Jamiyu Ayodeji Saliu, Ayobami Matthew Olajuyin, Samuel Faith Olowolayemo
Abstract Backgrounds: Artocarpus altilis (breadfruit) belongs to the family Moraceae. Artocarpus altilis possesses antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-proliferative properties. Aluminum (Al) is extensively utilized for consumer products, cooking utensils, pharmaceuticals, and industries. Indication for the neurotoxicity of Al is investigated in various studies, notwithstanding the precise mechanisms of Al toxicity are yet to be fully elucidated, and, which requires novel therapy. In this study, we determined the ameliorative role of Artocarpus altilis on aluminum chloride-induced neurotoxicity in Drosophila melanogaster. Methods Varying concentration of the extract were used to formulate diets for 6 groups of flies. Group 1 contained basal diet, group 2 contained basal diet and aluminium chloride (AlCl3), group 3 contained basal diet + 0.1% unseeded breadfruit (UBF), group 4 contained basal diet + 1% unseeded breadfruit, group 5 and 6 contained basal diet + AlCl3 + 0.1% and 1% unseeded breadfruit. Assays such as acetylcholinesterase activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration level, catalase activity, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were carried out after 7 days of exposure respectively. Results The results showed low activity of acetylcholinesterase activity and MDA level and high catalase and SOD activity in the pretreated and post-treated flies with Artocarpus altilis compared to the normal and negative control respectively. Conclusions Taken together, Artocarpus altilis is a promising prophylactic, antiacetylcholinesterase, and antioxidant plant in the prevention, management and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Graphical Abstract
Omar Salem Gammoh, Abdelrahim Alqudah, Esam Qnais
et al.
Objective: The Jordanian and the Palestinian communities are tightly related, hence, the current war on Gaza also has social and psychological impacts on Jordanians. Therefore, this study aims to identify the factors associated with severe insomnia and fatigue symptoms in a cohort of Jordanians during the Gaza War outbreak. Methods: This is a cross-sectional web-based questionnaire study. The Insomnia Severity Index-Arabic version (ISI-A), and the Brief Fatigue Inventory-Arabic (BFI-A) were employed, binary logistic and linear regression analyses was performed to identify predictors to severe insomnia and fatigue respectively. Data were collected between December 2023 and January 2024. Results: Data were analyzed from 477 participants, of which 315 (66 %) were females, 107 (22.4 %) reported having a family relative or a friend residing in Gaza, 365 (76.5 %) reported not using any sleep aid, 78 (16.4 %) reported using homeopathy herbal remedies for sleep, and only 52 (10.9 %) reported using over-the-counter sedating antihistamines. Severe insomnia was significantly associated with participants “younger than 30 years old” (OR = 1.81, 95 %CI = 1.22–2.66, p = 0.003), participants “using over-the-counter sedating antihistamines” (OR = 2.78, 95 % CI = 1.27–6.06, p = 0.01). Severe fatigue was significantly associated with “females” (B = 5.87, t = 2.78, p = 0.006), and “smokers” (B = 5.09, t = 2.52, p = 0.01). On the other hand, “not using sleep aids” demonstrated significantly lower odds for severe insomnia (OR = 0.41, 95 % CI = 0.24–0.68, p = 0.001), and fatigue (B = -10.84, t = -4.81, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Addressing modifiable risk factors such as smoking and sleep self-medications is essential to improve insomnia and fatigue symptoms.
Sourav Chakraborty, Piyush Baindara, Pralay Sharma
et al.
Hospital-acquired antibiotic-resistant pneumonia is one of the major causes of mortality around the world that pose a catastrophic threat. <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i> is one of the most significant opportunistic pathogens responsible for hospital-acquired pneumonia and gained resistance to the majority of conventional antibiotics. There is an urgent need for antibiotic alternatives to control drug-resistant pneumonia and other related respiratory infections. In the present study, we explored the antibacterial potential of cineole in combination with homeopathic medicines against biofilm-forming drug-resistant <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. Out of 26 selected and screened homeopathic medicines, <i>Hypericum Perforatum</i> (HyPer) was found to eradicate biofilm-forming drug-resistant <i>P. aeruginosa</i> most effectively when used in combination with cineole. Interestingly, the synergistic action of HyPer and cineole was also found to be similarly effective against planktonic cells of <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. Further, the potential synergistic killing mechanisms of cineole and HyPer were determined by analyzing zeta membrane potential, outer membrane permeability, and DNA release from <i>P. aeruginosa</i> cells upon treatment with cineole and HyPer. Additionally, molecular docking analysis revealed strong binding affinities of hypericin (an active ingredient of HyPer) with the PqsA (a quorum sensing protein) of <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. Overall, our findings revealed the potential synergistic action of cineole and HyPer against biofilm-forming drug-resistant <i>P. aeruginosa</i>. Cineole and HyPer could be used in combination with other bronchodilators as inhalers to control the biofilm-forming drug-resistant <i>P. aeruginosa</i>.
