Herbal Mixture Research Articles

Traditional Chinese herb formulas in diet enhance the non-specific immune responses of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) and resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila

The effects of a traditional Chinese herbal mixture (TCHM) composed of Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Astragalus membranaceus, Rheum palmatum, Catsia tora and Lonicera japonica on immune response and disease resistance of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco) were studied. Fish were fed diets containing 0% (control), 1.0%, 3.0% or 5.0% TCHM (w/w) for 28 d. Immune parameters including cytokine genes interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and Immunoglobulin M (IgM), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP), lysozyme (LZM), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were measured during the test period. After 28 d of feeding, fish were infected with Aeromonas hydrophila, and mortality was recorded. The TCHM-supplementation diet stimulated ACP, AKP, LZM, CAT, SOD, and IgM activity in serum and induced IL-1β, TNF-α, and IgM mRNA expression in the spleen. All TCHM groups showed reduced mortality after A. hydrophila infection compared to the control group. These results suggest that the TCHM-supplemented diet can improve fish immunity and disease resistance against A. hydrophila.

Aggressive-like behaviour and neurocognitive impairment in alcohol herbal mixture-fed mice are associated with increased neuroinflammation and neuronal apoptosis in the prefrontal cortex.

Alcohol-induced aggression and related violence is a serious and common social problem globally. Alcohol use is increasingly found in the form of alcoholic herbal mixtures (AHM) with indiscriminate and unregulated alcohol content. This study investigated the effects of AHM on aggressive-like, neurocognitive impairment and brain biochemical alteration in mice. Thirty-two male resident mice were paired housed with female mice for 21 days in four groups (n = 8). Resident mice were treated orally with normal saline, AHM, ethanol and AHM + ethanol daily for 14 days. Aggressive-like behaviour was scored based on the latency and frequency of attacks by the resident mouse on the intruder. Neurocognitive impairment was determined using the Y-maze test (YMT) and novel object recognition test (NORT). Acetylcholinesterase, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), pro-inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters were determined in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Neuronal morphology, cytochrome c (Cyt-c) and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-ĸB) expressions were determined. AHM and in combination with ethanol showed an increased index of aggression typified by frequency of attack and reduced latency to attack when compared to normal saline-treated animals. Co-administration of AHM and ethanol significantly reduced cognitive correct alternation (%) and discrimination index in the YMT and NORT, respectively. AHM and ethanol increased acetylcholinesterase, Pro-inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress parameters while they reduced GAD. There were significantly reduced neuronal counts and increased expression of Cyt-c and NF-ĸB, respectively Alcoholic herbal mixture increased aggressiveness and caused neurocognitive impairment via increased oxido-inflammatory stress in the prefrontal cortex.

Effect of an Herbal Mixture of Oregano, Garlic, Sage and Rock Samphire Extracts in Combination with Tributyrin on Growth Performance, Intestinal Microbiota and Morphology, and Meat Quality in Broilers

The present study investigated the effects of two feed additives, the first containing an herbal mixture of oregano, garlic, sage, and rock samphire extracts and the second containing tributyrin (glyceryl tributyrate) when fed to broiler chickens. A total of 360 one-day-old chicks were randomly allocated to four treatments (6 replicate pens of 15 chicks). One treatment served as the unsupplemented control, whereas the feeds of the other three treatments were supplemented either with the herbal additive (3 g/kg), the tributyrin additive (1 g/kg), or both additives. The duration of the trial was 37 days. Data were collected on growth performance, intestinal microbiota and morphology, and some meat quality parameters. The combined supplementation improved (p < 0.05) weigh gain, feed conversion ratio, and the European Efficiency Factor. In the cecum, the combined supplementation lowered (p < 0.05) the microbial populations of aerobes, anaerobes, Escherichia coli, total Enterobacteriaceae, and Clostridium spp. compared to the other treatments. Fecal coccidial oocyst counts were also reduced (p < 0.01) by the combined supplementation. The herbal mixture supplementation improved (p < 0.05) breast and thigh meat resistance to oxidation. In conclusion, the combined dietary supplementation with the examined feed additives could be utilized to improve the performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens.

