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

Monday 30 September 2019

Prickly Pears Process Anti-Cancer Activity

By Kyle J. Norton

Cancer is a group of diseases caused by the alternation of a group of cells DNA.

Most cases of cancer begin in the cells on the surface of the inner lining of the tissue of an organ. At early, most people with cancer are asymptomatic.

At the later stage, patients may experience general cancer symptoms such as unintended weight loss, fatigue, gastrointestinal discomfort and loss of appetite and localized symptoms such as severe pain and bleeding.

The exact causes of cancer are not identified. However, most prevalent factors associated with the cancer onset include age, family history, long-term exposure to certain cancer-induced chemicals, use of tobacco and excessive alcohol drinking,..... the list goes on and on, depending on the types of cancer.

Some researchers suggested that the most common risk factor that causes cancer in the Western world may be associated with widespread obesity.

Dr. Karen Basen-Engquist, in the evaluation of obesity risk of cancer, said, "In the United States, approximately 85,000 new cancer cases per year are related to obesity. Recent research has found that as the body mass index increases by 5 kg/m2, cancer mortality increases by 10%".

And, "High priorities for future research involve additional work on the underlying mechanisms, and trials to examine the effect of lifestyle behavior change and weight loss interventions on cancer and intermediate biomarkers".

The findings strong indicated the risk of cancer is increased substantially in obese.

Prickly pear, is a genus in the cactus family, Cactaceae belongings to the Kingdom Plantae native to Australia.

According to the Mayo Clinic, prickly pear processes prickly pear anti-type 2 diabetes and anti-inflammatory activity.

On finding a potent ingredient for the treatment of cancer, researchers examined the effects of Juices of nine prickly pears (Opuntia spp.) in vitro against four cancer cell lines.

Based on the tested assays, betaxanthins and other chemical compound found in the juices of nine prickly pears (Opuntia spp.) exerted an anti cytotoxic activity ranging from 22 to 226 microg gallic acid eq/g, 95 to 374 microg quercetin eq/g, 3 to 189 microg/g, 1.6 to 300 microg/g and 17 to 25 micromoles Trolox eq./mL.

Furthermore, the juices showed strong anti-cancer effects, particularly in prostate and colon cell lines.
without affecting mammary or hepatic cancer cells.

In other words, the efficacy of prickly pears in the induction of antioxidant and inhibition of cancer is totally depending on the juice properties and phytochemicals that could prevent oxidative stress and cancer.

Taken altogether, prickly pear may be considered a functional remedy for the prevention of cancer, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) Phenolic composition, antioxidant capacity and in vitro cancer cell cytotoxicity of nine prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) juices by Chavez-Santoscoy RA1, Gutierrez-Uribe JA, Serna-Saldívar SO. (PubMed)

Herbal Turmeric in the Prevention of Unwanted Hair Growth (Hirsutism)

By Kyle J. Norton

The unwanted hair growth or hirsutism in women is a medical condition of male-pattern hair growth
on a woman’s face, arms, back, or chest that is coarse and dark, compared to normal light facial and body hair.

Unwanted male hair growth in women is associated with the production of too much androgen hormone due to certain medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and adrenal gland disorders.

Conventionally, Minoxidil, a topical medicine approved by The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was found to stop hairs from getting thinner and stimulate hair growth on the top of the scalp has been found to induce excessive body or facial hair growth in women.

Other medications that treat testosterone deficiency such as anabolic steroids and immunosuppression also have been found to cause unwanted hair growth.

According to the statistics provided by the Carolina Skin, Laser & Research Centre, hirsutism affects around 5-10% of women. The syndrome is a common presenting complaint in the dermatological outpatient department (OPD) for cosmetic reasons.

Some researchers suggested that some people with severe metabolic syndrome may also experience a condition of hirsutism.

Believe it or not, hirsutism causes a huge psychosocial impact, particularly in the younger female.

Conventionally, the treatment of hirsutism is totally depending on the causes of the disease. for excessive androgen levels. Spironolactone (SPA), an androgen blocker can be used for binding to the androgen receptor and cyproterone Acetate (CA) to include progestogen and reduced androgen production.

