Phytotherapy in zoo animals

Phytotherapy is one of the oldest medical disciplines and was traditionally based on empiricism (Reichling et al., 2008). Nowadays, its use as an additional integral component of evidence based medicine is well accepted in human medicine (Finkelmann, 2009). Herbal remedies are generally characterised by a broad therapeutic index. They consist of multicomponent mixtures and act as multi-target drugs with pleiotropic effects. In Switzerland, veterinary phytotherapy has been relaunched in 2006 as a subunit of the Swiss Medical Society for Phytotherapy (SMGP-vet). Since 2012, the certificate of qualification in veterinary phytotherapy has been approved by the Swiss Veterinary Association (GST/SVS). Historically, one of the common approaches to gain insight into the medical effects of plants was self-medication. In non-human animals, self medication remains a controversial subject, because evidence is mostly anecdotal. A few experimentally verified cases of self-medication support the theoretical expectation that animals can and do make specific foraging decisions that function specifically to remediate illness (Huffman and Caton, 2001; Villalba et al., 2006; Singer et al., 2009). In zoological medicine, this concept has first been implemented by primate keeping institutions. Permanent access to selected medicinal plants suggested self medication and helped maintain the health of certain primate species (Cousins, 2006)

The Influence of Phytotherapy on Prolactin Level in Macroprolactinoma Patients

The study aims at demonstrating the efficiency of phytotherapy in regulation of prolactin levels in patients diagnosed with pituitary macroprolactinoma. The study made use of workup outcomes submitted by treating healthcare facilities where the patients were first diagnosed with macroprolactinomas based on diagnostic imaging (MRI and/or CT), laboratory workup, and hormone status estimation. The data in reference served as the baseline for a comparative follow-up of phytotherapeutic efficiency in terms of comparison of medical data obtained prior to phytotherapy and those submitted following herbal remedy use. The study displays the results of a five-year follow-up of macroprolactinoma patients undergoing phytotherapy. In well-responding patients, the benefit of phytotherapy in terms of prolactin level putdown can be seen 3-5 months following the phytotherapy commencement. A special attention should be paid to the favourable results obtained with patients who chose to resort to phytotherapy only. The primary outcome measure used to monitor the efficiency of the administered phytotherapy was prolactin level determined prior to, during the course of, and following phytotherapy. Implementation of phytotherapy to the effect of prolactin level regulation in patients diagnosed with macroprolactinoma, represents a completely novel therapeutic approach. The majority of the diseased resorted to phytotherapy once they were left out of any other therapeutic option offered by their treating healthcare facilities. This fact gives a substantial rise to the significance of the results presented herein and justifies the role of phytotherapy in macroprolactinoma-induced hyperprolactinaemia treatment.Key words: phytotherapy; macroprolactinoma; prolactin; pituitary gland

Treatment of progression of diffuse astrocytoma by herbal medicine: case report

Background: The paper presents the results of the use of phytotherapy in a 33-year-old woman who, after finishing the oncological treatment of diffuse astrocytoma, had tumour progression.Material and methods: Phytotherapy was introduced after the tumour had progressed. It consisted of 4 types of herbal medicine which the subject was taking in form of tea once a day at regular intervals. The patient started phytotherapy along with temozolomide, which was the only oncological treatment she was under after the tumour had progressed. Following the finished chemotherapy, the patient continued the treatment with herbal medicine only. She regularly took phytotherapy without interruption and to the fullest extent for 30 months, and the results of treatment were monitored by periodic scanning using nuclear magnetic resonance technique.Results: The control scanning that was conducted after the end of combined treatment with temozolomide and phytotherapy showed tumour regression. The patient continued with phytotherapy after finishing chemotherapy and, during the following 24 months, it was the sole treatment option. In that period, the regression of the tumour continued, until a control examination 30 months after the introduction of phytotherapy showed no clinical and radiological signs of tumour.Conclusion: The results presented in this research paper clearly indicate the potential of phytotherapy in the treatment of some types of brain tumours. A complete regression of tumour following the treatment with nothing but herbal medicine offers support for such claim. Future research should demonstrate the effectiveness of phytotherapy, as a supplementary form of brain tumour treatment, and the results of this research should be compared with the existing information on the effectiveness of the protocols currently used in the treatment of these types of tumour.Keywords: phytotherapy, diffuse astrocytoma, temozolomide, chemotherapy, nuclear magnetic resonanc

Use of phytotherapics in dogs and cats.

