29 research outputs found

    Medicinal Plants of the Russian Pharmacopoeia, history and applications

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    Due to the location of Russia between West and East, Russian phytotherapy has accumulated and adopted approaches that originated in European and Asian traditional medicine. Phytotherapy is an official and separate branch of medicine in Russia; thus, herbal medicinal preparations are considered official medicaments. The aim of the present review is to summarize and critically appraise data concerning plants used in Russian medicine. This review describes the history of herbal medicine in Russia, the current situation and the pharmacological effects of specific plants in the Russian Pharmacopoeia that are not included in the European Pharmacopoeia. Materials and methods Based on the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR (11 edition), we selected plant species that have not yet been adopted in Western and Central Europe (e.g.; selected for inclusion in the European Pharmacopoeia) and systematically searched the scientific literature for data using library catalogs, the online service E-library.ru, and databases such as Medline/Pubmed, Scopus, and the Web of Science regarding species, effectiveness, pharmacological effects, and safety. Results The Russian Federation follows the State Pharmacopoeia of the USSR (11 edition), which contains 83 individual plant monographs. Fifty-one of these plants are also found in the European Pharmacopoeia and have been well studied, but 32 plants are found only in the Pharmacopoeia of the USSR. Many articles about these medicinal plants were never translated in English, and much of the information collected by Russian scientists has never been made available to the international community. Such knowledge can be applied in future studies aimed at a safe, evidence-based use of traditional Russian medicinal plants in European and global phytopharmacotherapy as well as for the discovery of novel leads for drug development. Conclusion The review highlights the therapeutic potential of these Russian phytopharmaceuticals but also highlights cases where concern has been raised about product safety and tolerability, which would aid in supporting their safe use. © 2014 The Author

    Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress- and aging-related diseases

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    Adaptogens comprise a category of herbal medicinal and nutritional products promoting adaptability, resilience, and survival of living organisms in stress. The aim of this review was to summarize the growing knowledge about common adaptogenic plants used in various traditional medical systems (TMS) and conventional medicine and to provide a modern rationale for their use in the treatment of stress-induced and aging-related disorders. Adaptogens have pharmacologically pleiotropic effects on the neuroendocrine-immune system, which explain their traditional use for the treatment of a wide range of conditions. They exhibit a biphasic dose-effect response: at low doses they function as mild stress-mimetics, which activate the adaptive stress-response signaling pathways to cope with severe stress. That is in line with their traditional use for preventing premature aging and to maintain good health and vitality. However, the potential of adaptogens remains poorly explored. Treatment of stress and aging-related diseases require novel approaches. Some combinations of adaptogenic plants provide unique effects due to their synergistic interactions in organisms not obtainable by any ingredient independently. Further progress in this field needs to focus on discovering new combinations of adaptogens based on traditional medical concepts. Robust and rigorous approaches including network pharmacology and systems pharmacology could help in analyzing potential synergistic effects and, more broadly, future uses of adaptogens. In conclusion, the evolution of the adaptogenic concept has led back to basics of TMS and a new level of understanding of holistic approach. It provides a rationale for their use in stress-induced and aging-related diseases

    Anti-Helicobacter pylori activity and immunostimulatory effect of extracts from Byrsonima crassa Nied. (Malpighiaceae)

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several <it>in vitro </it>studies have looked at the effect of medicinal plant extracts against <it>Helicobacter pylori </it>(<it>H. pylori</it>). Regardless of the popular use of <it>Byrsonima crassa </it>(<it>B. crassa</it>) as antiemetic, diuretic, febrifuge, to treat diarrhea, gastritis and ulcers, there is no data on its effects against <it>H. pylori</it>. In this study, we evaluated the anti-<it>H. pylori </it>of <it>B. crassa </it>leaves extracts and its effects on reactive oxygen/nitrogen intermediates induction by murine peritoneal macrophages.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined by broth microdilution method and the production of hydrogen peroxide (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>) and nitric oxide (NO) by the horseradish peroxidase-dependent oxidation of phenol red and Griess reaction, respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The methanolic (MeOH) and chloroformic (CHCl<sub>3</sub>) extracts inhibit, <it>in vitro</it>, the growth of <it>H. pylori </it>with MIC value of 1024 μg/ml. The MeOH extract induced the production H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2 </sub>and NO, but CHCl<sub>3 </sub>extract only NO.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Based in our results, <it>B. crassa </it>can be considered a source of compounds with anti-<it>H. pylori </it>activity, but its use should be done with caution in treatment of the gastritis and peptic ulcers, since the reactive oxygen/nitrogen intermediates are involved in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal injury induced by ulcerogenic agents and <it>H. pylori </it>infections.</p

    New Aminonaphthoquinone from the Sea Urchins Strongylocentrotus pallidus

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    A Critical Review to Identify the Domains Used to Measure the Effect and Outcome of Adaptogenic Herbal Medicines.

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    Background: Phytoadaptogens are considered to be herbal medicines with a multi-target effect that strengthen organ systems compromised by stress. Although animal and laboratory studies have identified numerous molecular targets associated with adaptogenic activity, the non-specific characteristic of these herbal medicines has meant there is no known methods to accurately determine efficacy of adaptogens in humans. This critical review of the evidence aims to identify domains which have been used to measure the effect of adaptogens in humans, in order to create pathways for translating laboratory, animal, and clinical studies on adaptogens into practical applications in the future. Methods: EMBASE, AMED, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and WHO ICTRP databases were searched for randomized trials which examined known physiological actions of adaptogens. Results: Twenty-four studies were identified and critically appraised using the Jadad scale. The findings identified three broad categories of outcome measures, including cognitive, mood and biological measures. Conclusions: There was a great heterogeneity in data making it difficult to draw conclusions as to the most effective measurement tools to capture the holistic activity in humans. Cognitive measures hold promise as a reliable measurement tool when used in conjunction with other relevant tools. Further investigation is necessary to determine the most appropriate and diverse tools to measure the complex multi-target action of adaptogens

    Findings of Russian literature on the clinical application of Eleutherococcus senticosus (Rupr. & Maxim.): A narrative review.

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    Aim of the review During the time of the USSR, a distinct research directive was undertaken on ES to examine substances which improve stamina and endurance, with over 1000 studies published. Due to security measures within the former USSR these papers were not accessible to the public and were never translated into English. This is the first study to make findings of the USSR studies on ES available to the international research and scientific community. Methods This study was an archival retrieval. References for studies were sought from printed journal and conference preceding's publications, then located within library catalogues of three libraries in St Petersburg Russia. Eligibility criteria included human clinical trials examining the efficacy of ES in any condition, published in the Russian language in the Soviet Union. Results A total of 46 studies published between 1962 and 1986 in the USSR were sourced. Of the retrieved articles, 29 were reported as placebo-controlled trials, 11 were reported as controlled trials and six studies did not report the study design. Trends in studies were those reporting on healthy volunteers (n=21) at a dose of 2 ml extract/day (n=14) examining outcomes such as physical and mental stamina under varying conditions, normal work conditions, high temperatures and high altitudes, incidence or prophylaxis of colds and influenza (n=5), effects on color perception and vision (n=2), work capacity (n=1), cognitive effects (n=1), prophylaxis of hearing loss (n=3), effects on blood cell counts (n=2) and sensitivity to UV radiation (n=1). Conclusions ES appears to exhibit benefits for cognitive function and physical and mental endurance and its effect as a respiratory system infection prophylaxis treatment are promising. This study is the first to publish the findings of clinical trials on ES from the USSR, which supports the traditional use and offers a valuable contribution to the body of evidence on medicinal uses of ES when the data is applied within the context of its limitations
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