Menopause in Latin America: Symptoms, attitudes, treatments and future directions in Costa Rica.

Similar to their US counterparts, Costa Rican women enter menopause at ∼50 years of age, have similar symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, as well as an overall negative attitude toward the menopausal transition. One study of rural women in Monteverde reported that women knew little about the menopausal transition, as the subject was not discussed. Similar to other Latin American women, the use of hormone therapy by Costa Rican women is low and instead they use alternative therapies, including massage, dietary changes and herbal medicines. A wide variety of herbal therapies are used, and some of these herbs have estrogenic activities in vitro. However, clinical data on the safety and efficacy of any of these treatments is lacking. Recently, a disturbing increase in the incidence of human papilloma virus infections in menopausal women has been reported, due in part to more sexual freedom after menopause. Fortunately, the strain of HPV infecting these women is not associated with cervical cancer. Overall, there is a significant lack of scientific and medical research on menopausal women in Costa Rica. Considering the aging population, the high use of herbal medicines by menopausal women and the lack of clinical studies on these treatments, future research should focus on gaining a better understanding of menopause in this population. Furthermore, new educational programs for these women and the health professionals who serve them are necessary, as well as investigations of the safety and efficacy of the herbal supplements women use to manage their menopausal symptoms.

Evaluation of documented drug interactions and contraindications associated with herbs and dietary supplements: a systematic literature review.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The use of herbs and dietary supplements (HDS) alone or concomitantly with medications can potentially increase the risk of adverse events experienced by the patients. This review aims to evaluate the documented HDS-drug interactions and contraindications. METHODS: A structured literature review was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, tertiary literature and Internet. RESULTS: While 85 primary literatures, six books and two web sites were reviewed for a total of 1,491 unique pairs of HDS-drug interactions, 213 HDS entities and 509 medications were involved. HDS products containing St. John's Wort, magnesium, calcium, iron, ginkgo had the greatest number of documented interactions with medications. Warfarin, insulin, aspirin, digoxin, and ticlopidine had the greatest number of reported interactions with HDS. Medications affecting the central nervous system or cardiovascular system had more documented interactions with HDS. Of the 882 HDS-drug interactions being described its mechanism and severity, 42.3% were due to altered pharmacokinetics and 240 were described as major interactions. Of the 152 identified HDS contraindications, the most frequent involved gastrointestinal (16.4%), neurological (14.5%), and renal/genitourinary diseases (12.5%). Flaxseed, echinacea, and yohimbe had the largest number of documented contraindications. CONCLUSIONS: Although HDS-drug interactions and contraindications primarily concerned a relatively small subset of commonly used medications and HDS entities, this review provides the summary to identify patients, HDS products, and medications that are more susceptible to HDS-drug interactions and contraindications. The findings would facilitate the health-care professionals to communicate these documented interactions and contraindications to their patients and/or caregivers thereby preventing serious adverse events and improving desired therapeutic outcomes.

Fukinolic acid derivatives and triterpene glycosides from black cohosh inhibit CYP isozymes, but are not cytotoxic to Hep-G2 cells in vitro.

Black cohosh (Actaea racemosa L. [syn. Cimifuga racemosa L.]) extracts (BCE) are marketed worldwide for the management of menopausal symptoms. However, recently more than 75 cases of hepatotoxicity associated with black cohosh ingestion have been reported. While these cases have not been fully substantiated for causality, the data suggest that herb-drug interactions may be involved rather than a direct hepatotoxic event. This work describes the in vitro inhibition of four CYP450 enzymes (1A2, 2D6, 2C9, 3A4) by black cohosh extracts and identifies the active inhibitory constituents. Ethanol extracts (75 and 80% ethanol) and a 40% isopropanol extract induced a concentration-dependent inhibition of all CYP450 isozyme activities, with median inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)) ranging from 21.9 microg/ml to 65.0 microg/ml. Isolation of the active chemical constituents, showed that the triterpene glycosides were weakly active (IC(50) 25-100 microM), while fukinolic acid and cimicifugic acids A and B strongly inhibited all CYP isozymes (IC(50) 1.8-12.6 microM). None of the extracts inhibited the growth of Hep-G2 cells in concentrations up to 50 microg/ml. These data suggest that BCEs are not directly hepatotoxic, but may have the potential to induce herb-drug interactions, which may in turn explain the rare cases of hepatotoxicity observed in women using multiple medications and dietary supplements, including black cohosh.

A pilot observational study to assess the safety and efficacy of Menoprogen for the management of menopausal symptoms in Chinese women.