Phytotherapy is one of the most utilized non conventional medicines (NCM) both in human and veterinary medicine. It can be used to mitigate and prevent slight diseases and to support conventional medicine using allopathic drugs. In this paper the Authors report the phytoterapeutics most utilized in both dogs and cats, in which the use of phytotherapics is increasing, despite the prejudices of the academic world and of the veterinary practitioners. Laws regarding the use of non conventional medicines in veterinary practises are lacking in Italy, despite many other countries in Europe; yet National Federation of Italian Veterinaries (F.N.O.V.I.) asserted that the use of NCM has to be considered a veterinary practise at all. At the end of this paper, the Authors provided many examples of phytotheapic prescriptions to control different illness in both dogs and cats

Phytotherapy in primary care: study with nurse professionals

Objective: Investigating the understanding of nurses about Phytotherapy and checking the strategies needed for consolidating this practice in Primary Care. Methods: This is an exploratory research, with qualitative approach, conducted with 10 nurses in Family Health units of the District IV, in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba. Data were collected in interviews recorded during the month of April 2015 and qualitatively processed through the content analysis technique. Results: The categories emerged from the analysis were: Phytotherapy in Primary Care: understanding of nurses; and Strategies needed for consolidating Phytotherapy in Primary Care. These categories have proved the lack of understanding of nurses about Phytotherapy and its policies, as well as strategies needed for consolidating this in Primary Care. Conclusion: Accordingly, it is hoped that this study will enable new reflections and broader investigation about the use of Phytotherapy in the context of Primary Care

The Influence of Phytotherapy on Macroprolactinoma Size

The study aims at demonstrating the efficiency of phytotherapy in macroprolactinoma downsizing. The comparison of phytotherapeutic (PT) efficiency leant on medical records submitted by the patients prior to the PT launch, indicating the diagnosis established based on the outcome of the nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) of the affected site and bringing the results of field-of-vision examination and hormonal status determination. The insight into the documentation in reference provided the information on tumour size and prolactin levels. The data in reference were compared against medical records submitted following phytotherapy completion. This study brings the results of a five-year investigation into the influence of phytotherapy on the size of macroprolactinomas. In patients responsive to this kind of treatment, tumour regression was witnessed within 6 months of herbal remedy use. A substantial tumour downsizing was accompanied by vision restitution; namely, in a number of cases, sight impairments are the first indicators of tumour presence. The basic parameters used for phytotherapeutic efficiency estimation and follow-up were the size of the tumour and the state of the field-of-vision, established both prior to and following phytotherapy. The results of the study presented herein unequivocally demonstrated the efficiency of phytotherapy in macroprolactinoma tumour mass downsizing, providing therefore solid grounds for the implementation of phytotherapy as a novel treatment modality of this tumour cluster.Key words: Phytotherapy, macroprolactinoma, visual field defec

Modulation of Cox-1, 5-, 12- and 15-Lox by popular herbal remedies used in southern Italy against psoriasis and other skin diseases.

Acanthus mollis (Acanthaceae), Achillea ligustica, Artemisia arborescens and Inula viscosa (Asteraceae) are used in Southern Italy against psoriasis and other skin diseases that occur with an imbalanced production of eicosanoids. We here assessed their in vitro effects upon 5-, 12-, 15-LOX and COX-1 enzymes as well as NFκB activation in intact cells as their possible therapeutic targets. All methanol crude extracts inhibited both 5-LOX and COX-1 activities under 200 µg/mL, without significant effects on the 12-LOX pathway or any relevant in vitro free radical scavenging activity. NFκB activation was prevented by all extracts but A. mollis. Interestingly, A. ligustica, A. arborescens and A. mollis increased the biosynthesis of 15(S)-HETE, an anti-inflammatory eicosanoid. A. ligustica (IC50 =49.5 µg/mL) was superior to Silybum marianum (IC50 =147.8 µg/mL), which we used as antipsoriatic herbal medicine of reference. Its n-hexane, dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions had also inhibitory effects on the LTB4 biosynthesis (IC50 s=9.6, 20.3 and 68 µg/mL, respectively) evidencing that the apolar extracts of A. ligustica are promising active herbal ingredients for future phytotherapeutical products targeting psoriasis

