Bitter Herbs Research Articles

Shegan-Mahuang decoction ameliorates cold-induced asthma via regulating the proliferation and apoptosis of airway smooth muscle cells through TAS2R10: An in vivo and in vitro study

Ethnopharmacological relevanceShegan-Mahuang Decoction (SMD) is a classical formula that has been used to effectively treat cold-induced asthma (CA) for 1800 years. Airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) play a crucial role in airway remodeling of CA and can be modulated through bitter taste-sensing type 2 receptors (TAS2Rs). Given that SMD contains numerous bitter herbs and TAS2R10 expression in ASMCs remains consistently high, it is pertinent to explore whether SMD regulates ASMCs via TAS2R10 to exert its CA mechanism. Aim of the studyThis study investigated the efficacy as well as the potential mechanism of SMD in CA. Materials and methodsIn this study, experiments in vivo were conducted using the CA rat model induced by ovalbumin (OVA) along with cold stimulation. The effects of SMD and TAS2R10 expression in CA rats were evaluated using the following methods: clinical symptoms, weights, pathological staining, immunofluorescence staining (IF), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot (WB). Assays in vitro including cell counting Kit-8 (CCK-8), ELISA, flow cytometry, TUNEL staining, RT-qPCR and WB were performed to investigate potential mechanism of SMD on the proliferation and apoptosis of ASMCs through upregulation of TAS2R10. ResultsThe administration of SMD resulted in a notable improvement in the symptoms, trends in weight, airway inflammation and airway remodeling observed in CA rats with upregulated TAS2R10. Mechanistically, we furtherly confirmed that SMD inhibits p70S6K/CyclinD1 pathway by upregulating TAS2R10. SMD furthermore blocked the G0/G1 phase, suppressed the proliferation and inducted apoptosis in ASMCs induced by platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Erythromycin (EM), a TAS2R10 agonist, can intensify these effects. ConclusionsSMD significantly ameliorates CA by upregulating TAS2R10 and inhibiting the p70S6K/CyclinD1 pathway, thereby modulating ASMCs’ proliferation and apoptosis. Inspired by the Five Flavors Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, this study provides an updated treatment perspective for treating CA.

PROTEIN-PROTEIN INTERACTION ANALYSIS TO IDENTIFY NUCLEAR FACTOR-ERYTHROID-2 FACTOR 2 (NRF2) INHIBITION BY EXTRACELLULAR ENZYMES FROM WATER KEFIR ORGANISMS

Objective: This research was conducted to screen the anticancer activity of bitter herbs that contains Andrographis paniculata (Brum. f) leaves (AP) and Tinospora crispa L. stems (TC) in form of fresh materials and extracts using a mechanism-based yeast bioassay.
 Methods: Samples tested by mechanism-based yeast bioassay (MBYB) were single extract, mixed extract, and jamu gendong pahitan from a traditional market and made in the laboratory. Fresh sample of jamu gendong pahitan from the market and a single extract (AP and TC) was tested at one dose. While fresh jamu gendong pahitan made in the laboratory and the mixed extract (AP: TC) was tested at three different doses, doses 1 (3:10), dose 2 (1:1), and dose 3 (10:3). The leaves and stems were extracted by 70% ethanol for 3x24 h, each day the solvent was changed then every macerate was evaporated using a rotavapor and water bath. By this MBYB method, noted that the active sample must have an IC12 value of<8000µg/ml, so all the samples or doses were tested using final concentration varying at around 8,000; 4,000; 2,000; 1,000; 500, 250, and 125µg/ml.
 Results: The percentage yield of Andrographis paniculata (Brum. f) leaves was 11.2% and Tinospora crispa L. stems was 19.%. The activity assay for jamu gendong pahitan from the traditional market was inactive as a topoisomerase inhibitor (IC12>8000µg/ml). Samples showed topoisomerase I inhibitor activity were jamu gendong pahitan made in laboratory doses 1 and 2. While samples showed topoisomerase I and II inhibitor activities were jamu gendong pahitan made in laboratory dose 3, single and mixed extracts.
 Conclusion: The fresh material of jamu gendong pahitan (bitter herbs) bought from the market is inactive, while the fresh material of samples of jamu gendong pahitan made in laboratory doses 1 and 2 have topoisomerase I inhibitor activity. Based on the IC12, value, it is known that the sample that gave the best activity was the mixed extract of bitter herbs dose 3 that contain extract of A. paniculata and T. crispa (10:3), with IC12 values in strains 1138, 1140, and 1353 were 926.28±173, 576.75±42, and 865.5±135µg/ml respectively.

