Single Herbal Extracts Research Articles

QUANTITATIVE PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF MAULI BANANA STEM AND BASIL LEAVES EXTRACT MIXTURE

Background: Mauli banana stem extract and basil leaves extract are ingredients that has been involved in in vitro and in vivo researches for their pharmacognosy and therapeutic applications. Preliminary phytochemical test of both individual extract revealed the presence of triterpenoid, tannin, phenolic, saponin, steroid, alkaloid, and flavonoid compound. A combination of mauli banana stem and basil leaves extract is believed to work synergistically and may have a more beneficial effect than in single herbal extract. Purpose: To analyze the results of quantitative phytochemical of mauli banana stem and basil leaves extract mixture. Method: Non-experimental research with quantitative laboratory examination to determine sample content. Results: The result showed that mauli banana stem and basil leaves extract mixture contain triterpenoid (30%), saponin (24,75%), flavonoid (15%), alkaloid (22%), phenolic (8%), steroid (4,62%), and tannin (0,03%). Conclusion: Mauli banana stem and basil leaves extract mixture correlated with an increase in majority of the bioactive compound compared to the single extract and would serve as a promising source for phytomedicine. The bioactive compound with the highest content was triterpenoid with 30%, while the lowest was tannin with 0,03%. Keywords: Basil leave extract, Mauli banana stem extract, Quantitative phytochemical test

Insight of Chinese Herbal Medicine in Treating Osteoporosis: Achievements from 2013 to 2023.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone metabolic disease, and it is becoming increasingly common as the global population ages. Osteoporosis and its complications, such as fractures and pain, negatively affect patient quality of life and easily lead to disability, placing enormous burdens on society. Although several anti-osteoporosis drugs are currently available, many adverse reactions have been observed during the long-term application of these drugs. Therefore, safer and more useful medications are urgently needed to replace those currently available. Chinese herbal medicine has been extensively used to treat osteoporosis, and the current literature confirms that such medicines have anti-osteoporosis effects, are safe, and have minimal side effects. Thus, Chinese herbal medicines are natural alternatives to pharmaceutical approaches to treating osteoporosis, and these medicines must be further developed and utilized. In this article, we review the mechanisms underlying the anti-osteoporosis effects of single herbal extracts and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas that have been elucidated since 2013, providing key evidence and support for future research on the anti-osteoporosis effects of Chinese herbal medicines. In addition, due to the complexity of the ingredients in Chinese herbal medicine, more thorough investigations are needed to determine the specific ingredients that are effective in osteoporosis treatment. Therefore, identifying the effective ingredients of Chinese herbal medicines will be a necessary focus in laboratory research and clinical application.

A Systematic Review of In Vivo Studies of the Efficacy of Herbal Medicines for Anti-Aging in the Last Five Years.

The world's population is rapidly aging, and attention to and research on the increase in life expectancy and age-related diseases are needed. This study aimed to review the in vivo studies on the anti-aging effects of herbal medicines. In vivo studies of single or complex herbal medicines for anti-aging that were published in the last five years were included in this review. The following databases were used: PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and EMBASE. A total of 41 studies were considered eligible for the review. The articles were classified into body organs and functions, experimental country, herbal medicine, extraction method, administration route, dosage, duration, animal model, aging-induced method, sex, number of animals per group, and outcomes and mechanisms A single herbal extract was used in a total of 21 studies including Alpinia oxyphylla Miq., Acanthopanax senticosus and Lyceum barbarum, and a multi-compound herbal prescription was used in a total of 20 studies, including Modified Qiongyu paste, Wuzi Yanzong recipe, etc. Each herbal medicine had anti-aging effects on learning and memory, cognition, emotion, internal organs, gastrointestinal tracts, sexual functions, musculoskeletal function and so on. The common mechanisms of action were antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, and various effects and mechanisms for each organ and function were identified. Herbal medicine exhibited beneficial effects on anti-aging in various parts of the body and its function. Further investigation of the appropriate herbal medicine prescriptions and their components is recommended.

Cisplatin-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Effect of Herbal Medicines.

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent that is widely used to treat various types of cancers. However, its side effects, most commonly nausea and vomiting, limit its widespread use. Although various drugs, such as ondansetron and aprepitant, are used to alleviate these side effects, their efficacy is still debated. This review aims to summarize the results of 14 studies on the effects of seven single herbal extracts, one multiple herbal extract, and one ginger sub-component (i.e., [6]-gingerol) on cisplatin-induced nausea and vomiting. The results of the included studies were subdivided into four categories: kaolin consumption, retching and vomiting, food intake, and weight loss. Most studies used rodents, whereas four studies used minks or pigeons. The doses of cisplatin used in the studies varied from 3 mg/kg to 7.5 mg/kg, and only a single injection was used. Nine studies analyzed the mechanisms of action of herbal medicines and assessed the involvement of neurotransmitters, cytokines, enzymes, and various hematological parameters. Although further research is needed, this review suggests herbal medicine as a viable treatment option for cisplatin-induced neuropathic pain.

English

Psoriasis is an incurable, chronic, recurrent immune-mediated in?ammatory dermatosis characterized by epidermal hyperplasia and excessive in?ltration of in?ammatory cells into the dermis and neovascularization. The study aimed to provide a systematic review on the in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies to support traditional uses of herbal medicine for psoriasis treatment.  The systematic review was performed by combining three databases, that is, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus, using the search terms “Psoriasis” AND “Herbal medicine” AND/OR “Traditional medicine.”  Full-text articles included after the screening were further evaluated by applying the predefined eligibility criteria. One hundred and twenty research articles were included in the analysis. The included articles involve 94 herbs used as a single herbal extract (n=58 plants) or isolated compounds (n=54 compounds) or as compositions in traditional medicine formulas (n=24 formulas). Most were related to plants or recipes used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) (63 articles and 207 plants). Research targeting inflammatory and proliferative processes in disease pathogenesis, development, and progression has been an extensive area. The antipsoriasis activity of most plants was mainly through the effects on inflammatory molecules and signaling pathways and immune cells (T-cells, dendritic cells, monocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages), as well as apoptotic molecules and signaling pathways. Plants targeting other signaling molecules should be further investigated. Key words: Psoriasis, herbal medicine, inflammation, signaling pathways, immunomodulation.

Lemon Balm and Corn Silk Extracts Mitigate High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity in Mice.

Lemon balm and corn silk are valuable medicinal herbs, which exhibit variety of beneficial effects for human health. The present study explored the anti-obesity effects of a mixture of lemon balm and corn silk extracts (M-LB/CS) by comparison with the effects of single herbal extracts in high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice. HFD supplementation for 84 days increased the body weight, the fat mass density, the mean diameter of adipocytes, and the thickness of fat pads. However, oral administration of M-LB/CS significantly alleviated the HFD-mediated weight gain and adipocyte hypertrophy without affecting food consumption. Of the various combination ratios of M-LB/CS tested, the magnitude of the decreases in weight gain and adipocyte hypertrophy by administration of 1:1, 1:2, 2:1, and 4:1 (w/w) M-LB/CS was more potent than that by single herbal extracts alone. In addition, M-LB/CS reduced the HFD-mediated increases in serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein, prevented the reduction in serum high-density lipoprotein, and facilitated fecal excretion of cholesterol and triglyceride. Moreover, M-LB/CS mitigated the abnormal changes in specific mRNAs associated with lipogenesis and lipolysis in the adipose tissue. Furthermore, M-LB/CS reduced lipid peroxidation by inhibiting the HFD-mediated reduction in glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. Therefore, M-LB/CS is a promising herbal mixture for preventing obesity.

Herbal Medicines Targeting the Improved β-Cell Functions and β-Cell Regeneration for the Management of Diabetes Mellitus.

