Journal of Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine

This study sought to investigate the ameliorative effects of ethanol extract Artocarpus heterophyllus (EAH) in alloxan-induced diabetic rats. The rats were divided into 6 groups, with groups 1 and 2 serving as nondiabetic and diabetic control, respectively; group 3 serving as diabetic rats treated with 5 mg/kg glibenclamide; and groups 4 to 6 were diabetic rats treated with 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg of EAH, respectively. Assays determined were serum insulin, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant enzyme activities...

AIM: This systematic review is aimed at evaluating the literature on the efficacy of naturally available extracts that inhibit cancer. METHODS: A literature search was performed to strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology analysis. Approximately 3000 research articles were initially selected. Of these articles, 200 were included, and 2800 were excluded. On further scrutiny, 150 of the 200 studies were reviews, seminars, and presentations, and 50 were original study articles...

While the intention of Integrative Medicine (IM) is whole person medicine, it has for the most part remained driven by individual modalities. Like the practice of IM itself, IM research too has been driven primarily by studies on individual modalities. There are significant challenges to moving research on whole systems medicine forward, with funding being at the top of the list. Historically, NIH has not been receptive to supporting research on whole systems, preferring instead to support studies that are more individual modality driven so that mechanisms can be identified...

Complementary and alternative medicine covers a wide variety of therapies and practices, which vary from country to country and region to region. The study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of complementary and alternative medicine among the residents of Wayu town, Western Ethiopia. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out on 302 residents. A systematic sampling was used to select households. Data were entered in SPSS (version 20; IBM Corp) and descriptive statistics was carried out...

Spilanthes mauritiana belonging to the family Asteraceae, was screened for biological activity against bacterial pathogen. Antibacterial activity of the plant was investigated using microbroth dilution assay and bioautography. Total phenols and tannins of the extract were 52.47 ± 2.29 and 23.9 ± 1.18 as mg of gallic acid equivalents, respectively. Total flavonoid content was 25.1 ± 0.79 as mg of quercetin equivalents. Free radical scavenging activity of constituents in all the extract, against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl showed minimal activity...

The present study was conducted to explore the efficacy and safety of a herbal combination in the treatment of women with hyperlipidemic type 2 diabetes. The herbal combination capsule (600 mg) contained Terminalia chebula fruit extract (200 mg), Commiphora mukul (200 mg), and Commiphora myrrha oleo-gum-resin (200 mg), and the placebo capsule contained 600 mg toast powder. The patients in one group took the herbal combination and those in the other group took placebo capsules 3 times a day for 3 months. In the herbal combination-treated patients, the fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were decreased and hidh-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels was increased significantly at the endpoint compared with the placebo and baseline...

The aim of the study was to evaluate the biological activities and safety of commercial herbal concoctions manufactured in Ga Maja (Limpopo province). Microbial contamination was evaluated by spread-plating the concoctions on agar plates. The VITEK 2 instrument was used for identification of the pure cultures. Nutritional content of the concoctions was determined. Thin layer chromatography was used to analyze the chemical constituents of the extracts. The microdilution assay and bioautography were used to evaluate antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms...

Intake of oral supplements with the aim of a cutaneous antiaging effect are increasingly common. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a promising candidate, as it is the key factor for preserving tissue hydration. In our practice study, we evaluated the effect of an oral HA preparation diluted in a cascade-fermented organic whole food concentrate supplemented with biotin, vitamin C, copper, and zinc (Regulatpro Hyaluron) on skin moisture content, elasticity, skin roughness, and wrinkle depths. Twenty female subjects with healthy skin in the age group of 45 to 60 years took the product once daily for 40 days...

Extracts of Desmodium adscendens (Sw) DC are used for the treatment of various diseases but limited toxicological evaluations have been done on the medicinal plant. This study investigates toxicity effects of the leave extract of D adscendens, and the possibility of drug-drug interaction of the plant extract when co-administered with other drugs. Oral administrations of leaf extract of D adscendens to white Wistar rats in an acute toxicity studies allowed the estimation of an LD50 (median lethal dose) value of 1122 mg/kg body weight...

We analyzed the National Health Institute Survey Alternative Medicine supplement yoga data for 2002, 2007, and 2012 to answer the following questions: (1) Do the claims about increase in the use of yoga hold true at the level of specific health problems? (2) Do trends support a proposition that yoga is believed to be helpful in amelioration of disease conditions? (3) Do the prescribing patterns of health care providers correspond with the increasing popularity of yoga? Data were analyzed using SAS software, version 9...

