Herbal Science Research aggregator

PubMed - Fulltext: The prehistory of potyviruses: their initial radiation was during the dawn of agriculture.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

The prehistory of potyviruses: their initial radiation was during the dawn of agriculture.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2523

Authors: Gibbs AJ, Ohshima K, Phillips MJ, Gibbs MJ

BACKGROUND: Potyviruses are found world wide, are spread by probing aphids and cause considerable crop damage. Potyvirus is one of the two largest plant virus genera and contains about 15% of all named plant virus species. When and why did the potyviruses become so numerous? Here we answer the first question and discuss the other. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We have inferred the phylogenies of the partial coat protein gene sequences of about 50 potyviruses, and studied in detail the phylogenies of some using various methods and evolutionary models. Their phylogenies have been calibrated using historical isolation and outbreak events: the plum pox virus epidemic which swept through Europe in the 20th century, incursions of potyviruses into Australia after agriculture was established by European colonists, the likely transport of cowpea aphid-borne mosaic virus in cowpea seed from Africa to the Americas with the 16th century slave trade and the similar transport of papaya ringspot virus from India to the Americas. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our studies indicate that the partial coat protein genes of potyviruses have an evolutionary rate of about 1.15x10(-4) nucleotide substitutions/site/year, and the initial radiation of the potyviruses occurred only about 6,600 years ago, and hence coincided with the dawn of agriculture. We discuss the ways in which agriculture may have triggered the prehistoric emergence of potyviruses and fostered their speciation.

PMID: 18575612 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: A simplified GIS approach to modeling global leaf water isoscapes.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

A simplified GIS approach to modeling global leaf water isoscapes.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2447

Authors: West JB, Sobek A, Ehleringer JR

The stable hydrogen (delta(2)H) and oxygen (delta(18)O) isotope ratios of organic and inorganic materials record biological and physical processes through the effects of substrate isotopic composition and fractionations that occur as reactions proceed. At large scales, these processes can exhibit spatial predictability because of the effects of coherent climatic patterns over the Earth's surface. Attempts to model spatial variation in the stable isotope ratios of water have been made for decades. Leaf water has a particular importance for some applications, including plant organic materials that record spatial and temporal climate variability and that may be a source of food for migrating animals. It is also an important source of the variability in the isotopic composition of atmospheric gases. Although efforts to model global-scale leaf water isotope ratio spatial variation have been made (especially of delta(18)O), significant uncertainty remains in models and their execution across spatial domains. We introduce here a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach to the generation of global, spatially-explicit isotope landscapes (= isoscapes) of "climate normal" leaf water isotope ratios. We evaluate the approach and the resulting products by comparison with simulation model outputs and point measurements, where obtainable, over the Earth's surface. The isoscapes were generated using biophysical models of isotope fractionation and spatially continuous precipitation isotope and climate layers as input model drivers. Leaf water delta(18)O isoscapes produced here generally agreed with latitudinal averages from GCM/biophysical model products, as well as mean values from point measurements. These results show global-scale spatial coherence in leaf water isotope ratios, similar to that observed for precipitation and validate the GIS approach to modeling leaf water isotopes. These results demonstrate that relatively simple models of leaf water enrichment combined with spatially continuous precipitation isotope ratio and climate data layers yield accurate global leaf water estimates applicable to important questions in ecology and atmospheric science.

PMID: 18560592 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: The histidine kinase AHK5 integrates endogenous and environmental signals in Arabidopsis guard cells.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

The histidine kinase AHK5 integrates endogenous and environmental signals in Arabidopsis guard cells.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2491

Authors: Desikan R, Horák J, Chaban C, Mira-Rodado V, Witthöft J, Elgass K, Grefen C, Cheung MK, Meixner AJ, Hooley R, Neill SJ, Hancock JT, Harter K

BACKGROUND: Stomatal guard cells monitor and respond to environmental and endogenous signals such that the stomatal aperture is continually optimised for water use efficiency. A key signalling molecule produced in guard cells in response to plant hormones, light, carbon dioxide and pathogen-derived signals is hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)). The mechanisms by which H(2)O(2) integrates multiple signals via specific signalling pathways leading to stomatal closure is not known. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we identify a pathway by which H(2)O(2), derived from endogenous and environmental stimuli, is sensed and transduced to effect stomatal closure. Histidine kinases (HK) are part of two-component signal transduction systems that act to integrate environmental stimuli into a cellular response via a phosphotransfer relay mechanism. There is little known about the function of the HK AHK5 in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here we report that in addition to the predicted cytoplasmic localisation of this protein, AHK5 also appears to co-localise to the plasma membrane. Although AHK5 is expressed at low levels in guard cells, we identify a unique role for AHK5 in stomatal signalling. Arabidopsis mutants lacking AHK5 show reduced stomatal closure in response to H(2)O(2), which is reversed by complementation with the wild type gene. Over-expression of AHK5 results in constitutively less stomatal closure. Abiotic stimuli that generate endogenous H(2)O(2), such as darkness, nitric oxide and the phytohormone ethylene, also show reduced stomatal closure in the ahk5 mutants. However, ABA caused closure, dark adaptation induced H(2)O(2) production and H(2)O(2) induced NO synthesis in mutants. Treatment with the bacterial pathogen associated molecular pattern (PAMP) flagellin, but not elf peptide, also exhibited reduced stomatal closure and H(2)O(2) generation in ahk5 mutants. SIGNIFICANCE: Our findings identify an integral signalling function for AHK5 that acts to integrate multiple signals via H(2)O(2) homeostasis and is independent of ABA signalling in guard cells.