Agnieszka Sałek, Katarzyna Karłowicz - Bodalska, Dominik Marciniak
Introduction:
Homeopathy is an alternative therapeutic metod based on the principle of similarity, which was developed by Samuel Hahnemann in the 18th century. This method involves administering substances that may produce symptoms similar to the patient's reported ailment, in high dilutions. Despite scientific evidence speaking against this method, homeopathic products are defined as medicines by European law and undergo a special, simplified authorization procedure. In Poland, patients can only purchase homeopathic medicinal products at a pharmacy. Therefore, the recommendation obtained there may influence whether the patient decides to use a homeopathic medicine or not.
Materials and methods:
The study aimed to analyse the attitude of Polish pharmacists and pharmacy technicians towards homeopathic medicines. An anonymous questionnaire was conducted among professional pharmacy staff to assess their knowledge, beliefs, and recommendations regarding homeopathic medicines. Between January and April 2023, 298 respondents - 279 pharmacists and 19 technicians - completed the survey. The collected responses were statistically analyzed using STATISTICA v. 13.3. Statistical significance was checked using Pearson's χ2 test of concordance, assuming a p-value ≤ 0.05 as the level of significance. PCA principal component analysis was used to assess global relationships between the key variables analyzed regardless of scale. The constructed PCA model was estimated using the NIPALS iterative algorithm.
Results:
Out of the 298 survey respondents, 285 worked in community pharmacies. More than two-thirds of the respondents had personal experience using homeopathic medicines, and about one-third of them recommended such medicines to their patients. The willingness to recommend homeopathic medicines correlated with the respondent's history of positive effects of homeopathic medicines. Homeopathic medicines were most often recommended by women and people over 50 years of age. More than half of the professional pharmacy staff considered homeopathic medicines to be ineffective and to show only a placebo effect. When asked which conditions they recommended homeopathic medicines for, pharmacists and technicians most often indicated cold and flu symptoms, painful teething, and bruises and hematomas.
Conclusions:
The results of the survey suggest that most members of the professional pharmacy staff do not recommend homeopathic medicines to their patients. The problem of evaluating preparations with no proven therapeutic effect as effective mainly affects women over 50 and respondents from small towns. It is worth deepening the following study in the future, focusing on these groups of respondents. The knowledge gained in this way will make it possible to assess the extent to which this group of workers relies on scientific evidence and whether they are aware of making decisions based only on their own beliefs.
S Madhumitha, Liya Mariam George, K S Meenakshi
et al.
Background: Hospital acquired infections have remained a concern in the field of health care as a major cause of increasing morbidity, mortality and health care costs in healthcare facilities. In the present era of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and multidrug resistant pathogens, there is a growing emphasis on basic measures of prevention of infections, like maintaining good hand hygiene. Although The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidelines on hand washing procedure with an aim to reduce the prevalence of hospital associated infections, the compliance amongst health care workers is poor. Objective: To study the adherence and barriers relating to non-adherence to the five moments of hand hygiene among nursing staff in Central Kerala. Materials and Methods: The present cross sectional study was conducted among 360 female nurses using Snowball sampling technique. The quantitative data collected was analysed using the software SPSS version 20. Chi-square test was used for comparison of proportions across groups. Logistic regression analyses were used to find out the determinants of non-adherence. The qualitative data collected was analysed using thematic analysis and classified into themes and subthemes. Results: Out of 338 study participants, 304 (90%) reported to be adherent to the 5 moments of Hand Hygiene. The present study found that factors associated with hand hygiene behaviour among study participants were awareness about Hand Hygiene and educational qualification. Conclusion: The existing level of non-adherence can be a source for outbreak of hospital acquired infections in the community and hence needs to be addressed.
Md. Shahjalal, Samar Kishor Chakma, Tanvir Ahmed
et al.
