Holistic Health Articles and Research Related to Herbal Medicines, Foods and Phytochemicals

Monday, 4 November 2013

Phytochemicals in Foods - 9 Health Benefits of Lariciresinol

Lariciresinol is a phytochemical in the class of Lignans (phytoestrogens), found abundantly in sesame seed, brassica vegetables, etc.

Health Benefits
1. Mammary tumor growth and reduces blood vessel density
In the investigation of the effects and possible mechanisms of action of lariciresinol on hormone responsive mammary cancer in vivo in dimethylbenz[a]anthracene induced mammary cancer in rats, and in human MCF-7 breast cancer xenografts in athymic mice, found that both models, lariciresinol administration inhibited the tumor growth and tumor angiogenesis. In MCF-7 cells, enterolactone significantly inhibited the E2-stimulated VEGF secretion. Moreover, in MCF-7 xenografts, lariciresinol administration enhanced tumor cell apoptosis and increased estrogen receptor beta expression. Lariciresinol and its further metabolites secoisolariciresinol, enterodiol and enterolactone were found in serum of both rats and athymic mice confirming a similar lignan metabolism pattern as in humans, according to "Dietary lariciresinol attenuates mammary tumor growth and reduces blood vessel density in human MCF-7 breast cancer xenografts and carcinogen-induced mammary tumors in rats" by
Saarinen NM, Wärri A, Dings RP, Airio M, Smeds AI, Mäkelä S.(1)

2. Vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction
In the investigation of whether dietary intake of plant lignans in a free-living population was associated with markers of vascular inflammation and function, found that Higher MAT intakes in the context of a typical Northern Italian diet are associated to lower vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, which could have some implications in CVD prevention, according to "Intake of the plant lignans matairesinol, secoisolariciresinol, pinoresinol, and lariciresinol in relation to vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in middle age-elderly men and post-menopausal women living in Northern Italy" by Pellegrini N, Valtueña S, Ardigò D, Brighenti F, Franzini L, Del Rio D, Scazzina F, Piatti PM, Zavaroni I.(2)

3. Breast cancer
In the investigation of a usual dietary intakes of total and specific lignans with tumor characteristics in 683 women with breast cancer and 611 healthy women without breast cancer enrolled in the Data Bank and BioRepository at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI),
found that significant differences in the contribution to these effects by specific lignans, especially matairesinol and lariciresinol. In summary, in this case-control study of dietary lignan intakes and breast cancer, we found that higher lignan intakes were associated with lower risks of breast cancer with more favorable prognostic characteristics. Future investigations are warranted to explore the strong associations observed with ER(-) cancer in premenopausal women, according to "Dietary intakes of total and specific lignans are associated with clinical breast tumor characteristics" by McCann SE, Hootman KC, Weaver AM, Thompson LU, Morrison C, Hwang H, Edge SB, Ambrosone CB, Horvath PJ, Kulkarni SA.(3)

4. Ovarian cancer
In the determination of the impact of phytoestrogen consumption on breast cancer risk, its role on ovarian cancer in a total of 205 cases and 390 controls were included in analyses. Unconditional logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations with total phytoestrogens, as well as isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, formononetin, and glycitein), lignans (matairesinol, lariciresinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinol), and coumestrol, found that phytoestrogen consumption may decrease ovarian cancer risk, although results did not reach statistical significance, according to "Phytoestrogen consumption from foods and supplements and epithelial ovarian cancer risk: a population-based case control study" by Bandera EV, King M, Chandran U, Paddock LE, Rodriguez-Rodriguez L, Olson SH.(4)

5. Antifungal activity
In the investigation of the effect of Lariciresinol is an enterolignan precursor isolated from the herb Sambucus williamsii, a folk medicinal plant used for its therapeutic properties against antifungal properties and mode of action, found that lariciresinol was associated with lipid bilayers and induced membrane permeabilization. Therefore, the present study suggests that lariciresinol possesses fungicidal activities by disrupting the fungal plasma membrane and therapeutic potential as a novel antifungal agent for the treatment of fungal infectious diseases in humans, according to "Antifungal activity of lariciresinol derived from Sambucus williamsii and their membrane-active mechanisms in Candida albicans" by Hwang B, Cho J, Hwang IS, Jin HG, Woo ER, Lee DG.(5)

6. Antioxidants
In the investigations of Taxus baccata L. by successive chromatographic methods resulted in the isolation of the lignans lariciresinol (1), taxiresinol (2), 3'-demethylisolariciresinol-9'-hydroxyisopropylether (3), isolariciresinol (4), and 3-demethylisolariciresinol (5) as well as taxoids. Compounds 1-5 were evaluated for their acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibitory activities, found that the compounds displayed a great scavenging activity against DPPH especially at 500 and 1000 microg ml(-1). Besides, they were found to exert noteworthy reducing antioxidant power on ferric ions. In particular, the FRAP of compounds 2 (3.552 +/- 0.02), 4 (3.021 +/- 0.71), and 5 (3.533 +/- 0.01) were as high as that of the reference chlorogenic acid (3.618 +/- 0.01) at 1000 microg ml(-1). None of the compounds exhibited chelating ability against ferrous ions, according to "Assessment of enzyme inhibitory and antioxidant activities of lignans from Taxus baccata L" by Kucukboyaci N, Orhan I, Sener B, Nawaz SA, Choudhary MI.(6)

7. CHD, CVD, cancer, and all cause mortality
In the investigation of whether the intakes of 4 plant lignans (lariciresinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinol, and matairesinol) were inversely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular diseases (CVD), cancer, and all-cause mortality.
found that total lignan intake was not associated with mortality. The intake of matairesinol was inversely associated with mortality due to CHD, CVD, cancer, and all causes. We cannot exclude the possibility that the inverse association between matairesinol intake and mortality is due to an associated factor, such as wine consumption, according to "Intakes of 4 dietary lignans and cause-specific and all-cause mortality in the Zutphen Elderly Study" by

Milder IE, Feskens EJ, Arts IC, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Hollman PC, Kromhout D.(7)

8. Anti-ulcerogenic effects
In the investigation of four lignan type compounds, lariciresinol, taxiresinol, isolariciresinol and 3-demethyl-iso-lariciresinol isolated from the heartwood of Taxus baccata L. (Taxaceae) growing in Turkey through chromatographic techniques, indicated that all compounds were shown to possess significant anti-ulcerogenic activity at both doses. However, the effect of taxiresinol was the most prominent, according to "Anti-ulcerogenic lignans from Taxus baccata L" by Gurbuz I, Erdemoglu N, Yesilada E, Sener B.(8)

