In recent years, diverse scholars have addressed the issue of the chemosensory perceptions associated with traditional medicines, nevertheless there is still a distinct lack of studies grounded in the social sciences and conducted from a cross-cultural, comparative perspective. In this urban ethnobotanical field study, 254 informants belonging to the Gujarati, Kashmiri and English ethnic groups and living in Western Yorkshire in Northern England were interviewed about the relationship between taste and medicinal perceptions of five herbal drugs, which were selected during a preliminary study. The herbal drugs included cinnamon (the dried bark of Cinnamomum verum, Lauraceae), mint (the leaves of Mentha spp., Lamiaceae), garlic (the bulbs of Allium sativum, Alliaceae), ginger (the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, Zingiberaceae), and cloves (the dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, Myrtaceae). The main cross-cultural differences in taste perceptions regarded the perception the perception of the spicy taste of ginger, garlic, and cinnamon, of the bitter taste of ginger, the sweet taste of mint, and of the sour taste of garlic. The part of the study of how the five selected herbal drugs are perceived medicinally showed that TK (Traditional Knowledge) is widespread among Kashmiris, but not so prevalent among the Gujarati and especially the English samples. Among Kashmiris, ginger was frequently considered to be helpful for healing infections and muscular-skeletal and digestive disorders, mint was chosen for healing digestive and respiratory troubles, garlic for blood system disorders, and cinnamon was perceived to be efficacious for infectious diseases. Among the Gujarati and Kashmiri groups there was evidence of a strong link between the bitter and spicy tastes of ginger, garlic, cloves, and cinnamon and their perceived medicinal properties, whereas there was a far less obvious link between the sweet taste of mint and cinnamon and their perceived medicinal properties, although the link did exist among some members of the Gujarati group. Data presented in this study show how that links between taste perceptions and medicinal uses of herbal drugs may be understood as bio-cultural phenomena rooted in human physiology, but also constructed through individual experiences and culture, and that these links can therefore be quite different across diverse cultures.

No description available.

The severe debility and immune dysfunction associated with serious disease may respond well to treatment with the tonic formulas from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). One of these, Ginseng and Dang Gui Ten Combination has gained prominence as the formula most suitable to assist convalescence after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. A literature review of the herbal combination suggests that it synergistically provides a broad range of pharmacological activity with a very low level of toxicity. The herbs may have haemopoietic, antimutagenic, antitumour, immunomodulatory and anticomplement activities and they seem to promote lymphocyte activation, interleukin production, protect various organs against toxicity, inflammation and ulceration, and promote drug delivery and radiation sensitising while protecting healthy tissue. The specific immunomodulatory effects of PS10 combination were investigated in 10 healthy volunteers (7 males and 3 females aged 43 to 58 years). The study was a longitudinal study (28 days), using a repeated measures design to investigate the pre and then post intervention changes in Natural Killer (NK) cell activity as well as total and differentiated lymphocyte counts. Furthermore, liver function tests (LFT) were included to assess any adverse effects on the liver. It was envisaged that NK cells or other white blood cell subset variation could indicate an immunomodulatory effect of the herbal formulation, PS10. Investigative methodologies included NK cell function assessment via the ability of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to lyse the human erythroleukemia cell line K562.(Lozzio and Lozzio, 1975) Target cells are labelled by incubation with radioactive chromium, washed, then added to a dilution series of PBMC's and incubated for 4 hours. Supernatants are harvested and the amount of intracellular chromium- 51 released into the supernatant is measured with a gamma counter. The amount of chromium-51 released is proportional to the lytic activity of the NK cells. The gradient of the line of best fit through the plotted points was recorded as the measure of cytotoxicity or killing.(Brooks and Flannery, 1980) The steeper the gradient, the greater the cytotoxicity. This pilot study demonstrated that the herbal preparation Ginseng and Dang Gui Ten Combination (PS10) increased the total number of lymphocytes cells in healthy human volunteers (n=10) (p&lt0.007). Although the test formulation increased NK cell activity in some participants, the change in mean NK cell cytotoxicity was not significant.

No description available.