There is an increasing trend of investigating natural bioactive compounds targeting pancreatic β-cells for the prevention/treatment of diabetes mellitus (DM). With the exploration of multiple mechanisms by which β-cells involve in the pathogenesis of DM, herbal medicines are gaining attention due to their multitasking ability as evidenced by traditional medicine practices. This review attempts to summarize herbal medicines with the potential for improvement of β-cell functions and regeneration as scientifically proven by in vivo/in vitro investigations. Furthermore, attempts have been made to identify the mechanisms of improving the function and regeneration of β-cells by herbal medicines. Relevant data published from January 2009 to March 2020 were collected by searching electronic databases “PubMed,” “ScienceDirect,” and “Google Scholar” and studied for this review. Single herbal extracts, polyherbal mixtures, and isolated compounds derived from approximately 110 medicinal plants belonging to 51 different plant families had been investigated in recent years and found to be targeting β-cells. Many herbal medicines showed improvement of β-cell function as observed through homeostatic model assessment-β-cell function (HOMA-β). Pancreatic β-cell regeneration as observed in histopathological and immunohistochemical studies in terms of increase of size and number of functional β-cells was also prominent. Increasing β-cell mass via expression of genes/proteins related to antiapoptotic actions and β-cell neogenesis/proliferation, increasing glucose-stimulated insulin secretion via activating glucose transporter-2 (GLUT-2) receptors, and/or increasing intracellular Ca2+ levels were observed upon treatment of some herbal medicines. Some herbal medicines acted on various insulin signaling pathways. Furthermore, many herbal medicines showed protective effects on β-cells via reduction of oxidative stress and inflammation. However, there are many unexplored avenues. Thus, further investigations are warranted in elucidating mechanisms of improving β-cell function and mass by herbal medicines, their structure-activity relationship (SAR), and toxicities of these herbal medicines.

Concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products in patients with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue

Objective The concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products (HMPs) for the management of various disease are increasing. Many HMPs have been used to treat the common health complaints involved the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Therefore, we analyzed the extent of concurrent use of prescription drugs and HMPs in patients with diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Methods This study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort (NHIS-NSC), which consists of representative anonymized data extracted from national health insurance records pertaining to about 1,000,000 subjects from 2002 to 2013. The insured HMPs were 56 kinds of single herbal extracts and 67 kinds of mixed herbal extracts in Republic of Korea. Continuous variables were summarised by the means (and SDs) and categorical variables were summarised by proportions (%). Univariate and multivariable Statistical significance was defined as P Results The diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue accounted for the top 10 ranking concurrent use of prescription drugs and HMPs. The most frequently co-prescribed drugs were Antipyretics (or Analgesics, or Anti-inflammatory) and Ojeok-san (Wuji-san in China, Goshaku-san in Japan). The concurrent use rate in the elderly over the age of 65 is higher than the sum of all under 64-years-old. Conclusions The concurrent use rate in diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue was high. Potential herb-drug interaction is a clinical concern, with older people at greater risk. Further studies on the benefit and risk of concurrent use are needed.

An herbal formula consisting of Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill, Lycium chinense Mill and Eucommia ulmoides Oliv alleviates disuse muscle atrophy in rats