9. Lipid peroxidation
In the study of the aqueous methanol extracts isolation, 1',2',3',4'-tetrahydro-5'-deoxy-pinnatanine (1), pinnatanine (2), roseoside (3), phlomuroside (4), lariciresinol (5), adenosine (6), quercetin 3-O-beta-D-glucoside (7), quercetin 3,7-O-beta-D-diglucopyranoside (8), quercetin 3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyransol-(1-->6)-beta-D-glucopyranosol-7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (9), isorhamnetin-3-O-beta-D-6'-acetylglucopyranoside (10) and isorhamnetin-3-O-beta D-6'-acetylgalactopyranoside (11) from thefresh Hemerocallis fulva leaves,
found that compounds 3-5 and 7-11 were found to possess strong antioxidant properties, inhibiting lipid oxidation by 86.4, 72.7, 90.1, 79.7, 82.4, 89.3, 82.2, and 93.2%, respectively at 50 microg/mL. Compound 1 is novel and compounds 3-6 and 8-11 described here in are isolated for the first time from daylily leaves, according to "Lipid peroxidation inhibitory compounds from daylily (Hemerocallis fulva) leaves" by Zhang Y, Cichewicz RH, Nair MG.(9)

10. Etc.

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Back to Popular Herbs http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca/p/popular-herbs.html
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Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18528864
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19361969
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22113872
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21943063
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21679690
(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20469636
(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16895890
(8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15241933
(9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15172183

Popular #Herbs - Sarsaparilla

Sarsaparilla is a perennial, trailing vine, in the genus Smilax, belonging to the family Smilacaceae, native to the Central America. The herb has been used in traditional medicine to treat skin inflammation, psoriasis, arthritis, herpes, and leprosy, reduce symptoms of eczema, etc.

Health Benefits
1. Anti-mycobacterial effects
In the identifyication ofantimycobacterial constituents from Aralia nudicaulis rhizomes, a wild sarsaparilla, found that Falcarinol and panaxydol were identified as the principal constituents responsible for the antimycobacterial activity of Aralia nudicaulis rhizomes validating an ethnopharmacological use of this plant by the Canadian First Nations, according to "Anti-mycobacterial diynes from the Canadian medicinal plant Aralia nudicaulis" by Li H, O'Neill T, Webster D, Johnson JA, Gray CA.(1)

2. Anti-cancer effects
In the investigation of Smilax glabra Roxb. (SGR)inhibited growth of human breast cancer cell line MCF7, colon carcinoma cell line HT-29, and gastric cancer cell line BGC-823 in a dose-dependent manner, found that the changes in expression profiles of genes related to apoptosis, proliferation and cell cycle control in the cells treated with SGR. Our results demonstrated the mitochondrial regulation of apoptosis by which SGR exerts the anti-cancer effect, according to "Mitochondrial apoptosis contributes to the anti-cancer effect of Smilax glabra Roxb" by Gao Y, Su Y, Qu L, Xu S, Meng L, Cai SQ, Shou C.(2)

3. Hyperuricemia and nephropathy
In the study of astilbin, a flavonoid compound isolated from the rhizome of Smilax china L. and its effects on hyperuricemia and nephropathy rats found that astilbin significantly decreased the serum uric acid (Sur) level by increasing the urinary uric acid (Uur) level and fractional excretion of urate (FEUA) but not inhibiting the xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. In addition, kidney function parameters such as serum creatinine (Scr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) were recovered in astilbin-treated hyperuricemic rats. Further investigation indicated that astilbin prevented the renal damage against the expression of transforming growth factor- β1 (TGF-β1) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and also exerted a renal protective role by inhibiting formation of monosodium urate (MSU) and production of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) and interleukin-1 (IL-1), according to "Astilbin attenuates hyperuricemia and ameliorates nephropathy in fructose-induced hyperuricemic rats" by Chen L, Lan Z, Zhou Y, Li F, Zhang X, Zhang C, Yang Z, Li P.(3)

4. Anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity
In the determination of the anticonvulsant activity and neurotoxicity of ethanolic extract and ethyl acetate fraction of the rhizome of Smilax china (EESC and EAF, respectively) in mice, found that MES test was reduced significantly (P < 0.001) by EESC at a dose level of 400 mg/kg and EAF at both higher dose levels (200 and 400 mg/kg). In PTZ model, the seizure latency was prolonged by all the test groups, according to " Anticonvulsant and neurotoxicity profile of the rhizome of Smilax china Linn. in mice" by Vijayalakshmi A, Ravichandiran V, Anbu J, Velraj M, Jayakumari S.(4)

5. Lung cancer
In the study of furostanol saponins and theirs cytotoxicity effect, found that The isolated furostanol saponins were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against human normal amniotic and human lung carcinoma cell lines using neutral red and MTT assays. In vitro experiments showed significant cytotoxicity in a dose dependent manner with IC(50) values in the range of 32.98-94.53 µM, according to 'New furostanol saponins from Smilax aspera L. and their in vitro cytotoxicity" by Ivanova A, Mikhova B, Batsalova T, Dzhambazov B, Kostova I.(5)

6. Breast cancer
In the investigation of the breast tumor cell toxic components in S. china L. continuously and systematically, found that among these six polyphenols, five (1, 3-6) were reported for the 1st time with in vitro activities on anti-breast tumor cell. It is likely that these polyphenols are the active components of S. china L. responsible for the anti-breast tumor cell activities, according to 'Cytotoxic polyphenols against breast tumor cell in Smilax china L" by Wu LS, Wang XJ, Wang H, Yang HW, Jia AQ, Ding Q.(6)

7. Diabetes
In the investigation of the efficacy of astilbin on experimental diabetic nephropathy (DN) in vivo and in vitro and its possible mechanisms, found that astilbin inhibition of CTGF may be a potential target in diabetic nephropathy (DN) therapy. This work provides the first evidence for astilbin as a new candidate of DN therapeutic medicine, according to "Effect of astilbin on experimental diabetic nephropathy in vivo and in vitro" by Li GS, Jiang WL, Yue XD, Qu GW, Tian JW, Wu J, Fu FH.(7)

8. Anti-inflammatory activities
In the identification of Smilax china Linn. used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as well as in Pakistan for its effect on anti inflammatory disorders, found that Sieboldogenin seems to be a potential new anti-inflammatory compound responsible for anti-inflammatory activities of Smilax china Linn. Its in vitro and in vivo inflammatory activities are in good agreement with the folk medicinal use of Smilax china Linn. in inflammatory disorders, according to "Anti-inflammatory activities of Sieboldogenin from Smilax china Linn.: experimental and computational studies" by Khan I, Nisar M, Ebad F, Nadeem S, Saeed M, Khan H, Samiullah, Khuda F, Karim N, Ahmad Z.(8)

