Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and herbal medicine: an evidenced based approach

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder [ADHD] is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with a worldwide prevalence of 5%. It is characterized by symptoms of attention deficit and/or hyperactivity/impulsiveness that is maintained for at least six months. ADHD is a neural disorder with structural and functional abnormalities in some areas of the brain. Pharmacotherapy is the most prevalent treatment for all age groups of ADHD patients. ADHD is amenable to drugs that affect the catecholaminergic neurotransmitter pathways among which stimulants stand out. In spite of the fact that stimulants are the most used drugs among current standard treatments and are generally safe and highly effective, they could be associated with unresponsiveness and significant side effects such as sleep disturbances, decreased appetite and mood lability in some children. Sleep problems are suggested to be not only a side effect for current standard treatments but also a common finding in patients with ADHD. Moreover, there is growing interest regarding herbal medicine in the treatment of ADHD. This review focuses on some herbal medicines in ADHD

Herbal medicine in the treatment of schizophrenia: a review

As a chronic psychiatric disorder, schizophrenia affects the worldwide population with a lifetime prevalence of 1% and considerable long-term mortality, morbidity, and burden. Besides the adverse effects of routine treatment regimens, a significant portion of patients remain symptomatic despite treatment, especially those with negative symptoms which are the major disabling factors in these patients. There is an emerging role for herbal medicine in the treatment of schizophrenia. In this review we focus on some herbal medicines that have been reported to have some effects on schizophrenia

Female infertility and herbal medicine

The causes of female infertility are multifaceted, and may extend to either of the partners or even both. Indeed, the root issues of infertility can be related to both sexes: approximately 50 percent of infertility is caused by female conditions, while approximately 40 percent is male related. It is also worth noting that in 25 percent of infertile couples both partners will have a fertility problem. Herbs originate from plants and plant extracts from a wide variety of natural resources, including plant leaves, bark, flowers, roots, and fruits and berries. Evidence based herbal medicine may present an effective treatment for female infertility. In this review we present some solid evidence for role of herbal medicine in the treatment of female infertility

[ efficacy of herbal medicines for treatment of hot flash: a systematic review]

Background: Hot flashing is the most common symptoms experienced by women around the menopause time. The most common therapy for relief of menopausal symptoms is Hormone Replacement Therapy [HRT], but it has side effects. So, many women are interested in herbal medicines because of fear of side effect of hormone therapy

Objective: The aim of this study was assess the effectiveness of different herbal medicine on the hot flash in menopausal women in clinical tria

Methods: The database of Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched to investigate randomized controlled clinical trials on the efficacy of herbal medicines on hot flash from Feb 1994 to Feb 2017

Results: Fifty nine randomized controlled trials found according to the inclusion criteria

The results demonstrating that different herbal medicines such as Ginkgo biloba can have role in reduction of the hot flashes

Conclusion: Our study show that many herbal medicines can reduce the frequency and number of hot Flash but it needs more future studies to find reliable result

trace of evidence based medicine in Avicenna's approaches

Many factors underlie the growing popularity of herbal treatments for a variety of chronic conditions. Interestingly, people who use alternative therapies are not necessarily uninformed. If anything, they are more "culturally creative" [i.e., comfortable with cultural changes] and more highly educated. Many people using herbal medicines find the health care alternatives are more congruent with their own values, beliefs and philosophical orientations toward health and life. Similarly, it seems likely that many people feel that herbal medicines are empowering by allowing them to treat themselves without seeing a physician. [This same attitude may be behind the growing popularity of patient-initiated diagnostic scanning procedures such as whole body scans]. The danger is that, many people believe that herbal medicines have no toxicity problems or even side effects. In addition, they are not aware of many possible interactions of herbal medicine with concurrent prescribed medications. In this review we focus on Avicenna's evidence based medicine approaches in herbal medicine

[Crocus sativus [saffron], an herb with a history as long as the history of Iran with psychotropic effects]

There is no ideal medication for a number of psychiatric and neurologic syndromes. In another words, some patients do not respond properly to synthetic medications or cannot tolerate the possible side effects. In this situation, alternative medicine and in particular herbal medicine can play an important role in the treatment. Of course, we should consider the principals of evidence based medicine in the application of alternative medicine. In this review, we focus on Crocus sativus, a Persian herb with history as long as the history of Iran. Recently a number of products from saffron have been presented for psychiatric and neurologic syndromes