Ethnopharmacological relevanceSchisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill (SC), Lycium chinense Mill (LC) and Eucommia ulmoides Oliv (EU) are representative tonic herbal medicines that help to strengthen body muscles and bones making them stronger according to the Donguibogam, a tradition medical book of the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. Aim of the studyTo evaluate effects of an herbal formula consisting of SC, LC and EU on muscle atrophy in C2C12 myotubes and in a rat model of immobilization-induced muscle atrophy. Materials and methodsMuscle atrophy was developed by cast immobilization of unilateral hindlimb on rats for 3 weeks. Treatments were administered orally 14 times over 3 weeks. After treatments, we compared the change of body weight, muscle weight, grip strength, muscle fiber size, muscle fiber type shift by Grip strength meter, H&E stain and ATPase stain. And western blot was used for evaluating molecular mechanism in muscle atrophy on C2C12 cells. ResultsWhen taken individually, SC was the most effective of the three in inhibiting tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)-induced degeneration of C2C12 myogenesis. The formulation with a mass ratio of 2:1:1 SC: LC: EU (SSLE) was more effective against TNF-α-induced muscle atrophy than was a 1:1:1 SC: LC: EU (SLE) formula or any of the single herbal extracts. In a rat model of disuse muscle atrophy, the SSLE formula significantly inhibited reductions in muscle weight, grip strength and muscle fiber size induced by hindlimb immobilization, in a dose-dependent manner. The formula also inhibited immobilization-induced shifting of the muscle fiber type in soleus muscle. Treatment with SSLE inhibited TNF-α-induced expression of the atrogenes atrogin-1 and muscle RING-finger protein 1 in C2C12 cells. The SSLE formula also increased myoblast differentiation markers (myoD and myogenin) and activation of the Akt and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. ConclusionThese findings suggest that the SSLE formula prevents muscle atrophy through inhibition of the ubiquitin-proteasome system as well as upregulation of myoblast differentiation and muscle protein synthesis in C2C12 cells. Taken together, we conclude that the SSLE formula is invaluable for the development of therapeutic medicines to prevent disuse muscle atrophy and its accompanying muscle weakness.

Determination the active compounds of herbal preparation by UHPLC-MS/MS and its application on the preclinical pharmacokinetics of pure ephedrine, single herbal extract of Ephedra, and a multiple herbal preparation in rats.

The herbal preparation Ma-Xing-Gan-Shi-Tang (MXGST) is a popular traditional Chinese formulation that has been used for the treatment of coughs and fevers. The potential active components of MXGST are ephedrine, amygdalin, and glycyrrhizic acid. The aim of this study was to develop a validated analytical method to measure these analytes in the herbal preparation MXGST using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was used to monitor m/z 166.1→148.1 for ephedrine ([M+H](+)), 475.2→163.0 for amygdalin ([M+NH4](+)), and 840.6→453.3 ([M+NH4](+)) for glycyrrhizic acid. The analytes were separated by a reverse phase C18 column (100×2.1mm, 2.6μm). The mobile phase consisted of 5mM ammonium acetate (0.1% formic acid) and 100% methanol (0.1% formic acid) with a linear gradient elution. Five brands of commercial pharmaceutical herbal products and a laboratory extract of MXGST were analyzed. Moreover, the modified UHPLC-MS/MS method was applied to the comparative pharmacokinetics of ephedrine in rats from the following three sources: (1) pure ephedrine, (2) an herbal extract of Ephedra, and (3) an herbal preparation of MXGST. Plasma samples from rats were prepared by protein precipitation, evaporation and reconstitution. The pharmacokinetic data showed that pure ephedrine was absorbed significantly faster than ephedrine of the Ephedra extract or the MXGST herbal preparation. However, the elimination half-life of ephedrine administered as the pure compound was 93.9±8.07min, but for ephedrine from the Ephedra extract and the MXGST, the half-lives were 133±17 and 247±57.6min, respectively. The area under the concentration curves (AUC) did not show significant differences among the three groups. These data suggest that the rest of the herbal ingredients in the Ephedra extract and the MXGST may provide a compensation effect that reduces the peak concentration of ephedrine and prolongs the elimination half-life.

Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Schisandra and Paeonia extracts in the treatment of asthma.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of Paeonia and Schisandra extracts in asthmatic rats. An ethanol extraction method was used to prepare the Schisandra and Paeonia extracts, and the levels of hydroxyl radical, total antioxidant activity and total phenolic content were detected. The rats were divided into three groups: Treatment (group A), model (group B) and control (group C). The treatment group received traditional Chinese antiasthmatic medicine (mixed extract, 2 ml/day) for 10 days. Levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), Cu-Zn-superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) were detected in the serum, while interleukin (IL)-4, IL-6, interferon (IFN)-γ, IL-13 and IL-22 levels were analyzed in the serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue homogenates of the three groups. In addition, pathological changes of the tracheal tissues were observed via biopsies and the NF-κB p65 level was measured in the lung tissue using immunohistochemistry. Total antioxidant activity, hydroxyl radical levels and total phenolic content in the mixed herbal extracts were higher than those in the single herbal extracts. At day 5 following the treatment, the number of eosinophils was significantly reduced in the tracheal tissues. At day 10 following the treatment, the mucosa was significantly repaired. In vivo antioxidant levels revealed that the serum and erythrocyte SOD activity and GSH-Px were higher in group A as compared with group B, while the level of MDA in group A was lower than that in group B (P<0.05). The levels of serum and erythrocyte SOD activity and GSH-Px in group B were lower than those in group C, while the level of MDA in group B was higher than that in group C (P<0.05). IL-4, IL-6 and IL-13 levels in the serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and lung tissue in group A were not significantly different from those in group B (P>0.05). However, IFN-γ levels in group A significantly increased as compared with the level in group B, while IL-22 levels decreased significantly in group A as compared with group B (P<0.05). IL-4, IL-6, IL-13 and IL-22 levels in the lung tissue, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum in group B were significantly higher than those in group C. In addition, the IFN-γ level decreased significantly in group B as compared with the level in group C (P<0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the protein expression of NF-κB p65 in group A was significantly lower compared with group B (P<0.05). Therefore, Paeonia and Schisandra extracts may be used to treat asthma through their in vivo antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

Determination of Bioactive Components in Chinese Herbal Formulae and Pharmacokinetics of Rhein in Rats by UPLC-MS/MS

Rhein (4,5-dihydroxy-9,10-dioxoanthracene-2-carboxylic acid, cassic acid) is a pharmacological active component found in Rheum palmatum L. the major herb of San-Huang-Xie-Xin-Tang (SHXXT), a medicinal herbal product used as a remedy for constipation. Here we have determined multiple bioactive components in SHXXT and investigated the comparative pharmacokinetics of rhein in rats. A sensitive and specific method combining liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry has been developed and validated to simultaneously quantify six active compounds in the pharmaceutical herbal product SHXXT to further study their pharmacokinetics in rats. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) was employed for quantification with switching electrospray ion source polarity between positive and negative modes in a single run. There were no significant matrix effects in the quantitative analysis and the mean recovery for rhein in rat plasma was 91.6% ± 3.4%. The pharmacokinetic data of rhein demonstrate that the herbal formulae or the single herbal extract provide significantly higher absorption rate than the pure compound. This phenomenon suggests that the other herbal ingredients of SHXXT and rhubarb extract significantly enhance the absorption of rhein in rats. In conclusion, the herbal formulae (SHXXT) are more efficient than the single herb (rhubarb) or the pure compound (rhein) in rhein absorption.

Screening to Identify Commonly Used Chinese Herbs That Affect ERBB2 and ESR1 Gene Expression Using the Human Breast Cancer MCF-7 Cell Line.

Aim. Our aim the was to screen the commonly used Chinese herbs in order to detect changes in ERBB2 and ESR1 gene expression using MCF-7 cells. Methods. Using the MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line, cell cytotoxicity and proliferation were evaluated by MTT and trypan blue exclusion assays, respectively. A luciferase reporter assay was established by transient transfecting MCF-7 cells with plasmids containing either the ERBB2 or the ESR1 promoter region linked to the luciferase gene. Chinese herbal extracts were used to treat the cells at 24 h after transfection, followed by measurement of their luciferase activity. The screening results were verified by Western blotting to measure HER2 and ERα protein expression. Results. At concentrations that induced little cytotoxicity, thirteen single herbal extracts and five compound recipes were found to increase either ERBB2 or ESR1 luciferase activity. By Western blotting, Si-Wu-Tang, Kuan-Shin-Yin, and Suan-Tsao-Ren-Tang were found to increase either HER2 or ERα protein expression. In addition, Ligusticum chuanxiong was shown to have a great effect on ERBB2 gene expression and synergistically with estrogen to stimulate MCF-7 cell growth. Conclusion. Our results provide important information that should affect clinical treatment strategies among breast cancer patients who are receiving hormonal or targeted therapies.