9. Anti Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1)
In the evaluation of the glycoproteins possessing antiviral and anti-proliferative activities were isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb Smilax glabra, found that the glycoprotein potencies for antiviral activity appeared to depend on the molecules' binding affinity for fetuin, that is, the fetuin-binding protein was more potent than the non-fetuin binding proteins, according to "Antiviral and anti-proliferative glycoproteins from the rhizome of Smilax glabra Roxb (Liliaceae)" by Ooi LS, Wong EY, Chiu LC, Sun SS, Ooi VE.(9)

10. Liver cancer and disease
In the determination of the raw SGR plant extracted with Accelerate Solvent Extractor anti-proliferative effect on the human hepatoma cell lines, HepG2 and Hep3B, found that SGRE inhibited HepG2 and Hep3B cell growth by causing cell-cycle arrest at either S phase or S/G2 transition and induced apoptosis, as evidenced by a DNA fragmentation assay. SGRE-induced apoptosis by alternation of mitochondrial transmembrane depolarization, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase, according to "Anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic effect of Smilax glabra Roxb. extract on hepatoma cell lines" by Sa F, Gao JL, Fung KP, Zheng Y, Lee SM, Wang YT.(10)

11. Dermatitis
In the assessment of astilbin for the treatment of human immune diseases, found that 3'-O-methylated astilbin, a new metabolite of astilbin and isolated it from the culture solution nhibited picryl chloride-induced ear swelling in mice and suppressed the expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma, similarly to astilbin, according to "Identification of a new metabolite of astilbin, 3'-O-methylastilbin, and its immunosuppressive activity against contact dermatitis" by Guo J, Qian F, Li J, Xu Q, Chen T.(11)

12. Adjunctive arthritis(AA)
In the evaluation of the therapeutic action of decoction of Smilax china L. on adjunctive arthritis(AA) mouse and its mechanism, found that The decoction (90, 180 g.kg-1) intragastric injection (ig) could significantly inhibit AA mouse's secondary inflammatory swelling, reduce thymus and spleen weights, decrease CD4/CD8, but had little influence on B Cell, according to '[Effect of Smilax china on adjunctive arthritis mouse].[Article in Chinese]" by Lü Y, Chen D, Deng J, Tian L.(12)

13. Etc.

Popular #Herbs - St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum)

St John's wort is a yellow flower plant in the genus Hypericum belonging to the family Hypericaceae, native to the regions of North America, Europe, Turkey, Russia, India, China and Brazil. The herb is best known fot its anti depression property and has been used in tradtional medicine as sedative agent to treat mental and cognitive disorders, including depression, anxiety, and/or sleep disorders and nerve pain, etc.

Health Benefits
1. Influenza A virus
In the assessment of efficacy of an extract of H. perforatum (HPE) against influenza A virus (IAV) in mice, found that HPE has significant therapeutic efficacy for mice infected with IAV. The possible reasons for these results were concluded to be pertaining to up-regulating the expression of IL-10 and IFN-γ, and down-regulating the secretion of IL-6 and TNF-α in lung and serum, according to "Therapeutic efficacy of Hypericum perforatum L. extract for mice infected with an influenza A virus" by Xiuying P, Jianping L, Ruofeng S, Liye Z, Xuehong W, Yan L.(1)

2. Inflammatory effects
In the evaluation of the impact of H. perforatum extract and the 4 compounds on inflammatory mediators and cytokines (SOCS1-4) found that the 4 compounds inhibited LPS-induced PGE2 and NO through SOCS3 activation. The reduction of PGE2 can be partially attributed to COX-2 enzyme activity, which was significantly elevated with SOCS3 knockdown. At the same time, these results also suggest that constituents in H. perforatum extract were alleviating LPS-induced macrophage response through SOCS3 independent mechanisms, according to "The inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced macrophage inflammation by 4 compounds in Hypericum perforatum extract is partially dependent on the activation of SOCS3" by Huang N, Rizshsky L, Hauck CC, Nikolau BJ, Murphy PA, Birt DF.(2)

3. Antidepressant
In the analyzing the effects of a chronic hyperforin of of the medicinal plant Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort).treatment on brain cell, found that Hyperforin stimulated the expression of TRPC6 channels and TrkB via SKF-96365-sensitive channels controlling a downstream signalling cascade involving Ca2+, protein kinase A, CREB and p-CREB. In vivo, hyperforin augmented the expression of TrkB in the cortex but not in the hippocampus where hippocampal neurogenesis remained unchanged. In conclusion, this plant extract acts on the cortical BDNF/TrkB pathway leaving adult hippocampal neurogenesis unaffected. This study provides new insights on the neuronal responses controlled by hyperforin, according to "The antidepressant hyperforin increases the phosphorylation of CREB and the expression of TrkB in a tissue-specific manner" by Gibon J, Deloulme JC, Chevallier T, Ladevèze E, Abrous DN, Bouron A.(3)

4. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities
In the study of the fatty acid components of the hexane extracts of flower, leaf, stem, and seed of Hypericum scabrum, found that The antimicrobial activity of the extracts of those samples were determined against seven Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Klebsiella pneumoniae), as well as three fungi (Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Aspergillus niger). The bioassay showed that the oil exhibited moderate antimicrobial activity. This study reveals that the all parts of this plant are attractive sources of fatty acid components, especially the essential ones, as well as of effective natural antioxidants, according to "Antioxidant, antimicrobial activities and fatty acid components of flower, leaf, stem and seed of Hypericum scabrum" by Shafaghat A.(4)
5. Sleep deprivation-induced anxiety-like behavior and oxidative damage
In the exploration of the therapeutic potential of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) on behavioral alterations and oxidative damage induced by sleep deprivation in mice found that Co-administration of John's wort (200 mg/kg, P. O.) with imipramine (10 mg/kg, I. P.) further improved body weight, locomotor activity, antianxiety effect as well as reduced oxidative damage in sleep-deprived animal as compared to their effect per se (P < 0.05). The present study suggests that there is therapeutic potential of St. John's wort in the management of sleep deprivation-induced anxiety-like behavior and oxidative damage."Protective effect of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) extract on 72-hour sleep deprivation-induced anxiety-like behavior and oxidative damage in mice" by Kumar A, Singh A.(5)

