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At least 253 records · Page 14Linked to original sources
PubMed2002

Herbs commonly used by women: an evidence-based review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence of herbs commonly used by women. DATA SOURCES: Articles were located by searching Medline, Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews, and the Combined Health Information Database and by hand searching the reference lists of recent systematic reviews. The databases were searched in January 2000 and October 2000 by using the Latin and common name of each herb. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Preference was given to randomized, placebo-controlled trials. When available, English language studies were reviewed. If not, data are presented from review articles that summarize the foreign study. RESULTS: Many women use herbal therapies. In the United States, herbs are considered dietary supplements. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot remove them from the market unless they are proven unsafe. The herb industry plans to improve monitoring. Many prospective randomized controlled trials are being funded. Gingko biloba seems to slow the progression of dementia but increases the risk of bleeding. St John's Wort is efficacious for treating mild to moderate depression but has many drug interactions. Ginseng seems to improve well being in perimenopausal women, but it is often impure and has side effects and drug interactions. Garlic slightly lowers blood pressure and lipids. Echinacea slightly decreases the duration of colds but does not prevent them. Valerian is beneficial for insomnia, but there is no long-term safety data. Black cohosh may help the symptoms of perimenopause, and chasteberry may improve premenstrual syndrome. More study is needed on both herbs. CONCLUSION: Some herbs are medically useful, but the American public would benefit from increased regulation. Manufacturers should be able to ensure that herbs contain pure ingredients. Side effects and drug interactions should be listed. Well-designed studies are being conducted. The results will be helpful to physicians and patients when the clinical evidence becomes available.

Cimicifuga↗
PubMed1977

[Experimental studies of the effects of Seda-Kneipp on the sleep of sleep disturbed subjects; implications for the treatment of different sleep disturbances (author's transl)].

Seda-Kneipp a compound preparation of valerian and hops was given to sleep disturbed subjects during the second or third of three consecutive nights disturbed by heavy traffic noise. Prior drug administration reduced the noise induced disturbance of sleep stage patterns: slow-wave sleep and stage REM increased. It is recommended that the initial treatment of severe insomnia by "strong" sleeping pills should be followed by a period during which "weak" sleeping pills are given before the drug administration finally is discontinued.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Behavior of cats following gamma-irradiation of the head: the induced pleasure test].

A decrease in the degree of manifestation of the induced pleasure response of male cats to the administration of valerian tincture was observed during the first 1-2 h following gamma-irradiation of the head with a dose of 1.29 C/kg. It is suggested that the absence of the reaction during the first 10-15 min after exposure is indicative of the presence of the phase of a pronounced excitation in the C.N.S. of the exposed animals.

Animals↗
PubMed1998

Herbal medicinals: selected clinical considerations focusing on known or potential drug-herb interactions.

Herbal medicinals are being used by an increasing number of patients who typically do not advise their clinicians of concomitant use. Known or potential drug-herb interactions exist and should be screened for. If used beyond 8 weeks, Echinacea could cause hepatotoxicity and therefore should not be used with other known hepatoxic drugs, such as anabolic steroids, amiodarone, methotrexate, and ketoconazole. However, Echinacea lacks the 1,2 saturated necrine ring associated with hepatoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may negate the usefulness of feverfew in the treatment of migraine headaches. Feverfew, garlic, Ginkgo, ginger, and ginseng may alter bleeding time and should not be used concomitantly with warfarin sodium. Additionally, ginseng may cause headache, tremulousness, and manic episodes in patients treated with phenelzine sulfate. Ginseng should also not be used with estrogens or corticosteroids because of possible additive effects. Since the mechanism of action of St John wort is uncertain, concomitant use with monoamine oxidase inhibitors and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors is ill advised. Valerian should not be used concomitantly with barbiturates because excessive sedation may occur. Kyushin, licorice, plantain, uzara root, hawthorn, and ginseng may interfere with either digoxin pharmacodynamically or with digoxin monitoring. Evening primrose oil and borage should not be used with anticonvulsants because they may lower the seizure threshold. Shankapulshpi, an Ayurvedic preparation, may decrease phenytoin levels as well as diminish drug efficacy. Kava when used with alprazolam has resulted in coma. Immunostimulants (eg, Echinacea and zinc) should not be given with immunosuppressants (eg, corticosteroids and cyclosporine). Tannic acids present in some herbs (eg, St John wort and saw palmetto) may inhibit the absorption of iron. Kelp as a source of iodine may interfere with thyroid replacement therapies. Licorice can offset the pharmacological effect of spironolactone. Numerous herbs (eg, karela and ginseng) may affect blood glucose levels and should not be used in patients with diabetes mellitus.

