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The Lancet. Infectious Diseases Oct 2015Human sparganosis is a food borne zoonosis caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra. Human infections... (Review)
Review
Human sparganosis is a food borne zoonosis caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra. Human infections are acquired by ingesting the raw or undercooked meat of snakes or frogs, drinking untreated water, or using raw flesh in traditional poultices. More than 1600 cases of sparganosis have been documented worldwide, mostly in east and southeast Asia. Sporadic cases have been reported in South America, Europe, and Africa, and several cases have been described in travellers returning from endemic regions. Epidemiological data suggest that the increased effect of sparganosis on human health is because of greater consumption of raw meat of freshwater frogs and snakes. This Review provides information about the Spirometra parasites and their lifecycles, summarises clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of human sparganosis, and describes geographical distribution and infection characteristics of Spirometra parasites in host animals.
Topics: Africa; Animals; Asia, Southeastern; Europe; Foodborne Diseases; Humans; Neglected Diseases; South America; Sparganosis; Sparganum; Spirometra; Topography, Medical; Travel; Zoonoses
PubMed: 26364132
DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(15)00133-4 -
Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin 2019The poultice formulation is a patch containing a large amount of water. It is known that the water contained in the adhesive polymer layer (ADPL) of poultice affects the...
Evaluation of the Water Content and Skin Permeability of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients in Ketoprofen Poultice Formulations Removed from Their Airtight Containers and Left at Room Temperature.
The poultice formulation is a patch containing a large amount of water. It is known that the water contained in the adhesive polymer layer (ADPL) of poultice affects the cooling sensation and skin permeability of the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). In this study, we evaluated the relationship between the water content in a ketoprofen poultice formulation and the amount of time the poultice was left out at room temperature after removal from the airtight container, as well as the influence of the decreasing water content on the skin permeability of the API. After removing the poultice from the container for 1 h, the mass of the ADPL decreased by approximately 40%. When the near-infrared (NIR) spectrum of the ADPL of poultice was measured, the peaks reflecting the hydroxyl group were attenuated depending on the time left out at room temperature. It is suggested that the changes in the mass and NIR spectrum of the ADPL are caused by the change in the water content. Moreover, when the permeability of API was evaluated on hairless mouse skin, the cumulative skin permeation amount and flux decreased, while the lag time was prolonged as the time left out increased. These results suggest that the skin permeability of the API is impaired by water evaporation and that maintaining the water in the ADPL in poultice is very important from not only the viewpoint of cooling sensation, tackiness and moisturizing but also the skin permeability of the API.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Drug Stability; Drug Storage; In Vitro Techniques; Ketoprofen; Mice, Hairless; Permeability; Skin; Skin Absorption; Temperature; Transdermal Patch; Water
PubMed: 31787725
DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b19-00758 -
Infectious Disorders Drug Targets 2021Human skin is considered as the first line of defense and barrier against the majority of infections caused through the skin that affect humans. Healthy skin promotes a... (Review)
Review
Human skin is considered as the first line of defense and barrier against the majority of infections caused through the skin that affect humans. Healthy skin promotes a healthy body that can be achieved with the usage of modern, allopathic and natural remedies. Major skin ailments affecting humans are skin cancers, eczema, herpes infection, fungal infection, anti-aging, itching, insect bites, pemphigus vulgaris, trauma, psoriasis, athlete's foot infections, rashes, skin pigmentation, acne, major and minor wound infections that are slowly becoming a burden on health care. Skin infections can be treated from sources that originate from animals and plants. In spite of advancements in science and technology, the emergence of natural herbal remedies for managing skin disorders has become a pivotal and essential contributor in treating skin infections due to increased demand for herbals and their lower price, and continuous adverse effects of modern medicines. In the recent era, herbal extracts and their phytomedicines have made a vital contribution to human health care. Herbal products nowadays are considered as a single line of treatment for many diseases like Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular and Brain disorders, thereby creating awareness regarding purity, efficacy and safety of herbal medicines for health care management. Many therapeutically active natural herbal resources like Aloe, Neem, Liquorice, Tulsi, Amla, Papaya, Ginger and Eucalyptus are potent and safe in the treatment of dermatological infections. This review article summarizes the significance of herbal plants for protecting, treating and minimizing skin infections through the utility of herbal pharmaceuticals like creams, decocted extracts, poultice, paste and lotions that aid in the treatment of skin infections and diseases at a relatively lower cost with lesser side effects as compared to modern and allopathic medicines.
Topics: Animals; Delivery of Health Care; Humans; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Skin Diseases
PubMed: 32568024
DOI: 10.2174/1871526520666200622142710 -
The Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology Apr 2016Tabernaemontana is a genus from the plant family, Apocynaceae with vast medicinal application and widespread distribution in the tropics and subtropics of Africa,... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
Tabernaemontana is a genus from the plant family, Apocynaceae with vast medicinal application and widespread distribution in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Americas and Asia. The objective of this study is to critically evaluate the ethnobotany, medicinal uses, pharmacology and phytochemistry of the species, Tabernaemontana corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.) and provide information on the potential future application of alkaloids isolated from different parts of the plant.
KEY FINDINGS
T. corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.) parts are used as poultice, boiled juice, decoctions and infusions for treatment against ulceration, fracture, post-natal recovery, syphilis, fever, tumours and orchitis in Malaysia, China, Thailand and Bangladesh. Studies recorded alkaloids as the predominant phytochemicals in addition to phenols, saponins and sterols with vast bioactivities such as antimicrobial, analgesic, anthelmintic, vasorelaxation, antiviral and cytotoxicity.
SUMMARY
An evaluation of scientific data and traditional medicine revealed the medicinal uses of different parts of T. corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.) across Asia. Future studies exploring the structure-bioactivity relationship of alkaloids such as jerantinine and vincamajicine among others could potentially improve the future application towards reversing anticancer drug resistance.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Ethnobotany; Humans; Neoplasms; Phytochemicals; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Tabernaemontana; Vincristine
PubMed: 26887962
DOI: 10.1111/jphp.12523