Use of cultivated plants and non-plant remedies for human and animal home-medication in Liubań district,Belarus

Background

To use any domestic remedy, specific knowledge and skills are required. Simple logic dictates that the use of wild plants in the context of limited interaction with nature requires prior identification, while in the case of non-plant remedies and cultivated plants this step can be omitted. This paper aims to document the current and past uses of non-plant remedies and cultivated plants in the study region for human/animal medication; to analyze the human medicinal and veterinary use areas in the context of the remedy groups; to qualitatively compare the results with relevant historical publications; and to compare the intensity and purpose of use between the remedy groups.

Methods

During field studies 134 semi-structured interviews were conducted with locals from 11 villages in the Liubań district of Belarus. Currently used home-remedies as well as those used in the past were documented by employing the folk history method. The subject was approached through health-related uses, not by way of remedies. Interview records were digitalized and structured in Detailed Use Records in order to ascertain local perceptions. An Informant Consensus Factor (FIC) was calculated for remedy groups as well as for different use categories.

Results

In the human medication area the use of nearby remedies was neither very diverse nor numerous: 266 DUR for 45 taxa belonging to 27 families were recorded for cultivated plants along with 188 DUR for 58 different non-plant remedies. The FIC values for both remedy groups were lower than for wild plants. In the ethnoveterinary medicine use area there were 48 DUR referring to the use of 14 cultivated plant taxa from 12 families and 72 DUR referring to the use of 31 non-plant remedies. The FIC value for the whole veterinary use area of cultivated plants was relatively low, yet similar to the FIC of wild plants.

Conclusions

Differences between remedy groups were pronounced, indicating that in domestic human medicine cultivated plants and non-plant remedies are either remarkably less important than wild ones or not considered worth talking about. In ethnoveterinary medicine non-plant remedies are almost equally important as wild plants, while cultivated plants are the least used. People in study area seem to still more often rely on, or are more willing to talk to strangers about, wild plants, as promoted by both official medicine and popular literature.

     

Roles of traditional medicine and traditional healers for rabies prevention and potential impacts on post-exposure prophylaxis: A literature review

IntroductionGlobally, traditional medicine is widely used to treat a variety of injuries and illnesses, including dog bites, and exposures that are risky for rabies. However, efficacy of most traditional remedies used for rabies prevention or treatment has not been demonstrated in controlled trials or proven in community-based surveys.MethodsSix databases were searched including the terms rabies, traditional treatment, traditional remedy, traditional therapy, traditional medicine, and medicinal treatment to review traditional remedies used in the prevention and treatment of rabies. In addition, published literature of rabies transmission dynamics was used to estimate statistical likelihood of dog bite victims developing rabies to provide clarity as to why traditional healers have a high apparent success rate when preventing death from rabies in victims bitten by suspected rabid dogs.ResultsLiterature review yielded 50 articles, including three controlled experiments, that described use of traditional remedies for rabies prevention and treatment. Traditional remedies for rabies ranged from plant- or animal-based products to spiritual rituals; however, only a few controlled mice trials were conducted, and none of these trials demonstrated efficacy in preventing or treating rabies. Risk of dying from rabies after a bite from a dog with unknown rabies status is low, 1.90% (0.05%-29.60%). Therefore, traditional healers had a 98.10% (70.40%-99.95%) apparent success rate in preventing death from suspected rabid dog bites despite inefficaciousness of herbal remedies.ConclusionThere was no universal plant species or route of administration that was consistently used for rabies prevention or treatment across countries. No traditional remedy was efficacious in the prevention or treatment of rabies in randomized controlled experiments. Understanding the cultural context under which traditional remedies are used may facilitate collaboration of traditional healers with the modern medical system to ensure timely and appropriate use of proven therapies for prevention and clinical management of rabies.     

Mistletoe hepatitis.

