Emodin, the Bioactive Ingredient of Herbal Cascara Sagrada (Rhamnus purshiana) which Protects Our Body Against the Onset of Metabolic Syndrome

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Emodin, a major bioactive compound found in herbal Cascara Sagrada may be considered an adjunct therapy in the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome, some scientists suggested.

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions associated with the increased risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, including high blood pressure and sugar, excess body weight and obesity, abnormally high levels of blood cholesterol or triglyceride levels.

Researchers do not know the exact causes of metabolic syndrome. However, they do know that ethnicity and family history and mutation of genes which causes insulin resistance inherited from the parents are the numbers of risk factor associated with the early onset of the condition.

Certain medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome and gallstone disease, nonalcoholic fatty livers are also the prevalent risk factors for the development of metabolic syndrome.

It is misleading that metabolic syndrome can only cause heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, people with metabolic syndrome are also associated with an increased risk of excessive blood clotting and persistent low-grade inflammation throughout the body.

Treatment of metabolic syndrome should be followed closely to the underlining risk factors of abdominal obesity, physical inactivity, and atherogenic/diabetogenic diet and drug therapy for specific metabolic risk factors should be considered for those at high or moderately high 10-year absolute risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute slightly modifies and clarifies the diagnostic criteria for the metabolic syndrome.

Medication used to reduce the level of progression of metabolic syndrome-related disorders including thiazolidinediones, GLP-1 agonists, and DPP-4 inhibitors may be effective, however, they can induce serious side effects such as edema, weight gain, macular edema, and heart failure.

Some patients who take the medicine may also experience side effects of hypoglycemia, decrease hematocrit and hemoglobin levels and increased bone fracture risk.

Cascara sagrada is a species of buckthorn, genus Rhamnus, belonging to the family Rhamnaceae, native to western North America.

Cascara sagrada bark has been used in traditional medicine for gastrointestinal support. and it is thought to have a laxative and natural cleansing, etc., effect.

The chemical ingredients
Besides the main compound of anthraquinones, other compounds include anthraquinone glycosides, (emodin, frangulin, iso-emodin, aloe-emodin, and chrysophanol), rhein, aloin, malic acid, tannic acid, cascarosides A, B, C, and D, hydroxy anthracene derivatives (HAD).

In the concerns of the side effects of conventional medicine used for the treatment of metabolic syndrome, researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica launched an investigation of the effect of emodin, a natural product and active ingredient of various Chinese herbs including Cascara Sagrada in metabolic disorders in diet-induced obese (DIO) mice.

Emodin exerted a significant effect as a potent and selective 11beta-HSD1 inhibitor against insulin resistance and with the IC(50) of 186 and 86 nM for human and mouse 11beta-HSD1, respectively

11β-HSD1, a family of enzymes which have been found to associate with the risk of insulin resistance.

Furthermore, single oral administration of emodin inhibited 11beta-HSD1 activity of liver and fat significantly in mice without reversing the prednisone and dexamethasone-induced insulin resistance.

In DIO mice, oral administration of emodin improved insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism and lowered blood glucose and hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), and glucose-6-phosphatase mRNA.

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) is associated with the control of hepatic glucose output.

Glucose-6-phosphatase mRNA is increased to some extents in kidney and liver of diabetic rats.

The findings suggested the potential value of analogs of emodin for the treatment of metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes.

Moreover, researchers at the extended study of the effect emodin in metabolic syndrome mice associated with 11beta-HSD1 activity also discovered that emodin inhibited the 11β-HSD1 activity in 3T3-L1 adipocytes in concentration- and time-dependent manners (the IC₅₀ values of 7.237 and 4.204 μmol/L, respectively, after 1 and 24 h treatment, through suppressing the 11-dehydrocorticosterone-in the generation of corticosterone without affecting corticosterone-induced adipogenesis in normal tissues..

3T3-L1 adipocytes are used as cell culture model of insulin resistance

-

Adipogenesis is the process of cell differentiation from pre-adipocytes to adipocytes.

Moreover, emodin (3 μmol/L) partly reversed the impaired insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and adiponectin secretion induced by 11-dehydrocorticosterone but not those induced by corticosterone.

In ob/ob mice, long-term emodin administration decreased 11β-HSD1 activity in mesenteric adipose tissues, lowered non-fasting and fasting blood glucose levels, and improved glucose tolerance.