Possibilities to Improve the Therapy of the Patients with Ureteral Concretions

The aim of the given study was to improve the results of treatment of patients with concretions of the upper third of the ureter.Materials and methods. The clinical trial was carried out as a non-interventional open, controlled, in two groups of patients with baseline control. The inclusion criteria concerned the patients with concretions of the upper third of the ureter 0.7-0.9 mm in size, which had one session of an extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL), and after the procedure the size of the concretions fragments was up to3 mm. The study involved 60 patients, all patients in the main group (n = 30) were treated using phytotherapy, within 1 month starting with basic therapy under hospital conditions and continuing with preventative treatment in an outpatient setting. The control group (n = 30) received baseline therapy (up to 10 days) at the stationary stage. Results and discussion. In patients of the main group, fragments of concretions came out significantly faster, namely: in the main group, the fragments came out in 21 patients (70.0 %), while in the control group in 15 patients (50.0 %) (p1- p2, p <0.05) to the 7th day, and in the main group, the fragments came out in one patient more than 14 days, and in the control group – in 5 patients, p <0.05. The "stone path" in the bottom third of the ureter was in 1 patient (3.3 %) of the main group and in 3 patients (10.0 %) in the control group (p1-p2, p <0.05). The "stone path" departure time in patients of the main group was 2 days, and in patients of the control group it was 4.1 days from the time of its formation (p1-p2, p <0.05). Bacteriuria was observed in the main group on the 10th day 6.6 % less relative to the control group.Conclusion. At comparing the obtained results in patients of both groups in 1 month it was noted that high efficacy of the treatment was registered in 6 (20 %) patients of the main group and in 3 patients (10 %) of the control group (p <0.05), moderate efficiency was registered in 23 (76.7 %) patients of the main group and in 22 (73.3 %) patients of the control group respectively, low efficacy was registered in 1 (3.33 %) patient in the main group and 5 (16.7 %) patients of the control group (p <0,05), which points to the effectiveness of Urolesan capsules use in complex therapy of patients with concretions of the one third of ureter

Bioactive forage and phytotherapy to cure and control endo-parasite diseases in sheep and goat farming systems – a review of current scientific knowledge

Infestation with gastro-intestinal nematodes (GIN) in small ruminants can cause severe economic losses and endanger animal welfare. The development of organic farming systems, the increased public awareness for drug residues in agricultural products and the development of resistant strains of parasites have enforced the search for sustainable alternatives. The aim of this review is to summarise the current scientific knowledge of alternative strategies to prevent and control endo-parasitic diseases in organic sheep and goat farming systems. The conducted literature evaluation has revealed the major potential to be within the field of bioactive forages, phytotherapy, homeopathy and copper-oxide wire particles. Alternative management pattern like grazing management, nematophagous fungi, improved fodder and breeding are not considered. The administration and cultivation of bioactive forages and phytotherapy are displaying promise potential for endo-parasite control in organic sheep and goat farming. Scientific research has mainly concentrated on the extracts of the plant species chicory, Birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia), Sulla (Hedysarum coronarium) and Quebracho (Schinopsis ssp.). The analysis of these plants showed all plants to have some positive potential, but also highlighted individual limitations in application. However from the results of this literature review none of the investigated plants have been researched sufficiently in on farm experiments to recommend any for implementation at this stage. No concrete recommendation for a single plant can be given, further research on promising species for the commercial use is strongly recommended, as is the review of the law concerning the appliance of plant based remedies

Fenugreek : a natural prototype oral hypoglycaemic agent used in Malta

Before the discovery of insulin therapy in 1921 and the development of effective oral hypoglycaemic therapy in 1926, pharmacological management of diabetes mellitus was restricted to empirical treatment often based on plant products and relegated to folklore medicine. One therapy reputed in Malta as useful for the management of diabetes mellitus in 1927 was Fenugreek. This has now been shown to have definite pharmacological properties that controls blood glucose levels in diabetic subjects.peer-reviewe