-
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Nov 2014Background Garlic is alleged to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties that relieve the common cold, among other beneficial effects. There is widespread usage of... (Review)
Review
Background Garlic is alleged to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties that relieve the common cold, among other beneficial effects. There is widespread usage of garlic supplements. The common cold is associated with significant morbidity and economic consequences. On average, children have six to eight colds per year and adults have two to four.Objectives To determine whether garlic (Allium sativum) is effective for the prevention or treatment of the common cold, when compared to placebo, no treatment or other treatments.Search methods We searched CENTRAL (2014, Issue 7),OLDMEDLINE (1950 to 1965),MEDLINE (January 1966 to July week 5, 2014), EMBASE(1974 to August 2014) and AMED (1985 to August 2014).Selection criteria Randomised controlled trials of common cold prevention and treatment comparing garlic with placebo, no treatment or standard treatment.Data collection and analysis Two review authors independently reviewed and selected trials from searches, assessed and rated study quality and extracted relevant data.Main results In this updated review, we identified eight trials as potentially relevant from our searches. Again, only one trial met the inclusion criteria.This trial randomly assigned 146 participants to either a garlic supplement (with 180 mg of allicin content) or a placebo (once daily)for 12 weeks. The trial reported 24 occurrences of the common cold in the garlic intervention group compared with 65 in the placebo group (P value < 0.001), resulting in fewer days of illness in the garlic group compared with the placebo group (111 versus 366). The number of days to recovery from an occurrence of the common cold was similar in both groups (4.63 versus 5.63). Only one trial met the inclusion criteria, therefore limited conclusions can be drawn. The trial relied on self reported episodes of the common cold but was of reasonable quality in terms of randomisation and allocation concealment. Adverse effects included rash and odour. Authors' conclusions There is insufficient clinical trial evidence regarding the effects of garlic in preventing or treating the common cold. A single trial suggested that garlic may prevent occurrences of the common cold but more studies are needed to validate this finding. Claims of effectiveness appear to rely largely on poor-quality evidence.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; Common Cold; Disulfides; Exanthema; Garlic; Humans; Odorants; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sulfinic Acids
PubMed: 25386977
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006206.pub4 -
Nutrients Dec 2023Withania somnifera (WS), a popular medicinal plant of the Solanaceae family, contains active ingredients with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Withania somnifera (WS), a popular medicinal plant of the Solanaceae family, contains active ingredients with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anti-stress activities. However, its precise mechanisms of action and optimal use as a supplement are not yet fully understood. The objective of this systematic review is to assess the impact of WS supplementation on cortisol levels in stressed humans by analyzing clinical trials conducted prior to May 2023.
METHODS
The assessment was carried out following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) by exploring the databases of EMBASE, PubMed, Google Scholar, CENTRAL, and Scopus.
RESULTS
Of the 4788 articles identified, only 9 studies met the selection criteria. The selected studies varied in terms of design, results, formulations, dosages, and treatment duration (30-112 days), and involved subjects with varying degrees of stress. WS supplementation decreases cortisol secretion with no significant adverse effects. Nonetheless, none of the studies evaluated the potential impact of cortisol reduction on adrenal function and long-term effects.
CONCLUSIONS
Brief-term supplementation with WS appears to have a stress-reducing effect in stressed individuals. However, since the long-term effects of WS supplementation are not yet fully understood, WS supplements should be used under medical supervision.
Topics: Humans; Plant Extracts; Withania; Hydrocortisone; Plants, Medicinal; Antioxidants
PubMed: 38140274
DOI: 10.3390/nu15245015 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... May 2018Acute sinusitis is a common reason for primary care encounters. It causes significant symptoms including facial pain, congested nose, headache, thick nasal mucus, fever,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Acute sinusitis is a common reason for primary care encounters. It causes significant symptoms including facial pain, congested nose, headache, thick nasal mucus, fever, and cough and often results in time off work or school. Sinusitis treatment focuses on eliminating causative factors and controlling the inflammatory and infectious components. The frozen, dried, natural fluid extract of the Cyclamen europaeum plant delivered intranasally is thought to have beneficial effects in relieving congestion by facilitating nasal drainage, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness of topical intranasal Cyclamen europaeum extract on clinical response in adults and children with acute sinusitis.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched CENTRAL, which includes the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group's Specialised Register, MEDLINE, Embase, and trials registers (ClinicalTrials.gov; WHO ICTRP) in January 2018. We also searched the reference lists of included studies and review literature for further relevant studies and contacted trial authors for additional information.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised controlled trials comparing Cyclamen europaeum extract administered intranasally to placebo, antibiotics, intranasal corticosteroids, or no treatment in adults or children, or both, with acute sinusitis. Acute sinusitis was defined by clinical diagnosis and confirmed by nasal endoscopy or by radiological evidence.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently extracted data and assessed trial quality. We used standard methodological procedures expected by Cochrane.