Class of 2012 abstract / Specific Aims: To determine pharmacy students' knowledge and attitudes towards herbal medicine, and to identify factors that have the most influence on herbal knowledge. Subjects: Students in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th years of the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Arizona. Methods: Questionnaires administered during regularly scheduled classes and email collected knowledge, attitudes, and demographic data. This included age, gender, highest level of education, completion of herbal medication/OTC course, practice site, availability of herbals and herbal information at the practice site, and use of herbal medication in a family member. Main Results: Questionnaires were completed by 270 out of the 395 students enrolled in pharmacy school. An average of 4.8 ± 3.02 out of the 14 questions (34%) were answered correctly on the knowledge section. Pharmacy students agreed that providing information about herbal medication is a pharmacist's professional responsibility and that an elective course on herbal medications would be useful (mean = 3.31 ± 1.52 and 3.73 ± 1.32 respectively on a scale of 0-5 where 5 = strongly agree and 0 = do not agree). Pharmacy school year and completion of an herbal/OTC course were the largest contributing factors to higher scores on the knowledge portion. Conclusions: With an average knowledge score of less than 50% and average rating of less than 2.5 out of 5, pharmacy students have a weak understanding and a low confidence level in recommending and counseling patients on herbal medications. Requiring a course that includes herbal medications may be beneficial.

Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) are substances that are added to feed in sub-therapeutic levels in intensive animal production to improve weight gain and conversion of feed (FCR) into body mass. AGPs have been used widely as growth promoters in broiler and pig production under high-density growth conditions. Despite the observed efficacy, the use of AGPs has been criticized due to its possible role in the development of antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. Directive 183/2003 of the European Parliament, issued in 2003, banned of the use of all antibiotic agents as growth promoters in the European Union from 2006. The new context caused an increase in the search for alternative growth promoters. The aim of this study was to produce a commercially viable prophylactic antibacterial phytogenic product from Ginkgo biloba and Hypericum perforatum with a low potential to develop resistance, as an alternative to AGPs in poultry production. The first objective of this study based on earlier results of the Phytomedicine Programme, was to evaluate the activity and potentize extracts from Ginkgo biloba and Hypericum perforatum for optimal activity against relevant bacterial pathogens. Extracts of ethyl acetate (EA), hexane, dichloromethane (DCM) and acetone (in order of activity) from a direct extraction procedure of powdered G. biloba leaves were active against Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium perfringens. The EA, hexane and DCM extracts were 2 to 3 times more active than the acetone extract (average total activity 1728 ml/g dry extract for the 3 pathogens). The DCM-, EA-, acetone- and hexane extracts (in order of activity) from the direct extraction procedure from H. perforatum were only active against C. perfringens with the first three extracts having a total activity of between 1026 and 1333 ml/g dry material and the hexane extract a total activity of 333 ml/g dry material. The spectrum of activity of G. biloba corresponds to that of Zn-bacitracin, which is commonly used an antibiotic growth promoter in the poultry industry. The second objective in this study was to combine extracts or fractions of extracts of G. biloba and H. perforatum to optimise activity against selected bacterial pathogens. A synergistic effect could be observed when combining a ratio of 1:5 of G. biloba: H. perforatum (hexane extracts) or 1:15 (acetone extracts) against E. faecalis while only an indifferent (neutral) effect was observed against C. perfringens. After elucidation of the quantitative and qualitative aspects involved in the antimicrobial activity, the major antibacterial compound from G. biloba was isolated and characterized as ginkgolic acid (C17:1). It was also determined whether activity against E. faecalis and C. perfringens in an extract or fraction of and extract of G. biloba can be attributed only to ginkgolic acid or whether synergism or other interactions also play a role in the antibacterial activity. It was shown that synergistic interactions are at play between constituents in the hexane and EA fraction, with the last mentioned fraction not containing any ginkgolic acid. These results support the use of the whole extract as opposed to isolated compounds as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic organisms. Two important pharmacodynamic parameters were investigated i.e. resistance development to a hexane extract and the isolated ginkgolic acid from G. biloba against E. faecalis and secondly the time-kill dynamics of this hexane extract over 24 h against E. faecalis. The bactericidal nature of the hexane extract from G. biloba as well the absence of decreased susceptibility to this extract (and the isolated ginkgolic acid) in the resistance studies against E. faecalis indicate that this extract has potential to be exploited as a alternative to AGPs in the poultry industry. The final objective was to determine the effect of extracts of G. biloba alone or in combination with H. perforatum extracts on the performance of broiler chickens over a 35 day period. The effect of these extracts on C. perfringens in the intestine of broilers was also investigated. No significant differences were found with relation to any of the production parameters studied (FCR, live weight or % survival) although a trend towards more favourable European Performance Efficiency Factor index values were observed for treatments containing G. biloba (5% improvement) or a combination of G. biloba and H. perforatum (2.1% improvement) compared to the untreated control. Similarly, Zn-Bacitracin resulted in a 5.5% improvement compared to the untreated control. There was a general trend (not statistically significant, P=0.05) towards a reduction in C. perfringens scores in the feed supplemented with G. biloba- in combination with H. perforatum extract which can probably be ascribed to the direct antimicrobial effect. The rate of colonization was however too low to cause infection probably due to lack of virulence of the C. perfringens challenge and the absence of predisposing factors due to the hygienic growth conditions used. It is necessary for an effective disease model to be developed in order for the efficacy of any new treatment method to be properly evaluated. Such a model will require a much higher incidence of disease and reproducibility than was achieved in this project. The safety of using extracts of G. biloba with ginkgolic acid as the prime antibacterial compound was considered. The active dose was at least 42 times lower than safe dosage recommended in the literature. The combination of extracts of G. biloba and H. perforatum holds promise as a potential growth promoter in poultry production. Better results may be achieved if potentized extracts are used and compared with Zn-Bacitracin and a negative control under industrial growth conditions where the birds are stressed and natural infections would take place. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Paraclinical Sciences / unrestricted

