Use Of Herbal Products Research Articles

Determining the Frequency Use of Herbal Products and Factors Affecting the Use Herbal Products among University Students and Their Families

Determining the Frequency Use of Herbal Products and Factors Affecting the Use Herbal Products among University Students and Their Families

Evaluation of Topical Application of Vajradanti Gel in Prevention of Gingivitis

Vajradanti means strong teeth in Hindi. The medicinal properties of Vajradanti plant are well reported in Ayurveda. Its botanical name is Barleria prionitis L. and it belongs to family Acanthaecae. The use of herbal products in the field of medicine has gained popularity in recent years. In India, herbal plants are used as a regular source of medicine. Plants, such as Turmeric, Ashoka and Triphala, are some common household names being widely used nowadays. One such name is Barleria prionitis L. or Vajradanti, having anti-arthritic, anti-inflammatory and anti-fertility properties. The leaves of this flower are also believed to provide relief in tooth ache. So these properties lead us to the use of this shrub in the remedy of dental diseases. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in the Department of Periodontology, in collaboration with the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, India and N.B.R.I. Lucknow. A total of 80 subjects, from age group 20 - 50 years, were selected. The study unit consisted of patients of chronic gingivitis. Simple random sampling, utilizing computer generated random numbers, was employed to assign the participants to two groups, “I” and “II”, each having 40 participants. In patients of Group-I scaling and root planing was performed, whereas in patients of Group-II, scaling and root planing was performed and subjects were advised to apply Vajradanti gel twice daily after brushing. Statistical Analysis: Data were summarized as mean ± SD. Pre and post outcome results of two groups were compared by the paired t-test. Conclusions: Based on the observations and results of our study, it can be concluded that scaling and root planing remains the gold standard for the treatment of gingival and periodontal diseases while the Vajradanti gel (Barleria prionitis L.) can be effectively used as an adjunct to mechanical plaque control in prevention of chronic gingivitis. The beneficial effect of Vajradanti can be attributed to its anti inflammatory properties.

Herbal supplement usage in cardiac patients

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become more and more widespread around the world. CAM is a broad term that refers to all medical healthcare services, methods, and practices that are not part of standard medical care, as well as the accompanying theories and beliefs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the use of herbal medicinal products in cardiac patients, as well as the methods of administration of the products. This descriptive cross-sectional study included 199 patients aged over 18 years who were hospitalized in the Defne Hospital department of cardiology and volunteered to participate in a 20-item survey between April 2016 and June 2016. The study results indicated that 28.6% (n=57) of patients were using herbal products and 71.6% (n=142) said they did not. Only 14.03% (n=8) of those who used herbal products said they used them in consultation with their physician; 85.9% (n=49) had used herbal medicine without consulting their doctor. Of the participants with hypertension, 35.7% of them reported using herbal medicinal products. Of these, 22.5% of them were consuming lemon, 17.5% pomegranate syrup, and 17.5% green tea. Of the participants with cardiovascular diseases, 23.5% of them stated that they were taking herbal products. Of these, 25% were consuming green tea, 25% ginger, and 18.8% sage. Herbal medicinal supplements were used by a large portion of the cardiac patients in this study. Furthermore, most of the patients stated that they were using these products without informing their physician, a practice that can have unwanted consequences.

Review: DNA Barcoding and Chromatography Fingerprints for the Authentication of Botanicals in Herbal Medicinal Products.

In the last two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the global use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs) due to their claimed health benefits. This has led to increase in their demand and consequently, also, resulted in massive adulteration. This is due to the fact that most of the traditional methods cannot identify closely related species in a process product form. Therefore the urgent need for simple and rapid identification methods resulted in the discovery of a novel technique. DNA barcoding is a process that uses short DNA sequence from the standard genome for species identification. This technique is reliable and is not affected by external factors such as climates, age, or plant part. The difficulties in isolation of DNA of high quality in addition to other factors are among the challenges encountered using the DNA barcoding in the authentication of HMP. These limitations indicated that using DNA barcoding alone may ineffectively authenticate the HMP. Therefore, the combination of DNA barcoding with chromatographic fingerprint, a popular and generally accepted technique for the assessment and quality control of HMP, will offer an efficient solution to effectively evaluate the authenticity and quality consistency of HMP. Detailed and quality information about the main composition of the HMPs will help to ascertain their efficacy and safety as these are very important for quality control.

Comparison of Antimicrobial Efficacy of Green Tea, Garlic with Lime, and Sodium Fluoride Mouth Rinses against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli species, and Candida albicans in Children: A Randomized Double-blind Controlled Clinical Trial.