Comparative oral bioavailability of geniposide following oral administration of geniposide, Gardenia jasminoides Ellis fruits extracts and Gardenia herbal formulation in rats

The aim of this study was to compare the oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data between pure compound of the major active component, single herbal extract and complex herbal formulation by determining bioavailability of geniposide in each group following intravenous and oral administrations. A conscious and freely moving rat model was used in this experiment to avoid the stress caused by restraint or anaesthesia. The pure compound of geniposide, Gardenia fruits (Chinese name: Zhi-Zi), and extracts of a Gardenia herbal formulation (Chinese name: Zhi-Zi-Chi-Tang) were administered at doses of 200 mg/kg, 4.69 g/kg and 10.82 g/kg for oral administration and fed by gavages to rats, respectively. The earlier doses are equivalent to geniposide administration dose of 200 mg/kg. The results show that after oral administration of geniposide, Gardenia fruits and Gardenia herbal formulation, the bioavailability were 4.23%, 32.32% and 27.17%, respectively. The results of oral bioavailability of geniposide also suggest that Gardenia fruits extract, single herb, is a more efficient way for geniposide, pure compound, absorption than traditional herbal formulation administration and direct pure compound administration. The conclusion reveals that herbal ingredient-ingredient or herb-herb interaction may affect the oral absorption of geniposide-related herbal formulation.

Comparative study on pharmacokinetics of senkyunolide I after administration of simple recipe and compound recipe in rats

To develop a LC-MS method for the determination of senkyunolide I (SI) in rat plasma, in order to observe whether there is significant change in the pharmacokinetics parameters of complex prescriptions of Huoluoxiaolingdan (HLXL) and single herbal extracts from Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. in rats, and assess the effect of other components in HLXL on the pharmacokinetics of SI. Twelve male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into two groups, and orally administered with extract from HLXL and L. chuanxiong (both equal to SI 4.53 mg x kg(-1)). Their blood was collected at different time points for LC-MS, in order to detect the plasma concentration of SI. The pharmacokinetic parameters of SI were calculated by DAS 2.0 software. SPSS 16.0 software was used for independent-sample T-test and Nonparametric T-test. A linear relationship of SI ranged from 6.750 to 675.0 microg x L(-1), and with the lowest limit of detection being 6.750 microg L(-1). Both of the plasma concentration-time curves of SI were fitted with the two-compartment model for extract of HLXL and L. chuanxiong. The detected AUC and Cmax of SI showed significant difference, with no significant difference in other parameters. The LC-MS determination method established in this experiment was so exclusive, accurate and sensitive that it is suitable for pharmacokinetic studies on extracts of HLXL and SI from L. chuanxion. The experiment results show that other ingredients of HLXL have noticeable effect on the absorption of SI in rat plasma.

Cytotoxicity of herbal extracts used for treatment of prostatic disease on head and neck carcinoma cell lines and non-malignant primary mucosal cells