Dr. Wang YJ, the lead scientist, after taking into account co and confounders, wrote, "Emodin improves the inactive glucocorticoid-induced adipose tissue dysfunction by selective inhibition on 11β-HSD1 in adipocyte in vitro and improves glycemic control in ob/ob mice".

Taken altogether, Cascara Sagrada bioactive compound emodin may be considered an adjunct supplement used alone for the prevention or combined with other conventional medicine for the treatment of metabolic syndrome without inducing adverse effects.

However, due to the limitation of the above studies, additional data collection large example size and multi-centers studies performed with human consumption of the whole food or its bioactive compound emodin during the course of the disease will be necessary to complete the picture of Cascara sagrada anti-metabolic syndrome possibilities.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

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Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1). "Emodin, a natural product, selectively inhibits 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 and ameliorates metabolic disorder in diet-induced obese mice" by Feng Y, Huang SL, Dou W, Zhang S, Chen JH, Shen Y, Shen JH, Leng Y. (PubMed)
(2). Emodin, an 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor, regulates adipocyte function in vitro and exerts the anti-diabetic effect in ob/ob mice. by Wang YJ, Huang SL, Feng Y, Ning MM, Leng Y. (PubMed)

Green Tea GTE and EGCG, The Natural Anti Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Supplements

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of  Nutrition

Scientists may have found a beverage's extract and bioactive compound for the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), some studies suggested.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a medical disorder which cannot be explained by an underlying medical condition, characterized by persistently extreme fatigue that never goes away regardless of treatment.for at least 6 months.

The exact causes of chronic fatigue syndrome are unknown. However, some researchers suggested that the conditions are the results of viral infection and chronic stress syndrome.

The University of South Florida (USF Health) in the article "Chronic fatigue syndrome: Inherited virus can cause cognitive dysfunction and fatigue" wrote, "Medveczky's team discovered that untreated CIHHV-6 patients with CFS showed signs that the HHV-6 virus was actively replicating: determined by the presence of HHV-6 messenger RNA (mRNA), a substance produced only when the virus is active".

In the psychological aspects of chronic fatigue syndrome, Dr. Takakazu Oka at the International University of Health and Welfare wrote,  " psychological stress is involved in the CFS onset, exacerbation, and/or relapse, while early life stress acts as a risk factor toward the development of CFS in later life" and "CFS patients may have disrupted stress systems, including HPA axis hypofunction and ANS alterations characterized by sympathetic overactivity and low vagal tone. Individuals with CFS respond to psychological stress". 

Some researchers also found that elimination diets, dietary restriction and the addition of nutritional supplements to habitual diet may have a beneficial effect in reducing fatigue.


The randomized control trials, including pilot studies, compared a form of nutritional supplement with a placebo control suggested, treatment of a combination of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydride (NADH) and coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) exerts a significant reduction of fatigue after 8 weeks, compared to placebo.

Green tea is a precious drink processed numbers of health benefit known to almost everyone in Asia and the Western world.

In the concerns of the oxidative stress in the exhibited CFS, researchers at the Panjab University launched an investigation to examine the protective effect of green tea extract (GTE) and catechin in the mouse model of CFS.

CFS animals used in the study forced swimming test session of 6 minutes every day for 7 days demonstrated a significant increase in immobility time on successive days.

Treatment with GTE (25 or 50 mg/kg, i.p.) and catechin (50 or 100 mg/kg, i.p.) for 7 days reversed the dysfunction of immobility.

Furthermore, the protection of green tea extract was correlated with the lowered levels of lipid peroxidation and restoration of reduced glutathione levels in the brains of fatigued mice.

These results suggested that oxidative stress plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of CFS.

Dr. Singal A, the lead scientist said, "GTE and catechin could be used as potential agents in the management of CFS and warrant the inclusion of GTE and catechin in the treatment regimen of CFS patients".

Moreover, in the evaluate pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome involved increased oxido-nitrosative stress along with the generation of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, in chronic fatigue rats induced by a plunge of a load of 10 ± 2% body weight and forced swim inside a rectangular jar daily for 28 days, researchers found that 

* Before application of EGCG, chronic fatigue rats exhibited significant behavioral alterations along with enhanced oxido-nitrosative stress and serum TNF-α level, compared to the naive group.

* Chronic treatment with EGCG restored all the behavioral and biochemical alterations associated with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Additionally, in the study of chronic fatigue induced in mice by subjecting them to forced swim inside a rectangular jar of specific dimensions for 6 min. daily for 15 days, researchers found that Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG; 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, p.o.) administered daily 30 min. before forced swim session
* Increased oxidative-nitrosative stress and tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels in the brain of mice before green tea administration compared with the naive group.

