Official Medicine Research Articles

SPECIES OF THE GENUS ALCHEMILLA L. (ROSACEAE): CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY AND USE IN MEDICINE (REVIEW)

Data about on taxonomy of Alchemilla L.genus, distribution of Alchemilla species in world flora, use in traditional and official medicine of the different countries are presented. Questions of chemical composition, biological activity and pharmacological studying are considered. It is shown that in the last decades in Russia there is an active research of Alchemilla species at the level of regional and local floras. Species of this difficult genus in the systematic relation are offered to be used as the vegetable medicinal raw materials of different function containing compounds of different chemical classes and possessing a wide range of biological activity. As a result of complex studying with application of the latest methods of a research and standardization of vegetable raw materials a lady's mantle on existence and content of the main active ingredients 13 types of the Alchemilla species growing in Russia have been recommended for medical application. For the first time researches on antiviral activity of preparations from plant extracts of Alchemilla vulgaris L.s.I concerning some RNA - and DNA - genomic viruses are discussed. Analysis of the literature data reveals the prospects for the use of species of the genus Alchemilla.

КОНЦЕПТ „ХВОРОБА” В МОВНІЙ КАРТИНІ СВІТУ УКРАЇНЦІВ ТА РОСІЯН

The article analyses the peculiarities of verbalization and content of the concept in the language picture of the world of Ukrainians and Russians. Considered the features of functioning of lexemes with the semantics of in the medical and artistic discourses. The content of the concept has undergone changes with the development of scientific thought, differed significantly in traditional and official medicine. The representatives of the concept are nouns and doctor, the verb ill substantiv ill. Analysis of these lexemes in the dictionaries of different types have shown the following substantial characteristics of the concept in the language picture of the world of Ukrainians and Russians: the disease as a physiological process; deviations from the norm; a state of anxiety, worry, care for the sick; love. Found that the high cultural informativeness is characterized by phraseological field of the concept. National specificities are shown phraseologisms on the identification of means of treatment and prevention of Most stable compounds with the keyword / illness associated with the medical discourse, some of them walked up to daily use. For linguistic picture of the world of Ukrainians and Russians tend to view disease as a sudden, unexpected, an unknown, uncontrollable phenomenon. The author concludes that in the medical discourse focuses on the reasons that caused a particular or its symptoms, and artistic – of particular importance is the process of the disease. Lexemes with semantics of used by the writers, realize their individual author's intentions, meanings recorded in dictionaries and representerait the concept of in the language picture of the world of Ukrainians and Russians. Key words: the language world, the concept illness.

Coughing in children with colds: efficacy and new possibilities for phytotherapy

The article deals with the problem of acute cough treatment against the background of a cold. The efficiency and side effects of official medicine and modern phytotherapy are discussed. The data of the Cochrane reviews, meta-analyses, international and Russian researches proving expediency and efficiency of coughing symptoms treatment by means of natural origin are given.

PECULIAR PROPERTIES OF THE PLANT TAXONOMY AT THE HERBARIUMMUSEUM DEPARTMENT PHARMACEUTICAL AND NATURAL SCIENCES FIRST MOSCOW STATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY NAMED AFTER SECHENOV

Objective: Department of Pharmaceutical and Natural Sciences of Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University offers students herbarium which should be attributed to special herbaria, namely the collection contains medicinal plants that are well known as official medicine and are widely used in folk medicine. The herbarium provides samples of medicinal plants for the formation of knowledge, practical skills of students of the pharmaceutical faculty. More than 7000 copies of herbarium sheets are offered for the work of students.
 Methods: Herbarium samples were identified and selected according to the engage thematic plan: Medicinal plants containing essential oils, cardiac glycosides, saponins, polysaccharides, phenolic glycosides, coumarins, lignans, flavonoids, tannins, anthracene derivatives, vitamins, fatty oils, and different groups of biologically active substances. In addition, the department made a small collection of the rare herbarium, which presents medicinal plants widely used in homeopathy, which is used for conducting elective discipline. The wide research of different branches of the medicinal plan was made with the help of pharmacognosy department. The study was carried out with an objective to estimate the need for each herbarium by topic
 Results: The herbarium fund was formed by the staff of the pharmacognosy department for many years on the basis of the approved pharmacognosy program. The collection is used for research by students – to perform diploma, qualifying works, and teachers to prepare teaching aids, and pharmacopeia articles develop and conduct research. The number of herbarium specimens is stored in the main fund – more than 5000. 240 species of medicinal plants belonging to 104 families are represented.

COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE OF FUNCTIONING AND SPECIFIC FEATURES OF THE APPLICATION IN UKRAINE

Introduction: Finding an optimal model for the development and functioning of the health care system is an important aspect for most economically developed countries. The aim of this article is to comprehensively study the problems of functioning of complementary (alternative) medicine, to identify the main tendencies of its development in some foreign countries and specific features of its application in Ukraine. Materials and methods: During the research the authors have used theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, generalization, systematization, etc.) and empirical methods (observation, classification, etc.) of scientific research. Review: The conducted study provides grounds for arguing that complementary (alternative) medicine in various forms exists in most countries of the world and is promoted by the World Health Organization (hereafter - WHO). However, the legal regulation of complementary medicine and its interaction with the traditional medicine are significantly different. It has been established that a significant part of patients use alternative methods of treatment, neglecting the information interaction with the attending physician. The authors have revealed the shortcomings of permitting procedures concerning the activity of healers, the result of which there are many fraud cases in this sphere. Conclusions: The authors have proved the necessity of improving the legislative base for the regulation of complementary medicine, integration of alternative methods into official medicine, improvement of the system of professional training of physicians, determination of the volume of usefulness and benefits of medical aid by alternative methods, expansion of international cooperation and exchange of experience with foreign specialists practicing the use of complementary medicine.

Ecosystem of Medicinal Plants Species and Potential of Growing on the Dumps of Kedrovsky Surface Mine (Kemerovo Region)

The medicinal flora of phytocenosis “Yuzhny” waste dump Kedrovsky coal mine pit in Kemerovo region was studied. It has been established that 51 species of medicinal plants belonging to 46 genus and 27 families grow on the waste dump. They are permitted for use in official medicine and included in the Medicines State Register in the territory of the Russian Federation. The most of medicinal plants species are represented by forest (39.22%), ruderal (27.45%) and meadow (23.53%) vegetation, which in general is 90.2% of the identified medicinal plants number. The share of semi-aquatic and steppe vegetation accounts for 7.84% and 1.96%, respectively. It has been established that perennial herbaceous plants (25 species) predominate in the life forms composition; shrubs and trees account for 7 and 9 species, respectively. Researches were established a group of medicinal plants with resource potential and interest in raw materials procurement. This group include 13 herbaceous plants (Achillea millefolium L., Viola arvensis Murr., Polygonum aviculare L., Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall., Fragaria vesca L., Verbascum thapsus L., Urtica dioica L., Filipendula ulmaria (L.) Maxim., Tussilago farfara L., Taraxacum officinale Web., Tanacetum vulgare L., Plantago major L., Artemisia absinthium L.), 5 shurbs (Crataеgus sanguínea Pall., Hippophaë rhamnoides L., Rosa accicularis Lindl., Rosa majalis Herm., Viburnum opulus L.) and 5 trees ( Betula pendula Roth., Betula pubesccens Ehrh., Padus avium Mill., Sorbus sibirica Hedl., Pinus sylbestris L.).

