Coherence and vitals of medicinal herbs, nutrients, and yoga in stress management and psychological stasis

When the time lows of the psychological body, about the human mind, there is a vital relationship between the psychological and somatic body leading to stress and mishaps. This could be a lack of coherence among significant components in the body, which are characterized by hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline that come into play. Cortisol and adrenaline are released when there is usually a response of fight or flight, where these hormones get ready to handle the body’s reaction, and when this happens properly, it yields stress. Stress occurs through all age groups across every ethnicity and population, as the functioning of the mind is very similar. Managing this emerging stress and anxiety condition could be done through the easy way of the modern system of medicine, allopathy. Alternatively, the traditional method comes in handy to maintain such a condition with hardly any long-term side effects. A few conventional techniques like the practice of yoga, support of the proper nutrients, and certain medicinal herbs are bent to see a change in the perspective of coping mechanisms that results in a stress-free environment within the human mind. Many patterns of practices are noticed that there are specific nutrients and supplements formulated with medicinal herbs with significant pharmacological properties and the ancient activity of yoga aid in stress management. Using and practicing regularly can help in an integrated caliber of living. This review article sheds information and collation on such significant medicinal herbs, nutrients, and renounced practices of yoga that play together in the balance of the human body to overcome the distress of the mind. Many studies have noticed that medicinal herbs, nutrients, and specific yogic asanas help handle stress and anxiety, giving a holistic living pattern.

Active Components in Chinese Medicinal Herbs Regulate AMPK/mTOR Pathway to Mediate Autophagy in Diabetic Kidney Disease： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Diabetic kidney disease （DKD） is one of the typical microvascular complications in patients with diabetes and a major cause of end-stage renal disease， with the pathogenesis remains to be elucidated. It may be associated with hemodynamic effects， genetic factors， kidney inflammatory injury， oxidative stress， autophagy dysregulation， metabolic disorders and so on. Because of its complex mechanism， there are no specific prevention and treatment measures in clinical practice. AMP-activated protein kinase （AMPK）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway is a classical pathway involved in the regulation of autophagy. This pathway can be activated for treating DKD. Recent studies have demonstrated that the active components in Chinese medicinal herbs play a role in the prevention and treatment of DKD by directly acting on targeted cells and autophagy targets， which has attracted extensive attention. Researchers have extensively studied the occurrence and development of DKD and the mechanism of drug intervention in DKD， and the results prove that AMPK/mTOR pathway plays a role in the development of this disease. The active components in Chinese medicinal herbs regulate the AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway to affect autophagy， alleviate oxidative stress， inflammation， and extracellular matrix aggregation， and promote the generation of autophagosomes， thus mitigating kidney injury. This paper mainly reviews the relationship between AMPK/mTOR signaling pathway， autophagy， and DKD and the mechanism of active components in Chinese medicinal herbs in mediating autophagy via the AMPK/mTOR pathway， aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the clinical prevention and treatment of DKD.

Active Components in Chinese Medicinal Herbs Regulate Osteogenic Signaling Pathway in Treatment of Steroid-induced Osteonecrosis of Femoral Head： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

As a threat to human health， steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femur head is a common refractory orthopedic disease mainly caused by glucocorticoids， with poor prognosis and unclear pathogenesis. Osteogenesis-associated signaling pathways play an important role in bone formation. Glucocorticoid-induced abnormal activation and transport of these signaling pathways lead to abnormal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells， dysfunction of bone metabolism， and osteogenesis disorders， which may be the main reasons for the occurrence and development of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femur head. Bone formation and remodeling need the participation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells， which are stem cells characterized by continuous self-renewal and differentiation. The key to strengthening bone remodeling is to improve the osteogenic differentiation capacity， which is the key point to inhibit bone resorption and prevent bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from differentiating into osteoclasts. Traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has been used in the treatment of osteonecrosis in ancient times. It is recorded in the Treasury of Words on Materia Medica （《本草汇编》） that "The deficiency in the lower energizer cannot be tonified without Eucommiae Cortexz.The soreness in lower legs cannot be alleviated without Eucommiae Cortex...The pain in the waist and knee cannot be relieved without Eucommiae Cortex...Tonifying liver and invigorating kidney， Eucommiae Cortex is an essential medicine." This indicates that ancient physicians have already begun to use the liver-tonifying， kidney-invigorating， and sinew-bone-strengthening effects of Eucommiae Cortex for the treatment of osteonecrosis. As the national support for the development of TCM strengthens， increasing studies have been conducted on the TCM prevention and treatment of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femur head. Studies have suggested that Chinese medicinal herbs can exert a positive effect on the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by affecting targeted signaling molecules， and promote osteogenesis and bone defect repair， thus combating the occurrence and development of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femur head. The regulation of osteogenic signaling pathway by Chinese medicines to prevent steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head has become a hot research topic. This article reviews the studies about the prevention and treatment of steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femur head with the active components in Chinese medicinal herbs by regulating osteogenic signaling pathways. We then explore the mechanism of the active components in promoting the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts and inhibiting their differentiation into osteoclasts to facilitate bone formation， aiming to provide a reference for the further study of treating steroid-induced osteonecrosis of femoral head with Chinese medicinal herbs.