PMID: 18560512 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: Patterns of polymorphism and demographic history in natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

Patterns of polymorphism and demographic history in natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2411

Authors: Ross-Ibarra J, Wright SI, Foxe JP, Kawabe A, DeRose-Wilson L, Gos G, Charlesworth D, Gaut BS

BACKGROUND: Many of the processes affecting genetic diversity act on local populations. However, studies of plant nucleotide diversity have largely ignored local sampling, making it difficult to infer the demographic history of populations and to assess the importance of local adaptation. Arabidopsis lyrata, a self-incompatible, perennial species with a circumpolar distribution, is an excellent model system in which to study the roles of demographic history and local adaptation in patterning genetic variation. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We studied nucleotide diversity in six natural populations of Arabidopsis lyrata, using 77 loci sampled from 140 chromosomes. The six populations were highly differentiated, with a median FST of 0.52, and structure analysis revealed no evidence of admixed individuals. Average within-population diversity varied among populations, with the highest diversity found in a German population; this population harbors 3-fold higher levels of silent diversity than worldwide samples of A. thaliana. All A. lyrata populations also yielded positive values of Tajima's D. We estimated a demographic model for these populations, finding evidence of population divergence over the past 19,000 to 47,000 years involving non-equilibrium demographic events that reduced the effective size of most populations. Finally, we used the inferred demographic model to perform an initial test for local adaptation and identified several genes, including the flowering time gene FCA and a disease resistance locus, as candidates for local adaptation events. CONCLUSIONS: Our results underscore the importance of population-specific, non-equilibrium demographic processes in patterning diversity within A. lyrata. Moreover, our extensive dataset provides an important resource for future molecular population genetic studies of local adaptation in A. lyrata.

PMID: 18545707 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: Virus adaptation by manipulation of host's gene expression.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

Virus adaptation by manipulation of host's gene expression.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2397

Authors: Agudelo-Romero P, Carbonell P, Perez-Amador MA, Elena SF

Viruses adapt to their hosts by evading defense mechanisms and taking over cellular metabolism for their own benefit. Alterations in cell metabolism as well as side-effects of antiviral responses contribute to symptoms development and virulence. Sometimes, a virus may spill over from its usual host species into a novel one, where usually will fail to successfully infect and further transmit to new host. However, in some cases, the virus transmits and persists after fixing beneficial mutations that allow for a better exploitation of the new host. This situation would represent a case for a new emerging virus. Here we report results from an evolution experiment in which a plant virus was allowed to infect and evolve on a naïve host. After 17 serial passages, the viral genome has accumulated only five changes, three of which were non-synonymous. An amino acid substitution in the viral VPg protein was responsible for the appearance of symptoms, whereas one substitution in the viral P3 protein the epistatically contributed to exacerbate severity. DNA microarray analyses show that the evolved and ancestral viruses affect the global patterns of host gene expression in radically different ways. A major difference is that genes involved in stress and pathogen response are not activated upon infection with the evolved virus, suggesting that selection has favored viral strategies to escape from host defenses.

PMID: 18545680 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: Protein translation and cell death: the role of rare tRNAs in biofilm formation and in activating dormant phage killer genes.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

Protein translation and cell death: the role of rare tRNAs in biofilm formation and in activating dormant phage killer genes.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2394

Authors: García-Contreras R, Zhang XS, Kim Y, Wood TK

We discovered previously that the small Escherichia coli proteins Hha (hemolysin expression modulating protein) and the adjacent, poorly-characterized YbaJ are important for biofilm formation; however, their roles have been nebulous. Biofilms are intricate communities in which cell signaling often converts single cells into primitive tissues. Here we show that Hha decreases biofilm formation dramatically by repressing the transcription of rare codon tRNAs which serves to inhibit fimbriae production and by repressing to some extent transcription of fimbrial genes fimA and ihfA. In vivo binding studies show Hha binds to the rare codon tRNAs argU, ileX, ileY, and proL and to two prophage clusters D1P12 and CP4-57. Real-time PCR corroborated that Hha represses argU and proL, and Hha type I fimbriae repression is abolished by the addition of extra copies of argU, ileY, and proL. The repression of transcription of rare codon tRNAs by Hha also leads to cell lysis and biofilm dispersal due to activation of prophage lytic genes rzpD, yfjZ, appY, and alpA and due to induction of ClpP/ClpX proteases which activate toxins by degrading antitoxins. YbaJ serves to mediate the toxicity of Hha. Hence, we have identified that a single protein (Hha) can control biofilm formation by limiting fimbriae production as well as by controlling cell death. The mechanism used by Hha is the control of translation via the availability of rare codon tRNAs which reduces fimbriae production and activates prophage lytic genes. Therefore, Hha acts as a toxin in conjunction with co-transcribed YbaJ (TomB) that attenuates Hha toxicity.

PMID: 18545668 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: A polyadenylation factor subunit implicated in regulating oxidative signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

A polyadenylation factor subunit implicated in regulating oxidative signaling in Arabidopsis thaliana.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2410

Authors: Zhang J, Addepalli B, Yun KY, Hunt AG, Xu R, Rao S, Li QQ, Falcone DL

BACKGROUND: Plants respond to many unfavorable environmental conditions via signaling mediated by altered levels of various reactive oxygen species (ROS). To gain additional insight into oxidative signaling responses, Arabidopsis mutants that exhibited tolerance to oxidative stress were isolated. We describe herein the isolation and characterization of one such mutant, oxt6. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The oxt6 mutation is due to the disruption of a complex gene (At1g30460) that encodes the Arabidopsis ortholog of the 30-kD subunit of the cleavage and polyadenylation specificity factor (CPSF30) as well as a larger, related 65-kD protein. Expression of mRNAs encoding Arabidopsis CPSF30 alone was able to restore wild-type growth and stress susceptibility to the oxt6 mutant. Transcriptional profiling and single gene expression studies show elevated constitutive expression of a subset of genes that encode proteins containing thioredoxin- and glutaredoxin-related domains in the oxt6 mutant, suggesting that stress can be ameliorated by these gene classes. Bulk poly(A) tail length was not seemingly affected in the oxt6 mutant, but poly(A) site selection was different, indicating a subtle effect on polyadenylation in the mutant. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results implicate the Arabidopsis CPSF30 protein in the posttranscriptional control of the responses of plants to stress, and in particular to the expression of a set of genes that suffices to confer tolerance to oxidative stress.