MAIN RESULTS
We included two randomised controlled trials that involved a total of 147 adult outpatients with acute sinusitis confirmed by radiology or nasal endoscopy who were assigned to Cyclamen europaeum nasal spray or placebo study arms for up to 15 days. The risk of selection and detection bias was unclear, as allocation concealment and blinding of outcome assessors were not reported in either study. Attrition was high (60%) in one study, although dropouts were balanced between study arms.Neither study reported our two primary outcomes: proportion of participants whose symptoms resolved or improved at 14 days and 30 days. No serious adverse events or complications related to treatment were reported; however, more mild adverse events such as nasal and throat irritation, mild epistaxis, and sneezing occurred in Cyclamen europaeum group participants (50%) compared to placebo group participants (24%) (risk ratio 2.11, 95% confidence interval 1.35 to 3.29); moderate-quality evidence.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
The effectiveness of Cyclamen europaeum for people with acute sinusitis is unknown. Although no serious side effects were observed, 50% of participants who received Cyclamen europaeum reported adverse events compared with 24% of those who received placebo.
Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cyclamen; Humans; Nasal Polyps; Plant Extracts; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Rhinitis; Sinusitis
PubMed: 29750825
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011341.pub2 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Sep 2017Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a lethal, chronic and progressive respiratory disease leading to interstitial lung damage and serious breathing problems. The pathogenic... (Review)
Review
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a lethal, chronic and progressive respiratory disease leading to interstitial lung damage and serious breathing problems. The pathogenic mechanism involves activation, migration, proliferation and differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblats inducing extracellular matrix accumulation that destroy lung parenchyma. Available antifibrotic treatment options are limited to Pirfenidone and Nintedanib that prevent deterioration without an improvement of this disease. The use of plant extracts and natural bioactive compounds for the treatment of PF has been known for more than thirty years in China. Nowadays, phytotherapy has gained a considerable attention in the treatment of PF both in vivo and in vitro using bleomycin (BLM)-induced lung inflammation, oxidative stress and pulmonary fibrosis in rats. In this review, we aimed to focus on the protective effects and the mechanisms of action of several plant extracts described by various research works for the treatment of PF.
Topics: Animals; Fibroblasts; Humans; Oxidative Stress; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Pneumonia; Pulmonary Fibrosis
PubMed: 28688290
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2017.06.052 -
Phytotherapy Research : PTR Oct 2015Botanical and cosmeceutical therapies are commonly used to treat symptoms of rosacea such as facial erythema, papules/pustule counts, and telangiectasia. These products... (Review)
Review
Botanical and cosmeceutical therapies are commonly used to treat symptoms of rosacea such as facial erythema, papules/pustule counts, and telangiectasia. These products may contain plant extracts, phytochemicals, and herbal formulations. The objective of this study was to review clinical studies evaluating the use of botanical agents for the treatment of rosacea. MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for clinical studies evaluating botanical therapies for rosacea. Major results were summarized, and study methodology was analyzed. Several botanical therapies may be promising for rosacea symptoms, but few studies are methodologically rigorous. Several plant extract and phytochemicals effectively improved facial erythema and papule/pustule counts caused by rosacea. Many studies are not methodologically rigorous. Further research is critical, as many botanicals have been evaluated in only one study. Botanical agents may reduce facial erythema and effectively improve papule/pustule counts associated with rosacea. Although promising, further research in the area is imperative.
Topics: Erythema; Phytochemicals; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Rosacea
PubMed: 26272329
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.5432 -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology Jun 2023Dendrobium is a kind of medicine food homology plant. Dendrobium has long been used to strengthen "Yin" and tonify five viscera. (Review)
Review
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Dendrobium is a kind of medicine food homology plant. Dendrobium has long been used to strengthen "Yin" and tonify five viscera.