Cultural Beliefs and Practices in Self-Management of Diabetes Among Pnar Women in Meghalaya, India.

The purpose of the study was to explore the cultural beliefs and practices of the Pnar tribe in terms of their self-management of diabetes. A qualitative study design using an ethnographic approach was adopted to understand the experiences of the Pnar women with type 2 diabetes. Around 60 women living with diabetes across 20 villages in the Thadlaskein rural block were interviewed in the Pnar language. Thematic analysis was employed to identify the pattern related to beliefs and cultural practices in the self-management of diabetes across the data set. Misconceptions related to diet, such as all vegetables grown underground need to be avoided and bitter herbs and vegetables are good for blood glucose control, were reported. Participants used home remedies and complementary and alternative medicine to bring down their blood glucose levels. Participants believe that diabetes is an episodic or short-term illness and can be cured through herbal medicine. Participants reported that consuming atta or round flat bread made of wheat flour instead of rice caused "acidity." Misconceptions are barriers to disease management, which are often shaped in people's minds by culture. Therefore, health care service providers must know what people think about diabetes and its management. Accordingly, information related to diabetes should be disseminated to the masses for effective management of diabetes.

Яруу найрагч Б.Лхагвасүрэнгийн “Сонгомол шүлгийн түүвэр”-ийг хятад хэлнээ орчуулсан орчуулгын зарим онцлог

Khasan, a translator of the Chinese National Language Translation Bureau, selected 100 poems from Mongolian poet B. Lkhagwasüren’s collected works in Uyangyn Toirog [Lyric Circle] and Gashuun Öws [Bitter Herbs], and translated them into Chinese, publishing them in 2020 as Songomol shülgiin tüüwer [A Collection of Selected Poems by B. Lkhagwasüren]. In this article, first we examine the criteria the translator followed in selecting poems to be included. Then, based on an analysis of several examples, we examine how the translator translated the figurative usage of metaphor in the poems in selecting and translating the clear imagery of Mongol life and culture in B. Lkhagwasüren’s poems into Chinese. Finally, we reach the conclusion that Khasan has accurately and skillfully rendered metaphoric imagery relating to Mongol life and cultural characteristics in B. Lkhagwasüren’s poems.

SPICE PLANTS IN THE CULTURE OF THE BESERMANS

Folk cuisine is an important part of the cultural heritage and offers great resources for the development of tourism, agriculture, preservation of old varieties of cultivated crops and food traditions. The use of spices also makes cuisines special and distinctive. The article deals with the traditions of the Besermans to use local wild, cultivated and exotic herbs. Local and imported spices Besermans call турөн "herbs", курөт турөн "bitter herbs". The choice of local plants as spices is based on their gustatory and spicy-aromatic qualities, as well as their phytoncidal activity and medicinal properties. Among them, local wild spices ( Carum carvi, Mentha arvensis, Filipendula ulmaria ) and long cultivated vegetables with a spicy taste ( Raphanus sativus, Allium cepa, Armoracia rusticana ) prevail. Exotic spices are mainly limited to black pepper and bay leaf. Spices are used in folk cuisine, folk medicine and veterinary medicine. Local and exotic spices are not put into ritual dishes, which indicates the preservation of archaic features in the diet and the special status of ritual cuisine. Traditional knowledge about herbs and spices is relevant to folk cooking demonstrations, gastronomic events, museum work, tourism and agricultural development. The study is based on the authors' field materials.

On the Core Prescriptions and Their Mechanisms of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hepatitis B, Liver Cirrhosis, and Liver Cancer Treatment.

