PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

R Saller

Publications and source records attributed to R Saller.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2003

Systematic reviews of herbal medicines--an annotated bibliography.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive collection and a summary of systematic reviews of clinical trials on herbal medicines. METHODS: Potentially relevant reviews were searched through the register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and bibliographies of articles and books. To be included articles had to review prospective clinical trials of herbal medicines; had to describe review methods explicitly; had to be published; and had to focus on treatment effects. Information on conditions, interventions, methods, results and conclusions was extracted using a pretested form and summarized descriptively. RESULTS: From a total of 79 potentially relevant reviews preselected in the screening process 58 met the inclusion criteria. 30 of the reports reviewed ginkgo (for dementia, intermittent claudication, tinnitus, and macular degeneration), hypericum (for depression) or garlic preparations (for cardiovascular risk factors and lower limb atherosclerosis). The quality of primary studies was criticized in the majority of the reviews. Most reviews judged the available evidence as promising but definitive conclusions were rarely possible. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic reviews are available on a broad range of herbal preparations prescribed for defined conditions. There is very little evidence on the effectiveness of herbalism as practiced by specialist herbalists who combine herbs and use unconventional diagnosis.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗
PubMed2003

[St. John' Wort (Hypericum perforatum L.)--multicompound preparations versus single substances].

Aqueous alcoholic extracts of St. John s wort are used for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Recently, Hypericum extracts were also shown to inhibit the growth of various human malignant cells. We promote the hypothesis that the various biological activities of aqueous Hypericum extracts are based on synergistic interactions of all compounds present therein and not on the pharmacological activities of single compounds.

Antidepressive Agents↗
PubMed2003

[St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum): a plurivalent raw material for traditional and modern therapies].

St. John's Wort is one of the oldest and one of the best experimentally and clinically examined herbal remedies. In various medical cultures and medical systems--that is to say the regions of origin of Hypericum perforatum, like Europe, West Asia and North Africa--St. John's Wort has been used as a remedy for centuries. Preparations from St. John's Wort not only represent medical traditions but also ways of thinking, ideas and experiences from naturopathic healers (non-physicians) as well as patients. The complex multicompound with its evolutionary and coevolutionary developed composition and structure acts as a varied raw material for the production of quantitative and qualitative dissimilar remedies, which are multicompounds themselves. They differ not only analytically but also quite often in their effects. The certain and potential spectrum of internal and external uses includes gastrointestinal complaint and illness, skin disease, mucosal lesion, superficial injury, depressive upset and depression, somatoform disorders, restlessness, nervosity, convalescence, exhaustion, sleep disturbance and nursing treatment. The plurivalent character of the multicompound even enables a broad spectrum of activity. This might justify to prefer St. John's Wort to other drugs in a wide range of treatments: In tumor patients with depression the antioxidative effect and the experimentally documented induction of apoptosis could mean an additional advantage, and in depressive patients with coronary heart disease the same applies to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects.

Antioxidants↗
PubMed2002

Antifungal effect of Australian tea tree oil on Malassezia pachydermatis isolated from canines suffering from cutaneous skin disease.

The lipophilic yeast Malassezia pachydermatis is part of the normal skin flora of most warm-blooded organisms. In a number of surveys it could be demonstrated that this yeast species might be involved in different skin diseases like seborrhoeic dermatitis, especially in dogs and cats. In order to look for an alternative therapeutic agent to the commonly used antimycotic and antiseptic synthetic substances the in vitro activity of Australian tea tree oil, the essential oil of Melaleuca alternifolia, against several strains of Malassezia pachydermatis was examined. All tested strains showed remarkably high susceptibility to tea tree oil. With these results the excellent antibacterial activity of tea tree oil is extended to a new group of fungal pathogens colonizing mainly mammals' skin. During the last ten years there was an increasing popularity of tea tree oil containing human health care products. The presented data open up new horizons for this essential oil as a promising alternative agent for topical use in veterinary medicine as well.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Phytotherapy of chronic dermatitis and pruritus of dogs with a topical preparation containing tea tree oil (Bogaskin).

