COVID-19: Is There Evidence for the Use of Herbal Medicines as Adjuvant Symptomatic Therapy?

Background: Current recommendations for the self-management of SARS-Cov-2 disease (COVID-19) include self-isolation, rest, hydration, and the use of NSAID in case of high fever only. It is expected that many patients will add other symptomatic/adjuvant treatments, such as herbal medicines. Aims: To provide a benefits/risks assessment of selected herbal medicines traditionally indicated for “respiratory diseases” within the current frame of the COVID-19 pandemic as an adjuvant treatment. Method: The plant selection was primarily based on species listed by the WHO and EMA, but some other herbal remedies were considered due to their widespread use in respiratory conditions. Preclinical and clinical data on their efficacy and safety were collected from authoritative sources. The target population were adults with early and mild flu symptoms without underlying conditions. These were evaluated according to a modified PrOACT-URL method with paracetamol, ibuprofen, and codeine as reference drugs. The benefits/risks balance of the treatments was classified as positive, promising, negative, and unknown. Results: A total of 39 herbal medicines were identified as very likely to appeal to the COVID-19 patient. According to our method, the benefits/risks assessment of the herbal medicines was found to be positive in 5 cases (Althaea officinalis, Commiphora molmol, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Hedera helix, and Sambucus nigra), promising in 12 cases (Allium sativum, Andrographis paniculata, Echinacea angustifolia, Echinacea purpurea, Eucalyptus globulus essential oil, Justicia pectoralis, Magnolia officinalis, Mikania glomerata, Pelargonium sidoides, Pimpinella anisum, Salix sp, Zingiber officinale), and unknown for the rest. On the same grounds, only ibuprofen resulted promising, but we could not find compelling evidence to endorse the use of paracetamol and/or codeine. Conclusions: Our work suggests that several herbal medicines have safety margins superior to those of reference drugs and enough levels of evidence to start a clinical discussion about their potential use as adjuvants in the treatment of early/mild common flu in otherwise healthy adults within the context of COVID-19. While these herbal medicines will not cure or prevent the flu, they may both improve general patient well-being and offer them an opportunity to personalize the therapeutic approaches

Studio dell'attività antinfiammatoria ed antimicrobica di prodotti vegetai derivati da Hippophae Rhamnoides L. e da Plantago Major L. per il controllo della mastite negli allevamenti biologici

2008/2009L’attività di ricerca svolta durante l’attività di dottorato si colloca nell’ambito del progetto PhytoVet, finanziato dalla Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, volto ad individuare molecole ad attività antinfiammatoria ed antimicrobica, utili nel trattamento della mastite negli animali da reddito. Sono state studiate le proprietà antinfiammatorie ed antimicrobiche dei frutti di Hippophae rhamnoides (olivello spinoso) e delle foglie di Plantago major (piantaggine maggiore), due piante presenti sul territorio regionale. Lo scopo è stato quello di individuare frazioni o composti dotati di tali proprietà da utilizzare nella preparazione di formulazioni per il trattamento della mastite bovina anche negli allevamenti biologici. Il regolamento comunitario CE 1804/99 ha, infatti, introdotto il divieto dell’utilizzo di farmaci allopatici e i successivi interventi sulla normativa hanno confermato il provvedimento. Da qui è nata la necessità di prendere in considerazione metodi alternativi di cura. I frutti di olivello spinoso e le foglie di piantaggine maggiore sono stati sottoposti sia ad estrazioni con solventi organici a diversa polarità, che ad estrazioni acquose. Seguendo il metodo del frazionamento guidato dal saggio biologico, sono state analizzate le capacità antinfiammatorie ed antimicrobiche degli estratti ottenuti e solo quelli risultati attivi sono stati poi frazionati fino ad identificare i composti responsabili di tali attività. Nelle foglie di P. major è stato individuato l’acido ursolico, un triterpene dotato di notevoli proprietà antinfiammatorie ed antimicrobiche, evidenziate rispettivamente mediante il test di inibizione della dermatite da olio di Croton nel padiglione auricolare del topo e mediante saggi in vitro su ceppi microbici coinvolti nella mastite. Verificate tali proprietà, è stata messa a punto una formulazione per somministrazione intramammaria, contenente l’acido ursolico, da sperimentare in vivo negli ovini, a cui è stata indotta la mastite mediante un inoculo di Staphylococcus epidermidis, nei confronti del quale il triterpene ha mostrato una notevole attività battericida nel corso dei precedenti studi in vitro. Lo studio in vivo negli ovini con mastite è tuttora in corso.XXII Ciclo197

Photoactivated cationic alkyl-substituted porphyrin binding to g4-RNA in the 5'-UTR of KRAS oncogene represses translation

The KRAS transcript is characterized by a 192-nt 5'-UTR containing repetitive runs of two-guanines which can fold in several G-quadruplexes. These folded structures have a high affinity for the cationic porphyrin tri-meso(N-methyl-4-pyridyl), meso(N-tetradecyl-4-pyridyl) porphine (TMPyP4-C14), which efficiently penetrates cell membranes. Upon photoactivation TMPyP4-C14 induces a dramatic down-regulation of oncogenic KRAS and cell growth arrest in pancreatic cancer cell

Rapid HPLC Analysis for Quantitative Determination of the Two Isomeric Triterpenic Acids, Oleanolic acid and Ursolic acid, in Plantago Major

Plantago major has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In order to evaluate the quality of P. major, a simple, rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the assessment of the two bioactive triterpenic acids: oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA). A LiChrosorb octadecylsilyl silica (ODS) column with methanol, tetrahydrofuran and aqueous acetic acid as mobile phase and detection at 220 nm were employed for HPLC analysis. The method is precise with relative standard deviations for these two constituents that ranged between 0.5–1.1% (intraday) and 0.8–1.8% (interday). The contents of these two phytochemicals in the leaves of P. major growing in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region were determined in order to establish an effective and reproducible method

Rapid HPLC analysis for quantitative determination of the two isomeric triterpenic acids, oleanolic and ursolic acid, in Plantago major.

Plantago major has been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of various diseases. In order to evaluate the quality of P. major, a simple, rapid and accurate high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed for the assessment of the two bioactive triterpenic acids: oleanolic acid (OA) and ursolic acid (UA). A LiChrosorb octadecylsilyl silica (ODS) column with methanol, tetrahydrofuran and aqueous acetic acid as mobile phase and detection at 220 nm were employed for HPLC analysis. The method is precise with relative standard deviations for these two constituents that ranged between 0.5\u20131.1% (intraday) and 0.8\u20131.8% (interday). The contents of these two phytochemicals in the leaves of P. major growing in Friuli Venezia Giulia Region were determined in order to establish an effective and reproducible method