Biological Mechanism of Drought Improving Quality of Rhizoma Atractylodis Chinensis / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the biological mechanism of drought improving the quality of Rhizoma Atractylodis Chinensis and establish a new method for the production of high-quality medicinal materials. MethodThe fresh roots of Atractylodes chinensis were soaked in 0 （control）， 5%， 10%， and 20% PEG-6000 solutions. The changes in reactive oxygen species （ROS） level， antioxidant enzyme activity， activities of key enzymes in primary metabolism and secondary metabolism， and content of secondary metabolites were compared. ResultCompared with the control group， the treatment with 20% PEG for 2 days elevated the levels of superoxide anion radicals （O2-·）， hydrogen peroxide （H2O2）， and malondialdehyde （MDA） by 172.5%， 56.9%， and 14.7%， respectively. The treatment did not change the activity of superoxide dismutase （SOD）， reduced the peroxidase （POD） activity， and increased the catalase （CAT） activity by 10.8%. It increased the activities of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase （HMGR）， phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase （PEPC）， and acetyl-CoA carboxylase （ACC） by 49.9%， 12.1%， and 19.0%， respectively. Furthermore， the content of atractylodin， β-eudesmol， atractylone， and atractylenolide Ⅱ was increased by 51.0%， 36.9%， 47.1%， and 91.5%， respectively. The simulated drought stress can cause the burst of ROS in the fresh roots of A. chinensis， induce the physiological state of plants under drought， change the antioxidant system， and promote the massive synthesis of secondary metabolites in a short time. ConclusionPEG-6000-simulated drought stress can greatly improve the quality of A. chinensis in cultivation.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Chronic heart failure (CHF) is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality, any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this. CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling, which might be related to oxidative stress, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, apoptosis, autophagy, mitochondrial function, and angiogenesis. These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk. Historically, Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF, and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets. This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials. Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms. This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM, herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF, providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Research progress on vesicles from Chinese medicinal herbs / 浙江大学学报·医学版

Vesicles derived from Chinese medicinal herbs (VCMH) are nano-vesicular entities released by the cells of Chinese medicinal herbs. VCMHs have various biological effects and targeting characteristics, and their component chemicals and functional activities are closely related to the parent plant. VCMH differs from animal-derived vesicles in three ways: stability, specificity, and safety. There are a number of extraction and isolation techniques for VCMH, each with their own benefits and drawbacks, and there is no unified standard. When two or more approaches are used, high quantities of intact vesicles can be obtained more quickly and efficiently. The obtained VCMHs were systematically examined and evaluated. Firstly, they are generally saucer-shaped, cup-shaped or sphere, with particle size of 10-300 nm. Secondly, they contain lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and other active substances, and these components are an important part for intercellular information transfer. Finally, they mostly have good biocompatibility and low toxicity, with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor and anti-fibrotic effects. As a new drug carrier, VCMHs have outstanding active targeting capabilities, and the capsule form can effectively preserve the drugs, considerably enhancing drug delivery efficiency and stability in vitro and in vivo. The modification of its vesicular structure by suitable physical or chemical means can further create more stable and precise drug carriers. This article reviews the extraction and purification techniques, activity evaluation and application of VCMH to provide information for further research and application of new active substances and targeted drug carriers.

