Herbal medicine's hidden risks pose threat to health

Adelaide: The misperception that herbal medicines are 'safe' because they are derived from natural materials and have been in use for thousands of years could see people unknowingly putting their health at risk, say University of Adelaide researchers. In a paper published today in the Medical Journal of Australia, researchers have highlighted a range of issues relating to the preparation of complementary medicines (including herbal products) and their use. The researchers found that some traditional herbal preparations contain toxic chemicals from both animals and plants, as well as heavy metals and pesticides.

St John's Wort can make you sick

Adelaide: St John’s Wort can produce the same adverse reactions as antidepressants, and serious side effects can occur when the two are taken together, according to new University of Adelaide research. In a study published this month in the journal, Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, researchers compared the pattern of spontaneous reported adverse drug reactions to St John’s Wort, a herbal treatment for depression, and fluoxetine, a commonly prescribed antidepressant. They found the adverse reactions were the same for people who took St John’s Wort as it was for those who took fluoxetine.

Mushroom supplement could be one way to tackle obesity

"A mushroom used for centuries in Chinese medicine reduces weight gain in animals," BBC News reports. A supplement from the Ganoderma lucidum mushroom (more commonly known as "reishi") slowed the pace of weight gain by apparently altering bacteria inside the digestive system of mice. In this study, the researchers aimed to see if reishi was effective in preventing obesity. They gave mice different amounts of reishi or placebo and either a normal diet or a high-fat diet for eight weeks. All mice on the high-fat diet gained a lot of weight and body fat, but those given reishi did not gain as much weight or body fat. The reishi supplement did not have an effect on mice fed a normal diet. The supplement appeared to work by improving the number of "good" bacteria in the gut and through reducing inflammation. Some studies have suggested that chronic inflammation and an increased number of "bad" bacteria in the gut are linked to obesity in humans.

Chinese herbal medicine for treating recurrent urinary tract infections in women

Cochrane: Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common problem that can have a serious negative impact on well-being and healthcare costs. Although preventative antibiotics can help reduce numbers of recurrent infections, there are growing concerns about antibiotic resistance, side effects and the lack of long-term benefits from treatment. Consequently, alternative treatments such as Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) are being considered.

Tong-xin-luo capsule for coronary heart disease after percutaneous coronary intervention

Cochrane: What is the efficacy and safety of chinese herbal medicine Tong-xin-luo capsules in preventing cardiovascular events after percutaneous coronary intervention, a procedure involving placing a stent to open up the heart's blood vessels, in patients with coronary heart disease? Coronary heart disease is a major cause of mortality globally. Percutaneous coronary intervention is regarded as a standard treatment for coronary heart disease to improve symptoms of heart-related chest pain. However, a major drawback of percutaneous coronary intervention is the need for a repeat procedure due to symptoms related to recurring narrowing of the heart's blood vessels. Previous studies have indicated that Tong-xin-luo capsule, a Chinese herbal medicine product, might be effective in preventing recurrence of narrowing of a blood vessel after percutaneous coronary intervention.

16th Century book provides recipes for today's health

Canterbury: The School of Health Sciences at the University of Canterbury is conducting ground-breaking research into a Renaissance medico-pharmaceutical text that could hold invaluable recipes for today’s health needs. In painstaking work PhD student Sandra Clair is unlocking a large, 400 year old Materia Medica, is a book of collected knowledge about medicinal plants that have influenced Western herbal medicine. The book is the most comprehensive German language encyclopaedia on plant medicine in the early modern era and reflects a quantified approach to epidemiology and experimentally gained medical knowledge.
“The 16^th century work was written over a period of 36 years at the peak of European plant-based medicine by German pharmacist, physician and botanist Theodorus Jacobus Tabernaemontanus, who systematically recorded the scholarship of physicians and local healers from antiquity to the early modern era,” Clair says.
“He describes more than 3000 medicinal plants and their preparations which represents a much larger therapeutic repertoire than in today’s official international list of medicinal drugs. The author’s scientific approach and systematic arrangement of plant monographs and its comprehensive register of herbal therapeutics and ailments in 10 languages, allows a logical way to navigate the complex information.
“The work’s enduring clinical information is still relevant for contemporary medical herbalism and inspired many modern drug developments such as pain relieving morphine and honey wound dressings.
“Despite the longevity of plant medicine since the dawn of mankind, high use by patients for self-care, and their importance affirmed by the current World Health Organisation’s Traditional Medicine Strategy inquiry into the effectiveness of traditional plant applications is a neglected area of medical research.
“Professionally trained herbal experts are necessary for an interdisciplinary investigation of pre-modern medical text books so that they can be understood for their clinical relevance. My research will contribute to new insights and a platform for testing old recipes. It will highlight historic indications of selected plants over several centuries and further compare them with the latest biomedical research in order to validate the rational of traditional practice.
“Using traditional medical knowledge for therapeutic use or a drug discovery is a fruitful approach. The compounding of the antibiotic substance Penicillin was first recorded by Benedictine monks in the eighth century and the recent recreation of a thousand-year-old medieval remedy for eye infections proved effective against the antibiotic resistant superbug staph infections.
“I have identified a promising Renaissance recipe to treat open injuries. It contains antimicrobial and nerve regenerating ingredients and warrants further investigation. We are not exactly sure yet why the ancient potion is so effective,” Clair says.

Barberry for treatment of pigment-related skin problems

Korea: Chung-An researchers investigated the activities of Berberis vulgaris extract in melanoma cells. They found out that berberine, a barberry plant alkaloid, aids in skin whitening by inhibiting the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme responsible for melanin synthesis. The researchers also demonstrated that berberine is more effective than arbutin in suppressing the production of melanin. “If the effectiveness and safety of berberine is proved through clinical trials, berberine would become one of the best solutions to pigment-related skin problems caused by UV rays“, professor Kim said. The research, sponsored by the Rural Development Administration Korea, was published in the February issue of the International Journal of Molecular Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal devoted to the publication of high quality studies related to the molecular mechanisms of human disease. 

 

Aloe vera

Evaluation of the Nutritional and Metabolic Effects of Aloe vera . Meika Foster, Duncan Hunter, and Samir Samman. 

3.1. INTRODUCTION

Aloe vera has a long history of popular and traditional use. It is used in traditional Indian medicine for constipation, colic, skin diseases, worm infestation, and infections (Heber 2007). It is also used in Trinidad and Tobago for hypertension (Lans 2006) and among Mexican Americans for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM; Coronado et al. 2004). In Chinese medicine, it is often recommended in the treatment of fungal diseases (Heber 2007). In Western society, Aloe vera is one of the few herbal medicines in common usage, and it has found widespread use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries. In the case of health, the therapeutic claims for the topical and oral application of Aloe vera cover a wide range of conditions, but few claims have been the subject of robust clinical investigation. The conditions for which clinical trials of Aloe vera have been conducted include skin conditions, management of burn and wound healing, constipation, DM, and gastrointestinal disorders.