Other treatments, Dr. Silonie Sachdeva suggested, "Hirustism requires in-depth clinical evaluation and investigation for treatment. For pharmacological therapy, oral contraceptives are recommended for the majority of women. Adding an antiandrogen may be needed after six months if the response is suboptimal. Antiandrogen monotherapy is not recommended unless adequate contraception is used. For women who choose hair removal therapy, photoexcitation with lasers is the preferred choice".

Turmeric is a perennial plant in the genus Curcuma, belongings to the family Zingiberaceae, native to tropical South Asia.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine as anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, colorant, antiseptic, wound healing agent, and to treat flatulence, bloating, and appetite loss, ulcers, eczema, inflammations, etc.

On findings a potential compound for the promotion of hair growth, researchers examined the efficacy of a high sesquiterpene C. aeruginosa extract (CA-ext) in retarding axillary hair growth in women.

The 12 weeks double-blind, placebo-controlled intervention for CA-ext treatment study included 30 women (age 20-52 years) were recruited into a 12-week were randomly allocated to the left or right armpit group by applying lotion (to the contralateral axilla) twice daily via roll-on applicators containing either CA-ext or placebo after hair shaving.

Axillary hair length was measured video metrically at weekly intervals.

According to the results, lotion participants showed 22% (range 8-56%, p < 0.0001) reduced axillary hair growth with CA-ext compared to placebo.

At the end of the study, lotion group participants showed a shorter and finer armpit hair comapred to placebo.

Although there was no adverse effect reported by lotion group, most participants disliked the smell.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "A-ext in lotion is an efficacious inhibitor of axillary hair growth, the preparation was well accepted and matched the effectiveness of finasteride".

Taken altogether, turmeric may be considered supplements for the prevention of unwanted hair growth, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of turmeric in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

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) Sesquiterpene-Enriched Extract of Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. Retards Axillary Hair Growth: A Randomised, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Study by Srivilai J1, Nontakhot K1, Nutuan T1, Waranuch N2, Khorana N1, Wisuthiprot W3, Scholfield CN1, Champachaisri K4, Ingkaninan K. (PubMed)
(2) Germacrone and sesquiterpene-enriched extracts from Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb. increase skin penetration of minoxidil, a hair growth promoter by Srivilai J1, Waranuch N2, Tangsumranjit A2, Khorana N3, Ingkaninan K. (PubMed)
(3) HIRSUTISM: EVALUATION AND TREATMENT by Silonie Sachdeva (The Indian Journal of Dermatology)

Sunday 29 September 2019

Herbal Ashwagandha inhibits the Risk of Pancreatic Cancer

By Kyle J. Norton

Cancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells growing and multiplying disordered and uncontrollable way in our body, due to change of cellular DNA. Most cases of cancer start in the cells on the surface of the inner lining of tissue of the organ.

However, at the later stage of the tumor progression, if undetected, the large size of the tumor can suppress and break the nearby small blood vessel, leading to internal bleeding and severe if the tumor also suppresses the nearby nerve cells.

Primary cancer cells at this advanced stage can also travel a distance away from the original site to affect other healthy tissue and organs, leading to secondary metastasis.

Pancreatic cancer is a medical and chronic condition characterized by irregular cells growth in the tissue of the pancreas.

In the early stage, pancreatic cancer starts in the cells of the surface of the inner lining of pancreatic tissue. At the advanced stage, cancerous cells of the pancreas can travel a distance away to invade other healthy tissue and organs.

The exact causes of the alternation of DNA of pancreatic cells are unknown. However, epidemiological studies suggested that genetic preposition and acquired gene mutations are associated with the increased incidence of cancer.

Some researchers suggested long-term use of tobacco, being overweight and obesity, exposure to workplace chemicals, age, gender and family history are some prevalent risk factors of pancreatic cancer.

According to the statistics, pancreatic cancer is the eighth most common cancer in women and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men. Pancreatic cancer accounts for 7% of all cancer deaths.

The 5 years survival rate at stage 1 and 2 is 61% and 52% respectively.
Cascara sagrada is a species of buckthorn, genus Rhamnus, belonging to the family Rhamnaceae, native to western North America.

Ashwagandha also is known as Withania somnifera is a nightshade plant in the genus of Withania, belonging to the family Solanaceae, native to the dry parts of India, North Africa, Middle East, and the Mediterranean. The herbal medicine has been considered as Indian ginseng and used in Ayurvedic medicine over 3000 years to treat tumors and tubercular glands, carbuncles, memory loss, and ulcers and considered as anti-stress, cognition-facilitating, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging herbal medicine.

