Clinical Effects of Chinese Herbal Decoction Combined with Basic Chemoradiotherapy and Nursing Intervention in the Treatment of Cervical Cancer and the Effect on Serum CEA, CA125, and TNF-α Levels

Objective. This study was aimed to investigate the clinical effect of Chinese herbal decoction combined with basic chemoradiotherapy and nursing intervention in the treatment of cervical cancer and the effect on serum carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. Methods. A total of 200 cervical cancer patients in our hospital from June 2015 to November 2018 were selected and randomly divided into a study group and a control group. The control group was given chemoradiotherapy and psychological nursing treatment, and the study group was given self-made Chinese herbal decoction on the basis of the control group. The clinical efficacy and serum CEA, CA125, and TNF-α levels were assessed. Results. After treatment, the total effective rate of the study group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The levels of serum CEA, CA125, and TNF-α were decreased in the two groups after treatment, and the decrease in the study group was more significant than that in the control group. After treatment, CD3+ and CD4+ levels were increased compared with those before treatment, and the increase in the study group was also more obvious than that of the control group. The level of CD8+ was decreased compared with before treatment, and the decrease in the study group was more notable than that of the control group. The two-year cumulative survival rate of the study group was markedly higher than that of the control group. The quality-of-life of patients treated for 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years was dramatically improved compared to before treatment. The incidence of adverse reactions in the study group was lower than that of the control group. Conclusion. The treatment of basic chemoradiotherapy and psychological nursing intervention combined with Chinese herbal decoction on cervical cancer patients can improve the clinical treatment effects, improve the patient’s body immunity, reduce serum CEA, CA125, and TNF-α levels, prolong survival time, improve life quality, and reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, and it is worthy of clinical promotion.

Potential of Syzygium polyanthum (Daun Salam) in Lowering Blood Glucose Level: A Review

Syzygium polyanthum is a herb widely used in Malaysia and Indonesia in cuisines. Traditionally, the herbal decoction of S. polyanthum (daun salam) leaves is often used by diabetic patients in Indonesia. Therefore, our objective is to evaluate the scientific evidence available for S. polyanthum in lowering blood glucose levels (BGL). We systematically searched Pubmed, Google Scholar, Scopus, CENTRAL. LILAC and clinicaltrials.gov databases up to 23rd October 2020 using the keywords “Syzygium polyanthum” and “antidiabetic”. From the selected 413 articles, eight studies involving rodents were included. All results showed a significant effect in lowering BGL without any adverse effects. The possible underlying mechanism of action is attributed to inhibiting intestinal glucose absorption and enhancing glucose uptake by the muscles. Chemical families responsible for the effect were determined as flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids. Thus, S. polyanthum leaves showed potential antidiabetic properties, but further research is required to identify the active compounds followed by the safety evaluation of this compound.

Effective treatment of COVID-19 pneumonia with the Chinese herbal decoction FeiDuQing: A retrospective cohort study

Background The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had catastrophic consequences globally. Nevertheless, the majority of the global population has not been vaccinated against the disease, and available treatments are limited. FeiDuQing (FDQ), a Chinese medicinal decoction widely used for COVID-19 pneumonia in Xianning City, China, has a cure rate of 98.21%. Therefore, evaluating the role of FDQ in successfully treating patients with COVID-19 is crucial. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, 355 consecutive patients who developed COVID-19 pneumonia between January 15 and February 18, 2020 were included; among them, 213 received FDQ. Data on the demographic characteristics, length of hospitalizations, symptoms at admission and discharge, adverse events, and laboratory parameters were analyzed. Results In contrast to patients who received FDQ, 12 patients who did not receive FDQ (8.45%) developed severe conditions, and one of them died. Furthermore, FDQ treatment was associated with a shortened duration of hospitalization (18.2 vs. 22.1 days, P < 0.0001), even in elderly patients aged > 60 years (18.0 days vs. 26.1 days, P < 0.0001). At discharge, three (1.40%) patients treated with FDQ had mild symptoms, whereas 16 (11.19%) patients not treated with FDQ had various symptoms. The cumulative survival rates of patients treated with FDQ and those not treated with FDQ were 79.04% and 32.60%, respectively (hazard ratio: 0.210, 95% confidence interval: 0.123–0.357, P < 0.001). Additionally, FDQ had no severe adverse effects. Conclusions Our findings suggest that FDQ is a potential therapeutic candidate for fighting COVID-19.