6. Insulin resistance
In the identification of St. John's Wort (SJW) extracts as inhibitors of adipogenesis of 3T3-L1 cells and demonstrated the effect against insulin-sensitive glucose uptake in mature fat cells.
found that the profound effects of SJW on adipogenesis, IRS-1 activation, and insulin-stimulated glucose uptake are not mediated by HI and/or HF. Nonetheless, we propose that extracts of SJW may contribute to adipocyte related diseases by limiting differentiation of preadipocytes and significantly inducing insulin resistance in mature fat cells, according to "St. John's Wort inhibits insulin signaling in murine and human adipocytes" by Richard AJ, Amini ZJ, Ribnicky DM, Stephens JM.(6)
7. Antimicrobial properties
In demonstration the antimicrobial properties of Hypericum, found that Hypericum prolificum, and Hypericum punctatum as inhibitors of bacterial growth and biofilm production. Assays were conducted against Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, clinical methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Five of the seven compounds demonstrated growth inhibition against the Gram-positive bacteria with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) ranging from 1.95 µg/mL to 7.81 µg/mL, according to "Inhibition of Bacterial Growth and Biofilm Production by Constituents from Hypericum spp" by Sarkisian SA, Janssen MJ, Matta H, Henry GE, Laplante KL, Rowley DC.(7)

8. Neuroprotective effects
In the observation of the neuroprotective effects and mechanism of hyperin on CoCl2-induced hypoxic/ischemic PC12 cells, found that Hyperin could inhibit CoCl2-induced cytotoxicity and apoptosis on PC12 cells, show neuroprotective effects on hypoxic/ischemic neural injuries, according to "[Protective effects and mechanism of hyperin on CoCl2-induced PC12 cells].[Article in Chinese]" by Zeng K, Wang X, Fu H, Liu G.(8)

9. Hypolipidemic and Antiobesity-Like Activity
In the investigation of the effect of Hypericum perforatum in a battery of animal models for metabolic disorder, found that Hypericum significantly lowered total cholesterol and low-density cholesterol in normal rats. Hypericum significantly inhibited weight gain in high-fat-fed rats. In fructose-fed rats, Hypericum normalised the dyslipidemia induced by fructose feeding and improved the insulin sensitivity, according to "Hypolipidemic and Antiobesity-Like Activity of Standardised Extract of Hypericum perforatum L. in Rats" by Husain GM, Chatterjee SS, Singh PN, Kumar V.(9)
10. Malignant gliomas (Aggressive brain tumor)
In the determination of the efficacy of p38SJ, a novel member of the DING family of proteins, derived from Hypericum perforatum calluses, on the growth of malignant glioma cell lines,
found that p38SJ reduces glioma cell viability and arrests cell cycle progression at G0/G1. The observed growth inhibitory effect of p38SJ is likely mediated by the downregulation of several cell cycle gatekeeper proteins, including cyclin E, Cdc2, and E2F-1, according to "Growth inhibition of malignant glioblastoma by DING protein" by Bookland MJ, Darbinian N, Weaver M, Amini S, Khalili K.(10)
11. Menopausal symptoms
In the study of the sample included 59 menopausal women who had the conditions for entering into the study. The individuals were selected via simple sampling and were assigned randomly into two groups of Hypericum Perforatum treatment group (30 women) and Passion Flower group (29 women), concluded that With regard to the effects of Hypericum Perforatum and Passion Flower on treating menopause precocious symptoms (vasomotor signs, insomnia, depression, anger, headache, etc.), these two herbs can be used as an alternative treatment for individuals who cannot, whatsoever, use hormone therapy, according to "A comparative study on the effects of Hypericum Perforatum and passion flower on the menopausal symptoms of women referring to Isfahan city health care centers' by Fahami F, Asali Z, Aslani A, Fathizadeh N.(11)

12. Etc.

Side effects

Popular #Herbs - Sage

Sage is a ornamental plant of the genus Salvia, belonging to family Lamiaceae, native to the Central and South America, Central, Eastern Asia and Mediterranean. The herb has been used in traditional medicine as carminative, antiperspirant, antispasmodic, astringent, antiseptic, and antibiotic agent and to calm the central nervous system, treat spasms in smooth and skeletal muscles, relieve digestive problems, regulate menstruation, etc.

Health Benefits
1. Cognitive effects
In the observation of the cholinesterase inhibitory properties and phytochemical constituents of a S. lavandulaefolia essential oil, with a double-blind, placebo-controlled, balanced crossover study assessing the effects of a single dose on cognitive performance and mood, found that oral consumption lead to improved performance of secondary memory and attention tasks, most notably at the 1-h post-dose testing session, and reduced mental fatigue and increased alertness which were more pronounced 4-h post-dose. These results extend previous observations of improved cognitive performance and mood following AChE inhibitory sage extracts and suggest that the ability of well-tolerated terpenoid-containing extracts to beneficially modulate cholinergic function and cognitive performance deserves further attention, according to "Monoterpenoid extract of sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia) with cholinesterase inhibiting properties improves cognitive performance and mood in healthy adults" by Kennedy DO, Dodd FL, Robertson BC, Okello EJ, Reay JL, Scholey AB, Haskell CF.
(1)

2. Antioxidants
In the investigation of sage teas prepared from commercially available products were chemically analyzed for polyphenolic content using liquid chromatography, for antioxidant potential, found that The FC index also showed a high correlation to these polyphenols, and could therefore be used as a screening parameter for sage tea quality. The considerable differences in polyphenolic composition and antioxidant capacity between the brands lead to a demand for quality standardization, especially if these sage teas are to be used for therapeutic purposes, according to "Antioxidant Capacity and Polyphenolic Composition as Quality Indicators for Aqueous Infusions of Salvia officinalis L. (sage tea)" by Walch SG, Tinzoh LN, Zimmermann BF, Stühlinger W, Lachenmeier DW.(2)

3. Anti diabetes
In the deiermination of The use of thujone, a monoterpene ketone often present in sage (Salvia officinalis L.) or wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), for the treatment of diabetes mellitus found that after oral treatment with thujone (5 mg/kg bodyweight (bw)/day for 28 days), the cholesterol and triglyceride levels were significantly adjusted to normal levels when compared to diabetic, untreated rats. While these results sound promising and worthy of further investigation, the well-defined profile of the adverse properties of thujone demands a cautious interpretation of these results, according to "The choice of thujone as drug for diabetes" by Lachenmeier DW, Walch SG.(3)

4. Anti cancers
In the identification of the cytotoxicity of the essential oil from sage on the squamous human cell carcinoma cell line of the oral cavity (UMSCC1) was assessed with the XTT assay
found that for the first time the ability of Salvia officinalis essential oil to inhibit human HNSCC cell growth. The therapeutic potential of sage essential oil might exceed that of its common use in otorhinolaryngology, according to "[Anticancer activity of Salvia officinalis essential oil against HNSCC cell line (UMSCC1)]. [Article in German]" by Sertel S, Eichhorn T, Plinkert PK, Efferth T.(4)