Evaluation of therapeutic effects of an herbal mixture (Echinacea purpurea and Glycyrrhiza glabra) for treatment of clinical coccidiosis in broilers.

Avian coccidiosis is thought to be one of the most expensive infectious diseases in the poultry industry. Safe and alternative anti-coccidial drugs are herbal extracts because they do not result in tissue residue and drug resistance. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the anti-coccidial effect of the herbal mixture, a complex of two plants (Echinacea purpurea, Glycyrrhiza glabra) in broiler chickens in comparison with toltrazuril. One hundred twenty broiler chickens were used in this experiment and divided into 4 equally numbered groups. All the groups, except Group D, were experimentally infected with mixedEimeriaspp. (E. Tenella, E. maxima,E. necatrixandE. brunetti) on day 14. Group A treated with an herbal mixture [Glycyrrhiza glabra Extract 5% (standardised to 5.4% glycyrrhizic acid) and Echinacea purpurea Extract 2% (standardised to 4% total phenolic content based on chlorogenic acid); Coxinin-EC® ; Shamim Teb Sepid Giti]. Group B treated with toltrazuril. Group C was experimentally infected with mixedEimeriaspp. but they did not have any treatment, this group was our positive control. Performance indices, faecaloocyst excretion, and intestinal lesion score were determined during the experiment. Positive control group had the poorest results and more mortality than other groups. Group D was not infected and was healthy all the experiment period. Treatment with herbal complex significantly reduced the negative performance and pathogenic effects associated with Eimeria spp. at a level that was comparable with toltrazuril. In summary, the anti-coccidial activity of the studied herbal complex suggests its use as an alternative anti-coccidial agent to chemotherapeutic drugs for controlling coccidiosis in poultry. -Coccidiosis is an important infectious disease that causes serious financial loss to the poultry industry. -Chemical anti-coccidial drugs and vaccines are the main control strategies to combat the disease. However, these tools have some constraints. -Herbal remedies are suitable alternatives to chemical compounds for control of losses associated with coccidiosis in poultry. -An herbal mixture (Echinacea purpurea, Glycyrrhiza glabra) has promising effects for controlling of coccidiosis in broiler chickens.

RESEARCH ON VIETNAMESE MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH POTENTIAL IN THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19 DISEASE

Natural products have been considered the primary source of healthcare among the majority of the world’s population. In the therapeutic management of Covid-19, products of natural origin are a promising and potential medicinal source to treat this disease. Our research methodology is based on a review of recent articles reporting on the effect of medicinal plants on Covid-19. In this review, literature searches on medicinal plants which used to treat and prevent Covid-19 disease were conducted. From this research, several medicinal plants have received much research attention such as Astragalus mongholicus Bunge; Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge; Atractylodes lancea (Thunb.) DC.; Atractylodes chinensis (DC.) Koidz.; Atractylodes japonica Koidz.; and Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz.; Andrographis paniculata; Lonicera japonica; Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi. However, the definitive roles of these medicinal plants in cytokine storms and post-infection complications still need further investigation. And then, quality control and standardisation of medicinal plants-based products also need to be emphasized. Further investigations on differential effects as well as the quality and safety of herbal medicines should be required to ascertain their role in Covid-19 therapeutic management. Furthermore, herbal mixtures, medicinal plants, natural products, or their combination with possible anti-SARS-CoV-2 effects may hold promise and effectiveness in preventive and therapeutic support for Covid-19.

HPLC-DAD assay of flavonoids and evaluation of antioxidant activity of some herbal mixtures

