Artemisia dracunculus L. (tarragon): a critical review of its traditional use, chemical composition, pharmacology, and safety.

Artemisia dracunculus L. (tarragon) has a long history of use as a spice and remedy. Two well-described "cultivars" (Russian and French) are used widely and differ in ploidy level, morphology, and chemistry. Key biologically active secondary metabolites are essential oils (0.15-3.1%), coumarins (>1%), flavonoids, and phenolcarbonic acids. In vivo studies mainly in rodents, particularly from Russian sources, highlight potential anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, and antihyperglycemic effects. Despite concerns about the toxic effects of two of its main constituents, estragole (up to 82%) and methyleugenol (up to 39%), no acute toxicity or mutagenic activity has been reported at doses relevant for human consumption. Water extracts of A. dracunculus contain very low amounts of estragole and methyleugenol and, therefore, are considered to pose a very limited risk. Overall, a stronger focus on clinical studies and precise taxonomic and phytochemical definition of the source material will be essential for future research efforts

A new high-quality elderberry plant extract exerts antiviral and immunomodulatory effects in vitro and ex vivo

Infections of the respiratory system, including common cold and influenza, are affecting people worldwide and are more or less prone to spread depending on the season and viral load of the host. For reducing symptoms and duration of illness, treatment options to standard prescribed drugs are in demand. Natural products could provide immune-supporting treatment alternatives. Elderberry extracts have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of respiratory infections for decades and numerous studies describe the beneficial effects of elderberries on the immune system and respiratory infectious disease. We investigated the immunomodulative and antiviral effects of a high-quality, anthocyanin-enriched elderberry fruit extract (eldosamb®). Results reveal that elderberry extract reduced the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IFN-γ, leading to a shift towards the Th2-Helper cell response and showing antiviral efficacy against the MVA virus. Thus, with its anti-inflammatory and antiviral bioactivity the proprietary elderberry extract suggests its use as an immunomodulatory health product

Development process of a clinical guideline to manage type 2 diabetes in adults by Ayurvedic practitioners

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a common chronic health condition, has major health and socioeconomic consequences. In the Indian subcontinent, it is a health condition for which individuals commonly consult Ayurvedic (traditional medical system) practitioners and use their medicines. However, to date, a good quality T2DM clinical guideline for Ayurvedic practitioners, grounded on the best available scientific evidence, is not available. Therefore, the study aimed to systematically develop a clinical guideline for Ayurvedic practitioners to manage T2DM in adults. Methods: The development work was guided by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) manual for developing guidelines, the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, and the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. First, a comprehensive systematic review was conducted which evaluated Ayurvedic medicines’ effectiveness and safety in managing T2DM. In addition, the GRADE approach was used for assessing the certainty of the findings. Next, using the GRADE approach, the Evidence-to-Decision framework was developed, and we focused on glycemic control and adverse events. Subsequently, based on the Evidence-to-Decision framework, a Guideline Development Group of 17 international members made recommendations on Ayurvedic medicines’ effectiveness and safety in T2DM. These recommendations formed the basis of the clinical guideline, and additional generic content and recommendations were adapted from the T2DM Clinical Knowledge Summaries of the Clarity Informatics (UK). The feedback given by the Guideline Development Group on the draft version was used to amend and finalize the clinical guideline. Results: A clinical guideline for managing T2DM in adults by Ayurvedic practitioners was developed, which focuses on how practitioners can provide appropriate care, education, and support for people with T2DM (and their carers and family). The clinical guideline provides information on T2DM, such as its definition, risk factors, prevalence, prognosis, and complications; how it should be diagnosed and managed through lifestyle changes like diet and physical activity and Ayurvedic medicines; how the acute and chronic complications of T2DM should be detected and managed (including referral to specialists); and advice on topics like driving, work, and fasting including during religious/socio-cultural festivals. Conclusion: We systematically developed a clinical guideline for Ayurvedic practitioners to manage T2DM in adults

All-Photonic Multifunctional Molecular Logic Device

Photochromes are photoswitchable, bistable chromophores which, like transistors, can implement binary logic operations. When several photochromes are combined in one molecule, interactions between them such as energy and electron transfer allow design of simple Boolean logic gates and more complex logic devices with all-photonic inputs and outputs. Selective isomerization of individual photochromes can be achieved using light of different wavelengths, and logic outputs can employ absorption and emission properties at different wavelengths, thus allowing a single molecular species to perform several different functions, even simultaneously. Here, we report a molecule consisting of three linked photochromes that can be configured as AND, XOR, INH, half-adder, half-subtractor, multiplexer, demultiplexer, encoder, decoder, keypad lock, and logically reversible transfer gate logic devices, all with a common initial state. The system demonstrates the advantages of light-responsive molecules as multifunctional, reconfigurable nanoscale logic devices that represent an approach to true molecular information processing units