Many studies have investigated the efficacy of Endostar combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) versus TACE alone for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A systematic review was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Endostar. PubMed, Embase, and other databases were searched, and meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. Nine studies, all of which were clinical randomized controlled trials, involving 411 participants were included. The overall response rate, disease control rate and α-fetoprotein negative conversion ratio, and the 6- and 12-month survival rate of HCC patients treated with combined Endostar and TACE were higher than those treated with TACE alone ( P < ...

The present study was designed to investigate the protective effect of the aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea against hyperglycemic, oxidative damage and inflammation in the serum of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. In the present study, the rats were divided into the following groups of 8 animals each: control, untreated diabetic, 3 Portulaca oleracea (100, 200, 400 mg/kg/d)-treated diabetic groups. At the end of the 4-week period, glucose, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels were measured...

In the present study, we have phytochemically characterized 5 different abundant Aloe species, including Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f., using silylation followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry technique and compared the data using multivariate statistical analysis. The results demonstrated clear distinction of the overall phytochemical profile of A vera, highlighted by its divergent spatial arrangement in the component plot. Lowest correlation of the phytochemical profiles were found between A vera and A aristata Haw...

Interventions to reduce caregiver burden are of great interest as the number of informal family caregivers continues to grow. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of an online mindfulness meditation intervention for community-dwelling older adult caregivers and to evaluate its impact on quality of life, caregiver burden, and psychological well-being. A total of 40 caregivers were recruited from 2 community center support groups to participate in an 8-week online mindfulness intervention. Pre and post surveys were administered...

BACKGROUND: The cardioprotective effects of Persea americana extract was investigated on biochemical activities of high salt-fed adult Wistar rats in this study. METHOD: Forty healthy Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 120 to 150 g were randomly assigned into 8 groups of 5 rats each (groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G, and H). Rats in groups A, F, G, and H were fed with standard laboratory pellets, while groups B, C, D, and E were fed on the high-salt diet for 4 weeks. Concomitantly, daily administration of 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg of the P americana extract were given orally to groups C and F, D and G, and E and H, respectively, while rats in groups A and B were administered distilled water...

We present 2 cases of severe postoperative sore throat, hoarseness, aphonia, and dysphagia, after a laryngeal mask insertion, who were treated successfully with the homeopathic remedy Arnica montana. Three doses of Arnica montana 200CH were given to the patients over 36 hours. Although the symptoms were very intense, the remedy was very effective and cleared most of the symptoms in 48 hours.

The effects of aqueous extract of Ocimum gratissimum leaf (AOGL) on the renal function of rats with gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity were investigated. This study involved the use of forty five (45) adult male Wistar rats (housed in separate metabolic cages) such that graded doses of OAGL were administered to the experimental groups (p.o.) for 28 days after exposure to gentamicin toxicity (100 mg/kg i.p.) for 1 week. At the end of the study, comparisons of some indices of renal function as well as antioxidant status (GSH and TBARS) were made between the control, toxic and AOGL-treated groups at P < 0...

Mindfulness-based curricular interventions can support adolescents who are at risk of school failure as they negotiate the transition from high school into young adulthood. Researchers hypothesized that a 6-week mindfulness-based intervention would lower participants' perceived stress while increasing their reported levels of self-esteem. Participants (N = 23) ranged in age from 17 to 20 years while the majority were male students of color. Pre- and postintervention survey mean responses revealed statistically significant differences on the Single-Item Self-Esteem Scale and 3 items on the Perceived Stress Scale (with small to moderate effect sizes)...

Stress-induced disorders such as anxiety represent the leading causes of adult disability worldwide. Previous studies indicate that yoga and other contemplative practices such as pranayama, or controlled yogic breathing techniques, may be effective in the treatment of mood disorders and stress. In this study, 142 individuals (mean age = 43 years; SD = 13.90) participated in a 3-day retreat program during which they learned Shambhavi Mahamudra kriya, which is a yogic practice that includes both deep breathing and meditation techniques...

Silybum marianum (L) Gaertn (milk thistle) seeds, Urtica dioica L (nettle) leaves, and Boswellia serrata (olibanum gum) resin are used traditionally by Iranian diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antihyperglycemic effects of these herbs in an herbal formulation in patients with type II diabetes mellitus. Sixty patients diagnosed as type II diabetes mellitus with fasting blood glucose level from 150 to 180 mg/dL, glycosylated hemoglobin level from 7.5% to 8.5%, and on oral antihyperglycemic drugs, were allocated to receive the mix herbal formulation or placebo for 90 days in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial...