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Biomolecules Jun 2022The pathologies produced by fungi in the oral cavity in recent decades have become a health problem, with factors such as an imbalance of the local microbiota being the... (Review)
Review
The pathologies produced by fungi in the oral cavity in recent decades have become a health problem, with factors such as an imbalance of the local microbiota being the cause for their propagation. Conventional antifungal treatments, instead of being beneficial, have generated alterations that have led to antifungal resistance. The aim of this study was to investigate and describe phytotherapy resources as a possible solution to oral antifungal resistance. A bibliographic search was carried out on platforms such as PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Google scholar. A total of 248 scientific articles were obtained, of which 108 met the inclusion criteria. Microorganisms of fungal origin currently show resistance to the different antifungals of conventional use, which is undoubtedly altering the oral health of human beings, but there are new therapeutic possibilities such as the active principles of various natural species.
Topics: Antifungal Agents; Drug Resistance, Fungal; Fungi; Humans; Phytotherapy
PubMed: 35740914
DOI: 10.3390/biom12060789 -
Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi... Dec 2023Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, presents a complex and challenging clinical scenario characterized by chronic... (Review)
Review
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), encompassing Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, presents a complex and challenging clinical scenario characterized by chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Traditional herbal medicine has garnered increasing interest as a potential adjunctive or alternative therapy for IBD, owing to its perceived efficacy, safety profile, and holistic approach to health. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current landscape of herbal interventions for IBD, addressing scientific, regulatory, clinical, and patient-related considerations. Scientifically, the exploration of herbal interventions faces challenges related to the complexity of herbal formulations, standardization, and quality control. Regulatory hurdles encompass stringent requirements for safety, efficacy, and quality standards, necessitating adherence to robust preclinical and clinical protocols. Clinically, the heterogeneity of the patient population, potential interactions with conventional therapies, and patient preferences pose challenges in the integration of herbal interventions into clinical practice.
Topics: Humans; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Phytotherapy
PubMed: 38716509
DOI: 10.62958/j.cjap.2023.003 -
Acta Odontologica Latinoamericana : AOL Dec 2023Herbal medicine is widely used as an integrative complementary treatment for common chronic diseases, yet potential risks include adverse effects and coprescription.
UNLABELLED
Herbal medicine is widely used as an integrative complementary treatment for common chronic diseases, yet potential risks include adverse effects and coprescription.
AIM
This exploratory survey assessed Brazilian dentists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding phytotherapy.
MATERIAL AND METHOD
This study used a consecutive sample of registered dentists who were active in clinical practice and attending advanced training for complex oral rehabilitation at a leading dental school in Latin America. Participants responded to a semi-structured 38-item instrument designed to collect data on sociodemographic, professional and health variables, and on their knowledge, use, prescription and opinions of phytotherapy. Quantitative data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were described and analyzed with a thematic approach.
RESULTS
A total 53 dentists responded the survey (88.3% response rate). Six dentists reported formal education in phytotherapy and 33 had informal knowledge. Twenty-one dentists (39.6%) reported using herbal medicine, and 17 (32.1%) prescribed phytotherapy to their patients, mostly traditional medicinal plants. A logistic regression model showed that post-graduate degree and personal use of phytotherapy were associated with phytotherapy prescription. Opinions on how to improve the rational use of phytotherapy included the need for research evidence, specific academic education, and knowledge dissemination to clinicians. As a clinical recommendation, it was proposed that questions on herbal medicine should be asked during the dental patient's anamnesis.
CONCLUSIONS
Dentists with post-graduate degrees and personal use of phytotherapy prescribe herbal medicines for their patients in real-world clinics, regardless of formal education on the subject. Qualitative findings indicate the need to implement scientific initiatives.
