Herbal Drug Interactions

Use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) for preventive and therapeutic purposes has increased tremendously in the last two decades internationally. The manufacturers of these products are not required to submit proof of safety or efficacy to the Food and Drug Administration. As a result, the adverse effects and drug interactions associated with them are largely unknown. In this chapter, the author presents interactions of herbal medicines with other medicines (herbal or non-herbal). A large number of herbal drugs, including from single drug to a variety of mixtures have been used to treat kidney disorders. Herb-herb or herb drug interaction has been reported intensively during last decade, therefore it becomes important to keep an eye on the use of combination herbal therapy in order to avoid serious results because of interactions with each other. Due to the growing awareness about the interactions and side effects of herbal drugs/supplements over the past few years, regulatory bodies are working on these issues and pharmacopoeias are being developed for reference.

Herbal Products for Management of COVID- 19

COVID-19 is a human-infectious virus. The respiratory system is the primary target of the coronavirus, but it can also harm cardiac tissues and gastrointestinal organs. Many frequent circumstances, such as the medication's or medicine's purpose, the dosage/potency of the drug, and the patient's condition, can place patients in grave danger. Several cures have been reported using a variety of therapy methods. Among the various treatments, natural and synthetic medicines are the most commonly documented. Some herbal medicines, such as Tribulusterrestris, Withaniasomnifera, Curcuma longa, Ocimum sanctum, and Phyllanthusemblica, have powerful antiviral (AntiCOV-19) properties against novel coronavirus, heralding the start of a new era in herbal therapy.

Review : Potensi Aktivitas Anti Virus Dari Produk Alami Lebah Kelulut

Up to present, many deadly diseases are caused by viral infections. Herbal therapy is a preventive effort made by the community to overcome diseases that come from viruses. Antiviral drug resistance is also the reason people consume herbs from natural ingredients. One of the natural products has the potential to come from kelulut bee products consisting of propolis, pollen, and honey. The kelulut bee or stingless bee is a type of bee that is commonly found in countries with tropical climates such as Indonesia, but there is still little scientific information that examines its potential as an antiviral. This study aims to analyze data on the potential antiviral activity of kelulut bee products through the collection of related articles. The research conducted is a literature review, so the research method is carried out by collecting related articles using search engines such as NCBI, Sciencedirect, and Google Schoolar. Kelulut bee products such as propolis, pollen and honey have potential pharmacological activity as antiviral. This anti-viral activity is due to the presence of compounds such as alkaloids, flavones, apigenin derivatives and other compounds which will be discussed further. Natural products from kelulut bees have potential as an alternative to antiviral therapy. It is also recommended to conduct more in-depth research on the potential of kelulut bee natural products to obtain these therapeutic products.

18KHT01, a Potent Anti-Obesity Polyherbal Formulation

Obesity is a life-threatening metabolic disorder necessitating urgent development of safe and effective therapy. Currently, limited such therapeutic measures are available for obesity. The present study was designed to develop a novel, safe and effective herbal therapy for the management of obesity. A polyherbal formulation (18KHT01) was developed by homogeneously mixing a specific proportion of crude Quercus acutissima (acorn jelly powder), Camellia sinensis (dry leaf buds), and Geranium thunbergii (dry aerial part) along with Citrus limon (fruit juice). Synergistic antioxidant, antiadipogenic, and anti-obesity activities were evaluated by in vitro as well as in vivo studies. In vitro experiments revealed strong synergistic antioxidant and anti-adipogenic activities of 18KHT01. Molecular assessment of 18KHT01 showed significant down-regulation of vital adipogenic factors such as PPARγ, C/EBPα, aP2, SREBP-1c, FAS, and LPL. Based on the results of the preliminary toxicity study, 75 and 150 mg/kg, twice daily doses of 18KHT01 were administered to evaluate anti-obesity activity in diet-induced obese (DIO) C57BL/6J mice model. The major obesity-related parameters such as body weight, weight gain, food efficiency ratio, as well as serum lipid profile were significantly reduced by 18KHT01 with potential synergism. Also, the high-fat diet-induced insulin resistance was suggestively alleviated by the formulation, and thus ameliorated fasting blood glucose. Histological evaluation of liver and white adipose tissue revealed that the significant reduction of fat depositions and thus reduction of these tissue weights. Synergy evaluation experiments exhibited that the 18KHT01 offered strong synergism by improving efficacy and reducing the toxicity of its ingredients. Overall results evidenced the 18KHT01 as a safe and potent anti-obesity herbal therapy.