Herbal medicine in the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome [PCOS] is a hormonal disorder that affects between 5 - 10% of women who are of reproductive age. The most common symptoms of PCOS are obesity/difficulty losing weight, acne, amenorrhea [absence of menstrual cycles], irregular menstrual cycles, hirsutism [increased growth of corporal hair], insulin resistance, and high cholesterol. One of the treatments for PCOS is the use of Metformin [which is a drug prescribed to type 2 diabetics] which can help treat the insulin resistance associated with PCOS. However many women who suffer from PCOS opt to use alternative medicine in conjunction with traditional medicine to improve their condition. There are some herbs that are very helpful in treating PCOS. In this review, we focus on the role of herbal medicine in the treatment of PCOS

effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of saffron stigma [crocus sativus l.] on metabolic control parameters, liver enzymes, and renal function parameters in type 2 diabetic patients

Background: Uncontrolled metabolic status of diabetes induces multiple complications, such as liver and renal dysfunctions. Saffron as an herbal medicine may improve diabetes metabolic control

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of saffron on metabolic control parameters, liver enzymes, and renal function parameters in type 2 diabetic patients

Methods: In this triple-blind clinical trial, 54 type 2 diabetic patients randomly consumed 15 mg saffron or placebo capsules twice a day for 8 weeks. The following measurements were made during the study: 1. Fasting and 2-hour blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, cholesterol, triglyceride, low and high density lipoproteins, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate and alanine amino transferase, uric acid, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine; 2. Physical activity at the beginning and the end of the study; 3. dietary intakes at the beginning, midst, and end of the study; 4. anthropometric parameters every 2 weeks; 5. blood pressure every 2 weeks. The data were analyzed using the SPSS. 18 software

Results: Fasting and 2-hour blood glucose, triglyceride, uric acid, and blood urea nitrogen decreased [35.5, 38.5, 0.62, and 4.5 mg/dl, respectively], and high density lipoprotein increased, significantly in the saffron group [P<0.05]

Changes in lipid profile components other than triglycerides were not statistically significant in the two groups. Significant changes in blood pressure, dietary intakes, and physical activity were not seen in either group either [P>0.05]

Conclusion: Saffron hydro-alcoholic extract may improve type 2 diabetic patients' condition through helping control blood glucose and some of the lipid profiles components. It can also improve renal function, which may be related to its antioxidant properties

Herbal medicine for women's health

The treatments used by most doctors are considered conventional medicine. Complementary and alternative medicine [CAM] consists of a group of health care practices and products that are considered out of the mainstream. An "out-of-the-mainstream" treatment is considered complementary if you use it along with conventional medicine. Research shows that 40 percent of women in the United States use some form of CAM. People try CAM for a variety of reasons, including: conventional medicine has not helped solve their medical problem. They believe that products derived from nature are healthier and safer than prescription drugs, even though they may not be. They like the holistic approach taken by CAM therapists. A holistic approach involves paying attention to all of a client's needs to help her regain and maintain her health. These include not just physical but also emotional, social, and spiritual needs. In this review we summarize some indications of herbal medicine in women's health

[ analytical review on methods for the isolation and determination of glycyrrhizic acid from glycyrrhiza glabra]

Glycyrrhiza glabra [Licorice] is a perennial shrub belongs to the Fabaceae family. It is widely used in food; pharmaceutical products and tobacco industry because of its important secondary metabolites. Due to worldwide uses of licorice, it has significant role in export. One of the main bioactive compounds of the root is glycyrrhizic acid [GA] which is a saponine containing three carboxyl and five hydroxyl groups. Glycyrrhizic acid is used as an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic remedy for the treatment of bronchial asthma, eczemas and other diseases. There are different methods for separation, purification, and analysis of glycyrrhizic acid [GA] from licorice roots. Most accepted technologies of them include using of solvents, water separation, polymeric macro porous resin and non-ionic surfactants. Also, high-performance liquid chromatography technique is the most important in analysis of GA

Herbal medicine for treating hot flashes

Although some alternative therapies like botanical and herbal therapies have shown promise for relieving menopause symptoms such as hot flashes, more research is needed. Eighty-five percent of the women in the United States experience hot flashes of some kind as they approach menopause and for the first year or two after their periods stop. Between 20 and 50% of women continue to have them for many more years. As time goes on, the intensity decreases. In this review we focus on the evidence based herbal medicine in particular with herbs that have antidepressant effects

[Medicinal properties of dye - yelding plants: a review]

Dyes are one of the most widely used components in different industries. Recently much attention has been focused on the replacement of natural pigments instead of synthetic colors. One of the most important sources for the production of natural pigments are medicinal plants that small number of them used as industrial and some of them are traditionally used. The worldwide demand for natural dyes increases nowadays due to environmental and echo friendly of them. Many of the plants used for dye extraction are classified as medicinal and some of these have recently been shown to possess remarkable antimicrobial and antiinflamtory activities. The present review describes important information about dye-yelding herbs and their medicinal properties