Drug Interactions↗
PubMed2003

Variations in product choices of frequently purchased herbs: caveat emptor.

BACKGROUND: Patients who report use of herbs to their physicians may not be able to accurately describe the ingredients or recommended dosage because the products for the same herb may differ. The purpose of this study was to describe variations in label information of products for each of the 10 most commonly purchased herbs. METHODS: Products for each of 10 herbs were surveyed in a convenience sample of 20 retail stores in a large metropolitan area. Herbs were those with the greatest sales dollars in 1998: echinacea, St John's wort, Ginkgo biloba, garlic, saw palmetto, ginseng, goldenseal, aloe, Siberian ginseng, and valerian. RESULTS: Each herb had a large range in label ingredients and recommended daily dose (RDD) across available products. Strengths were not directly comparable because of ingredient variability. Among 880 products, 43% were consistent with a benchmark in ingredients and RDD, 20% in ingredients only, and 37% were either not consistent or label information was insufficient. Price per RDD was a significant predictor of consistency with the benchmark, but store type was not. CONCLUSIONS: Persons self-medicating with an herb may be ingesting ingredients substantially different from that recommended by a benchmark, both in quantity and content. Higher price per label RDD was the best predictor of consistency with a benchmark. This study demonstrates that health providers and consumers need to closely examine label ingredients of presumably the same or similar herbal products.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed2003

Internet marketing of herbal products.

CONTEXT: Passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in 1994 restricted the Food and Drug Administration's control over dietary supplements, leading to enormous growth in their promotion. The Internet is often used by consumers as a source of information on such therapies. OBJECTIVE: To assess the information presented and indications claimed on the Internet for the 8 best-selling herbal products. DATA SOURCES: We searched the Internet using the 5 most commonly used search engines. For each, we entered the names of the 8 most widely used herbal supplements (ginkgo biloba, St John's wort, echinacea, ginseng, garlic, saw palmetto, kava kava, and valerian root). We analyzed the health content of all Web sites listed on the first page of the search results. STUDY SELECTION: We analyzed all accessible, English-language Web sites that pertained to oral herbal supplements. A total of 522 Web sites were identified; of these, 443 sites met inclusion criteria for the analysis. DATA EXTRACTION: The nature of the Web site (retail or nonretail), whether it was a sponsored link, and all references, indications, claims, and disclaimers were recorded. Two reviewers independently categorized medical claims as disease or nondisease according to Food and Drug Administration criteria. DATA SYNTHESIS: Among 443 Web sites, 338 (76%) were retail sites either selling product or directly linked to a vendor. A total of 273 (81%) of the 338 retail Web sites made 1 or more health claims; of these, 149 (55%) claimed to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure specific diseases. More than half (153/292; 52%) of sites with a health claim omitted the standard federal disclaimer. Nonretail sites were more likely than retail sites to include literature references, although only 52 (12%) of the 443 Web sites provided referenced information without a link to a distributor or vendor. CONCLUSIONS: Consumers may be misled by vendors' claims that herbal products can treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure specific diseases, despite regulations prohibiting such statements. Physicians should be aware of this widespread and easily accessible information. More effective regulation is required to put this class of therapeutics on the same evidence-based footing as other medicinal products.

Advertising↗
PubMed2006

Herbal products: behaviors and beliefs among Italian women.

