Defensive properties of pyrrolizidine alkaloids against microorganisms

The understanding of the selection factors that drive chemical diversification of secondary metabolites of constitutive defence systems in plants, such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs), is still incomplete. Historically, plants always have been confronted with microorganisms. Long before herbivores existed on this planet, plants had to cope with microbial pathogens. Therefore, plant pathogenic microorganisms may have played an important role in the early evolution of the secondary metabolite diversity. In this review, we discuss the impact that plant-produced PAs have on plant-associated microorganisms. The objective of the review is to present the current knowledge on PAs with respect to anti-microbial activities, adaptation and detoxification by microorganisms, pathogenic fungi, root protection and PA induction. Many in vitro experiments showed effects of PAs on microorganisms. These results point to the potential of microorganisms to be important for the evolution of PAs. However, only a few in vivo studies have been published and support the results of the in vitro studies. In conclusion, the topics pointed out in this review need further exploration by carrying out ecological experiments and field studies

Indigenous use and bio-efficacy of medicinal plants in the Rasuwa District, Central Nepal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>By revealing historical and present plant use, ethnobotany contributes to drug discovery and socioeconomic development. Nepal is a natural storehouse of medicinal plants. Although several ethnobotanical studies were conducted in the country, many areas remain unexplored. Furthermore, few studies have compared indigenous plant use with reported phytochemical and pharmacological properties.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Ethnopharmacological data was collected in the Rasuwa district of Central Nepal by conducting interviews and focus group discussions with local people. The informant consensus factor (F_IC) was calculated in order to estimate use variability of medicinal plants. Bio-efficacy was assessed by comparing indigenous plant use with phytochemical and pharmacological properties determined from a review of the available literature. Criteria were used to identify high priority medicinal plant species.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A total of 60 medicinal formulations from 56 plant species were documented. Medicinal plants were used to treat various diseases and disorders, with the highest number of species being used for gastro-intestinal problems, followed by fever and headache. Herbs were the primary source of medicinal plants (57% of the species), followed by trees (23%). The average F_IC value for all ailment categories was 0.82, indicating a high level of informant agreement compared to similar studies conducted elsewhere. High F_ICvalues were obtained for ophthalmological problems, tooth ache, kidney problems, and menstrual disorders, indicating that the species traditionally used to treat these ailments are worth searching for bioactive compounds: <it>Astilbe rivularis</it>, <it>Berberis asiatica</it>, <it>Hippophae salicifolia, Juniperus recurva</it>, and <it>Swertia multicaulis</it>. A 90% correspondence was found between local plant use and reported plant chemical composition and pharmacological properties for the 30 species for which information was available. Sixteen medicinal plants were ranked as priority species, 13 of which having also been prioritized in a country-wide governmental classification.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The <it>Tamang </it>people possess rich ethnopharmacological knowledge. This study allowed to identify many high value and high priority medicinal plant species, indicating high potential for economic development through sustainable collection and trade.</p

Italian guidelines for primary headaches: 2012 revised version

The first edition of the Italian diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for primary headaches in adults was published in J Headache Pain 2(Suppl. 1):105–190 (2001). Ten years later, the guideline committee of the Italian Society for the Study of Headaches (SISC) decided it was time to update therapeutic guidelines. A literature search was carried out on Medline database, and all articles on primary headache treatments in English, German, French and Italian published from February 2001 to December 2011 were taken into account. Only randomized controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analyses were analysed for each drug. If RCT were lacking, open studies and case series were also examined. According to the previous edition, four levels of recommendation were defined on the basis of levels of evidence, scientific strength of evidence and clinical effectiveness. Recommendations for symptomatic and prophylactic treatment of migraine and cluster headache were therefore revised with respect to previous 2001 guidelines and a section was dedicated to non-pharmacological treatment. This article reports a summary of the revised version published in extenso in an Italian version

Fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness in migraine patients compared to controls

12th Congress of the European-Federation-of-Neurological-Societies -- AUG 23-26, 2008 -- Madrid, SPAINWOS: 000258379001070…European Federat Neurol So

Arnold-Chiari malformation presenting with recurrent syncope attacks

16th Congress of the European-Federation-of-Neurological-Societies (EFNS) -- SEP 08-11, 2012 -- Stockholm, SWEDENWOS: 000309359700266…European Federat Neurol Soc (EFNS

Brief Pain Inventory score identifying and discriminating neuropathic and nociceptive pain

WOS: 000325464200010PubMed: 23594114ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) as well as tests of its reliability, validity, and discriminative utility for estimating the status of chronic pain in neuropathic and nociceptive pain patients. Method and patientsWe enrolled 224 chronic pain (126 neuropathic pain and 98 nociceptive pain) patients. The original version of the BPI was translated into Turkish by standard procedures. An independent clinician determined the pain type. The factor analysis, reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability), and validity (agreement with the reference diagnosis and sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values) were determined. Discriminant function analysis was then employed to determine whether BPI could differentiate between neuropathic and nociceptive pain. ResultsCronbach's -coefficient was 0.84 for the test and 0.83 for the retest. BPI scores for subjects did not significantly differ between applications r:0.96 (P<0.01). Principal axis factoring with oblimin rotation revealed three interpretable factors: severity scale, activity interference, and sleep and mood interference. Compared to the clinical assessment, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for criterion total BPI score were 79.37%, 46.9%, 65.8%, and 63.9%, respectively. ConclusionThe results suggest that Turkish version of BPI is a reliable and valid evaluation measure of neuropathic and nociceptive pain patients. This is the first study reporting the comparison and validation of psychometric properties of BPI in neuropathic and nociceptive pain group. Our data suggest that BPI may able to discriminate the origin of chronic pain

The preliminary results of validation of Turkish brief pain inventory in neuropathic and nociceptive patients

12th Congress of the European-Federation-of-Neurological-Societies -- AUG 23-26, 2008 -- Madrid, SPAINWOS: 000258379001082…European Federat Neurol So

No difference in pain threshold between migraine patients and healthy controls

16th Congress of the European-Federation-of-Neurological-Societies (EFNS) -- SEP 08-11, 2012 -- Stockholm, SWEDENWOS: 000309359704103…European Federat Neurol Soc (EFNS

Evaluation of oxidative stress markers and antioxidant status in dementia and Parkinson disease

36th FEBS Congress of the Biochemistry for Tomorrows Medicine -- JUN 25-30, 2011 -- Torino, ITALYWOS: 000292333102456…Federat Soc Biochem & Mol Bio