* These behavioral and biochemical alterations were restored after chronic treatment with EGCG.

Taken altogether, green tea extract (GTE) and its bioactive chemicals  EGCG may have the therapeutic effect in reducing the risk and treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

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Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Green tea extract and catechin ameliorate chronic fatigue-induced oxidative stress in mice by Singal A1, Kaur S, Tirkey N, Chopra K.(PubMed)
(2) Epigallocatechin gallate ameliorates behavioral and biochemical deficits in rat model of load-induced chronic fatigue syndrome by Sachdeva AK1, Kuhad A, Chopra K.(PubMed)
(3) Protective effect of epigallocatechin gallate in murine water-immersion stress model of chronic fatigue syndrome by Sachdeva AK1, Kuhad A, Tiwari V, Arora V, Chopra K.(PubMed)
(4) Chronic fatigue syndrome: Inherited virus can cause cognitive dysfunction and fatigue Date: July 26, 2013 Source: University of South Florida (USF Health)
(5) Influence of Psychological Stress on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Takakazu Oka

Green Tea (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), The Potential Lewy Body Disease Inhibitor, Scientists Discover

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Green tea may have potential effect in the regulation of Lewy bodies against the onset of Lewy body disease, some scientists suggested.

Lewy body disease is one of a common form of neurodegenerative diseases occurring in the elderly characterized by mutation of the Lewy bodies as a result of the abnormal structure of Lewy bodies, building up in areas of the brain.

Lewy bodies, mainly composed of α-synuclein (αS), are pathological hallmarks of Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.

People with building up of Lewy body in most cases also have Alzheimer's disease, causing reduced mental ability, including symptoms of visual hallucinations, and changes in alertness and attention. 

Some patients with the condition are also experiencing symptoms of rigid muscles, slow movement, and tremors, the hallmarks of the Parkinson's disease.

Researchers do not know why the elderly with the same health conditions and family history, some are susceptible to the early onset of the disease while others do not. However, they do know that certain risk factors such as old age, family history, and male gender are associated with the onset of Lewy body disease.

Some researchers also believe due to the severity of brain damage, patients with the condition also express certain mental instability including aggressive behavior, depression and worsening of parkinsonian-like symptoms.

Genetic alternation such as SNCA or SNCB gene mutations is also found in patients with the disease.

According to the My Virtual Medical Center, Lewy bodies is the third most frequent cause of dementia in older adults and accounts for 15–35% of all dementias

Green tea, a precious drink processes numbers of health benefit known to almost everyone in Asia and Western world.

In the study of N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)- and 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurodegeneration in rodents and nonhuman primates with the increased presence of iron and alpha-synuclein in the SNpc, researchers found that application of green tea catechin polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate exerts a significant effect as an iron chelators in protecting the brain against neurotoxins by inhibiting the increased presence of iron and alpha-synuclein in the SNpc.

Pretreatment of green tea on N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)- and 6-hydroxydopamine-induced neurodegeneration in rodents was also found to demonstrate the high levels of antioxidant activity in preventing the accumulation of iron and alpha-synuclein in SNpc.

Dr. Mandel S, the lead author suggested that a combination of iron chelation and antioxidant therapy might be a significant approach to neuroprotection in PD and other neurodegenerative diseases, including Lewy body disease.

Furthermore, in the concerns of the primary α-synucleinopathgenic expression in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD), dementia with Lewy bodies and multiple system atrophy, researchers at the Lanzhou University, launched an investigation to examine whether green tea (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) can inhibit the fibrillation of αS.

After taking into account co and confounders, researchers showed that
* EGCG displays a potential effect in remodeling the αS fibrils and breaking the initially ordered pattern by reducing the β-sheet content.

* EGCG can also break the Greek conformation of αS by the disappeared H-bond in the secondary structure of turn.

Dr. Liu X, the lead author at the end of the study said, "The results from our study can not only reveal the specific interaction between EGCG and β-sheet-rich fibrils of αS, but also provide useful guidance for the discovery of other potential inhibitors".

In other words, green tea EGCG may be considered a primary target for extracting the pharmaceutical inhibitor for the treatment of  Lewy body disease. 

