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Phytomedicine : International Journal... Aug 2018Radiotherapy is a mainstay of cancer treatment since decades. Ionizing radiation (IR) is used for destruction of cancer cells and shrinkage of tumors. However, the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Radiotherapy is a mainstay of cancer treatment since decades. Ionizing radiation (IR) is used for destruction of cancer cells and shrinkage of tumors. However, the increase of radioresistance in cancer cells and radiation toxicity to normal tissues are severe concerns. The exposure to radiation generates intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads to DNA damage by lipid peroxidation, removal of thiol groups from cellular and membrane proteins, strand breaks and base alterations.
HYPOTHESIS
Plants have to deal with radiation-induced damage (UV-light of sun, other natural radiation sources). Therefore, it is worth speculating that radioprotective mechanisms have evolved during evolution of life. We hypothesize that natural products from plants may also protect from radiation damage caused as adverse side effects of cancer radiotherapy.
METHODS
The basis of this systematic review, we searched the relevant literature in the PubMed database.
RESULTS
Flavonoids, such as genistein, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, epicatechin, apigenin and silibinin mainly act as antioxidant, free radical scavenging and anti-inflammatory compounds, thus, providing cytoprotection in addition to downregulation of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. Comparable effects have been found in phenylpropanoids, especially caffeic acid phenylethylester, curcumin, thymol and zingerone. Besides, resveratrol and quercetin are the most important cytoprotective polyphenols. Their radioprotective effects are mediated by a wide range of mechanisms mainly leading to direct or indirect reduction of cellular stress. Ascorbic acid is broadly used as antioxidant, but it has also shown activity in reducing cellular damage after irradiation mainly due to its antioxidant capabilities. The metal ion chelator, gallic acid, represents another natural product attenuating cellular damage caused by radiation.
CONCLUSIONS
Some secondary metabolites from plants reveal radioprotective features against cellular damage caused by irradiation. These results warrant further analysis to develop phytochemicals as radioprotectors for clinical use.
Topics: Antioxidants; Ascorbic Acid; Curcumin; DNA Damage; Flavonoids; Humans; Lipid Peroxidation; Neoplasms; Phytochemicals; Plants; Polyphenols; Radiation Injuries; Radiation-Protective Agents; Radiotherapy; Reactive Oxygen Species; Resveratrol; Stilbenes
PubMed: 30166104
DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2017.11.005 -
The American Journal of Chinese Medicine 2018Flavonoid compound scutellarin (Scu) is quite frequently met in the plant kingdom, particularly in the genus Scutellaria (Lamiaceae) and Erigeron (Asteraceae). The... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Flavonoid compound scutellarin (Scu) is quite frequently met in the plant kingdom, particularly in the genus Scutellaria (Lamiaceae) and Erigeron (Asteraceae). The extract of the herb of Erigeron breviscapus, containing this component in high amount, has been used for many years in traditional Chinese medicine. In recent years, studies have made great progress on the usefulness of Scu for treating various diseases by testing its mechanism of action. They support the traditional use of Scu rich plant in heart and cerebral ischemia. Scu can potentially be applied in Alzheimer's disease, Helicobacter pylori infection, vascular complications of diabetes and as an inhibitor of certain carcinomas. Various methods were designed to improve its isolation from plant material, solubility, absorption and bioavailability. On the basis of recent studies, it is suggested that Scu could be a promising candidate for new natural drug and deserves particular attention in further research and development.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Apigenin; Brain Ischemia; Databases, Bibliographic; Diabetic Angiopathies; Erigeron; Gastritis; Glucuronates; Helicobacter Infections; Helicobacter pylori; Humans; Myocardial Ischemia; Phytotherapy; Scutellaria
PubMed: 29433387
DOI: 10.1142/S0192415X18500167 -
Journal of Complementary & Integrative... Oct 2017Background Fertility and infertility problems are among the complex issues in medicine. The use of herbal products in the treatment of fertility has been considered as... (Review)
Review
Background Fertility and infertility problems are among the complex issues in medicine. The use of herbal products in the treatment of fertility has been considered as an alternative to synthetic drugs. Celery containing known compounds can have an impact on the fertility rate. The aim of this study was to do a systematic review on conducted studies in conjunction with the celery and reproduction. Methods Required papers were searched from databases like Science direct, PubMed, Scopus, and Springer. Keywords used in this study were "Apium graveolens L.", "fertility", "reproductive system", "sperm", "testis", "delivery", "sexual hormone", "LH", "FSH", "testosterone", "semen", "male", and "female". Out of 238 collected articles (published in the period 1995 to 2015), 222 were excluded due to non-relevance and lack of access to the original article. Results The notable points were the different results seen by different researchers during different treatment periods or at different doses. Of the 16 studies reviewed in this study, 13 studies have mentioned the positive effect of celery on fertility, while three studies reported the inhibitory effects of this plant. Conclusions Celery can have protective effects against substances such as sodium valproate, propylene glycol, and diethyl phthalate causing damages to the testicular structure and spermatogenesis. In this regard, the doses used and the treatment time while using the plant must be accurately investigated. Since there are compounds such as apigenin, the celery can induce inhibitory effects on fertility in case of chronic use or high concentration.