OBJECTIVE: Over the past 5 years, the interest in alternative therapies for menopause has increased dramatically due to the findings of the Women's Health Initiative (U.S. National Institutes of Health). Menoprogen, a traditional Chinese medicine formulation is an herbal remedy that has been used in China for the management of menopause-related symptoms. An observational pilot study was performed to assess the effects of Menoprogen in the management of menopausal symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women. DESIGN, SUBJECTS, AND SETTING: A multicenter prospective study was conducted at four clinical centers in China. Female subjects were eligible if they had menopausal diagnosis for at least 3 months and wished to use an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). INTERVENTION: Subjects received two capsules of Menoprogen (a combination product containing 0.2 g extracts of five herbs per capsule) orally, twice daily. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measured was an improvement of Kupperman Menopausal Index (KMI) from baseline. Secondary outcomes measured included hormone levels and the status of the endometrial and vaginal cytology after completion of treatment. RESULTS: After treatment with Menoprogen, a significant reduction in the KMI was observed (mean of paired difference = -14.875; p < 0.01) as compared with baseline. Endogenous estrogen levels were significantly increased with Menoprogen (mean of paired difference = -3.145; p < 0.01). Progesterone levels increased with Menoprogen (mean of paired difference = -10.003; p < 0.01). Both follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels showed significant before-and-after treatment difference (mean of paired difference = 6.125 mIU/mL for FSH and 4.938 mIU/mL for LH; p < 0.01). No significant endometrial hyperplasia was observed post-treatment with Menoprogen. Most of the postmenopausal women exhibited a vaginal cell proliferation degree of 2-3, suggesting a possible estrogenic effect. CONCLUSIONS: The present pilot study found that Menoprogen reduced symptoms associated with perimenopausal and postmenopausal complaints. Therefore, the rationale for a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial is supported.

Medicinal plants for the prevention and treatment of bacterial infections.

Infectious diseases are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, accounting for approximately 50% of all deaths in tropical countries and as much as 20% of deaths in the Americas. Despite the significant progress made in microbiology and the control of microorganisms, sporadic incidents of epidemics due to drug resistant microorganisms and hitherto unknown disease-causing microbes pose an enormous threat to public health. These negative health trends call for a global initiative for the development of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of infectious disease. For over 100 years chemical compounds isolated from medicinal plants have served as the models for many clinically proven drugs, and are now being re-assessed as antimicrobial agents. The reasons for this renaissance include a reduction in the new antibacterial drugs in the pharmaceutical pipeline, an increase in antimicrobial resistance, and the need of treatments for new emerging pathogens. Literally thousands of plant species have been tested against hundreds of bacterial strains in vitro and many medicinal plants are active against a wide range of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. However, very few of these medicinal plant extracts have been tested in animal or human studies to determine safety and efficacy. This review focuses on the medicinal plants and bacteria for which there is significant published in vitro, in vivo and clinical data available. The examples provided in this review indicate that medicinal plants offer significant potential for the development of novel antibacterial therapies and adjunct treatments (i.e. MDR pump inhibitors).

Extracts of spice and food plants from Thai traditional medicine inhibit the growth of the human carcinogen Helicobacter pylori.

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori (HP) is a gramnegative bacterium and well recognized as being the primary etiological agent responsible for the development of gastritis, dyspepsia, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. In developing countries, a high prevalence of HP infection is associated with an increased incidence of gastric cancer. Thailand, however, while having a high prevalence of HP infections, has a lower than expected gastric cancer rate than other developing countries. It has been suggested that the diet and life style in Thailand may explain this discrepancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The in vitro susceptibility of 18 strains of HP to 20 extracts of spice and food plants used in Thai traditional medicine for the treatment of GI disorders was assessed. RESULTS: Methanol extracts of Myristica fragrans (aril) inhibited the growth of all HP strains with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 12.5 micrograms/ml; extracts from Barringtonia acutangula (leaf) and Kaempferia galanga (rhizome) had an MIC of 25.0 micrograms/ml; Cassia grandis (leaf), Cleome viscosa (leaf), Myristica fragrans (leaf) and Syzygium aromaticum (leaf) had MICs of 50.0 micrograms/ml. Extracts with an MIC of 100.0 micrograms/ml included Pouzolzia pentandra (leaf), Cycas siamensis (leaf), Litsea elliptica (leaf) and Melaleuca quinquenervia (leaf). CONCLUSION: Plants used in Thai traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal ailments inhibit the growth of HP. These data indicate that these plants may have chemopreventative activities and thus may partly explain the reduced incidence of gastric cancer in Thailand.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) and curcumin inhibit the growth of Helicobacter pylori, a group 1 carcinogen.

BACKGROUND: Curcumin, a polyphenolic chemical constituent derived from turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been shown to prevent gastric and colon cancers in rodents. Many mechanisms have been proposed for the chemopreventative effects, although the effect of curcumin on the growth of Helicobacter pylori has not been reported. H. pylori is a Group 1 carcinogen and is associated with the development of gastric and colon cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A methanol extract of the dried powdered turmeric rhizome and curcumin were tested against 19 strains of H. pylori, including 5 cagA+ strains. RESULTS: Both the methanol extract and curcumin inhibited the growth of all strains of H. pylori in vitro with a minimum inhibitory concentration range of 6.25-50 micrograms/ml. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrate that curcumin inhibits the growth of H. pylori cagA+ strains in vitro, and this may be one of the mechanisms by which curcumin exerts its chemopreventative effects.

