scholarly journals The effectiveness of Bacopa monnieri (Linn.) Wettst. as a nootropic, neuroprotective, or antidepressant supplement: analysis of the available clinical data

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
James M. Brimson ◽  
Sirikalaya Brimson ◽  
Mani Iyer Prasanth ◽  
Premrutai Thitilertdecha ◽  
Dicson Sheeja Malar ◽  
...  

AbstractBacopamonnieri (Linn.) Wettst. has been used in traditional medicine as a drug to enhance and improve memory. In this regard, this study aims to provide B. monnieri's efficacy as a neuroprotective drug and as a nootropic against various neurological diseases. Literatures were collected, following Prisma guidelines, from databases, including Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct and were scrutinized using a quality scoring system. Means, standard deviations and ‘n’ numbers were extracted from the metrics and analyzed. Jamovi computer software for Mac was used to carry out the meta-analysis. The selected studies suggested that the plant extracts were able to show some improvements in healthy subjects which were determined in Auditory Verbal Learning Task, digit span-reverse test, inspection time task and working memory, even though it was not significant, as no two studies found statistically significant changes in the same two tests. B. monnieri was able to express modest improvements in subjects with memory loss, wherein only a few of the neuropsychological tests showed statistical significance. B. monnieri in a cocktail with other plant extracts were able to significantly reduce the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, and depression which cannot be solely credited as the effect of B. monnieri. Although in one study B. monnieri was able to potentiate the beneficial effects of citalopram; on the whole, currently, there are only limited studies to establish the memory-enhancing and neuroprotective effects of B. monnieri. More studies have to be done in the future by comparing the effect with standard drugs, in order to establish these effects clinically in the plant and corroborate the preclinical data.

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1899
Author(s):  
Moritz Förster ◽  
Christopher Nelke ◽  
Saskia Räuber ◽  
Hans Lassmann ◽  
Tobias Ruck ◽  
...  

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system of unknown etiology. As it is still a diagnosis of exclusion, there is an urgent need for biomarkers supporting its diagnosis. Increasing evidence suggests that nitrosative stress may play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of MS. However, previous reports supporting the role of nitrosative stress molecules as disease biomarkers are inconsistent overall. We therefore systematically analyzed the existing literature to compare the serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of nitrite/nitrate in MS patients with those in patients with noninflammatory other neurological diseases (NIOND) and healthy controls (HC), respectively. We searched the PubMed database and included original articles investigating nitrite/nitrate levels in MS patients and NIOND patients or HC based on predefined selection criteria. Effect sizes were estimated by the standardized mean difference using a random effects model. Our results suggest that MS is associated with higher nitrite/nitrate levels within the CSF compared with patients with NIOND (SMD of 1.51; 95% CI: 0.72, 2.30; p = 0.0008). Likewise, nitrite/nitrate in the CSF of MS patients trends towards increased levels compared with those of HC but does not reach statistical significance (SMD of 3.35; 95% CI: −0.48, 7.19; p = 0.07). Measurement of nitrite/nitrate in the CSF might be a valuable tool facilitating the differentiation of MS and NIOND. Further studies with more homogeneous study criteria are needed to corroborate this hypothesis.


2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márcio Luiz Figueredo Balthazar ◽  
Fernando Cendes ◽  
Benito Pereira Damasceno

Abstract To study category verbal fluency (VF) for animals in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), mild Alzheimer disease (AD) and normal controls. Method: Fifteen mild AD, 15 aMCI, and 15 normal control subjects were included. Diagnosis of AD was based on DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, while aMCI was based on the criteria of the International Working Group on Mild Cognitive Impairment, using CDR 0.5 for aMCI and CDR 1 for mild AD. All subjects underwent testing of category VF for animals, lexical semantic function (Boston Naming-BNT, CAMCOG Similarities item), WAIS-R forward and backward digit span, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning (RAVLT), Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), and other task relevant functions such as visual perception, attention, and mood state (with Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia). Data analysis used ANOVA and a post-hoc Tukey test for intergroup comparisons, and Pearson's coefficient for correlations of memory and FV tests with other task relevant functions (statistical significance level was p<0.05). Results: aMCI patients had lower performance than controls on category VF for animals and on the backward digit span subtest of WAIS-R but higher scores compared with mild AD patients. Mild AD patients scored significantly worse than aMCI and controls across all tests. Conclusion: aMCI patients may have poor performance in some non-memory tests, specifically category VF for animals in our study, where this could be attributable to the influence of working memory.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
María Isabel Iñiguez-Luna ◽  
Jorge Cadena-Iñiguez ◽  
Ramón Marcos Soto-Hernández ◽  
Francisco Javier Morales-Flores ◽  
Moisés Cortes-Cruz ◽  
...  

