Eastern Medicine Research Articles

A Review of Chemical Composition and Bioactivity Studies of the Most Promising Species of Ganoderma spp.

This paper presents the current state of knowledge on the biological activity and possible medicinal applications of selected species of the genus Ganoderma: Ganoderma adspersum (Schulzer) Donk, Ganoderma applanatum (Pers.) Pat., Ganoderma carnosum Pat., Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst., Ganoderma pfeifferi Bres., Ganoderma resinaceum Boud. These inedible, wood-decaying fungi are pathogens that cause the enzymatic decomposition of wood. They are a valued natural medicinal resource and have been used in traditional Far Eastern medicine for centuries. Research conducted on these species using modern analytical methods has led to advances in knowledge of the potential therapeutic use of compounds isolated not only from basidiocarps but also from biomass obtained by in vitro methods. Recent pharmacological studies have confirmed the known traditional uses of these species, elucidated previously unknown mechanisms of biological action, and found evidence of new biological activities, such as anticancer, cytotoxic, antiallergic, and neuroprotective activities. Furthermore, the article updated the state of knowledge on the general mycological characteristics of these species.

Photobiomodulation of Acupoints on Standardized Therapeutic Protocols: An Example of Successful Integration between Eastern and Western Medicine

Photobiomodulation of Acupoints on Standardized Therapeutic Protocols: An Example of Successful Integration between Eastern and Western Medicine

Effects of acupuncture on gastrointestinal diseases and its underlying mechanism: a literature review of animal studies.

Acupuncture is a non-pharmacological traditional Chinese medical technique that has been used for various types of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases in Eastern medicine. However, the specific mechanisms underlying acupuncture treatment in the GI tract have not yet been elucidated. In this study, we searched the electronic databases PUBMED, EMBASE, and MEDLINE and identified 30 eligible studies that were summarized in this review. This review demonstrates that treatments, including both manual and electroacupuncture, have therapeutic mechanisms in diverse GI diseases. The underlying mechanisms are broadly divided into the following: changes in gene expression in the gastric mucosa or nuclei of the solitary tract, metabolic change induction, regulation of anti-inflammatory substances, vagal activity increase, change in functional connectivity between brain regions, and control of the number of neurons related to GI diseases. Although this study is limited in that it does not represent all types of GI diseases with different acupuncture methods, this study identified acupuncture as effective for GI diseases through various biological mechanisms. We hope that our study will reveal various mechanisms of acupuncture in GI diseases and play an important role in the therapy and treatment of GI diseases, thus advancing the field of study.

Combinatorial Herbal Extracts Alleviate Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Disorders.

Plant-derived compounds can be useful for the management of liver disease. Traditionally, hepatic disorders have been treated with herbal extracts. Although many herbal extracts in Eastern medicine have been shown to possess hepatoprotective activities, single-origin herbal extracts primarily demonstrate either antioxidant or anti-inflammatory activities. The current study investigated the effects of combinatorial herbal extracts on alcohol-induced hepatic disorders in an ethanol-fed mouse model. Sixteen herbal combinations were evaluated as hepatoprotective formulations; the active constituents in these herbal extracts were daidzin, peonidin-3-glucoside, hesperidin, glycyrrhizin, and phosphatidylcholine. RNA sequencing analysis showed that exposure to ethanol altered hepatic gene expression profiles (compared to those of the non-alcohol-fed group), resulting in 79 differentially expressed genes. A majority of the differentially expressed genes in alcohol-induced hepatic disorders were associated with dysfunction of the normal cellular homeostasis in the liver; however, these genes were repressed by treatment with herbal extracts. Moreover, following treatment with herbal extracts, there were neither acute inflammatory responses in the liver tissue nor abnormalities in the cholesterol profile. These results suggest that combinatorial herbal extracts may alleviate alcohol-induced hepatic disorders by modulating the inflammatory response and lipid metabolism in the liver.