Topics: Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dentists; Professional Role; Phytotherapy; Delivery of Health Care; Plants, Medicinal; Surveys and Questionnaires; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
PubMed: 38345275
DOI: 10.54589/aol.36/3/140 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Nov 2021The study of diabetes mellitus (DM) patterns illustrates increasingly important facts. Most importantly, they include oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular death.... (Review)
Review
The study of diabetes mellitus (DM) patterns illustrates increasingly important facts. Most importantly, they include oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular death. Up to now, there is a shortage of drug therapies for DM, and the discovery and the development of novel therapeutics for this disease are crucial. Medicinal plants are being used more and more as an alternative and natural cure for the disease. Consequently, the objective of this review was to examine the latest results on the effectiveness and protection of natural plants in the management of DM as adjuvant drugs for diabetes and its complex concomitant diseases.
Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus; Humans; Hypoglycemic Agents; Insulin; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 34833928
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26226836 -
Journal of Ethnopharmacology Apr 2021Egyptian plants are a rich source of natural molecules, representing considerable biodiversity due to climate variations between the Northern, Southern, Eastern and... (Review)
Review
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE
Egyptian plants are a rich source of natural molecules, representing considerable biodiversity due to climate variations between the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Western regions of the country. Sinai is considered a precious nature reserves preserving flora, fauna, marine organisms, and historical habitats with ancient origins. Here, traditional medicinal approaches have been used for hundreds of years. Healthy lifestyles, low levels of stress and microbial infections, and a dependence on flora and herbal medicine might in combination explain why the burden of cancer is lower in some regions than in others.
AIM OF THE STUDY
The primary aim of this review is to document the plants and natural products that are used as foods and medicines in Egypt, in general, and in Sinai, in particular, with a focus on those with demonstrated anticancer activities. The documented traditional uses of these plants are described, together with their chemical and pharmacological activities and the reported outcomes of clinical trials against cancer.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A literature search was performed to identify texts describing the medicinal plants that are cultivated and grown in Egypt, including information found in textbooks, published articles, the plant list website (http://www.theplantlist.org/), the medicinal plant names services website (http://mpns.kew.org/mpns-portal/), and web databases (PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
We collected data for most of the plants cultivated or grown in Egypt that have been previously investigated for anticancer effects and reported their identified bioactive elements. Several plant species, belonging to different families and associated with 67 bioactive compounds, were investigated as potential anticancer agents (in vitro studies). The most potent cytotoxic activities were identified for the families Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Apocynaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Gramineae, and Liliaceae. The anticancer activities of some species, such as Punica granatum L., Nerium oleander L., Olea europea L., Matricaria chamomilla L., Cassia acutifolia L., Nigella sativa L., Capsicum frutescens L., Withania somnifera L., and Zingiber officinale Roscoe, have been examined in clinical trials. Among the various Egyptian plant habitats, we found that most of these plants are grown in the North Sinai, New-Delta, and Giza Governorates.
CONCLUSION
In this review, we highlight the role played by Egyptian flora in current medicinal therapies and the possibility that these plants may be examined in further studies for the development of anticancer drugs. These bioactive plant extracts form the basis for the isolation of phytochemicals with demonstrated anticancer activities. Some active components derived from these plants have been applied to preclinical and clinical settings, including resveratrol, quercetin, isoquercetin, and rutin.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Biological Products; Egypt; Humans; Neoplasms; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 33248183
DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2020.113626 -
Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy =... Oct 2019As technologies used to study the gut microbiota have improved, the relationship between the gut microbiota and health has become increasingly obvious. Herbal medicines... (Review)
Review
As technologies used to study the gut microbiota have improved, the relationship between the gut microbiota and health has become increasingly obvious. Herbal medicines have been used for thousands of years, and are known to be "simple, convenient, cheap, and effective". However, due to many factors, such as their complex composition, unclear active compounds, and poor knowledge of their underlying mechanisms, the clinical applications of herbal medicines are not widely recognized. Recently, there have been an increasing number of studies which have investigated the interaction between the gut microbiota and herbal medicines. We have found that interactions between the gut microbiota and herbal medicines occur primarily through two pathways. One pathway is that the gut microbiota "digests" the herbal medicines into absorbable active small molecules, which enter the body and induce physiological changes. The other is that herbal medicines regulate the composition of the gut microbiota and its secretions, thereby changed gut microbiota and its secretions inducing physiological changes. In summary, the interactions between the gut microbiota and herbal medicines can be attributed to absorbable active small molecules and changed gut microbiota and its secretions. Our findings will aid the exploration of the mechanisms and pathways underlying the function of herbal medicines in the future. This review also summarizes the direction of future research and the main problems faced by the current researchers.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Humans; Phytochemicals; Phytotherapy; Signal Transduction
PubMed: 31545247
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2019.109252 -
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Jun 2023Evidence suggests that menopause can be associated with a variety of negative psychological changes such as depression and anxiety, and improving the mental health... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Evidence suggests that menopause can be associated with a variety of negative psychological changes such as depression and anxiety, and improving the mental health status of women during menopause is one of the important priorities and challenges of the health system. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of saffron (Crocus sativus L., Iridaceae) herbal tea on happiness in postmenopausal women.
