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International Journal of Infectious... Mar 2011Sparganosis is an infection of humans and animals caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms belonging to the genus Spirometra.... (Review)
Review
Sparganosis is an infection of humans and animals caused by the plerocercoid larvae (spargana) of various diphyllobothroid tapeworms belonging to the genus Spirometra. Sparganosis has been reported sporadically around the world, and a higher prevalence of the disease occurs in several Asian countries, including South Korea, Japan, Thailand, and China. To date, a total of more than 1000 cases of human sparganosis have been reported in 25 provinces in mainland China. Sparganosis is emerging in mainland China because of food consumption habits and the unusual practice of treating wounds or other lesions with poultices of frog or snake flesh. This article reviews the current status of sparganosis in mainland China. Increased public awareness about the risks associated with eating raw food and strengthened food safety measures are needed.
Topics: Animals; China; Humans; Sparganosis; Sparganum
PubMed: 21126898
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2010.10.001 -
Archives of Medical Science : AMS Jun 2010Borage (Echium amoenum) is a large annual plant of the Boraginaceae family that grows in most parts of Europe and in northern parts of Iran. The flower of borage is used...
INTRODUCTION
Borage (Echium amoenum) is a large annual plant of the Boraginaceae family that grows in most parts of Europe and in northern parts of Iran. The flower of borage is used as a medicinal herb in various countries as an antifebrile and antidepressant, for treatment of stress, circulatory heart diseases and pulmonary complaints, as a poultice for inflammatory swellings, as a diuretic, laxative, emollient and demulcent, and recently as a possible cancer protective factor. The Iranian borage is used in traditional medicine for infectious diseases and influenza and as an antifebrile. In this report, an aqueous extract of dried borage (Echium amoenum) flowers was tested in vitro for its antiviral activity.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Bacteriophage 3C and its specific host, Staphylococcus aureus 8327 were used Aqueous extract of E. amoenum dried flower was prepared and anti-viral activity was determined by agar overlay method and the burst size was determined by one-step growth experiment. Antibacterial activity was determined by disc diffusion, agar-well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration methods.
RESULTS
The extract showed concentration-dependent antiviral activity against free bacteriophage 3C and reduced the yield of phage from the host Staphylococcus aureus 8327. Antiviral activity of the extract is heat resistant. Autoclaving the extract at 110°C for 1 h did not eliminate its antiviral activity and the effect was similar to the extract that was filter sterilized. However, the activity of the freeze-dried extract was diminished during 90 days of storage at 4°C and the activity of the working solution was diminished in a one-week period at 4°C.
CONCLUSIONS
These results may provide a justification for the traditional use of the Iranian borage flower for infectious diseases and antifebrile activity.
PubMed: 22371772
DOI: 10.5114/aoms.2010.14256 -
Acta Dermato-venereologica Jul 2010
Topics: Administration, Cutaneous; Administration, Oral; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Aspirin; Chronic Disease; Cyclooxygenase 2 Inhibitors; Drug Hypersensitivity; Female; Humans; Ketoprofen; Middle Aged; Skin Tests; Urticaria
PubMed: 20574611
DOI: 10.2340/00015555-0901 -
African Journal of Traditional,... 2010Felicia muricata is a medicinal plant used for the management of different human and livestock diseases in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The antioxidant...
Felicia muricata is a medicinal plant used for the management of different human and livestock diseases in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The antioxidant potential of the leaves from this herb was investigated using its water, methanol, acetone and ethanol extracts. All the extracts were rich in phenols, proanthocyanidins and flavonols but low in flavonoids. The water extract exhibited low DPPH scavenging activity while the methanol, acetone and ethanol extracts showed higher activities. Again all the extracts showed high ABTS scavenging activity with a correlation between total phenolic content (R2 = 0.9965), DPPH (R2 = 0.982) and ABTS (R2 = 0.927). Traditionally, however, plant extracts are prepared with water as infusions, decoction and poultice. Our results have shown that both the water and ethanol extracts from Felicia muricata displayed strong antioxidant activity. Therefore, it would seem likely that both solvents were able to extract those compounds which are responsible for the antioxidant activity of F. muricata.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Asteraceae; Ethanol; Flavonoids; Free Radical Scavengers; Headache; Humans; Inflammation; Pain; Phenols; Plant Extracts; Plant Leaves; Plants, Medicinal; South Africa; Water
PubMed: 21731160
DOI: 10.4314/ajtcam.v7i4.56695 -
Journal of Ethnobiology and... Feb 2009This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La...
