Hordeum Vulgare Hull in the Design of Fast Disintegrating Tablets

In the present study, fast disintegrating tablets were designed with a view to enhance patient compliance. In this method, the hull of Hordeum vulgare, cross carmellose sodium, and sodium starch glycolate were used as superdisintegrants (4 and 6%), along with microcrystalline cellulose and mannitol, to enhance mouth feel. The prepared batches of tablets were evaluated for hardness, friability, drug content uniformity, wetting time, water absorption ratio and in vitro dispersion time. Based on the in vitro dispersion time, the formulations were tested for the in vitro drug release pattern. Tablets having H. vulgare hull showed the release profile comparable to those tablets having sodium starch glycolate and cross carmellose sodium

Suppression of low-density lipoprotein oxidation, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration by a herbal extract of Radix Astragali, Radix Codonopsis and Cortex Lycii

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Atherosclerosis is a major cause of death in developed world. Atherosclerosis is characterized by low-density lipoprotein deposition in the arterial wall which ultimately begets the formation of lesions. Rupture of lesions finally leads to clinical events such as heart attack and stroke. Atherosclerosis is a complication associated with diabetes. In patients with diabetes, the risk of atherosclerosis is three to five folds greater than in non-diabetics. Our previous study showed that a herbal extract of <it>Radix Astragali, Radix Codonopsis </it>and <it>Cortex Lycii</it>, namely SR10, could improve glucose homeostasis both <it>in vitro </it>and <it>in vivo</it>. In this study, we want to further investigate the efficacy of SR10 in treating atherosclerosis.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>The inhibitory effect of SR10 on low-density lipoprotein oxidation was investigated using free radical-induced erythrocyte hemolysis model and copper ion-induced low-density lipoprotein oxidation model. Since vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration are important processes in atherogenesis, we also examined the effect of SR10 in inhibiting these events.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results showed that SR10 inhibited erythrocyte hemolysis with IC₅₀value at 0.25 mg/ml and significantly prolonged low-density lipoprotein oxidation <it>in vitro</it>. SR10 attenuated platelet derived growth factor-BB-induced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation by promoting cell cycle arrest at G₀/G₁phase as well as inhibiting vascular smooth muscle cell migration.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The potential application of SR10 in treating atherosclerosis has been implied in this study. Animal model will be needed to further verify the efficacy of SR10 in future.</p

Inventing a herbal tradition: The complex roots of the current popularity of Epilobium angustifolium in Eastern Europe

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Currently various scientific and popular sources provide a wide spectrum of ethnopharmacological information on many plants, yet the sources of that information, as well as the information itself, are often not clear, potentially resulting in the erroneous use of plants among lay people or even in official medicine. Our field studies in seven countries on the Eastern edge of Europe have revealed an unusual increase in the medicinal use of Epilobium angustifolium L., especially in Estonia, where the majority of uses were specifically related to “men's problems”. The aim of the current work is: to understand the recent and sudden increase in the interest in the use of E. angustifolium in Estonia; to evaluate the extent of documented traditional use of E. angustifolium among sources of knowledge considered traditional; to track different sources describing (or attributed as describing) the benefits of E. angustifolium; and to detect direct and indirect influences of the written sources on the currently documented local uses of E. angustifolium on the Eastern edge of Europe. Materials and methods: In this study we used a variety of methods: semi-structured interviews with 599 people in 7 countries, historical data analysis and historical ethnopharmacological source analysis. We researched historical and archival sources, and academic and popular literature published on the medicinal use of E. angustifolium in the regions of our field sites as well as internationally, paying close attention to the literature that might have directly or indirectly contributed to the popularity of E. angustifolium at different times in history. Results: Our results show that the sudden and recent popularity in the medical use of E. angustifolium in Estonia has been caused by local popular authors with academic medical backgrounds, relying simultaneously on “western” and Russian sources. While Russian sources have propagated (partially unpublished) results from the 1930s, “western” sources are scientific insights derived from the popularization of other Epilobium species by Austrian herbalist Maria Treben. The information Treben disseminated could have been originated from a previous peak in popularity of E. angustifolium in USA in the second half of the 19th century, caused in turn by misinterpretation of ancient herbals. The traditional uses of E. angustifolium were related to wounds and skin diseases, fever, pain (headache, sore throat, childbirth), and abdominal-related problems (constipation, stomach ache) and intestinal bleeding. Few more uses were based on the similarity principle. The main theme, however, is the fragmentation of use and its lack of consistency apart from wounds and skin diseases. Conclusions: Historical ethnobotanical investigations could help to avoid creating repeating waves of popularity of plants that have already been tried for certain diseases and later abandoned as not fully effective. There is, of course, a chance that E. angustifolium could also finally be proven to be clinically safe and cost-effective for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, but this has not yet happened despite recent intensive research. Documented traditional use would suggest investigating the dermatological, intestinal anti-hemorrhagic and pain inhibiting properties of this plant, if any

From Scutellaria barbata to BZL101 in Cancer Patients: Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Clinical Evidence

Scutellaria barbata D.Don is a popular Chinese medicinal plant documented to treat cancer patients in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). A botanical new investigational drug for breast cancer BZL101 (FDA IDN# 59521) was previously developed in the United States from the aqueous extract of the aerial parts from S. barbata. The early phase 1A and 1B clinical trials show its favorable toxicity profiles, good clinical tolerance, and promising efficacy for patients with metastatic breast cancer. To further evidence the phytopharmacology research, drug development, and anticancer use of this herb, a systematic literature review was performed herein on the phytochemistry, pharmacology, and specifically anticancer clinical evidence. A systematic review of the literature on phytochemical and pharmacological properties of the plant related to cancer treatment employed several web-based scientific databases including Wanfang (Chinese), Pubmed, Web of Science, and Elsevier. Key words included Scutellaria barbata, Ban Zhi Lian, cancer, and tumor. Based on critical quality criteria, only 8 out of 69 reports related to clinical studies of cancer patients in China. This review covered the available literature up to July 2019. The anticancer effects of S. barbata can be explained by the presence of various flavonoids and diterpenoids alkaloids. The underlying mechanisms are primarily summarized as cyclin/cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)-modulated cell cycle arrest and mitochondria-mediated apoptotic death. The highly cancer-cell selective cytotoxicity and detoxifying effects of S. barbata contribute to a favorable clinical profile and enhanced quality of life for the cancer patient, thereby demanding further study as an adjuvant or alternative to conventional chemotherapy. The phytochemical and pharmacological studies reviewed strongly underpin a fundamental understanding of the anticancer activity of S. barbata and support ongoing clinical trials. The further safety verification and clinical trials are expected to progress S. barbata-based development to finally transform the traditional TCM herb S. barbata to the valuable anticancer drug