Effect of methanolic extract of Dendrophthoe falcata leaves on acute hyperglycemic adult zebrafish

Background: Herbs used in medicinal practices by the indigenous healers are found to be of great importance in the management of diseases that are yet to have a cure by the available drugs. Practice of using herbs available in the vicinity by the locals as medication for ailments is a universal phenomenon. Dendropthoe falcata, an arboreal parasitic plant used in the indigenous medicine for the management of diabetes, is explored here for its acute hyperglycemic model adult zebrafishes. Aim and Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the hypoglycemic effect of the methanolic extract of Dendrophthoe falcata leaves in alloxan-induced acute diabetic adult zebrafish. Materials and Methods: Adult zebrafishes were grouped into five groups with six fishes in each group exposing them to alloxan to induce acute hyperglycemia and then treating them with two test doses of 40 mg/dl and 60 mg/dl of the methanolic extract of the plant extract. Another group was treated with metformin with a dosage of 20 micro moles. Body mass index, blood glucose, and histopathological examination pre- and post-treatment for a period of 14 days were studied. Results: The effect of the herbal extract in both the doses was promising when compared with the standard drug metformin; however, the cytoprotective effect was very predominant with the both doses of the extract. Acute hypoglycemic was comparatively good when compared with the standard group treated with metformin. Conclusion: The antidiabetic effect of the arboreal parasitic plant has been established with a need for further exploration of this plant for a potential drug for diabetes mellitus.

Interacciones farmacológicas entre antivirales y plantas medicinales / Pharmacological interactions between antivirals and medicinal plants

Resumen: Objetivo: Identificar las plantas medicinales que presentan interacciones farmacológicas con los fármacos antivirales. Materiales y métodos: Se realizó una revisión bibliográfica mediante la recolección de artículos en las bases de datos PubMed, Scielo, Google académico. Se recuperó información de cada una de las plantas estudiadas hasta mayo de 2018. Se confeccionó una ficha instructiva a partir de la información obtenida, se tuvo en cuenta su utilidad y actualidad. Resultados: El 57.9% de la información fue recuperada de Google académico. El 47.9% del total de estudios revisados se referían a estudios clínicos y el 27% fueron investigaciones realizadas en Cuba. Allium sativum L. (19.7%), Hypericum perforatum (7.8%) y Panax quinquefolius (7.6%) fueron las plantas que presentaron mayor número de estudios concernientes a interacciones con antivirales. Las acciones sobre el citocromo P450 y la glicoproteína-P fueron las principales responsables de la ocurrencia de interacciones entre las plantas medicinales y los antivirales. La curcumina metabolito secundario de la Curcuma longa L. mostró potencial actividad antiviral ante virus de inmunodeficiencia humana tipo 1 sin obtenerse resultados concluyentes. Conclusiones: Podemos concluir que a pesar de que las interacciones farmacológicas entre antivirales y plantas medicinales son escasas, cuando se presentan lo hacen, en su mayoría, en forma de alteraciones farmacocinéticas. Los antirretrovirales fueron los fármacos de este grupo más involucrados en interacciones con plantas de uso común como el ajo. Los resultados encontrados fueron contradictorios en ocasiones y no todos estaban basados en evidencias clínicas.

Abstract: Objective: To identify medicinal plants that show pharmacological interactions with antiviral drugs. Materials and methods: A literature review carried out through the collection of articles in the PubMed, Scielo, Google academic databases. Information retrieved from each of the plants studied up to May 2018. An information sheet was prepared based on the information obtained and taking into account its usefulness and topicality. Results: 57.9% of the information was retrieved from academic Google. 47.9% of the total studies reviewed referred to clinical studies and 27% were investigations carried out in Cuba. Allium sativum L. (19.7%), Hypericum perforatum (7.8%) and Panax quinquefolius (7.6%) were the plants that presented the highest number of studies concerning interactions with antivirals. Actions on cytochrome P450 and P-glycoprotein were mainly responsible for the occurrence of interactions between medicinal plants and antivirals. The secondary metabolite curcumin of Curcuma longa L. showed potential antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 without obtaining conclusive results. Conclusions: We can conclude that although the interactions between antivirals and medicinal plants are rather rare when they occur, they do so mostly in the form of pharmacokinetic alterations. Antiretroviral drugs are the drugs of this group most involved in interactions with commonly used plants such as garlic. The results found are not all base on clinical evidence and sometime they were contradictories.