METHODS
In this randomized clinical trial which was conducted in 2021, 72 postmenopausal women were enrolled and divided into intervention and control groups. The randomization blocks method was used for random allocation, and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire was utilized to measure the scores. The intervention included the use of 30 mg of dried stigmas of the saffron plant, which was boiled once (in the morning, in 300 ml of boiling water for 10-15 min) and consumed with white rock candy as one cup of saffron tea daily. To compare the trend of changes and after removing the effect of other variables, generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used.
RESULTS
There was no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in any of the quantitative and qualitative characteristics (p > 0.05). The results of paired samples t-test showed that the happiness mean score in the intervention group increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 42.93 ± 8.54 to 61.58 ± 8.24, while in the control group, there was no significant difference between the happiness mean score at the beginning and end of the study (p = 0.861). Also, after applying the treatment program in the intervention group, there was a significant difference between the two groups in terms of the happiness mean scores (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSION
Saffron herbal tea had a positive effect on reducing depression and increasing the happiness score; thus, it is recommended that it should be used as a complementary treatment in consultation with the treating physician.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The present study was registered with the code of IRCT20210403050818N1 (Registration date: 09/04/2021) in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials. It was also approved by the Ethics Committee of Larestan University of Medical Sciences (Approval ID: IR.LARUMS.REC.1399.017).
Topics: Humans; Female; Teas, Herbal; Crocus; Phytotherapy; Postmenopause; Happiness; Iran
PubMed: 37264347
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-023-04014-8 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Apr 2022The worldwide prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases is about 40%, with standard pharmacotherapy being long-lasting and economically challenging. Of the dozens of... (Review)
Review
The worldwide prevalence of gastrointestinal diseases is about 40%, with standard pharmacotherapy being long-lasting and economically challenging. Of the dozens of diseases listed by the Rome IV Foundation criteria, for five of them (heartburn, dyspepsia, nausea and vomiting disorder, constipation, and diarrhoea), treatment with herbals is an official alternative, legislatively supported by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). However, for most plants, the Directive does not require a description of the mechanisms of action, which should be related to the therapeutic effect of the European plant in question. This review article, therefore, summarizes the basic pharmacological knowledge of synthetic drugs used in selected functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and correlates them with the constituents of medicinal plants. Therefore, the information presented here is intended as a starting point to support the claim that both empirical folk medicine and current and decades-old treatments with official herbal remedies have a rational basis in modern pharmacology.
Topics: Constipation; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Medicine, Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 35566230
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27092881 -
Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical... May 2023Plant remedies are often used next to conventional standard of care by cancer patients. However, user rates are often underestimated and physicians usually feel not... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
Plant remedies are often used next to conventional standard of care by cancer patients. However, user rates are often underestimated and physicians usually feel not equipped to counsel patients. Hence, routinely recording the use of phytotherapy and sufficient knowledge on herbal medicine of the medical staff are required to improve the situation. Appraising the current state of knowledge of medical students may offer insight if education on herbals needs improvement. Here, we propose a simple anamnesis tool to assess knowledge and usage pattern of medical plants and demonstrate how to extrapolate symptom cluster participants associated with plants investigated in this study focussing on the common symptom of oral discomfort.