Medicinal plants and their combinations can influence various links of the pathogenetic mechanism of diabetes mellitus type 2 and its complications, due to the wide range of biologically active substance that they accumulate. Flavonoids deserve particular attention through their antioxidant properties. Three samples of herbal mixtures (sample 1 – Inula helenium rhizome with roots, Helichrysum arenarium flowers, Zea mays columns with stigmas, Origanum vulgare herb, Rosa majalis fruits, Taraxacum officinale roots; sample 2 – Cichorium intybus roots, Elymus repens rhizome, Helichrysum arenarium flowers, Rosa smajalis fruits, Zea mays columns with stigmas; sample 3 – Urtica dioica leaf, Taraxacum officinale roots, Vaccinium myrtillus leaf, Rosa majalis fruits, Mentha x Menthapiperita herb) were tested for flavonoid content and antioxidant properties. Using HPLC-DAD analysis the content of flavonoids was evaluated and an antioxidant activity by DPPH-radicals scavenging, ferrous ion chelating capacity and ferric reducing power were established for the herbal mixtures. Rutin prevails in sample 3, its content was 2745.66±0.21 μg/g; luteolin – in samples 1 and 2, its content was 371.31±0.07 μg/g and 313.48±0.13 μg/g, respectively. Flavonoids attribute to the antioxidant activity of the herbal mixtures, which was confirmed by DPPH radical scavenging assay, ferric reducing power assay and ferrous ion chelating assay. The highest antioxidant capacity was found for sample 3 – IC50 of inhibition of DPPH radicals was 301.65±2.67 µg/mL compared to control – ascorbic acid (119.24±2.35 µg/mL), the ferric reducing power was 0.382 at 100 µg/mL compared to ascorbic acid (0.412 at 100 µg/mL) and IC50 of chelating capacity was 206.59±2.48 µg/mL compared to EDTA-Na2 (110.55±1.93 µg/mL).

Effect of herbal extracts and supplement mixture on alcohol metabolism in Sprague Dawley-rats

This study aimed to investigate the effect of mixture of herbal extracts and supplementary formula (FNP-C) on hangovers and antioxidant enzymes in alcohol-induced liver damage in rats. HepG2 cells were used as the experimental cells and divided into five groups: non-treated control (normal), alcohol-induced control (control), mixture of herbal extracts (FNP-B), FNP-C, and a commercial treatment of liver diseases (Livers®); inhibition of detoxification and alcohol-induced damage was confirmed in vivo. Blood alcohol and acetaldehyde concentration after alcohol consumption were measured in a timely manner; alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH), glutathione transferase (GST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were measured in the liver. FNP-C exhibited the highest effect. When FNP-C was administered to alcohol-induced animals, blood alcohol and acetaldehyde concentration decreased compared to FNP-B and Livers®. FNP-C reduced ADH levels and improved LDH, GSH, GST, and SOD levels. The FNP-C group was effective in preventing alcohol-induced hangovers and liver damage. Thus, FNP-C improves hangovers and increases antioxidant activity in an alcohol-induced model. Adding amino acids and vitamins to natural ingredients can potentially enhance the effect of improving hangovers.

Prediction of Potential Natural Antibiotics Plants Based on Jamu Formula Using Random Forest Classifier.

Jamu is the traditional Indonesian herbal medicine system that is considered to have many benefits such as serving as a cure for diseases or maintaining sound health. A Jamu medicine is generally made from a mixture of several herbs. Natural antibiotics can provide a way to handle the problem of antibiotic resistance. This research aims to discover the potential of herbal plants as natural antibiotic candidates based on a machine learning approach. Our input data consists of a list of herbal formulas with plants as their constituents. The target class corresponds to bacterial diseases that can be cured by herbal formulas. The best model has been observed by implementing the Random Forest (RF) algorithm. For 10-fold cross-validations, the maximum accuracy, recall, and precision are 91.10%, 91.10%, and 90.54% with standard deviations 1.05, 1.05, and 1.48, respectively, which imply that the model obtained is good and robust. This study has shown that 14 plants can be potentially used as natural antibiotic candidates. Furthermore, according to scientific journals, 10 of the 14 selected plants have direct or indirect antibacterial activity.

Evaluation of some effective potentialities of newly formulated rice fermented food using Elephantopus scaber L. rhizome as herbal starter

Traditionally, fermented food and beverages are prepared by adding a mixture of plant residues as a starter or source of microbes. Most of the conventional fermented foods use a local starter which contains a mixture of herbs or old ferment or otherwise cereal dust-coated tablet. In this study, we have made an attempt to prepare a rice-based fermented food with the herbal starter (0.5% w/w) of Elephantopus scaber L. rhizome, and also examined its microbial and nutrient profiles. The food product is fortified with organic acid and titratable acidity of 0.58% and also contained an excellent source of microbes (LAB and Bifidobacterium sp.). The fermented food contains significant amount of fat, protein, minerals, vitamins, oligosaccharide, unsaturated fatty acids (ω3, ω6, ω7 and ω9) and a pool of free amino acids. The presence of phytochemical contents in the fermented rice was also exhibited significant effects against commercially available free radicals (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and OH-radicals). Thus, food-grade microbes containing newly formulated fermented food would provide essential macro-and micro-nutrients to the individuals and convey the sustainability of good health. Therefore, the mentioned plant part would be used as an effective starter for aiding rice-based food products.

