Journal of Pharmacopuncture

OBJECTIVES: The study was designed to evaluate anti-arthritic activity of Ajmodadi Churna (AC) and its effect on Complete freund's adjuvant (CFA)-induced arthritis in Wistar rats. METHODS: Arthritis was induced by injecting 0.2 mL CFA into sub plantar surface of left hind paw. Test sample AC-1 and AC-2, 200 and 400 mg/kg, respectively was given to the animals for 21 consecutive days. The increase in swelling was observed after induction of arthritis. The paw edema was measured on 0, 3, 7, 14 and 21 day using Vernier calliper after the induction of arthritis...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fruit juices on Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens involved in Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) among tribal women in the district Anuppur, Madhya Pradesh, India. METHODS: Fresh juices of lemon ( Citrus limon ), amla/Indian gooseberry ( Phyllanthus emblica ), pineapple ( Ananas comosus ), mosambi/sweet lime ( Citrus limetta ), orange ( Citrus sinensis ), kiwi ( Actinidia deliciosa ), and pomegranate ( Punica granatum ) fruits were evaluated for in vitro antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens involved in UITs and STIs among tribal women...

OBJECTIVES: Previous studies have shown that anger can lead to frontal lobe α (8-13 Hz) band asymmetry (FAA) in electroencephalogram (EEG), in accordance with motivational direction. This pilot study aimed to investigate the impact of acupuncture on FAA elicited by anger. METHODS: Thirty-four right-handed participants scoring above 75 points on the Novaco Anger Scale were included. Baseline EEG signals were recorded for eight minutes using a 32-channel cap under comfortable conditions...

OBJECTIVES: Dental caries is a prevalent chronic human infection worldwide and several plants have shown anticariogenic properties through antibacterial activity against oral pathogens. The present study aimed to assess anticariogenic activity of Verbascum speciosum , in search of novel agents for the prevention and treatment of dental caries. METHODS: Hydro-alcoholic extracts from flowers and total aerial parts of the plant were prepared by maceration. Antibacterial activity of the extracts against Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 35668) and Streptococcus sobrinus (ATCC 27607) was investigated by agar diffusion and microdilution techniques...

OBJECTIVES: In this study we aimed to evaluate the in vitro antibacterial activity and wound healing properties of Achillea millefolium essential oil (AMEO) in full-thickness wound model in rat. The antibacterial activity of AMEO was evaluated against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa using the broth dilution method. METHODS: The 2 cm × 2 cm full-thickness excisional wounds were created on the back of animals. Topical therapy was applied twice a day using 1%, 2%, and 3% w/w AMEO ointments, and the measurement of the wounds area was carried out every 3 days, after that the wound closure percentage was calculated in these days...

OBJECTIVES: Several studies have reported that methotrexate is an anti-cancer and immunosuppressive drug leading to lung injury. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the protective effects of silymarin, citral, and thymoquinone on methotrexate-induced pulmonary toxicity. METHODS: Forty-eight rats were divided into six groups, including healthy, Methotrexate, and drug carrier control groups and silymarin, citral, and thymoquinone treatment groups. At the end of the experiment, the studied rats were anesthetized and sacrificed by CO2 ...

OBJECTIVES: In East Asia, postpartum care has traditionally been considered important for maternal health; however, studies on this are still insufficient. Therefore, we examined the satisfaction and perceived effectiveness of herbal decoctions used in postpartum care in a city in the Republic of Korea (ROK). METHODS: We analyzed anonymized secondary data obtained from a retrospective cross-sectional survey of women who had taken herbal decoctions provided by the support service for women giving birth in a local city in ROK...

OBJECTIVES: The present study was designed to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of herbal medicines as add-on therapy on lung function in asthmatic patients. METHODS: A comprehensive search of online databases was performed up to December 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials that used orally herbal preparations for asthma as add-on therapy. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool...

OBJECTIVES: Airway remodeling in asthma involves chronic inflammation associated with structural changes, which result in severe airflow limitation and very few therapeutic options. Thus, the present study was designed to experimentally evaluate the ameliorative effects of Withania somnifera (WS) root extract against Ovalbumin (OVA)-induced airway remodeling in a rat model of asthma. METHODS: Wistar rats were immunized (i.p) and challenged (aerosol) with ovalbumin (OVA), and the effects of WS extract were investigated on the development and progress of airway remodeling by assessing immunological, biochemical, and histological changes in these rats...

OBJECTIVES: Molecular docking and QSAR studies of indole derivatives as antibacterial agents. METHODS: In this study, we used a multiple linear regressions (MLR) approach to construct a 2D quantitative structure activity relationship of 14 reported indole derivatives. It was performed on the reported antibacterial activity data of 14 compounds based on theoretical chemical descriptors to construct statistical models that link structural properties of indole derivatives to antibacterial activity...