O uso de plantas medicinais na atenção primária à saúde: revisão integrativa / Medicinal plant use in primary health care: an integrative review

Resumo O uso de plantas medicinais (PM) favorece a integralidade do cuidado na atenção primária à saúde (APS), valorizando o saber popular e o autocuidado. Esta revisão integrativa de literatura objetiva analisar estudos sobre a inserção do uso de PM na APS. A estratégia PICO norteou a busca de evidências, reunindo 18 artigos publicados de janeiro de 2015 a agosto de 2020 nos bancos de dados Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde e PubMed. As variáveis de análise foram o conhecimento dos profissionais da saúde da APS sobre PM e políticas associadas, o uso de PM pelos usuários, destacando seu perfil, fatores que favorecem o uso e a falta de segurança no uso de PM. A literatura aponta insuficiência de conhecimento dos profissionais de saúde sobre as políticas de práticas integrativas e complementares e o uso de plantas para fins medicinais. Os principais usuários são mulheres, idosas, com baixa renda e escolaridade, tanto no Brasil quanto em outros países. Sobre a segurança no uso de PM, frequentemente não há correta identificação de espécie, origem, preparo e dose adequada para cada caso. Por fim, a não abordagem desses conteúdos durante a formação de profissionais da saúde gera menos conhecimento, menos pesquisas e mais preconceito por falta de informação, prejudicando o incentivo e divulgação à comunidade.

Abstract Medicinal plant (MP) use supports comprehensiveness of care in Primary Health Care (PHC), enabling appreciation of popular knowledge and self-care. This integrative literature review aims to analyze researches that approach the insertion of using MP in PHC. PICO strategy was used as a guideline in search of evidence, reuniting 18 articles published between January 2015 and August 2020, in the Virtual Health Library and PubMed databases. The variables of analysis were knowledge of PHC healthcare professionals about MP and associated policies, MP use by its users, highlighting their profile, the reasons that lead to the use and lack of security in MP use. The results show insufficient knowledge of healthcare professionals about Integrative and Complementary Practices policies and the medicinal uses of plants. The main users are women, elderly, with low income and education, either in Brazil or other countries. Regarding safety in MP use, frequently there is no correct identification of species, its origin, its preparation and the appropriate dose for each case. Finally, failure to approach these contents during training of healthcare professionals generates less knowledge, less research and more prejudice due to lack of information, impairing incentive and dissemination to the community.

Chácara Bindu, uma experiência de agroecologia, conservação produtiva, educação e saúde / Chácara Bindu, an experience in agroecology, productive conservation, education, and health

RESUMO A crise socioambiental é cada vez mais presente na realidade urbana e rural. A experiência agroecológica neorrural é uma inovação que pode transformar o paradigma produtivo predominante e propor novas formas de relacionamento entre as pessoas. Além disso, pode contribuir para o desenvolvimento de sistemas alimentares que promovem justiça socioambiental, segurança alimentar e nutricional, criação de territórios saudáveis e sustentáveis. O objetivo deste relato de experiência foi apresentar a Comunidade que Sustenta a Agricultura, Educação e Saúde (CSAES) na Chácara Bindu, que desenvolve tecnologias sociais nas áreas de agricultura, educação e saúde no Distrito Federal. O relato da experiência foi desenvolvido em sete itens relacionados com criação, conservação produtiva, educação e saúde no organismo socioagrícola da Chácara Bindu. Destacam-se os vínculos com base na confiança e cooperação, o processo de expansão do modelo da CSAES Bindu a partir de uma Comunidade que Sustenta a Agricultura, a continuidade das entregas de produtos cultivados sem insumos sintéticos e sem agrotóxicos e o acesso das famílias coagricultoras a alimentos saudáveis no contexto de isolamento social imposto pela pandemia da Covid-19.

ABSTRACT The socio-environmental crisis is increasingly present in the urban and rural reality. A neorural agroecological experience is an innovation that can transform the predominant productive paradigm and propose new ways of relationship between people. Furthermore, it can contribute to the development of food systems that promote social and environmental justice, food and nutrition security, and the creation of healthy and sustainable territories. The objective of this experience report was to present the Community that Sustains Agriculture, Education, and Health (CSAES) at Chácara Bindu, which has social technologies in the fields of agriculture, education, and health in the Federal District. The experience report was developed in seven items related to creation, productive conservation, education, and health in the social-agricultural organization of Chácara Bindu. The linkages based on trust and cooperation, the expansion process of the CSAES from a Community that Sustains Agriculture, the continued delivery of products cultivated without synthetic inputs and without pesticides, and the access of co-agricultural families to healthy food stand out in the context of social isolation imposed by the Covid-19.