On finding a potent compound for the treatment of cancer, researchers examined the withaferin-A (WA), the biologically active withanolide extracted from Withania somnifera in human pancreatic cancer cells.

According to the tested analysis, the extract significantly increased the cells spherical structure with double-layer membranes degraded by autophagy through cleaning out damaged cells in normal cells.

However, in human pancreatic cancer (PC) cells, withanolide extract also blocked the degradation of autophagy by inhibiting SNARE protein in the the-mediated fusion of autophagosomes and lysosomes which contains degradative enzymes enclosed in a membrane.

In other words, in human pancreatic cancer (PC) cells, the extract promotes the cancer cell degradation by autophagy to induce apoptosis.

More precisely, WA induced ER stress-mediated apoptosis. by promoting the accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, associated with degradation via the proteasome, a protein involved in degrading unneeded or damaged proteins.

In vivo, combining WA with a series of ER stress aggravators enhanced apoptosis synergistically in tumor growth in PC xenografts.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "simultaneous suppression of 2 key intracellular protein degradation systems rendered PC cells vulnerable to ER stress, which may represent an avenue for new therapeutic combinations for this disease".

Taken altogether, Ashwagandha may be considered a functional herb for the prevention and an adjunct therapy combined with the primary medicine for the treatment of pancreatic cancer, pending to the result of larger sample size and multicenter study

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) Simultaneous inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system and autophagy enhances apoptosis induced by ER stress aggravators in human pancreatic cancer cells by Li X1, Zhu F1, Jiang J2, Sun C3, Zhong Q4, Shen M1, Wang X1, Tian R1, Shi C1, Xu M1, Peng F1, Guo X1, Hu J5, Ye D6, Wang M1, Qin R. (PubMed)

Broccoli Sprouts Protect the Brain Cells Against Neuro-degenerative Disease

By Kyle J. Norton

Age-related neurological disorders or neurodegenerative diseases are the conditions associated with the progressive death of neuron due to aging, leading to the problems with movement (called ataxias), or mental functioning including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia.

Dementia is a general term of neurodegenerative disease that causes a decline in memory and thinking skills that are severe enough to reduce a person's ability to perform everyday activities and quality of life.

About 5-8% of all people over the age of 65 have some forms of dementia, and this number doubles every five years above that age.

Most common types of dementia are Alzheimer's disease, the condition that destroys brain cells, causing problems with memory, thinking, and behavior severe enough to affect language communication, memory, lifelong hobbies or social life. Alzheimer's gets worse over time, and it is fatal.

Over 1 million people in the US alone are currently afflicted by Alzheimer's disease because of degeneration of hippocampus and cerebral cortex(3) of the brain where memory, language, and cognition are located.

Parkinson disease (PD) is a disabling, progressive condition that causes cognitive deficit due to the interruption of frontal-subcortical loops that facilitate cognition and parallel the motor loop, and the loss of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopamine (DA) neurons.

Besides aging, geographical, hereditary and viral and toxicological exposure may also correlate to the development of the diseases on the elderly.

Dr. Hung CW in the examination of the neurodegenerative disease in the aging population wrote, "Ageing, which all creatures must encounter, is a challenge to every living organism. In the human body, it is estimated that cell division and metabolism occurs exuberantly until about 25 years of age. Beyond this age, subsidiary products of metabolism and cell damage accumulate, and the phenotypes of aging appear, causing disease formation".
And, "Among these age-related diseases, neurodegenerative diseases have drawn a lot of attention due to their irreversibility, lack of effective treatment, and accompanied social and economical burdens".

Collard Green is a species of Brassica Oleracea, belongings to the family Brassicaceae with unknown origin. Today, the plant is cultivated commercially for its thick, slightly bitter edible leaves.

With an aim to find a natural food for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative disease, researchers examined the effect of sulforaphane, an active compound produced after conversion of glucoraphanin by the myrosinase enzyme in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var) sprouts inflammatory conditions in aged models involving microglial activation.

According to the results of pretreatment of pulsed electric fields that trigger the biological role of normal broccoli against lipopolysaccharide-activated microglia, sulforaphane-enriched broccoli sprouts showed an excellent potency against neuroinflammation conditions, particularly in both 6 and 24 h of microglial activation.