State Interest and Public Health: The Case of the Poisoning of the Peasant Maiden Marfa, Daughter of Petrov

This article uses the case of the “poisoning of the peasant maiden Marfa, the daughter of Petrov”, heard in the courts of Yekaterinburg in 1791, to demonstrate how practices of social disciplining based on Western European ideas of “medical Enlightenment” and “medical policy” might have worked in a Russian province. The prerequisite for the perception of such ideas was a fairly high educational level among the local officials involved into this case. But this is not the sole reason: a no-less-important role was played by a solid and (in many respects) unique communication field built on formal and informal networks that emerged due to the special status Yekaterinburg enjoyed as capital of the Ural mining industry, a regional educational centre and communications junction. Thus, at the end of the 18th century visiting professional elites and local mining and state officials were not only connected through work, but also through shared leisure activities. It is very likely that with these “agents of Enlightenment” the views and knowledge that existed in Europe and the country’s capitals (including those about the “right” medicine) permeated into the provinces. As a result of this, the judges and the district doctor showed some legal ingenuity: in their struggle against unofficial medical treatment, they decided to achieve maximum disciplinary effect by mitigating the sentence. Therefore, they applied legislation not immediately related to the case. This was done in order to stigmatise illegal healing, since the few representatives of official medicine were incapable of withstanding competition from omnipresent quacks and sorcerers, who offered services to the common people by relying on their experience and intuition.

Determination of the content of amino acids in the roots of the sophora flavescens

Shrubby sophora (Sophora flavescens L.) genus of the Fabaceae family is a perennial plant that is common in Russia, Japan, Korea, Northeast, North and Central China. The roots of this plant contain 1-2 % of alkaloids (allomatrin, anagirin, isomatrin, matrine, sofofarpin, soforamin, soforanol), triterpene saponins (soyasaponin I), flavonoids (soforaflavosides I, II, III, IV, biosanin A, kuraridin, kurarin, Cushenols A, B, C, D, I, K, L, M, (-) - maakianin, neokurarinol, norkurarinone) and amino acids (proline, aspartic acid, glycine, argenine). Plant amino acids form a large group of organic compounds and have unique biological and pharmacological properties. Therefore, in recent years, scientists have paid great attention to the study of the amino acid composition of medicinal plants.The aim of our work was to determine the content of amino acids in the roots of shrubby Sophora (Sophora flavescens L.).Materials and methods: the study was performed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Identification of amino acids was performed by comparing the retention time with a mixture of amino acid standards (Agilent 5061-3334). The content of bound amino acids was determined by the difference between the content of free amino acids and their total content.Results and discussion: as a result of the study, the content of 15 amino acids was found and determined in the free and bound state of shrubby Sophora roots, of which 6 are irreplaceable (threonine, valine, methionine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine).In a free state, proline (3.61 µg / mg) and aspartic acid (0.73 µg / mg) in the bound state - glycine (1.25 µg / mg), arginine (0.87 µg / mg) accumulated in large quantities, serine (0.84 µg / mg) and glutamic acid (0.80 µg / mg). In the free state, in the minimal quantities were accumulated methionine (0.024 μg / mg), glycine (0.040 μg / mg) and threonine (0.046 μg / mg), in the bound state - proline (0.079 μg / mg), aspartic acid (0.229 μg / mg) and methionine (0.231 µg / mg). An amino acid such as lysine was not found in the roots of shrubby Sophora.Conclusions: using the HPLC method, we determined the content of 15 free and bound amino acids in the roots of shrubby Sophora, of which 6 are irreplaceable. Monoaminomonocarboxy, monoaminodicarboxy, diaminomonocarboxylic, aromatic and heterocyclic amino acids were found in the series of bound acids. Considering that amino acids contribute to the rapid absorption and potentiation of the action of other biologically active substances (phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, organic acids, macro- and microelements) contained in plant raw materials, the study of the amino acids of the roots of Sophora flavescens L. is promising for use in official medicine and gives the opportunity to create new drugs of combined action based on the specified type of medicinal plant materials

Cytotoxic Activity of Thymus vulgaris: Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity

Thymol, an antiseptic, is an active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes such as Listerine. The medicinal properties of wild thyme have been extensively used in official and traditional medicine for many years and centuries, respectively. The herb is used in preparations of natural herbal remedies, such as syrups, tinctures, infusions, decoctions, tea, and oil. The increase in multidrug resistant strains of pathogenic microorganisms has led to extensive phytochemical and pharmacological studies of T. vulgaris as an important source of medicinal substances with antioxidant, antimicrobial, antitumor, and cytotoxic properties and their effective medicinal application, as well as use in pharmaceutical, food, and cosmetic industries. According to the PDR for Herbal Medicines, wild thyme is a component in various standardized preparations with antitussive effects, while alcohol extracts are integral components of drops used for coughs and colds.

Chromato-mass-spectrometric assessment of volatile components for nettle (Urtica dioica L.)

The species of nettle (Urtica dioica) are used long ago as hemostaticum for hemorrhages of various genesis both in non-traditional and in official medicine. Besides, the extractions of nettle possess hypolipidemic, cholagogue, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic, prostatoprotective, adaptogenic properties, etc. Biologic activity of the nettle (Urtica dioica) is conditioned by the presence of various vitamins, carotenoids, proteins, flavonoids, hydroxycinnamic and organic acids, β-cytosterol, volatile compounds and other components.
 The aim of our study was to investigate the qualitative and quantitative composition of the volatile content of nettle.
 The research has been done on aero-dried vegetable raw-material Urtica dioica L. (leaves), stocked in June 2014 in Zaporizhzhya region. Identification and assessment of a number for volatile components has been done on the chromatograph Agilent Technology 6890 N with mass-spectrometric detector 5973.
 Approximately 20 components have been revealed in the leaves of Urtica dioica: hexahydrofarnesilacetate (165,19 mc/kg) and squalene (99,59 mc/kg) are predominated. Phytol, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol, nonacosane, etc. are presented in lesser number. The content of chrysanthenone, p-cymen-8-ol, verbenone, nerolidol, caryophyllene oxide, tricosane, tetracosane, heptacosane and untriacontane was insignificant (1,9% of the total amount of volatile components). Total number of volatile components in the leaves of Urtica dioica was 498,61 mc/mg. The research of qualitative composition and a number of volatile components in the leaves of Urtica dioica growing in Ukraine demonstrate expediency to carry out the further researches on the species Urtica dioica for using them in elaborating phytodrugs of complex action.

A Study on the Korean Medicine Education and the Changes in the Traditional Korean Medicine during the Japanese Colonial Era: Focused on the Korean Medicine Training Schools.

The modern education institutes play an important role in fostering professional talents, reproducing knowledge and studies, and forming the identities of certain academic fields and vocational communities. It is a matter of common knowledge that the absence of an official Korean medicine medical school during the Japanese colonial era was a severely disadvantageous factor in the aspects of academic progress, fostering follow-up personnel, and establishment of social capability. Therefore, the then Korean medicine circle put emphasis on inadequate official education institutes as the main factor behind oppression. Furthermore, as the measure to promote the continuance of Korean medicine, the circle regarded establishing civilian Korean medicine training schools as their long-cherished wish and strived to accomplish the mission even after liberation. This study looked into how the Korean medicine circle during the Japanese colonial era utilized civilian training schools to conduct the Korean medicine education conforming to modern medical school and examined how the operation of these training schools influenced the changes in the traditional Korean medicine. After the introduction of the Western medical science, the Korean medicine circle aimed to improve the quality of Korean medicine doctors by establishing modern Korean medicine medical schools. However, after the annexation of Korea and Japan, official Korean medicine medical schools were not established since policies were organized centered on the Western medical science. In this light, the Korean medicine circle strived to nurture the younger generation of Korean medicine by establishing and operating the civilian Korean medicine training schools after the annexation between Korea and Japan. The schools were limited in terms of scale and status but possessed the forms conforming to the modern medical schools in terms of education system. In other words, the civilian training schools not only adhered to the standard education of Korean medicine but also aimed to lay their foundation in the education system of the Western medical science by forming the separated curriculum including basic medical science, diagnosis, clinic, drug, and the practice of acupuncture and moxibustion. Furthermore, having contained the basic subjects of the Western medical science - physiology, anatomy, pathology, etc. - in the compulsory subjects shows perceiving the intellectual and systematic hegemony of the Western medical science and satisfying the demand of the colonial power. Such an education system was succeeded and solidified through the training sessions and the training schools operated by the local colonial governments after the 1930s. Korean medicine became different from the traditional Korean medicine through the establishment and the operation of such training schools.

