Integration Of Herbal Medicine Research Articles

Phytotherapy for Diarrhea: Bridging Herbal Medicine and Modern Treatment

Diarrhea remains a significant global health issue, responsible for approximately 1.9 million deaths annually, particularly in children under five. Conventional treatment includes oral rehydration and antibiotics; however, phytotherapy, the use of plant-based remedies, offers an alternative or complementary solution, especially for cases involving chronic diarrhea or antibiotic resistance. This paper examines the historical and scientific basis of phytotherapy, its pharmacological mechanisms, clinical efficacy, and potential integration with modern medicine. Despite the lack of robust clinical data for some herbal treatments, growing interest in complementary approaches highlights the need for further research. Phytotherapy shows promise in alleviating symptoms and modulating gut health through anti-inflammatory, anti-infectious, and gut-modulating mechanisms. The integration of herbal medicine with modern treatment protocols could enhance the therapeutic approach to managing diarrhea and improve patient outcomes, especially in settings with limited access to modern pharmaceuticals. Keywords: Phytotherapy, Herbal medicine, Diarrhea treatment, Antidiarrheal agents, Antibiotic resistance.

Herbal Modification of Allopathic Analgesic Drug

The integration of herbal medicine with allopathic analgesic drugs has gained attention as a strategy to improve pain management outcomes. This systematic review synthesizes the existing literature on herbal modification of allopathic analgesic drugs. Key herbs such as turmeric (Curcuma longa), ginger (Zingiber officinale), and willow bark (Salix spp.) are explored for their analgesic properties and potential synergies with conventional pain medications. Mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetic interactions, and clinical evidence supporting their combined use are discussed. Challenges including standardization, safety, and regulatory considerations are also addressed. This review provides insights into the integration of herbal remedies into allopathic pain management protocols and identifies areas for future research.

Physiological and immunological impact of methanolic lavender extract on female goldfish (Carassius auratus)

The integration of herbal medicine into the ornamental fish industry carries the potential to exert an impact on the overall health and welfare of the fish. In the present study, different levels of lavender extract (L), including control (L0) 1.5 (L1.5), 3 (L3), and 4.5 (L4.5) mg kg−1 feed were examined in goldfish (Carrasius auratus) broodstock during 56-day feeding period following air exposure stress test. Growth parameters, cortisol, biochemical, and immunological parameters in blood and mucus and. reproductive performance were examined. Notably, fish in the L3 group showed significant (p < 0.05) improvement in growth performance, as evidenced by significant increases in weight gain, specific growth rate, and average daily growth. After stress, fish in the L3 group showed the lowest cortisol and glucose levels in plasma and skin mucus (p < 0.05). Cholesterol and triglyceride levels showed a significant increase in the L3 group compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Fish in L3 showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in plasma and Complementary 3 and Immunoglobulin M The reproductive results indicated that broodstock in the group obtained a high fertilization rate, hatching rate, and larval survival (p < 0.05). This study indicated that 3 mg kg−1 lavender extract can promote fish performance, mitigate stress responses, improve immunity function and ameliorate reproductive performance; thus, lavender supplementation can be recommended as a practical method in the ornamental fish industry.

Benefits of Mainstreaming Herbal Medicine in the Philippine Healthcare System

Benefits of Mainstreaming Herbal Medicine in the Philippine Healthcare System

Integrating herbal medicine into mainstream healthcare in Ghana: clients\u2019 acceptability, perceptions and disclosure of use