Localised dermatitis, for example unspecific eczema or skinfold pyoderma, is a very common diagnosis in dogs. Typical and impressive complaints are pruritus, erythema, erosion and oozing surface. With respect to the underlying disease dermatological treatment is indicated, usually based on antimicrobial and antipruriginous active substances, it can include transient glucocorticoids. An effective and safe alternative might be a phytotherapeutic topical preparation containing tea tree oil. Tea tree oil exerts both antimicrobial and antipruriginous effects. In an open multicenter study efficacy and safety of a standardized 10% tea tree oil cream applied thinly and twice daily for 4 weeks was tested in 53 dogs with chronic dermatitis, particularly non-specific eczema, allergic dermatitis, interdigital pyoderma, acral lick dermatitis and skinfold pyoderma. Analysis of efficacy assessed by investigating veterinarians showed a good or very good response to treatment for 82% of the dogs, significant at a 5% level (p = 0.05). At the end of the study a strong and significant reduction (p = 0.001) as well as disappearance of major symptoms were observed. Only two adverse events (local reactions) possibly related to tea tree oil occurred during therapy. Consequently the tested study medication (Bogaskin) can be considered an alternative for uncomplicated and localised dermatitis in dogs. Bogaskin might allow reduction of other pharmaceutical products, perhaps even replace standard therapy.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed2002

[Adverse effects and interactions of phytotherapeutic drugs].

The significantly increased sales figures many phytopharmaceuticals have achieved during the last years prove the confidence that a great part of the population has in herbal remedies. This is primarily due to the wide-spread opinion that herbal remedies are free from side-effects. The long tradition and presumed 'natural' origin are no guarantee for safety in the treatment with herbal remedies. Even if a large proportion of the undesirable events is traceable to falsifications, impurities and lacking quality controls, herbal drugs with controlled quality should not be generally classified as harmless. In the meantime it has been possible to prove the presence of active substances with toxic and cancerogenic properties in various phytopharmaceuticals. Interactions with other drugs have been documented in a number of notes, where phytopharmaceuticals could influence the blood plasma level of various drugs, presumably by activating or inhibiting the cytochrom-P450-system. At present, especially data about adverse effects during long-term administration of herbal remedies are under-represented. Particularly because of their presumed harmlessness they often are prescribed in the case of chronic diseases and then taken over a longer period of time. The frequency of undesirable effects of phytopharmaceuticals is remarkably low, even if the present lack of data about side-effects is considered.

Drug Contamination↗
PubMed2002

[Distant healing and diabetes mellitus. A pilot study].

BACKGROUND: The Institut für Grenzgebiete der Psychologie und Psychohygiene, Freiburg (IGPP) in cooperation with the Abteilung Naturheilkunde, University Hospital, Zürich investigated whether Distant Healing has a beneficial effect on patients with diabetes mellitus regarding the state of the disease and quality of life. OBJECTIVE: The goal of the pilot study was to observe the progression of the disease with various medical and psychological measures and to explore which of them might be sensitive for measuring possible treatment effects. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 14 diabetic patients were observed for a period of 16 weeks. Within this time they underwent a treatment of 4 consecutive weeks (weeks 9-12) by 5 experienced and trustworthy healers each. Patients were informed about the duration of the treatment but not about the time point of its beginning. Patients and healers never met and there was no contact between researchers and patients during the study period. RESULTS: With regard to medical parameters, reduction in fructosamine level was observed during the healing period, increasing fructosamine level after the end of the healing period. Sensitivity, measured only at the beginning and at the end of the study period, decreased significantly. The other parameters showed some significant changes but there was no correlation to the Distant Healing intervention. Regarding the psychological data, only improvements were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the possibility that a Distant Healing intervention could have certain effects on patients with diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Efficacy of tea blends in the treatment of dyspeptic disorders--an application observation].