PMID: 18545667 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: The molecular diversity of freshwater picoeukaryotes reveals high occurrence of putative parasitoids in the plankton.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

The molecular diversity of freshwater picoeukaryotes reveals high occurrence of putative parasitoids in the plankton.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2324

Authors: Lefèvre E, Roussel B, Amblard C, Sime-Ngando T

Eukaryotic microorganisms have been undersampled in biodiversity studies in freshwater environments. We present an original 18S rDNA survey of freshwater picoeukaryotes sampled during spring/summer 2005, complementing an earlier study conducted in autumn 2004 in Lake Pavin (France). These studies were designed to detect the small unidentified heterotrophic flagellates (HF, 0.6-5 microm) which are considered the main bacterivores in aquatic systems. Alveolates, Fungi and Stramenopiles represented 65% of the total diversity and differed from the dominant groups known from microscopic studies. Fungi and Telonemia taxa were restricted to the oxic zone which displayed two fold more operational taxonomic units (OTUs) than the oxycline. Temporal forcing also appeared as a driving force in the diversification within targeted organisms. Several sequences were not similar to those in databases and were considered as new or unsampled taxa, some of which may be typical of freshwater environments. Two taxa known from marine systems, the genera Telonema and Amoebophrya, were retrieved for the first time in our freshwater study. The analysis of potential trophic strategies displayed among the targeted HF highlighted the dominance of parasites and saprotrophs, and provided indications that these organisms have probably been wrongfully regarded as bacterivores in previous studies. A theoretical exercise based on a new 'parasite/saprotroph-dominated HF hypothesis' demonstrates that the inclusion of parasites and saprotrophs may increase the functional role of the microbial loop as a link for carbon flows in pelagic ecosystems. New interesting perspectives in aquatic microbial ecology are thus opened.

PMID: 18545660 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Fulltext: Shrub invasion decreases diversity and alters community stability in northern Chihuahuan Desert plant communities.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:37:41 -0700

Shrub invasion decreases diversity and alters community stability in northern Chihuahuan Desert plant communities.

PLoS ONE. 2008;3(6):e2332

Authors: Báez S, Collins SL

BACKGROUND: Global climate change is rapidly altering species range distributions and interactions within communities. As ranges expand, invading species change interactions in communities which may reduce stability, a mechanism known to affect biodiversity. In aridland ecosystems worldwide, the range of native shrubs is expanding as they invade and replace native grassland vegetation with significant consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. METHODOLOGY: We used two long-term data sets to determine the effects of shrub encroachment by Larrea tridentata on subdominant community composition and stability in formerly native perennial grassland dominated by Bouteloua eriopoda in New Mexico, USA. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Our results indicated that Larrea invasion decreased species richness during the last 100 years. We also found that over shorter temporal scales species-poor subdominant communities in areas invaded by Larrea were less stable (more variable in time) compared to species rich communities in grass-dominated vegetation. Compositional stability increased as cover of Bouteloua increased and decreased as cover of Larrea increased. SIGNIFICANCE: Changes in community stability due to altered interspecific interactions may be one mechanism by which biodiversity declines in grasslands following shrub invasion. As global warming increases, shrub encroachment into native grasslands worldwide will continue to alter species interactions and community stability both of which may lead to a decline in biodiversity.

PMID: 18523686 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: Pseudohypericin and hyperforin in Hypericum perforatum from Northern Turkey: variation among populations, plant parts and phenological stages.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Pseudohypericin and hyperforin in Hypericum perforatum from Northern Turkey: variation among populations, plant parts and phenological stages.

J Integr Plant Biol. 2008 May;50(5):575-80

Authors: Cirak C, Radusiene J, Janulis V, Ivanauskas L

Hypericum perforatum is a perennial medicinal plant known as "St. John's wort" in Western Europe and has been used in the treatment of several diseases for centuries. In the present study, morphologic, phenologic and population variability in pseudohypericin and hyperforin concentrations among H. perforatum populations from Northern Turkey was investigated for the first time. The aerial parts of H. perforatum plants representing a total of 30 individuals were collected at full flowering from 10 sites of Northern Turkey to search the regional variation in the secondary metabolite concentrations. For morphologic and phenologic sampling, plants from one site were gathered in five phenological stages: vegetative, floral budding, full flowering, fresh fruiting and mature fruiting. The plant materials were air-dried at room temperature and subsequently assayed for chemical concentrations by high performance liquid chromatography. Secondary metabolite concentrations ranged from traces to 2.94 mg/g dry weight (DW) for pseudohypericin and traces -6.29 mg/g DW for hyperforin. The differences in the secondary metabolite concentrations among populations of H. perforatum were found to be significant. The populations varied greatly in hyperforin concentrations, whereas they produced a similar amount of pseudohypericin. Concentrations of both secondary metabolites in all tissues increased with advancing of plant development and higher accumulation levels were reached at flowering. Among different tissues, full opened flowers were found to be superior to stems, leaves and the other reproductive parts with regard to pseudohypericin and hyperforin accumulations. The present findings might be useful to optimize the processing methodology of wild-harvested plant material and obtain increased concentrations of these secondary metabolites.

PMID: 18713425 [PubMed - in process]

PubMed - Herbal: Successful treatment of spondylolisthesis with medicinal herbs.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Successful treatment of spondylolisthesis with medicinal herbs.

Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2008 Jun;8(2):126-9

Authors: Tsuji K, Koizumi H, Okabe T

It has been reported that some herbal medicines may be effective for acute episodes of chronic nonspecific lower back pain. Spondylolisthesis is one of the causes of lower back or neck pain. To our knowledge, successful treatment of symptomatic spondylolisthesis with medicinal herbs has not been previously reported in the published work. A 63-year-old female had suffered from back pain for 4 years. Radiographs revealed spondylolisthesis at the L3 level. In another case, an 82-year-old female suffered from neck pain. X-ray examinations revealed cervical spondylolisthesis at the C4 level. Several herbs were administered to these patients with symptomatic spondylolisthesis according to the guidelines for herbal medicine. Significant improvements in pain were obtained within 4 weeks in both patients. The pain completely disappeared after 20 weeks (case 1) and 6 weeks (case 2) of treatment. Although surgical treatment is often performed for symptomatic spondylolisthesis, the findings of the present cases imply the therapeutic potential of herbal medicine in selected patients.

