Alternative and Complementary Medicine Commons^™

Safety Of Potentised Dilutions Of Rhus Toxicodendron In Wistar Albino Rats, Abanti Goswami, Narasimha Kumar Gv, Vara Prasad Saka, Pankaj Gupta, Bibaswan Biswas, Digvijay Verma

Indian Journal of Research in Homoeopathy

Background: Rhus toxicodendron (Rhus tox.) is a well-known homoeopathic medicine used to treat inflammatory disorders supported by historical and modern scientific evidence. Objective: The safety testing of 6C, 30C and 200C potencies of Rhus tox. through acute and sub-acute oral toxicity tests as per the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development test guidelines. Methods: For the acute oral toxicity study, Rhus tox. (2000 μL/kg) was administered to rats and observed for 14 days. For the subacute oral toxicity study, Rhus tox. (200 μL/kg) was administered for 28 days and additional recovery groups were included to monitor reversibility, persistence, or delayed …

Piperine Encourages Apoptosis In Human Cervical Adenocarcinoma Cells Through Ros Generation, Dna Fragmentation, Caspase-3 Activation And Cell Cycle Arrest, Asif Jafri, Juhi Rais, Sudhir Kumar, Md Arshad

Research Symposium

Background: Cancer is one of the most common destructive diseases and the second leading cause of death in humans. Among cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women globally. Thus, there is a continuous need to search for chemotherapeutic chemicals or naturally occurring drugs to resolve this global health problem. Piperine (1-piperoylpeperdine) is present in the fruits of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.) and long pepper (Piper longum Linn.). It possesses several pharmacological properties and in the present study we have evaluated its anti-cancer potential on human cervical adenocarcinoma (HeLa) cells.

Methods: The anti-proliferative effect …

Alternative Pharmacology: Exploring Ketamine Use For Treatment Resistant Mental Health Disorders, Kiersten L. Ash

Soaring: A Journal of Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Seasonal Affective Disorder Treatment: Light Therapy Versus Ssri Therapy, Gabriella M. Hinde, Hannah Dyer, Ash Werner, Michaela Cisowski

Non-Thesis Student Work

To determine the effect of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments for seasonal depression in college students, we asked the following evidence-based PICO question: In college students (ages 18-25) with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), how does SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) therapy compared to light therapy affect seasonal depression syndrome? Seasonal affective disorder is synonymously used with the terminology seasonal depression due to the clinical manifestations that encompass depression, such as low energy, feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness. SAD begins in the fall months and peaks in the winter months due to a decrease in Vitamin D and ultraviolet (UV) ray …

The Benefits Of Astaxanthin To Improve Pain Relief In Patients With Painful Diabetic Neuropathy: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial, Rizaldy Taslim Pinzon, Mary Rose Angelina Budi Harsana

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Treatment of diabetic neuropathy is still carried out by providing symptomatic therapy, which only improves ± 50% of the total symptoms felt by patients, but does not tackle the underlying causes of the disease. Astaxanthin is a potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic carotenoid that could be an additional treatment option. We aimed to measure the effectiveness of administering astaxanthin as an additional therapy to improve the impact of pain and discomfort experienced daily by diabetes mellitus patients with painful diabetic neuropathy. We conducted a randomized experimental study with an open label design of 36 patients who had been diagnosed with …

Contemporary Brazilian Catholicism And Healing Practices: Notes On Environmentalism And Medicalization, Juliano F. Almeida

Journal of Global Catholicism

Anthropological studies on Brazilian Catholicism traditionally focused on popular variants of this religious practice and their relationship with the official Catholicism. Encouraged by recent anthropological perspectives, which highlight the relevance of devoting researches not only on the margins, but also on the center of social practices, this paper analyzes contemporary practices of Brazilian Catholic friars and priests on health promotion. The analysis of their publications (books that include practices and tips on health and that became best sellers etc.), as well as interviews, allows us to perceive a process of environmentalization on the contemporary Brazilian Catholicism. This process seems to …

Use Of A Zebrafish Model To Identify Anticonvulsant Properties Of Cannabinoid And Terpenoid Extracts And Mixtures, Courtney Murr

LSU Master's Theses

Epilepsy is a complex group of neurological disorders affecting approximately 65 million people worldwide. Animal models reveal the activation of cannabinoid receptor 1 and cannabinoid receptor 2 reduces the severity of seizures associated with epilepsy. Trials of phytocannabinoids in mammals demonstrate their efficacy of reducing the severity of epileptic seizures. Numerous terpenoid compounds are present in Cannabis plants but most have yet to be clinically investigated. The goal of this research was to use zebrafish (Danio rerio) to identify the potential anticonvulsive properties of phytocannabinoid and terpenoid compounds. During acute cannabinoid exposures, 7-days-post-fertilization (7 dpf) zebrafish larvae were …