Introduction With greater awareness worldwide, the use of herbs and herbal products has increased to a large extent.Objective To evaluate and compare the antimicrobial efficacy of green tea, garlic with lime, and 0.05% sodium fluoride (NaF) mouth rinses against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli species, and Candida albicans.Materials and methods A total of 45 children aged 4 to 6 years with severe early childhood caries (S-ECC; based on decayed extracted filled [defs] score) were selected. Children were divided randomly into three equal groups and were asked to rinse with the prescribed mouth rinse once daily for 2 weeks after breakfast under supervision. A base-line and postrinsing nonstimulated whole salivary sample (2 mL) was collected and tested for the number of colony-forming units (CFUs). The data were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16.0 software with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey’s post hoc test.Results A statistically significant fall in colony count was found with the three mouth rinses in S. mutans (p < 0.001, p < 0.001) and Lactobacilli spp. (p < 0.001, p < 0.001), but not against C. albicans (p = 0.264, p = 0.264). On comparison, no statistically significant difference was found against S. mutans (p = 1, p = 0.554, p = 0.572), lactobacilli spp. (p = 0.884, p = 0.999, p = 0.819), and C. albicans (p = 0.999, p = 0.958, p = 0.983).Conclusion The findings of this study indicate that green tea and garlic with lime mouth rinse can be an economical alternative to NaF mouth rinse both for prevention and therapeutics.How to cite this article Thomas A, Thakur S, Habib R. Comparison of Antimicrobial Efficacy of Green Tea, Garlic with Lime, and Sodium Fluoride Mouth Rinses against Streptococcus mutans, Lactobacilli species, and Candida albicans in Children: A Randomized Double-blind Controlled Clinical Trial. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2017;10(3):234-239.

Effect of Catechins, Green tea Extract and Methylxanthines in Combination with Gentamicin Against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa: - Combination therapy against resistant bacteria.

Objectives:Bacterial resistant infections have become a global health challenge and threaten the society’s health. Thus, an urgent need exists to find ways to combat resistant pathogens. One promising approach to overcoming bacterial resistance is the use of herbal products. Green tea catechins, the major green tea polyphenols, show antimicrobial activity against resistant pathogens. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of catechins, green tea extract, and methylxanthines in combination with gentamicin against standard and clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and the standard strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa).Methods:The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) values of different agents against bacterial strains were determined. The interactions of green tea extract, epigallate catechin, epigallocatechin gallate, two types of methylxanthine, caffeine, and theophylline with gentamicin were studied in vitro by using a checkerboard method and calculating the fraction inhibitory concentration index (FICI).Results:The MICs of gentamicin against bacterial strains were in the range of 0.312 - 320 μg/mL. The MIC values of both types of catechins were 62.5 - 250 μg/ mL. Green tea extract showed insufficient antibacterial activity when used alone. Methylxanthines had no intrinsic inhibitory activity against any of the bacterial strains tested. When green tea extract and catechins were combined with gentamicin, the MIC values of gentamicin against the standard strains and a clinical isolate were reduced, and synergistic activities were observed (FICI < 1). A combination of caffeine with gentamicin did not alter the MIC values of gentamicin.Conclusion:The results of the present study revealed that green tea extract and catechins potentiated the antimicrobial action of gentamicin against some clinical isolates of S. aureus and standard P. aeruginosa strains. Therefore, combinations of gentamicin with these natural compounds might be a promising approach to combat microbial resistance.

Blood cadmium concentrations and environmental exposure sources in newcomer South and East Asian women in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada

BackgroundImmigrant women are often identified as being particularly vulnerable to environmental exposures and health effects. The availability of biomonitoring data on newcomers is limited, thus, presenting a challenge to public health practitioners in the identification of priorities for intervention. ObjectivesIn fulfillment of data needs, the purpose of this study was to characterize blood concentrations of cadmium (Cd) among newcomer women of reproductive age (19–45 years of age) living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Canada and to assess potential sources of environmental exposures. MethodsA community-based model, engaging peer researchers from the communities of interest, was used for recruitment and follow-up purposes. Blood samples were taken from a total of 211 newcomer women from South and East Asia, representing primary, regional origins of immigrants to the GTA, and environmental exposure sources were assessed via telephone survey. Metal concentrations were measured in blood samples (diluted with 0.5% (v/v) ammonium hydroxide and 0.1% (v/v) octylphenol ethoxylate) using a quadrupole ICP-MS. Survey questions addressed a wide range of environmental exposure sources, including dietary and smoking patterns and use of nutritional supplements, herbal products and cosmetics. ResultsA geometric mean (GM) blood Cd concentration of 0.39µg/L (SD:±2.07µg/L) was determined for study participants (min/max: <0.045µg/L (LOD)/2.36µg/L). Several variables including low educational attainment (Relative Ratio (RR) (adjusted)=1.50; 95% CI 1.17–1.91), milk consumption (RR (adjusted)=0.86; 95% CI 0.76–0.97), and use of zinc supplements (RR (adjusted)=0.76; 95% CI 0.64–0.95) were observed to be significantly associated with blood Cd concentrations in the adjusted regression model. The variable domains socioeconomic status (R2adj=0.11) and country of origin (R2adj=0.236) were the strongest predictors of blood Cd. ConclusionBlood Cd concentrations fell below those generally considered to be of human health concern. However, negative health effects cannot be entirely excluded, especially for those that fall in the upper percentile range of the distribution, given the mounting evidence for negative health outcomes at low environmental exposure concentrations.