A 49-year-old woman presented with nausea, general malaise, and a dull ache in the right hypochondrium. Liver biopsy showed slight inflammatory-cell infiltration, and results of liver function tests suggested hepatitis. Hepatitis B surface antigen was not detected, and a cholecystogram was normal. Two years later she presented with similar symptoms, and both illnesses were found to have occurred after ingestion of a herbal remedy containing kelp, motherwort, skullcap, and mistletoe. A challenge test established this to be the cause of the illness. Mistletoe is the only constituent of the tablets known to contain any potential toxin and thus was probably the cause of the illness. Mistletoe is widely used in herbal remedies, whose ingestion may therefore cause hepatitis.     

The relevance of traditional knowledge systems for ethnopharmacological research: theoretical and methodological contributions

Infections of the reproductive tract, complications after childbirth, and reproductive problems continue to be a major health challenge worldwide. An impressive number of plant species is traditionally used to remedy such afflictions, and some have been investigated for their efficacy with positive results. A total of 105 plant species belonging to 91 genera and 62 families were documented and identified as herbal remedies for reproductive problems in Northern Peru. Most species used were Asteraceae (9.52%), followed by Lamiaceae and Fabaceae (8.57% and 6.67%). The most important families are clearly represented very similarly to their overall importance in the local pharmacopoeia. The majority of herbal preparations for reproductive afflictions were prepared from the leaves of plants (22.72%), the whole plant (21.97%), and stems (21.21%), while other plant parts were used less frequently. More than 60% of the cases fresh plant material was used to prepare remedies. Over 70% of the remedies were applied orally, while the remaining ones were applied topically. Many remedies were prepared as mixtures of multiple ingredients. Little scientific evidence exists to prove the efficacy of the species employed as reproductive disorder remedies in Northern Peru. Only 34% of the plants found or their congeners have been studied at all for their medicinal properties. The information gained on frequently used traditional remedies might give some leads for future targets for further analysis in order to develop new drugs.     

Herbal remedies improve the strength of repairing ligament in a rat model.

Herbal remedies have been reported to be effective in controlling inflammation for acute soft tissue injuries. There exist, however, no reports of their effects on collagen production and remodeling; thus mechanical strength studies of the tissues have not been reported. This study tested the effects of a herbal remedy on the strength of healing medial collateral ligaments (MCL) in rats. Sixteen rats receiving surgical transection to their right MCLs and eight receiving sham operation were tested. Eight of the MCL-injured animals were treated with an adhesive herbal plaster application to their right knees, while the other eight in the MCL injured group and the sham group were treated with plain adhesive plaster to their right knees. The MCLs were harvested and tested at either 3 or 6 weeks post-operation. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and stiffness normalized to the uninjured side of each animal of the herb and sham groups were significantly larger than those of the control at both 3 and 6 weeks (p = 0.001). No significant difference was found in stiffness between the herb and sham groups (p > 0.05). We concluded that the herbal remedy improves the UTS and stiffness of repairing MCLs at 3 and 6 weeks after injury.     

Distribution of Herbal Remedy Knowledge in Tabi,Yucatan, Mexico

Distribution of Herbal Remedy Knowledge in Tabi, Yucatan, Mexico. The distribution of herbal remedy knowledge among a group of people is studied for two main reasons: (1) to identify plants that are promising for pharmacological analysis, and (2) to examine the factors that lead to herbal remedy knowledge erosion as opposed to dynamism in the acquisition of knowledge. The goal of this particular study, which is aligned with the second reason, is to establish the variation in herbal remedy knowledge among the Yucatec Maya in Tabi, Yucatan, Mexico. Free listing and cultural consensus analysis revealed that knowledge about a few medicinal plants and herbal remedies was distributed widely among the Yucatec Maya in Tabi, whereas the majority of knowledge was idiosyncratic. This finding was consistent with other studies of herbal remedy knowledge distribution among indigenous groups in Latin America and Africa. Assessing patterns in the distribution of herbal remedy knowledge is an important next step in determining the degree of dynamism or erosion in knowledge acquisition and transmission in Tabi.     

