be useful in the prevention or treatment of androgenetic alopecia by selectively inhibiting 5alpha-reductase activity. However, no report has been issued to date on the effect of EGCG on human hair growth. This study was undertaken to measure the effect of EGCG on hair growth in vitro and to investigate its effect on human dermal papilla cells (DPCs) in vivo and in vitro. EGCG promoted hair growth in hair follicles ex vivo culture and the proliferation of cultured DPCs. The growth stimulation of DPCs by EGCG in vitro may be mediated through the upregulations of phosphorylated Erk and Akt and by an increase in the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Similar results were also obtained in in vivo dermal papillae of human scalps. Thus, we suggest that EGCG stimulates human hair growth through these dual proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects on DPCs.

PMID: 17092697 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Most of the traffic I see run through this site is based around existing, single-source RSS feeds. The most popular of which is the PubMed Herbal RSS feed. Some folks have tapped into the multi-term taxonomy searching and RSS generation, but most users seem to keep things simple.

Any RSS feed coming out of this site can be read on pretty much any device that's RSS-savvy. The problem is that doing this usually requires a mobile RSS reader application, should you want to stay informed, and stay mobile. Flash and Java options appear to be cumbersome on most mobile devices, even if these technologies are supported.

So, using Feedburner's XML-HTML parsing toolset, I've added a couple of very simple html pages at mobile.herbalscienceresearch.com that display the latest abstracts and full text articles being indexed by PubMed.

The first is a slightly modified version of the above mentioned PubMed abstract feed. I've filtered out some of the more advanced phytochemistry results, yielding a slightly less reductionistic version of the original. There's also a new mobile version of the PubMed Herbal Full Text feed, providing a way to stay current with PubMed's full text articles of a herbal nature.

The pages have been formatted to render nicely for my shiny new iPhone, but should display well on any html-capable device with a viewport equivalent of 320px. Of course, they render in a browser nicely too, making them a nice option for non-mobile dial-up users who don't want to load images, javascript, etc.

Speaking of javascript, a cool search page is in the works. Meanwhile, you can view the mobile abstract feed at mobile.herbalscienceresearch.com and tap into the mobile full text feed here. mobile.herbalscienceresearch.com/fulltext.

Newer directions for plant drug research: The need to examine and investigate traditional remedies for pharmacotherapy of animal and zoonotic diseases.: Afr J Health Sci. 1998 Feb;5(1):12-4 Authors: Kofi-Tsekpo MW, Kioy DW

Traditional remedies for animal diseases have not been investigated as much as those for human diseases. Yet, there is a wealth of knowledge available to be tapped from the remedies used in the treatment of animal and zoonotic diseases. The indigenous knowledge available could be rationalized in the modern pharmaceutical context and applied directly to field use where appropriate. Furthermore, it is well known that many drugs have been developed initially through their use in animals because the ethical issues are easier to handle. It is worth examining some the indigenous medicinal plants that are used for both human and animal disease treatment, and determine the practical and cost-effective ways of exploiting the values of these plants.

PMID: 17580988 [PubMed - in process]

The berberis story: Berberis vulgaris in therapeutics.: Pak J Pharm Sci. 2007 Jan;20(1):83-92 Authors: Arayne MS, Sultana N, Bahadur SS

Barberry has played a prominent role in herbal healing for more than 2,500 years. Berberis vulgaris is a common garden bush, native to Europe and the British Isles, naturalized in North America, seems to have history as old as human race. Anthropologists believe in a ritual practice or sacred object, especially by Native Americans that it works as a supernatural power or as preventive or remedy of illness. It is a deciduous shrub having yellow flowers and scarlet colored fruit in the form of berries. Twenty two alkaloids have been reported so far from root, stem leaves and fruit of this plant, which are of medicinal importance. As a herbal remedy it has no match in serving human race since ancient times. It is the most widely used drug in Homeopathic system of medicine for kidney pain and for removal of kidney stones. In this article, we present countless blessings of nature encountered through this herb which are worthy of recording.

Advances in the Use of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum).: Integr Cancer Ther. 2007 Jun;6(2):104-9 Authors: Post-White J, Ladas EJ, Kelly KM

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is an herbal supplement used to treat liver and biliary disorders. Silymarin, a mixture of flavanoid complexes, is the active component that protects liver and kidney cells from toxic effects of drugs, including chemotherapy. Although milk thistle has not significantly altered the course of chronic liver disease, it has reduced liver enzyme levels and demonstrated anti-inflammatory and T cell-modulating effects. There is strong preclinical evidence for silymarin's hepatoprotective and anticarcinogenic effects, including inhibition of cancer cell growth in human prostate, skin, breast, and cervical cells. Milk thistle is considered safe and well-tolerated, with gastrointestinal upset, a mild laxative effect, and rare allergic reaction being the only adverse events reported when taken within the recommended dose range. More clinical trials of rigorous methodology, using standardized and well-defined products and dosages, are needed to evaluate the potential of silymarin against liver toxicity, chronic liver disease, and human cancers.

