scholarly journals Chinese herbal medicines with beneficial effects

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-83
Author(s):  
De-an Guo ◽  
Wenlong Wei ◽  
Changliang Yao ◽  
Jianqing Zhang ◽  
Qirui Bi

Abstract Among the vast resources of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbal species, only a handful of Chinese herbs are growing in frigid regions or extreme environment but they have a unique property. The most recognizable TCM herb falling in this category is Panax ginseng, which is widely considered the representative tonic herb with oceans of beneficial effects on human health. In this article, we will introduce several typical Chinese herbal medicines with beneficial effects aiming to arouse broader attention from the scientific community to expand the exploration and exploitation on this for their potential applications to meet the increasingly demanding medical needs.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolei Zhao ◽  
Jingxiang Pang ◽  
Jialei Fu ◽  
Meina Yang ◽  
Eduard Van Wijk ◽  
...  

Ultraweak photon emission emitted by all living organisms has been confirmed to be a noninvasive indicator for their physiological and pathological characteristics. In this study, we investigated the characteristics of spontaneous photon emission (SPE) and the contents of specific active compounds of roots and flowers buds of several fresh Chinese herbal medicines (natural medicines) with different growth ages and varieties. The results revealed that the contents of specific active compounds from same species herbs with different growth ages and varieties were significantly different, and this difference could be reflected by their SPE. Because the contents of specific bioactive constituents in Chinese herbs are closely related to their quality and curative effect, the SPE measurement technique may contribute to the quality control of Chinese herbal medicine in the future.


Molecules ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (9) ◽  
pp. 2303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ke Han ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Miao Wang ◽  
Rui Zhang ◽  
Chunyu Wang ◽  
...  

Chinese herbal medicine has recently gained worldwide attention. The curative mechanism of Chinese herbal medicine is compared with that of western medicine at the molecular level. The treatment mechanism of most Chinese herbal medicines is still not clear. How do we integrate Chinese herbal medicine compounds with modern medicine? Chinese herbal medicine drug-like prediction method is particularly important. A growing number of Chinese herbal source compounds are now widely used as drug-like compound candidates. An important way for pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs is to discover potentially active compounds from related herbs in Chinese herbs. The methods for predicting the drug-like properties of Chinese herbal compounds include the virtual screening method, pharmacophore model method and machine learning method. In this paper, we focus on the prediction methods for the medicinal properties of Chinese herbal medicines. We analyze the advantages and disadvantages of the above three methods, and then introduce the specific steps of the virtual screening method. Finally, we present the prospect of the joint application of various methods.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yan Zhang ◽  
Jun Mei ◽  
Jing Li ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Qingbing Zhou ◽  
...  

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases, in which atherosclerosis (AS) is the main pathologic basis, are currently the primary diseases leading to human deaths. Emerging evidence showed that DNA methylation, which could affect the transcription and expression of critical regulatory genes, has key roles in AS. Aberrant DNA methylation including aberrant hypomethylation and hypermethylation plays key roles in endothelial-cell dysfunction, macrophage inflammation, abnormal proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells, plaque rupture, and thrombosis in AS. Chinese herbal medicines, including single compounds and formulations, showed light on the treatment of AS through regulating the aberrant DNA methylation in AS. Targeting the aberrant DNA methylation may be one of the most important treatment strategies in the cure and prevention of AS. In this review, we focus on the relationship between DNA methylation and AS, as well as the beneficial effects of Chinese herbal medicines on DNA methylation in AS.


Author(s):  
Jun-Yuan Zhang ◽  
Qian-Qian Chen ◽  
Jia Li ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Lian-Wen Qi

Neuraminidase, also known as sialidase, is ubiquitous in animals and microorganisms. It is predominantly distributed in the cell membrane, cytoplasmic vesicles, and lysosomes. Neuraminidase generally recognizes the sialic acid glycosidic bonds at the ends of glycoproteins or glycolipids and enzymatically removes sialic acid. There are four types of neuraminidases, named as Neu1, Neu2, Neu3, and Neu4. Among them, Neu1 is the most abundant in mammals. Recent studies have revealed the involvement of Neu1 in several diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancers, and neurological disorders. In this review, we center the attention to the role of Neu1 in cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerosis, ischemic myocardial injury, cerebrovascular disease, congenital heart disease, and pulmonary embolism. We also summarize inhibitors from Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) in inhibiting virus neuraminidase or human Neu1. Many Chinese herbs and Chinese herb preparations, such as Lonicerae Japonicae Flos, Scutellariae Radix, Yupingfeng San, and Huanglian Jiedu Decoction, have neuraminidase inhibitory activity. We hope to highlight the emerging role of Neu1 in humans and potentially titillate interest for further studies in this area.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Chen Wang ◽  
Shuang Ling ◽  
Jin-Wen Xu