Evidence based medicine: clinical trials

Evidence based medicine is very important for success of modern medicine. It is the ongoing process of using the most reliable evidence from clinical studies, scientific understanding and medical practice to make the best possible medical choice for patients. Evidence based medicine is how medicine advances and how we get improvements in life expectancy and quality of life. It not only identifies which treatments are effective but also those which are ineffective and may do more harm than good, and identifies areas where more investigation is needed and where there may be gaps in knowledge. In this review we focus on clinical trials

[ review on medicinal plant of Glycyrrhiza glabra L.]

Glycyrrhiza glabra L [Licorice] as native and pasture medicinal plant has most important export rule. Glycyrrhizic acid [GA] or Glycyrrhizin as a main active component of licorice root and rhizomes, is a triterpenoid saponin claimed to be up to 30-50 times sweeter than sucrose and to be used in pharmaceuticals, food and tobacco industry. Licorice root is a traditional medicine used mainly for the treatment of peptic ulcer, hepatitis C, and pulmonary and skin diseases, although clinical and experimental studies suggest that it has several other useful pharmacological properties such as antiinflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidative, anticancer activities, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects. A large number of components have been isolated from licorice, including triterpene saponins, flavonoids, isoflavonoids and chalcones, with glycyrrhizic acid normally being considered to be the main biologically active component. Understanding of the limitations and challenges in the medicinal plant are need for planning principles for development activities and conservation in this field.In this review summarizes the phytochemical, pharmacological and pharmacokinetics data, together with the clinical as one of the most important herbs in exports and adverse effects of licorice

[Analytical review on Persian poppy [Papaver bracteatum lindl.] as a native and economical medicinal plant]

Persian poppy or great scarlet poppy [Papaver bracteatuin LindI.] is proposed as a new source of raw material for codeine production and addiction treatment. This species as a native plant is growing in North and West of Iran. As for possible of illegal cultivation of opium poppy, cultivation of Persian poppy in Iran was associated with restrictions and despite the being abundant biodiversity of this plant in Iran, this plant was not considered yet. However, Persian poppy is lacking in morphine and rich in the baine. It has appropriate potential for domestication, mass production, and industrial processing as a valuable medicinal plant. For this reason, in this study was investigated kind of traits in this plant

Passionflower and sage for mental health

Herbal medicines include a range of pharmacologically active compounds: in some cases it is not well understood which ingredients are important for a therapeutic effect. The supporters of herbal medicine believe that isolated ingredients in the majority of cases have weaker clinical effects than whole plant extract, a claim that would obviously require proof in each case. Generalizations about the efficacy of herbal medicines are clearly not possible. Each one needs systematic research including a variety of animal studies and also randomized clinical trials. In this review we focus on Passiflora incarnata and Salvia officinalis

Herbal medicine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Treatment strategies for AD will have to include a variety of interventions directed at multiple targets. So far, the outcomes with available approved medications for AD are often unsatisfactory, and there is a place for alternative medicine, in particular herbal medicine. Herbal medicines are being used by about 80% of the world population primarily in the developing countries for primary health care. They have stood the test of time for their safety, efficacy, cultural acceptability and lesser side effects. This review tries to summarize the studies regarding Ginkgo biloba, Salvia officinalis, Melissa officinalis and Crocus sativus in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Curcumin gel in the treatment of minor aphthous ulcer: a randomized, placebo- controlled trial

It has been reported that curcumin has anti inflammatory, antibacterial, anti tumor and analgesic properties. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of curcumin in the treatment of minor aphthous stomatitis. The study was a two week, randomized, double blind, placebo controlled of patients with minor aphthous. Patients between 18 and 65 years old were included if they presented with 1-5 aphthous ulcers of less than 24 h duration. Twenty-eight patients were randomly allocated to curcumin gel containing [2% curcumin] and 29 patients were allocated to placebo gel for a two week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The patients used the medication using a swap twice per day. After enrolment, the size of ulcers were measured by the investigator, and pain was evaluated by the patients based on Perceived Pain Rating Scale before drug application [day 0] and at days 4, 7, and 14. Patients overall satisfaction were assessed at the end of treatment. Curcimin gel significantly reduced pain intensity and size of aphthous ulcer compare to placebo. Significant group differences appeared at the end of the trial regarding overall satisfaction of the patients. The results of present study provide evidence that curcumin gel is a well tolerated effective treatment modality for minor aphthous stomatitis