Moreover, in the differentiation of the EGCG effect in patients with Lewy body disease, researchers at the Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science conducted an evaluation to examine
EGCG effect on the transient 'active' oligomers (AOs),

At the final report, researchers found that
* EGCG facilitates the fibril formation and thus eliminating the toxic AOs.

* Also, EGCG suppresses the membrane disrupting radiating amyloid fibril formation on the surface of liposomal membranes, thus protecting the cells against the initiation of AOs.

Dr. Yang JE , the lead wrote in the summary," EGCG has been suggested to exhibit its protective effect against the αS-mediated cytotoxicity by not only producing the off-pathway 'compact' oligomers but also facilitating the conversion of 'active' oligomers into amyloid fibrils".

Taken altogether, green tea and its bioactive compound EGCG may have a potential effect in treating Lewy body disease by preventing the overexpression of α-synuclein (αS) accumulation in the brain by either inhibiting the oligomers or converting the oligomers into amyloid fibrils.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Iron and alpha-synuclein in the substantia nigra of MPTP-treated mice: effect of neuroprotective drugs R-apomorphine and green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate by Mandel S1, Maor G, Youdim MB. (PubMed)
(2) EGCG-mediated Protection of the Membrane Disruption and Cytotoxicity Caused by the 'Active Oligomer' of α-Synuclein by Yang JE1, Rhoo KY2, Lee S1, Lee JT1, Park JH1, Bhak G1, Paik SR(PubMed)
(3) Influence of EGCG on α-synuclein (αS) aggregation and identification of their possible binding mode: A computational study using molecular dynamics simulation by Liu X1, Zhou S1,2, Shi D1, Bai Q1, Liu H2, Yao X1.(PubMed)
(4) Alpha-synuclein biology in Lewy body diseases by Woojin Scott Kim,  Katarina Kågedal and Glenda Halliday (Research Gate)

Herbal Aloe Vera, The Potent and Effective Adjunct Therapy for Treatment of Type II Diabetes, Scientist Find

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Scientists may have found a natural whole food for treatment of type II diabetes without inducing any side effects, some studies suggested,

Type II diabetes is a chronic acquired medical condition characterized by insufficient insulin entering the bloodstream to regulate the glucose.

The disease is either caused by cells in pancreas dying off or receptor sites clogged up by fat and cholesterol.

In some cases, diabetes is also caused by allergic reactions of cells in the immune system.

The exact cause of type II diabetes is unknown. However, some researchers suggested that the condition is most likely caused by genetic mutation and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Other risk factors associated with the early onset of type II diabetes include overweight or obese, age 45 or older, family history, ethnicity, Alaska Native, high blood pressure and cholesterol and women with polycystic ovary syndrome.

Dr. Waqas Sami, the lead author in the study "Effect of diet on type 2 diabetes mellitus: A review" wrote. "Dietary habits and sedentary lifestyle are the major factors for rapidly rising incidence of DM among developing countries. In type 2 diabetics, recently, the elevated HbA1c level has also been considered as one of the leading risk factors for developing microvascular and macrovascular complications" and "Improvement in the elevated HbA1c level can be achieved through diet management; thus, the patients could be prevented from developing the diabetes complications. Awareness about diabetes complications and consequent improvement in dietary knowledge, attitude, and practices lead to better control of the disease".

These results suggested changes in diet and lifestyle are the most effective method in the management of type II diabetes.

Medication including Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) Glucagonlike peptide–1 (GLP-1) agonists. Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-4) inhibitors used for the treatment of type II diabetes may be effective, however, they are to know to induce serious side effects such as low blood sugar, upset stomach, skin rash or itching, weight gain. kidney complications, upset stomach, tiredness or dizziness,... and metal taste.

If you are currently taking one of the above medicine, please make sure that you discuss the side effects with your doctor and know how to deal with them.

Aloe Vera is species of succulent plant in the genus Aloe, belonging to the Family Xanthorrhoeaceae, native to Sudan.

The herbal medicine has become very popular for commercial cultivation due to its health benefits. Aloe vera has been used in herbal medicine in treating many kinds of disease, including wound, burn healing, minor skin infections, sebaceous cysts, diabetes, and elevated of cholesterol, etc..

The Chemical ingredients
The ten main areas of chemical constituents of Aloe vera include amino acids, anthraquinones, enzymes, minerals, vitamins, lignins, monosaccharide, polysaccharides, salicylic acid, saponins, and sterols.