A Study on 'Insul (An Art of Benevolence)': Formation of Korean Medical Ethics in Modern Korea.

"Medicine is an art of benevolence [Kr. 인술 Insul, Ch. Renshu]." This slogan is widely accepted in East Asia, and at least in South Korea, it is generally regarded as an innate medical ethic. However, the original meaning of 'In' (Ch. Ren), which means 'benevolence,' 'humanity,' or simply 'love for one another,' is a Confucian virtue emphasized by Mencius. It is unclear when this Confucian term became the representative medical ethic in South Korea. The term "medical ethic" was not coined until the 19th century in the West (Robert Baker and Laurence B. McCullough, eds. 2009). We often use the terms 'Insul,' 'affection,' 'Hippocratic Oath,' and other related concepts interchangeably, but these words come from different times and have different ideological implications (Shin 2000). This paper examines how 'Insul' has been recreated under the tensions between Western and Eastern Medicine in modern Korea. The arrival of Western medicine caused an existential crisis in traditional Korean medicine. The status of TKM doctors was demoted by the 'Uisaeng Regulation' in 1913 by the JGGK, which aimed to establish a unicameral medical system based on Western medicine. In response, the scientification of Eastern medicine became an inevitable task, and Eastern medicine had to maintain its identity while also modernizing itself to avoid being absorbed into Western medicine. Until the late Joseon period, 'Insul' was rarely used in medicine but rather for political practices. Medical practice was a peripheral way of conducting Ren, the Confucian benevolence. However, TKM rediscovered the concept during the modern era. With the Convention of Korean Uisaeng in October 1915, the TKM community actively used 'Insul' as their identity. At this convention, Governor General Terauchi Mastake used the term to mean traditional medicine and implied that without scientification, 'Insul' would be disused. This address was immediately and widely quoted in TKM journals. TKM doctors and adherents interpreted his address to mean that if they could achieve scientification of TKM, their medical ideal (Insul) would be used in the future. Soon, a number of articles on 'Insul' as a medical ethic were published in newspapers and journals. From the mid-1920s, regardless of whether the doctors practiced East or West medicine, people started to claim that only those who pursued 'Insul' were true medical personnel, and they used this as a criterion for evaluating medical doctors. The people's demand for 'Insul' influenced medicine in general, and Western doctors also linked their medical practices to 'Insul.' This is an interesting example of the localization of Western medicine in Korea. Through the rivalry relationship or interaction between East and West medicine that took place in modern Korea, 'Insul' gradually became a representative term of Korean medical ethics since the mid-1920s. The process took place gradually over a decade, and it has now become firmly established throughout medicine in Korea.

Drug-Induced Liver Injury Secondary to Turmeric Use.

Eliciting information on recent drug or supplement use should be part of comprehensive history-taking to evaluate acute liver injury.Turmeric supplements which may contain piperine to enhance bioavailability are a potential source of acute liver injury.The role of N-acetyl cysteine in managing non-acetaminophen-related liver injury is unclear and further studies are required.

Long-term outcomes of different rehabilitation programs in patients with long COVID syndrome: a cohort prospective study.