This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin, and in Loja province, with special focus on the development since the early colonial period. Northern Peru represents the locus of the old Central Andean "Health Axis." The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go as far back as the Cupisnique culture early in the first millennium BC. Northern Peru and Southern Ecuador share the same cultural context and flora but show striking differences in plant use and traditional knowledge. Two hundred fifteen plant species used for medicinal purposes in Ecuador and 510 plant species used for medicinal purposes in Peru were collected, identified,. and their vernacular names, traditional uses, and applications recorded. This number of species indicates that the healers, market vendors, and members of the public interviewed in Peru still have a very high knowledge of plants in their surroundings, which can be seen as a reflection of the knowledge of the population in general. In Ecuador much of the original plant knowledge has already been lost. In Peru, 433 (85%) were Dicotyledons, 46 (9%) Monocotyledons, 21 (4%) Pteridophytes, and 5 (1%) Gymnosperms. Three species of Giartina (Algae) and one species of the Lichen genus Siphula were used. The families best represented were Asteraceae with 69 species, Fabaceae (35), Lamiaceae (25), and Solanaceae (21). Euphorbiaceae had 12 species, and Poaceae and Apiaceae each accounted for 11 species. In Ecuador the families best represented were Asteraceae (32 species), Euphorbiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Solanaceae (11 species each), and Apiaceae, Fabaceae, Lycopodiaceae (9 species each). One hundred eighty-two (85%) of the species used were Dicotyledons, 20 Monocotyledons (9.3%), 12 ferns (5.5%), and one unidentified lichen was used. Most of the plants used (83%) were native to Peru and Ecuador. Fresh plants, often collected wild, were used in two thirds of all cases in Peru, but in almost 95% of the cases in Ecuador. The most common applications included the ingestion of herb decoctions or the application of plant material as poultices. Although about 50% of the plants in use in the colonial period have disappeared from the popular pharmacopoeia, the overall number of plant species used medicinally has increased in Northern Peru, while Southern Ecuador shows a decline of plant knowledge since colonial times.
Topics: Colonialism; Culture; Ecuador; Ethnobotany; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 20th Century; Humans; Medicine, Traditional; Peru; Phytotherapy; Plant Structures; Plants, Medicinal
PubMed: 19187546
DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-5-4 -
Clays and Clay Minerals Aug 2008The worldwide emergence of infectious diseases, together with the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, elevate the need to properly detect, prevent,...
The worldwide emergence of infectious diseases, together with the increasing incidence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, elevate the need to properly detect, prevent, and effectively treat these infections. The overuse and misuse of common antibiotics in recent decades stimulates the need to identify new inhibitory agents. Therefore, natural products like clays, that display antibacterial properties, are of particular interest.The absorptive properties of clay minerals are well documented for healing skin and gastrointestinal ailments. However, the antibacterial properties of clays have received less scientific attention. French green clays have recently been shown to heal Buruli ulcer, a necrotic or 'flesh-eating' infection caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. Assessing the antibacterial properties of these clays could provide an inexpensive treatment for Buruli ulcer and other skin infections.Antimicrobial testing of the two clays on a broad-spectrum of bacterial pathogens showed that one clay promotes bacterial growth (possibly provoking a response from the natural immune system), while another kills bacteria or significantly inhibits bacterial growth. This paper compares the mineralogy and chemical composition of the two French green clays used in the treatment of Buruli ulcer.Mineralogically, the two clays are dominated by 1Md illite and Fe-smectite. Comparing the chemistry of the clay minerals and exchangeable ions, we conclude that the chemistry of the clay, and the surface properties that affect pH and oxidation state, control the chemistry of the water used to moisten the clay poultices and contribute the critical antibacterial agent(s) that ultimately debilitate the bacteria.
PubMed: 19079803
DOI: 10.1346/CCMN.2008.0560405 -
Basic & Clinical Pharmacology &... Nov 2008The aqueous extract of the stem bark of Acacia karroo Hayne was investigated for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in animal models. The extract at 100 and... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The aqueous extract of the stem bark of Acacia karroo Hayne was investigated for its anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities in animal models. The extract at 100 and 200 mg/kg reduced significantly the formation of oedema induced by carrageenan and histamine. In the acetic acid-induced writhing model, the extract showed a good analgesic effect characterized by a significant reduction in the number of writhes with two doses (100 and 200 mg/kg) used when compared to the untreated control group. In the tail immersion test, the extract at the doses used (100 and 200 mg/kg) increased reaction time to pain after 30 min. of oral administration of the extract. Indomethacin at 10 mg/kg served as reference drug in all these tests. The results gave a scientific basis to the traditional uses of Acacia karroo mainly for wound poultices, eye treatments and cold remedies.