In the study to examine the clinical effectiveness of aloe vera, a popular herbal remedy in the United Kingdom for the treatment of type II diabetes, researchers at the University of Exeter, launched a review by researching the database of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Biosis, and the Cochrane Library.

Only controlled clinical trials (on any indication) were included in the study.

There were no restrictions on the language of publication. All trials were read and data were extracted in a standardized, pre-defined manner.

After differentiating the 10 selected studies, researchers found that oral administration of aloe vera might be a useful adjunct for lowering blood glucose in diabetic patients as well as for reducing blood lipid levels in patients with hyperlipidemia.

However, the topical application of aloe vera was not an effective preventative for radiation-induced injuries.

Furthermore, Dr. Okyar A and colleagues, in clarifying the controversy over the past 15 years on the hypoglycemic activity of Aloe species, launched an investigation with separate experiments on three main groups of rats, namely, non-diabetic (ND), type I (IDDM) and type II (NIDDM) diabetic rats.

At the end of the experiment, researchers found that

* Application of Aloe vera A. vera leaf pulp and gel extracts were ineffective on lowering the blood sugar level of ND rats.

* A. vera leaf pulp extract showed hypoglycemic activity on IDDM and NIDDM rats, the effect being enhanced for type II diabetes in comparison with glibenclamide.

* On the contrary, A. vera leaf gel extract showed hyperglycaemic activity on NIDDM rats.

These results suggested, pulps of Aloe vera leaves devoid of the gel could be useful in the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

Taken all together Aloe Vera may be considered an adjunct therapy for treatment in patients non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes.

However, due to the limitation of the above studies, additional data collection large example size and multi-centers studies performed with human consumption of the whole food Aloe vera during the course of the disease will be necessary to complete the picture of Aloe vera anti-diabetes possibilities.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Aloe vera: a systematic review of its clinical effectiveness. by Vogler BK, Ernst E.(PubMed)
(2) Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of processed Aloe vera gel in a mouse model of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. by Kim K, Kim H, Kwon J, Lee S, Kong H, Im SA, Lee YH, Lee YR, Oh ST, Jo TH, Park YI, Lee CK, Kim K.(PubMed)
(3) Effect of Aloe vera leaves on blood glucose level in type I and type II diabetic rat models.
Okyar A, Can A, Akev N, Baktir G, Sütlüpinar N.(PubMed)
(4) Effect of diet on type 2 diabetes mellitus: A review by Waqas Sami,1,2 Tahir Ansari,3 Nadeem Shafique Butt,4 and Mohd Rashid Ab Hamid. (PubMed)

Herbal Catnip Essential Oil, The Natural Antibiotic Alternative with No Side Effects

Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Herbal catnip was found to process certain chemical compounds which stimulate the immune function against microbial organisms in the acute and chronic phase of infection, some scientists suggested.

In human, anti-microbial activity is a natural reaction in which the macrophages of the immune system in the response to the early phase of infection stimulate the production of inflammatory cytokines which have a unique function in killing off foreign pathogens before they can cause harm to the body.

In plants, antimicrobial substances produced by the plant are served as plant defense mechanisms against predation by microorganisms.

However, overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines in many cases can mistakenly cause damage of healthy cells and tissue in the site of infection, leading to abnormal skin and scars formation.

There are 2 types of inflammatory cytokines: the proinflammatory (Isuch as IL-1β, IL-6. and TNF-α) and anti-inflammatory (such as IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-11) cytokines. Some cytokines process a duo inflammatory (such as IL-6) functions, under normal conditions, they act as the anti-inflammatory agents to protect against inflammation. Once they sense the danger to the body, they can quickly switch to pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Catnip is also known as catswort, or catmint, a plant of Nepeta, belonging to the family of Lamiaceae, native to Europe and Asia.

The functional herb has been used in herbal medicine as an insect repellant and to treat digestive disorders, children restlessness and nervousness, fevers, cold and flu, skin irritation, stimulate sweating, promote menstruation, etc..

Ingredients
Besides, having the major constituent of terpenoid nepetalactone, the herb also contains α-Pinene, β-Pinene, Cyclohexen-1-yl-methyl ketone, Triplal, Thymol, Nepetalactone, Nepetalactone, etc.

In the finding of the natural alternatives in replacement of traditional antibiotics with no side effects, researchers at the Shiraz University of Medical Sciences launched an evaluation to examine the antimicrobial activity of the essential oil derived from herbal Catnip.