An examination of the prescription and dispensing of medicines by Western herbal therapists: a national survey in Australia.: Complement Ther Med. 2007 Mar;15(1):13-20 Authors: Casey MG, Adams J, Sibbritt D

OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of prescription and dispensing of herbal medicines employed by Western herbal practitioners in Australia. DESIGN: A national postal survey sent to all full members of the National Herbalist Association of Australia (NHAA). SETTING: Nationwide clinics of professional herbal practitioners in Australia. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Measures of medicinal use were collected including aspects of prescription, formulation, dispensing and preparation forms of medicines used. The practitioners were asked if they dispensed their own medicines, about the form of herbal preparations used, aspects of formulation and dosages. RESULTS: The predominant prescription by most Western herbal practitioners in Australia is individualised herbal formulae rather than the use of single herbs. Traditional preparations of herbals such as teas and powders are used but liquid herbal extracts are most commonly dispensed. These liquid medicines are in the form of highly concentrated fluid extracts in ratios of 1:1 or 1:2, herb material to liquid. Pre-formulated tablets or capsules made by herbal manufacturers are being incorporated into modern practice but most prescriptions are individualised liquid formulae prepared and dispensed, from the clinic dispensary, after patient consultation. In addition to internal prescriptions, topical creams, pessaries, douches, gargles, eyebaths and poultices or washes are still incorporated into treatments. Although there is variation in used dosage ranges, the predominant system is that of pharmacologically active doses of highly concentrated fluid extracts. CONCLUSION: The professional prescription of Western herbal medicines is different to commercial usage. As opposed to pre-formulated tablets, or use of single herbals, the vast majority of Western herbalists in Australia construct individualised herbal formulations for their patients after consultation. The preferred form of administration of these prescriptions is as highly concentrated liquid herbal extracts in pharmacologically active doses.

[History of opium poppy and morphine]: Dan Medicinhist Arbog. 2005;33:171-84 Authors: Norn S, Kruse PR, Kruse E

Opium has been known for millennia to relieve pain and its use for surgical analgesia has been recorded for several centuries. The Sumerian clay tablet (about 2100 BC) is considered to be the world's oldest recorded list of medical prescriptions. It is believed by some scholars that the opium poppy is referred to on the tablet. Some objects from the ancient Greek Minoan culture may also suggest the knowledge of the poppy. A goddess from about 1500 BC shows her hair adorned probably with poppy-capsules and her closed eyes disclose sedation. Also juglets probably imitating the poppy-capsules were found in that period in both Cyprus and Egypt. The first authentic reference to the milky juice of the poppy we find by Theophrastus at the beginning of the third century BC. In the first century the opium poppy and opium was known by Dioscorides, Pliny and Celsus and later on by Galen. Celsus suggests the use of opium before surgery and Dioscorides recommended patients should take mandrake (contains scopolamine and atropine) mixed with wine, before limb amputation. The Arabic physicians used opium very extensively and about 1000 AD it was recommended by Avicenna especially in diarrhoea and diseases of the eye. Polypharmacy, including a mixture of nonsensical medications were often used. Fortunately for both patients and physicians many of the preparations contained opium. The goal was a panacea for all diseases. A famous and expensive panacea was theriaca containing up to sixty drugs including opium. Simplified preparations of opium such as tinctura opii were used up to about 2000 in Denmark. In the early 1800s sciences developed and Sertürner isolated morphine from opium and was the founder of alkaloid research. A more safe and standardized effect was obtained by the pure opium. Several morphine-like drugs have been synthesized to minimize adverse effects and abuse potential. Opioid receptors were identified and characterized in binding assays and their localization examined. However, the complexity of the system including interaction with several neurons and transmitters indicate the goal of nonaddictive opiates to be elusive. Combination therapy, innovative delivery systems and long-acting formulations may improve clinical utility.

This video has been posted over on Google Video . It is of the esteemed Simon Mills, MCPP, FNIMH, MA, lecturing at Schumacher College in Devon, England.

The video is titled,"Hot and Cold: Crucial Aspects of Herbalism".

Medicinal plants used in Kirklareli Province (Turkey).: J Ethnopharmacol. 2006 Dec 12; Authors: Kültür S

In this paper, 126 traditional medicinal plants from Kirklareli Province in Turkey have been reported. One hundred and twenty six plant species belonging to 54 families and among them 100 species were wild and 26 species were cultivated plants. Most used families were Rosaceae, Labiatae, Compositae and the most used plants were Cotinus coggyria, Sambucus ebulus, Achillea millefolium subsp. pannonica, Hypericum perforatum, Matricaria chamomilla var. recutita, Melissa officinalis subsp. officinalis, Juglans regia, Thymus longicaulis subsp. longicaulis var. subisophyllus, Malva sylvestris, Urtica dioica, Plantago lanceolata, Rosa canina, Ecballium elaterium, Artemisia absinthium, Viscum album subsp. album, Papaver rhoeas, Helleborus orientalis, Cydonia oblonga, Prunus spinosa subsp. dasyphylla, Rubus discolor, Sorbus domestica. A total of 143 medicinal uses were obtained. The traditional medicinal plants have been mostly used for the treatment of wounds (25.3%), cold and influenza (24.6%), stomach (20%), cough (19%), kidney ailments (18.2%), diabetes (13.4%).

Arboflorine, an unusual pentacyclic monoterpenoid indole alkaloid incorporating a third nitrogen atom.: Org Lett. 2006 Apr 13;8(8):1733-5 Authors: Lim KH, Kam TS

[structure: see text] A new indole alkaloid, arboflorine, possessing a novel pentacyclic carbon skeleton and incorporating a third nitrogen atom was obtained from the Malayan Kopsia arborea. The structure was established by spectroscopic analysis, and a possible biogenetic pathway from a preakuammicine-type precursor is presented.