Herbal Products Use Among Chronic Patients and its Impact on Treatments Safety and Efficacy: A Clinical Survey in the Jordanian Field

Herbal Products Use Among Chronic Patients and its Impact on Treatments Safety and Efficacy: A Clinical Survey in the Jordanian Field

Erectile dysfunction treatment and traditional medicine-can East and West medicine coexist?

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common sexual problem affecting many men irrespective of cultures, beliefs and nationalities. While medical therapy for ED has been revolutionized by the advent of oral phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and intracavernosal injection of vasoactive agents, recent technological advances such stem cell therapy, low intensity shock wave and newer generation of penile prosthesis implant offer hope to men who do not respond to conventional medical therapy. In contrast, traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) focuses on the restoration and better overall bodily regulation with the use of various herbal and animal products as well as exercises to invigorate qi (energy) in vital organs. Western medicine involves an analysis of ED symptom and underlying causes that contribute to ED, while TCM emphases the concept of holism and harmonization of body organs to achieve natural sexual life. The following article reviews our current understanding regarding the philosophical approach, and evaluates the evidence surrounding various ED therapies between mainstream Western Medicine and TCM.

Study on use of Indigenous herbal product by diabetic patient visiting diabetic centre in Nepal

Background and Objectives: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease worldwide. With increasing trends towards sedentary lifestyle, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing in urban region of Nepal too. Material and Methods: A quantitative descriptive study was conducted for a period of two months. One-to-one structured interviews were taken to fill the structured questionnaire prepared after proper literature review from the patients attending a diabetic clinic in Lalitpur. The questionnaire includes the socio-demographic details, lifestyle and questionnaires related to patients’ perception and use of herbal remedies/product. Relevant information was also obtained from the patient medical files. Statistical analysis was performed by using SPSS version 20. Results: Out of total population about 30 % of people were using the indigenous product for their treatment along with allopathic medication. Among them, 17 were male and 14 were female. Various indigenous herbal products were used by the patients. Among them fenugreek, aloe Vera, bitter guard, bottle guard, black berry are the common one. The frequencies of using these products are in fig 4.4. The total percentage of patient using fen ugreek is 42%, Aleo-Vera 35%, Bittergaurd 29% and very few participants were using Bottle guard, Neem, and Hibiscus and Guava leaf too.Conclusion: Participants have good faith on use of indigenous herbal products and are using it. Fenugreeks, Aloe-Vera, Bittergourd, Neem, Bottle gourd, Hibiscus and Guava leaf are commonly used. But no consistent data regarding fixed dose or method of preparation of such product was found. So, further researches are needed to confirm the effectiveness of those indigenous products.Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Sciences (2015) Vol. 3 (2):13-20

Hypothesis on Serenoa repens (Bartram) small extract inhibition of prostatic 5α-reductase through an in silico approach on 5β-reductase x-ray structure.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a common disease in men aged over 50 years old, with an incidence increasing to more than 80% over the age of 70, that is increasingly going to attract pharmaceutical interest. Within conventional therapies, such as α-adrenoreceptor antagonists and 5α-reductase inhibitor, there is a large requirement for treatments with less adverse events on, e.g., blood pressure and sexual function: phytotherapy may be the right way to fill this need. Serenoa repens standardized extract has been widely studied and its ability to reduce lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia is comprehensively described in literature. An innovative investigation on the mechanism of inhibition of 5α-reductase by Serenoa repens extract active principles is proposed in this work through computational methods, performing molecular docking simulations on the crystal structure of human liver 5β-reductase. The results confirm that both sterols and fatty acids can play a role in the inhibition of the enzyme, thus, suggesting a competitive mechanism of inhibition. This work proposes a further confirmation for the rational use of herbal products in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia, and suggests computational methods as an innovative, low cost, and non-invasive process for the study of phytocomplex activity toward proteic targets.

