Prunella vulgaris: A comprehensive review of chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications.

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a perennial herb belonging to the Labiate family and is widely distributed in northeastern Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. It is reported to display diverse biological activities including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation as determined by in vitro or in vivo studies. So far, about 200 compounds have been isolated from PV plant and majority of these have been characterized mainly as triterpenoids, sterols and flavonoids, followed by coumarins, phenylpropanoids, polysaccharides and volatile oils. This review summarizes and analyzes the current knowledge on the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of the PV plant including its potential as a future medicinal plant. Although some of the chemical constituents of the PV plant and their mechanism of action have been investigated the biological activities of many of these remain unknown and further clinical trials are required to further enhance its reputation as a medicinal plant

Effect of rifampin with bio-enhancer in the treatment of newly diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis patients: A double-center study

Objective: To compare a fixed-dose combination (FDC) of Rifampicin 450 mg, Isoniazid 300 mg, Pyrazinamide 1500 mg and Ethambutol 800 mg (usual care group) and regimen of Rifampicin 200 mg, Isoniazid 300 mg and piperine 10 mg along with Pyrazinamide 1500 mg and Ethambutol 800 mg (intervention care group). Methods: A randomized, prospective, parallel group study was conducted on newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients. The drugs were given during intensive and continuous phase of treatment to newly diagnosed sputum positive pulmonary tuberculosis. All the patients were subjected to sputum examination, biochemical investigations followed by adverse drug event (ADE) monitoring. Results: A total of 63 patients completed the study. No significant difference was observed in baseline characteristics of patients between the study groups. At the end of the continuous phase, both the groups showed zero bacteria detection. However, in the intervention group, the rate of sputum conversion was much faster than the usual care group. The rate of increase in SGOT and SGPT was much higher in the usual care group (p < 0.0001) than the interventional group (p < 0.05). Urea and creatinine has also increased from pre-treatment to end visit. The number of patients reported ADEs was less in the intervention care group (22.22%) when compared to the usual care group (36.84%). Conclusion: Rifampicin 200 mg with piperine 10 mg FDC is compatible with the usual CAT-1 regimen. Keywords: Tuberculosis, Intensive phase, Continuous phase, Piperine, Rifampici

Pattern of complementary and alternative medicine use in pediatric oncology patients in a South Indian hospital

Background: Even though the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) is thought to be more prevalent among pediatric cancer patients, no studies have been reported on a South Indian population. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the use of CAMs among pediatric cancer patients in a tertiary care South Indian hospital. Patients and methods: Two hundred and seventy-seven pediatric cancer patients who received conventional therapy for the treatment of various types of cancer were enrolled from a pediatric oncology department in South India. Results: Of the enrolled children, 7.58% used CAMs, of which the most commonly used was Ayurveda followed by Siddha. Most of the CAM users were upper middle class. There were no statistically significant differences between the usage of CAMs and baseline characteristics except for socioeconomic status. None of the parents of the enrolled children disclosed their CAM treatment to an oncologist. Conclusion: Parents must be educated about CAM therapy and advised to discuss all treatment-related issues with an oncologist. Pharmacists can play a bridging role between oncologists and parents, and other healthcare professionals should also be familiar with the benefits and disadvantages of using CAM therapy to be able to guide the parents