Sulforaphane in broccoli sprouts also inhibited an inflammatory cascade by decreasing the function of proteins associated with the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Furthermore, proteins associated with the production of antioxidants enzymes and inhibition of oxidative stress (Nrf2 and HO-1) were also increased by SFN followed by the lowered neuronal apoptosis induced by activated microglia.

Based on the results, researchers wrote, " sulforaphane-enriched broccoli sprouts improved the scopolamine-induced memory impairment in mice through Nrf2 activation, inhibiting neuronal apoptosis particularly through inhibition of caspase-3 activation which could lead to the neuroprotection against neurodegenerative disorders".

In other words, SFN protected the integrity of the neurons against neuron damage through it's anti-neuroinflammatory and neuroprotective activities.

Taken altogether, broccoli sprouts processed abundantly SFN may be considered supplements for the prevention of neurodegenerative disease, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of SFN in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

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) Sulforaphane-Enriched Broccoli Sprouts Pretreated by Pulsed Electric Fields Reduces Neuroinflammation and Ameliorates Scopolamine-Induced Amnesia in Mouse Brain through Its Antioxidant Ability via Nrf2-HO-1 Activation by Subedi L1, Cho K1, Park YU2, Choi HJ2, Kim SY. (PubMed)
(2) Aging and neurodegenerative diseases by Hung CW1, Chen YC, Hsieh WL, Chiou SH, Kao CL. (PubMed)

Saturday 28 September 2019

Turmeric Blocks the Onset of Head and Neck Cancers In Vitro and Vivo

By Kyle J. Norton

Cancer is a group of the medical disease characterized by cell growth irregularly in the organ tissue caused by DNA alternation.

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is a group of cancers located in the mouth, nose, throat, larynx, sinuses, or salivary glands.

According to the statistics, head and neck cancer accounts for about 4% of all cancers in the US. In 2019, approximately 65,410 American including 48,000 men and 17,410 women will develop head and neck cancer.

The overall survival rate of 5 years after diagnosis is 62%.

Use of tobacco products and excessive alcohol consumption are considered the most prevalent factor associated with the increased risk of the disease.

Additionally, viral infection including human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (for oropharyngeal cancer), and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection (for nasopharyngeal cancer) are also found in some patients with HNC.

Epidemiologically, the overall incidence of HNC is decreasing in the US, particularly in those of younger age group. However, the incidence of HPV-related cancers of the oropharynx is increased at an alarming rate.

Dr. Moustafa Mourad,, the lead scientist wrote, "The overall incidence of HNC is decreasing in the United States. However, there is an increasing incidence of HPV-related cancers of the oropharynx. Meaningful differences in cancer incidence and rate of change exist between men and women".

In the explanation of such increase, the study suggested, "The recent increase in HPV-related cancer could be due to increased rates of oral HPV exposure, because markers of high-risk sexual behavior such as younger ages of sexual debut, premarital sex, average number of lifetime partners, and the practice of oral sex have increased among recent birth cohorts in the United States".

In other words, the risk of HPV-related HNC is also depending on the sexual behavior of individuals.

Turmeric is a perennial plant in the genus Curcuma, belonging to the family Zingiberaceae, native to tropical South Asia.

The herb has been used in traditional medicine as anti-oxidant, hypoglycemic, colorant, antiseptic, wound healing agent, and to treat flatulence, bloating, and appetite loss, ulcers, eczema, inflammations, etc.

In the urgency to find a potential compound for the treatment of head and neck cancers. researchers the anticancer activity of a novel oral agent, curcumin on FaDu and Cal27 cell lines.

According to the tested analysis, curcumin inhibited growth and induced apoptosis of the FaDu and Cal27 cell lines associated with the inhibition of the migration of head and neck cancers (HNSCC) and blocking the tumor angiogenetic activity.

Furthermore, curcumin also induced the cancer cell death by activating of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway (caspase-9) and extrinsic apoptotic pathway (caspase-8).

More precisely, the anti-HNSCC efficacy of curcumin was attributed to the activation of the pathway and nuclear factors associated with the DNA damage.

In vivo, injection of curcumin increased gene expression of SIRT1 in the regulation of cellular biological function in a xenograft mouse model.