After the resolution of the acute SARS-COV-2 infection, an important percentage of patients do not fully recover and continue to present several symptoms. Nevertheless, there is a lack of data in the literature on the effects of rehabilitation programs on medium- and long-term long COVID symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes after rehabilitation programs in long COVID syndrome patients. A prospective cohort study was conducted from August 2021 to March 2022, involving 113 patients with long COVID syndrome. The patients in the experimental group (EG, n=25) received a tailored and multidisciplinary rehabilitative program, involving aquatic exercises, respiratory and motor exercises, social integration training and neuropsychologic sessions, LASER therapy and magnetotherapy. Patients in the other three comparison groups received eastern medicine techniques (CG1), balneotherapy and physiotherapy (group CG2), self-training and home-based physical exercise (CG3). Once the several rehabilitation protocols had been performed, a structured telephone contact was made with the patients after 6 months ± 7 days from the end of the rehabilitation treatment, in order to record the frequency of hospital ad-missions due to exacerbation of post-exacerbation syndrome, death or disability, and the need for other types of care or drugs. The patients in the comparison groups were more likely to request therapeutic care for emerging long COVID symptoms (χ2=6.635, p=0.001; χ2=13.463, p=0.001; χ2=10.949, p=0.001, respectively), as well as more likely to be hospitalized (χ2=5.357, p=0.021; χ2=0.125, p=0.724; χ2=0.856, p=0.355, respectively) when compared to the patients of the EG. The relative risk (RR) of hospital admissions in the observed cohort was 0.143 ±1,031 (СI: 0.019; 1.078); 0.580±1,194 (CI: 0.056; 6.022); 0,340±1,087 (CI: 0.040; 2.860). The RR of hospital admissions for patients with long COVID syndrome was reduced by 85.7%; 42.0% and 66.0%, respectively, when the experimental rehabilitation technique was employed. In conclusion, a tailored and multidisciplinary rehabilitative program seems to have a better preventive effect not only in the short term, but also over the next 6 months, avoiding the new onset of disabilities and the use of medicines and specialist advice, than other rehabilitative programs. Future studies will need to further investigate these aspects to identify the best rehabilitation therapy, also in terms of cost-effectiveness, for these patients.

A Review on the significance of the Medicinal plant Gandoderma lucidum

Medicinal herbs have been passed down through the generations as a gift to humanity. Asia has a wide range of medicinal plants. The Gandoderma lucidum (langzhi) is a well-known plant among Asian populations and often utilised medicinal herbs. The main objective of this review is to document the therapeutic value of G. lucidum. Data was gathered by evaluating more than 70 articles from various web portals. The information gathered was analysed and provided in both descriptive and tabular formats. The outcome reveals that G. lucidum (Langzhi), a member of the Polyporaceae/Ganodermataceae family, is a well-known and widely utilised plant in Asia, used by practically all ethnic groups. Traditional and allopathic medicine both employ this herb. The "Spore Separation Cultivation Method," developed in 1975 in China, is utilised to successfully produce Ganodermas; it is popular due to the country's favourable climate and soil conditions. G.lucidum has been utilised as a panacea for chronic diseases such as hepatopathy, nephritis, hypertension, arthritis, sleeplessness, bronchitis, asthma, diabetes, and cancer in eastern traditional medicine. Owing to its magical medicinal properties it was regarded as an elixir that could revive the dead. This review summarized important areas of investigation being performed on Gandoderma speciesaround the world, with particular emphasis on chemicals of biomedical relevance.

Qigong Exercise Balances Oxygen Supply and Acid-Base to Modulate Hypoxia: A Perspective Platform toward Preemptive Health & Medicine.

Qigong is a meditative movement with therapeutic effects and is commonly practiced in Eastern medicine. A growing body of evidence validates its health benefits, leading to mechanistic questions about how it works. We propose a novel mechanism by which the "acid" caused by hypoxia affects metabolism, and the way it is neutralized through Qigong practice involves the body's blood flow and vasculature modifications. Specifically, Qigong exercise generates an oxygen supply and acid-base balance against the hypoxic effects of underlying pathological conditions. We also propose that Qigong exercise mediated and focused on the local hypoxia environment of tissues might normalize the circulation of metabolic and inflammation accumulation in the tumor tissue and restore the normal metabolism of tissues and cells through calm, relaxation, and extreme Zen-style breathing that gravitates toward preemptive health and medicine. Thus, we propose the mechanisms of action related to Qigong, intending to unify Eastern and Western exercise theory.

Modern concepts and biomarkers of blood stasis in cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases from the perspectives of Eastern and Western medicine: a scoping review protocol.

