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Herbal Medicine

This section lists some of the latest articles in the press and journals about Herbal Medicine or related subjects. It is built from many RSS feeds and is updated daily.

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(updated Fri Feb 19 08:00:02 GMT 2010 )

Health News from Medical News Today : Thu, 18 Feb 2010
Traditional Chinese Practitioner Found Guilty Of Medicines Act Offences
A traditional Chinese practitioner today received a two-year conditional discharge at the Old Bailey after pleading guilty to five offences of the Medicines Act 1968. Susan Wu, who worked at the 'Chinese Herbal Medical Centre' in Chelmsford, Essex, prescribed and sold a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Longdan Xie Gan Wan, to a woman who was suffering from a minor skin complaint in 2003. After five years of treatment, the patient has gone on to suffer kidney failure, developed cancer and suffered a heart attack, all of which doctors attribute to the ingestion of the TCM product...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Wed, 17 Feb 2010
Ethnomedicine and ethnobotany of fright, a Caribbean culture-bound psychiatric syndrome
Conclusions: While sufferers are often uncomfortable recalling personal fright experiences, reporting use of medicinal plants is less problematic. Inquiry on fright medical ethnobotany (or phytotherapy) serves as a proxy measurement for fright occurrence. Cross-cultural and ethnopharmacology literature on the medicinal plants suggests probable efficacy in accord with Dominican ethnomedical notions of fright. Further, the cultural salience and beliefs about these medicines may give these medications extra psychoneuroimmune (i.e. mind-body) benefits, or placebo-like effects, for this stress-related folk illness. (Source: Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine) MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Tue, 16 Feb 2010
Laxative activities of Mareya micrantha (Benth.) Mull. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) leaf aqueous extract in rats
Conclusions: The results showed that the aqueous extract of Mareya micrantha has a significant laxative activity and supports its traditional use in herbal medicine. (Source: BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine)

Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine News From Medical News Today : Tue, 9 Feb 2010
Herbal Medicines Can Be Lethal, Pathologist Warns
A University of Adelaide forensic pathologist has sounded a worldwide warning of the potential lethal dangers of herbal medicines if taken in large quantities, injected, or combined with prescription drugs...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Mon, 8 Feb 2010
Acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs for refractory headache: One case report
Content Type Journal ArticleCategory Case ReportDOI 10.1007/s11726-010-0050-7Authors Ji-shan Sun, Shanghai Research Institute of Acupuncture and Meridian Shanghai 200030 P. R. China Journal Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina ScienceOnline ISSN 1993-0399Print ISSN 1672-3597 Journal Volume Volume 8 Journal Issue Volume 8, Number 1 / February, 2010 (Source: Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science) MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Anti-Inflammatory Function of Nodosin via Inhibition of IL-2.
Authors: Li J, Du J, Sun L, Liu J, Quan Z In order to explore the anti-inflammatory effects of Nodosin from Isodon serra, a traditional Chinese herb medicine, mouse T lymphocytes were incubated with Nodosin. In the current study, Nodosin suppressed the overproduction of the T lymphocytes; moreover, cell mitosis cycle was modulated by interfering with DNA replication in G1 stages via inhibition of IL-2 cytokine secretion at the mRNA level by Nodosin. Interestingly, Xylene-induced mouse tumescence model results suggested Nodosin depressed the murine ear-swelling extent and the level of IL-2 in the blood serum. Finally, Nodosin possessed significant anti-inflammatory effects and is a potential candidate for further clinical trial. PMID: 20128050 [PubMed - in process] (Source: The Amer...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Stachydrine, a major constituent of the chinese herb leonurus heterophyllus sweet, ameliorates human umbilical vein endothelial cells injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation.
Authors: Yin J, Zhang ZW, Yu WJ, Liao JY, Luo XG, Shen YJ Stachydrine is a major constituent of Chinese herb leonurus heterophyllus sweet, which is used in clinics to promote blood circulation and dispel blood stasis. Our study aimed to investigate the role of stachydrine in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) injury induced by anoxia-reoxygenation. Cultured HUVECs were divided randomly into control group, anoxia-reoxygenation (A/R) group and 4 A/R+stachydrine groups. HUVECs in the control group were exposed to normoxia for 5 hours, while in all A/R groups, HUVECs underwent 3 hours anoxia followed by 2 hours reoxygenation, and HUVECs in the 4 A/R+stachydrine groups were treated with 10(-8) M, 10(-7) M, 10(-6) M and 10(-5) M (final concentration) of stachydrine respectively....