PMID: 18713165 [PubMed - in process]

PubMed - Herbal: Identification and characterization of active compounds and their metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry after oral administration of a herbal extract of Epimedium koreanum Nakai t

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Identification and characterization of active compounds and their metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography/Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry after oral administration of a herbal extract of Epimedium koreanum Nakai to rats.

Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom. 2008 Aug 19;22(18):2813-2824

Authors: Wu C, Sheng Y, Zhang Y, Zhang J, Guo B

Epimedium is an important traditional Chinese medicine that is widely used throughout China as a tonic, aphrodisiac, and antirheumatic medicine. Flavonoids are considered to be the active compounds in Epimedium. In the study reported here, high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (HPLC/FTICR-MS) was developed to identify active compounds and their metabolites after oral administration of a herbal extract of Epimedium koreanum Nakai to rats, using parent mass list triggered data-dependent multiple-stage accurate mass analysis at a resolving power of 100 000 in the external calibration mode. Nine flavonoids were identified in rats. The chemical formulae with unsaturation numbers calculated from accurate m/z values of precursor and product ions were used to assign the structures of metabolites and the chemical sites of metabolism. The mass accuracies obtained for all full-scan MS and MS(n) spectra were within 3 ppm (<1 ppm in most cases). The majority of the metabolites identified have been previously reported, but three compounds were noted for the first time in rats. By contrasting the analytical results obtained from the herbal extract with those obtained from biological specimens, the profile of flavonoid biotransformation in Epimedium was obtained and the metabolic pathways of these components, in rats, are described. The results should be of use in targeting potential active ingredients in Epimedium. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PMID: 18712702 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

PubMed - Herbal: Complementary and alternative therapies among very long-term breast cancer survivors.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Complementary and alternative therapies among very long-term breast cancer survivors.

Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2008 Aug 20;

Authors: Carpenter CL, Ganz PA, Bernstein L

Breast cancer patients may have different complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage rates and may turn to CAM for different reasons than healthy adults. CAM has mostly been studied in recently diagnosed women; no studies have included survivors 10 years post-diagnosis. We examined very long-term breast cancer survivors to determine whether CAM users had dissimilar patterns of association with survivorship factors. Interviews of 374 breast cancer case patients from a population-based case-control breast cancer study of young women from Los Angeles County, California, during the 1980s occurred at follow-up; 371 patients with complete information were included. CAM represented 28 herbal remedies. Quality-of-life originated from the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 questionnaire (SF-36). Higher rates of CAM (59%) usage occurred compared to nationwide estimates. CAM users resembled non-users on follow-up age, exercise, original disease, treatment, smoking, body-mass index, alcohol, and fear of recurrence. CAM users had a higher prevalence of medical co-morbidities (P = 0.0005), and scored significantly lower on the SF-36 emotional well-being subscale than non-CAM users (P = 0.01). CAM users and non-users did not differ on the SF-36 physical sub-scale. Very long-term breast cancer survivors who use CAM may have poorer emotional functioning and more medical problems than non-users.

PMID: 18712472 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

PubMed - Herbal: [Tolerability and efficacy of a herbal combination preparation in children and adolescents with recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract]

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

[Tolerability and efficacy of a herbal combination preparation in children and adolescents with recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract]

MMW Fortschr Med. 2008 Jun 26;150 Suppl 2:85-90

Authors: Berger T

PMID: 18712128 [PubMed - in process]

PubMed - Herbal: The invitro assessment of antibacterial effect of papaya seed extract against bacterial pathogens isolated from urine, wound and stool.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

The invitro assessment of antibacterial effect of papaya seed extract against bacterial pathogens isolated from urine, wound and stool.

Ethiop Med J. 2008 Jan;46(1):71-7

Authors: Yismaw G, Tessema B, Mulu A, Tiruneh M

BACKGROUND: Carica papaya family Caricaceacae is one of the herbal remedies, which has recently become a subject of research focus. It is used in traditional medicine for variety of purposes in treating infectious and noninfectious diseases. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the antibacterial effect of papaya seed extract against bacterial pathogens isolated from wound, urine and stool. METHODS: This analytical experimental study was conducted in Jimma University, School of Medical Laboratory Technology, Microbiology laboratory between February to March 2005. The antibacterial activity of methanol extract of papaya seed was investigated against specific pathogenic bacteria isolated from wound, urine and stool by an agar dilution technique and the crude preparation was assessed by an agar diffusion technique. The growth or inhibition of control strains of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhi, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as the clinical isolates of these bacteria were determined in growth media. RESULTS: Results obtained in this study indicate that the minimum inhibitory concentration of papaya seed extract for 50% of the test bacteria was 18.38mg/ml and for S. typhi the MIC was at 11.8 mg/ml of extract. However, the growth inhibitory effect of papaya seed extract was not observed for P. aeruginosa up to 26.25 mg /ml of extract. Even though, the minimum bactericidal concentration is higher than the minimum inhibitory concentration of papaya seed extract (13.13 mg/ml, 11.8 mg/ml respectively) against S. typhi control and clinical isolates, the minimum bactericidal concentration for 50% of the tested bacteria was found to be similar with the minimum inhibitory concentration of the test bacteria, CONCLUSION: Papaya seed could be used as an effective antibacterial agent for the tested organisms. Nevertheless, preclinical studies including invivo animal models and clinical trial on the effect of the seed are essential before advocating large-scale therapy.

PMID: 18711992 [PubMed - in process]

PubMed - Herbal: Vitamin supplement use among children with Down's syndrome and risk of leukaemia: a Children's Oncology Group (COG) study.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Vitamin supplement use among children with Down's syndrome and risk of leukaemia: a Children's Oncology Group (COG) study.

Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2008 May;22(3):288-95

Authors: Blair CK, Roesler M, Xie Y, Gamis AS, Olshan AF, Heerema NA, Robison LL, Ross JA,

Vitamin supplements have been proposed for children with Down's syndrome (DS) with claims of improving cognitive abilities, or immune or thyroid function. Several studies have shown decreased levels of zinc in this population. Because children with DS have a 50-fold increased risk of developing acute leukaemia during the first 5 years of life, we explored the relation between child vitamin and herbal supplement use and the risk of leukaemia in a case-control study. During the period 1997-2002, we enrolled 158 children with DS aged 0-18 years that were diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) (n = 97) or acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) (n = 61) at participating Children's Oncology Group institutions. We enrolled 173 DS children without leukaemia (controls), selected from the cases' primary care clinic and frequency-matched on age. Data were collected via telephone interviews with mothers of the index child regarding use of multivitamins, zinc, vitamin C, iron and herbal supplements, including age at first use, frequency and duration. Among controls, 57% reported regular multivitamin use (>/=3 times/week for >/=3 months) compared with 48% of ALL cases and 61% of AML cases. We found no evidence of an association between children's regular multivitamin use and ALL or AML (adjusted odds ratios [OR] = 0.94 [95% CI 0.52, 1.70] and 1.90 [0.73, 4.91] respectively). There was a suggestion of an increased risk for AML associated with regular multivitamin use during the first year of life or for an extended duration (ORs = 2.38 [0.94, 5.76] and 2.59 [1.02, 6.59] respectively). Despite being the largest study of DS-leukaemia, our sample size was small, resulting in imprecise effect estimates. Future research should include larger sample sizes as well as a full assessment of diet including vitamin supplementation to adequately examine the relation between nutritional status and childhood leukaemia.

PMID: 18426524 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: Factors influencing collagen biosynthesis.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Factors influencing collagen biosynthesis.

J Cell Biochem. 2008 Jul 1;104(4):1150-60

Authors: Kavitha O, Thampan RV

The importance of collagen, the major structural protein of animal kingdom, in maintaining the normal structure and function of the skin is well known. The same property is exploited widely in medical and industrial fields in finding agents, which could influence the synthesis of this protein. In this context in vitro production of collagen is of high significance. A literature survey has been made to analyze the various factors that influence collagen biosynthesis. There are various physical and biological factors that can either induce or inhibit collagen biosynthesis at various levels of gene expression. However reports concentrating on the effects of plants-derived compounds in stimulating collagen synthesis are scanty. Since extracts of many plants are known to be beneficial in the wound healing process, plants-derived compounds will have a definite role in the regulation of collagen synthesis. The present study emphasizes the need for unearthing the role of these plant derived factors on collagen synthesis which will be of immense application in the medical field.

PMID: 18404678 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: Topical Polyphenon E in the treatment of external genital and perianal warts: a randomized controlled trial.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Topical Polyphenon E in the treatment of external genital and perianal warts: a randomized controlled trial.

Br J Dermatol. 2008 Jun;158(6):1329-38

Authors: Stockfleth E, Beti H, Orasan R, Grigorian F, Mescheder A, Tawfik H, Thielert C

BACKGROUND: Benign external genital and perianal warts (condylomata acuminata) are disfiguring, displeasing skin tumours caused by human papillomavirus that may vitally burden affected patients and their partners. Current treatment options are still unsatisfactory due to low efficacy, high recurrence rates or an unfavourable side-effect profile. Although most recently prophylactic vaccines have been recommended for adolescent women, appropriate treatment modalities for anogenital warts are still needed. Green tea catechins exert antiviral, antioxidative, antiproliferative and immunostimulatory activity. Polyphenon E (MediGene AG, Munich, Germany), a proprietary extract of green tea leaves, was therefore investigated for the topical treatment of this frequent viral disease. OBJECTIVES: To investigate Polyphenon E 15% and 10% ointment for efficacy and safety in the treatment of anogenital warts in immunocompetent men and women. METHODS: Five hundred and three patients were randomized to receive either Polyphenon E 15% or 10% ointment or matching vehicle. The topical treatment was self-applied by the patients three times daily to all warts. Assessment of response and of adverse events was performed biweekly until complete clearance of all (baseline and new) anogenital warts or for up to 16 weeks. Recurrence was evaluated during a 12-week treatment-free follow-up period for patients with complete clearance. RESULTS: About 53% of patients treated with Polyphenon E 15% ointment showed complete clearance of all baseline and new anogenital warts, 51% for Polyphenon E 10% ointment, and 37% for vehicle (P = 0.01 and P = 0.03, respectively; two-sided Fisher's exact test; intent-to-treat population, last observation carried forward analysis). Women responded better than men, with about 60% of women and 45% of men in both active groups achieving complete clearance of all warts. Time to complete clearance was comparable for both strengths of Polyphenon E ointment. About 78% of all patients treated with either Polyphenon E 15% or 10% ointment showed wart clearance rates of 50% or better. Less than 6% and 4% of patients in the Polyphenon E 15% and 10% ointment groups experienced wart recurrence during follow-up. Polyphenon E ointments demonstrated a good safety profile with the majority of all adverse events being local application site reactions assessed as mild or moderate. Local reactions declined during continued treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that Polyphenon E ointment is an efficacious and safe patient-applied topical treatment for external genital and perianal warts. Its use in intra-anal, intravaginal and cervical condylomas and other intraepithelial lesions warrants further clinical investigation.

PMID: 18363746 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: Gene expression profiling of macrophages following mice treatment with an immunomodulator medication.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Gene expression profiling of macrophages following mice treatment with an immunomodulator medication.

J Cell Biochem. 2008 Jul 1;104(4):1364-77

Authors: de Oliveira CC, de Oliveira SM, Goes VM, Probst CM, Krieger MA, Buchi Dde F

Canova (CA) is a complex homeopathic medication used in diseases where the immune system is depressed. Previous studies demonstrated that it is neither toxic nor mutagenic and activates macrophages. We now evaluate CA effects on cytokine production and gene expression from mice macrophages. The global view of changes in expression of genes with known functions can provide a vivid picture of the way in which cell adapts to a changing environment or a challenge. We found a decrease in IL-2 and IL-4 production and a differential expression in 147 genes from CA group. These genes are mainly involved in transcription/translation, cell structure and dynamics, immune response, cytoprotection, enzymatic process, and receptors/ligands. With gene expression analysis we state that this medication provokes a reaction that involves alterations in gene expression profile mainly in the ones involved with macrophages activation, corroborating the laboratorial research and the clinical data.