PURPOSE: The use of phytotherapy is growing worldwide, but the popular perception is that this kind of approach is natural and therefore safer than traditional medicine; for this reason the use is frequently not communicated to the doctor. Instead, even if many herbal remedies are benign in nature, some of these therapies have potentially harmful side effects or adverse interactions with other medications. So, the purpose of our study was to analyze the behavior patterns and decision-making modalities about herbal remedy use among a sample of Italian women. METHODS: During a 5-month period, interviews to women attending the outpatient ambulatory of an urban university general hospital were made on the basis of a pre-structured 25-item questionnaire. RESULTS: Among a random study population of 1,044 subsequent patients, 491 women (47.03%) reported to have been taking one or more herbal products in the last year, sometimes used during pregnancy or given to their children (35.23%). The 10 most frequently used herbal products reported were propolis, aloe, valerian root, blueberry, fennel, dandelion, mallow, arnica, thyme, and Echinacea. The major purposes for using these products were to stimulate the immune system and to cure respiratory problems. 47/491 (9.57%) women reported side effects, but only 36% referred to the doctor. In most of the cases, herbal products were taken in combination with drugs (44.61%) or homeopathic treatments (11.81%). The majority of our women did not obtain information about this kind of therapy from a health care provider (72.71%). CONCLUSIONS: The present survey highlights the general use of phytomedicines by a sample of Italian women, the potential risk of their confidence with the 'natural world,' and the lack of discussion on this argument with doctors and pharmacists. This suggests the importance of training for health care providers and the need of informational programs for consumers.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Potential medicinal plants for CNS disorders: an overview.

Although very few drugs are currently approved by regulatory authorities for treating multi-factorial ailments and disorders of cognition such as Alzheimer's disease, certain plant-derived agents, including, for example, galantamine and rivastigmine (a semi-synthetic derivative of physostigmine) are finding an application in modern medicine. However, in Ayurveda, the Indian traditional system of medicine which is more than 5000 years old, selected plants have long been classified as 'medhya rasayanas', from the Sanskrit words 'medhya', meaning intellect or cognition, and 'rasayana', meaning 'rejuvenation'. These plants are used both in herbal and conventional medicine and offer benefits that pharmaceutical drugs lack. In the present article, an attempt has been made to review the most important medicinal plants, including Ginkgo biloba, St John's wort, Kava-kava, Valerian, Bacopa monniera and Convolvulus pluricaulis, which are widely used for their reputed effectiveness in CNS disorders.

Central Nervous System Diseases↗
PubMed2001

Herbal Medicines and Epilepsy: The Potential for Benefit and Adverse Effects.

The widespread availability and use of herbal medicines raise the potential for adverse effects in the epilepsy population. Herbal sedatives (kava, valerian, chamomile, passionflower) may potentiate the effects of antiepileptic medications, increasing their sedative and cognitive effects. Despite some antiseizure effects in animal models, they should not be used in place of standard seizure medications because efficacy has not been established. Anecdotal, uncontrolled observations suggest that herbal stimulants containing ephedrine (ephedra or ma huang) and caffeine (cocoa, coffee, tea, maté, guarana, cola or kola) can exacerbate seizures in people with epilepsy, especially when taken in combination. Ginkgo and ginseng may also exacerbate seizures although the evidence for this is similarly anecdotal and uncertain. St. John's wort has the potential to alter medication pharmacokinetics and the seizure threshold. The essential oils of many plants contain epileptogenic compounds. There is mixed evidence for evening primrose and borage lowering the seizure threshold. Education of both health care providers and patients is the best way to avoid unintentional and unnecessary adverse reactions to herbal medicines.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Inhibitory effect of herbal remedies on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate-promoted Epstein-Barr virus early antigen activation.

For the past several years we have been evaluating natural products as potential cancer chemopreventive agents in a short term in vitro assay involving Epstein--Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) activation in Raji cells promoted by phorbol ester, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA). Because of the current interest in the use of herbal remedies, we considered examining them for their cancer chemopreventive activities, using their extracts with a view to uncovering such benefits (if any) these remedies might possess. Thirty-six extracts of 32 herbs belonging to 27 families in use as herbal remedies including those of gingko, black cohosh, echinacea, kava-kava, saw palmetto, turmeric, angelica, wild yam, cat's claw, passion flower, muira puama, feverfew, blueberry, chasteberry, licorice, nettle, golden seal, pygeum, ginger, valerian and hops were prepared and evaluated. Turmeric at a concentration of 10 microg x ml (-1)exhibited the most potent anti-EBV-EA activity, which is ten times more than passionflower, that is next in the order of activity. At the concentration level of 100 microg ml (-1), several of the herbal remedies tested inhibited the EBV-EA in Raji cells exposed to the tumor promoter TPA (32 pM) by more than 90%. We also report for the first time the activities of 16 new medicinal plants as potential cancer chemopreventive agents. Since inhibitors of EBV-EA promoted by TPA in vitro have been shown to be effective anti-tumor promoting agents in laboratory animal models, our results indicate new and potential applications of these herbal remedies as cancer chemopreventive agents since they are already in clinical use in the human population.