AbstractBioprospecting identifies new sources of compounds with actual or potential economic value that come from biodiversity. An analysis was performed regarding bioprospecting purposes in ten genotypes of Sechium spp., through a meta-analysis of 20 information sources considering different variables: five morphological, 19 biochemical, anti-proliferative activity of extracts on five malignant cell lines, and 188 polymorphic bands of amplified fragment length polymorphisms, were used in order to identify the most relevant variables for the design of genetic interbreeding. Significant relationships between morphological and biochemical characters and anti-proliferative activity in cell lines were obtained, with five principal components for principal component analysis (SAS/ETS); variables were identified with a statistical significance (< 0.7 and Pearson values ≥ 0.7), with 80.81% of the accumulation of genetic variation and 110 genetic bands. Thirty-nine (39) variables were recovered using NTSYSpc software where 30 showed a Pearson correlation (> 0.5) and nine variables (< 0.05), Finally, using a cladistics analysis approach highlighted 65 genetic bands, in addition to color of the fruit, presence of thorns, bitter flavor, piriform and oblong shape, and also content of chlorophylls a and b, presence of cucurbitacins, and the IC50 effect of chayote extracts on the four cell lines.


Vascular ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 170853812199127
Author(s):  
Lixin Wang ◽  
Enci Wang ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Wei Zhang ◽  
Xiaolong Shu ◽  
...  

Objective This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the published data on the efficacy and safety of therapies for superior mesenteric venous thrombosis (SMVT), aiming to provide a reference and set of recommendations for clinical treatment. Methods Relevant databases were searched for studies published from 2000 to June 2020 on SMVT treated with conservative treatment, surgical treatment, or endovascular approach. Different treatment types were grouped for analysis and comparison, and odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The outcomes were pooled using meta-analytic methods and presented by forest plots. Results Eighteen articles, including eight on SMVT patients treated with endovascular therapies, were enrolled. The treatment effectiveness was compared between different groups according to the change of symptoms, the occurrence of complications, and mortality as well. The conservative treatment group had better efficacy compared to the surgery group (89.0% vs. 78.6%, P <0.05), and the one-year survival rate was also higher (94.4% vs. 80.0%, P >0.05), but without statistical significance. As for endovascular treatment, the effectiveness was significantly higher than the surgery group (94.8% vs. 75.2%, P <0.05), and the conservative treatment group as well (93.3% vs. 86.3%, P >0.05), which still requires further research for the lack of statistical significance. Conclusions Present findings indicate that anticoagulation, as conservative treatment should be the preferred clinical option in the clinic for SMVT, due to its better curative effect compared to other treatment options, including lower mortality, fewer complications, and better prognosis. Moreover, endovascular treatment is a feasible and promising approach that is worth in-depth research, for it is less invasive than surgery and has relatively better effectiveness, thus can provide an alternative option for SMVT treatment and may be considered as a reliable method in clinical.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Keya Li ◽  
Xinyue Li ◽  
Guiying Shi ◽  
Xuepei Lei ◽  
Yiying Huang ◽  
...  

AbstractAnimal models provide an opportunity to assess the optimal treatment way and the underlying mechanisms of direct clinical application of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Previous studies have evaluated the effects of primitive and induced ADSCs in animal models of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Here, eight databases were systematically searched for studies on the effects and in vivo changes caused by ADSC intervention. Quality assessment was conducted using a 10-item risk of bias tool. For the subsequent meta-analysis, study characteristics were extracted and effect sizes were computed. Ten out of 2324 published articles (n = 169 animals) were selected for further meta-analysis. After ADSC therapy, the rotation behavior (10 experiments, n = 156 animals) and rotarod performance (3 experiments, n = 54 animals) were improved (P < 0.000 01 and P = 0.000 3, respectively). The rotation behavior test reflected functional recovery, which may be due to the neurogenesis from neuronally differentiated ADSCs, resulting in a higher pooled effect size of standard mean difference (SMD) (− 2.59; 95% CI, − 3.57 to − 1.61) when compared to that of primitive cells (− 2.18; 95% CI, − 3.29 to − 1.07). Stratified analyses by different time intervals indicated that ADSC intervention exhibited a long-term effect. Following the transplantation of ADSCs, tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons recovered in the lesion area with pooled SMD of 13.36 [6.85, 19.86]. Transplantation of ADSCs is a therapeutic option that shows long-lasting effects in animal models of PD. The potential mechanisms of ADSCs involve neurogenesis and neuroprotective effects. The standardized induction of neural form of transplanted ADSCs can lead to a future application in clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 570-580
Author(s):  
Ashley M. Schnakenberg Martin ◽  
Deepak Cyril D’Souza ◽  
Sharlene D. Newman ◽  
William P. Hetrick ◽  
Brian F. O’Donnell