PMID: 18286468 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: [Gastroprotective properties of phytomedicine tiol]

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

[Gastroprotective properties of phytomedicine tiol]

Georgian Med News. 2007 Oct;(151):65-7

Authors: Khvedelidze V, Baratashvili N, Niguriani N, Gabidzashvili M, Tsibadze L

Phitopreparation tiol is offered (5% fatty solution of Tea Leaf lipid complex) as a medicine. To determine gastroprotective effect of tiol generally accepted models of acute gastric ulcer were used: bitadion, atopanove and reserprinove stomach damages. An experiment was conducted on half-matured white mice weighting 140-160 g., which fast 24 hours before the experiment (only water was freely given to them). Animals were killed by immediate decapitation under light ether narcosis. Their stomachs were dissected along greater curvature of stomach and number of injuries were counted. The injuries were subdivided into hemorrhage, erosion and ulcer. Paul's "ulcer index" was calculated for any kind of damage. Each group consisted of 5 mice. Distilled water was used as control and aekol - to collate the gastroprotective effect. Results of the experiment showed that gastroprotective effect of tiol is greater than that of aekol's.

PMID: 18071217 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: Systemic inflammatory responses in patients with acute otitis media and the impact of treatment with sinupret.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

Systemic inflammatory responses in patients with acute otitis media and the impact of treatment with sinupret.

Georgian Med News. 2007 Oct;(151):40-4

Authors: Chkhaidze I, Nemsadze K, Gotsadze K, Nikoleishvili E, Gordeladze G

The systemic inflammatory responses and the impact of sinupret therapy have been investigated in 14 patients with acute otitis media, AOM. The age of inspected individuals covered a range of 29.0+/-12.3 years. The blood samples were taken at the admission and after ten days treatment with sinupret. The dosage of sinupret application was two tablets or 50 drops three times per day. Utilizing the technique of enzymelinked immunoassays, the concentrations of two cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-6, were measured in the blood serum. The minimum detectable amount of cytokines was less then 2.5 pg/ml. Age-matched five healthy subjects without significant medical history served for controls. The study proved an existence of systemic inflammatory responses under the AOM. In AOM patients as compared with healthy individuals the concentrations of both cytokines were elevated, although the difference reached the statistically significant level with respect to TNF-alpha but not to IL-6. After treatment with sinupret, the TNF-alpha level dropped noticeably, proving a recovery from the pathology. IL-6 displayed a similar pattern, although the difference between pre- and post-treatment samples was statistically nonsignificant. Assessment of varies cytokines and proper establishment of their profiles could detect more specific marker(s) of AOM of both bacterial or viral etiology and could promote thus a precise prediction of the outcome of the pathology. Generally, the estimation of cytokines under AOM could offer a powerful tool for the objective evaluation of efficacy of treatment and for the avoidance of the ineffective drug therapy.

PMID: 18071211 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PubMed - Herbal: [Complex treatment of mastopathy patients with concomitant diseases]

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:36:56 -0700

[Complex treatment of mastopathy patients with concomitant diseases]

Georgian Med News. 2007 Oct;(151):33-7

Authors: Katashvili Z, Nemsadze G, Gvamichava P, Vekua N, Nemsadze D

Efficiency value of complex treatment of patients with cystic disease during side-illnesses. The aim of the article was to study the efficiency of complex treatment of mastopitia patients with concomitant diseases. The complex therapy of 1044 patients was carried out. Patients with cystic disease who does not suffer concomitant diseases (152 patients) where treated with mastodinon, vitamins, ginsheng, dehidratation, trancvilizators, antihistamines, drugs of K. After 24-26 months of treatment 144 (95%) patients fully recovered. The subjective progress was found in 8 cases (4%). In group with hormonal disorders recovery was in 120 cases (90%) and the subjective progress was in 13 patients (6%). Apart, the hormonal drugs had been used considering hormonal profile. 401 patients with concomitant diseases of genitals were treated with hormones, iodinotherapy and mastodinon. The best result in this group has been shown in patients with uterus fibromiomas - 110 patients and with ovarian micro cists with no need of surgical treatment - 78 patients compared with chronic adneqsitis (213 patients) - 90 (82%) patients; 67 (86%) patients; 162 (76%) patients. In case of concomitant diseases of liver and gold bladder, the treatment was effective in 113 (89%) patients. Ineffective treatment has been discovered in 5% 6 (5%) patients with hepatopathia and 28 (22%) patients with cholecistitis. The L-thyroxin was included in treatment in case of hypothyreosis (66 patients). Positive effect has been reached in 52 (78,5%) patients and progressive recovery was found in 13 (20%) patients. The complex therapy was effective for 648 (62%) of 1044 patients. Positive development was in 238 (27,8%) cases. In the group of patients who did not suffer concomitant diseases 4,9% has shown progress in treatment and 92,6% fully recovered.

PMID: 18071209 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: Case-control study of coffee consumption and the risk of endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:35:46 -0700

Case-control study of coffee consumption and the risk of endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma.

Eur J Cancer Prev. 2008 Aug;17(4):358-63

Authors: Koizumi T, Nakaya N, Okamura C, Sato Y, Shimazu T, Nagase S, Niikura H, Kuriyama S, Tase T, Ito K, Tsubono Y, Okamura K, Yaegashi N, Tsuji I

This study examined the association between coffee consumption and the risk of endometrial endometrioid adenocarcinoma (EEA) in Japan by a case-control design. The cases consisted of 107 women less than 80 years of age from two medical centers who had been histopathologically diagnosed to have EEA. The controls, selected from the participants of a cancer-screening program, were 214 women, with two controls selected for each case (matched for age and for area of residence). A self-administered questionnaire containing questions to determine dietary and beverage consumption, as well as reproductive history, was distributed to the cases and controls. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) of EEA for three levels of coffee consumption with adjustment for potential confounding factors. The multivariate-adjusted OR of EEA for individuals in the highest tertile of coffee consumption (2 to 3 cups or more/day) was 0.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.2-0.9], and that of cases in the intermediate tertile (5 to 6 times/week-1 cup/day) was 0.6 (95% CI, 0.3-1.2), relative to the individuals in the lowest tertile of coffee consumption (3 to 4 times or less/week) (P for trend=0.014). The above association was observed in postmenopausal women (P for trend=0.016), but not in premenopausal women (P for trend=0.90). This study thus revealed an inverse dose-response relationship between coffee consumption and the risk of EEA, and its strong association in postmenopausal women but not in premenopausal women.