AIM OF THIS REVIEW
This paper presents a systematic review of the folk usage, chemical composition and pharmacological activity of Dendrobium, aiming to provide a reference for subsequent in-depth understanding and better exploitation of health food, medicine, and natural products.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Available information about the genus Dendrobium was collected via Web of Science, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, APA-Psy Articles, Google Scholar, Connected Papers, Springer Search, and KNCI. The keywords for this article are Dendrobium, traditional use, chemical diversity and pharmacological activity. Use the "Dictionary of Chinese Ethnic Medicine" to provide 23 kinds of Dendrobium with medicinal value, the Latin name of Dendrobium is verified by the Flora of China (www.iplant.cn), and its species distribution and related information are collected.
RESULTS
There are 78 species of Dendrobium in China, 14 of which are endemic to China. At present, 450 compounds including sesquiterpenoids, lignans compounds, phenolic compounds, phenanthrene compounds, bibenzyls, polysaccharides and flavonoids have been isolated and identified from at least 50 species of Dendrobium. Among them, bibenzyls and polysaccharides are the main active components, phenolics and lignans are widely distributed, sesquiterpenes are the most common chemical constituents in genus Dendrobium plants. The most popular research objects are Dendrobium officinale and Dendrobium huoshanense.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on traditional folk uses, chemical composition and pharmacological studies, Dendrobium is considered a promising medicinal and edible plant with multiple pharmacological activities. In addition, a large number of clinical applications and further studies on single chemical components based on the diversity of chemical structures should be conducted, which will lay the foundation for the scientific utilization of genus Dendrobium.
Topics: Dendrobium; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Lignans; Ethnopharmacology
PubMed: 36948262
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2023.116382 -
Journal of the American Heart... Dec 2023Cardiovascular calcification, characterized by deposition of calcium phosphate in the arterial wall and heart valves, is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and...
BACKGROUND
Cardiovascular calcification, characterized by deposition of calcium phosphate in the arterial wall and heart valves, is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality and is commonly seen in aging, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. Whether evidence-based interventions could significantly attenuate cardiovascular calcification progression remains uncertain.
METHODS AND RESULTS
We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials involving interventions, compared with placebo, another comparator, or standard of care, to attenuate cardiovascular calcification. Included clinical trials involved participants without chronic kidney disease, and the outcome was cardiovascular calcification measured using radiological methods. Quality of evidence was determined by the Cochrane risk of bias and Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations assessment. Forty-nine randomized controlled trials involving 9901 participants (median participants 104, median duration 12 months) were eligible for inclusion. Trials involving aged garlic extract (n=6 studies) consistently showed attenuation of cardiovascular calcification. Trials involving 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (n=14), other lipid-lowering agents (n=2), hormone replacement therapies (n=3), vitamin K (n=5), lifestyle measures (n=4), and omega-3 fatty acids (n=2) consistently showed no attenuation of cardiovascular calcification with these therapies. Trials involving antiresorptive (n=2), antihypertensive (n=2), antithrombotic (n=4), and hypoglycemic agents (n=3) showed mixed results. Singleton studies involving salsalate, folate with vitamin B6 and 12, and dalcetrapib showed no attenuation of cardiovascular calcification. Overall, Cochrane risk of bias was moderate, and the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations assessment for a majority of analyses was moderate certainty of evidence.
CONCLUSIONS
Currently, there are insufficient or conflicting data for interventions evaluated in clinical trials for mitigation of cardiovascular calcification. Therapy involving aged garlic extract appears most promising, but evaluable studies were small and of short duration.