Background As a frequent cause of death in cancer patients, liver cancer usually occurs in hepatitis B and cirrhosis. In China, Chinese people have been using traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating various chronic liver diseases, which could effectively improve the symptoms and slow down the progression of liver diseases. However, due to the complexity rules of TCM prescription, their action mechanisms are still not clearly understood, which may affect the popularization of effective prescriptions. This study aims to identify the core TCM herbs in the treatment of hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer so as to clarify the mechanism of action of the core herb networks. Methods There were 1,673 prescriptions for chronic liver diseases collected in this study, of which 854 were hepatic B prescriptions, 530 were for liver cirrhosis, and 289 were for liver cancer. The basic characteristics of herbal medicine were firstly explained via descriptive analysis, then the core prescriptions of herbal medicine were analyzed through association rule, and finally, the mechanism of core prescriptions was explored with the help of systematic network pharmacology and by applying such databases as TCMIP, HERB, OMIM, GeneCards, KEGG, and software like RStudio and Cytoscape. Results The rule of the core prescriptions in these cases was characterized by the application of herbs with both cold and warm properties, in which bitter herbs with cold property took priority. Tonifying deficiency, clearing heat, and activating blood circulations to remove stasis were common treatment principles for the three liver diseases. Turmeric Root Tuber (YuJin), White Peony Root (BaiShao), Bupleurum (ChaiHu), Salvia miltiorrhiza (DanShen), and Astragali Radix (HuangQi) were prescribed the most in hepatitis B treatment to invigorate the spleen and soothe the liver. Astragali Radix (HuangQi), Tuckahoe (FuLing), Atractylodis Macrocephalae Rhizoma (BaiZhu), Fructus Polygoni Orientalis (ShuiHongHuaZi), and Curcumae Rhizome (EZhu) were most frequently applied in liver cirrhosis treatment to replenish qi and activate blood. Oldenlandia (BaiHuaSheSheCao), Bearded Scutellaria (BanZhiLian), Curcumae Rhizome (EZhu), and Cardamom (DouKou) were most frequently prescribed to eliminate cancer toxin, invigorate the spleen, and activate blood. These core herbs mainly act through signal transduction and immune system pathways, in which the PI3K-Akt pathway plays a key role. The core prescription for liver cirrhosis regulated more endocrine system pathways than the hepatitis B prescription, and liver cancer prescription regulated more nervous system-related pathways. Conclusion Three core prescriptions for hepatitis B, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer treatment were identified, which acted mainly through signal transduction and immune system pathways to regulate immunity and cell growth and participate in inflammation inhibition, in which liver cancer prescription regulated more pathways, especially more nervous system-related pathways than the other two.

The Significance of the Omission of Leaven and Honey from Grain Offerings

Abstract According to Lev 2:11, leaven and honey were not to be burned as a part of a grain offering, although they could be offered to YHWH as an offering of firstfruits, as mentioned in Lev 2:12. This article proposes that the purpose of the omission of leaven and honey from grain offerings was to foster the production of a pleasing odor, because these substances lengthen the burning process (in the case of leaven) and create a burning smell (in the case of honey). This article also suggests that their omission acts as a reminder of God’s mighty hand of salvation in the Exodus story. The lack of yeast and honey corresponds to the unleavened bread and bitter herbs in the Passover meal, providing a clear link to this meal and thus aiding our understanding of their omission in grain offerings.

Book Review The Hope for a Better Community: The Luring Image of Philosophical Community

<p content-type="flush left">Kramer’s Intercultural Modes of Philosophy, Volume 1: Principles to Guide Philosophical Community begins with a longing, a deep yearning that many professional philosophers have: to be more, and to be more with others. The isolation of professionalized philosophy leaves many of us with the taste of bitter herbs; there must be more to this life that we lauded for so long, that many of us sacrificed so much to achieve. The current mode of the profession is as an isolated endeavor, and we feel the void that it leaves. As Kramer writes, “These [professional] philosophers find their word mostly anemic in effecting broader culture and they resign themselves to their fates as isolated scholars. They hope that their research at least hones their own thinking, secures a stable position, and advances scholarship in their respective fields. . . .”1 The movie character Abe Lucas, played by Joaquin Phoenix in Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, is a caricature of this philosophical creature. He bitterly states, “I wanted to be an active world changer and I’ve wound up a passive intellectual who can’t f*ck.”2