<h4>Background</h4> While conventional medicine (CM) is commonly used to treat non-communicable diseases (NCDs), complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is gaining popularity as a healthcare option in Bangladesh. We aimed to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with using CAM solely and using CAM in conjunction with CM for chronic illness treatment among NCD patients in Bangladesh. <h4>Methods</h4> A multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted, including 549 adults with a confirmed chronic illness diagnosis from three tertiary care hospitals in Dhaka city. Interviews were used to gather socio-demographic data, while medical records were used to get information on chronic illnesses. A multinomial logistic regression model was used to determine the associated factors of utilizing CAM primarily and CAM use in conjunction with CM to manage the chronic disease. <h4>Results</h4> Out of 549 NCD patients (282 women [51.4%], mean [standard deviation] age 45.4 [12.8] years), 180 (32.8%) ever used CAM for the treatment of chronic illness. Also, 15.3% of patients exclusively used CAM among the NCD patients, while 17.5% used CAM in conjunction with CM. Homeopathy medicine was the most prevalent type of treatment among CAM users (52.2%). Furthermore, 55.5% of CAM users said they used it due to its less adverse effects, and 41.6% trusted its effectiveness for chronic illness. Elderly patients (≥60 years) preferred CAM in complementary with CM, but they did not rely only on CAM. According to the multinomial regression analysis, unmarried patients, predominantly in the younger age group, adopted CAM significantly for chronic illness treatment (Relative risk ratio, RRR = 0.29, 95% CI = 0.12–0.71, reference = Unmarried). Patients in the high-income group used CAM in conjunction with CM (RRR = 6.26, 95% CI = 1.35–18.90, reference: low-income), whereas patients in the high-income group did not rely on CAM alone (RRR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.34–2.85). <h4>Conclusion</h4> Although CM remains the mainstream of health care in Bangladesh, CAM services play an essential role in people’s health care, particularly in treating chronic illnesses. Physicians of Bangladesh should be aware that their patients may be using other services and be prepared to ask and answer questions regarding the risks and benefits of using CAM in addition to regular medical care. Thus, clinicians required to follow best-practice guidelines, which are currently not practiced in Bangladesh, when disseminating information regarding integrative techniques that combine CM and CAM approaches.
Mac Donald Idu, Owen – Obaseki Edehia, Benjamin Ogunma Gabriel
Abstract Introduction This study evaluates the anti-diabetic effect of ethanol extract of Stachytarpheta jamaicensis leaf on streptozotocin (STZ) - induced diabetic rats fed on high-fat diet (HFD). Methods Sets of male albino rats of the Wistar strain weighing between 180 and 250 g were exposed to high fat diet (margarine and oil from vegetable sources in a ratio of 2:1 w/v) for 3 weeks. Then the animals were fasted overnight; hyperglycemic state was induced using reduced dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg) and animals were randomly divided into five groups (n = 7); group A received the HFD + STZ (35 mg/kg i.p.); group B received HFD + STZ + gliberclamide (10 mg/kg; i.p); groups C, D and E were administered the HFD + streptozotocin with different doses of the ethanol extract (30, 35 and 100 mg/kg p.o., respectively). Results Results showed significant (p < 0.05) decrease in blood glucose concentration of the rats treated with different doses of S. jamaicensis extract and those treated with gliberclamide compared to the untreated diabetic rats (negative control). Significant (p < 0.05) reductions in activities of serum AST, ALP, total protein and bilirubin were noticed in the groups in contrast to the control. Levels of urea, creatinine, potassium and chloride were considerably (p < 0.05) low while sodium and bicarbonate levels were high in the groups except the control. Lipid profile revealed significant (p < 0.05) reduction in total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, LDL, VLDL while HDL levels were high in the groups compared to the control. The extract significantly (p < 0.05) ameliorated weight loss. Histopathology of the liver, kidney and pancreas showed ameliorative effect of the extract against the deleterious changes occasioned by the HFD and STZ induced diabetic state. Conclusion These findings have provided scientific basis for the use of S. jamaicensis in the treatment of diabetes mellitus in ethnomedicinal practices in Nigeria.
Treatment of COVID-19 largely depends on previously used drugs as there is no cure available coupled with shortage of effective vaccine with doubts about its long-term protection due to rapid viral mutations. Ivermectin, a derivative of avermectin, introduced as an antiparasitic agent, is effective against onchocerciasis, strongyloidiasis, ascariasis, filariasis, scabies, malaria, and has a good safety profile. Ivermectin is being promoted for the treatment of COVID-19, although US Food and Drug Administration has not approved its use for any viral infection. With increasing evidences indicating the efficacy of ivermectin in COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 syndrome, there is a need to focus on the drug interactions with the dose used for indication as most of the documented interactions are with the dose used for parasitic infections. As majority of the COVID-19 patients have comorbidities and on multiple drugs, it is necessary to understand the drug interactions of ivermectin.