Antigens, Viral↗
PubMed2002

An evaluation of selected herbal reference texts and comparison to published reports of adverse herbal events.

OBJECTIVE: There has been a recent proliferation of medical reference texts intended to guide practitioners whose patients use herbal therapies. We systematically assessed six herbal reference texts to evaluate the information they contain on herbal toxicity. METHODS: We selected six major herbal references published from 1996 to 2000 to evaluate the adequacy of their toxicological information in light of published adverse events. To identify herbs most relevant to toxicology, we reviewed herbal-related calls to our regional California Poison Control System, San Francisco division (CPCS-SF) in 1998 and identified the 12 herbs (defined as botanical dietary supplements) most frequently involved in these CPCS-SF referrals. We searched Medline (1966 to 2000) to identify published reports of adverse effects potentially related to these same 12 herbs. We scored each herbal reference text on the basis of information inclusiveness for the target 12 herbs, with a maximal overall score of 3. RESULTS: The herbs, identified on the basis of CPCS-SF call frequency were: St John's wort, ma huang, echinacea, guarana, ginkgo, ginseng, valerian, tea tree oil, goldenseal, arnica, yohimbe and kava kava. The overall herbal reference scores ranged from 2.2 to 0.4 (median 1.1). The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database received the highest overall score and was the most complete and useful reference source. All of the references, however, lacked sufficient information on management of herbal medicine overdose, and several had incorrect overdose management guidelines that could negatively impact patient care. CONCLUSION: Current herbal reference texts do not contain sufficient information for the assessment and management of adverse health effects of botanical therapies.

Drug Evaluation↗
PubMed2003

Speciation of Mg, Mn and Zn in extracts of medicinal plants.

Aqueous extracts of birch leaves ( folium Betulae), peppermint leaves ( folium Menthae), sage leaves ( folium Salviae), valerian roots ( radix Valerianae), and dandelion roots ( radix Taraxaci) are analysed for the three essential elements magnesium, manganese and zinc. Ultrafiltration reveals that 60-100% of these metals are present as low molecular weight species (<5000 Da). Further characterisation of the low molecular weight fraction is done by using size exclusion chromatography and different detectors, namely element specific AAS detection, diode array UV-VIS detection and electrochemical detection. The similarities and differences of the plant extracts are well reflected by the respective chromatograms, and typical plant constituents can be identified by their spectral and electrochemical properties (e.g. flavonoids in Betula). Mg and Mn species are selectively detected by AAS in closely neighbouring chromatographic regions for all five samples. However, there are significant differences between the samples investigated. In all cases a good correlation exists between detection of these metals (Mg, Mn) and pulsed amperometric detection (PAD), which is selective for carbohydrates. The respective molecular weight of carbohydrate species is in the range of approximately 300-600 Da. The distribution of zinc species (detectable only in the Betula extract) is totally different from that of Mg and Mn species. For zinc, many more species are detected, and there is no correlation to carbohydrates; instead (poly)phenols are involved in zinc complexation.

Magnesium↗
PubMed1979

Thiaisoleucine and protein synthesis.

Thiaisoleucine is an isoleucine analogue having the gamma-methylene group of the valerianic carbon chain substituted by a sulphur atom. It has been demonstrated that thiaisoleucine is activated and transferred to tRNAIle by rat liver aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase and inhibits isoleucine incorporation into polypeptides in protein synthesizing systems from rat liver or rabbit reticulocytes, whereas it does not affect either leucine incorporation or ribosome run-off or polypeptide chain elongation rate. All tests were performed in comparison with O-methyl-threonine, an isoleucine analogue with the gamma-methylene group substituted by an oxygen atom. In all the reactions studied, both thiaisoleucine and O-methyl-threonine act as competitive inhibitors of isoleucine. With respect to O-methyl-threonine, thiaisoleucine shows higher activity as an isoleucine inhibitor.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1988

Dissociated estradiol (E2) action on the pituitary-testicular axis in a genetically hypoprolactinemic rat (IPL nude rat).