BackgroundAlthough there are current efforts to integrate herbal medicine (HM) into mainstream healthcare in Ghana, there is paucity of empirical evidence on the acceptability and concurrent use of HM, in the formal health facilities in Ghana. This study sought to determine client perception, disclosure and acceptability of integrating herbal medicine in mainstream healthcare in Kumasi, Ghana.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August, 2015. Five hundred patients presenting at the outpatient departments of Kumasi South, Suntreso and Tafo Government Hospitals in Kumasi were randomly selected. Interviews were conducted with the use of structured questionnaires. A logistic regression analysis, using backward selection, was conducted to determine the influence of socio-demographic and facility related factors on the odds of using HM at the facility. All statistical tests were two-sided and considered significant at a p-value of <0.05.ResultsMajority of the study respondents were females (64.8%) and the median age was 36 years. Less than half, 42.2%, of the respondents utilized HM services when they visited the health facility. Reasons for using HM at the facility level included ‘being effective’ (24.4%), ‘easy to access’ (25.3%) and ‘being comparatively cheaper’ (16%). About 86% never disclosed previous use of HM to their health care providers. Socio-economic status and perception of service provision influenced use of herbal medicines. Respondents who rated themselves wealthy had increased odds of using herbal medicines at the health facility as compared to those who rated themselves poor (OR = 4.9; 95%CI = 1.6–15.3).ConclusionThis study shows that integration of herbal medicine is feasible and herbal medicines may be generally accepted as a formal source of healthcare in Ghana. The results of this study might serve as a basis for improvement and upscale of the herbal medicine integration programme in Ghana.

Doctors’ attitudes towards the use of herbal medicine in Lagos, Nigeria

This paper is the second of a two part study looking at the integration of herbal medicine into the Nigerian Healthcare System. This study continues by establishing doctors’ attitudes towards the use of herbal medicine in Lagos and elucidating the possible factors that may limit their interest in the use of herbal medicine. A descriptive survey was carried out using a WHO standardized questionnaire to obtain the opinion of 300 resident doctors in various specialties at Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The results showed that 60.0% (n=181) of the respondents were disposed towards the use of herbal medicine, 40.7% (n=122) said however that they would discourage their patients from using it. The results further showed that 62.0% (n=186) of the respondents felt herbal medicine had a positive role in patients care; should be recognized by the government 28% (n-84) and that it is generally safe for consumption by patients 60.3% (n=181). Although 41.0% (n=123) of the respondents thought herbal medicine was effective in treating chronic diseases, none of the respondents thought herbal medicine alone could completely treat a patient. None of the respondents thought the level of research into herbal medicine was adequate and the level of education for herbal medicine practitioners was thought in the main to be inadequate. Extensive research into the ethnomedicinal preparations in common use to ensure patient safety and minimize risk and an improvement of educational standards in the training of herbal medicine practitioners may be needed before total integration into the Healthcare System can be contemplated.

Integration of herbal medicine in primary care in Israel: a jewish-arab cross-cultural perspective.

Herbal medicine is a prominent complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modality in Israel based on the country's natural diversity and impressive cultural mosaic. In this study, we compared cross-cultural perspectives of patients attending primary care clinics in northern Israel on herbal medicine specifically and CAM generally, and the possibility of integrating them within primary care. Research assistants administered a questionnaire to consecutive patients attending seven primary care clinics. About 2184 of 3713 respondents (59%) defined themselves as Muslims, Christians or Druze (henceforth Arabs) and 1529 (41%) as Jews. Arab respondents reported more use of herbs during the previous year (35 versus 27.8% P = .004) and of more consultations with herbal practitioners (P < .0001). Druze reported the highest rate of herbal consultations (67.9%) and Ashkenazi Jews the lowest rate (45.2%). About 27.5% of respondents supported adding a herbal practitioner to their clinic's medical team if CAM were to be integrated within primary care. Both Arabs and Jews report considerable usage of herbal medicine, with Arabs using it significantly more. Cross-cultural perspectives are warranted in the study of herbal medicine use in the Arab and Jewish societies.

Integrated healthcare: herbal remedies for menopausal symptoms

Women approaching the menopause frequently resort to complementary therapies and natural remedies, especially herbal medicines. Nurses working with mature women, both in the community and in hospital, may find themselves drawn into a debate about these remedies, yet may feel unable to answer women's questions, or be unsure where to find information. However, with the increased use of complementary therapies generally, it is imperative that nurses recognize the parameters of their personal practice and appreciate the possible problems which may arise from ill-informed use of natural remedies, such as herb-drug interactions. This article provides an overview of herbal remedies popularly self-administered by women in the peri-menopausal period. The effects and safety of several remedies are explored to facilitate nurses to offer accurate, comprehensive and evidence-based information to patients. The issue of integration of herbal medicine into mainstream management of menopausal symptoms is also debated as a means of providing optimum and safe care to women at this time.

