Healing herbs and dangerous doctors: "fruit fever" and community conflicts with biomedical care in Northeast Thailand

In Northeast Thailand, khai mak mai (fruit fever) is a local, ethnomedical category of illness identified by community members as untreatable by biomedical health providers. The illness is believed to be incompatible with several substances that may induce death, including fruit as well as two forms of medication associated with biomedical care: injections and intravenous solution. Consequently, fevers suspected of being khai mak mai are treated by herbalists while biomedical health services are avoided and feared. In this article, I examine local perceptions and treatment of khai mak mai. I also explore the context and consequences of concerns about the inadequacy of biomedical care, as well as the social meanings associated with the illness and the political-economic context that shapes both the meanings of, and everyday responses to, fevers suspected of being khai mak mai.     

The Use of Insects in Folk Medicine in the State of Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, with Notes on Insects Reported Elsewhere in Brazilian Folk Medicine

At least 42 insects have been reported as used in folk medicine in the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. These resources are distributed in nine orders, with Hymenopterans the most prevalent with 22 specimens. Medicinal insects, which are used live, cooked, ground, in infusions, in plasters, or as ointments, provide honey, nests, eggs, cocoons, sting, wax, and parts of their bodies for the elaboration of folk remedies to treat a great variety of locally diagnosed ailments. Most of the folk remedies are administered in the form of teas made using the powder produced by grinding the toasted or scraped part of the body of the insects or the whole toasted animal. Traditional knowledge concerning entomotherapy in the state of Bahia is very important since folk medicine is still one of the most important resources for discovery of unknown natural drug resources.     

The graying of cedar shingles in a maritime climate—a fungal basis?

Cedar shingling is used extensively on the exterior of buildings of Nantucket Island because it is resistant to damage and decay by the elements. Although often structurally sound for up to 30 years, cedar shingles weather to a characteristic gray in this maritime clime within weeks of their installation. In contrast, cedar shingles when weathered in more inland locations yield a brownish hue. A survey was conducted of fungal populations inhabiting cedar shingles from maritime and inland locales to assess whether fungi contributed to these differences in coloring. Aureobasidium pullulans, a black yeast, was recovered consistently in all weathered samples, both maritime and inland. No major differences were seen between the fungal populations from these distinct geographic sites. It was concluded that A. pullulans and other blue stain fungi from the shingles could be responsible in part for the coloration of weathered shingles, but did not apparently account for the differences in coloring of gray (maritime) and brownish (inland) shingles. This exercise demonstrates identifiable common deteriogens, and is readily adapted to general microbiology laboratory classes. The isolates are from common microbial niches, wooden posts, window pane putty, tile grout and paint surfaces, and give the student a feel for the ubiquitous influence of microbes. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2000) 24, 319–322. Received 04 June 1999/ Accepted in revised form 12 November 1999     

Synthesis of oleanolic acid saponins mimicking components of Chinese folk medicine Di Wu

3,28-Di-O-rhamnosylated oleanolic acid saponins, mimicking components of Chinese folk medicine Di Wu, have been designed and synthesized. One-pot glycosylation and ‘inverse procedure’ technologies have been applied thus significantly simplifying the preparation of desired saponins. The cytotoxic activity of compounds 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-xylopyranosyl]oleanolic acid 28-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl] ester (3), 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl]oleanolic acid 28-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl- (1→4)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-d-glucopyranosyl] ester (4), 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl]oleanolic acid 28-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl] ester (5), and 3-O-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl]oleanolic acid 28-O-[6-O-(α-l-rhamnopyranosyl)hexyl] ester (6) was preliminarily evaluated against HL-60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells. The natural saponin 3 and designed saponin 4 exhibited comparable moderate cytotoxic activity under our testing conditions.     

中国神农架民间草药的特点与代表种类

简要介绍了神农架民间草药的特点及其代表种类,并对其中四种名称均带有一字、三十六种冠以还阳二字以及七十二种名称中以七字结尾组成的几类最具特色的中草药的来源和疗效进行了阐述。     

民族药四数九里香的化学成分及其细胞毒活性研究

为了阐明民族药四数九里香Murraya tetramera Huang的药效物质基础,课题组使用色谱技术从其醇提取物中分离得14个化合物;运用~1H NMR、¹³C NMR波谱方法和文献数据对比鉴定为正24烷酸(1)、9,13,17,21-tetramethyl-5-docosenoic acid(2)、3-O-β-D-吡喃葡萄糖基-山奈酚甙(3)、补骨脂素(4)、紫苏醛(5)、槲皮素(6)、methyl salicylate glucoside(7)、(9S,10R,11E,13R,15Z)-9,10,13-trihydroxyoctadeca-11,15-dienoic Acid(8)、2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol(9)、β-胡萝卜甘(10)、7-羟基香豆素(11)、七叶内酯(12)、β-谷甾醇醋酸酯(13)、山奈酚(14)。除了化合物4、6外,其他化合物为首次从该植物中分离得到。同时,研究各化合物对5株肿瘤细胞的体外生长抑制作用。与阳性对照组比较,结果表明:化合物3、4、5、6、7、8、10、11、12、13、14对白血病HL60显现良好的细胞毒活性;化合物1～14对肺腺癌A549的的细胞毒活性低于阳性对照组;化合物6、13、14对肝癌SMMC7721显现良好的细胞毒活性;化合物1、2、3、6、7、9、11、12对乳腺癌MCF7显现良好的细胞毒活性;化合物1～14对结肠癌SW480的细胞毒活性低于阳性对照组。     