Influence of taste components on the safety of butter

Fatty foods can be considered healthy food formulas if they meet the following conditions: have a reduced calorie content; balanced fatty acid composition; vitamins and biologically active compounds; They do not contain cholesterol or trans fats. To give a functional orientation to butter, additional flavoring components can be introduced. The authors conducted research to study the storage capacity of butter with flavoring components. As fillers, a mixture of seeds and herbs was added to it. The resulting oil samples had a pronounced creamy taste with a taste of the added filler, without foreign tastes and odors, a dense, plastic texture, a shiny surface on the cut, dry in appearance, with the inclusion of filler particles. The mass fraction of product fat was 62%. The filler has antioxidant activity, reduces the spoilage of the fat fraction during storage. Determination of the resistance of fat at 102 ºС was carried out to test its ability to oxidative processes. The test sample was stored without signs of spoilage for 10 hours, the control one for 8 hours. Studies of the oil acidity index during storage have been carried out. It was found that at the end of the shelf life, the acidity index of the oil was 0.5 ± 0.1 °K less than that of the control sample. Tested for mold susceptibility. The absence of mold after 14 days of storage indicated the relative resistance of the oil to mold. Thus, the use of non-traditional plant components in the production of oil and fat products contributes to the expansion of their range and quality.

A Treatment Option or Source of Bacterial Pathogen Transmission? The Case of Herbal Mixture in Nigeria

Herbal mixture such as agbo, has been used in recent years in Nigeria to treat various sicknesses including malaria, typhoid, dysentery and cholera. However, the bacteriological quality and safety is of paramount importance spurring the argument whether it is treatment option or sources of pathogen transmission. Hence this study was conducted to investigate the bacteriological analysis of agbo herbal preparations. Samples of herbal mixture were purchased from five different markets (Uselu, New Benin, Oba, Santana and Ogida Markets) in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Bacteriological analysis was carried out using pour plate isolation method. Identification of isolated bacteria was based on their cultural, morphological, biochemical and molecular techniques. Antibiotic sensitivity pattern was carried out using disk diffusion method. The plasmid profile of multiple drug resistance bacterial genes isolated was also analyzed. Bacteriological analyses showed that the total bacterial counts (TBC) of all the test herbal samples obtained from the various markets ranged from 0.04 x 104 to 1.13 x 104cfu/ml. Eight bacterial species were identified and they include; Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus casei, Serratia marcescens, Micrococcus varians, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. The least occurring bacterial isolates were Serratia marcescens and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (5.26%) while the highest occurring was Bacillus cereus (21.05%). Isolated bacteria were resistant to commonly used antibiotics. Plasmid profile revealed presence of plasmid genes in the bacterial isolates. Since applications of herbal medicines for curative purposes is on the increase, there is need to monitor and ensure its bacteriological quality before distributing to final consumers.

Promising COVID-19 therapies on examples of some antiviral, immunomodulatory and natural substances use - review

COVID-19 is one of the biggest challenges to medicine ever. Because of its dissemination in population effective drug to cure it was needed. There were some trials on antiviral drugs like lopiravir/ritonavir, remdesivir, darunavir/cobicistat, favipiravir, molnupiravir, discovered originally in order to treat other diseases. Only remdesivir and molnupiravir seem to be beneficial for patients with COVID-19, both of them are approved in therapy in a large number of countries allover the world. [2]
 Another very important group of drugs used in trials against COVID-19 was immunomodulatory drugs. Some of them, like chloroquine/hydrochloroquine was very promising, but finally there were no evidences of its benefits found. [2] Corticosteroids used in moderate and severe COVID-19 caused general improvement of clinical status and decreased mortality. Interesting and quite promising may be use of interferons but for now lack of evidences does not allow to make clear statement about its benefits.
 There are some argumentations for natural methods of COVID-19 treatment. Dietary recommendations, vitamin and microelements supplementation may be helpful in the therapy and in addition may not have any adverse effects. Also, herbal mixtures, developed centuries ago in China found usage during COVID-19 pandemic. After analysis of thousands of cases Traditional Chinese Medicine can be considered as one of the most successful attempt in combating COVID-19. [6]