Characterization and quantification of eight water-soluble constituents in tubers of Pinellia ternata and in tea granules from the Chinese multiherb remedy Xiaochaihu-tang

In traditional Chinese medicine, multiple herbs are usually used in combination to generate the joint actions of a multiherb remedy. The recent development of LC-hyphenated techniques enables efficient and rapid profiling of the chemical constituent in extracts from multiherb remedies. Xiaochaihu-tang is a seven-herb remedy that has attracted a great deal of attention for reported ability to treat liver dysfunction. Dried tubers of Pinellia ternata (banxia in Chinese) is one of the ingredients, but its chemical contribution to Xiaochaihu-tang remains poorly understood. In the study presented here, LC-UV-MS, LC-MS-MS, and LC-NMR were used in a complementary manner to determine the nature and content of eight water-soluble constituents of banxia and their presence in various tea granules from Xiaochaihu-tang. Among the eight chemicals identified in banxia, cytidine, adenosine, tryptophan, uridine, and adenine are reported for the first time, while tyrosine, guanosine, and phenylalanine were previously described. These chemicals are also present in all of the samples of Xiaochaihu-tang granules, and the amounts of the chemicals ingested due to a daily dose of the multiherb remedies range from 0.008 to 6.3mg.     

Ethnobotanical value and conservation of sacred groves of the Kpaa Mende in Sierra Leone

Sacred groves in the Moyamba District of Sierra Leone were assessed for their value to local herbalists and traditional folk medicine practitioners of the Kpaa Mende people. Herbalists (tufablaa) collecting in 23 sacred groves were interviewed regarding their general knowledge of medicinal plants, and their perceptions regarding changes in the occurrence of medicinal plants. Over 75 medicinal plant remedies are currently in use among the Kpaa Mende, with some plants reported here for the first time in terms of their medicinal uses in Sierra Leone. A significant feature of Kpaa Mende ethnobotany is the employment of 2 or more kinds of plants in combination as a remedy for particular afflictions. The discovery of rare and uncommon plants in the groves and their medicinal uses are discussed in terms of the role of the sacred groves in medicinal plant conservation.     

Effects of far-infrared radiation on lactation

Massage and warm compresses to the breast have been commonly used for stimulating and/or increasing blood flow to the breasts, and for enhancing lactation consequently. However, more effective and easier remedies seem to be necessary. The vasodilating and warming effects of ceramics far-infrared radiation were studied. Based on the results obtained, the effect of a ceramic disc on lactation, attached to the breast skin, was evaluated in 27 puerperal women who had had poor lactation previously and in 36 with currently poor lactation monthly until weaning. Approximately 3/4 of these puerperal women enhanced lactation significantly one month after attachment and 1/2 of the women were able to breast-feed until weaning. Thus, we found that ceramics far-infrared radiation may be an effective remedy for enhancing lactation.     

Unscheduled DNA synthesis tests. A report of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Gene-Tox Program

The utility of unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) testing for screening potentially hazardous chemicals was evaluated using the published papers and technical reports available to the UDS Work Group. A total of 244 documents were reviewed. Based on criteria defined in advance for evaluation of the results, 169 were rejected. From the 75 documents accepted, results were reviewed for 136 chemicals tested using autoradiographic approaches and for 147 chemicals tested using liquid scintillation counting (LSC) procedures; 38 chemicals were tested by both approaches to measure UDS. Since there were no documents available that provided detailed recommendations of UDS screening protocols or criteria for evaluating the results, the UDS Work Group presents suggested protocols and evaluation criteria suitable for measuring and evaluating UDS by autoradiography in primary rat hepatocytes and diploid human fibroblasts and by the LSC approach in diploid human fibroblasts. UDS detection is an appropriate system for inclusion in carcinogenicity and mutagenicity testing programs, because it measures the repair of DNA damage induced by many classes of chemicals over the entire mammalian genome. However, for this system to be utilized effectively, appropriate metabolic activation systems for autoradiographic measurements of UDS in human diploid fibroblasts must be developed, the nature of hepatocyte-to-hepatocyte variability in UDS responses must be determined, and the three suggested protocols must be thoroughly evaluated by using them to test a large number of coded chemicals of known in vivo mutagenicity and carcinogenicity.     