Topics: Apium; Female; Fertility; Humans; Infertility; Male; Plant Extracts; Protective Agents; Spermatogenesis; Testis
PubMed: 28985183
DOI: 10.1515/jcim-2016-0141 -
Current Drug Targets 2017The evolution of the Green movement in western society has changed attitudes in the general population who now perceive natural compounds as being inherently harmless... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The evolution of the Green movement in western society has changed attitudes in the general population who now perceive natural compounds as being inherently harmless and more desirable than artificial chemical products.
OBJECTIVE
Considering the growing interest towards introducing naturally emerged medicines, the purpose of this review was to overview the ongoing research into prevention and treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions.
METHOD
This review was carried out by searching bibliographic databases such as PubMed and Scopus for studies reported between 1st January 2008 to 30th January 2016 on MS patients or animal models of MS, investigating the beneficial effects of natural compounds in MS treatment. In this updated systematic review, the search terms were "multiple sclerosis" or "neurodegeneration" and ("natural compounds" or "medicinal plants", "traditional medicine" or "native medicine").
RESULTS
Studies with vitamins (A, B12, D, H), minerals (selenium and lithium), n-3 PUFAs, lipoic acid, statins, resveratrol, marijuana, EGCG and some probiotics have shown significant helpful effects in MS by preventing or delaying the onset of disease. Other natural compounds such as xanthines, anthocyanins, glucosinolates, isoflavones, organosulfurs, steroid glycosides, and alkaloids have also shown protective effects in the treatment of MS in animal models. Adverse effects were also reported in some of the experiments.
CONCLUSION
Further studies with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of the protective natural compounds are needed to decrease possible side effects and to develop new medicines for MS. Apigenin, chrysin, baicalein, cyanidin, flavone glycoside, daidzein, coumestrol, sulforaphane, bee venom and huperzine A are the candidates for more prospective investigations.
Topics: Animals; Biological Products; Humans; Medicine, Traditional; Multiple Sclerosis; Phytochemicals; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 27829351
DOI: 10.2174/1389450118666161108124414 -
Critical Reviews in Food Science and... Mar 2018Passiflora plants are strategic in the context of biodiversity for food and nutrition. We applied the procedures of a systematic review protocol to study the state of... (Review)
Review
Passiflora plants are strategic in the context of biodiversity for food and nutrition. We applied the procedures of a systematic review protocol to study the state of the art on identification of phenolic compounds from Passiflora plants. An automated literature search was conducted using six databases and a combination of seven keywords. All the analytical, chromatographic, and spectroscopic methods were included. The studies were classified according to their method of identification, phenolic classes, and method of extraction. In total, 8,592 abstracts were found, from which 122 studies were selected for complete reading and 82 were selected for further analysis. Techniques of extraction, evaluated parts of the plant and methods of identification were systematized. Studies with leaves were most conspicuous (54.4%), 34 species of Passiflora were evaluated and orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin were commonly found structures. A High Performance Liquid Chromatography-diode array detector was the technique most applied, with which the same structures were identified all through the studies, although other unknown structures were detected, but not elucidated. The use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Mass Spectrometry, which are more sensitive techniques, needs to be intensified, to identify other unconventional compounds detected in Passiflora, to enhance the comprehension of the bioactive compounds in these plants.
Topics: Apigenin; Flavonoids; Food Analysis; Glucosides; Luteolin; Passiflora; Phenols; Phytochemicals; Plant Extracts
PubMed: 27645583
DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2016.1224805