Study on the biochemical and histopathological effects of herbal mixture on the kidneys of experimental rats

Medicinal plants have shown to possess some biologically active constituents that have significant effects in human. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of Goko Cleanser (herbal mixture) on the kidney of albino Wistar rats. Phytochemical analysis of the herbal mixture was done. A total of twenty-five animals weighing 150 g – 200 g were used. The rats were randomly selected into five groups of five (5) experimental rats. The groups were classified as A-E, and graded dosage of the herbal mixture administration was done. Group A served as normal control group and received no herbal mixture, group B received 1000 mg/kg of the herbal mixture, group C received 2000 mg/kg of the herbal mixture, group D received 3000 mg/kg and group E received 4000 mg/kg. The results show that Goko Cleanser herbal mixture contains tannin, saponin and flavonoids as its phytochemical constituents. The creatinine level had a significant (P<0.05) increase in test groups D and E when compared to the control group; while in groups B and C, there was no significant increase (P>0.05) when compared to the control group. The urea and potassium levels also had significant increases (P>0.05) in the test groups D and E when compared to the control group. Results of histopathological analysis showed a concomitance with the biochemical findings. Hence, the results from this study show that Goko Cleanser herbal mixture possesses dose-dependent toxic effect on the kidney.

Herbal Mixtures based on Indian Medicinal Plants in Growing Lambs and Ruminal Environments

Background: The prohibition of the use of antibiotics in lamb feeding requires the search for natural alternatives that can improve productive performance and ruminal fermentation parameters. Herbal mixtures can function as cost-effective substitutes for growth promoters since an extraction or purification process is not required. Methods: An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Chebulic myrobalan, Terminalia bellirica and Azadirachta indica on the productive performance of finishing lambs. Thirty-six Hampshire x Suffolk male lambs (initial body weight (BW) 23.52±3.67 kg), in individual crates, were used for 45 days of evaluation after 15 days adaptation and were randomly assigned to treatments which consisted of dietary inclusion of the feed plant additive at 0.000, 0.250, 0.375 and 0.500% of dry matter (DM). Rations were sampled for DM, ash and crude protein (AOAC, 2005), neutral and acid detergent fibre (according to van Soest, 1991) analysis and metabolizable energy was estimated. The animals were weighed on days 1, 15 and 45 before feeding and the average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion rate were calculated by daily recording of the dry matter intake. Contrasts no orthogonal were used to test linear or quadratic effects of the herbal mixture with initial body weight (BW) as a covariate for ADG and final BW. Result: There was no effect (P greater than 0.05) of herbal mixtures on ADG, final BW, feed efficiency, DM intake and feed conversion by phytobiotic dietary inclusion. Ruminal pH (P=0.07) increased quadratically in response to the herbal mixture dietary concentration. The acetate increased and propionate reduced, both quadratically (P less than 0.05). The evaluated doses of the polyherbal additive did not influence growth and feed efficiency of lambs.

Mycotoxins in complementary foods consumed by infants and young children within the first 18 months of life

This study assessed the profiles of mycotoxins and other contaminants present in complementary foods consumed by Nigerian infants and young children (IYC) within the first 18 months of life. In total, 92 complementary foods and one herbal mixture collected at 3-months interval were subjected to LC/MS-MS analysis. Aflatoxin B1 contaminated ogi and tombran at mean levels of 3.5 ± 2.0 and 5.3 ± 2.0 μg/kg, which are 35 and 53 times higher, respectively, than the EU threshold of 0.1 μg/kg set for baby food. Fumonisin B1 contaminated all family cereal, 29% of another maize-based food (nutribom), 47% of ogi, 67% of tombran and the only gote sample at mean concentrations of 56 ± 5.42, 7.55 ± 2.52, 25 ± 4.97, 25.4 ± 5.16 and 41.5 μg/kg, respectively. Fumonisins co-occurred with AFB1 in 10% of the complementary foods. Other mycotoxins detected include citrinin and beauvericin, which contaminated 25% and 63% of the food samples, respectively. Interestingly, cereulide contaminated six food samples, from two participants across different sampling points. Estimated hypothetical daily intake using deterministic approach suggest chronic aflatoxin exposure in IYC between month 6 and 18. Mothers/caregivers are encouraged to adhere strictly to mycotoxin preventive measures such as good storage practices as well as good hygiene practices during IYC food preparation and feeding.