In other words, by targeting the gene SIRT1 that promotes the survival of aging cells and increase cancer risk, curcumin not only can increase the chemo drug efficacy but also reduced the risk of side effects.

Taken altogether, turmeric processed abundantly bioactive compound curcumin may be considered supplements for the prevention and treatment of head and neck cancers, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Intake of turmeric in the form of supplement should be taken with extreme care to prevent overdose acute liver toxicity.

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) Curcumin as therapeutics for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by activating SIRT1 by Hu A1, Huang JJ2, Li RL3, Lu ZY3, Duan JL3, Xu WH1, Chen XP1, Fan JP. (PubMed)
(2) Synthetic curcumin analog UBS109 inhibits the growth of head and necksquamous cell carcinoma xenografts by Zhu S, Moore TW, Morii N, Howard RB, Culver D, Arrendale RF, Reddy P, Evers TJ, Zhang H, Sica G, Chen ZG, Sun A, Fu H, Khuri FR, Shin DM, Snyder JP, Shoji M. (PubMed)
(3) Epidemiological Trends of Head and Neck Cancer in the United States: A SEER Population Study by Moustafa Mourad, MD,* Thomas Jetmore, MD,† Ameya A. Jategaonkar, MD,‡ Sami Moubayed, MD,§ Erin Moshier, PhD,║ and Mark L. Urken, MD. (PMC)

Onion the Natural Alternative Antibiotic

By Kyle J. Norton

Infection is a medical condition which can acute or chronic. Acute infection is sudden inflammation that occurs in a short period of time accompanied by a relatively brief period of symptoms.

Most cases of acute infection can be solved within days as the infectious agents are destroyed by the host immune system.

Chronic infection is the condition that lasts for a long period of time with the difficulty of clearing. Most cases of chronic infection are latent or slow infections that last the life of the host.

Antibiotics are medicines that inhibit the growth of or destroys microorganisms, including the popular penicillin or its derivatives

The bacterial infection is the infection caused by bacteria. Most cases of bacterial infection are treated with antibiotics. However, bacteria are very adaptable, overuse of antibiotics has made many of them resistant to antibiotics.

There are trillions of strains of bacteria in the world, but only a few of these cause diseases in humans. Some of them live inside our gut.

There are many risk factors associated with the onset of bacterial infections

However, researchers do not know why people with the same health condition in the same family, some are prone to infectious disease, while others do not.

Most common symptoms of bacterial infection include redness and heat, swelling, fever, pain at the site of infection.

In severe cases, the patient may also experience symptoms of swollen lymph glands.

Most cases of bacterial infection can be treated successfully if the types of bacteria that cause the infection are identified.

The onion is a plant in the genus Allium, belonging to the family Alliaceae, a close relation of garlic. It is often called the "king of vegetables" because of its pungent taste and found in a large number of recipes and preparations spanning almost the totality of the world's cultures.

Depending on the variety, an onion can be sharp, spicy, tangy, pungent, mild or sweet.

On finding a potential compound for the treatment of infectious disease researchers examined the antibacterial and possible antibiotic potentiating activity of garlic and onion.

The study compared the efficacy of decoction as traditionally used and methanol, ethanol, ethyl acetate, and acetone extracts of onion and garlic on 15 bacterial strains (6 ATCC strains and 9 clinical isolates).

According to the tested differentiation,

* Ethyl acetate extract of onion combined with Streptomycin produced an indifferent effect on all tested bacterial strains.

* Ethyl acetate extract of onion combined with Chloramphenicol showed a synergistic effect against ATCC S. aureus (FIC 0.27-0.30) and Micrococci species (FIC 0.27-0.32).

The antibacterial activity of onion extracts may be attributed to the presence of a high concentration of phenolic compounds in the onion.

In other words, the antibacterial property of onion is totally depending on the antioxidant content which may be altered due to the different method of growth, including conventional and organic cultivation.

Based on the findings, researchers said, "This study has provided an opportunity to establish valuable baseline information on the antibiotic potentiating activity of onion and... which can be further exploited for the treatment and/or management of infectious diseases".