Crystal structures of BnSP-7 and BnSP-6, two Lys49-phospholipases A(2): quaternary structure and inhibition mechanism insights

Phospholipases A(2) are components of Bothrops venoms responsible for disruption of cell membrane integrity via hydrolysis of its phospholipids. A class of PLA(2)-like proteins has been described which despite PLA(2) activity on artificial substrate, due to a D49K mutation, is still highly myonecrotic. This work reports the X-ray structure determination of two Lys49-PLA(2)s from Bothrops neuwiedi pauloensis (BnSP-7 and BnSP-6) and, for the first time, the comparison of eight dimeric Lys49-PLA(2)s. This comparison reveals that there are not just two ("open" and "closed") but at least six different conformations. The binding of fatty acid observed in three recent Lys49-PLA(2) structures seems to be independent of their quaternary conformation. Cys29 polarization by Lys122 is not significant for BnSP-7 and BnSP-6 or other structures not bound by fatty acids. These structures may be in an "active" state when nothing is bound to them and the Lys122/Cys29 interactions are weak or absent.     

Herbal plants in the traditional medicine of Bahrain

Plant samples collected in Bahrain and data reported in the literature indicate the flora of Bahrain to contain 52 species (49 genera; 20 families) of medicinal interest. Of these plant species 20 appear to be indigenous and are being used in traditional herbal remedies for numerous afflictions. Preparation of such remedies appears to be simple and includes boiling, infusions, extraction of milled dry or fresh leaves, flowers, seeds or whole plants. Direct consumption of plant parts, raw or cooked, is also practiced. None of these plants has been studied systematically to evaluate their medicinal potential.     

Effect of the reparative therapy on indices of lipid and phospholipid spectra of the blood plasma during neonathal enteropathology in calves

The paper deals with dynamics peculiarities of quantitave changes of the same classes of lipid and phospholipid spectra of blood plasma of calves which have recovered from dyspepsia. The obtained reliable changes of blood plasma lipidogrammas testify to development of dyslipidhaemia, hypercholesterolhaemia and hyperthreacylglycerolhaemia as well as the deficiency of choline fractions of phosphatide--main structural components of cell membranes. It was established that changes of lipid and phospholipid spectrum of the blood plasma caused by enteropathology could be corrected by the inclusion of reparative therapy remedies to dyspepsia treatment plan, in particular, experimental phospholipids-containing remedy, which is prepared on the basis of milk phospholipids--their natural source for newborn calves.     

Differentiation of Nigella sativa seeds from four different origins and their bioactivity correlations based on NMR-metabolomics approach

Authenticity and quality coherence are the major elements in ensuring the consistency of the expected beneficial outcomes from the use of traditional or herbal remedies. Metabolomics offers the possibility of addressing these issues. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to select the best solvent system for sample extraction. Partial Least Square (PLS) regression analysis was found useful in evaluating the relationship between Nigella sativa seeds from four different origins on the basis of their metabolite profiles. In this study, different bioactivities were displayed by different samples with the Qasemi and Syrian samples exhibited high α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, which was correlated to the high fatty acid contents based on the PLS model. The Ethiopian sample exhibited high DPPH radical scavenging and nitric oxide (NO) inhibition activities, which may be related to the presence of high levels of thymoquinone and thymol. The method was also successfully used to classify “new test” samples into their proper groups.     