5. Alzheimer's disease
In the searching for the extracts of plants and their effect on the amelioration of AD symptoms, found that these effects are induced by extracts of a few plants of different origin like Yizhi Jiannao, Moringa oleifera (Drumstick tree), Ginkgo Biloba (Ginkgo/Maidenhair tree), Cassia obtisufolia (Sicklepod), Desmodium gangeticum (Sal Leaved Desmodium), Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm), and Salvia officinalis (Garden sage, common sage), according to "Effect of plant extracts on Alzheimer's disease: An insight into therapeutic avenues" by Obulesu M, Rao DM.(5)

6. Menopause symptoms
In the determination od the effect of Sage (Salvia officinalis) used traditionally to treat sweating and menopausal hot flushes, as well as to alleviate associated menopausal symptoms and as a general tonic, found that a fresh sage preparation demonstrated clinical value in the treatment of hot flushes and associated menopausal symptoms, according to "First time proof of sage's tolerability and efficacy in menopausal women with hot flushes" by Bommer S, Klein P, Suter A.(6)

7. Antihyperlipidemic effects
In the investigation of the effect of sage a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial with 67 hyperlipidemic (hypercholesterolemic and/or hypertriglyceridemic) patients aged 56.4 ± 30.3 years (mean ± SD), found that The extract lowered the blood levels of total cholesterol (p < 0.001), triglyceride (p = 0.001), LDL (p = 0.004) and VLDL (p = 0.001), but increased the blood HDL levels (p < 0.001) without any significant effects on the blood levels of SGOT, SGPT and creatinine (p > 0.05) compared with the placebo group at the endpoint. No adverse effects were reported, according to "Antihyperlipidemic effects of Salvia officinalis L. leaf extract in patients with hyperlipidemia: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial" by Kianbakht S, Abasi B, Perham M, Hashem Dabaghian F.(7)

8. HIV-1 infection
In the assessment of the effects of the mint family (Lamiaceae), including sage (Salvia spp.), on antiviral activity, found that the ability of P. vulgaris aqueous extracts to inhibit early events within the HIV life cycle suggests that these extracts, or purified constituents responsible for the antiviral activity, are promising microbicides and/or antivirals against HIV-1, according to 'Inhibition of HIV-1 infection by aqueous extracts of Prunella vulgaris L" by Oh C, Price J, Brindley MA, Widrlechner MP, Qu L, McCoy JA, Murphy P, Hauck C, Maury W.(8)

9. Antioxidant and antimicrobial activities
In the evaluation the anti oxidant and microbal actinities of Salvia officinalis L. oils found that the oils isolated for 2 and 3 h were stronger free radical scavengers, while with the a thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) method, the highest antioxidant values were obtained in the oils isolated for 30 min, 2 and 3 h. Hydroxyl radical scavenging and lipoxygenase activity assays showed the best results with oils isolated for 1 and 3 h. With the deoxyribose method, sage oils at concentrations <1000 mg L(-1) showed better activity than mannitol. The essential oil of S. officinalis showed very weak antimicrobial activity, according to "Salvia officinalis L. essential oils: effect of hydrodistillation time on the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities" by Miguel G, Cruz C, Faleiro ML, Simões MT, Figueiredo AC, Barroso JG, Pedro LG.(9)

10. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects
In the investigation of The analgesic effects of the aqueous extract (10, 31.6, 100, 316, 1000 mg/kg) and butanol extract (10, 31.6, 100, 316 mg/kg) were studied using the hot-plate test for mice and the formalin-induced paw licking in rats, found that the sage leaf aqueous and butanol extracts have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, confirming the traditional use of this plant for pain alleviation, according to "The antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Salvia officinalis leaf aqueous and butanol extracts" by Qnais EY, Abu-Dieyeh M, Abdulla FA, Abdalla SS.(10)

11. Etc.

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Side Effects
1. Do not use sage in new born(a) and children, or if you are pregnant or breast feeding without approval from the related field specialist.
2. The herb may cause allergic effect to people who are allergic to plants of the mint family
3. Long term use of the herb may increase the risk of iron or other minerals deficiency.
4. Etc.

Sources
(a) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21907890
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20937617
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22194722
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21988529
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21894557
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21716802
(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21630133
(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21506190
(8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21513560
(9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21391115
(10) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20860437

Popular #Herbs - Rosemary

Rosemary is a perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves, the genus Rosmarinus, belonging to the family Lamiaceae. Its fresh and dried leaves has been used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine and as flavor foods while barbecuing. Rosnary has been used in traditional medicine as an antiseptic, antioxidant, and antispasmodic agent to treat circulatory problem, eczema, rheumatism, muscle pain, etc.

Health benefits
A. Health benefits according to studies
1. Anti-angiogenic properties
In the investigation of Carnosol and carnosic acid extracted from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves as a source of dietary antioxidants and flavoring agents found that the anti-angiogenic activity of carnosol and carnosic acid could contribute to the chemopreventive, antitumoral and antimetastatic activities of rosemary extracts and suggests their potential in the treatment of other angiogenesis-related malignancies, according to "Anti-angiogenic properties of carnosol and carnosic acid, two major dietary compounds from rosemary" by López-Jiménez A, García-Caballero M, Medina MA, Quesada AR.(1)

2. Antibacterial activity
In the assessment of the volatile compounds obtained by hydrodistillation of the aerial parts of Rosmarinus tournefortii De Noé and its antibacteria effect found that the essential oil exhibited strong antibacterial activity against E. coli and P. aeruginosa, and was also active against Staphylococcus aureus, according to "Essential oil analysis and antibacterial activity of Rosmarinus tournefortii from Algeria" by Bendeddouche MS, Benhassaini H, Hazem Z, Romane A.(2)

3. Anti-colitic activity
In the observation of the effects of rosemary leaves hydroalcoholic extract (RHE) and essential oil (REO) and their effect on inflammatory bowel diseases found that RHE and REO are both effective to possess anti-colitic activity, and reinforce the use of this plant as a remedy for inflammatory bowel diseases in traditional medicine, according to "Effects of extract and essential oil of Rosmarinus officinalis L. on TNBS-induced colitis in rats" by
Minaiyan M, Ghannadi AR, Afsharipour M, Mahzouni P.(3)

4. Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects
In the evaluation of the effects of rosemary essential oil (REO) on experimental models of nociception and inflammation in animals found that REO administration (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg) showed unremarkable effects on response latency, whereas control injection of meperidine induced significant antinociceptive effects. REO at doses of 70, 125, and 250 mg/kg had a significant antinociceptive effect in the acetic acid-induced abdominal writhing test compared with control animals. These data suggest that REO possesses anti-inflammatory and peripheral antinociceptive activity, according to "Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. essential oil in experimental animal models" by
Takaki I, Bersani-Amado LE, Vendruscolo A, Sartoretto SM, Diniz SP, Bersani-Amado CA, Cuman RK.(4)