Probable Mode of Action of Sita kasmaryadi Herbal Decoction in Placental Compliance – A Review

The occurrence of IUGR (Intra uterine growth retardation) is estimated to be approximately 5% in the population and it is considered as the third leading cause for perinatal mortality in India. Despite plentiful management options, none is effectively proved in improving placental circulation and foetal weight gain. Indian medicine practices a herbal decoction with <em>Glycyrrhiza glabra</em> Linn., <em>Gmelina arborea Roxb</em>. ex. <em>Smith</em> and sugar. The pharmacological potentials of this decoction was attempted to explore here in this review based on available researches. Thorough internet search was performed to derive the data. Recent researches on detailed chemical composition and its possible pharmacological action also had been detailed. It is an effective formulation in improving placental and umbilical cord circulation, aids in improving foetoplacental circulation to a greater extent with negligible side effects.

The Osteogenic Function of Danggui Buxue Tang, a Herbal Decoction Containing Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix, Is Optimized by Boiling the Two Herbs Together: Signaling Analyses Revealed by Systems Biology

The therapeutic efficacy of a herbal mixture, being multi-target, multi-function and multi-pathway, is the niche of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Systems biology can dissect the network of signaling mechanisms in a complex biological system. In preparing TCM decoctions, the boiling of herbs together in water is a common practice; however, the rationale of this specific preparation has not been fully revealed. An approach of mass-spectrometry-based multi-omics was employed to examine the profiles of the cellular pathways, so as to understand the pharmacological efficacy of Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a Chinese herbal mixture containing Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix, in cultured rat osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells. The results, generated from omics analyses, were compared from DBT-treated osteoblasts to those of treating the herbal extract by simple mixing of extracts from Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix, i.e., herbal mixture without boiling together. The signaling pathways responsible for energy metabolism and amino acid metabolism showed distinct activation, as triggered by DBT, in contrast to simple mixing of two herbal extracts. The result supports that boiling the herbs together is designed to maximize the osteoblastic function of DBT, such as in energy and lipid metabolism. This harmony of TCM formulation, by having interactive functions of two herbs during preparation, is being illustrated. The systems biology approach provides new and essential insights into the synergy of herbal preparation. Well-defined multiple targets and multiple pathways in different levels of omics are the key to modernizing TCM.

AN EXPLORATORY REVIEW OF PHARMCOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF NOTCHI KUDINEER- A SIDDHA HERBAL DECOCTION USED IN COVID-19

COVID-19 Caused by the novel corona virus (SARS-CoV-2), which has already pushed the entire global community to change their priorities towards finding a suitable anti-viral medicine and a vaccine. While most of the countries have started to prescribe vaccines, which show varied levels of efficacy, finding an effective anti-viral medicine against the virus is still in the early stages despite full-fledged research activities at global level. Many countries particularly those having a rich traditional health science background like India and China started to recommend medicines belonging to local health traditions. The public utilization of those medicines also yielded good results in terms of prevention of the viral infection, reducing the severity of disease or/and reducing the number of days required to recover from the disease as perceived and reported by the patients and doctors. In Tamil Nadu, there are more than 80 million populations. Siddha medicine is the most widely used system of traditional medicine. ‘Suram’ is the Tamil word equivalent to the term ‘fever’. Kabasuram (Also known as Aiya suram) is one among the 64 types of fevers mentioned in Siddha symptoms of which are identical to those of COVID-19. “Notchi kudineer”– a Siddha herbal formulation is being used since many centuries for fever and respiratory disorders with remarkable success. This review article attempts to explore the pharmacological evidence in support of the therapeutic usage of “Notchi kudineer” hence justifying its usage in respiratory related illnesses having fever as a main symptom like the current pandemic of COVID-19.