Previously, a growth inhibiting effect of PC-Spes on head and neck carcinoma cell lines had been demonstrated. In order to determine the toxic impact of particular herbs in the mixture, we exposed the head and neck cancer cell lines FADU, HLaC79 and its Paclitaxel-resistant subline HLaC79-Clone1 as well as primary mucosal keratinocytes to increasing concentrations of the herbal mixture Prostaprotect, which has a similar formulation as PC-Spes, as well as its single herbal components Dendranthema morifolium, Ganoderma lucidium, Glycyrrhiza glabra, Isatis indigotica, Panax pseudo-ginseng, Rabdosia rubescens, Scutellaria baicalensis and Pygeum africanum. Growth inhibition was measured using the MTT assay. Expression of P-glycoprotein (P-GP), multidrug resistance protein-1 (MRP-1), multidrug resistance protein-2 (MRP-2), breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) and androgen receptor (AR) were examined by western blot analysis. Pygeum africanum extract clearly turned out as the main cytotoxic component of the Prostaprotect prescription mixture, and initated apoptosis in sensitive cell lines. All other extracts had only minor toxic effects. Western blot analysis revealed increased expression of P-GP in HLaC79-Clone1 cells, while HLaC79 and FADU cells were negative. All three cell lines were negative for MRP-1 and BCRP but positive for MRP-2. HLaC79 and its descendant HLaC79-Clone1 both expressed AR, as verified by western blotting and immunofluorescence staining. Primary mucosal keratinocytes were negative for all multidrug resistance markers as well as for AR. Growth inhibition rates of the single herbal extracts were compared with previously published results in prostate carcinoma cell lines. The relationship between expression levels of AR and multidrug resistance markers in relation to the measured toxicity of herbal extracts in our head and neck cancer cell system is critically discussed.

Anti-inflammatory activity of Imupret®– the combination product versus its single herbal extracts

Imupret® is an alcoholic-aqueous extract of seven different herbal drugs: Radix Althaeae, Flores Chamomillae, Herba Equiseti, Folia Juglandis, Herba Millefolii, Cortex Quercus, and Herba Taraxaci. It is used for the treatment of recurrent infections of the respiratory tract, especially tonsillitis. The aim of the study was the assessment of the influence of the herbal extract combination Imupret® compared to selected single herbal extracts on its anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Therefore pharmacological effects of Imupret® and its herbal components on arachidonic acid metabolism were investigated. The anti-inflammatory activity was measured by the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis by cyclooxygenases (COX-1 and -2) [1] and the inhibition of leukotriene biosynthesis in human neutrophile granulocytes [2]. The inhibitory activity was calculated by the produced amount of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4), respectively. This study compares different anti-inflammatory pharmacological effects in order to reveal whether there is an increase or decrease of enzyme inhibition caused by additional synergistic effects as a result of a multiple extract preparation.

Mechanism of action of herbal supplement PC-SPES: Elucidation of effects of individual herbs of PC-SPES on proliferation and prostate specific gene expression in androgen-dependent LNCaP cells

PC-SPES is a herbal mixture used by prostate cancer patients as an alternative form of treatment. Since PC-SPES is derived from eight individual herbs, each with distinct as well as overlapping properties, it is of interest to investigate whether a particular herb in the formulation principally accounts for the biological properties of PC-SPES. We tested the ability of extracts from individual herbs, using amounts estimated to be equivalent to that present in the herbal mixture, to suppress LNCaP cell growth and/or lower PSA expression, in comparison with cells treated with PC-SPES. Cells were incubated with 0, 1, and 5 microl/ml of single herbal extract for 72 h and proliferation/viability was measured by trypan blue exclusion. LNCaP cells treated with 5 microl/ml ethanol extracts of PC-SPES showed a 72-80% reduction in cell growth, and had a similar decrease in cell viability. These results contrasted with cells incubated with 5 microl/ml of individual herbal extract, which suppressed growth in the following order: Dendranthema morifolium Tzvel (85.2% reduction) > Panax pseudo-ginseng (80.9%) > Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch (73%) > Rabdosia rubescens Hara (70.8%) > Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (66.5%) > Ganoderma lucidum Karst (63.5%) > Isatis indigotica Fort (50.0%) > Serenoa repens (14.5%). Analysis of efficacy of individual herbs to control intracellular/secreted PSA levels and the expression of AR and PSA revealed that only Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi and Serenoa repens lowered intracellular and secreted PSA, while the remaining herbs actually increased PSA expression. Also, no uniform response in AR/PSA was observed in individual herb treated cells, contrary to PC-SPES, which elicited a coordinated change in AR/PSA. Lack of concordance between changes in prostate cell growth and prostate specific gene expression makes it unlikely that the activity of a single herb can account for the overall effects of PC-SPES.