BACKGROUND: Medicinal teas present one of the oldest galenic preparations of herbal remedies. Their use is primarily determined by tradition and empirics. One of their traditional domains are gastrointestinal disorders, which belong to the most frequent wellness disorders. While the effectiveness and compatibility of essential oils, modern drug extracts, and alcoholic extracts from bitters and etheric-oil drugs in the treatment of dyspeptic disorders have been documented in placebo-controlled clinical trials, little attention has so far been given to aqueous extracts from bitters and etheric-oil drugs, which are equivalent to the standard method of preparing herbal teas. PURPOSE: The presented application observation in clinical practice tried to give evidence for effectiveness and tolerability of medicinal teas in the treatment of dyspeptic disorders and to quantify their extent. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We collected information about effectiveness, compatibility, and side effects of herbal teas from 89 patients (w = 56; m = 33) suffering from dyspeptic disorders. The data were reported with a questionnaire that was sent to physicians and pharmacists experienced in phytotherapy. RESULTS: It could be shown that complaints in patients with primary dyspeptic symptoms (n = 79) decreased by an average of 74%. Final overall assessment revealed that the physicians as well as the patients estimated an effectiveness of 2.9 points as good (3 = good). Compatibility was considered as good to very good (4 = very good), with an average rating of 3.3 points. Two patients stopped therapy because of an extreme aversion to the bitter taste of the teas. No other serious side effects were reported. CONCLUSION: The herbal teas can be considered effective, very well tolerable and to a large extent free from serious side effects. However, due to the limited observation time, no final conclusion could be given concerning long-term compatibility.

Beverages↗
PubMed2002

[Iberogast: a modern phytotherapeutic combined herbal drug for the treatment of functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract (dyspepsia, irritable bowel syndrome)--from phytomedicine to "evidence based phytotherapy." A systematic review].

Iberogast is a complex herbal preparation. As a fixed drug combination (9 constituents) it is composed of a fresh plant extract of Iberis amara and of extracts of 8 other dried herbal drugs ( Chelidonii herba, Cardui mariae fructus, Melissae folium, Carvi fructus, Liquiritiae radix, Angelicae radix, Matricariae flos, Menthae piperitae folium). The pharmacological effects as well as the therapeutic effectiveness, tolerability, and toxicity of Iberogast were experimentally and clinically recorded and documented using modern investigation tools. Both the experimental as well as the clinical studies indicated a regulatory influence of Iberogast on the whole gastrointestinal tract by a special dual action. While the included extracts of the dried herbal drugs have mainly spasmolytic properties, the fresh plant extract of Iberis amara has a tonic effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the predistension of the gastric or intestinal wall, the tonic or the spasmolytic effects of Iberogast prevail. Both the fresh plant extract of Iberis amara and the combined preparation of Iberogast were found to be toxicologically safe in therapeutically effective doses. For the estimation of the clinical effectiveness a systematic review was performed (data research: January 1970 to September 2002). As shown in controlled (according GCP standard) as well as supportive and uncontrolled clinical studies, the symptoms of functional dyspepsia and of irritable bowel syndrome (one controlled study and one observational study) could be significantly reduced by these herbal preparation in comparison to placebo. Two trials comparing Iberogast with the prokinetics metoclopramide and cisapride demonstrated a comparable therapeutic effectiveness of the herbal preparation and the prokinetics in the treatment of dyspepsia. Adverse events were rare and, with respect to frequency and spectrum, partly the same as found with placebo. Another advantage of Iberogast is that it targets only the gastrointestinal tract and the enteral nervous system, but not the central nervous system. Because of its special dual action, its clinically proven effectiveness, and its good tolerability, Iberogast may be a drug of first choice in the treatment of functional gastrointestinal diseases and their corresponding symptoms.

Brassicaceae↗
PubMed2002

[Iberis amara L. (bitter candytuft)--profile of a medicinal plant].