Prolactin (PRL) has been reported to be a possible mediator in the estradiol (E2)-induced inhibition of the pituitary-testicular axis. In order to better characterize the role of PRL, we studied the action of chronic hypoprolactinemia on this E2 inhibitory effect, using a genetically hypoprolactinemic rat (IPL nude). Normal and IPL nude adult male rats were injected either with vehicle or with E2 valerianate (4 mg/rat) once a week for 2 weeks. Rats were decapitated 7 days after the last injection. Results showed that E2 increased, similarly in both strains, pituitary weight and serum PRL levels. Serum testosterone values were reduced by 96% in both strains. However, testis weight was significantly reduced by 30% in normal rat, while in IPL nude rat, no significant decrease was observed. PRL binding sites, expressed as fmol/mg protein, were reduced in normal rat by 40%. No decrease was found in IPL nude rat. The dissociated E2 action observed in IPL nude rat suggested that only testicular growth inhibition could be mediated by PRL and confirm that testosterone level decrease could be due to a direct action of E2 on Leydig cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Effect of a gonadotropin releasing hormone analog on an experimental ovarian tumor: direct and indirect actions.

An ovary autotransplanted into the spleen of a bilaterally ovariectomized rat develops into a luteoma, which grows under constant gonadotropin hyperstimulation. The effect of a long-acting GnRH agonist (GnRH-a), on tumor growth and hormone secretion was investigated. Two experimental models were used: Model 1: GnRH-a (0.33 mg/rat sc) or estradiol valerianate (50 micrograms/rat sc injected once a week for four weeks) was administered simultaneously with ovary implantation; Model 2: the drugs were administered after 1 month of tumor development. The treatment with estradiol was used as a control of tumor regression. Saline injected ovarian grafted rats and Sham operated animals were used as controls. In Model 1: The GnRH-a significantly inhibited tumor development (Positive tumors: Saline: 100% vs GnRH-a: 43%, p < 0.01). In Model 2: the GnRH-a and estradiol significantly reduced the volume of one month old tumors (52% and 39% of initial volumes respectively, p < 0.01). Gonadotropin secretion was significantly inhibited or its increase blunted by the GnRH-a and by estradiol treatments in both models. Estradiol and progesterone in portal blood, which collects the steroids secreted by the luteoma, were significantly reduced by GnRH-a treatment in both models. On the other hand, in tumor cells cultured "in vitro", the GnRH-a was able to inhibit the LH induced progesterone secretion in a concentration dependent way. These results clearly show that the GnRH-a is effective in inhibiting tumor growth or reducing its volume, when already developed; furthermore, it suppresses tumor steroid hormone production. These actions were exerted at both the hypophyseal and tumor levels.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Estrogens delay the postpartum recovery of the LH-RH-induced gonadotropin release.

In 27 healthy postpartum women, who were neither lactating nor receiving any therapy, LH-RH stimulation tests (50 micrograms i.v.) were performed on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 of the puerperium. In a second group of 9 postpartum women an i.m. injection of 10 mg estradiol valerianate was administered within the 3rd postpartum day, and an LH-RH stimulation test was performed on days 14 and 21 of the puerperium. Blood was withdrawn at standard intervals and LH and FSH measured by radioimmunoassay. No significant FSH and LH response was found on day 7. On day 14 there was a significant release of FSH but no LH was released. On days 21 and 28 there was a significant release of FSH and LH but the magnitude of the FSH response was greater than that of the LH release. The administration of estrogens did inhibit the recovery of the pituitary from its refractoriness: on day 14 no release of LH and FSH was observed; on day 21, only a significant release of FSH could be detected in the second group of postpartum women. This emphasizes the major role played by steroids in the regulation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal function.

Estradiol↗
PubMed1983

Clinical and metabolic effects of Gynodian-depot in vegetoneurotic disorders following removal of uterine myoma in menopausal patients.

Clinical and metabolic effects of depot-injections of estradiol valerianate-dehydroepiandrosterone enanthate at a 1:50 ratio (Gynodian-depot) in the treatment of severe clinical manifestations of the vegetoneurotic syndrome were evaluated in menopuasal patients after hysterectomy for uterine myoma. Favourable comprehensive effects of the drug were noted, which in most patients contributed to the elimination or significant alleviation of major vegetoneurotic, psychoemotional and metabolic-endocrine disorders. An effective combination of the estrogenic and androgenic hormonal components and their ratios, coupled with very insignificant side-effects, is an important advantage of the drug, permitting its large-scale use for the control of menopausal complications, particularly after surgery for a uterine tumour.

Climacteric↗