TOPIC. Complementary and alternative medicine agents (CAMs). Purpose. To summarize the current empirical data about the major CAMs purporting to have psychotherapeutic value. Sources of information. Extant literature. Conclusions. Available evidence indicates that CAMs, while generally safe, are not risk free. While CAM use grows, nurses and other health professionals have a limited knowledge base about the action, side effects, and interactions of common CAM agents. Nurses need to increase their knowledge base about CAMs in order to help patients in decision making regarding the use of these agents to treat common psychiatric symptoms.

ABSTRACT The belief that herbal remedies are less invasive on the human body than conventional medicine and the return of the consumer to a more natural lifestyle, has led to the development of a multitude of remedies, with many different uses. Because the use of these herbal remedies has increased drastically in the last decade, it is essential that the quality and efficacy of these products are well regulated. One of the objectives in this study includes the investigation of the presence of marker metabolites in five herbal remedies, namely Serenoa repens, Silybum marianum, Hypericum perforatum, Echinacea purpurea and Gingko biloba. Although most of the brands tested contained the active ingredients assayed for, a few exceptions were found. However, because this study used only thin layer chromatography for analysis of products, verification of these results should be obtained using other more modern methods for example high pressure liquid chromatography. Four brands of Serenoa repens were selected and assayed for the presence of -sitosterol. All four brands tested indicated the presence of -sitosterol. Five brands of Hypericum perforatum were selected and assayed for the presence of hypericin, rutin and chlorogenic acid. Four of the five products tested indicated the presence of hypericin, while three of five products indicated the presence of rutin and chlorogenic acid. Five brands of Echinacea purpurea were selected and assayed for the presence of -sitosterol, chlorogenic and caffeic acid. Three of the five products indicated the presence of -sitosterol, while only one of the five products contained chlorogenic acid. Caffeic acid was present in 3 of the 5 products. Seven brands of Gingko biloba were selected and assayed for the presence of rutin and bilobalide. Five of the seven products indicated the presence of rutin and bilobalide. Four brands of Silybum marianum were selected and assayed for the presence of both taxifolin and sylibin. Only two of the four products contained both taxifolin and silybin. The second objective of this study is to provide a literature review of the five herbal remedies mentioned above. Amongst the topics discussed were uses of these plants, evidence from studies conducted, chemistry and mechanism of action of the active molecules contained in the plants.