Iberis amara L (Brassicaceae) is wide-spread in Europe and grows preferably in grain fields, in warm, sunny and dry, mainly loamy and loessial soil which is high in calcium. The plants contain amines, cucurbitacines, flavonoglycosides, and mustard oil glycosides. A fixed combination of the whole, blooming, fresh plant with clear seed formation ( Iberis amara totalis) is used in a phytotherapeutical product (Iberogast). In pharmacological studies both in vitro (e.g., in guinea pig ileum) and in vivo (e.g., in Wistar rats) the fresh plant extract of Iberis amara (IF) exhibited a tonicising effect on the smooth muscles of the stomach and small intestine. In the rat IF produced a dose-dependent antiulcerogenic effect (indomethacin-induced ulcer) comparable to that of cimetidine (reference substance). The stomach acid release and the leucotriene-concentration, increased by indomethacin, were reduced by IF, whereas the prostaglandin E2 content, reduced by indomethacin, was increased. In patients with irritable bowel syndrome as a subtypological symptom associated with diarrhea and in patients with alternating diarrhea and obstipation, clear differences were found between drug and placebo in a multicenter, prospective, double-blind, randomized parallel group comparison. Toxological studies conducted with various cell lines in vitro and in rats and mice have shown that the fresh plant extract of Iberis amara in therapeutical relevant doses has no cytotoxic and no acute toxic action. In mutagenicity investigations there were no indications of genotoxic or mutagenic potential.

Animals↗
PubMed2002

Comparative investigation of the antimicrobial activity of PADMA 28 and selected European herbal drugs.

OBJECTIVE: PADMA 28 is a multicompound preparation of 20 herbs, calcium sulphate, and camphor, derived from Tibetan medicine. It is usually used in the treatment of peripheral circulatory disorders, accompanied by the symptoms tingling, formication, heaviness and tenseness in arms and legs, numbness in hands and feet, and cramps in the calf. Recently, the question of whether appropriate preparations of PADMA 28 also exhibit antibacterial and antimycotic activity has often been raised. As there are as yet no experimental findings that answer this question, an in vitro study was carried out. In a parallel survey we investigated the antimicrobial properties of 5 herbal drugs which are commonly used in the traditional European folk medicine for the topical treatment of mild skin infections, wounds and eczematous skin lesions. METHODS: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of alcohol-based (tinctures) and aqueous (teas) herbal drug preparations were determined in vitro by a broth microdilution method for 5 Gram-positive and 5 Gram-negative bacteria, as well as the yeast Candida albicans. RESULTS: The aqueous and alcohol-based PADMA 28 preparations as well as the corresponding preparations of the European herbal drugs showed an antibacterial effect against Gram-positive bacteria in vitro. These bacteria revealed a somewhat higher sensitivity to the teas prepared from the European herbal drugs (MIC: 1.3-20.0 mg/ml) than to the aqueous preparations of PADMA 28 (MIC: 5.0-40.0 mg/ml). The better antibacterial activity of the European herbal drugs is probably based on their relatively high amount of tanning agents. On the other hand, all tested plant preparations inhibited not at all or only insufficiently the growth of the Gram-negative bacteria tested and that of Candida albicans. The ethanolic PADMA 28 tinctures showed an improved inhibitory effect on the Gram-positive bacteria (MIC: 0.38-1.51% tincture or 0.38-1.51 mg PADMA 28/ml) compared with the aqueous preparations; this effect is comparable to the ethanolic tinctures of the tested European herbal drugs (MIC: 0.4-1.6/3.2% tincture or 0.4-1.6/3.2 mg herbal drug/ml). CONCLUSION: All tested tea preparations and alcoholic tinctures of PADMA 28 as well as those of the selected European herbal drugs exhibited evident antibacterial effects against Gram-positive bacteria in vitro. On the other hand, except for Klebsiella pneumoniae, all Gram-negative bacteria tested and the yeast Candida albicans were insensitive against the different aqueous and alcohol-based plant extracts.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed2002

Aqueous ethanolic extract of St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum L.) induces growth inhibition and apoptosis in human malignant cells in vitro.