5. Cancer prevention
In the research of intake of vegetables and certain plant components and their major role in cancer risk reduction indicated that literature evidence from animal and cell culture studies demonstrates the anticancer potential of rosemary extract, carnosol, carnosic acid, ursolic acid, and rosmarinic acid and concluded the different molecular targets modulated by rosemary and its active constituents are useful indicators of success in clinical cancer chemo-prevention trials, according to "Rosemary and cancer prevention: preclinical perspectives" by
Ngo SN, Williams DB, Head RJ.(5)

6. Free radicals
Rosemary contains high amount of carnosic acid, a natural benzenediol diterpene which has found to reduce the risk of free radical cause of cancers, according to "Inhibitory effects of rosemary extracts, carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid on the growth of various human cancer cell lines" by Yesil-Celiktas O, Sevimli C, Bedir E, Vardar-Sukan F.(6)

7. Immune system
Since it also contains high amount of vitamin A, C and E, the team of common antioxidant scavengers that help to promote the immune function in fighting against irregular cell growth and virus cause of inflammation due to counter reaction in the attack of free radicals, Part C. Common antioxidants (scavengers) -Antioxidants - Cancers and Diseases (7)

8. Prostate Cancer
In scientific studies, carnosol, a phenolic antioxidant extracted from the herb rosemary found have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic activity against prostate cancer, according to "Carnosol, a dietary diterpene, displays growth inhibitory effects in human prostate cancer PC3 cells leading to G2-phase cell cycle arrest and targets the 5'-AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway" by Johnson JJ, Syed DN, Heren CR, Suh Y, Adhami VM, Mukhtar H.(8)

9. Antimicrobial activity
Carnosic acid and carnosol, natural phenol antioxidant acid found in rosemary have an antiviral, antibacterial, antiinflammatory properties, according to "Antimicrobial activity of Rosmarinus officinalis against oral pathogens: relevance of carnosic acid and carnosol" by Bernardes WA, Lucarini R, Tozatti MG, Souza MG, Silva ML, Filho AA, Martins CH, Crotti AE, Pauletti PM, Groppo M, Cunha WR.(9)

10. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester
Caffeic acid found in rosemary is a hydroxycinnamic acid that has been shown to have the immunoregulatory effects on cytokine secretion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from asthmatic children, according to "The immunoregulatory effects of caffeic Acid phenethyl ester on the cytokine secretion of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from asthmatic children" by Sy LB, Yang LK, Chiu CJ, Wu WM.(10)

11. Etc.

Side effects
1. Rosemary essential oil is potentially toxic if ingested
2. May cause allergic effect to certain people
3.Overdose of rosemary leaves can cause adverse reactions
4. Etc.

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Optimal Health And Loose Weight

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Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22173778
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22164796
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22049274
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19053868
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21955093
(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20449663
(7) http://the-anti-aging-guide.blogspot.com/2011/03/anti-aging-guide.html
(8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18286356
(9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20658673
(10) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22192260

Popular #Herbs - Rooibos

Rooibos is legume plant in the genus Aspalathus, belonging to the family Fabaceae, native to South Africa's fynbos. The herb has been used as herbal tea to treat irritability, headaches, disturbed sleeping patterns, insomnia, nervous tension, mild depression or hypertension, etc.

Health Benefits 1. Sperm Quality and quantity
In the comparison of compares the modulation of OS by rooibos, Chinese green tea and commercial rooibos and green tea supplements in rat sperm, found that both rooibos extracts could offer a measure of protection against induced oxidative damage by increasing the antioxidant defence mechanisms and thereby improving the sperm quality and function, according to "The Effects of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), Green Tea (Camellia sinensis) and Commercial Rooibos and Green Tea Supplements on Epididymal Sperm in Oxidative Stress-induced Rats" by Awoniyi DO, Aboua YG, Marnewick J, Brooks N.(1)

2. Anti diabetes
In the assessment of the efficacy of rooibos tea as a natural source of a wide scale of antioxidants on the prevention and treatment of oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, found that rooibos tea as a commonly used beverage can be recommended as an excellent adjuvant support for the prevention and therapy of diabetic vascular complications, particularly for protecting ocular membrane systems against their peroxidation by reactive oxygen species, according to "Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis) partially prevents oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats" by Ulicná O, Vancová O, Bozek P, Cársky J, Sebeková K, Boor P, Nakano M, Greksák M.(2)

3. Cardiac protection
In the observation of the main polyphenolic compounds in both fermented/traditional and unfermented/"green" rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and its cardioprotective effects against ischaemia/reperfusion injury, found that the rooibos extracts did not cause significant change in the levels of the pro-survival PKB/Akt (threonine 308 and serinet 473). The GSH/GSSG ratio in the hearts of the green tea supplemented group was significantly (p<0.05) lower when compared to RF (37.78±28.63), RU (33.20±4.13) and C (45.50±14.96). The results clearly demonstrate the cardio-protective properties of aqueous rooibos extracts via the inhibition of apoptosis which can possibly be related to the flavonol content of this unique South African herbal tea, according to "Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) offers cardiac protection against ischaemia/reperfusion in the isolated perfused rat heart" by Pantsi WG, Marnewick JL, Esterhuyse AJ, Rautenbach F, van Rooyen J.(3)

4. Cardiovascular disease
In the analyzing the effect of rooibos on biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease, found that Confirming its popular use, consumption of fermented, traditional rooibos significantly improved the lipid profile as well as redox status, both relevant to heart disease, in adults at risk for developing cardiovascular disease, according to "Effects of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on oxidative stress and biochemical parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease" by Marnewick JL, Rautenbach F, Venter I, Neethling H, Blackhurst DM, Wolmarans P, Macharia M.(4)

5. Antioxidants
In the investigation of the anti-oxidative effect of RTE on oils and fats in autoxidation or thermal oxidation, found that RTE has a very strong anti-oxidative effect on emulsifying oils owing to the water-soluble polyphenols such as rutin and quercetin contained in RTE, according to "Anti-oxidative effects of rooibos tea extract on autoxidation and thermal oxidation of lipids" by Fukasawa R, Kanda A, Hara S.(5)

6. Anti-inflammatory effects
In the study of the anti-inflammatory effects of Rooibos tea on rat colitis model, found that after dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) administration, the serum superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were significantly higher in the Rooibos group compared to the controls (P < 0.05). As a result, a decreased hemoglobin level, observed in the control group, was prevented in the Rooibos group after the DSS challenge, according to "Studies of anti-inflammatory effects of Rooibos tea in rats" by Baba H, Ohtsuka Y, Haruna H, Lee T, Nagata S, Maeda M, Yamashiro Y, Shimizu T.(6)