Chemical 4a-α, 7-α, 7a-β-nepetalactone (55-58%), and 4a-α, 7-β, 7a-α-nepetalactone (30-31.2%) isolated from the essential oil were effective in exerting their antimicrobial activity against all tested bacteria at concentrations of 0.125-4 μL/mL and the growth of Candida species at a concentration less than 1 μL/mL. 

The essential oil chemical constituent nepetalactones are also found to process anti antibacterial, antifungal, insecticidal and antioxidant activities.

Terpenenes or terpenoids found abundant in Catnip are active against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. According to the 1977 report, 60% of essential oil derivatives derived from terpenoids demonstrated an inhibition of fungi and while only 30% inhibited bacteria.

Furthermore, the extract of catnip also displayed an inhibitory activity on growth, enzyme production and adhesion of some bacteria. 

Moreover, the essential oil extract from Catnip also exhibited the anti bactericidal activity against Gram-positive bacteria at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 8 μL/mL.

All of the Gram-negative bacteria were susceptible to the Catnip oils at concentrations of 0.25–32 μL/mL

The essential oil of Catnip from different growth stages exhibited bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities against the Shigella and Salmonella species at concentrations of 0.25–2 μL/mL and 0.5–8 μL/mL, respectively.

Additionally, the essential oil inhibited the growth of the standard species of Aspergillus at a concentration of 0.25–1 μL/mL.

In the comparison of the antibacterial effect of some herbs, including Catnip, researchers found that Lavender oil is more effective in the exhibited antibacterial ability than the Catnip essential oil, probably based on the concept of synergistic values of essential oil components.

Nevertheless, only a few published reports are available regarding the antimicrobial effects of the catnip EOs, especially against food-borne and resistant microorganisms, Dr. Zomorodian K, the lead author suggested.

Taken altogether, the essential oil derived from catnip may be considered an adjunct therapy for treatment of microbial infection.

Today, mainstream medicine antibiotics have become less effective as many viral and bacteria have developed resistance to the application due to being overused.

Secondary metabolites of plants processed antimicrobial properties with no side effects have been promoted by some companies as natural alternatives to antibiotics. The general public must be aware that many of these compounds are currently available as unregulated botanical preparations. 

Please make sure that you follow the guideline of the product closely, as acute liver toxicity has been reported in some cases.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.
References
(1) Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activities of Essential Oils from Nepeta cataria L. against Common Causes of Food-Borne Infections by Kamiar Zomorodian, Mohammad Jamal Saharkhiz, Samaneh Shariati, Keyvan Pakshir, Mohammad Javad Rahimi, and Reza Khashei(PubMed)
(2) Effects of Nepeta menthoides aqueous extract on retention and retrieval of memory in mice by Sarahroodi S, Jafari-Najafi R, Nasri S, Rohampour K, Maleki-Jamshid A, Esmaeili S.(PubMed)

Fennel, The Natural Free Radical Scavenger, Scientists Find

Kyle J. Norton

Fennel may be the next generative functional food with the potency in blocking the overexpression of free radical in the induction of chronic illness, some scientists suggested.

Free radicals are the highly reactive molecules with an unpaired electron that cause oxidation by stealing an electron from other molecules to give rise of a chain activity. Once free radical starts its domino effect, it can not be stopped until two free radical species react with each other to form a stable, non-radical adduct or inhibited by the presence of antioxidants.

Antioxidants, on the other hand, are stable molecules that inhibit oxidation caused by free radicals.

The relationship between free radicals and antioxidant are summarized by Dr. V. Lobo, the lead author in the study "Free radicals, antioxidants, and functional foods: Impact on human health ", "A balance between free radicals and antioxidants is necessary for proper physiological function. If free radicals overwhelm the body's ability to regulate them, a condition known as oxidative stress ensues. Free radicals thus adversely alter lipids, proteins, and DNA and trigger a number of human diseases. Hence application of an external source of antioxidants can assist in coping this oxidative stress".

These explanations suggested that intake of antioxidants from the food sources in the stimulation of antioxidant enzymes in the body are benefits in maintaining a good health, However, the doctors continued, "Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene and butylated hydroxyanisole have recently been reported to be dangerous for human health. Thus, the search for effective, nontoxic natural compounds with antioxidative activity has been intensified in recent years".

Overexpression of free radicals or imbalance of the ratio of free radicals and antioxidants in the body can initiate oxidative stress. A prolonged period of oxidative stress in the human body plays a major part in the development of chronic and degenerative illness such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, aging, cataract, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. 