The Bioactivities Of Resveratrol And Its Naturally Occurring Derivatives On Skin, Ming-Hsien Lin, Chi-Feng Hung, Hsin-Ching Sung, Shih-Chun Yang, Huang-Ping Yu, Jia-You Fang

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Resveratrol has been extensively reported as a potential compound to treat some skin disorders, including skin cancer, photoaging, allergy, dermatitis, melanogenesis, and microbial infection. There has been an increasing interest in the discovery of cosmetic application using resveratrol as the active ingredient because of its anti-aging and skin lightening activities. The naturally occurring derivatives of resveratrol also exert a beneficial effect on the skin. There are four groups of resveratrol derivatives, including hydroxylated compounds, methoxylated compounds, glycosides, and oligomers. The major mechanism of resveratrol and its derivatives for attenuating cutaneous neoplasia, photoaging and inflammation, are related with its antioxidative activity …

Structural Characterization And In Vitro Antiproliferative Activity Of Non-Specific Lipid Transfer Protein 1 (Nsltp1) From Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) Seeds, Mekdes Megeressa

Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD) Dissertations

Non-specific lipid transfer proteins (nsLTPs) are cationic proteins involved in intracellular lipid shuttling, in growth and reproduction, as well as in defense against pathogenic microbes. Even though the primary and spatial structures of some nsLTPs from different plants indicate their similar features, they exhibit distinct lipid-binding specificities signifying their various biological roles that dictate further structural study. The present study determined the complete amino acid sequence, in silico 3D structure modeling, and in vitro antiproliferative activity of nsLTP1 from fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds.

Fennel is a member of the family Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) native to southern Europe and the …

Combination Of Investigational Cell-Based Therapy And Deep Brain Stimulation To Alter The Progression Of Parkinson’S Disease, Nader El Seblani

Theses and Dissertations--Pharmacy

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder and the motor symptoms are caused by progressive loss of midbrain dopamine neurons. There is no current treatment that can slow or reverse PD. Our current “DBS-Plus” clinical trial (NCT02369003) features the implantation in vivo of autologous Schwann cells (SCs) derived from a patient’s sural nerve into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) in combination with Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) therapy for treating patients with advanced PD.

The central hypothesis of our research is that transdifferentiated SCs within conditioned nerve tissue will deliver pro-regenerative factors to enhance the survival of …

Melatonin-Micronutrients Osteopenia Treatment Study (Mots): A Translational Study Assessing The Effects Of Melatonin, Strontium Citrate, Vitamin D3 And Vitamin K2 On Bone Density, Bone Turnover Markers And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Postmenopausal Osteopenic Women Following A One-Year Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial And On Osteoblast-Osteoclast Co-Cultures, Sifat Maria

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess if a novel combination of melatonin and three other natural bone-aiding micronutrients: strontium citrate, vitamins D₃ and K₂ (MSDK) could improve bone health by modulating the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in favor of balanced bone remodeling and by improving the overall health-related quality of life in postmenopausal osteopenic women.

Methods: The Melatonin-micronutrients Osteopenia Treatment Study (MOTS) is a translational research study that used both clinical and in vitro approaches to assess the efficacy of MSDK on bone health in women and to identify potential mechanisms for its effects. …

Under The Influence: An Interdisciplinary Approach To Psychedelics, Jody Roun

Master of Liberal Studies Theses

The following research will outline the effects of psychedelics from an interdisciplinary approach, which is to say that I will explore the neuroscience behind psychedelic drugs and how it relates to creativity, as a primary focus, while examining the role of additional points included along the way. The goal of this research, is to gain a deeper understanding of psychedelics and truly decipher what it means to be under the influence, as the most important goal of this human existence is to achieve understanding. The aforementioned is a point that great minds like Albert Einstein and Humphry Osmond impressed on …

Effects Of Anandamide Administration On Components Of Reward Processing, Howard C. Cromwell

Howard Casey Cromwell

Utilization And Accessibility Of Securinega Virosa For Medical Use In Morogoro Municipality, Sasha Friedrich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Approximately 80% of rural communities in Tanzania utilize the services of traditional healers. This is largely because modern medicine is often expensive, inaccessible, or has undesirable side effects. This study investigates use of traditional medicine in Morogoro Urban district where people do have access to hospitals. In particular, this study aims to assess the utilization and accessibility the plant species Securinega virosa for medicinal use by identifying and interviewing the actors involved in the supply chain from harvester to consumer. I conducted semi-structured interviews with eight traditional healers and one herbal medicine shopkeeper. I expected harvesters to express a decline …