The objective of this review is to provide a modern definition and identify potential biomarkers of blood stasis in cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases by mapping, comparing, and combining Eastern and Western concepts. Blood stasis is a pathological concept found in both Eastern and Western medical literature. In traditional East Asian medicine, blood stasis is a differential syndrome characterized by stagnant blood flow in various parts of the body. Similarly, in Western medicine, various diseases, especially cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases, are known to be accompanied by blood stasis. Numerous scientific studies on blood stasis have been conducted over the last decade, and there is a need to synthesize those results. We will use the keywords "blood stasis," "blood stagnation," "blood stagnant," and "blood congestion" in 3 electronic databases: PubMed, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Google Scholar. In addition, we will use the keywords "어혈" and "혈어" in 4 Korean electronic databases (ie, NDSL, OASIS, KISS, and DBpia). Peer-reviewed articles published from 2010 to the present that focus on blood stasis in cardio- and cerebrovascular diseases in human subjects according to the International Classification of Diseases 11 th revision categories BA00-BE2Z, 8B00-8B2Z, 8E64, and 8E65 will be included. Reviews, opinion articles, in vivo, in vitro, and in silico preclinical studies will be excluded. We will follow the frameworks by Arksey and O'Malley and Levac et al. as well as JBI guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews. Two reviewers will independently search and screen titles and abstracts followed by full-text screening of eligible studies. If there are discrepancies between the 2 reviewers, a third reviewer will be consulted to make the final decision. We will use descriptive narrative, tabular, and graphical displays, and content analysis to present the results. Open Science Framework https://osf.io/gv4ym.

Élelmi és gyógynövények jelentősége a gyógyítás korai kultúrtörténetében

For many thousands of years, men recognised, collected and cultivated vegetables, fruits, cereals and other herbs not only as food but also as medicine in many cases for fighting various diseases. Ethnomedicine and early scientific medicine incorporated gradually and empirically in their own specific way the aetiology, diagnostics and therapy. The way of recognising and treating conditions included beliefs and rational and irrational elements respectively. The knowledge enhanced over millennia resulted eventually in the development of healing systems. The early medical practices of European people were influenced primarily by Greco-Roman and Asia Minor scientific medicine that was based also on Old-Egyptian traditions. Remarkably, there is no detectable direct impact of Far Eastern or American Indian medicine on the European medical culture, the cause of which is not only the large distance but also the significant difference in understanding health and ill health. This overview based also on the authors’ former research in the history of medicine concerns only the findings equally relevant both in nutrition and medicine.

The Use of Tai Chi and Qigong to Mediate Long-Haul COVID-19 Symptoms: Case Report

Introduction: Although new COVID-19 cases have been decreasing globally, long-haul COVID-19 continues to present a challenge. Long-haul COVID-19 symptoms, such as dyspnea, fatigue, cognitive impairments, gastrointestinal distress, and mood changes, can remain for months after initial infection in 10-30% of individuals infected with COVID-19. These symptoms can limit daily function and decrease quality of life. Given the recency of the disease, very little literature exists on the causes of long-haul COVID-19 and few treatment options are available for afflicted individuals. This case report describes the use of the Eastern medicine practices of Tai Chi and Qigong as a possible technique to increase lung function and thus daily function in those with long-haul COVID. Both Tai Chi and Qigong were developed thousands of years ago in China and utilized as part of traditional Chinese medicine. They are forms of gentle, low-intensity exercise involving slow, continuous movements and stretches that focus on alignment, coordination, and breathing control. Previous studies have shown that Tai Chi and Qigong provide beneficial effects in those experiencing mood disorders, chronic pain, cardiovascular issues, fibromyalgia, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although practitioners have proposed the use of Tai Chi and Qigong in patients with COVID-19, no data exists on the outcomes. Materials and Methods: This case report presents a patient with pre-existing conditions of obesity, gastroesophageal reflux disease, cervical cancer, cataract surgery, and sinus surgery initially diagnosed with COVID-19 with symptoms of acute dyspnea, dizziness, cough, headache, chills, fever, rhinorrhea, and sore throat. She was later diagnosed with long-haul COVID-19 with symptoms of dyspnea, fatigue, and dizziness on exertion and gastrointestinal distress. The patient practiced Tai Chi and Qigong three to four times weekly for about 30 min on average. Results: The patient experienced decreases in resting heart rate and weight and an increase in oxygen saturation level (SpO2) from 83% to 96%, indicating that Tai Chi and Qigong may have the potential to restore lung function. Conclusion: Thus, we propose that Tai Chi and Qigong can be an easily accessible, low-intensity, and cost-effective technique to increase lung function and quality of life in patients with long-haul COVID-19.