METHODS
By screening German literature (popular science, specialist's literature, books for the interested layman) on medical plants used for treating oral discomfort, we were able to deviate a list of plants most often recommended for treating oral discomfort and to develop an anamnesis tool to assess knowledge and usage of 16 different plants. A group of 120 head-neck cancer patients (under surveillance, after receiving treatment) and 168 medical students were questioned at a collaborating out-patient clinic and via an online survey, respectively, in 2020. Students were additionally asked to write down indications of the plants they used in daily life. Knowledge and usage pattern were compared between both groups. Primary component analysis and heat-map analysis were used to visualize common and distinguishing features. Network analysis and VENN diagrams were used to extrapolate data of the medical students' cohort.
RESULTS
Head-neck cancer patients and students show similar knowledge. However, students used significantly more plants in daily life than patients (p < 0.001). Overall, the user rate of patients and students were 82.50 and 93.94%, respectively. The top five most commonly known plants were similar in both groups (Marticaria recutita L., Zingiber offinicale ROSCOE, Taraxacum Wigg. Calendula officinalis L.) with the exception of Salvia officinalis L. (patients' cohort) and Carum carvi/Cuminum cyminum L. (students' cohort). Despite this slight difference, usage pattern of the top five most commonly used plants was the same between the groups. Students' indications were compared to indications found in the literature, unmasking several differences between commonly practiced and written knowledge on German phytotherapy. Network analysis revealed, that students associated certain plants with corresponding symptom clusters (e.g., coughing, oral mucositis).
CONCLUSION
The majority of surveyed cancer patients as well as medical students use phytotherapy for treating oral discomfort. Both groups know and use similar plants. However, indications of written folk medicine differ from the lived and practiced tradition.
Topics: Humans; Students, Medical; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Germany; Head and Neck Neoplasms
PubMed: 35870011
DOI: 10.1007/s00432-022-04200-0 -
Archives of Pharmacal Research May 2021Artemisia and its allied species have been employed for conventional medicine in the Northern temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia for the treatments of... (Review)
Review
Artemisia and its allied species have been employed for conventional medicine in the Northern temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia for the treatments of digestive problems, morning sickness, irregular menstrual cycle, typhoid, epilepsy, renal problems, bronchitis malaria, etc. The multidisciplinary use of artemisia species has various other health benefits that are related to its traditional and modern pharmaceutical perspectives. The main objective of this review is to evaluate the traditional, modern, biological as well as pharmacological use of the essential oil and herbal extracts of Artemisia nilagirica, Artemisia parviflora, and other allied species of Artemisia. It also discusses the botanical circulation and its phytochemical constituents viz disaccharides, polysaccharides, glycosides, saponins, terpenoids, flavonoids, and carotenoids. The plants have different biological importance like antiparasitic, antimalarial, antihyperlipidemic, antiasthmatic, antiepileptic, antitubercular, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anxiolytic, antiemetic, antidepressant, anticancer, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, insecticidal, antiviral activities, and also against COVID-19. Toxicological studies showed that the plants at a low dose and short duration are non or low-toxic. In contrast, a high dose at 3 g/kg and for a longer duration can cause toxicity like rapid respiration, neurotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, etc. However, further in-depth studies are needed to determine the medicinal uses, clinical efficacy and safety are crucial next steps.
Topics: Antiviral Agents; Artemisia; Humans; Medicine, Traditional; Phytotherapy; Plant Extracts; Plant Oils; COVID-19 Drug Treatment
PubMed: 33893998
DOI: 10.1007/s12272-021-01328-4