OFF-ON-OFF Fluorescence Switch with T-Latch Function

A novel molecular system with characteristics of an OFF-ON-OFF fluorescence switch was designed to integrate the function of a T-latch. In detail, a receptor(1)-fluorophore-receptor(2) architecture was adopted to achieve fluorescence switching upon addition of protons

An All-Photonic Molecule-Based D Flip-Flop

The photochromic fluorescence switching of a fulgimide derivative was used to implement the first molecule-based D (delay) flip-flop device, which works based on the principles of sequential logic. The device operates exclusively with photonic signals and can be conveniently switched in repeated cycles. \ua9 2011 American Chemical Society

Spin chemistry investigation of peculiarities of photoinduced electron transfer in donor-acceptor linked system

Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer in linked systems, (R,S)- and (S,S)-naproxen-N-methylpyrrolidine dyads, has been studied by means of spin chemistry methods [magnetic field effect and chemically induced dynamic nuclear polarization (CIDNP)]. The relative yield of the triplet state of the dyads in different magnetic field has been measured, and dependences of the high-field CIDNP of the N-methylpyrrolidine fragment on solvent polarity have been investigated. However, both (S,S)- and (R,S)-enantiomers demonstrate almost identical CIDNP effects for the entire range of polarity. It has been demonstrated that the main peculiarities of photoprocesses in this linked system are connected with the participation of singlet exciplex alongside with photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer in chromophore excited state quenching.This work was supported by the grants 08-03-00372 and 11-03-01104 of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, and the grant of Priority Programs of the Russian Academy of Sciences, nr. 5.1.5.Magin, I.; Polyakov, N.; Khramtsova, E.; Kruppa, A.; Stepanov, A.; Purtov, P.; Leshina, T.... (2011). Spin chemistry investigation of peculiarities of photoinduced electron transfer in donor-acceptor linked system. Applied Magnetic Resonance. 41(2-4):205-220. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00723-011-0288-3S205220412-4J.S. Park, E. Karnas, K. Ohkubo, P. Chen, K.M. Kadish, S. Fukuzumi, C.W. Bielawski, T.W. Hudnall, V.M. Lynch, J.L. Sessler, Science 329, 1324–1327 (2010)S.Y. Reece, D.G. Nocera, Annu. Rev. Biochem. 78, 673–699 (2009)M.S. Afanasyeva, M.B. Taraban, P.A. Purtov, T.V. Leshina, C.B. Grissom, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128, 8651–8658 (2006)M.A. Fox, M. Chanon, in Photoinduced Electron Transfer. C: Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reactions: Organic Substrates (Elsevier, New York, 1988), p. 754P.J. Hayball, R.L. Nation, F. Bochner, Chirality 4, 484–487 (1992)N. Suesa, M.F. Fernandez, M. Gutierrez, M.J. Rufat, E. Rotllan, L. Calvo, D. Mauleon, G. Carganico, Chirality 5, 589–595 (1993)A.M. Evans, J. Clin. Pharmacol. 36, 7–15 (1996)Y. Inoue, T. Wada, S. Asaoka, H. Sato, J.-P. Pete, Chem Commun. 4, 251–259 (2000)T. Yorozu, K. Hayashi, M. Irie, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 5480–5548 (1981)N.J. Turro, in Modern Molecular Photochemistry (Benjamin/Cummings, San Francisco, 1978)K.M. Salikhov, Y.N. Molin, R.Z. Sagdeev, A.L. Buchachenko, in Spin Polarization and Magnetic Field Effects in Radical Reactions (Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, 1984), p. 419E.A. Weiss, M.A. Ratner, M.R. Wasielewski, J. Phys. Chem. A 107, 3639–3647 (2003)A.S. Lukas, P.J. Bushard, E.A. Weiss, M.R. Wasielewski, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 125, 3921–3930 (2003)R. Nakagaki, K. Mutai, M. Hiramatsu, H. Tukada, S. Nakakura, Can. J. Chem. 66, 1989–1996 (1988)M.C. Jim′enez, U. Pischel, M.A. Miranda, J. Photochem. Photobiol. C Photochem. Rev. 8, 128–142 (2007)S. Abad, U. Pischel, M.A. Miranda, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci. 4, 69–74 (2005)U. Pischel, S. Abad, L.R. Domingo, F. Bosca, M.A. Miranda, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 42, 2531–2534 (2003)G.L. Closs, R.J. Miller, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 101, 1639–1641 (1979)G.L. Closs, R.J. Miller, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 3586–3588 (1981)M. Goez, Chem. Phys. Lett. 188, 451–456 (1992)I.F. Molokov, Y.P. Tsentalovich, A.V. Yurkovskaya, R.Z. Sagdeev, J. Photochem. Photobiol. A 110, 159–165 (1997)U. Pischel, S. Abad, M.A. Miranda, Chem. Commun. 9, 1088–1089 (2003)H. Hayashi, S. Nagakura, Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 57, 322–328 (1984)Y. Sakaguchi, H. Hayashi, S. Nagakura, Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 53, 39–42 (1980)H. Yonemura, H. Nakamura, T. Matsuo, Chem. Phys. Lett. 155, 157–161 (1989)N. Hata, M. Hokawa, Chem. Lett. 10, 507–510 (1981)M. Shiotani, L. Sjoeqvist, A. Lund, S. Lunell, L. Eriksson, M.B. Huang, J. Phys. Chem. 94, 8081–8090 (1990)E. Schaffner, H. Fischer, J. Phys. Chem. 100, 1657–1665 (1996)Y. Mori, Y. Sakaguchi, H. Hayashi, Chem. Phys. Lett. 286, 446–451 (1998)I.M. Magin, A.I. Kruppa, P.A. Purtov, Chem. Phys. 365, 80–84 (2009)K.K. Barnes, Electrochemical Reactions in Nonaqueous Systems (M. Dekker, New York, 1970), p. 560J. Bargon, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 99, 8350–8351 (1977)M. Goez, I. Frisch, J. Phys. Chem. A 106, 8079–8084 (2002)A.K. Chibisov, Russ. Chem. Rev. 50, 615–629 (1981)J. Goodman, K. Peters, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 107, 1441–1442 (1985)H. Cao, Y. Fujiwara, T. Haino, Y. Fukazawa, C.-H. Tung, Y. Tanimoto, Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 69, 2801–2813 (1996)P.A. Purtov, A.B. Doktorov, Chem. Phys. 178, 47–65 (1993)A.I. Kruppa, O.I. Mikhailovskaya, T.V. Leshina, Chem. Phys. Lett. 147, 65–71 (1988)M.E. Michel-Beyerle, R. Haberkorn, W. Bube, E. Steffens, H. Schröder, H.J. Neusser, E.W. Schlag, H. Seidlitz, Chem. Phys. 17, 139–145 (1976)K. Schulten, H. Staerk, A. Weller, H.-J. Werner, B. Nickel, Z. Phys. Chem. 101, 371–390 (1976)K. Gnadig, K.B. Eisenthal, Chem. Phys. Lett. 46, 339–342 (1977)T. Nishimura, N. Nakashima, N. Mataga, Chem. Phys. Lett. 46, 334–338 (1977)M.G. Kuzmin, I.V. Soboleva, E.V. Dolotova, D.N. Dogadkin, High Eng. Chem. 39, 86–96 (2005