Application Progress of Plant Growth Regulator in Production of Chinese Medicinal Materials / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Plant growth regulator （PGR） is mostly a class of chemical synthesis substance with physiological activities similar to plant hormones，which can promote cell elongation，induce vascular differentiation or accelerate tissue aging via regulating the physiological processes such as photosynthesis，respiration，transpiration，signal transduction，substance absorption and operation. PGR has the advantages of small dosage，high efficiency，low toxicity and less residue，and it is widely used in the planting of Chinese medicinal herbs. By consulting the relevant literature published in recent years，this paper briefly summarizes the main types of PGR，e.g.auxins，gibberellins，cytokinins，abscisic acid and ethylene，etc. On the other hand，this article analyzes and sums up the specific applications of PGR in the manufacture of Chinese herbal medicine，for instance，promoting seed germination，improving seed setting rate or fruit setting rate，dwarfing plants，inhibiting reproductive growth，regulating gender differentiation，stimulating fruit falling，enhancing resistance and so on. The problems existing in the practical use of PGR are pointed out，non-differentiation of specific species，unreasonable combination，not paying attention to the operation method，arbitrarily increasing the dose，lack of residue limit standard and reducing the content of some effective components，for example.Meanwhile，some feasible suggestions are put forward.Not only the suitable types of PGR should be selected in a reasonable and standardized manner，but also the appropriate concentration，dosage and period of application should be chosen carefully； the dual effects of PGR on plant growth and active ingredients in medicinal organs should be concerned，so as to improve the yield and avoid the loss of effective components on the basis of ensuring the quality of Chinese medicinal materials； it is necessary to strengthen the registration of PGR in the production of Chinese medicinal materials and establish residue limit standards to provide a monitoring basis for ensuring the safety of Chinese medicine in the future.The scientific use of PGR can promote the increase of agricultural yield and farmers' income，and make the healthy development of Chinese herbal medicine planting industry.

Comparison of chemical components between aerial and underground parts of Coptis chinensis based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E technology / 中国中药杂志

The ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF-MS~E) technology was employed to compare the chemical components between the aerial and underground parts of Coptis chinensis samples from different batches. According to the retention time, molecular ion peak, and LC-MS~E fragment information of the reference substances and available literature, we identified a total of 40 components. Thirty-three and 31 compounds were respectively identified in the underground part(taproots) and the aerial part(stems and leaves) of C. chinensis. Among them, 24 compounds, including alkaloids(e.g., berberine and jatrorrhizine) and phenolic acids(e.g., chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and tanshinol), were common in the two parts. In addition, differential components were also identified, such as magnoline glucoside in the underground part and(±) lariciresionol-4-β-D-glucopyranoside in the aerial part. The analysis of fragmentation pathways based on spectra of reference substances indicated the differences among samples of different batches. Furthermore, we performed the principal component analysis(PCA) for the peak areas of C. chinensis in different batches. The results showed that the underground part and the aerial part were clearly clustered into two groups, indicating that the chemical components contained in the two parts were different. Furthermore, the results of partial least squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA) identified 31 differential compounds(VIP value>1) between the underground part and the aerial part, mainly including alkaloids, phenolic acids, lignans, and flavonoids. This study proves that C. chinensis possesses great development potential with multiple available compounds in stems and leaves. Moreover, it sheds light on for the development and utilization of non-medicinal organs of C. chinensis and other Chinese medicinal herbs.

A fitoterapia na Atenção Primária à Saúde segundo os profissionais de saúde do Rio de Janeiro e do Programa Mais Médicos / Herbal medicine in primary health care in Rio de Janeiro: a view from Brazilian and Cuban health professionals working at Mais Medicos Program / Fitoterapia en Atención Primaria de Salud según profesionales de la salud de Río de Janeiro y del Programa Más Médicos

Objetivo: identificar como a fitoterapia, uma das práticas integrativas e complementares mais incidentes no Sistema Único de Saúde, tem sido apropriada pelos profissionais que atuam na Estratégia Saúde da Família (ESF) no município do Rio de Janeiro, destacando os limites dessa utilização na perspectiva do direito à saúde integral. Metodologia: por meio de uma metodologia qualitativa, do tipo exploratória, foi realizado um estudo transversal sobre o uso e a prescrição de fitoterápicos e plantas medicinais por médicos, enfermeiros e agentes comunitários de saúde, de dezembro de 2016 a março de 2018, por meio da aplicação de um questionário fechado e entrevista semiestruturada. Resultados: a fitoterapia ainda não foi apropriada pelos profissionais de saúde pesquisados: 66,7% dos médicos e 41,7% dos enfermeiros afirmaram prescrever fitoterápicos, entretanto, a maioria afirmou não ter tido nenhuma instrução sobre o assunto. O cultivo de plantas medicinais foi observado nas visitas domiciliares por 76,9% dos agentes comunitários de saúde e 54% dos enfermeiros. Já o uso pela população foi relatado por 83,3% dos enfermeiros e 80,9% dos médicos. Conclusão: A fitoterapia ainda permanece marginal na ESF. Promover e ampliar o uso da fitoterapia na Atenção Primária à Saúde pode resultar em experiências inovadoras que envolvam usuários, profissionais de saúde e gestores para transformar as condições de saúde da população.