MEDICINAL HERBS USED IN MANAGEMENT OF MALARIA IN PAMOTAN VILLAGE COMMUNITY, KALIPUCANG DISTRICT, PANGANDARAN REGENCY, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

The aim of this study was to investigate medicinal plants used to treat malaria by a society in Pamotan village, Pangandaran Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. The work was conducted using the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) method, which is an assessment process-oriented to active community involvement in the form of direct interview activities. Information was collected by interviewing respondents using a semi-structured questionnaire. Interviews were directed to the plants used to prevent and overcome malaria by referring to the list of questions which included the local name of the plant, the part used and the method of preparation and administration. A total of 47 respondents were interviewed of which 43% were females and 57% males. Results indicated that thirteen species of plants belonging were used to treat malaria by the villagers of Pamotan. The three plants that have the highest citation frequency are bitter herbs (Andrographis paniculata Ness.) 35.71%, papaya leaves (Carica papaya L.) 21.43%, and cut leaf ground cherry whole plants (Physalis angulata L.) 21.43%. The most common preparation method is decoction and the route of administration is oral. It is concluded that the Pamotan villagers in Pangandaran district, Indonesia, still use ingredients from plants as complementary medicine to treat malaria.

Control of Varroa Destructor in Kazakhstan.

Varroa mite is one of the most dangerous bee parasites and causes a lot of damage to the beekeeping industry. Several chemical and herbal medicines have been used to control this mite so far. In this study, the effects of Artemisia absinthium and Hypericum perforatum prescription to control Varroa mite were investigated. To this end, a total of 380 bee colonies in 5 areas in Kazakhstan were considered. The bitter wormwood herbs and Hypericum extracts were mixed in a ratio of 1:1, and then, prepared in a ratio of 1:10 with sugar syrup (100 ml infusion per 1 liter of sugar syrup). An amount of 200 ml of the prepared solution was used for 5-7 days per colony after medical collection and honey pumping. The percentage of mite infestation at the beginning and end of the experimental period, which was spring, summer, and autumn, and the number of worker mites and worker bees were determined daily. At the beginning of the experiment, the percentage of mite infestation in the experimental hives was not significantly different; however, at the end of the experiment, there was a significant difference between the experimental treatments. The use of a mixture of A. absinthium and H. perforatum extract significantly reduced the abundance index of Varroa mite to 0. Due to the adverse effects of chemical drugs and their high cost, it is recommended to use this extract to control Varroa mite contamination.

Coptisine, a protoberberine alkaloid, relaxes mouse airway smooth muscle via blockade of VDLCCs and NSCCs.

Background/Aims: Recently, effective and purified ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) were extracted to play crucial roles in the treatment of pulmonary diseases. Our previous research focused on TCM drug screening aimed at abnormal airway muscle contraction during respiratory diseases. Coptisine, an effective ingredient extracted from bitter herbs has shown a series of antioxidant, antibacterial, cardioprotective and neuroprotective pharmacological properties. In the current study, we questioned whether coptisine could also participate in asthma treatment through relaxing abnormal contracted mouse airway smooth muscle (ASM). The present study aimed to characterize the relaxant effects of coptisine on mouse ASM and uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms. Methods: To investigate the role of coptisine on pre-contracted mouse ASM, a series of biological techniques, including force measurement and patch-clamp experiments were employed. Results: Coptisine was found to inhibit high K+ or acetylcholine chloride (ACh)-induced pre-contracted mouse tracheal rings in a dose-dependent manner. Further research demonstrated that the coptisine-induced mouse ASM relaxation was mediated by alteration of calcium mobilization via voltage-dependent L-type Ca2+ channels (VDLCCs) and non-selective cation channels (NSCCs). Conclusion: Our data showed that mouse ASM could be relaxed by coptisine via altering the intracellular Ca2+ concentration through blocking VDLCCs and NSCCs, which suggested that this pharmacological active constituent might be classified as a potential new drug for the treatment of abnormal airway muscle contraction.