Ip Yee-man. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-89). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Acknowledgement --- p.i / Abstract --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.vi / Abbreviations --- p.xi / List of Figures --- p.xiii / List of Tables --- p.xvii / Chapter / Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Quality control of Chinese herbal medicine --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Rhizoma Chuanxiong --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.1. --- General description --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.2. --- Chemical constituents --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3.3. --- Pharmacology --- p.7 / Chapter 1.3.4 --- Instrumental analysis --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.4.1 --- Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) --- p.9 / Chapter 1.3.4.2 --- Gas Chromatography (GC) --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.4.3 --- High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) --- p.10 / Chapter 1.3.4.4 --- Capillary Electrophoresis (CE) --- p.10 / Chapter 1.4 --- Objectives of the study --- p.11 / Chapter 2. --- "Isolation, Characterization and Identification of Reference Compounds" --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1 --- General experiment procedures --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.1. --- Solvents for chromatographic separation --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Chromatographic methods --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2.1 --- Adsorption column chromatography --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2.2 --- Thin layer chromatography --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.2.3 --- Preparative layer chromatography --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Determination of physical data --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.3.1 --- Infrared (IR) absorption spectra --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.3.2 --- Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectra --- p.14 / Chapter 2.1.3.3 --- Mass spectra (MS) --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.3.4 --- X-ray crystallography --- p.15 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Authentic reference compounds --- p.15 / Chapter 2.2 --- "Procurement, extraction and initial fractionation of Rhizoma Chuanxiong" --- p.15 / Chapter 2.3 --- Chromatographic separation of the chloroform extract --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Chromatographic separation of fraction F1002 --- p.16 / Chapter 2.3.1.1 --- Spectral data for the characterization of compound 1 [5-(hydroxymethyl)- 2- furancarboxaldehyde] --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Column chromatographic separation of fraction F1003A --- p.17 / Chapter 2.3.2.1 --- Spectral data for the characterization of compound 2 (oleic acid) --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.2.2 --- Physical data for the characterization of compound 3 (ferulic acid) --- p.18 / Chapter 2.3.3 --- Preparative layer chromatographic separation of Fraction F1010 --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3.3.1 --- Spectral data for the characterization of compound 4 (daucosterol) --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4 --- Column chromatographic separation of the hexane extract --- p.19 / Chapter 2.4.1 --- Removal of fatty acids in fraction F2005 and F2006 by partition --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.2 --- Column chromatographic separation of fraction F2005M --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.2.1 --- Spectral data for the characterization of compound 5 (butylidenephthalide) --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4.2.2 --- Spectral data for the characterization of compound 6 (butylphthalide) --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4.3 --- Column chromatographic separation of fraction F2006M --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4.3.1 --- "Spectral data for the characterization of compound 7 (Z, Z'-6.6', 7.3'a- diligustilide)" --- p.21 / Chapter 2.4.4 --- Colum chromatographic separation of fraction --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4.4.1 --- Spectral data for the characterization of compound 8 (pregnenolone) --- p.22 / Chapter 2.4.4.2 --- "Spectral data for the characterization of compound 9 [5,5- oxydimethylenebis(2-furaldehyde)]" --- p.23 / Chapter 2.5 --- Results and Discussion --- p.24 / Chapter 2.5.1 --- Identification of compound 1 [5-(hydroxymethyl)-2- furancarboxaldehyde] --- p.24 / Chapter 2.5.2 --- Identification of compound 2 (oleic acid) --- p.25 / Chapter 2.5.3 --- Identification of compound 3 (ferulic acid) --- p.26 / Chapter 2.5.4 --- Identification of compound 4 (daucosterol) --- p.26 / Chapter 2.5.5 --- Identification of compound 5 (butylidenephthalide) --- p.27 / Chapter 2.5.6 --- Identification of compound 6 (butylphthalide) --- p.28 / Chapter 2.5.7 --- "Identification of compound 7 (Z, Z'-6.6', 7.3'a-diligustilide)" --- p.30 / Chapter 2.5.8 --- Identification of compound 8 (pregnenolone) --- p.31 / Chapter 2.5.9 --- "Identification of compound 