The combination of Aidi injection (ADI) and epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been reported, but the effects of this therapy have not been systematically assessed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before June 2020 were searched from 6 databases. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of 8 RCTs involving 667 patients diagnosed with stage III-IV NSCLC. We found that ADI combined with EGFR-TKI increased the objective response rate (ORR) significantly (relative risk [RR]: 1.60; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.28-1.99, P < 0.0001). There was also improvement in the disease control rate (DCR) (RR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.11-1.40, P = 0.0002) as compared with EGFR-TKI alone. This therapy also increased the percentage of CD3 + cells (weighted mean difference [WMD]: 9.86; 95% CI: 4.62-15.10), CD4 + cells (WMD: 6.10; 95% CI: 1.67-10.53), and the CD4 + /CD8 + (WMD: 0.35; 95% CI: 0.28-0.43). With regard to drug toxicity, the occurrence of rash was significantly reduced by ADI combined with EGFR-TKI (RR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.63-0.97, P = 0.03); however, we did not find a significant reduction in the occurrence of dry skin, nausea and vomiting, as well as diarrhea between the 2 therapies. ADI combined with first-generation EGFR-TKIs may be more effective in improving tumor response, reducing the occurrence of rash, and enhancing immune function in NSCLC than EGFR-TKI alone.
Abstract Background Medicinal and aromatic plants exhibit important pharmacological activities to human. The present study evaluates the diuretic activity of aqueous extract of Merremia emarginata (MEAE). Methods Female Wistar albino rats were used for diuretic activity in vivo studies. Urinary hippuric acid of treated animal group was successfully quantified by RP-HPLC. UPLC-MS/MS is used for the identification of important bioactive compound in MEAE. Results Diuretic activity was confirmed through analyzing the disparity in total volume and diuretic markers (total sodium and potassium concentration of urine) which was compared to normal group rats. MEAE plays a crucial role for inducing diuretics without side effects such as glycosuria or proteinuria. This activity was significantly high (p < 0.05) compared to control group rats and diuretic responsible polyphenolic compound chlorogenic acid was identified in MEAE through RP-HPLC and UPLC-MS/MS. Conclusion Hippuric acid is a byproduct of chlorogenic acid and reported to be responsible for inducing diuretics. Secondary metabolites such as chlorogenic acid and their byproducts might be responsible for diuretic activity. Hippuric acid can act as a diuretic agent as well as it could be used as a biomarker to detect the polyphenolics induced diuretic activity. M. emarginata can act as an excellent diuretic agent, without causing any harmful side effects.
S Veena Kirthika, K Padmanabhan, S Sudhakar
et al.
Background: Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airway. In susceptible individuals, this inflammation causes recurrent episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, and coughing. Various physiotherapy techniques help in the reduction of symptoms associated with asthma which includes deep breathing exercises and relaxation postures. Progressive relaxation technique (PRT) is useful in reducing the respiratory symptoms and stress in asthma. Yoga techniques have shown clinically relevant improvements in their quality of life and effective reduction in the frequency of attacks and degree of stress. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the effect of PRT and yoga in patients with stress-induced asthma (SIA) so that better treatment program can be adopted in the reduction of symptoms in participants with SIA. Methodology: Thirty participants with asthma were recruited for the study and were divided into two groups. Group A (n = 15) was treated with PRT and Group B (n = 15) was treated with yoga technique for a duration of 3 months. Outcome Measures: Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQOL) and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) were used. Results: Group B (yoga group) showed a significant difference, P < 0.05 in the mean values of DASS and AQOL when compared to Group A (P > 0.05). Postyoga intervention, the patients with SIA demonstrated decrease in the symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, and increased quality of life. Conclusion: Three-month duration of yoga is more effective than PRT in patients with SIA in reducing asthmatic symptoms and improving quality of life.
Roberto W. Dal Negro, Alessandro Zanasi, Paola Turco
et al.