Objective: to identify how professionals who work with Family Health Strategy in the city of Rio de Janeiro, a common integrative and complementary practice in the Public Health System in Brazil, have incorporated phytotherapy into their practice, highlighting the limits of this use from the perspective of the right to integral health. Methodology: using a qualitative exploratory methodology, a cross-sectional study was conducted to identify the use and prescription of herbal medicines and medicinal plants by physicians, nurses, and community health agents from December 2016 to March 2018. Results: the professionals surveyed have not incorporated phytotherapy into their practice. The results show that 66.6% of physicians and 41.6% of nurses prescribe herbal medicines, however, most claimed to have had no instruction on the subject. 76.9% of community health workers and 54% of nurses observed at home visits that the population cultivate medicinal plants and 83.3% of nurses and 80.9% of doctors reported the use by the population. Conclusion: phytotherapy remains marginal in the Family Health Strategy. Promoting and expanding the use of phytotherapy in Primary Health Care can result in innovative experiences involving users, health professionals and managers to transform the population's health conditions.

Objectivo: identificar cómo la fitoterapia, una de las prácticas integradoras y complementarias más comunes en el Sistema Único de Salud, ha sido apropiada por diferentes profesionales que trabajan en la Estrategia de Salud Familiar en la ciudad de Río de Janeiro destacando los límites de este uso desde la perspectiva del derecho a la salud integral. Metodología: utilizando una metodología exploratoria cualitativa, se realizó un estudio transversal sobre el uso y la prescripción de plantas medicinales y fitoterapicos por parte de médicos, enfermeras y agentes comunitarios de salud desde diciembre de 2016 hasta marzo de 2018. Resultados: la fitoterapia aún no ha sido apropiada por los profesionales de la salud encuestados: los resultados muestran que el 66,6% de los médicos y el 41.6% de las enfermeras declararon recetar remedios herbales, sin embargo, la mayoría declaró que no tenían educación sobre el tema. El 76,9% de los agentes comunitarios de salud y el 54% de las enfermeras observaron el cultivo de plantas medicinales en las visitas domiciliarias. El 83,3% de las enfermeras y el 80,9% de los médicos informaron sobre el uso por parte de la población. Conclusión: la fitoterapia sigue siendo marginal en el Estrategia Salud de la Familia. Promover y ampliar el uso de la fitoterapia en la Atención Primaria de Salud puede dar lugar a experiencias innovadoras que involucren a usuarios, profesionales de la salud y gerentes para transformar las condiciones de salud de la población.

The Many Therapeutic Applications of Nigella sativa - A Review of Literature.

Medicinal plants have been used since ancient times as therapeutic agents for treatment of various diseases and ailments. Description of medicinal uses of plants are found abundantly in ancient papyrus writings from various civilizations. Indigenous cultures even today use herbs in their healing rituals. Medicinal plants are considered as rich sources of phytochemical ingredients which play a vital role for the development of new drugs.Nigella sativa (N. sativa) is commonly known as Black seed or Kalongi, sometimes also referred to as miracle herb has been studied extensively for its various medicinal benefits. Apart from being used as a spice it is also used in various traditional systems of medicine including Ayurveda due to its healing properties in the treatment of various diseases. The seeds of Nigella sativa and their oil have been widely used for centuries in the treatment of various ailments throughout the world. And it is an important drug in the Indian traditional system of medicine like Unani and Ayurveda. It has been extensively studied for its biological activities and therapeutic potential and has been shown to possess wide spectrum of activities like diuretic, antihypertensive, antidiabetic, anticancer, immunomodulatory, analgesic, antimicrobial, anthelmintic, analgesic, antiinflammatory, spasmolytic, bronchodilator, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, renal protective and antioxidant properties. Most of the therapeutic properties of this plant are due to the presence of thymoquinone (TQ) which is a major active chemical component of the essential oil.Research into its therapeutic potential has highlighted its use due to its efficacy as an antioxidant, for glycaemic control, anticancer, antimicrobial and for its various other potential health benefits. Experimental studies have reported that Nigella sativa Oil and Nigella sativa extracts have anti-microbial activity against a wide range of microbes, especially multiple-antibiotic resistant bacteria. The current article tries to present a comprehensive and yet short review of this miraculous herb and its various applications in medicine especially in the backdrop of emerging antibiotic resistant superbugs.