Effects of dietary supplement with a Chinese herbal mixture on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and gut microbiota in weaned pigs.

Weaning stress decreases the growth performance of piglets and is one of the main concerns of pig industries. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have been used to reduce the adverse effects of weaning stress as both nutritional supplements and antibiotic substitutes. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a Chinese herbal mixture (Kangtaile, which contained Paeonia lactiflora, licorice, dandelion, and tea polyphenols) on the growth performances, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota of weaned pigs. A total of 400 weaned pigs [Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] were randomly allocated into one of four treatments: the CON group, fed with basic diet; the HM1 group, fed with basal diet supplemented with 0.5 g herbal mixture/kg diet; the HM2 group, fed with basal diet supplemented with 1.0 g herbal mixture/kg diet; or the HM3 group, fed with basal diet supplemented with 1.5 g herbal mixture/kg diet. The results revealed that dietary supplementation with the herbal mixture for 28 days improved average daily gain and feed conversion ratio, while decreased the diarrhea rate of weaned pigs. Moreover, dietary supple-mentation with the herbal mixture improved the antioxidant capacity through increasing the activity of catalase (CAT) and the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) level, while decreasing the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum. Pigs supplemented with herbal mixture presented an increased serum immunoglobulin (Ig)M level on day 14 compared with control pigs. The herbal mixture altered the composition of intestinal microbiota by influencing the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes at the phylum level. The relative abundances of the Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were significantly related to the body weight gain of pigs. In conclusion, supplementation of herbal mixture to the diet improved growth performance, immunity, and antioxidant capacity and modified the composition of intestinal microbiota in weaning pigs. This study provided new insights into the nutritional regulation effects of the herbal mixtures on weaned pigs.

Deadly mono-intoxication after ingestion of 4F-MDMB-BICA

The synthetic cannabinoid (SC) 4F-MDMB-BICA was detected in the recent past in connection with numerous poisonings and fatalities. SC with a methyl-3,3-dimethylbutanoate structure are often afflicted with a high instability and usually rapidly degraded to the dimethylbutanoic acid metabolite (DBA), frequently resulting in small amounts of parent compound in samples. Here, we report on a fatality of a 41-year-old man who was found unconscious and declared dead after unsuccessful reanimation. At the scene, a few herbal incenses were found near to the deceased. The autopsy did not reveal any macro morphological cause of death. Among other things, a cerebral and pulmonary edema as well as an incipient pneumonia were found. The seized herbal mixtures were grinded and dispersed in ethanol. Aliquots of the supernatants were tested using GC/MS. Urine, heart blood (HB) and stomach contents were screened using GC/MS following liquid-liquid extraction. Additionally, urine and HB were screened following protein precipitation with acetonitrile using LC-QTOF-MS/MS in SWATH mode (column: Macherey-Nagel (MN) Nucleoshell RP 18 100 × 2 mm, 2.7 μm; MS: SCIEX QTOF 6600+, ESI+). Brain, lung, liver and kidney tissues were homogenized 1 + 4, bile fluid 1 + 9 with water. 4F-MDMB-BICA and DBA were quantified using AB-FUBINACA-D4 as internal standard in tissues as well as bile fluid, HB and peripheral blood (PB) after standard addition, enzymatic cleavage and solid phase extraction using LC-MS/MS (column: MN Nucleodur C18 Gravity 150 × 2 mm, 5 μm; MS: Thermo Fisher TSQ, ESI+). 4F-MDMB-BICA could be detected in every seized herbal mixture, one sample additionally contained ADB-BUTINACA. Besides ibuprofen, 4F-MDMB-BICA and several metabolites were detected in urine, HB and stomach contents. Quantification of the parent substance revealed concentrations of 18 ng/mL in HB, 11 ng/mL in PB, 12 ng/mL in bile fluid as well as low concentrations in other tissues. DBA was detected at concentrations of 100 ng/mL in HB, 31 ng/mL in PB, 96 ng/g in lung, 57 ng/g in kidney, 2 ng/g in brain and 9500 ng/mL in bile fluid. ADB-BUTINACA could not be found in any specimen. The relatively high concentrations of DBA in lung could indicate an acute pulmonary intake closely related to death. The concentrations in HB could have been elevated because of postmortem redistribution. The extremely high concentrations of DBA in bile fluid might be the result of a repeated consumption as well as an enterohepatic circulation. The results of the analyses indicate death due to an acute intoxication of 4F-MDMB-BICA. In contrast to most reported fatalities, the presented case could be attributed to a mono-intoxication after SC consumption.