Abstract Background Influenza and influenza-like syndromes (I-LSs) are infectious diseases occurring on a seasonal basis which can lead to upper (URTI) and lower respiratory tract illness (LRTI) of different severity. The approach to these disorders is unfortunately not uniform. Aim of the study was to investigate real-life people beliefs, the attitude to their prevention and treatment, and their impact in general population. Methods A cross-sectional survey via Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) was carried out using a specific questionnaire investigating influenza episode rates, subjects behavior in case of influenza and I-LSs, and prescribed therapy. Results 1,202 subjects completed the questionnaire: median age was 46, 49% male, 20% active smokers. 57% of respondents experienced at least one episode of influenza or I-LS in the previous 12 months; episodes were usually home-managed, shorter than 2 weeks and more frequent in fall and winter (73% of the total). GP resulted the first health-care option (56%); almost 3% of respondents referred to the emergency room, and hospitalization occurred in 1%. Mucolytics resulted the most prescribed drugs (55%) followed by antibiotics and aerosol therapy (37–38%). Even if more than 70% of subjects considered vaccination essential, only 14% received influenza vaccination yearly and almost 60% had never received vaccination. Approximately 36% of respondents regarded homeopathy (namely Oscillococcinum) as an helpful alternative because of perceived as safer. Conclusions Seasonal prevalence of I-LSs and influenza partially overlap. As virus identification is not a common procedure in daily practice, only a clinical discrimination is possible. Antibiotic prescription is still too high and largely inappropriate. Influenza vaccination is strongly encouraged, but different strategies are also used. Other approaches are receiving increasing attention in general population, and subjects’ willingness to spend out-of-pocket for effective remedies is also increasing. The discrepancy between subjects’ beliefs and health care actions likely reflects the insufficiency of institutional preventive strategies. In general, the approach to influenza and I-LSs appear variable and highly dependent of subjects’ and their GPs’ cultural beliefs.
Fatemeh Farzaei DVM, Mohammad Reza Morovati MD, Fatemeh Farjadmand PharmD
et al.
Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine disorder and a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Traditional medicines worldwide suggest a wide range of natural remedies for the prevention and treatment of chronic disorders, including diabetes mellitus. This mechanistic review aims to highlight the significance of medicinal plants traditionally used as dietary supplements in Persian medicine in adjunct with restricted conventional drugs for the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus. Mounting evidence suggests that these natural agents perform their protective and therapeutic effect on diabetes mellitus via several cellular mechanisms, including regeneration of pancreatic β cell, limitation of glycogen degradation and gluconeogenesis, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, antiapoptosis, antioxidative stress, as well as modulation of intracellular signaling transduction pathways. In conclusion, traditional medicinal plants used in Persian medicine can be considered as dietary supplements with therapeutic potential for diabetes mellitus and maybe potential sources of new orally active agent(s).
Marc Brodsky MD, Karen Spritzer BS, Ron D. Hays PhD
et al.
Background. This study evaluated change in health-related quality of life at the group and individual levels in a consecutive series of patients with chronic myofascial neck pain. Methods. Fifty patients with chronic neck pain self-administered the Short Form-36 Version 2 (SF-36 v2) before treatment and 6 weeks later. Internal consistency reliability was estimated for the 8 scale scores and Mosier’s formula was used to estimate reliability of the physical and mental health composite scores. Significance of group-level change was estimated using within-group t statistics. Significance of individual change was evaluated by reliable change index. Results. Statistically significant ( P < .05) group mean improvement over time was found for all SF-36 scores. At the individual level, 20% of the possible changes were statistically significant (17% improvement, 3% decline). Conclusions. Estimating the significance of individual change in health-related quality of life adds important information in comparing different treatment modalities for chronic myofascial neck pain.
Sara Khaleghi MSc, Mitra Bakhtiari PhD, Atefeh Asadmobini MSc
et al.
Objective. The object of present study was to investigate the effects of direct addition of Tribulus terrestris extract on human sperm parameters. Design. Semen specimens from 40 healthy men volunteers were divided into 4 groups: one group received no treatment (control group) while the others were incubated with 20, 40, and 50 µg/mL of T terrestris extract (experimental groups). Motility, viability, and DNA fragmentation were assessed in all groups. Results. The incubation of human semen with 40 and 50 μg/mL of T terrestris extract significantly enhanced total sperm motility, number of progressive motile spermatozoa, and curvilinear velocity over 60 to 120 minutes’ holding time ( P < .05 or P < < .01). Furthermore, viability was significantly enhanced by using T terrestris extract ( P < .01). Conclusions. In vitro addition of the T terrestris extract to human sperm could affect male fertility capacity.
Ram Awadh Singh Kushwaha, Rajiv Garg, Santosh Kumar
et al.
Pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis (PAM) is an uncommon chronic disease characterized by calcifications within the alveoli and a paucity of symptoms in contrast to the imaging findings. It occurs sporadically and it is regarded as an autossomal recessive lung disease. The pathogenesis of PAM has yet to be elucidated. The disorder has a protracted course and there is no treatment available. We report a case of 21 years-old male who presented to us with complaint of exertional breathlessness since childhood. Diagnosis of pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis was made on the basis of clinical features and laboratory findings.