Important bias in the Astragalus meta-analysis.
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Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
Biomedical subjects
Fabio Firenzuoli
Publications and source records attributed to Fabio Firenzuoli.
[Herbs on the Internet: risky information].
We analyzed Internet information about herbal products and dietary supplements regulated by Ministry of Public Health. We screened 522 Italian web sites and we found information about toxic risks on Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys), Red yeast fermented rice (Monascus ruber), Borage (Borago officinalis) and Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) respectively in: 63%, 47%, 3% and 22% of the web sites. It is also possible the on-line purchase. Results show that in Internet there are not correct instructions about risks of herbal products.
Anticholesteremic Agents↗
[Posturology. Methodological problems and scientific evidence].
In the last years, the word "posturology" has been used in complementary medicine to define the discipline studying the relation between posture and many pathologies, above all chronic pain. Posturology is more and more frequently recommended as a diagnostic-therapeutic system for treatment of chronic complaints, on the base of which different health caregivers (physicians and not) treat the same clinical problem, with very different methodological patterns and therapies. If it is true that many scientific papers highlight a relation between body posture and muscoloskeletal disorders; nevertheless on the base of scientific literature, it is not possible to demonstrate any scientific principle showing that the correction of small alterations of posture on the base of a stabilometric analysis can improve muscoloskeletal pain or other diseases. Rather, it is true the opposite. Today a positive stabilometric test can be referred only to an alteration of the vestibulo-spinal system.
Complementary Therapies↗
[Clinical phytotherapy: opportunities and problematics].
In every country traditional medicines find foundation in magical or religious beliefs, or popular experience. The World Health Organization is engaged to establish guidelines for methodology of clinical research and the appraisal of effectiveness of traditional medicine. In Italy it has been adopted the term non-conventional medicines in order to group one series of therapies and medicines which are radically different one from the other. Phytotherapy uses medicinal plants prepared by means of adapted extractive technologies and proper pharmacological preparations, purified and standardized in their chemical principles. As for any shape of therapy there are possible side effects, contraindications, pharmacological interactions. It is deemed necessary that a basic knowledge of the pharmacological aspects of phytotherapy be included in the regular Course of Medicine.
Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems↗
[Pilot study for the surveillance of adverse reactions to herbal preparations and dietary supplements].
Use of herbal medicine is increasing in Italy. Herbal preparations are generally used as self-medication, often in the wrong belief that "natural" can be equated with "harmless". Whereas use of these products has been associated with serious adverse events, due to the quality of the raw materials used, to interactions with synthetic drugs or to their use in particular conditions, such as pregnancy or lactation. To monitor herbal preparation use in the population is necessary in order to point out possible adverse reactions. This was the objective of this pilot study, together with the urgency to inform health personnel and patients on the correct use of these products. After this experience we strongly believe that a system to assess the safety of herbal preparations is needed.
Abortion, Spontaneous↗
Rhabdomyolysis caused by Commiphora mukul, a natural lipid-lowering agent.
OBJECTIVE: To report a case of rhabdomyolysis caused by Commiphora mukul, a natural lipid-lowering agent. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old man was taking an extract of C. mukul 300 mg 3 times daily to lower his cholesterol level. He developed rhabdomyolysis with hemoglobinuria after 2 weeks of treatment. Laboratory tests showed creatine kinase 144600 IU/L (reference range 24-195), myoglobin >3000 ng/mL (28-72), lactate dehydrogenase 7157 IU/L (230-460), aspartate aminotransferase 1115 IU/L (10-35), and alanine aminotransferase 205 IU/L (10-35). Analysis of a urine sample was 2+ positive for hemoglobin. All parameters returned to normal after the herbal preparation was discontinued. DISCUSSION: The Naranjo probability scale indicates C. mukul as the possible cause of rhabdomyolysis in our patient. Drug-induced rhabdomyolysis is an established but rare adverse effect of high doses of cholesterol-lowering agents (statins) or interactions between drugs (eg, statins and fibrates). As of May 28, 2004, to our knowledge, this is the first reported case of rhabdomyolysis following C. mukul ingestion. CONCLUSIONS: Our report describes a case of rhabdomyolysis possibly caused by C. mukul and underlines the need for active surveillance of natural products.
Commiphora↗
Echinacea for treating colds in children.
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Child↗
Guggulipid and cholesterol levels.
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Anticholesteremic Agents↗
Hypericum perforatum attenuates nicotine withdrawal signs in mice.