Regulatory issues concerning the safety, efficacy and quality of herbal remedies

Herbal remedies and alternative medicines are used throughout the world, and in the past herbs were often the original sources of most drugs. Today we are witnessing an increase in herbal remedy use throughout the Western world raising the question as to how safe are these preparations for the unborn fetus? Many women use herbal products during pregnancy. The dilemma facing most regulatory authorities is that the public considers these products as either traditional medicines or natural food supplements. The user sees no reason for regulation. Most countries have laws concerning foods, drugs, and cosmetics, the details of which seldom clearly define to what section of the law and regulations alternative remedies belong. In most countries alternative remedies are regulated as foods, provided that no medicinal claim is made on the label. The global regulatory sector, however, is changing rapidly. The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia created a Complimentary Medicines Evaluation Committee in late 1997 to address this issue, and Canada has created a new Natural Health Products Directorate in the realigned Therapeutic Products and Foods Branch in 2000. In parallel, the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products has drafted test procedures and acceptance criteria for herbal drug preparations and herbal medicinal products. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration classifies these natural products as dietary supplements. Manufacturers must label a dietary supplement thus: “this statement has not been evaluated by the FDA [, and] this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” Whether these products are foods or drugs is undecided. To add complexity to this issue, most of the potential deleterious effects of natural products on the unborn may be related to hormonal effects (e.g., phytoestrogens) and nutriceutical drug interactions (e.g., St. John's Wort and antidepressants), rather than direct embryotoxicity per se. We suggest that ensuring quality of herbal products should receive immediate attention by regulatory authorities, before embarking on the more arduous tasks of safety and efficacy. Birth Defects Res B 68:505–510, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

ANKRD49 promotes the invasion and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma via a P38/ATF‐2 signalling pathway

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is the most challenging neoplasm to treat in clinical practice. Ankyrin repeat domain 49 protein (ANKRD49) is highly expressed in several carcinomas; however, its pattern of expression and role in LUAD are not known. Tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry, χ ² test, Spearman correlation analysis, Kaplan–Meier, log‐rank test, and Cox''s proportional hazard model were used to analyse the clinical cases. The effect of ANKRD49 on the LUAD was investigated using CCK‐8, clonal formation, would healing, transwell assays, and nude mice experiment. Expressions of ANKRD49 and its associated downstream protein molecules were verified by real‐time PCR, Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and/or immunofluorescence analyses. ANKRD49 expression was highly elevated in LUAD. The survival rate and Cox''s modelling analysis indicated that there may be an independent prognostic indicator for LUAD patients. We also found that ANKRD49 promoted the invasion and migration in both in in vitro and in vivo assays, through upregulating matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and MMP‐9 activities via the P38/ATF‐2 signalling pathway Our findings suggest that ANKRD49 is a latent biomarker for evaluating LUAD prognosis and promotes the metastasis of A549 cells via upregulation of MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 in a P38/ATF‐2 pathway‐dependent manner.     

Cytogenetic diagnosis of cancer from body fluids

Serous effusions from 50 patients suspected of having cancer were subjected to cytogenetic analysis by the use of a simple direct technique. Within 24 hours the specimens were reported as unsatisfactory or as positive or negative for malignancy, according to specific chromosomal criteria, which included hypodiploidy. Reports were sent directly to referring clinicians, who also received independently derived findings from routine cytologic study. The value of cytogenetic analysis was clearly shown in this situation, in which the chromosomal findings took the form of an independent second opinion in clinical assessment. There were no false-positive results in any of the 16 cases diagnosed by cytogenetic analysis. Furthermore, in six of these, the initial cytologic report was equivocal, and the repeat sample from three of these failed to yield material suitable for a definite cytologic diagnosis of malignancy. Negative cytogenetic findings also supported the use of cytogenetic analysis as an adjunct to cytologic examination: 23 of the 24 negative cytogenetic reports proved to be accurate, whereas in 8 of these cases the first cytologic report was equivocal. There was one cytogenetic false negative, in which, after retrospective analysis, chromosomal criteria of malignancy were found.     