Utilization of microscopic and macroscopic characteristics as part of quality control of herbal teas and tea mixtures and authentication of individual components

Utilization of microscopic and macroscopic characteristics as part of quality control of herbal teas and tea mixtures and authentication of individual components

The association of Curcuma and Scutellaria plant extracts improves laying hen thermal tolerance and egg oxidative stability and quality under heat stress conditions

Chronic exposure to high ambient temperatures is detrimental to laying hen performance and egg quality. Plant secondary metabolites may alleviate effects, partly due to their antioxidant activities. Herein, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with a phytonutrient solution (PHYTO) consisting of a plant extract combination of Scutellaria baicalensis and Curcuma longa on young layers (25–32 wk of age) raised under naturally elevated temperature conditions. Four hundred, 24-wk-old Lohmann hens were allocated in 50 cages and, after a week of adaptation, were offered a diet either containing 2 g/kg of PHYTO or not, for 8 wk. Hen BW was measured at the beginning and end of the trial, and egg production and feed intake were recorded weekly. At week 32, four eggs per cage were collected to determine egg quality characteristics as well as the rate of lipid and albumen oxidation in fresh eggs. At the end of the trial, two hens per cage were blood sampled for assessment of biochemical markers, one of which was euthanized for histopathological evaluation of the liver and intestine and assessment of intestinal histomorphometry. The herbal mixture supplementation significantly increased egg production rate at weeks 28 and 29 and for the overall production period, and feed efficiency at weeks 26–29. In addition, the degree of liver necrosis and microvascular thrombosis was lower (P < 0.05) whereas intestinal villosity was greater in duodenal and jejunal segments (P < 0.05) in the PHYTO compared to the control group. Supplementation also reduced (P < 0.05) blood concentrations of corticosterone, alanine aminotransferase activity, and TBARS, and a reduction in catalase activity was observed. Egg quality characteristics were not affected, except for eggshell thickness, egg diameter, and eggshell breaking strength that were superior in the PHYTO group (P < 0.05). PHYTO supplementation significantly improved egg lipid oxidation status of fresh eggs. In conclusion, supplementation with PHYTO improved laying hen productivity and egg quality, which was associated with an improvement in laying hen thermotolerance.

Recapsoma®: A Novel Mixture Based on Bergamot, Ipomoea Batatas, Policosanol Extracts and Liposomal Berberine for the Treatment of Hypercholesterolemia.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is considered one of the major causes of mortality worldwide. Epidemiological studies have shown that regular consumption of phenols is inversely associated with cardiovascular disease, and the use of nutraceuticals and functional foods can provide protective, preventive, and possibly curative effects in CVD. A novel mixture of different natural substances named Recapsoma® (bergamot, liposomal berberine, Ipomoea batatas, oleuropein, polycosanols, and vitamin E) has been produced, and its anti-dyslipidaemic efficacy has been tested, specifically studying the in vitro effects on the mechanisms of action underlying cholesterol synthesis, triglycerides, and LDL-cholesterol oxidation. The work has demonstrated the ability of this herbal extract mixture to inhibit the action of PCSK, ACAT, PAP, and HMGR and to increase the LDL receptor (LDLR), underlying the synergistic effect of the mixture over the single components. Such results suggest that the Recapsoma® mixture could be used as a tool for controlling hypercholesterolemia, and an alternative to statins, especially for those patients with metabolic syndrome.