Topics: Acacia; Analgesics; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Disease Models, Animal; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Edema; Indomethacin; Inflammation; Male; Medicine, Traditional; Mice; Pain; Pain Measurement; Plant Bark; Plant Extracts; Rats
PubMed: 18803636
DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2008.00317.x -
Chinese Medicine Feb 2008The present study tests whether a combined treatment of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is more effective than acupuncture or TENS...
BACKGROUND
The present study tests whether a combined treatment of acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is more effective than acupuncture or TENS alone for treating knee osteoarthritis (OA).
METHODS
Thirty-two patients with knee OA were randomly allocated to four groups. The acupuncture group (ACP) received only acupuncture treatment at selected acupoints for knee pain; the TENS group (TENS) received only TENS treatment at pain areas; the acupuncture and TENS group (A&T) received both acupuncture and TENS treatments; the control group (CT) received topical poultice (only when necessary). Each group received specific weekly treatment five times during the study. Outcome measures were pain intensity in a visual analogue scale (VAS) and knee function in terms of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC).
RESULTS
The ACP, TENS and A&T groups reported lower VAS and WOMAC scores than the control group. Significant reduction in pain intensity (P = 0.039) and significant improvement in knee function (P = 0.008) were shown in the A&T group.
CONCLUSION
Combined acupuncture and TENS treatment was effective in pain relief and knee function improvement for the sampled patients suffering from knee OA.
PubMed: 18312661
DOI: 10.1186/1749-8546-3-2 -
Journal of Ethnobiology and... Nov 2006This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San...
This paper examines the traditional use of medicinal plants in Northern Peru, with special focus on the Departments of Piura, Lambayeque, La Libertad, Cajamarca, and San Martin. Northern Peru represents the center of the old Central Andean "Health Axis," stretching from Ecuador to Bolivia. The roots of traditional healing practices in this region go at least as far back as the Moche period (AC 100-800). Although about 50% of the plants in use reported in the colonial period have disappeared from the popular pharmacopoeia, the plant knowledge of the population is much more extensive than in other parts of the Andean region. 510 plant species used for medicinal purposes were collected, identified and their vernacular names, traditional uses and applications recorded. The families best represented were Asteraceae with 69 species, Fabaceae (35), Lamiaceae (25), and Solanaceae (21). Euphorbiaceae had twelve species, and Apiaceae and Poaceae 11 species. The highest number of species was used for the treatment of "magical/ritual" ailments (207 species), followed by respiratory disorders (95), problems of the urinary tract (85), infections of female organs (66), liver ailments (61), inflammations (59), stomach problems (51) and rheumatism (45). Most of the plants used (83%) were native to Peru. Fresh plants, often collected wild, were used in two thirds of all cases, and the most common applications included the ingestion of herb decoctions or the application of plant material as poultices.
Topics: Adult; Culture; Data Collection; Ethnobotany; Female; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Humans; Indians, South American; Male; Medicine, Traditional; Middle Aged; Peru; Plant Extracts; Plants, Medicinal; Surveys and Questionnaires
PubMed: 17090303
DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-2-47 -
International Journal of Infectious... Nov 2005Sparganosis is a zoonosis that occurs occasionally in humans. The infection is reported in many countries but is most common in eastern Asia. In Thailand, a southeast... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Sparganosis is a zoonosis that occurs occasionally in humans. The infection is reported in many countries but is most common in eastern Asia. In Thailand, a southeast Asian country, the infection is sporadic.
DESIGN
In this study the clinical presentations of human sparganosis cases in Thailand were investigated by means of a literature review.
RESULTS
Reports of 34 cases of sparganosis were found. The infections were ocular (17 cases), subcutaneous (ten cases), central nervous system (five cases), auricular (one case), pulmonary (one case), intraosseous (one case) and intraperitoneal (one case). Of these 34 cases, 14 had risk behaviour reported, 12 had a history of drinking impure water, five had a history of eating frog or snake meat and two had a history of using frog or snake meat as a poultice. Some cases had more than one risk factor.
CONCLUSION
Most cases of sparganosis in Thailand presented with superficial ocular mass lesions. The major risk behaviour in Thailand is drinking water contaminated with the infective organism. Some cases of serious deep visceral sparganosis have also been reported.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Child; Female; Humans; Larva; Male; Middle Aged; Risk Factors; Sparganosis; Spirometra; Thailand
PubMed: 16023879
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2004.08.003