AbstractObjectives:Preclinical and clinical studies suggest that males and females may be differentially affected by cannabis use. This study evaluated the interaction of cannabis use and biological sex on cognition, and the association between observed cognitive deficits and features of cannabis use.Methods:Cognitive measures were assessed in those with regular, ongoing, cannabis use (N = 40; 22 female) and non-using peers (N = 40; 23 female). Intelligence, psychomotor speed, and verbal working memory were measured with the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Digit Symbol Test, and Digit Span and Hopkins Verbal Learning Test, respectively. Associations between cognitive measures and cannabis use features (e.g., lifetime cannabis use, age of initiation, time since last use of cannabis, recent high-concentration tetrahydrocannabinoid exposure) were also evaluated.Results:No main effects of group were observed across measures. Significant interactions between group and biological sex were observed on measures of intelligence, psychomotor speed, and verbal learning, with greatest group differences observed between males with and without regular cannabis use. Psychomotor performance was negatively correlated with lifetime cannabis exposure. Female and male cannabis use groups did not differ in features of cannabis use.Conclusions:Findings suggest that biological sex influences the relationship between cannabis and cognition, with males potentially being more vulnerable to the neurocognitive deficits related to cannabis use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 677
Author(s):  
Jeong Yee ◽  
Hamin Kim ◽  
Yunhee Heo ◽  
Ha-Young Yoon ◽  
Gonjin Song ◽  
...  

Purpose: Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is involved in the metabolism of statins; CYP3A5 is the main enzyme responsible for lipophilic statin metabolism. However, the evidence of the association between CYP3A5*3 polymorphism and the risk of statin-induced adverse events remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between the CYP3A5*3 polymorphism and the risk of statin-induced adverse events. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were searched for qualified studies published until August 2020. Observational studies that included the association between statin-induced adverse events and the CYP3A5*3 polymorphism were reviewed. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were evaluated to assess the strength of the relationship. The Mantel–Haenszel method was used to provide the pooled ORs. Heterogeneity was estimated with I2 statistics and publication bias was determined by Begg’s and Egger’s test of the funnel plot. Data analysis was performed using Review Manager (version 5.4) and R Studio (version 3.6). Results: In total, data from 8 studies involving 1614 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The CYP3A5*3 polymorphism was found to be associated with the risk of statin-induced adverse events (*3/*3 vs. *1/*1 + *1/*3: OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.08–1.82). For myopathy, the pooled OR was 1.30 (95% CI: 0.96–1.75). The subgroup analysis of statin-induced myopathy revealed a trend, which did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusions: This meta-analysis demonstrated that the CYP3A5*3 polymorphism affected statin-induced adverse event risk. Therefore, CYP3A5 genotyping may be useful to predict statin toxicity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klementina Ocskay ◽  
Anna Kanjo ◽  
Noémi Gede ◽  
Zsolt Szakács ◽  
Gabriella Pár ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The role of artificial and bioartificial liver support systems in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is still controversial. We aimed to perform the first network meta-analysis comparing and ranking different liver support systems and standard medical therapy (SMT) in patients with ACLF. Methods The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020155850). A systematic search was conducted in five databases. We conducted a Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of artificial or bioartificial liver support systems on survival in patients with ACLF. Ranking was performed by calculating the surface under cumulative ranking (SUCRA) curve values. The RoB2 tool and a modified GRADE approach were used for the assessment of the risk of bias and quality of evidence (QE). Results In the quantitative synthesis 16 trials were included, using MARS®, Prometheus®, ELAD®, plasma exchange (PE) and BioLogic-DT®. Overall (OS) and transplant-free (TFS) survival were assessed at 1 and 3 months. PE significantly improved 3-month OS compared to SMT (RR 0.74, CrI: 0.6–0.94) and ranked first on the cumulative ranking curves for both OS outcomes (SUCRA: 86% at 3 months; 77% at 1 month) and 3-month TFS (SUCRA: 87%) and second after ELAD for 1-month TFS (SUCRA: 76%). Other comparisons did not reach statistical significance. QE was moderate for PE concerning 1-month OS and both TFS outcomes. Other results were of very low certainty. Conclusion PE seems to be the best currently available liver support therapy in ACLF regarding 3-month OS. Based on the low QE, randomized trials are needed to confirm our findings for already existing options and to introduce new devices.


Dose-Response ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 155932582090235
Author(s):  
Shih-Wei Lai ◽  
Cheng-Chan Yu ◽  
Cheng-Li Lin ◽  
Kuan-Fu Liao

Background/Objective: Some case series and case report have shown the association between the risk of acute pancreatitis and use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The results of systematic studies were not consistent. Methods: A meta-analysis was performed to investigate the risk of acute pancreatitis associated with use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Results: There was no statistical association between the risk of acute pancreatitis and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors use (odds ratio: 1.19, 95% confidence interval: 0.93-1.51). Conclusions: Despite reaching no statistical significance, the possibility of the association between the risk of acute pancreatitis and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors use cannot be totally excluded.


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