Global harmonization of herbal health claims.

Over the past decade, herbal medicine has become a topic of increasing global importance, with both medical and economic implications. In developing countries, as much as 80% of the indigenous populations depends on traditional systems of medicine and medicinal plants as their primary source of healthcare. Within the European Community, herbal medicines represent an important share of the pharmaceutical market, with annual sales in the range of US$7 billion. In the United States, the sale of herbal products has skyrocketed from $200 million in 1988 to >$3.3 billion in 1997. Such widespread use of botanicals throughout the world has raised serious questions concerning the quality, safety and efficacy of these products. Thus, accurate scientific assessment of herbal medicine is a prerequisite for global harmonization of herbal health claims. In 1995, as part of its overall global strategy of "Health for All" and due to numerous requests from the member states, the Traditional Medicine Program of the WHO began the extensive task of reviewing the world's scientific literature of commonly used herbal medicines and publishing this information in monographs. The WHO monographs are technical reviews of the quality, safety and efficacy of commonly used herbal medicines and are intended primarily to harmonize the proper use of herbal medicines throughout the world.

Involvement of protein kinase and G proteins in the signal transduction of benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis.

We have previously reported that elicitor-induced benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis in suspension-cell cultures of Sanguinaria canadensis L. (SCP-GM) is mediated by a signal transduction system that involves calcium and possibly protein kinase(s). In this work, a number of exogenous agents were employed to further investigate the components of the signal transduction pathway involved in the induction of alkaloid biosynthesis by a fungal elicitor and abscisic acid (ABA). SCP-GM suspension-cells were treated with compounds that modify protein kinase activity, including phorbol esters, and 1-oleoyl-2-acetyl-rac-glycerol (OAG), a synthetic diacylglycerol analogue. Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate induced alkaloid accumulation by as much as 65-fold over control values, while the negative control, phorbol-13-monoacetate, had no effect. OAG also increased alkaloid production by approximately 25-fold as compared to controls. Likewise, pretreatment of the suspension-cell cultures with H-7 or staurosporine, significantly suppressed ABA- or fungal-induction of benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis. Modulators of GTP-binding protein activity were also active in this system. Treatment of the suspension-cells with cholera toxin (CHX) induced alkaloid accumulation by 25-fold, which increased to 34-fold when CHX was combined with a fungal elicitor derived from Penicillium expansum (PE), and 32-fold when CHX was combined with ABA. Treatment of SCP-GM cells with CHX also enhanced the activities of two N-methyltransferases in the benzophenanthridine biosynthetic pathway namely, tetrahydroberberine-N-methyltransferase and tetrahydrocoptisine-N-methyltransferase, by six and seven fold, respectively. Furthermore, benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis was induced by treating the suspension-cells with the G-protein activators, mastoparan, mas-7 or melittin, while the inactive homologue, mas-17, did not. Suppression of alkaloid accumulation occurred when the suspension-cells were treated with GDP beta S or pertussis toxin prior to treatment of the SCP-GM cells with either PE or ABA. The results support the hypothesis that one or more protein kinases, and putative G proteins are involved in the signal transduction pathway that mediates ABA and fungal-induced benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis.

Quercetin-induced benzophenanthridine alkaloid production in suspension cell cultures of Sanguinaria canadensis.

Addition of micromolar concentrations of quercetin or rutin to suspension cell cultures of Sanguinaria canadensis L. (bloodroot) induced the biosynthesis of sanguinarine and chelerythrine in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, related compounds: baicalein, naringin, naringenin, catechin, caffeic acid and benzoic acid displayed very weak inductive activity. Of the two active flavonoids, quercetin was the most effective for inducing benzophenanthridine alkaloid biosynthesis, with doses of 100 microM increasing alkaloid production over 375% as compared to negative controls. Quercetin's inductive effects were similar to that of an elicitor derived from fungus Penicillium expansum (PE-elicitor). Suppression of quercetin and PE-induced alkaloid biosynthesis by low doses of actinomycin D (5 micrograms/ml, alpha-amanitin (20 micrograms/ml), or cycloheximide (1 microgram/ml) demonstrate a requirement for both RNA and de novo cytoplasmic protein synthesis and suggest that alterations in gene expression are involved in the inductive mechanism. Furthermore, quercetin-induced alkaloid biosynthesis was significantly reduced by pretreatment of the cells with the calcium chelator, EGTA (3 mM), or the calcium channel inhibitor, verapamil (100 microM), suggesting that this process was calcium dependent.