Extracts of Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort) are widely and effectively used in the treatment of mild to moderate depression. In addition, hypericin, a component of Hypericum p. extracts, exhibits light-dependent phototoxic properties and can be used in phototherapy. We therefore investigated the cytotoxic activity of two total Hypericum p. extracts, namely from fresh and dried plants in the dark and after exposure to 7.5 J/cm2 white light illumination and compared it with the effect of hypericin on K562, U937, LN229 glioblastoma cell lines and normal human astrocytes. The chemical toxicity of non-illuminated Hypericum p. extracts in the cells tested is low as expressed by a LC50 between 1.9-4.1 mg/ml, which corresponds to 10.3-17.3 microM hypericin and 114.4-190.7 microM hyperforin after 48 h treatment. Hypericum p. extracts induced dose-dependent growth arrest of human malignant cells in the absence of illumination with GI50 values between 0.43-1.77 mg/ml (2.3-9.7 microM hypericin, 26.1-106.7 microM hyperforin) for the fresh plant extract and 0.59-3.03 mg/ml (2.5-12.8 microM hypericin, 24.2-124.7 microM hyperforin) for the dried extract. The growth inhibitory effect of fresh Hypericum p. extract was more pronounced in leukemia cell lines K562 and U937, the GI50 concentrations being about 7-fold lower than the corresponding LC50 for the cell lines K562 and U937, but almost the same as the LC50 for LN229 and NHA cells. GI50 (microgram/ml) for tumor cell lines K562 and U937 (432 and 799) established after 48 h differed significantly (p < 0.05) from those of LN229 and normal human astrocytes (1767 and 2900). The light-exposed extracts were more toxic, their LC50 and GI50 values were reduced to values corresponding to LC50 concentration of 3.7-7.4 microM and a GI50 of 1.3-3.5 microM for phototoxic hypericin. After exposure to light, there was a significant difference (p = 0.006) between the GI50 of glioblastoma LN229 cells (582 micrograms/ml) and normal human astrocytes (1050 micrograms/ml). Morphological examination by light microscopy and phosphaditylserine exposure on the outer plasma membrane investigated by Annexin V-binding with flow cytometry after 24 h confirmed that Hypericum p. extracts caused apoptosis of treated cells without exposure to light. Hypericum p. extracts derived from fresh herbs and from dried herbs which differ in their levels of phloroglucinols (hyperforin and adhyperforin) were compared. The hyperforin content of fresh St. John's wort extract exceeded that of dried plant extract by 47% and the GI50 values of fresh plant extract were 73%, 77% and 58% of those established for dried extract in the three malignant cell lines K562, U937 and LN229 in the dark (p < 0.05). Under white light (7.5 J/cm2), both extracts exerted comparable growth inhibitory and apoptosis inducing effects due to the phototoxicity of hypericin, the corresponding concentrations of which were in the range of 1.3-3.5 microM. The data reported in this study suggest that illumination is not essential for the growth inhibitory and apoptotic effects of Hypericum p. extracts, but light activation potentiates them. Furthermore, the constituent hyperforin is at least partly responsible for these effects in the dark.

Annexin A5↗
PubMed2001

[Implementation and testing of a multifunctional electronic patient record for routine practice and evaluation of patient care].

"Medical Monitoring" is a software produced for everyday medical practice in order to document data of history, physical and functional status, interventions and outcomes. The electronic patient record has been developed for research purpose within a network of hospitals and primary care physicians specialized in integrative medicine. It should help to realize a comprehensive documentation-system for long-term observations of patients concerning effectiveness, cost, risk and safety. Important components of the program are: a) health record for routine documentation in medicine and nursing b) tools for formal assessment in special indications c) user-support in service and decision-making d) user-support for advising and teaching patients in self-treatment and lifestyle-techniques e) archive-function for diverse findings f) tools for quality assurance g) tools for reimbursement and billing.

Computer Communication Networks↗
PubMed2001

Systematic reviews of complementary therapies - an annotated bibliography. Part 2: herbal medicine.