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a plant species of genus Foeniculum, belonging to Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), native to the Mediterranean.

The functional herb has been used in traditional and herbal medicine as warming, carminative, antispasmodic, antidepressant agent and to stimulate the appetite, ease indigestion, soothe coughing, reduce intestinal spasms, to regulate the menstrual cycle and relieve PMS,...

Fennel is an excellent source of natural antioxidants and contributed to the daily antioxidant diet. The functional food is found to process a free radical scavenging activity, particularly in the application of its phenolic and flavonoid.

In the examine the effects of fennel essential oil in the presence of overexpression of free radicals, researchers found, injection of the oil exerts a strong antioxidant activity in comparison with butyrated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene., however, injection of ethanol and water extracts of fennel showed less effective compared to essential oil.

Furthermore, in the evaluation of the essential oils of the fruits of three organically grown cultivars of Egyptian fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum, Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce and Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgare) in antibacterial and antioxidant effects, researchers showed that all three cultivars contain a great source of trans-Anethole, estragole, fenchone, and limonene.

All phytochemicals demonstrated a significant activity in free radical scavenging, in the inhibited lipid peroxidation and metal chelation.

Additional differentiation suggested that essential oils from the azoricum and dulce cultivars were more effective antioxidants than that from the vulgare cultivar and essential oils from 3 species display similar antimicrobial activities against two species of fungi, two species of Gram-negative and two species of Gram-positive bacteria.

More importantly, in the examine the effect of essential oil of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) lipophilic secondary metabolites, researchers at the Avicenna Tajik State Medical University, discovered that
* The oil exhibited moderate antioxidant activities.

* The antioxidants in the essential oil are found to protect the healthy cells and stimulate the expression of free radical in exerting cytotoxic activity against HeLa (human cervical cancer), Caco-2 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma), MCF-7 (human breast adenocarcinoma), CCRF-CEM (human T lymphoblast leukemia) and CEM/ADR5000 (adriamycin resistant leukemia) cancer cell lines;

* The most effective of the IC50 values are between 30-210 mg L-1.

These result suggested essential oil from fennel processed a great source of antioxidants with the function of balancing the ratio of free radicals in the body, thus preventing the initiation of oxidative stress.

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Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.
Sources
(1) Foeniculum vulgare Mill: A Review of Its Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, Contemporary Application, and Toxicology by Shamkant B. Badgujar,* Vainav V. Patel, and Atmaram H. Bandivdekar(PMC)
(2) Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils from organically cultivated fennel cultivars by Shahat AA1, Ibrahim AY, Hendawy SF, Omer EA, Hammouda FM, Abdel-Rahman FH, Saleh MA(PubMed)
(3) Cytotoxicity of the Essential Oil of Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) from Tajikistan by Sharopov F1,2, Valiev A3, Satyal P4, Gulmurodov I5, Yusufi S6, Setzer WN7, Wink M8(PubMed)
(4) Free radicals, antioxidants, and functional foods: Impact on human health by V. Lobo, A. Patil, A. Phatak, and N. Chandra. (PMC)

Herbal Cinnamon, The Natural Alternative for Treatment of Infertility, Scientists Say

By Kyle J. Norton, Master of Nutrition

Scientists may have found a kitchen spice which processes some underline mechanisms in enhancing the rate of fertility, some studies suggested.

Infertility is a condition characterized by the inability of a couple to conceive after 12 months of unprotected sexual intercourse or the cannot carry the pregnancy full term.

The syndrome affects over 5 million couples alone in the US.  Because of the unawareness of treatments, only 10% seek help from professionals.

According to the statistic, about 35% of infertility is caused by the male's inability to fertilize. 35% is caused by the female's inability to conceive, 10% attributes to both, and 10 % is considered a failure with an unknown cause.

Dr, Romero Ramos R, in the study [Risk factors associated to female infertility], wrote, "There were 6 factors with statistical significance: advanced age (p < 0.001), elevated body mass index (p < 0.001), age of onset of sexual activity (p < 0.001), prior pelvic surgeries (p < 0.001), and presence of stress (p < 0.001). Other risk factors such as smoking, chemical, and radiological treatments, pelvic inflammatory disease, exercise, contraceptive use, alcohol intake, drugs, coffee, solvents, glue, and insecticides, were not significant".

In male infertility, according to a case-control study conducted by Dr. Buiatti E and colleagues, about coffee and alcohol consumption, smoking habits, x-ray exposure, usual sitting posture, drug consumption, other nonoccupational risk factors, socioeconomic status, education level, and occupational history are some of prevalent risk factors associated to male infertility.