Some of the medicinal herbs used for arthritis in the traditional Mongolian medicine / Монголын эм зүй, эм судлал

Abstract@#The study of the use of active substances in the raw materials of drugs used in traditional medicine by modern medical methods, especially the relationship between their secondary metabolites and their biological activity, has become a topic of great interest. The purpose of this study is to clarify the taste, potency, and chemical composition of some medicinal herbs used in traditional Mongolian medicine to treat arthritis. The main methods used in the research are analysis of ancient source materials and checklist. Four herbs were selected for the study: <i>Linari buriatica Turcz, Veronica incana, Inula Britannica</i>, and <i>Ledum palustre L.</i> According to the theory of traditional medicine, the taste, potency and general use of these four herbs are different, but the medicinal herbs have the ability to cure arthritis. In addition, the active substances in the chemical composition of these four herbs has been shown to be effective against a variety of diseases, including: <i>Linari buriatica Turcz</i>, used in large doses has purgative action and in small doses, it has the effect of stimulating gastrointestinal peristalsis and secretory function, <i>Veronica incana</i> contains cardiac glycosides and saponins while <i>Inula Britannica</i> contains inulin, and <i>Ledum palustre L</i> have been shown to suppress inflammation and promote apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which is essential for healthy living. However, the use of these four herbs in the treatment of arthritis in traditional medicine is noteworthy and needs to be studied in more depth.

Evaluation of the knowledge level and usage attitudes of the medical students on the medicinal herbs and herbal products: a project of special study module in the first three years of the school of medicine

Background: In this survey, it was aimed to determine the types of medicinal herbs and herbal products, reasons of use and consciousness levels among the medical students in the first three years of the School of Medicine.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive questionnaire consisting of 50 questions was applied to all the students in the first three years of Dokuz Eyl黮 University School of Medicine between September 1, 2016 and June 1, 2017.Results: The results of 571 participating students were evaluated. Of these students, 301 (52.7%) were females and 270 (47.3%) were males. It was found that 73.4% (n=419) of the students used these products for treatment and mostly consumed linden, sage tea, mint and rosehip. Also, 11.6% of the students had chronic diseases (n=66). It was determined that 69.7% (n=46) of these students having chronic diseases used medicinal herbs and herbal products. Only 12.0% of the students had an opinion about the legal regulations regarding the use of herbs and herbal products in Turkey, while 39.7% of them had no idea, and 48.3% stated that such regulations on this matter were unreasonable. However, 59.7% of the respondents stated that legal regulations were necessary. It was found that the participating students used herbs and herbal products generally for therapeutic purposes without having sufficient knowledge about medicinal herbs; therefore it was necessary to increase their level of consciousness.Conclusions: Medical students neither have adequate medical information about medicinal herbs and herbal products, nor about the regulations on these products. It is crucial to revise the courses in the medical education so that the students would get informed about the regulations as well as potential risks of herbal plants while still in the medical schools.

Name standardization and variety arrangement of Chinese national "Qi medicinal herbs" based on VFP / 中国中药杂志

"Qi medicinal herbs" in China refers to a kind of regional national folk herbs related to the treatment of five labors and seven injuries,the last word of which is "Qi". Our study is to sort out and standardize the name and basic confused varieties through the establishment of " Qi medicinal herbs" VFP information database. " Qi medicinal herbs" variety sorting model of " literature research-variety survey-data mining-spatial distribution" was developed by means of literature analysis which the names and varieties of " Qi medicinal herbs" in the literature were summarized and sorted out. The relationship between the distribution of " Qi medicinal herbs" resources and the use of ethnic groups were visualized by Cytoscape 2. 8. 0 software. The information database of " Qi medicinal herbs" involved in 230 kinds of medicinal materials which including 211 species of plants( including varieties) from 66 families. Medicinal materials standard in China have 9 kinds of " Qi medicinal herbs". Among them,there are 31 kinds of " Qi medicinal herbs" with the confusion of " the different names of the same" and " the different substance of the same names". The most used ethnic groups are Tujia,Qiang and Miao. The main efficacy is clearing heat and detoxification,dispelling wind and removing dampness,etc.,and the main treatment is for injury,rheumatic arthralgia and so on. Names and varieties of " Qi medicinal herbs" among Chinese ethnic groups and folk are standardized and sorted out,which is served to promotethe " Qi medicinal herbs" reasonable protection and utilization of resources,and provide effective reference for exploring the information technology and geographical distribution of ethnic medicine and standardizing clinical medication.