RATIONALE: Hypericum perforatum is used as a natural antidepressant, and other antidepressants have been marketed to aid in smoking cessation. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects of an extract of Hypericum perforatum (Ph-50) on withdrawal signs produced by nicotine abstinence in mice. METHODS: Nicotine (2 mg/kg, four injections daily) was administered for 14 days to mice. Different doses of Ph-50 (125-500 mg/kg) were administered orally immediately after the last nicotine injection. In another experiment, Ph-50 (500 mg/kg) was orally administered in combination with nicotine, i) starting from day 8 until the end of the nicotine treatment period, or ii) during nicotine treatment and after nicotine withdrawal, or iii) immediately after the last nicotine injection. On withdrawal from nicotine, all animals were evaluated for locomotor activity and abstinence signs. RESULTS: The locomotor activity reduction induced by nicotine withdrawal was abolished by Ph-50, which also significantly and dose-dependently reduced the total nicotine abstinence score when injected after nicotine withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that treatment with Hypericum perforatum attenuates nicotine withdrawal signs in mice. Further studies are necessary to test the possibility that it may be used for smoking cessation treatment in humans.
Animals↗
Determination of adrenergic agonists from extracts and herbal products of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara by LC.
The purpose of this study was to set up a HPLC method to separate adrenergic amines (dl-octopamine, dl-synephrine and tyramine) and to determine their content in fruits, extracts and herbal products of Citrus aurantium L. var. amara. A rapid method for the quantitative analysis of these amines is described, based on their separation by RP-HPLC technique with UV detection. The analysis were conducted on a Lichrospher RP-18 column at room temperature, using a mobile phase consisting of 0.02 M citric acid-0.02 M NaH2PO4 (7:3 v/v) and adjusted to a final pH of 3. The detection was at 220 nm. Since some of these amines are chiral compounds and their enantiomers showed different pharmacological activity, the direct separation of synephrine enantiomers was carried out with HPLC on a beta-cyclodextrin stationary phase. The mobile phase consisted of methanol-NaH2PO4 25 mM pH 3.5 (20:80 v/v) and tetrabutylammonium hydrogen sulfate 10 mM in ratio of 30:70 v/v in isocratic condition and the detection was at 220 nm. The two proposed methods were applied to the analysis of fruits, extracts and herbal products of C. aurantium L. var. amara. Taking into account that some authors have reported that l-synephrine may be converted into its d-form by high temperature, this optical isomerization was monitored by the same HPLC method used for the separation of enantiomers.
Adrenergic Agonists↗
Oral administration of a soy extract improves endothelial dysfunction in ovariectomized rats.
Effects of oral administration for 4 weeks of a soy fraction with mainly isoflavones (Glycine max, Leguminosae) (SOYPH; 5 mg/kg) on vascular dysfunction induced by bilateral ovariectomy (OVX) in rats were studied. We evaluated vascular reactivity of aortic rings after acetylcholine (ACh 10 nM-10 microM), sodium nitroprussiate (SN 15 - 30 nM) and NG-L-arginine (L-NMA; 10 - 100 microM). Uterine weight and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity were also investigated. The same parameters were observed after 4 weeks treatment with 17beta-estradiol. In OVX rats endothelial-dependent vascular responses were changed: reduction of induced contraction ( L-NMA 100 mM: sham OVX 2.1 +/- 0.2 g/mg tissue; OVX 1.7 +/- 0.4 g/mg tissue). Ovariectomy produced a reduction of constitutive NOS activity. Uterine weight was increased in animals treated with 17beta-estradiol but not with SOYPH. Either SOYPH or 17beta-estradiol produced a similar improvement of endothelial dysfunction and increased NOS activity. Our data suggest that soy isoflavones produce an improvement of endothelial dysfunction induced by ovariectomy so as 17beta-estradiol, but probably without changes in reproductive system.
Acetylcholine↗
[Rhabdomyolysis due to licorice ingestion].
Liquorice, a medicinal plant of the Italian pharmacopoeia, can give rise to adverse reactions and drugs interferences. On the main international scientific databases we made an "all years" search to find out case reports dealing with rhabdomyolisis due to liquorice ingestion. We found 77 cases, 7 of which in Italy.
Administration, Topical↗
[Flavonoids: risks or therapeutic opportunities?].
Flavonoids are polyphenolic compounds that occur ubiquitously in fruits and vegetables. Over 4,000 different flavonoids have been described, and they are categorized into flavonols, flavones, catechins, flavanones, anthocyanidins and isoflavonoids. Flavonoids have many different biological effects in numerous mammalian cell systems, showed both in vitro and in vivo. Recently, much attention has been paid to their antioxidant properties and to their inhibitory role in various stages of tumour development in animal studies. In epidemiological studies the intake of flavonoids was inversely associated with subsequent coronary heart disease and cancer. Soy, St. John's Wort, Silybum marianum, Ginkgo biloba, Citrus species, Vaccinum mirtillus, Hawthorn and tea are medicinal plants containing flavonoids whose efficacy in the treatment of a variety of diseases has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. The main question that has not been answered satisfactorily deal with the triad absorption/metabolism/efficacy of flavonoids and is actually an important unsolved problem in judging their many alleged health effects. The aim of this review is based on providing by means of experimental and clinical studies information about efficacy and toxicity of flavonoids, especially focusing on infantile leukaemia for which there has been an international warning without sufficient and affordable scientific data.
Animals↗