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Effects of herbal medicinal formulas on suppressing viral replication and modulating immune responses.
This study tests whether these and other Chinese and Western herbal medicinal formulas can modulate the immune functions involving virus-suppression in BALB/c mouse. We first confirmed the extract from Viola yedoensis Makino, but not from Radix Isatidis, the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula Chui-Uren-Chien (CUC), or a Western homeopathic medicinal drink Método Canova, could inhibit the replications of herpes simplex virus-1 and enterovirus 71 in the human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cell line. Subsequently, the same herbal extracts and drink underwent toxicity and immunomodulatory tests on mice of 5-7 weeks old. After 8 weeks of feeding different herbal medicinal formulas, no hepatic or renal toxicity was noted in any tested animal; whereas among the immune function evaluations, o...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Potential Use of Plectranthus amboinicus in the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Plectranthus amboinicus (P. amboinicus) is a folk herb that is used to treat inflammatory diseases or swelling symptoms in Taiwan. We investigated therapeutic efficacy of P. amboinicus in treating Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) using collagen-induced arthritis animal model. Arthritis was induced in Lewis rats by immunization with bovine type II collagen. Serum anti-collagen IgG, IgM and C-reactive protein (CRP) were analyzed. To understand the inflammation condition of treated animals, production of TNF-, IL-6 and IL-1β from peritoneal exudates cells (PEC) were also analyzed. P. amboinicus significantly inhibited the footpad swelling and arthritic symptoms in collagen-induced arthritic rats, while the serum anti-collagen IgM and CRP levels were consistently decreased. The production of pro...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Dietary Supplement Polypharmacy: An Unrecognized Public Health Problem?
Excessive and inappropriate use of medications, or ‘polypharmacy’, has been recognized as a public health problem. In addition, there is growing use of dietary supplements in the United States; however, little is known about the patterns of supplement use. Recent reports in the literature of cases of excessive or inappropriate use of herbal dietary supplements leading to the term ‘polyherbacy’. The clinical vignettes described in this article highlight the need for further research on the nature and extent of multiple and inappropriate dietary supplement use or ‘dietary supplement polypharmacy’. Clinical interviewing and population surveys both address this issue in complementary ways, and provide a further understanding of dietary supplement use pattern...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Anti-inflammatory and Immune-regulatory Effects of Subcutaneous Perillae Fructus Extract Injections on OVA-induced Asthma in Mice
Perillae fructus (perilla seed) is a traditional medicinal herb used to treat bronchial asthma in Oriental medical clinics. ST36 is one of the most widely used acupuncture points, particularly for immune system regulation. Injection of an herbal extract into an acupuncture point (herbal acupuncture) is a therapeutic technique combining both acupuncture and herbal treatment. Perillae fructus extract was injected subcutaneously (Perillae fructus herbal acupuncture; PF-HA) at acupoint ST36 of OVA-induced asthmatic mice. The lung weight, bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF) cell count, the number of CCR3+, CD11b+, CD4+ and CD3e+/CD69+ cells in the lung, and the level of IgE, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 in BALF and serum were then measured. RT-PCR was used to measure the mRNA expression of IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 a...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Thu, 4 Feb 2010
Hochuekkito, a Kampo (traditional Japanese herbal) Medicine, Enhances Mucosal IgA Antibody Response in Mice Immunized with Antigen-entrapped Biodegradable Microparticles
The effect of oral administration of Hochuekkito (HET; Bu-Zhong-Yi-Qi-Tang in Chinese), a traditional Japanese herbal medicine, on mucosal IgA immune response was investigated. To induce the antigen-specific antibodies in mucosal site, ovalbumin (OVA)-entrapped biodegradable microparticles (OVA-microparticles) were used as an antigen. Mice were orally immunized with OVA-microparticles for 3 successive days with intragastric gavage. From 7 days after the onset of immunization, the mice were boosted twice a week with the same antigen for 2 weeks. HET or water alone was orally administered to the mice via the intragastric route from 7 days before to 27 days after the onset of immunization. Although no significant change in total secretory IgA antibody level was observed in intestinal and nasa...

Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine News From Medical News Today : Wed, 3 Feb 2010
Herbal Remedies Linked To Poor Asthma Control
Use of herbal remedies results in poorer quality of life and increased frequency of symptoms in asthma patients, according to a study published this month in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, the scientific journal of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)...

Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine News From Medical News Today : Tue, 2 Feb 2010
Herbal Remedies May Increase Risk Of Dangerous Drug Interactions In Heart Patients
More and more Americans are turning to herbal remedies to help manage chronic conditions or promote general health and wellness. But many of today's popular herbal supplements, including St...

MedWorm: Complementary Medicine : Mon, 1 Feb 2010
[Possibility and necessity of constructing new nanoformula systems of traditional Chinese medicine.]
Authors: Ling CQ, Su YH Abstract: The past decade has witnessed the remarkable progress on nanotechnology and nanoherb. With the globally rapid development of nanotechnology, we are considering to construct new nanoformula systems of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) by using porous materials, multilayered core-shell particles or nanoparticles containing various multifunctional parts. With the compatibility of sovereign, minister, assistant and courier in a formula, new nanoformula systems of TCM will have various advantages, such as containing multiple active species, controlled release, targeting function, and labeling and tracing capabilities. Using the latest breakthroughs of nanotechnology for the modern research of TCM will greatly help enhance the ability to investigate the pri...

Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine News From Medical News Today : Fri, 29 Jan 2010
Ginkgo Herbal Medicines May Increase Seizures In People With Epilepsy
Restrictions should be placed on the use of Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba) - a top-selling herbal remedy - because of growing scientific evidence that Ginkgo may increase the risk of seizures in people with epilepsy and could reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure drugs, a new report concludes. The article appears in ACS' monthly Journal of Natural Products...

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine - Latest Articles : Thu, 31 Dec 2009
Attitude and use of herbal medicines among pregnant women in Nigeria
Background: The use of herbal medicines among pregnant women in Nigeria has not been widely studied. Methods: Opinion of 595 pregnant women in three geopolitical zones in Nigeria on the use of herbal medicines, safety on usage, knowledge of potential effects of herbal remedies on the fetus and potential benefits or harms that may be derived from combining herbal remedies with conventional therapies were obtained using a structured questionnaire between September 2007 and March 2008. Descriptive statistics and Fisher's exact tests were used at 95% confidence level to evaluate the data obtained. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: More than two-third of respondents [67.5%] had used herbal medicines in crude forms or as pharmaceutical prepackaged dosage forms, with 74.3% preferring self-prepared formulations. Almost 30% who were using herbal medicine at the time of the study believed that the use of herbal medicines during pregnancy is safe. Respondents' reasons for taking...

#News from PrNewsNow Publicly Released News Now : (no datestamp)
Vascure Natural LLC Introduces a New AllInOne Heart HealthSupplement
Vascure Natural LLC http://www.VascureNatural.com today announced the introduction of it8217s new combination cardiovascular herbal supplement capsule that makes it easier and less expensive for people to support a healthy heart. The Vascure NaturalTM AllInOne Heart Health Supplement capsule is simpler in that just one accomplishes what it currently takes three capsules to do. 8220Each Vascure NaturalTM...

PRWeb: Health Alternative Medicine : (no datestamp)
A Japanese Herbal Detox Tea Better than Green Tea
Introduction of a new Japanese herbal detox tea called Ten Chi Cha, which has several health benefits such as colon cleansing (PRWeb Feb 9, 2010) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/02/prweb3573464.htm