Taken altogether, onion may be considered a remedy for the prevention and treatment of infectious disease, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) Onion and Garlic Extracts Potentiate the Efficacy of Conventional Antibiotics against Standard and Clinical Bacterial Isolates by Mahomoodally F1, Ramcharun S1, Zengin G. (PubMed)

Friday 27 September 2019

Cranberry Improves Symptoms of Neuro-Psychology

By Kyle J. Norton

Neuropsychological assessment provides both general and specific information about current levels of cognitive performance. An average or composite score across multiple ability areas provides an overall index of how well a person functions cognitively at the current time.

Cognition is the process of the brain functioning associated with the attention of working memory, producing and comprehending language, learning, reasoning, problem-solving, and decision making.

Cognitive deficit is a medical condition, that affects a person's thinking, communication, understanding or memory. The cognitive deficit can be acute or chronic.

Acute cognitive deficit is a short-term health problem caused by drugs toxicity and withdrawal, electrolyte disturbance, lack of drugs, liver disease, infection, reduced sensor input, intracranial urinary retention/fecal impaction or myocardial/metabolic/pulmonary. An acute cognitive deficit may be recovered if the cause is found.

Chronic cognitive deficit is a permanent medical condition caused by the gradual or permanent loss of the neurons, leading to problems of language, ideomotor and constructive praxis, visual gnosis, spatial attention, learning abilities, and executive functions.

There is no single cause of the chronic cognitive deficit. Increase in age, genetic preposition, certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, high blood cholesterol, and pressure, being obese and lack of exercise are some prevalent factors found in patients with chronic cognitive deficit.

Some researchers suggested that depending on the locations of the brain that were affected, patients may be at risk of Alzheimer's disease such as brain change caused by the abnormal clumps of beta-amyloid protein (plaques).

Small strokes or reduced blood flow through the brain can also cause a chronic cognitive deficit.

According to the observation of the patient MRI, patients brain with cognitive impairment also showed shrinkage of the hippocampus, a brain region important for memory, enlargement of the brain's fluid-filled spaces (ventricles) and reduced use of glucose, the sugar that's the primary source of energy for cells.

Out of many risk factors associated with the onset of the condition, obesity is also one of the major risk factors of cognitive impairment in the Western world.

Dr. Jason C. D. Nguyen, the lead author on the neurological team wrote in the final report, "The incidence of obesity in middle age is increasing markedly, and in parallel, the prevalence of metabolic disorders including cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes is also rising. Numerous studies have demonstrated that both obesity and metabolic disorders are associated with poorer cognitive performance, cognitive decline, and dementia".

Cranberry is an evergreen dwarf shrub, genus Vaccinium, belongings to the family Ericaceae, native to Northern America and Southern Asia. Because of its health benefits, cranberry has been cultivated in some parts of the world for commercial profit and used in traditional and herbal medicine to treat wounds, urinary disorders, diarrhea, diabetes, stomach ailments, and liver problems.

On finding a potential compound for the treatment of the neurological disorder, researchers examined the cranberry extract (CE) neuropsychologic effect.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, parallel-group, clinical trial included 50 community-dwelling, cognitively intact volunteers, > or = 60 years old, who reported no history of dementia or significant neurocognitive impairments.

Participants in the study were randomly assigned to receive either 32 ounces/day of a beverage containing 27% cranberry juice per volume (n = 25) or placebo (n = 25) for 6 weeks.

According to the neuropsychologic tests before and after treament on participants' self-reported, there was a nonsignificant trend (X2(1) = 2.373, p = 0.123) on overall abilities to remember.

However, more than twice of many participants (37.5%) reported the overall abilities to remember at the end of treatment compared to placebo controls (17.4%).

In other words, cranberry extract (CE) although can not improve overall neuropsychologic symptoms, it enhances the short term memory on dementia or significant neurocognitive impairments.

Taken altogether, cranberry may be considered a remedy for the improvement of memory, pending to the confirmation of the larger sample size and multicenter human study.

Sources
(1) A double-blinded, placebo-controlled, randomized trial of the neuropsychologic efficacy of cranberry juice in a sample of cognitively intact older adults: pilot study findings by Crews WD Jr1, Harrison DW, Griffin ML, Addison K, Yount AM, Giovenco MA, Hazell J. (PubMed)
(2) Obesity and cognitive decline: role of inflammation and vascular changes by Jason C. D. Nguyen,1 A. Simon Killcross,2 and Trisha A. Jenkins. (PMC)