Biomolecular Filters for Improved Separation of Output Signals in Enzyme Logic Systems Applied to Biomedical Analysis

Biomolecular logic systems processing biochemical input signals and producing "digital" outputs in the form of YES/NO were developed for analysis of physiological conditions characteristic of liver injury, soft tissue injury and abdominal trauma. Injury biomarkers were used as input signals for activating the logic systems. Their normal physiological concentrations were defined as logic-0 level, while their pathologically elevated concentrations were defined as logic-1 values. Since the input concentrations applied as logic 0 and 1 values were not sufficiently different, the output signals being at low and high values (0, 1 outputs) were separated with a short gap making their discrimination difficult. Coupled enzymatic reactions functioning as a biomolecular signal processing system with a built-in filter property were developed. The filter process involves a partial back-conversion of the optical-output-signal-yielding product, but only at its low concentrations, thus allowing the proper discrimination between 0 and 1 output values

Realization and Properties of Biochemical-Computing Biocatalytic XOR Gate Based on Enzyme Inhibition by a Substrate

We consider a realization of the XOR logic gate in a process biocatalyzed by an enzyme (here horseradish peroxidase: HRP), the function of which can be inhibited by a substrate (hydrogen peroxide for HRP), when the latter is inputted at large enough concentrations. A model is developed for describing such systems in an approach suitable for evaluation of the analog noise amplification properties of the gate. The obtained data are fitted for gate quality evaluation within the developed model, and we discuss aspects of devising XOR gates for functioning in "biocomputing" systems utilizing biomolecules for information processing

Optimization of Enzymatic Biochemical Logic for Noise Reduction and Scalability: How Many Biocomputing Gates Can Be Interconnected in a Circuit?

We report an experimental evaluation of the "input-output surface" for a biochemical AND gate. The obtained data are modeled within the rate-equation approach, with the aim to map out the gate function and cast it in the language of logic variables appropriate for analysis of Boolean logic for scalability. In order to minimize "analog" noise, we consider a theoretical approach for determining an optimal set for the process parameters to minimize "analog" noise amplification for gate concatenation. We establish that under optimized conditions, presently studied biochemical gates can be concatenated for up to order 10 processing steps. Beyond that, new paradigms for avoiding noise build-up will have to be developed. We offer a general discussion of the ideas and possible future challenges for both experimental and theoretical research for advancing scalable biochemical computing