On the Impossibility of Saying "I": Epistemological paradigms and poetic paradigms in the work of Furio Jesi

On the Impossibility of Saying "I":Epistemological paradigms and poetic paradigms in the work of Furio Jesi Giorgio Agamben (bio) Translated by Kevin Attell Inversive Waw I have before me a translation of the Haggadah read during the Jewish seder, the ritual meal celebrated in the first two evenings of Pesach. Every gesture and every word of the participants, just like every element of the meal—from the matzot, the unleavened bread that recalls the sudden flight that left no time for the bread to rise, to the maror, the bitter herbs symbolizing slavery—in some way evoke an aspect, detail, or event from the day that Yahweh freed the chosen people from Egypt, the fourteenth day of Nissan, exactly 400 years after the birth of Isaac. But the festival of Pesach does not only look back to the past. According to rabbinic teaching "in Nissan they were redeemed and in Nissan they will be redeemed"; the festival also looks forward to the messianic redemption. And if it is true that for the Jews messianic time always means a conversion of past and future (which Scholem, playing upon a category of the Hebrew verb, will speak of as the "time of the inversive waw"), then the time of this festival—of every festival—entails a transformation of time in which complete and incomplete, past and future exchange roles. This is perhaps why, in April 1922, Walter Benjamin—who did not have a religious upbringing but for his whole life worked on an interpretation of messianic time—told Scholem of his desire to attend, in the home of Moses Marx, a seder "celebrated according to strict Jewish ritual." The Anthropological Machine Even though Jesi, for reasons we can perhaps guess, dealt with Jewish materials only marginally in his work on mythology, the question of the festival—of the time of the festival—is nevertheless of absolutely central importance to him. Indeed, in the two essays that introduce and conclude the collection La festa (1977) the festival is presented as the preeminent question for anthropology: specifically, the question of the possibility—or impossibility—of the festival, of its knowability or unknowability. Here, in a survey of the anti-festive tradition of the [End Page 1047] modern period, from Proust to Musil, not only does the festival appear as something to which we no longer have access—in Keréyni's words, something "dead, grotesque even, like the movements of dancers for those who have gone deaf and can no longer hear music"—but in the end it emerges unexpectedly in the ethnographic observation of the festival of "others" as the ethnologist's "need for a gnoseological insight into one's own "I" and its relationship with one's peers." The festive is here no longer something real, something that from its proper place—among primitives, others—comes to meet the ethnologist halfway so that he may recognize himself in them; it is, rather, the situation into which the ethnologist places the others so that he may find in them a solidarity with his peers and, at the same time, free himself from his own "I." It is not by chance that these are precisely the two texts in which Jesi fully elaborates his most characteristic epistemological paradigm: the "mythological machine." Just as there cannot be, for the scholar of myth, a substance of myth but only a machine that produces mythologies and generates the tenacious illusion of hiding myth within its own opaque walls, neither is there for the anthropologist a "universal man" who is true and real in and for himself—beyond or before the "I" of others, peers, or strangers—who would find in the festival his privileged epiphany, where "at its maximum concentration, humanness paradoxically coincides with the peak of otherness." On Writing Novels For Jesi, the mythological and anthropological machines are not merely epistemological paradigms. Two plans for the preface to the collection La macchina mitologica (1979) that were recovered among Jesi's unpublished papers tell us about the particular way in which he thought of his model and about the vital significance it had for him. Indeed, the machine is not a neutral paradigm situated between the...