BACKGROUND: Complementary therapies are widespread but controversial. We aim to provide a comprehensive collection and a summary of systematic reviews of clinical trials in three major complementary therapies (acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy). This article is dealing with herbal medicine. Potentially relevant reviews were searched through the register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and bibliographies of articles and books. To be included articles had to review prospective clinical trials of herbal medicines; had to describe review methods explicitly; had to be published; and had to focus on treatment effects. Information on conditions, interventions, methods, results and conclusions was extracted using a pre-tested form and summarized descriptively. RESULTS: From a total of 79 potentially relevant reviews pre-selected in the screening process 58 met the inclusion criteria. Thirty of the reports reviewed ginkgo (for dementia, intermittent claudication, tinnitus, and macular degeneration), hypericum (for depression) or garlic preparations (for cardiovascular risk factors and lower limb atherosclerosis). The quality of primary studies was criticized in the majority of the reviews. Most reviews judged the available evidence as promising but definitive conclusions were rarely possible. CONCLUSIONS: Systematic reviews are available on a broad range of herbal preparations prescribed for defined conditions. There is very little evidence on the effectiveness of herbalism as practised by specialist herbalists who combine herbs and use unconventional diagnosis.

Herbal Medicine↗
PubMed2001

Modulation of interleukin-15-induced human neutrophil responses by the plant lectin Viscum album agglutinin-I.

The plant lectin Viscum album agglutinin-I (VAA-I) and the interleukin-15 (IL-15) cytokine are two molecules with potential therapeutic properties known to modulate neutrophil functions when used separately. This study was conducted in order to better understand the mode of action of VAA-I and to elucidate how VAA-I could modulate IL-15-induced neutrophil responses. We found that VAA-I cannot induce phosphorylation events in human neutrophils. However, it enhances phagocytosis by itself without altering IL-15-induced phagocytosis. VAA-I was found to reverse the ability of IL-15 to delay neutrophil apoptosis and this was correlated with an inhibition of IL-15-induced de novo protein synthesis. In addition, we also found that IL-15 cannot reverse or attenuate the caspase-induced gelsolin fragmentation observed during apoptosis as assessed by immunoblotting. We conclude that VAA-I can be used to modulate some, but not all, IL-15-induced neutrophil responses and that it acts independent of phosphorylation events.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed2001

[Using interaction-intensive therapeutic nursing measures and "home remedies" in nursing care. An explorative study as a plea for integrated nursing practice].

BACKGROUND: Until today there existed no major studies about the wide range of currently utilized methods or potential sociodemographic and institutional influences on utilization despite an immense interest among nurses in alternative nursing methods (in this study referred to as home remedies). METHODS: In this study, from standardized questionnaires with a convenience sample of three different settings of nursing practice, i.e. acute-care, nursing homes, and home health care were analyzed using the statistical program SPSS. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that a wide range of traditional home remedies is being utilized, e.g. application of heat and cold or herbal infusion (herbal teas). Furthermore, lay approaches such as aromatherapy were also commonly used. The statistical analysis revealed complex influences of age, duration of nursing practice and institutional setting in the utilization of home remedies. CONCLUSION: There is need for more systematic studies to further examine the alternative methods or home remedies so popular among nurses and their patients. Regarding a more consistent naming of the variety of different methods coming from naturopathy, folk and lay medicine, the authors suggest the term "integrative nursing care".

Adult↗
PubMed2001

A current review of the antimicrobial activity of Hypericum perforatum L.

A petrolether extract of the areal parts of Hypericum perforatum L. was reported to be active against gram-positive bacteria. Hyperforin, a phloroglucin derivative was shown to be the antimicrobial principle. Hyperforin exhibited an excellent effect against methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus with a MIC value of 1.0 microg/ml. A butanol fraction of St. John's Wort revealed anti-Helicobacter pylori activity with MIC values ranging between 15.6 and 31.2 microg/ml. Recently, hydrous solutions of Hypericum perforatum teas were found to be antimicrobially effective against gram-positive bacteria with special activity towards methicillin-restistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus (MIC values: 1.3 to 2.5 mg herb/ml).

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