7. Anti-wrinkle
In the comparison of Herbal anti-wrinkle cosmetics formulated from ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba), a mixture of tea and rooibos (Camellia sinensis and Aspalathus linearis) and soybean (Glycine soja) found that The ginkgo preparation increased skin moisturization (27.88%) and smoothness (4.32%) and reduced roughness (0.4%) and wrinkles (4.63%), whereas the formula containing tea and rooibos showed the best efficacy on wrinkle reduction (9.9%). In comparison to the tea and rooibos formula, gingko significantly improved skin moisturization (P = 0.05), according to "Clinical efficacy comparison of anti-wrinkle cosmetics containing herbal flavonoids" by Chuarienthong P, Lourith N, Leelapornpisid P.(7)

8. Anti Tumors
In the comparison of the effect of prepared from methanolic extracts of processed and unprocessed rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia), green (Camellia sinensis) teas in a two-stage mouse skin carcinogenesis assay, found that 2-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), on ICR mouse skin initiated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) suppressed skin tumorigenesis significantly (P<0.001) with the green tea E/A fraction exhibiting a 100% inhibition, unprocessed honeybush 90%, processed honeybush 84.2%, processed rooibos 75% and unprocessed rooibos 60%, according to "Inhibition of tumour promotion in mouse skin by extracts of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia), unique South African herbal teas" by Marnewick J, Joubert E, Joseph S, Swanevelder S, Swart P, Gelderblom W.(8)

9. Anti cancers
In the investigation of the chemoprotective properties of unfermented and fermented rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) herbal teas, and green and black teas (Camellia sinensis), found that Unfermented rooibos and honeybush significantly (P<0.05) to marginally (P<0.1) reduced the total number of foci (>10microm), respectively, while all the teas reduced the relative amount of the larger foci. Fermentation seems to reduce the protective effect of the herbal teas. Differences in the major polyphenolic components and certain FB1/polyphenolic/tissue interactions may explain the varying effects of the different teas on the oxidative parameters, hepatotoxic effects and cancer promotion in rat liver, according to "Chemoprotective properties of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis), honeybush (Cyclopia intermedia) herbal and green and black (Camellia sinensis) teas against cancer promotion induced by fumonisin B1 in rat liver" by Marnewick JL, van der Westhuizen FH, Joubert E, Swanevelder S, Swart P, Gelderblom WC.(9)

10. Immune function
In the evaluation of the effects of Aspalathus linearis (Rooibos tea) and Camellia sinensis (Black tea) on biomarkers of specific immune pathways, found that Rooibos and Black tea addition to unstimulated whole blood cultures induced higher Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10, and Interferon gamma secretion. Addition of Rooibos tea to stimulated whole blood cultures induced higher Interleukin-6, lower Interleukin-10, and had no effect on Interferon gamma secretion. Black tea addition to stimulated whole blood cultures inhibited Interleukin-6, Interleukin-10, and Interferon gamma production, according to "The in vitro effects of Rooibos and Black tea on immune pathways" by Hendricks R, Pool EJ.(10)

11. Antibody production
In the examination of he effects of Rooibos tea extract on antigen-specific antibody production and cytokine generation in vitro and in vivo, found that Rooibos tea extract may facilitate the antigen-specific antibody production through selective augmentation of IL-2 generation both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, Rooibos tea intake may be of value in prophylaxis of the diseases involving a severe defect in Th1 immune response such as cancer, allergy, AIDS, and other infections, according to "Effects of rooibos tea extract on antigen-specific antibody production and cytokine generation in vitro and in vivo" by Kunishiro K, Tai A, Yamamoto I.(11)

12. Central nervous system (CNS)
In the investigation of the protective effects of Rooibos tea (RT), Aspalathus linearis, against damage to the central nervous system (CNS) found that no significant increase of TBARS was observed in RT-administered aged rats. When MR images of the brains of 24-month-old rats with and without RT as well as 5-week-old rats were taken, a decrease of the signal intensity was observed in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum in MR images of aged rats without RT, whereas little change of the signal intensity was observed in MR images of the same regions of 24-month-old rats treated with RT, whose images were similar to those of young rats, according to "The suppression of age-related accumulation of lipid peroxides in rat brain by administration of Rooibos tea (Aspalathus linearis)" by Inanami O, Asanuma T, Inukai N, Jin T, Shimokawa S, Kasai N, Nakano M, Sato F, Kuwabara M.(12)

13. Etc.

Side Effects
1. Overdoses may cause chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, swollen chest, etc.
2. Rooibos tea may cause allergic effect, including skin irritation
3. Do not use the herb in children or if you are pregnant without approval from the related field specialist.
4. Prolonged period of using the herb may cause iron deficiency due to the presence of chemical compound tannin
5. Etc.

Chinese Secrets To Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal
Use The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve
Optimal Health And Loose Weight

Super foods Library, Eat Yourself Healthy With The Best of the Best Nature Has to Offer

Back to Popular Chinese Herbs http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca/p/chinese-herbs.html

Back to Kyle J. Norton Home page http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca
Sources
(1) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22228422
(2) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15910170
(3) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21982437
(4) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20833235
(5) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19430189
(6) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19419525
(7) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20412217
(8) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15914270
(9) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19041360
(10) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20391028
(11) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11758901
(12) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7501264

Popular #Herbs - Rhubarb

Rhubarb is a small flower grouped with large compound leafy in the the genus Rheum, belonging to the family Polygonaceae. The herb has been used in traditional medicine as laxative agent, reduce inflammation and treat diarrhea, dysentery blood clots, tumor red and painful eyes abdominal-distention and/or pain blood in stool hemorrhoidal bleeding urination: burning sensation, absence of menses, etc.