Inhibition Of Enterobacter Cloacae And Klebsiella Oxytoca By Garlic (Allium Sativum L.) And Garlic Pills, Lucinda Choules, Dennis A. Gravatt, Stephen M. Kosovich, Wei Yuan, Ping Wang, Ron Havner

Faculty Publications

Multidrug resistant infections and superinfections are increasing globally. Intrinsic and acquired resistance to multiple antibiotics by bacteria from the Enterobacteriaceae family exasperate treatment efforts by clinicians. Carbapenem antibiotics were once relied upon to treat multidrug resistant infections. However, Carbapenem Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) infections are becoming more common, requiring that an alternative treatment be found. This study trialed an ancient cure, Fresh Garlic Extract (FGE) created from garlic (Allium sativum L.) and commercially prepared garlic pills against two opportunistic Enterobacteriaceae in vitro utilizing: disc diffusion, well diffusion (introducing DIFF-bolts), and HPLC. FGE and four brands of garlic pills inhibited the growth …

Street Drug Markets Beyond Favelas In Belo Horizonte, Brazil, Elenice De Souza De Souza Oliveira, Braulio Figueiredo Alves Silva, Marcos Oliveira Prates

Department of Justice Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examines whether social disorganization mechanisms that explain clusters of street drug markets in socially disorganized neighborhoods in developed countries can also help explain geographical patterns of drug dealing across neighborhoods in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Data for this study includes drug arrests from 2007 to 2011 and socio demographic data from the 2010 Census. To examine the influence of exploratory variables on drug market locations, the Negative Binominal regression model was used at two levels of analysis—the Belo Horizonte city center and other neighborhoods including favelas. The findings show that a high hot spot of street drug markets located …

Effect Of Ascorbate On Coagulation And Fibrinolytic Factors In The Septic Microvasculature, Scott Swarbreck

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory response to an infection, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The microcirculation during sepsis fails, in part, due to microthrombosis and the resulting plugging of capillaries, precipitating organ failure. Intravenous injection of ascorbate has been shown to reduce capillary plugging, however the mechanism of this protective effect is unclear. We hypothesized that ascorbate-mediated destabilization of the microthrombi through promoting fibrinolysis could contribute to this protection.

We showed that streptokinase, a pro-fibrinolytic agent, reduced the capillary plugging to a similar degree as ascorbate. This similarity provided the impetus for studying the effect of ascorbate …

Isolation And Characterization Of Natural Alpha-Glucosidase Inhibitors From Antioxidant Rich Red Wine Grapes (Vitis Vinifera), Hoda Chaouki Kadouh

Wayne State University Dissertations

Background: Diabetes is currently a global public health problem affecting people at all ages. Dietary antioxidants have been associated with a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Grape pomace contains considerable amounts of polyphenols and it has been reported to exhibit an inhibitory activity against alpha- glucosidases. Alpha-glucosidases, in turn, play a major role in controlling starch digestion and therefore postprandial blood glucose, a target for diabetes management.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the anti-diabetes potential of a selection of six grape pomaces and prepare and purify active components in the active variety that specifically inhibit intestinal alpha-glucosidases. The …

Cosmetic Neurology: Enhancement Of The Mind And Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Medication Abuse Among College Students, Mary M. Huff

Senior Honors Theses

Cosmetic neurology is becoming increasingly popular, and it is not just sleep deprived, over worked college students who are interested. People are beginning to seek off-label prescriptions for medications that are typically used to treat disorders such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or narcolepsy, while researchers are trying to create drugs used solely for mind enhancement purposes. Along with these drugs come many legal and ethical quandaries relating to the regulation of current use as well as the what ifs of future possibilities. A survey was conducted among college students regarding the diagnosis of ADHD, the abuse of ADHD …

Erectogenic Effects Of Clerodendron Capitatum: Involvement Of Phosphodiesterase Type-5 Inhibition, Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

No abstract provided.

Clausena Excavata Burm. F. (Rutaceae): A Review Of Its Traditional Uses, Pharmacological And Phytochemical Properties., Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

The present review describes the morphological, traditional, phytochemical and pharmacological aspects of Clausena excavata (Burm. f., Rutaceae). The plant grows wild in the tropical and subtropical parts of Asia and represents one of the richest sources of medicinal natural products. It is intensively used currently in traditional medicine for treatment of different illnesses. One part or a mixture of two or more parts of the plant in the form of powder or liquid doze is usually given to the patient. Phytochemically, many pure compounds from several secondary metabolite groups of C. excavata have been isolated from different parts of the …

Chloroform Fraction Of Centratherum Anthelminticum (L.) Seed Inhibits Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha And Exhibits Pleotropic Bioactivities: Inhibitory Role In Human Tumor Cells, Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