武夷山市药用植物资源调查及其民间传统应用分析

通过查阅文献、野外采集调查、民间走访及传统集市访查等方法,对武夷山市药用植物资源和民间传统用药的特点进行调查分析。武夷山市药用植物有1842种,分属于253科923属。其中,共收集到有实物的民间常用药用植物226种,整理鉴定后,明确其来源、入药部位、功能主治的有164种。武夷山市药用植物种类多,民间医药文化知识丰富,具有较好的发展前景。     

Synthesis of flaccidoside II, a bidesmosidic triterpene saponin isolated from Chinese folk medicine Di Wu

A total synthesis of flaccidoside II, 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->2)-beta-D-xylopyranosyloleanolic acid 28-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1-->4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranoside, isolated from Chinese folk medicine Di Wu, has been accomplished from building blocks isopropyl 2-O-acetyl-3,4-di-O-benzoyl-1-thio-beta-D-xylopyranoside, 2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate, oleanolic acid trityl ester, ethyl 2,3-di-O-acetyl-6-O-benzoyl-1-thio-beta-D-glucopyranoside and 4-methoxyphenyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-beta-D-glucopyranoside. The use of a partially protected thioglycosyl donor significantly simplified the synthesis of the target saponin.     

四数九里香中的咔唑类生物碱成分及其细胞毒活性研究

为阐明民族药四数九里香Murraya tetramera Huang的药效物质基础,本研究使用色谱分离技术从其醇提取物中分离纯化得7个咔唑类生物碱和1个甾体类化合物,运用波谱方法鉴定为β-谷甾醇(1)、1-甲基-3-丙酰基咔唑(2)、1-甲氧基-3-乙基咔唑(3)、1-甲氧基-3-甲酰基咔唑(4)、1-甲氧基-3-甲基咔唑(5)、1-羧基甲酯-3-甲基咔唑(6)、1-羧基甲酯-3-乙基咔唑(7)、mananimbine(8)。除了化合物1,其他化合物为首次从该植物中分离得到;化合物2～5、7对SMMC-7721的IC50分别为40. 93±0. 66、46. 03±2. 05、114. 21±5. 67、15. 79±0. 99、185. 1±0. 44。结果表明化合物2～5、7对SMMC-7721显现很好的细胞毒活性。     

Novel phenotype in beagle dogs characterized by skin response to compound 48/80 focusing on skin mast cell degranulation

Beagle dogs have long been employed in toxicology studies and as skin disease models. Compared with other experimental animal species, they are known to be susceptible to skin responses, such as rashes, from exposure to various chemical compounds. Here, a unique dog phenotype was identified that showed no skin response to compound 48/80, a mast cell degranulating agent. Although the skin responses to intradermal injection of polyoxyethylene castor oil derivative (HCO-60, a nonionic detergent), histamine dihydrochloride, concanavalin A (IgE receptor-mediated stimuli), or calcium ionophore {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"A23187","term_id":"833253","term_text":"A23187"}}A23187 were comparable in wild-type (WT) dogs and these nonresponder (NR) dogs, only the response to compound 48/80 was entirely absent from NR dogs. The skin mast cell density and histamine content per mast cell were histologically comparable between WT and NR dogs. By checking for skin responses to compound 48/80, NR dogs were found to exist at the proportion of 17–20% among four animal breeders. From retrospective analysis of in-house breeding histories, the NR phenotype appears to conform to the Mendelian pattern of recessive inheritance. The standard skin response in WT dogs developed at 2–4 months of age. In conclusion, this unique phenotype, typified by insensitivity in the compound 48/80-induced degranulation pathway in mast cells, has been widely retained by recessive inheritance in beagle dogs among general experimental animal breeders. The knowledge concerning this phenotype could lead to better utilization of dogs in studies and aid in model development.     

Modernization and medicinal plant knowledge in a Caribbean horticultural village

Herbal medicine is the first response to illness in rural Dominica. Every adult knows several "bush" medicines, and knowledge varies from person to person. Anthropological convention suggests that modernization generally weakens traditional knowledge. We examine the effects of commercial occupation, consumerism, education, parenthood, age, and gender on the number of medicinal plants freelisted by individuals. All six predictors are associated with bush medical knowledge in bivariate analyses. Contrary to predictions, commercial occupation and consumerism are positively associated with herbal knowledge. Gender, age, occupation, and education are significant predictors in multivariate analysis. Women tend to recall more plants than do men. Education is negatively associated with plants listed; age positively associates with number of species listed. There are significant interactions among commercial occupation, education, age, and parenthood, suggesting that modernization has complex effects on knowledge of traditional medicine in Dominica.     

Plasma alpha-1-acid glycoprotein as a potential predictive biomarker for non-haematological adverse events of docetaxel in breast cancer patients

Context: Rash and oral mucositis are major non-haematological adverse events (AEs) of docetaxel, in addition to fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, which restrict the use of the drug in cancer therapy. Alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AAG) is an acute phase reactant glycoprotein and is a primary carrier of docetaxel in the blood. Docetaxel has extensive binding (>98%) to plasma proteins such as AAG, lipoproteins and albumin.

Objective: To study the association between plasma AAG level and non-haematological AEs of docetaxel in Malaysian breast cancer patients of three major ethnic groups (Malays, Chinese and Indians).

Materials and methods: One hundred and twenty Malaysian breast cancer patients receiving docetaxel as single agent chemotherapy were investigated for AAG plasma level using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. Toxicity assessment was determined using Common Terminology Criteria of Adverse Events v4.0. The association between AAG and toxicity were then established.

Results: There was interethnic variation of plasma AAG level; it was 182?±?85?mg/dl in Chinese, 237?±?94?mg/dl in Malays and 240?±?83?mg/dl in Indians. It was found that low plasma levels of AAG were significantly associated with oral mucositis and rash.

Conclusions: This study proposes plasma AAG as a potential predictive biomarker of docetaxel non-haematological AEs namely oral mucositis and rash.