And, the high relative risk was associated with (a) occupation in the radioelectric industry, (b) nonsedentary clerical workers, (c) clerical work in the typographic industry, and (d) occupation in the textile industry,

Cinnamon, a kitchen spice in many cultures, may be best known for its effect in reducing the levels of blood glucose in diabetics and lipid peroxidation through its antioxidant activity(4).

In a total of  45 women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, randomized, 26 women completed 3 months of the study, and 17 women completed the entire 6 months of the study, researchers showed,
* Application of cinnamon exerts a positive effect in improvement of menstrual cyclicity associated with luteal phase progesterone levels and ovulatory menses without altering insulin resistance or serum androgen levels

* Cinnamaldehyde, a major chemical compound of cinnamon enhances fertility through selectively induced progesterone production and inhibits production of testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone in human adrenal cells.

* Further differentiation, suggested that cinnamon extract not only reduces insulin resistance in vitro and in vivo by increasing phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase activity with insulin stimulation in the insulin signaling pathway but also improves menstrual cyclicity in female induced PCOs.

Moreover, in the infertile male rat study conducted by Fırat University, long-term cinnamon bark oil(CPO) improved the effect on testicular oxidant-antioxidant balance and sperm quality with significantly decreasing the abnormal sperm rate and apoptotic germ cell count.

Interestingly, in the study to investigate the likelihood of detrimental effects of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4 ) on the male reproductive system through oxidative stress mechanism and also protective effects of cinnamon bark oil (CBO), researchers at the Firat University conducted an experiment including 28 healthy male Wistar rats.

The tested subjects were divided into four groups, seven rats in each. Group 1 received only olive oil daily; group 2 was treated with 100 mg kg(-1) CBO daily; group 3 was treated with only 0.25 ml kg(-1) CCl4 weekly, and group 4 received weekly CCl4 + daily CBO. 

All administrations were made by the intragastric catheter and maintained for 10 weeks. 

At the final report, researchers suggested that 

* CCl4 administration caused significant decreases in body and reproductive organ weights, testicular catalase (CAT) activity, sperm motility and concentration, and significant increases in lipid peroxidation (LPO) level, abnormal sperm rate and apoptotic index along with some histopathological damages compared with the control group.

* Pretreatment of CBO following the administration of CCl4 significant improvements in absolute weights of testis and epididymis, all sperm quality parameters, LPO level, apoptotic index, and testicular histopathological structure Cl4, compared to the group given CCl4 only.

Taken altogether, Cinnamon may be effective in promoting fertility in both sexes through enhancing the menstrual cycle in women and improving sperm performance in men.

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Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
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Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

References
(1) Preliminary Evidence that Cinnamon Improves Menstrual Cyclicity in Women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: a Randomized Controlled Trial by Kort DH1, Lobo RA. (PubMed)
(2) Effects of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) bark oil on testicular antioxidant values, apoptotic germ cell and sperm quality by Yüce A1, Türk G, Çeribaşi S, Sönmez M, Çiftçi M, Güvenç M.(PubMed)
(3) Selective stimulation by cinnamaldehyde of progesterone secretion in human adrenal cells by Iwaoka Y1, Hashimoto R, Koizumi H, Yu J, Okabe T.(PubMed)
(4) Preventive effect of cinnamon essential oil on lipid oxidation of vegetable oil by Keshvari M1, Asgary S, Jafarian-Dehkordi A, Najafi S, Ghoreyshi-Yazdi SM(PubMed)
(5) Popular #Herbs - #Dang Qui (Angelica Sinensis)
(6) Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity by Anderson RA.(PubMed)
(7) Effectiveness of cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) bark oil in the prevention of carbon tetrachloride-induced damages on the male reproductive system by Yüce A1, Türk G, Çeribaşı S, Güvenç M, Çiftçi M, Sönmez M, Özer Kaya Ş, Çay M, Aksakal M.(PubMed)
(8) The effect of cinnamon extract on insulin resistance parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome: a pilot study by Wang JG1, Anderson RA, Graham GM 3rd, Chu MC, Sauer MV, Guarnaccia MM, Lobo RA. (PubMed)
(8) [Risk factors associated to female infertility].[Article in Spanish] by Romero Ramos R1, Romero Gutiérrez G, Abortes Monroy I, Medina Sánchez HG. (PubMed)