Aloe vera-induced acute liver injury: A case report and literature review

Recent data suggest that herbal and dietary supplements are the second most common cause of liver injury. We herein report a case of acute liver injury in a 68-year old female caused by ingestion of Aloe vera. Upon discontinuation of the oral Aloe vera, liver function tests (LFT) returned to normal levels. Thus, it is crucial to consider the use of herbal products as causative agents of acute liver injury.

Use of herbal product among pregnant women in Turkey

ObjectiveThis study was conducted to determine the herbal product use of pregnants as there is not adequate information relating to the rate of herbal product use during pregnancy in Turkey and what is thought about effects and side effects thereof. MethodsIt is a descriptive study consisted of 366 pregnants admitted to hospital for childbirth in gynaecology and obstetrics clinics of a public hospital or a university hospital. Data were collected with individual information form and question form of herbal product use in pregnancy. We conducted number, percentage, chi-square analyses. ResultsIt was determined that 47.3% of the women had used at least one herbal product during pregnancy; the relationship between education level, working status, family structure, and status of herbal product use is statistically significant (p<0.05). Linden, peppermint-lemon, ginger are the first three herbs used due to common cold-influenza frequently in pregnancy during 1st and 2nd trimesters. More than half of the pregnants stated that they had started herbal product use without any suggestions from anyone, and profoundly low healthcare professional suggestion was detected. ConclusionOur study has showed that almost half of women use at least one herbal product during pregnancy. So few healthcare professionals give information to pregnants thereabout. Thus, providing information in general health education to pregnant women about benefits and damages of herbal product use, planning researchers on effectiveness of herbal products, assessment of healthcare professionals relating to the matter and provision of available guidelines and in-service education relating to herbal products that can be used during pregnancy may be suggested.

Use and awareness of herbal medicines among literate population

Herbal medicines are used to cure diseases since a great many year back in light of its simple accessibility, social worthiness and less side effect. As of late a fast request of herbal products is seen in the worldwide situation on account of unfavorable impact of advanced medicines. A survey based study was composed thusly to perceive the awareness about herbal medicines among literate populace. Most extreme people groups (69.67%) satisfy with the use of herbal products. Maximum individuals fall in awareness index 4 and 3 (39.13 and 28.26%) it signifies awareness of people with herbal products. The general population use herbal medication for the most part for cosmetics took after by teeth consideration and assimilation. Awareness index was found more in rural population and peoples with higher education level. Now it is concluded peoples have acceptable information about herbal medicines, philosophy of usage and manufacturer.

English

The extensive use of herbal medicinal products in the treatment and management of disease states within communities in Ile-Ife, south western Nigeria has made it imperative to investigate the microbial quality of a sample of these products in the light of the standards prescribed by regulatory bodies. This study was therefore carried out to assess the microbial quality of locally prepared and unregistered herbal oral liquid medicines available in Ile-Ife. A total of 50 herbal medicine samples were procured from various randomly selected markets in Ile-Ife. The microbial load of each sample was determined and the contaminants associated with each sample were identified. Samples that did not yield either bacterial or fungal growth were tested for their ability to elicit antimicrobial activity using the agar cup diffusion method. Results obtained in the course of the study showed that 90% of the samples carried microbial loads beyond officially permissible limits with Escherichia coli and Salmonella species being found in 2 and 6% of the samples, respectively. Since it was suspected that antibiotics were sometimes added to herbal products&nbsp;by some herb sellers to prolong the shelf life of their products, the screening exercise showed that the sample that did not yield bacterial growth exercised marked antimicrobial activity against both Gram positive and Gram negative organisms. The results of this study suggest that the herbal oral liquid products available to consumers in Ile-Ife are of unacceptable quality. &nbsp; Key words: Microbial quality; herbal preparations; Escherichia coli; Salmonella species; antibiotics.