Complementary and alternative medicine use among pediatrics in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Background Recent use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is growing in children worldwide, so there is a need to evaluate CAM’s use among pediatrics in Palestine. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of CAM use among a sample of Palestinian children, investigate the factors that affect the use of CAMs, identify the types of CAM used, and assess the purposes of using them. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study of parents who had children aged 6 years and below was carried out. A convenient sample of about 420 participants was collected; from Primary care to Motherhood and Childhood Centers in Nablus city in Palestine. Parents who agreed to participate were asked to answer a survey that consists mainly of closed-ended questions. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 16.0. Results The use of CAM was detected in all interviewers 420 (100%). The most common treatment used was herbal therapy (n = 400, 95.2%), and anise was the most common herbal therapy used (n = 334; 79.5%). A total of 371 (88.3%) of the respondents used CAM for digestive system problems. The main reason for using CAM was making the child more comfortable (n = 365; 86.9%). Parents who are 30 years or older were significantly using more CAM than younger parents (P = 0.001). In addition, regarding the number of children in the family, parents who have five children or more used more CAM subtypes significantly more than parents with less than this number (P = 0.025). Moreover, parents living in a refugee camp used more CAM than parents who lived in urban or rural areas (P = 0.031). Conclusions Parents of children use CAM frequently. All parents used CAM, and physicians were not mainly among the sources of CAM information, and almost all parents were unaware of the side effects of CAM. Future research is necessary to direct pediatricians in formulating recommendations for children on CAM modalities, including possible risks and benefits and interactions with conventional medications.

TAMIḺAR VĀḺVIL MŪLIKAIYIṈ PAṄKU - ŌR ĀYVU [ROLE OF HERBS IN TAMILS LIFE - A STUDY]

This is a review of the herbs that used in Tamil medicine. It is a small attempt to reveal the usage of herbs of the Tamil people in ancient times. Our ancestors wrote medical notes about herbs on the songs and chitra siddhars. Only the nobles could read and use it. Not the laity people. In the oral language of the literature there were living references to the people and a number of rare medical references. The oral literature was composed for the herbal therapy practitioner. Evidence suggests that the notes on siddhars songs understandable for herbal therapy practitioner who lives in ancient time. Their attempt on medical practices are something great. Though the herbs in Tamil medicine are applicable to all. That is why the researcher made it possible to add to the masses and ideas about herbs medicine through the siddhars songs. In this study, researcher wants every medical terms in siddhars songs need to be understand by everyone. Understand that the materials used in Tamil medicine are around us and hope it is very usefull medicine for Malaysia Tamils.

Effectiveness of Evidence-Based Measures on Nausea and Vomiting during First Trimester of Pregnancy

Context: Nausea and vomiting are the most common pregnancy symptoms that negatively affect many pregnant women. Severity varies from mild distaste for certain foods to more severe vomiting. Aim: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of applying evidence-based measures on nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. Methods: A quasi-experimental (pre/post-test) design was used. The study was conducted at the antenatal clinics at Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital. A purposive sample of forty-seven pregnant women was included in this study. All women received the evidence-based intervention. Data were collected using three tools. A structured interviewing questionnaire, pregnancy symptoms inventory (PSI), and weekly follow-up record. In addition to Arabic Evidence-based guide for alleviating nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. All pregnant women that suffered from nausea and vomiting followed the evidence-based guidelines designed by the researcher that involved instructions related to lifestyle modification. Besides, one of the following: herbal therapy, acupressure, and aromatherapy to relieve nausea and vomiting. Results: The study sample mean age was 28.1±6.42, with a mean gestational age of 9.43 ±3.88. 72% of them used nothing to overcome nausea and vomiting, while 18% used medication, and only 10% used a lifestyle modification before intervention. All women adopt lifestyle modification; 72.3% use herbal therapy after the intervention. The present study demonstrates a highly significant difference between responses before and after the intervention related to nausea and vomiting (p 0.004). There is a significant association between the evidence-based measure used and the relief of nausea and vomiting at p<0.01. Conclusion: The current study concluded that evidence-based measures positively alleviated nausea and vomiting during the first trimester of pregnancy. A leaflet or booklet about evidence-based measures for alleviating minor discomforts during pregnancy as a hospital protocol for guiding nurses in the application is strongly recommended.