Vietnam's post-covid epidemic medical tourism situation and opportunities

As there are so many nations in the region, medical tourism has long been completely tapped and has been a substantial source of money for the nation. Although having numerous benefits of Eastern medicine practices and a wealth of priceless medicinal plants, medical tourism in Vietnam is still in its infancy and has not yet been successful in drawing visitors. The emergence of numerous new tourism trends, including health tourism, is one of the few beneficial repercussions of the Covid epidemic on the travel and tourism sector. After a lengthy period of separation, a medical trip to help establish the balance between physical and mental health would undoubtedly be a cure for many people. Medical tourism is travel performed with the intention of preserving or improving one's physical and emotional well-being. With so much uncertainty surrounding travel these days, medical tourism holds forth the hope of overcoming this negativity and transforming travel into an opportunity to preserve and enhance visitors' general well-being. Young people are favoring a new trend in the global economy that aims to restore whole medical. Medical tourism serves the purposes of unwinding and regaining greater health, including resting, relaxing, and enhancing physical and mental health when medical tourism or medical tourism is paired with medical evaluation and treatment, including both surgical and non-surgical procedures.

Convergence of Eastern and Western Medicine

The article argues that, thanks to the study of the nature of meridional connections, it is possible to open the mechanism of interaction of body systems through the control of local blood flow and introduce methods of diagnosis and treatment, providing local blood supply through the control of heart rate variability (HRV).

Designing Online Public Education Contents in Korean Medicine Using the Rapid-Prototyping Instructional Systems Design Model

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to design Korean-themed online public education content in Korean medicine using rapid prototyping instructional systems design (RPISD). This study presents cases of developing and converting face-to-face general education programs designed to increase the interest in and understanding of Korean medicine for the public into online programs within a short timeframe.Methods: This qualitative study is design and development research, which used the RPISD model to analyze the available resources utilized in the rapid development of public educational content and propose systematization and optimization measures by analyzing the needs of clients, learners, and the environment. The ＜Treasured Mirror ofEastern Medicine(DUBG)Open Course＞ was developed according to the model procedure, which involved needs analysis, development of course materials and manuscript, and storyboard creation and its filming and editing. Usability tests were conducted at all stages, and the opinions of clients, instructors, experts, and instructional designers were accommodated and reflected at each stage.Results: Using the rapid prototyping model, ＜Treasured Mirror of Eastern Medicine(DUBG)Open Course＞ was organized into five classes of 20 minutes each. Each class was developed in Korean and included English, Chinese, and Japanese subtitles in addition to Korean under the cooperative instructional design among clients, subject-matter experts, instructional designer and learners.Conclusion: The cooperative instructional design of stakeholders is significant in developing Korean medicine public education content online through extensive interaction and feedback from stakeholders in the early stage of educational content development.

Epigenomic Impacts of Meditative Practices

Meditative practices (MPs) are an inherent lifestyle and healing practice employed in Eastern medicine andspirituality. Integrating MPs into world mainstream medicine (WMM) requires effective empirical investigation of psychophysiological impacts. Epigenomic regulation is a probable mechanism of action that is empirically assessable. Recently, WMM-styled studies have screened theepigenomic impacts of MPs with early encouraging results. This article discusses the variety ofMPs extant across three major Eastern religio-spiritual-healing traditionsand their integration into WMM via the lens of epigenomic modulation. MPs unanimously report positive impacts on stress-reduction pathways, known to be epigenomically sensitive. Early high-resolution assays show MPs are potent in altering the epigenome -dynamically and by inducing long-term changes. This suggests the importance ofintegrating MPs into WMM.