9 [5,5'-oxydimethylenebis(2-furaldehyde)]" --- p.32 / Chapter 2.6 --- Conclusions --- p.34 / Chapter 3. --- Analysis of Rhizoma Chuanxiong by Capillary Electrophoresis --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Capillary electrophoreis system --- p.35 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Principles of separation --- p.36 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Considerations on development of analysis method --- p.41 / Chapter 3.2 --- Experimental --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Reagents and materials --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Reference compounds --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Instrumentation and apparatus --- p.44 / Chapter 3.2.4 --- Experimental procedures --- p.45 / Chapter 3.2.4.1 --- Preparation of running buffer solution --- p.45 / Chapter 3.2.4.2 --- Preparation of standard solutions --- p.46 / Chapter 3.2.4.3 --- Preparation of Rhizoma Chuanxiong extracts --- p.47 / Chapter 3.2.4.4 --- Flushing of capillaries --- p.47 / Chapter 3.2.4.5 --- Conditions of separation --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3 --- Results and Discussion --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Preliminary experiments --- p.48 / Chapter 3.3.1.1 --- Addition of surfactants --- p.51 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Effect of buffer concentration --- p.54 / Chapter 3.3.3 --- Effect of SDS concentration --- p.59 / Chapter 3.3.4 --- Addition of organic modifier --- p.63 / Chapter 3.3.5 --- Reproducibility of the proposed method --- p.68 / Chapter 3.3.6 --- Quantitative analysis of seven standard compounds --- p.70 / Chapter 3.3.7 --- Application of the developed methodology --- p.74 / Chapter 3.3.8 --- Conclusions --- p.83 / References --- p.85 / Appendices / Appendix 1.1.1 1H-NMR spectrum of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde --- p.90 / Appendix 1.1.2 13C-NMR spectrum of 5-(hydroxyinethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde --- p.90 / Appendix 1.2 X-ray crystallographic data of ferulic acid --- p.91 / Appendix 1.3 13C-NMR spectrum of butylidenephthalide --- p.96 / Appendix 1.4.1 1 H-NMR spectrum of butylphthalide --- p.97 / Appendix 1.4.2 13C-NMR spectrum of butylphthalide --- p.97 / "Appendix 1.5 X-ray crystallographic data of z, z', 6.6'， 7.3'a-diligustilide" --- p.98 / "Appendix 1.6 X-ray crystallographic data of 5,5'-oxydimethylenebis(2-furaldehyde)" --- p.105 / Appendix 2.1 Details of quantitative analysis of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2-furancarboxaldehyde --- p.112 / Appendix 2.2 Details of quantitative analysis of ligustrazin hydrochloride --- p.112 / "Appendix 2.3 Details of quantitative analysis of 5,5'-oxydimethylenebis(2-furaldehyde)" --- p.113 / Appendix 2.4 Details of quantitative anlaysis of ferulic acid --- p.113 / Appendix 2.5 Details of quantitative analysis of butylphthalide --- p.114 / Appendix 2.6 Details of quantitative analysis of butylidenephthalide --- p.114 / "Appendix 2.7 Details of quantitative anlaysis of z,z', 6.6', 7.3'a-diligustilide" --- p.115 / Appendix 3.1 Quantitative analysis of Chuanxiong sample from Hong Kong (HK1) --- p.115 / Appendix 3.2 Quantitaive analysis of Chuanxiong sample from Hong Kong (HK2) --- p.116 / Appendix 3.3 Quantitative analysis of Chuanxiong sample from Sichuan (SC1) --- p.116 / Appendix 3.4 Quantitative analysis of Chuanxiong sample from Sichuan (SC2) --- p.117 / Appendix 3.5 Quantitative anlaysis of Chuanxiong samplefrom Fujian (FJ) --- p.117

Western herbal medicine (WHM) is a whole system of medicine that is based on beliefs and practices that evolved distinct from conventional Western medicine. Practitioners of WHM use naturally-occurring crude plant materials, such as roots or flowers with little processing for persons with chronic disease. Herbal medicines are formulated and designed for each person's unique symptom variations, energetic profile, cause and supporting mechanisms of the health issue. This approach to herbal medicine is not explicated in the literature and contrasts the use of highly-processed herb products in a one-size-fits-all approach that fails to reflect WHM as a whole complex system. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory explaining the basic social psychological process WHM practitioners use to formulate plant medicines for individuals. Data were collected from a theoretical sample of 17 North American WHM practitioners contributing a total of 39 interviews and analyzed using the constant comparison method. The process of Personalizing Western Herbal Medicine consists of five steps with a decision-making subprocess of five steps. The core concept of Weaving a Tapestry of Right Relationships explains what practitioners do when Personalizing Western Herbal Medicine. Right relationship is emergent coherence and accounts for wholeness as the relationship of the parts and weaves through connecting each step in Personalizing Western Herbal Medicine. Creating Concordance describes right relationship between the person and the herbal medicine. Concordance is achieved when an herbal medicine fits the whole person and there is a personal shift or restoration of dynamic equilibrium.