Topics: Humans; Antioxidants; Diabetes Mellitus; Disease Progression; Hypoglycemic Agents; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic; Vascular Calcification; Garlic; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 38014685
DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.123.031676 -
Food & Function Feb 2023Mulberry leaf (ML) and mulberry leaf extract (MLE) have numerous biological properties, such as regulating sugar and lipid metabolism, reducing blood glucose, and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Mulberry leaf (ML) and mulberry leaf extract (MLE) have numerous biological properties, such as regulating sugar and lipid metabolism, reducing blood glucose, and increasing insulin secretion. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to examine the effect of ML/MLE supplementation on glycemic traits in adults, including fasting blood glucose (FBG), glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and fasting plasma insulin (FPI). Twelve clinical trials (615 participants) fulfilled the eligibility criteria for the present meta-analysis, which included sensitivity analysis and GRADE (grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation) certainty. Based on the heterogeneity between included studies, a random effects model was applied in the meta-analysis, and the results are expressed as WMD (weighted mean differences) with 95% CI (confidence intervals). Meta-analysis showed that ML/MLE supplementation resulted in a significant reduction in FBG by -0.47 mmol L, HbA1c by -2.92 mmol mol, and FPI by -0.58 μIU mL. In addition, subgroup analysis indicated that long-term supplementation of ML/MLE (≥8 weeks) was more effective for regulation of the glycemic traits in the non-healthy and baseline FPG >6.1 mmol L subgroups. Glycemic regulation by ML/MLE may be attributed to the phytochemicals they contain, which are mainly 1-deoxynojirimycin, flavonoids, phenolics, and polysaccharides.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Blood Glucose; Glycated Hemoglobin; Morus; Fruit; Plant Extracts; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
PubMed: 36644880
DOI: 10.1039/d2fo02645g -
The Science of the Total Environment Aug 2022Green nanoparticles (GNPs), mainly green silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), have been recommended as sustainable and eco-friendly technologies to control vectors and... (Review)
Review
Green nanoparticles (GNPs), mainly green silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs), have been recommended as sustainable and eco-friendly technologies to control vectors and intermediate hosts. The aim of the current study is to carry out a historical and systematic literature review about the use of green plant-based Ag NPs (GP-Ag NPs) to control medically important mosquito, tick and gastropods. Data about the number of studies published per year, geographical distribution of studies (mailing address of the corresponding author), synthesis type (plant species, plant structure and extract types), physicochemical properties of GP-Ag NPs, experimental designs, developmental stages and the toxic effects on mosquitoes, ticks and gastropods were summarized and discussed. Revised data showed that GP-Ag NPs synthesis and toxicity in mosquitoes, ticks and snails depend on plant species, plant part, extract types, exposure condition and on the analyzed species. GP-Ag NPs induced mortality, tissue damage, biochemical and behavioral changes in mosquitoes and reduced their fecundity, oviposition, egg hatching and longevity. Ticks exposed to GP-Ag NPs presented increased mortality and reduced oviposition, while on snails, studies demonstrated mortality, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Immune responses were also observed in snails after their exposure to GP-Ag NPs. GP-Ag NPs reduced the reproduction and population of several vectors and intermediate hosts. This finding confirms their potential to be used in gastropod control programs. Future studies about current gaps in knowledge are recommended.
Topics: Animals; Culicidae; Female; Metal Nanoparticles; Mosquito Vectors; Plant Extracts; Plants; Silver; Ticks
PubMed: 35439509
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155299 -
Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine Aug 2023Metallic nanoparticles from different natural sources exhibit superior therapeutic options as compared to the conventional methods. species have attracted special... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Metallic nanoparticles from different natural sources exhibit superior therapeutic options as compared to the conventional methods. species have attracted special attention of researchers worldwide due to the presence of bioactive molecules such as flavonoids, biflavonoids, triterpenes, steroids, saponins, tannins and other secondary metabolites that exhibit antimicrobial, antiplasmodial, anticancer and anti-inflammatory activities. Environment friendly green synthesised silver nanoparticles from species provide viable, safe and efficient treatment against different fungal pathogens.
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review aims to summarise the literature pertaining to superior antifungal ability of green synthesised silver nanoparticles using plant extracts of spp. in comparison to both aqueous and ethanolic raw plant extracts by electronically collecting articles from databases.
METHODS
The recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis were taken into consideration while preparing this review. The titles and abstracts of the collected data were stored in Endnote20 based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The search strategy included literature from established sources like PubMed, Google Scholar and Retrieval System Online using subject descriptors.
RESULTS
The search yielded 60 articles with unique hits. After removal of duplications, 46 articles were identified, 40 were assessed and only seven articles were chosen and included in this review based on our eligibility criteria.
CONCLUSION
The physicochemical and preliminary phytochemical investigations of suggest higher drug potency of nanoparticles synthesised from plant extract against different diseases as compared to aqueous and ethanolic plant extracts. The study holds great promise as the synthesis of nanoparticles involves low energy consumption, minimal technology and least toxic effects.
Topics: Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Selaginellaceae; Silver; Anti-Infective Agents; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 37534437
DOI: 10.1017/erm.2023.21