Study on the ethnobotany of medicinal plants by people in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Abstract. The traditional medicine using plants is becoming the culture for the people of Yogyakarta Special Region, including Gunung Kidul. This research aims to reveal information from the people in the use of medicinal plants with a focus on how medicinal plants are used, managed and felt by the community. The research was conducted in Gunung Kidul, in Saptosari village and Giri Cahyo village from June to September 2018. The method used in collecting data was the exploratory survey and Participatory Rural Appraisal. Data on community involvement were obtained through the in-depth interview and structured interview. The identification was implemented in every plant used. The result of research analysis showed that people's knowledge about medicinal plants has been obtained from elders that have a long experience in concocting and trading the medicinal plants as herbs. In addition, the people have also obtained additional knowledge from any parties to make the medical plants to have economic value that can improve their welfare. The medicinal plants mostly have been packaged into 6 herbal plants called "Jamu" including Turmeric Tamarind, Saffron Rice, Bitter Herbs, Kebyokan, Ginger, and Turmeric with betel leaves with different compositions and efficacies. Most of the medical plants are obtained from outside the village since it is impossible to cultivate in Karst soils. The results of the study found 46 species consisting of 26 families used by the people for medical treatment in which the highest benefit was represented by the Zingeberaceae family, followed by Fabaceae and Rutaceae.

MON-248 HERBAL BITTER: A RARE CAUSE OF ACUTE TUBULOINTERSTITIAL NEPHRITIS

Acute interstitial nephritis is an immunologically driven condition characterised by an inflammatory infiltrate in the renal interstitium. The use of herbal remedies has increased globally and has been described as a risk factor for the development of kidney injury, causing a variety of renal syndromes. We present a unique case of biopsy-proven acute interstitial nephritis following ingestion of an herbal bitter health drink, which was associated with a skin rash and eosinophilia. A 72-year-old-man presented with a 1-week history of general malaise, rash and fevers. His physical examination revealed a widespread maculopapular rash and pitting oedema to the knees but otherwise a normal examination including vital signs. His blood pressure on admission was 124/70. Four days into admission, his renal function deteriorated with a serum creatinine level rising to 411μmol/L (baseline of 98 μmol/L). One week into admission, he had a peak serum creatinine of 651 and was also oligouric. A renal biopsy revealed an interstitial infiltrate with a rich population of eosinophils. The findings were diagnostic of tubulointerstitial nephritis; the presence of eosinophils supporting a drug-induced cause. He had no recent alteration to his medications. On further questioning, the patient noted that one month prior to admission, he had started consuming an herbal bitter health drink. He was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone and a tapering dose of prednisolone, with the patient’s kidney function returning to baseline four weeks after the commencement of steroids. The herbal health drink ingested by the patient in this case, comprised of a combination of bitter herbs, consisting of a blend of seven herbal bitters. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of biopsy-proven acute interstitial nephritis induced by this multi-herbal health drink. This case report highlights the importance of taking a thorough medical history including establishing the use of over-the-counter medication and herbal remedies in the drug history. Furthermore, the importance of a prompt histological diagnosis in the form of a kidney biopsy is warranted, particularly in the case of drug-induced acute interstitial nephritis, as the mainstay of treatment involves cessation of the causative agent.

STRUKTUR HISTOLOGI HATI TIKUS PUTIH (Rattus norvegicus Berkenhout 1769) DENGAN PEMBERIAN RAMUAN TRADISIONAL MASYARAKAT MELAYU LINGGA, KEPULAUAN RIAU

Lingga Island is the center of the Malay kingdom of Kepulauan Riau Province with local wisdom that is still ingrained in the community. Obat pahit is a decoction of linguistic stew of ethnic lingga community which is believed to be a youthful remedy and maintain stamina. This study aims to find histopathologic changes of liver white mice after the decoction of herb concoction of Obat pahit. The percentage of intercellular damage was nonexistent from the normal control group and positive control but different from the negative control group. Different types of medicinal herbs with different dosage levels. But the damage is still in the normal, accessible category that has no toxic effects from bitter herbs on liver organ.

Romans, jedzenie i zbrodnia. Nawiązania do tradycji seder w filmach Woody’ego Allena

Passover is one of the most important Jewish holidays. It starts with dinner - Seder. Family gathered on this day drink red wine as a symbol of freedom and happiness. They eat matzo - flat bread to remember that Hebrews left Egypt grabbing unready bread leaven. The central place of the table is taken by the Seder plate with zeroa – shank bone, beitzah – roasted, hard – boiled egg, karpas – a vegetable, maror – bitter herbs, chazeret – bitter vegetable, charoset – sweet dessert. Most of described traditional dishes are visible in Seder scene of films Crimes and Misdemeanours (1989) and Café Society (2016) by Woody Allen. In both films the extended families are gathered together. Their members’ personalities reflect symbols of Seder dishes.