We investigated the antioxidant potential, cytotoxic effect, and TNF-α inhibition activity with NF-κB activation response in a chloroformfraction of Centratherum anthelminticum seeds (CACF). The antioxidant property of CACF was evaluated with DPPH, ORAC, and FRAP assays, which demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. The cytotoxicity of CACF was tested using theMTT assay; CACF effective inhibitory concentrations (IC50) for A549, PC-3, MCF-7, and WRL-68 cells were 31.42 ± 5.4, 22.61 ± 1.7, 8.1±0.9, and 54.93±8.3 μg/mL, respectively. CACF effectively and dose-dependently inhibited TNF-α release, in vitro and in vivo. CACF inhibited TNF-α secretion in stimulated RAW264.7macrophage supernatants with an IC50 of 0.012 μg/mL, …

In Vitro Anti-Inflammatory, Cytotoxic And Antioxidant Activities Of Boesenbergin A, A Chalcone Isolated From Boesenbergia Rotunda (L.) (Fingerroot), Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

The current in vitro study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of boesenbergin A (BA), a chalcone derivative of known structure isolated from Boesenbergia rotunda. Human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colon adenocarcinoma (HT-29), non-small cell lung cancer (A549), prostate adenocarcinoma (PC3), and normal hepatic cells (WRL-68) were used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of BA using the MTT assay. The antioxidant activity of BA was assessed by the ORAC assay and compared to quercetin as a standard reference antioxidant. ORAC results are reported as the equivalent concentration of Trolox that produces the same level of antioxidant activity as …

Synthesis Of Chalcones With Anticancer Activities., Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

Several chalcones were synthesized and their in vitro cytotoxicity against various human cell lines, including human breast adenocarcinoma cell line MCF-7, human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549, human prostate cancer cell line PC3, human adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29 (colorectal cancer) and human normal liver cell line WRL-68 was evaluated. Most of the compounds being active cytotoxic agents, four of them with minimal IC50 values were chosen and studied in detail with MCF-7 cells. The compounds 1, 5, 23, and 25 were capable in eliciting apoptosis in MCF-7 cells as shown by multiparameter cytotoxicity assay and caspase-3/7, -8, and -9 activities …

Cucurbitacin L 2-O- Glucoside Demonstrates Apoptogenesis In Colon Adenocarcinoma Cells (Ht-29): Involvement Of Reactive Oxygen And Nitrogen Species Regulation, Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

Emerging evidence suggests that reactive oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) species can contribute to diverse signalling pathways of inflammatory and tumour cells. Cucurbitacins are a group of highly oxygenated triterpenes. Many plants used in folk medicine to treat cancer have been found to contain cucurbitacins displaying potentially important anti-inflammatory actions. The current study was designed to investigate the anti-ROS and -RNS effects of cucurbitacin L 2-O-β-glucoside (CLG) and the role of these signaling factors in the apoptogenic effects of CLG on human colon cancer cells (HT-29). This natural cucurbitacin was isolated purely from Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (Cucurbitaceae). The results …

Dentatin Induces Apoptosis In Prostate Cancer Cells Via Bcl-2, Bcl-Xl, Survivin Downregulation, Caspase-9, -3/7 Activation And Nf-Kb Inhibition., Dr Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

This study was set to investigate antiproliferative potential of dentatin (a natural coumarin isolated from Clausena excavata Burm. F) against prostate cancer and to delineate the underlying mechanism of action. Treatment with dentatin dose-dependently inhibited cell growth of PC-3 and LNCaP prostate cancer cell lines, whereas it showed less cytotoxic effects on normal prostate epithelial cell line (RWPE-1). The inhibitory effect of dentatin on prostate cancer cell growth was due to induction of apoptosis as evidenced by Annexin V staining and cell shrinkage. We found that dentatin-mediated accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and downregulated expression levels of antiapoptotic molecules …

The Growth Suppressing Effects Of Girinimbine On Hepg2 Involve Induction Of Apoptosis And Cell Cycle Arrest, Syam Mohan

Syam Mohan

Murraya koenigii is an edible herb widely used in folk medicine. Here we report that girinimbine, a carbazole alkaloid isolated from this plant, inhibited the growth and induced apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma, HepG2 cells. The MTT and LDH assay results showed that girinimbine decreased cell viability and increased cytotoxicity in a dose-and time-dependent manner selectively. Girinimbine-treated HepG2 cells showed typical morphological features of apoptosis, as observed from normal inverted microscopy and Hoechst 33342 assay. Furthermore, girinimbine treatment resulted in DNA fragmentation and elevated levels of caspase-3 in HepG2 cells. Girinimbine treatment also displayed a time-dependent accumulation of the Sub-G(0)/G(1) …