A gap between acceptance and knowledge of herbal remedies by physicians: The need for educational intervention

BackgroundThe unprecedented global increase in the use of herbal remedies is set to continue apace well into the foreseeable future. This raises important public health concerns, especially as it relates to safety issues including adverse effects and herb-drug interactions. Most Western-trained physicians are ignorant of the risks and benefits of this healthcare modality and assessment of acceptance and knowledge would identify appropriate intervention strategies to improve physician-patient communication in this area.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was done using an interviewer-administered pilot tested de novo questionnaire at six public hospitals in Trinidad between May–July 2004. The questionnaire utilized weighed questions to quantify acceptance (maximum score = 14 points) and knowledge (maximum score = 52 points). Acceptance and knowledge scores were analyzed using the ANOVA and Tukey's tests.ResultsOf 192 physicians interviewed, most (60.4%) believed that herbal remedies were beneficial to health. Respondents had relatively high acceptance levels (mean = 5.69 ± 0.29 points or 40% of total possible score) and poor knowledge (mean = 7.77 ± 0.56 points or 15% of total possible score). Seventy-eight physicians (40.6%) admitted having used herbs in the past, and 60 of these (76.9%) were satisfied with the outcome. Although 52 physicians (27.1%) recommended the use of herbs to their patients only 29 (15.1%) were able to identify at least one known herb-drug interaction.ConclusionThe use of herbal remedies is relatively high in Trinidad, as throughout the world, and most patients self-medicate with or without the knowledge of their attending physician. Surprisingly, we demonstrated relatively high acceptance levels and use of herbs among physicians in Trinidad. This interesting scenario of high acceptance levels and poor knowledge creates a situation that demands urgent intervention. We recommend educational intervention to narrow the gap between acceptance and knowledge so that physicians would be adequately equipped to communicate with their patients on this modality. The integration of herbal medicine into the curriculum of medical schools, continuing education programs and the availability of reputable pharmacopoeias for referencing at public health institutions are useful instruments that can be used to close this gap and promote improved physician-patient communication.

Editorial: Integration of herbal medicine in national health care of developing countries

Editorial: Integration of herbal medicine in national health care of developing countries

Integration of herbal medicine into modern medical practices: issues and prospects.

The integration of herbal medicine into modern medical practices including cancer treatments must take into account the interrelated issues of quality, safety, and efficacy. Quality is the paramount issue because it can affect the efficacy and/or safety of the herbal products being used. Current product quality ranges from very high to very low due to intrinsic, extrinsic, and regulatory factors. Intrinsically, species differences, organ specificity, diurnal and seasonal variations can affect the qualitative and quantitative accumulation of active chemical constituents in the source medicinal plants. Extrinsically, environmental factors; field collection methods such as cultivation, harvest, post-harvest transport and storage; manufacturing practices; inadvertent contamination and substitution; and intentional adulteration are contributing factors to the quality of herbal medicinal products. Source plant materials that are contaminated with microbes, microbial toxins, environmental pollutants, or heavy metals; or finished products that are adulterated with foreign toxic plants or synthetic pharmaceutical agents can lead to adverse events. Substandard source materials or finished products will yield therapeutically less effective agents. Herbal medicine quality can also be attributed to regulatory practices. In a number of countries, herbal medicines are unregulated, which has led to product quality differences. Product quality improvement may be achieved by implementing control measures from the point of medicinal plant procurement under good agricultural practices (GAPs) and the manufacture of the finished botanical products under good manufacturing practices (GMPs), plus post-marketing quality assurance surveillance. The lack of pharmacological and clinical data on the majority of herbal medicinal products is a major impediment to the integration of herbal medicines into conventional medical practices. For valid integration, pharmacological and especially, clinical studies, must be conducted on those plants lacking such data. Adverse events, including drug-herb interaction must also be monitored to promote a safe integration of efficacious herbal medicine into conventional medical practices.