OBJECTIVES: After the evidence-based Korean medicine clinical practice guidelines (KM-CPGs) for 30 targeted diseases were developed in 2021, 34 diseases have been proposed for the second-wave development of the KM-CPGs. The purpose of this study was to investigate the development priorities of the candidate diseases into the second-wave development of KM-CPGs in south Korea. METHODS: In this study, we analyzed the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service National Patient Sample data from 2017 to 2018 to determine the demand and economic importance of the candidates for the second-wave development of KM-CPGs in real-world clinical settings in Korea...

OBJECTIVES: Human Polycystic Ovary/Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS), a frequent endocrine pathophysiology among women of fertile age, is associated with woman's lifespan endocrine, metabolic and psychological implications. Long-term usage side effects of allopathic strategies and their low efficacy made complementary medicine treatments a relevant subject for these patients. The main aim of this work is to review the efficiency of the acupuncture treatment reported in the latest studies on literature regarding PCOS patients...

OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal trauma is a common type of injury that can result from damage to the muscular or skeletal system and has been recognized as a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. This study aims to analyze the efficacy of Pyritum external treatment for musculoskeletal trauma. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials evaluating the external treatment effect of Pyritum on various types of musculoskeletal traumatic injuries will be considered and identified in the searches of eight databases from their inception to Feb 2023...

OBJECTIVES: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a condition that occurs frequently among women of reproductive age and is a polygenic, multifactorial, endocrine, and metabolic disorder. PCOS is becoming more common as a result of risk factors such as current lifestyle, overnutrition, and stress. The use of traditional herbal medicine is higher among the global population. Hence, this review article focuses on the potential of Nigella sativa to manage women with PCOS. METHODS: A literature search was carried out using databases including Medline, Google Scholar, EBSCO, Embase, and Science Direct, as well as reference lists, to identify relevant publications that support the use of N...

OBJECTIVES: Moroccan Arbutus unedo is an essential medicinal plant; however, little is known about the biological properties of its leaves mentioned in Moroccan traditional medicine. METHODS: Various standard experiments were performed to evaluate the phytochemical, antidiabetic, antioxidant, antibacterial, and acute and sub-chronic toxicity characteristics of A. unedo leaves. RESULTS: Phytochemical screening led to the identification of several phytochemical classes, including tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, and anthraquinones, with high concentrations of polyphenols (31...

OBJECTIVES: Discussions regarding "medical blind spots" in Korea's "aging society" are continuously rising. In addition, the demand for medical attention and care for the elderly and vulnerable populations continues to increase. Given this, the government is promoting the "home healthcare service" project. This study aims to lay the foundation for promoting this project by investigating the perception of clinical Korean Medicine (KM) doctors in the "community health care" project. METHODS: With the cooperation of the Association of Korean Medicine, we sent a questionnaire to all KM doctors through e-mail...

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the potential toxicity of a recently developed and clinically used No-Pain pharmacopuncture (NPP) solution. We also assessed the lethal dose of the NPP agent following a single intramuscular injection in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. METHODS: Animals were divided into two groups the NPP test material group and the normal saline control group. A single intramuscular injection of the NPP agent (1.0 mL/animal) was administered to rats of the NPP test material group...

OBJECTIVES: Medical services are closely related to individual health and welfare, and health status in childhood or adolescence is widely recognized to be related to many socioeconomic outcomes. Therefore, providing appropriate medical services in childhood and adolescence is important. We aimed to investigate the determinants of traditional Korean medical services (TKMS) usage by children aged < 19 years. The focus was on the role of their parents' experiences with TKMS in determining TKMS use by children...

OBJECTIVES: The coronavirus disease 2019 has deteriorated mental health, particularly in mothers with elementary school children. Although the country has developed several health promotion programs to preserve mental health, no program has incorporated Korean medicine. Thus, this study focuses on developing vital Korean medicine mental health care programs. METHODS: The program follows the Korean medicine health promotion program principles. Guidelines, reports, research, and previous programs were analyzed to form interventions and lecture content...

Our study purpose was to report the clinical application of five different pharmacopunctures (Sweet BV, Scolopendrae Corpus, Chukyu, Cervi Parvum Cornu, and Hominis Placenta) for trigger finger. A patient was admitted to Ba-reun-mom S Korean Medicine Clinic and diagnosed with trigger finger. Because the effects of each pharmacopuncture have been confirmed in various acute to chronic cases, we treated a patient diagnosed with trigger finger using pharmacopunctures Sweet BV and Scolopendrae Corpus at the acute phase, Chukyu pharmacopuncture at the acute to chronic phase, and pharmacopunctures Cervi Parvum Cornu and Hominis Placenta at the chronic phase...