Stem cells (SCs) are special types of cells with the ability of self-renewal and multidirectional differentiation. As the organism ages, the ability to maintain homeostasis and regeneration deteriorates and the number and activity of stem cells decline. Theoretically, the restoration of stem cells might reverse aging. However, due to their own aging, donor-derived immune rejection, and difficulties in stem cell differentiation control, a series of problems need to be solved to realize the potential for clinical application of stem cells. Chinese herbal medicine is a nature drug library which is suitable for the long-term treatment of aging-related diseases. Modern pharmacological studies have revealed that many active ingredients of Chinese herbal medicines with the effect of promoting stem cells growth and differentiation mainly belong to “reinforcing herbs.” In recent years, exploration of natural active ingredients from Chinese herbal medicines for delaying aging, improving the stem cell microenvironment, and promoting the proliferation and differentiation of endogenous stem cells has attracted substantial attention. This article will focus on active ingredients from Chinese herbs-mediated differentiation of stem cells into particular cell type, like neural cells, endothelial cells, cardiomyocytes, and osteoblasts. We will also discuss the effects of these small molecules on Wnt, Sonic Hedgehog, Notch, eNOS-cGMP, and MAP kinase signal transduction pathways, as well as reveal the role of estrogen receptor α and PPAR γ on selectively promoting or inhibiting stem cells differentiation. This review will provide new insights into the health aging strategies of active ingredients in Chinese herbal medicine in regenerative medicine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11078
Author(s):  
Chen Cheng ◽  
Xuan Yu

Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection; the pathophysiology of sepsis is complex. The incidence of sepsis is steadily increasing, with worldwide mortality ranging between 30% and 50%. Current treatment approaches mainly rely on the timely and appropriate administration of antimicrobials and supportive therapies, but the search for pharmacotherapies modulating the host response has been unsuccessful. Chinese herbal medicines, i.e., Chinese patent medicines, Chinese herbal prescriptions, and single Chinese herbs, play an important role in the treatment of sepsis through multicomponent, multipathway, and multitargeting abilities and have been officially recommended for the management of COVID-19. Chinese herbal medicines have therapeutic actions promising for the treatment of sepsis; basic scientific research on these medicines is increasing. However, the material bases of most Chinese herbal medicines and their underlying mechanisms of action have not yet been fully elucidated. This review summarizes the current studies of Chinese herbal medicines used for the treatment of sepsis in terms of clinical efficacy and safety, pharmacological activity, phytochemistry, bioactive constituents, mechanisms of action, and pharmacokinetics, to provide an important foundation for clarifying the pathogenesis of sepsis and developing novel antisepsis drugs based on Chinese herbal medicines.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minghai Shao ◽  
Chaoyang Ye ◽  
George Bayliss ◽  
Shougang Zhuang

The clinical and experimental study into the effects of Chinese herbal medicines on chronic kidney disease has evolved over the past 40 years with new insight into their mechanism and evidence of their clinical effects. Among the many traditional Chinese herbs examined in chronic renal disease, five were found to have evidence of sufficient clinical efficacy, high frequency of use, and well-studied mechanism. They are: Abelmoschus manihot and Huangkui capsule, Salvia miltiorrhiza and its components (tanshinone II A, salvianolic acid A and B); Rhizoma coptidis and its monomer berberine; Tripterygium wilfordii and its components (triptolide, tripterygium glycosides); Kudzu root Pueraria and its monomer Puerarin. These Chinese herbal medications have pharmaceutical effects against fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress and also promote renal repair and regeneration. This article reviews their clinical efficacy, anti-fibrotic effects in animal models, and molecular mechanism of action.


Author(s):  
LiWei Yin ◽  
YaCen Gao ◽  
ZiPing Li ◽  
MengYu Wang ◽  
KaiXin Chen

Background: Novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is a worldwide health threat that has affected millions of people globally. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been introduced for the treatment of COVID-19. However, efficacy differs among herbal medicines, and the ideal prescription pattern for TCM herbal formulae for COVID-19 treatment needs to be explored. Therefore, the data mining method has been used in this study to analyze the TCM prescription pattern for COVID-19. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the TCM prescription pattern in Regional Schemes in China for COVID-19 in order to provide a new reference for the use of TCM in COVID-19 treatment. Method: By searching the TCM treatment protocols of COVID-19 in 23 Regional Schemes, TCM syndromes and herbal medicines were analyzed by data mining. The Ancient and Modern Medical Case Cloud Platform (V2.1 personal Edition) was used to perform frequency statistics, correlation analysis, and cluster analysis. A total of 82 TCM syndromes and 171 Chinese herbal medicines were found. The course of the disease can be divided into the early stage, middle stage, severe stage, and recovery stage. Results: In the early stage, the focus is primarily on resolving dampness, dispelling cold, and diffusing the lungs. In the middle stage, the treatment priority is clearing heat and resolving toxins, promoting lung function, and relieving asthma. In the severe stage, the focus is on tonifying Qi, restoring Yang, and relieving depletion of Yin and Yang. In the recovery stage, the main treatment is to invigorate the spleen and regulate Qi, tonify Qi, nourish Yin, and clear residual disease evil. There are certain differences between the Regional Schemes and the Nation Schemes, but the core prescription pattern of the former is consistent with the latter. The effectiveness of these 171 Chinese herbs include but are not limited to inhibiting COVID-19, strengthening immune system function, preventing heart failure, acting as antioxidants, oxidative stress inhibitory effects, maintaining organ function, and improving leukocyte survival. Conclusion: This study may help to improve understanding of TCM herbal prescription pattern, practices, reveal the efficacy of combinations of Chinese herbs, and provide new ideas for TCM treatment for COVID-19.


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