PMID: 18562962 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: Effects of dietary supplementation with the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate on insulin resistance and associated metabolic risk factors: randomized controlled trial.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:34:47 -0700

Effects of dietary supplementation with the green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin-3-gallate on insulin resistance and associated metabolic risk factors: randomized controlled trial.

Br J Nutr. 2008 Aug 19;:1-9

Authors: Brown AL, Lane J, Coverly J, Stocks J, Jackson S, Stephen A, Bluck L, Coward A, Hendrickx H

Animal evidence indicates that green tea may modulate insulin sensitivity, with epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) proposed as a likely health-promoting component. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with EGCG on insulin resistance and associated metabolic risk factors in man. Overweight or obese male subjects, aged 40-65 years, were randomly assigned to take 400 mg capsules of EGCG (n 46) or the placebo lactose (n 42), twice daily for 8 weeks. Oral glucose tolerance testing and measurement of metabolic risk factors (BMI, waist circumference, percentage body fat, blood pressure, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, TAG) was conducted pre- and post-intervention. Mood was evaluated weekly using the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology mood adjective checklist. EGCG treatment had no effect on insulin sensitivity, insulin secretion or glucose tolerance but did reduce diastolic blood pressure (mean change: placebo - 0.058 (se 0.75) mmHg; EGCG - 2.68 (se 0.72) mmHg; P = 0.014). No significant change in the other metabolic risk factors was observed. The EGCG group also reported feeling in a more positive mood than the placebo group across the intervention period (mean score for hedonic tone: EGCG, 29.11 (se 0.44); placebo, 27.84 (se 0.46); P = 0.048). In conclusion, regular intake of EGCG had no effect on insulin resistance but did result in a modest reduction in diastolic blood pressure. This antihypertensive effect may contribute to some of the cardiovascular benefits associated with habitual green tea consumption. EGCG treatment also had a positive effect on mood. Further studies are needed to confirm the findings and investigate their mechanistic basis.

PMID: 18710606 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: Coffee consumption and risk of endometrial cancer: A prospective study in Japan.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:34:25 -0700

Coffee consumption and risk of endometrial cancer: A prospective study in Japan.

Int J Cancer. 2008 Aug 18;

Authors: Shimazu T, Inoue M, Sasazuki S, Iwasaki M, Kurahashi N, Yamaji T, Tsugane S,

Coffee has been proposed to decrease the circulating insulin and estrogen levels, which are related to the development of endometrial cancer. However, few studies have prospectively assessed the association between coffee consumption and endometrial cancer. We conducted a population-based prospective cohort study in 53,724 Japanese women aged 40-69 years with no history of cancer at baseline in 1990-1994. We used Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of endometrial cancer incidence in relation to coffee consumption. All reported p values are 2-tailed. During the 15-year follow-up period, we documented 117 cases of endometrial cancer. Coffee consumption was significantly associated with a decreased risk of endometrial cancer. After adjustment for age, study area, body mass index, menopausal status, age at menopause for postmenopausal women, parity, use of exogenous female hormones, smoking status and by consumption of green vegetables, beef, pork and green tea, the multivariate HRs (95% CI) of endometrial cancer in women who drank coffee </=2 days/week, 3-4 days/week, 1-2 cups/day and >/=3 cups/day were 1.00, 0.97 (0.56-1.68), 0.61 (0.39-0.97) and 0.38 (0.16-0.91), respectively (p for trend = 0.007). In contrast, green tea consumption was not significantly associated with a reduced risk of endometrial cancer (p for trend = 0.22). The inverse association between coffee consumption and risk of endometrial cancer was consistently observed in subgroup analyses stratified by potential confounders. Coffee consumption may be associated with a decreased risk of endometrial cancer. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 18711700 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: Topical application of a bioadhesive black raspberry gel modulates gene expression and reduces cyclooxygenase 2 protein in human premalignant oral lesions.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:31:38 -0700

Topical application of a bioadhesive black raspberry gel modulates gene expression and reduces cyclooxygenase 2 protein in human premalignant oral lesions.

Cancer Res. 2008 Jun 15;68(12):4945-57

Authors: Mallery SR, Zwick JC, Pei P, Tong M, Larsen PE, Shumway BS, Lu B, Fields HW, Mumper RJ, Stoner GD

Reduced expression of proapoptotic and terminal differentiation genes in conjunction with increased levels of the proinflammatory and angiogenesis-inducing enzymes, cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), correlate with malignant transformation of oral intraepithelial neoplasia (IEN). Accordingly, this study investigated the effects of a 10% (w/w) freeze-dried black raspberry gel on oral IEN histopathology, gene expression profiles, intraepithelial COX-2 and iNOS proteins, and microvascular densities. Our laboratories have shown that freeze-dried black raspberries possess antioxidant properties and also induce keratinocyte apoptosis and terminal differentiation. Oral IEN tissues were hemisected to provide samples for pretreatment diagnoses and establish baseline biochemical and molecular variables. Treatment of the remaining lesional tissue (0.5 g gel applied four times daily for 6 weeks) began 1 week after the initial biopsy. RNA was isolated from snap-frozen IEN lesions for microarray analyses, followed by quantitative reverse transcription-PCR validation. Additional epithelial gene-specific quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analyses facilitated the assessment of target tissue treatment effects. Surface epithelial COX-2 and iNOS protein levels and microvascular densities were determined by image analysis quantified immunohistochemistry. Topical berry gel application uniformly suppressed genes associated with RNA processing, growth factor recycling, and inhibition of apoptosis. Although the majority of participants showed posttreatment decreases in epithelial iNOS and COX-2 proteins, only COX-2 reductions were statistically significant. These data show that berry gel application modulated oral IEN gene expression profiles, ultimately reducing epithelial COX-2 protein. In a patient subset, berry gel application also reduced vascular densities in the superficial connective tissues and induced genes associated with keratinocyte terminal differentiation.

