Metabonomics: a developing platform for better understanding Chinese herbal teas as a complementary therapy

Aplastic Anemia (AA) is a rare but fatal hematologic disease that may occur at any age and especially higher in Asia. We investigated whether Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is beneficial to AA patients as a complementary therapy using a nationwide population-based database in Taiwan between 2000–2016. Patient survival was estimated by Kaplan‒Meier survival analyses and Cox proportional-hazard model. CHM-users presented lower risks of overall and anemia-related mortalities when compared to non-users. The risk of overall mortality for CHM-users in AA patients was 0.70-fold [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.70, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66-0.74, p < 0.001). The risk of anemia-related mortality was lower in CHM-users when compared to non-users (aHR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.32-0.67, p < 0.001). The association rule analysis revealed that CHM pairs were Ban-Zhi-Lian (BZL; Scutellaria barbata D. Don)→Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao (BHSSC; Oldenlandia diffusa (Willd.) Roxb.), followed by Dang-Gui (DG; Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels)→Huang-Qi (HQi; Astragalus membranaceus (Fisch.) Bunge), and Xian-He-Cao (XHC; Agrimonia pilosa f. borealis (Kitag.) Chu)→Gui-Pi-Tang (GPT). Network analysis showed that BZL, BHSSC, DG, HQi, XHC, GPT, and Dan-Shen (DanS; Salvia miltiorrhiza var. charbonnelii (H.Lév.) C.Y.Wu) were commonly used CHMs for AA patients. Therefore, further studies for these commonly prescribed herbs are needed in functional investigations in hematopoiesis-stimulating effect and large-scale randomized controlled trials (RCT) in bone marrow failure related diseases.

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Radioprotective Effect of Flavonoids on Ionizing Radiation-Induced Brain Damage

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules25235719 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 25 (23) ◽

pp. 5719

Author(s):

Qinqi Wang ◽

Chenghao Xie ◽

Shijun Xi ◽

Feng Qian ◽

Xiaochun Peng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Side Effects ◽

Herbal Medicine ◽

Ionizing Radiation ◽

Brain Damage ◽

Chinese Herbal Medicine ◽

Genomic Stability ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Chinese Herbal ◽

Brain Radiotherapy ◽

Radiation Induced

Patients receiving brain radiotherapy may suffer acute or chronic side effects. Ionizing radiation induces the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the central nervous system, leading to brain damage. Complementary Chinese herbal medicine therapy may reduce radiotherapy-induced side effects. Flavonoids are a class of natural products which can be extracted from Chinese herbal medicine and have been shown to have neuroprotective and radioprotective properties. Flavonoids are effective antioxidants and can also inhibit regulatory enzymes or transcription factors important for controlling inflammatory mediators, affect oxidative stress through interaction with DNA and enhance genomic stability. In this paper, radiation-induced brain damage and the relevant molecular mechanism were summarized. The radio-neuro-protective effect of flavonoids, i.e., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and maintaining genomic stability, were then reviewed. We concluded that flavonoids treatment may be a promising complementary therapy to prevent radiotherapy-induced brain pathophysiological changes and cognitive impairment.

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Use of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 in China and Asia

Asian Education and Development Studies ◽

10.1108/aeds-05-2020-0104 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Siukan Law ◽

Chuanshan Xu ◽

Albert Wingnang Leung

Keyword(s):

Immune System ◽

Chinese Medicine ◽

Traditional Chinese Medicine ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Syndrome Differentiation ◽