Health Benefits
1. Cardiovascular diseases
In the elavuation of piceatannol-3'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside (PG), a potent component of stilbenes and theirs inhibited activity of arginase I and II prepared, found that PG showed IC((50)) value of 11.22 microM and 11.06 microM against arginase I and II, respectively. PG as an arginase inhibitor, therefore, represents a novel molecule for the therapy of cardiovascular diseases derived from endothelial dysfunction and may be used for the design of pharmaceutical compounds, according to 'Piceatannol-3'-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside as an active component of rhubarb activates endothelial nitric oxide synthase through inhibition of arginase activity" by Woo A, Min B, Ryoo S.(1)

2. Anti-cancers
In the investigation of the toxicological and anti-neoplastic potentials of the main anthraquinones from Rhubarb, Rheum palmatum, found that Rhein is the other major rhubarb anthraquinone, although less well studied. This compound could effectively inhibit the uptake of glucose in tumor cells, caused changes in membrane-associated functions and led to cell death. Interestingly, all three major rhubarb anthraquinones were reported to have in vitro phototoxic. This re-evaluation of an old remedy suggests that several bioactive anthraquinones of rhubarb possess promising anti-cancer properties and could have a broad therapeutic potential, according to "Anti-cancer properties of anthraquinones from rhubarb" by

Huang Q, Lu G, Shen HM, Chung MC, Ong CN.(2)

3. Breast cancer
In the investigation of antiproliferation effects of anthraquinone derivatives of rhubarb root on human breast cancer cells, found that rhein is processing anti-proliferative activity against HER2 overexpression or HER2-basal expression in breast cancer cells and playing important roles in apoptotic induction of human breast cancer cells, according to "Rhein induces apoptosis in human breast cancer cells" by Chang CY, Chan HL, Lin HY, Way TD, Kao MC, Song MZ, Lin YJ, Lin CW.(3)

4. Gastrointestinal protection against severe burn
In the identification of the influence of rhubarb in patients with severe burn, found that Rhubarb can protect intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with severe burn through increasing secretion of gastrointestinal hormones and promoting restoration of gastrointestinal motility, according to " [Influence of rhubarb on gastrointestinal motility and intestinal mucosal barrier in patients with severe burn].[Article in Chinese]" by Meng YB, Lei J, Hao ZM, Cao RL.(4)

5. Cirrhotic ascites
In the study of the efficacy of investigate the efficacy of Xiaozhang Tie, a traditional Chinese herbal cataplasm, including Rhubarb in patients with cirrhotic ascites, found that Xiaozhang Tie as an adjuvant to primary therapy of cirrhotic ascites is safe and shows a remarkable efficacy on relieving abdominal distention, according to 'Effects of Chinese herbal cataplasm Xiaozhang Tie on cirrhotic ascites" by Xing F, Tan Y, Yan GJ, Zhang JJ, Shi ZH, Tan SZ, Feng NP, Liu CH.(5)

6. Obesity
In the evaluation of the effects of the traditional Korean anti-obesity drug GGEx18, a mixture of three herbs, Laminaria japonica Aresch (Laminariaceae), Rheum palmatum L. (Polygonaceae), found that GGEx18 inhibited lipid accumulation, and similar activation of genes was observed in GGEx18-treated C2C12 cells. However, compound C inhibited these effects in C2C12 cells. Discussion and conclusion: These results suggest that GGEx18 improves obesity through skeletal muscle AMPK and AMPK-stimulated expression of PPARα and its target enzymes for fatty acid oxidation, according to "The herbal composition GGEx18 from Laminaria japonica, Rheum palmatum, and Ephedra sinica reduces obesity via skeletal muscle AMPK and PPARα" by Shin SS, Park D, Lee HY, Hong Y, Choi J, Oh J, Lee H, Lee HR, Kim MR, Shen ZB, Cui HH, Yoon M.(6)

7. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities
In the observation of the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic activities of water and ethanol extracts of 14 Chinese medicinal plants, including Rheum officinale, found that Four plants, namely, Scutellaria baicalensis , Taxillus chinensis , Rheum officinale, and Sophora japonica , showed significant antioxidant activity in both yeast model and also free radical scavenging methods, according to "Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of selected medicinal plants containing phenolic and flavonoid compounds" by Zhang L, Ravipati AS, Koyyalamudi SR, Jeong SC, Reddy N, Smith PT, Bartlett J, Shanmugam K, Münch G, Wu MJ.(7)

8. Menopausal symptoms
In the investigation of the efficacy of ERr 731(®), a commercially available extract isolated from Rheum rhaponticum on menopausal symptoms, including hot flushes, depression, anxiety and vaginal dryness found that the observations from previous trials regarding the endometrial safety of ERr 731(®) have been supported by our experimental findings that exclude a stimulatory activity on proliferation in the uterus in a long-term administration in the young adult rat but no effect on the bone mineral density could be observed, according to "Long-term effects of the rhapontic rhubarb extract ERr 731® on estrogen-regulated targets in the uterus and on the bone in ovariectomized rats" by Keiler AM, Papke A, Kretzschmar G, Zierau O, Vollmer G.(8)

9. Hepatotoxicity or hepatoprotection?
In the determination of the efficacy of Rhubarb on Hepatotoxicity or hepatoprotection, found that The curative effect of administering the two lowest dosages of RE to CCl(4)-treated rats was mainly expressed as a decrease in the extent of cellular injury. The hepatoprotective mechanism of RE might be related to its antioxidant effect, the antagonism of the free radical damage to hepatocytes caused by CCl(4). By contrast, the RE-induced liver damage was mainly expressed as a significant increase in the amount of fibrosis in both normal rats at all dosage levels and CCl(4)-treated rats at the two highest dosage levels, according to "Hepatotoxicity or hepatoprotection? Pattern recognition for the paradoxical effect of the Chinese herb Rheum palmatum L. in treating rat liver injury" by Wang JB, Zhao HP, Zhao YL, Jin C, Liu DJ, Kong WJ, Fang F, Zhang L, Wang HJ, Xiao XH.(9)

10. Anti diabetes
In the comparison of the Western medicine treatment group (Group A) received insulin and orally took anti-diabetic drugs, while those in the TR group (Group B) received insulin and orally took TR (consisting of astragalus, raw rehmannia root, sanchi root, euonymus branchlet, rhubarb, bitter orange, and dogwood fruit, etc. 4 g/package), found that Treatment of insulin and TR showed similar favorable effect to Western medicine in treatment of diabetic nephropathy. It could improve in vivo hypomethylation and oxidative stress, according to "[Effects of tangshen recipe on the homocysteine metabolism of patients with diabetic nephropathy].[Article in Chinese]" by Jiang ZT, Liang QL, Wang YM.(10)

11. Antimicrobial peptides
In evaluation of the correlation between rhubarb and expressions of antimicrobial peptides (AP) in the small intestine of mice found that after gastrogavaged with rhubarb decoction, changes of AP contents in the small intestine homogenate of mice were not obvious, but the molecular weights of AP were different. But the AP contents in the small intestine perfusate obviously increased, with the molecular weights being 14.3 to 18.4 kDa. But its bactericidal capacity showed no statistical difference when compared with that of the control group (P>0.05), according to "[Correlation study of rhubarb and expression changes of antimicrobial peptides in the small intestine of mice].[Article in Chinese]" by Yan ZP, Chen XL, Zhang Z.(11)

12. Etc.
Chinese Secrets To Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal
Use The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve
Optimal Health And Loose Weight

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