EP08.05: A caution for use of herbal products and flavonoids during pregnancy: uncommon causes of premature ductal restriction

EP08.05: A caution for use of herbal products and flavonoids during pregnancy: uncommon causes of premature ductal restriction

A quantitative ethnobotanical survey of phytocosmetics used in the tropical island of Mauritius

Ethnopharmacological relevanceWith a net turnover worth of £181 billion, the cosmetic industry is a leading worldwide business with a very lucrative future. Nonetheless, due to recent concerns regarding toxicity of synthetic cosmetics, herbal products have come into the limelight of cosmetology. The tropical island of Mauritius has a well-anchored diversity of indigenous plant species which are exploited for various purposes but no study has been designed to (i) quantitatively document, (ii) assess the effectiveness, and (iii) study the incidence of adverse effects and perception associated with the use of herbal products for cosmetic applications. MethodData was collected from herbal users via face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaire. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices (fidelity level (FL), variety of use (VU) and relative frequency of citation (RFC)) were calculated. ResultsTwenty five herbs belonging to 21 families were recorded in use for 29 different cosmetics applications. Many of the documented species represented well-known plants, although we also recorded a few plants being exploited for new cosmetic applications. Plants with the highest RFC were Curcuma longa L. (0.45), Lawsonia inermis L. (0.42) and Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. (0.42). A total of 8 plants were reported to score 100% with respect to the FL. Interestingly, Lawsonia inermis L. being the highly cited plant species showed a clear dominance as a popular phytocosmetic and which has also been extensively documented for its pharmacological properties. Moreover, it was found that 25% of the respondents experienced adverse effects; with pruritus (11%) being the most reported condition. It was also observed that participants perceived herbs/herbal products to be free from adverse effects. ConclusionMost of the plants reported have been described in previous studies for their bioactive components which tend to justify their use as phytocosmetics. Further research should be geared to explore the potential of these plant products for the cosmetic industry.

Adverse effects of herbal or dietary supplements in G6PD deficiency: a systematic review.

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common genetic disorder, affecting nearly 400 million individuals worldwide. Whilst it is known that a number of drugs, foods and chemicals can trigger haemolysis in G6PD deficient individuals, the association between herbal and dietary supplements and haemolysis is less clear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between herbal or dietary supplements and adverse events in G6PD deficient individuals. We searched 14 electronic databases from their inception until November 2015 for articles describing the use of herbal or dietary supplements in G6PD deficient individuals. Additional publications were identified from manually searching textbooks, conference abstracts and the grey literature. All study designs were included as long as they contained clinical information. These gathered findings were summarized narratively. Thirty-two publications met inclusion criteria. These reported on 10 herbal and dietary supplements. Overall evidence linking haemolysis to a herbal/dietary supplement was only found for henna. No evidence of harm was observed for vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, Gingko biloba and α-lipoic acid. The review showed that there was insufficient evidence to contravene the use of most herbal or dietary products at therapeutic doses in G6PD deficient subjects.

Gebelikte Bitkisel Ürünlerin Kullanımı

The use of herbal products is becoming a more popular way of treating disease due to the assumption of being natural, safe, and thereby harmless relative to other prescribed medicines. However, most of these herbal substances have not been thoroughly evaluated so far. The overwhelming increase in interest to traditional and complementary medicine amongst pregnant women rises the safety concerns related to this treatment options in pregnancy. In this review, we put the most commonly used herbs in pregnancy in the spotlight and give particular attention to their potential adverse reactions and teratogenic effects.

Concurrent use of prescription drugs and herbal medicinal products in older adults: a systematic review protocol.

BackgroundThere has been a global increase in the use of herbal medicinal products (HMPs). About a quarter of UK adults use HMPs, bought over the counter by self-prescription and often not disclosed to healthcare professionals. Potential herb-drug interaction is a clinical concern, with older people at greater risk because of co-morbidities and slower clearance of pharmacologically active compounds. While there is a good understanding of general herbal medicine use by older people, less is known about the extent and implications of concurrent use with prescription medicines. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the prevalence, patterns, safety issues and other factors associated with concurrent prescription and herbal medicines use among older adults.Methods/designSystematic electronic searches of MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Allied and Complementary Medicine Database (AMED), Web of Science and Cochrane from inception till present for studies reporting the concurrent use of prescription medicines with HMPs in older adults (≥65 years). Lateral searching via related citation (PubMed) and checking reference lists of identified studies will be performed. Two reviewers will independently screen studies, extract data and appraise methodological quality using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for prevalence data and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. Qualitative and quantitative studies from all settings will be included. Non-empirical papers, in vitro experiments and animal studies will be excluded. Primary outcomes are prevalence and patterns of concurrent use, number and types of prescription and HMPs and adverse reactions reported. Secondary outcomes are disclosure of HMP use to healthcare professionals and cost of HMPs. A narrative synthesis of included studies will be performed to summarise the evidence.DiscussionThis review will synthesise and critically appraise current knowledge on the concurrent use of drugs and HMPs by older adults and thus provide a better understanding of the issue. It will also identify any gaps in knowledge. By establishing safety issues associated with concurrent use, it will also inform strategies that can help practitioners to identify and manage older people at potential risk of herb-drug interactions.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42014009091Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13643-016-0244-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.