Promising new fixed combination for the treatment of diseases of the hepatobiliar system: Substantiation of pharmacotherapeutic properties and pharmaceutical quality profile

In this review article an analysis of literature data on the pharmacological and clinical study of a fixed combination of medicinal substances (artichoke leaf extract, ursodeoxycholic acid, taurine, and Angelica sinensis roots extract), as well a scientific substantiation of the pharmaceutical quality profile of the corresponding finished solid dosage form has been conducted. Chronic diseases of the hepatobiliary system are some of the most common human diseases and inferior only to atherosclerosis . The fact that cholecystectomy is the most common surgical operation in the abdominal organs is evidenced by the widespread distribution of the pathology of the biliary system. The fact that there is an increasing number of diagnoses of cholelithiasis in children and infants is a cause for concern. Diseases of the biliary system are closely related to violations of the functional state of the liver. Synthesis of cholesterol supplemented bile with reduced bile acid content significantly increases the risk of gallstones, as well as gallbladder cholesterol. We have substantiated that the developed preparation is a fixed combination of medicinal substances with well-researched medical applications in the treatment of dyspeptic disorders with functional disorders of the biliary system, biliary dyskinesia of the hypokinetic type, and gastritis with reflux of bile. Each of the components of the fixed combination has an important influence on the human hepatobiliary system. The effect of ursodeoxycholic acid is due to the relative replacement of lipophilic toxic bile acids, improving the secretory capacity of hepatocytes and immunoregulatory processes, which is especially important in liver and cholestatic diseases. Taurine is a synergist of ursodeoxycholic acid, since it forms biliary conjugates in the liver. The artichoke extract has choleretic, hepatoprotective and diuretic effects, while the A. sinensis roots extract demonstrates moderate spasmolytic and anti-inflammatory properties. We conducted a general description of active pharmaceutical ingredients and a review of biopharmaceutical tests, analyzed relevant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies, and summarized the results of clinical efficacy and safety trials. Particular attention is paid to the results of clinical studies of the developed fixed combination. It should be noted that artichoke leaf extract, ursodeoxycholic acid, and taurine are widely used throughout the world in official medicine, at the same time, A. sinensis roots extract is more widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. The fixed combination has a favorable safety profile, is investigated in clinical conditions in vivo both in the form of individual components and in the form of a single drug. A fixed combination pharmaceutical profile is based on the general requirements for solid dosage forms, as well as experimentally substantiated specific indicators and research methods.

Epilepsy in popular Medicine from the Classic Age to the Modern Age: a study on elk hoof as an original treatment.

European people believed that epilepsy was both a sacred and demoniac disease in the pre- and post-Hippocratic Age, and this belief continued into the Christian era. Epilepsy was wrapped in mystery. The present work shows an epileptic treatment using elk (Alces alces) hoof, which was better known among Northern European people, and explains its historical and popular origins that lead to its importance and success within the Official Medicine in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries until its gradual decline as a specific treatment in the subsequent centuries. We study authors from both Antiquity and the Modern Age. The present work concludes by highlighting the relationship between epilepsy and its magic-religious inheritance. It could be considered a valid example showing how a popular treatment can earn honors in the Official Pharmacopoeia, but later be excluded.