PMID: 18559542 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: Clinical and Analytical Toxicology of Dietary Supplements: A Case Study and a Review of the Literature.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:29:51 -0700

Clinical and Analytical Toxicology of Dietary Supplements: A Case Study and a Review of the Literature.

Biol Trace Elem Res. 2008 Aug 16;

Authors: van der Voet GB, Sarafanov A, Todorov TI, Centeno JA, Jonas WB, Ives JA, Mullick FG

The use of dietary supplements has grown dramatically in the last decade. A large number of dietary and herbal supplements escape regulatory and quality control; components of these preparations are poisonous and may contain, among other toxins, heavy metals. Uncontrolled use of dietary and herbal supplements by special populations, such as the military, may therefore pose a health risk. Clinical symptoms are not always properly attributed to dietary supplements; patients often do not mention supplement use to their health care provider. Therefore, a health risk estimate is hard to make on either the individual or the population level. The literature on this issue was reviewed and discussed in the light of a representative clinical-chemical case study. This case study was performed on a host of preparations that were used by one single individual in the military. Both essential (chromium, copper, zinc, and iron) and poisonous (arsenic, lead, and nickel) trace elements were determined using inductively coupled plasma combined with optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) or with mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Arsenic and lead were detected at exposure levels associated with health risks. These health risks were detected predominantly in hormone-containing supplements and the herbs and botanicals used for performance enhancement. To the extent that this is a representative sample, there is an underestimation of supplement use and supplement risk in the US military, if not in the general population. Since clinical symptoms may be attributed to other causes and, unless patients are specifically asked, health care providers may not be aware of their patients' use of dietary supplements, a strong support of laboratory diagnostics, such as a toxicological screening of blood or urine, is required. In addition, screening of the preparations themselves may be advised.

PMID: 18709338 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:28:58 -0700

Chromium and polyphenols from cinnamon improve insulin sensitivity.

Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 Feb;67(1):48-53

Authors: Anderson RA

Naturally-occurring compounds that have been shown to improve insulin sensitivity include Cr and polyphenols found in cinnamon (Cinnamomon cassia). These compounds also have similar effects on insulin signalling and glucose control. The signs of Cr deficiency are similar to those for the metabolic syndrome and supplemental Cr has been shown to improve all these signs in human subjects. In a double-blind placebo-controlled study it has been demonstrated that glucose, insulin, cholesterol and HbA1c are all improved in patients with type 2 diabetes following Cr supplementation. It has also been shown that cinnamon polyphenols improve insulin sensitivity in in vitro, animal and human studies. Cinnamon reduces mean fasting serum glucose (18-29%), TAG (23-30%), total cholesterol (12-26%) and LDL-cholesterol (7-27%) in subjects with type 2 diabetes after 40 d of daily consumption of 1-6 g cinnamon. Subjects with the metabolic syndrome who consume an aqueous extract of cinnamon have been shown to have improved fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, percentage body fat and increased lean body mass compared with the placebo group. Studies utilizing an aqueous extract of cinnamon, high in type A polyphenols, have also demonstrated improvements in fasting glucose, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in women with insulin resistance associated with the polycystic ovary syndrome. For both supplemental Cr and cinnamon not all studies have reported beneficial effects and the responses are related to the duration of the study, form of Cr or cinnamon used and the extent of obesity and glucose intolerance of the subjects.

PMID: 18234131 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Herbal Science Research Abstracts: (-)-Epigallocatechin gallate, a major constituent of green tea, poisons human type II topoisomerases.

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:28:48 -0700

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate, a major constituent of green tea, poisons human type II topoisomerases.

Chem Res Toxicol. 2008 Apr;21(4):936-43

Authors: Bandele OJ, Osheroff N

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant and biologically active polyphenol in green tea, and many of the therapeutic benefits of the beverage have been attributed to this compound. High concentrations of EGCG are cytotoxic and trigger genotoxic events in mammalian cells. Although this catechin affects a number of cellular systems, the genotoxic effects of several bioflavonoid-based dietary polyphenols are believed to be mediated, at least in part, by their actions on topoisomerase II. Therefore, the effects of green tea extract and EGCG on DNA cleavage mediated by human topoisomerase IIalpha and beta were characterized. The extract and EGCG increased levels of DNA strand breaks generated by both enzyme isoforms. However, EGCG acted by a mechanism that was distinctly different from those of genistein, a dietary polyphenol, and etoposide, a widely prescribed anticancer drug. In contrast to these agents, EGCG exhibited all of the characteristics of a redox-dependent topoisomerase II poison that acts by covalently adducting to the enzyme. First, EGCG stimulated DNA scission mediated by both isoforms primarily at sites that were cleaved in the absence of compounds. Second, exposure of EGCG to the reducing agent dithiothreitol (DTT) prior to its addition to DNA cleavage assays abrogated the effects of the catechin on DNA scission. Third, once EGCG stimulated topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage, exposure to DTT did not effect levels of DNA strand breaks. Finally, EGCG inhibited the DNA cleavage activities of topoisomerase IIalpha and beta when incubated with either enzyme prior to the addition of DNA. Taken together, these results provide strong evidence that EGCG is a redox-dependent topoisomerase II poison and utilizes a mechanism similar to that of 1,4-benzoquinone.

PMID: 18293940 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Reuter's - Health: Smoking in movies seen to cause teen smoking

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:27:54 -0700

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Tobacco promotions and depictions of smoking in movies cause teenagers to start smoking, according to a sweeping report on tobacco in the media released on Thursday.