A systematic review of intravenous gamma globulin for therapy of acute myocarditis

Background

Intravenous gamma globulin (IVGG) is commonly used in the management of acute myocarditis. The objective of this study was to systematically review the literature evaluating this practice.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search (electronic databases, trials registries, conference proceedings, reference lists, contact with authors) to identify studies evaluating the use of IVGG in adults and children with a clinical or histologically proven diagnosis of myocarditis of possible viral etiology and symptoms of less than six months duration. Two reviewers independently screened the searches, applied inclusion criteria, and graded the evidence.

Results

Results were described qualitatively; data were not pooled because only one randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 62 patients was identified. The RCT showed no benefit with respect to cardiac function, functional outcome, or event-free survival. A small, uncontrolled trial (n = 10) showed significant improvement in LVEF from a mean of 24% to 41% 12 months after IVGG in nine survivors. A retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients showed improvement in cardiac function and a trend towards improved survival in patients receiving IVGG (n = 21) versus historic controls (n = 25). Ten case reports and two case series (total n = 21) described improvement in cardiac function after administration of IVGG; two case reports showed no benefit of IVGG. One case of hemolytic anemia was attributed to IVGG.

Conclusion

There is insufficient data from methodologically strong studies to recommend routine use of IVGG for acute myocarditis. Future randomized studies that take into account the etiology of acute myocarditis will be required to determine the efficacy of IVGG.     

Like cures like: A neuroimmunological model based on electromagnetic resonance

Objectives: Recent investigations have pointed to the production of characteristic electromagnetic (EM) waves in highly diluted sterile filtrates of different microorganisms and their associated DNA molecules. Analysis of these diluted solutions that are prepared using methods almost identical to the way that homeopathic medicines are prepared has pointed to the existence of nanostructures capable of emitting EM waves. Combining these results with findings that point to the interaction of EM waves with sensory nerves with subsequent activation of homeostatic efferent pathways, we propose a model to describe mechanisms underlying the effects of homeopathic remedies. The Model: Living cells and tissues are capable of generating EM waves in their physiological conditions. When a cell deviates from its physiological state, in addition to normal EM emissions, it starts to produce EM waves with altered characteristics. According to our model, the main cause of the therapeutic effects of homeopathic remedies is the occurrence of resonance between the non-physiological EM waves of the patient and extremely low-frequency EM waves produced by nanostructures present in the homeopathic remedy. Resonance occurs if the frequency and amplitude characteristics of the patient's non-physiological EM waves and those produced by nanostructures of the applied homeopathic remedy are similar. Once resonance occurs, stimulation of the patient's sensory neurons, which are sensitized due to inflammation of any origin, leads to triggering of different regulatory mechanisms, including the activation of descending antinociceptive and/or cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathways, which leads to the restoration of homeostasis.     

Identification of Unknown Homeopathic Remedies by Delayed Luminescence

A quality control method of highly diluted and potentized homeopathic remedies is important for curing patients applying homeopathic therapy. Lenger detected photons in highly potentized homeopathic remedies by delayed luminescence. The photons of Argentum metallicum 100MK and Cantharis 100MK magnetically bound to their carrier substances ethanol or saccharose were separated by their resonating magnetic field of about 2.06 MHz. The photons of these 100MK potency levels and of their reference substances were determined to be standard values calculated by the B ₂-values of Bajpai’s equation derived from the Hamiltonian equation. The stability of ethanolic Argentum metallicum 100MK and Cantharis 100MK declined to 1/3 of their photons within a month in contrast to saccharose globules with Argentum metallicum 100MK having been stable during the period of these investigations for almost 1 year. Some remedies delivered as CMK potency had been proved to be ethanol. The testing amount of high ethanolic potencies is limited to 40 μl because 80 μl resulted in an attenuation of the photons; 40 μl equal 16 medicated saccharose globules. Six unknown homeopathic remedies could be identified as increasing potency levels of Argentum metallicum from 100MK to 1.000MK which indicates a calibration curve. The homeopathic factories having sent the unknown remedies confirmed the measurements. A quality control of homeopathic remedies is possible by comparing the different B ₂-values of the remedies and their carrier substances.