BITTER HERBS OF EASTERN NIGERIA (GONGRONEMA LATIFOLIUM, VERNONIA AMYGDALINA AND VITEX DONIANA): A REVIEW

Background: The article is a review of three bitter vegetables consumed in South-eastern Nigeria (Gongronema
 latifolium, Vernonia amygdalina and Vitex doniana). These vegetables are not very palatable to taste but are highly
 famed because of the myriad of illnesses that they are reputed to cure and manage. The different aspects of these
 vegetables reviewed are their ethnobotany, zoo pharmacology, bioactivity, phytochemistry and toxicity.
 Materials and method: The literatures consulted were searched using electronic search engines (Google, Google
 scholar and Pubmed). Substantial amount of literature was consulted but only those directly related to the main review
 were selected.
 Result: The review revealed that the three bitter vegetables possessed phytochemicals like saponins, flavonoids,
 alkaloids among others that justify the claims of curing and managing many of the illnesses that traditional folks
 attribute to them. From literature, antimicrobial, antinflammatory, antidiabetic, antioxidant and anti cancer activities
 were attributed to these three bitter herbs. Antinutritional substances like phytate and oxalate reported in these herbs
 were not regarded as harmful for human consumption because of the traditional method of processing the vegetables by
 squeeze washing in several changes of water.
 Conclusion: The three bitter herbs are regarded as beneficial for human consumption and the information should be
 disseminated to a large audience.
 Key words: V. amygdalina, V. doniana, G.

Bitter substances from plants used in traditional Chinese medicine exert biased activation of human bitter taste receptors.

The number and variety of bitter compounds originating from plants are vast. Whereas some bitter chemicals are toxic and should not be ingested, other compounds exhibit health beneficial effects, which is manifest in the cross-cultural believe that the bitterness of medicine is correlated with the desired medicinal activity. The bitter taste receptors in the oral cavity serve as sensors for bitter compounds and, as they are expressed in numerous extraoral tissues throughout the body, may also be responsible for some physiological effects exerted by bitter compounds. Chinese herbal medicine uses bitter herbs since ancient times for the treatment of various diseases; however, the routes by which these herbs modify physiology are frequently not well understood. We therefore screened 26 bitter substances extracted from medical herbs for the activation of the 25 human bitter taste receptors. We identified six receptors activated by in total 17 different bitter compounds. Interestingly, we observed a bias in bitter taste receptor activation with 10 newly identified agonists for the broadly tuned receptor TAS2R46, seven agonists activating the TAS2R14 and two compounds activating narrowly tuned receptors, suggesting that these receptors play dominant roles in the evaluation and perhaps physiological activities of Chinese herbal medicines.

Experiences of professor Li Shunmin in treating chronic kidney disease with data mining

Objectives Explore the experiences of professor Li Shunmin in treating chronic kidney diseases (CKD) according to spleen and kidney theory. Methods Information of medical records was acquired from Shenzhen TCM hospital information management department. It included the records from Jan, 2014 to Mar, 2016. Access database was established and SQL was used for data processing. Cytoscape 2.8 software was used to visualize the results and analyze the treatment characteristics in CKD. Results Professor Li used herbs of nourishing spleen and kidney to treat CKD. The herbs included Astragalus membranaceus, Rhizoma Dioscoreae, Rehmannia glutinosa and Gordon Euryale. The rules of treatment included invigorating spleen and kidney, and regulating liver and lung. The characteristics of using herbs included combination of cooling and warming herbs, bitter and pungent herbs, and sweet herbs for CKD. Conclusions Data mining could help to discover the rules of Li Shunmin in treating CKD. The results confirmed the academic attitude of treating CKD on spleen and kidney. It provided ideas and direction for CKD treatment. Key words: Famous doctor's experience; Chronic kidney disease; Data mining; Li Shunmin

The Use of Bitter Herbs in Practice

The Use of Bitter Herbs in Practice