Flavor and meridian tropism classification analysis of Callianthemum taipaicum / 中国中药杂志

To explore the flavor and meridian tropism classification of Callianthemum taipaicum by principal components analysis(PCA) and partial least square analysis(PLS). Meanwhile,to establish a high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC-ESI-MS) method for the simultaneous determination of 55 active components from 13 kinds of Ranunculaceae of Chinese traditional herbs. Samples were separated on HPLC system by Agilent 5 TC-C₁₈（2）（4.6 mm×250 mm，5 μm）column and eluted with acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid at the flow rate of 0.6 mL·min⁻¹. The data were performed by HPLC-ESI-MS with multiple reaction monitoring（MRM）scanning mode under positive and negative ion modes and quantified by external standards. The data from 13 Ranunculaceae herbs were analyzed by the PLS-tree and cooman's prediction of PCA and PLS to evaluate the similarities and differences of C. taipaicum in flavor and meridian tropism. The results showed that calibration curves of 55 components all showed good linearity, >0.99,with good precision, repeatability and stability. After compared to other 12 herbs,PCA and PLS results revealed that the C. taipaicum belonged to lung and bladder meridians while its flavor attributive to pungent,warm in nature. In conclusion,the analysis approach of chemometric calculation combined with multi-components quantification is suitable for the classification of meridian tropism and flavor of Chinese traditional medicine,which can be used for alternative research of rare herbs.

Metabolic transformation and attenuation characteristics of endogenous alkaloid toxic components of Tibetan medicinal herbs:a review / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

The active ingredients in some Tibetan medicinal herbs are toxic components as well,and we need to have a clear understanding of their mechanism and metabolic pathways in use. The endogenous toxic components of highly toxic Tibetan herbal medicines are mainly alkaloids, such as aconitum alkaloids, methyllycaconitine, tropane alkaloids, brucine, strychnine, papaverine and swainso-nine. The majority of endogenous toxic alkaloids in Tibetan medicine herbs exist in roots, fruits and seeds of plants, exerting neurotoxicity or cardiotoxicity as highly toxic inherent chemicals. Most alka-loids are metabolized in phaseⅠvia de-alkylation, hydroxylation, hydrolysis and other reactions, as well as in phaseⅡvia glucuronic acid and sulfonic acid conjugation. They form various metabolites with high polarities and reduced toxicities so as to be easily excreted. The closeness between the therapeutic dose and toxic dose of alkaloids components in Tibetan medicinal herbs leads to their attenuated prep-aration via frying, dairy, highland barley wine soaking, or in combination with Terminalia Chebula to decrease toxicity, as is cited classic books on in Tebitan medicine. Focused on twelve alkaloids of five classes including aconitine, tropane and brucine, we have reviewed the characteristics of their metabo-lism and transformation, as well as their toxicity attenuation and safety evaluation.

Determination of Chloramphenicol Residue in Animal Medicinal Herbs by UPLC-MS / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To establish the method for determination of chloramphenicol residue in animal medicinal herbs.METHODS:UPLC-MS method was adopted.The determination was performed on SB-C18 column with mobile phase consisted of acetonitrile-water (gradient elution) at the flow rate of 0.2 mL/min.The column temperature was 35 ℃,and sample size was 20 μL.The ion source was a jet stream ion focusing electrospray ion source.The temperature and flow of drying gas were 350 ℃ and 5 L/ min,and those of sheath gas were 250 ℃,11 L/min,and capillary voltage was 3 500 V.Negative ion scanning mode was conducted with multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) mode.RESULTS:The linear ranges of thiamphenicol,florfenicol and chloramphenicol were 0.5-15 ng/mL(r were 0.999 8,0.999 9,0.998 9,respectively).The limits of quantitation were 0.03,0.03,0.15 μg/kg,and the limits of detection were 0.01,0.01,0.05 μg/kg.RSDs of precision,stability and reproducibility tests were all lower than 3.0％.The recoveries were 84.00％-112.80％ (RSD=10.15％,n=9),88.24％-109.80％ (RSD=7.11％,n=9),88.24％-99.02％ (RSD=3.91％,n=9). CONCLUSIONS:The method is simple,precise,stable and reproducible,and can be used for determination of chloramphenicol in animal medicinal herbs.