Clinical Management and Awareness of Covid-19 ‘SARS-coV-2’ Among Faculty members, Department of Eastern Medicine and peoples of Faisalabad

COVID 19 a plague that has been spread worldwide in a brief time period. It is a sickness caused by contamination with the newly localized coronavirus "SARScoV2". Health specialists appreciate and tried for offerings that are near most people, irrespective of the chance of contamination. Consequently, in such situations, it ought to be essential to evaluate the statistics and views of medical specialists and numerous human beings particularly this pandemic and speak the effect of this catastrophe on psychosocial balance. The usual educational intervention sand schooling packages for COVID 19 pollutants manipulation and practices in all healthcare specialists are lacking, place of work fitness and safety are paramount to reducing the chance of transmission to students, healthcare experts and healthcare experts.

A Comprehensive Healthcare Model: Dimension, Status, and Approach

According to the WHO definition, health as a state of physical, mental and social integrity, not just the absence of disease, the truly healthy (first state) and patients (third state) are less than 25%, and 75% of the people are in the Sub-health state (second state). This paper distinguishes a fourth state: recovering, outside the three statuses. When the patient in the second state enters the fourth state and is handled properly, he can move to the first state, otherwise, if the patient is not handled properly, he will return to the second state. We propose a Comprehensive Healthcare Model to integrate the three parts: (1) Physical, Mental, Spiritual and Social Dimensions, (2) Western Medicine, Eastern Medicine and Folklore Therapy, Religions and Beliefs, Sports and Martial Arts Approaches, and (3) Health, Sub-health, Illness, and Recovering Status for the further research..

Cordyceps militaris-Fruiting Bodies, Mycelium, and Supplements: Valuable Component of Daily Diet.

Cordyceps militaris has long been used in Eastern medicine for alleviating fatigue and as an immunostimulant. The present study aimed to determine the content of biologically active substances (bioelements and organic compounds), the total phenolic content, and the antioxidant activity of fruiting bodies (commercially available and self-cultivated), mycelia, and two food supplements. The results show that substrate composition and cultivation method had an influence on the properties of mushroom materials. An important aspect of the study is the estimation of the content of bioactive substances present after extraction into digestive juices in the artificial gastrointestinal tract model, which can allow for determining the amount of these substances that is potentially bioavailable for the human body. The best results for cordycepin (81.4 mg/100 g d.w.) and lovastatin (53.6 mg/100 g d.w.) were achieved for commercially available food supplements. Furthermore, after digestion in artificial intestinal juice, the highest amount of cordycepin was determined in the fruiting bodies from commercially obtained (25.9 mg/100 g d.w.) and self-cultivated mushroom (25.8 mg/100 g d.w.). In conclusion, the mycelium and fruiting bodies of C. militaris are ideal food supplements and pharmaceutical agents and can serve as a good source of prohealth substances potentially bioavailable for humans.

Regulatory Effects of Lycium barbarum Extract and Isolated Scopoletin on Atopic Dermatitis-Like Skin Inflammation.

Lycium barbarum and scopoletin are widely used in oriental Eastern medicine and are often consumed as teas. In this study, proinflammatory cytokines expressed in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) were induced by skin diseases caused by 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)/interferon gamma (IFN-γ). The inhibitory activity of L. barbarum EtOH extract (LBE) and scopoletin on proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines was investigated. In the DNCB-induced animal model, oral administration of LBE inhibited skin lesions and proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines and showed inhibitory effects in vitro. Additionally, as a result of examining the efficacy of scopoletin isolated from L. barbarum, scopoletin in HaCaT cells showed inhibitory effects on proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines. It shows promise in the treatment of chronic skin diseases.