Content Type ◽

Patent Medicines ◽

Chinese Herbal ◽

Prevention And Treatment ◽

The Usa

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe and discuss the use of Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China and Asia.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a brief overview of the COVID-19. Based on the syndrome differentiation (辨證論治), the concept of clearing heat and detoxifying lung in traditional Chinese medicine is used to prevent and treat COVID-19 through restoring the vital qi (正氣) in human body and regulating the lung as well as spleen to strengthen the immune system. Traditional Chinese medicine has been used as a complementary therapy for the possible intervention of COVID-19 including traditional Chinese herbal decoctions, Chinese traditional patent medicines, acupuncture and moxibustion as well as the traditional health exercises in China and parts of Asia.FindingsTraditional Chinese medicine plays a significant role in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 pandemic. The infection cases of China are around 80,000 and a steady decline compared with the USA which has 5,000,000 infection cases and continuous increases. It is shown that more than 90% of patients recovered after the treatment of traditional Chinese herbal decoctions and Chinese traditional patent medicines without any side-effect compared to the use of Remdesivir (GS-5734). Acupuncture (針灸) and moxibustion (艾灸) stimulate the immune and nervous systems for preventing infectious diseases. Taichi (太極) and Baduanjin (八段錦) as the auxiliary aerobic exercise under the theory of Chinese medicine can enhance the immune system and improve the lung function. Thus, an integration of traditional Chinese Medicine and Western medicine is the best strategy for the prevention, treatment and control of COVID-19 pandemic in the future.Originality/valueThis paper describes traditional Chinese medicine as an effective way for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

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Meta-Analysis on the Chinese Herbal Formula Xiaoer-Feike Granules as a Complementary Therapy for Children With Acute Lower Respiratory Infections

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2020.496348 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Qiang You ◽

Lan Li ◽

Dan Li ◽

Dan Yang ◽

Lin Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Infections ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Herbal Formula ◽

Chinese Herbal Formula ◽

Chinese Herbal ◽

Acute Lower Respiratory Infections

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Effect of Chinese Herbal Medicine Therapy on Overall and Cancer Related Mortality in Patients With Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma in Taiwan

Frontiers in Pharmacology ◽

10.3389/fphar.2020.607413 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Chen-Yu Wang ◽

Tang-Chuan Wang ◽

Wen-Miin Liang ◽

Chien-Hui Hung ◽

Jian-Shiun Chiou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ◽

Herbal Medicine ◽

Chinese Herbal Medicine ◽

Mortality Risk ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Chinese Herbal ◽

Kaplan Meier ◽

East And Southeast Asia ◽

Trichosanthes Kirilowii ◽

Related Mortality

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer involving epithelial squamous-cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx that mainly occurs in individuals from East and Southeast Asia. We investigated whether Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) as a complementary therapy offers benefits to these patients. We retrospectively evaluated the Taiwan Cancer Registry (Long Form) database for patients with advanced NPC, using or not using CHM, between 2007–2013. Cox proportional-hazard model and Kaplan‒Meier survival analyses were applied for patient survival. CHM-users showed a lower overall and cancer-related mortality risk than non-users. For advanced NPC patients, the overall mortality risk was 0.799-fold for CHM-users, after controlling for age, gender, and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score (Cancer stages 3 + 4: adjusted hazard ratio [aHR]: 0.799, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.676–0.943, p = 0.008). CHM-users also showed a lower cancer-related mortality risk than non-users (aHR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53–0.96, p = 0.0273). Association rule analysis showed that CHM pairs were Ban-Zhi-Lian (BZL; Scutellaria barbata D.Don) and For single herbs, Bai-Hua-She-She-Cao (Herba Hedyotis Diffusae; Scleromitrion diffusum (Willd.) R.J.Wang (syn. Hedyotis diffusa Willd.) and Mai-Men-Dong (MMD; Ophiopogon japonicus (Thunb.) Ker Gawl.), and Gan-Lu-Yin (GLY) and BHSSC. Network analysis revealed that BHSSC was the core CHM, and BZL, GLY, and Xin-Yi-Qing-Fei-Tang (XYQFT) were important CHMs in cluster 1. In cluster 2, ShengDH, MMD, Xuan-Shen (XS; Scrophularia ningpoensis Hensl.), and Gua-Lou-Gen (GLG; Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim.) were important CHMs. Thus, as a complementary therapy, CHM, and particularly the 8 CHMs identified, are important for the treatment of advanced NPC patients.

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