Investigation of morphological and anatomical underground parts structure of genus Primula L. Cultivated species

Investigation of morphological and anatomical underground parts structure of genus Primula L. Cultivated species

COMBINATION HERBAL EXPECTORANTS IN PEDIATRIC PRACTICE

Cough is one of the most common reasons for seeking medical treatment, and there are many reasons for its occurrence. Conventional expectorants are the most widely used medications in paediatric practice to this day, among which one may identify a large group of drugs with reflexive action that usually contain plant-derived substances. The article reviews present-day knowledge on the mechanisms of action and clinical efficacy of these drugs, provides practical recommendations on the rational use of expectorant therapy for bronchopulmonary diseases in children. It is known that the efficacy of treatment with medicinal plants is caused by their complex multicomponent composition. The use of combination drugs that have a simultaneous effect on various pathogenetic mechanisms of inflammation and coughing is becoming a promising area of mucoactive therapy. Due to relative safety, affordability and efficacy, the modern official herbal medicine is increasingly becoming the subject of informed choice in paediatric practice.

Charmers on the folk practise of charming of charming in Serbia

Based on field interviews and written sources on charming in Serbia, this paper examines the social, cultural and symbolic roles of traditional charmers. Charmers speak of their practice, receiving, passing on and protecting magical knowledge, their relation towards patients and official medicine, and their relation towards the tradition of charming. Charmers perceive their role as being very important and fear that charming will become lost in the modern world.

Концепт «болезнь» в русской языковой картине мира

The article analyzes the features of the verbalization of the concept «illness» in the Russian linguistic view of the world. Peculiarities of lexeme functioning with semantics of illness in medical and artistic discourses are considered. It is proved that the person's idea of the disease and its causes changed throughout history and differed significantly in folk and official medicine. It is revealed that idiomatic scope of the concept is characterized by high cultural informative value, and the national features of the concept are depicted in the ways of treatment and prevention of diseases. The majority of collocations with the word «illness» is associated with medical discourse. Some of them are used nowadays. The author comes to the conclusion that medical discourse focuses on the causes of a definite illness or its symptoms. As for artistic discourse, it describes the process of the disease and it acquires much significance. The works by writers who received a Degree in Medicine – A. Chekhov, M. Bulgakov, V. Veresaev – prove this fact. Lexemes with the semantics of the disease fulfill their individual author's intention and present the concept of «illness» in the Russian linguistic view of the world.

Human energy system: what official medicine knows?

Human energy system: what official medicine knows?

Pharmacognosy of Science for the Protection and Survival of Nature and Man

Pharmacognosy as a science of natural medicinal raw materials and drugs of natural origin is a science that protects nature and affects the survival and protection of man. From the earliest times, man was exploring everything that nature provides. With the development of science and technology, research into natural raw materials, as well as those with healing activity, was perfected. The obtained results could reliably be used in official pharmacopoeia, medicine and dentistry. With the development of computer technology, there has been more detailed information on the use of natural medicinal raw materials through Phytotherapy, which is increasingly being applied. All these studies indicate that pharmacognosic studies with the goal of using natural medicinal substances and medicines of natural origin must not be called alternative medicine, but it is the same as all other medicines that are only adapted to the nature of natural raw materials.

Сколько весит человечество?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), The worldwide prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. In 2016, 39% of people over 18 years were overweight, and 13% were obese. It's not that the problem is not conceived by the society. WHO specialists have prepared a strategy to prevent and manage obesity, official medicine recognizes overweight as one of the corrected risk factors for many diseases and overweight is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality next to smoking that can be eliminated. The population is also worried about maintaining a healthy and health, as evidenced by almost 3 million search terms per month that contain the words losing weight in Yandex. Why is humanity gaining the total body so quickly and cannot stop? Are there any real ways to slow down this process both at the individual and at the population level?