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Topic Review

Photobiomodulation in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), as a neurodegenerative disorder, usually develops slowly but gradually worsens. Transcranial photobiomodulation (PBM) has emerged as a potential clinical treatment and cognitive enhancement method for various neurodegenerative pathologies by delivering red and near-infrared light to the frontal and midbrain areas, which could also help increasing the potential of pharmacological therapies.

784
16 Mar 2023

Topic Review

Biological and Pharmacological Properties of Pinosylvin

Pinosylvin (3,5-dihydroxy-trans-stilbene), a natural pre-infectious stilbenoid toxin, is a terpenoid polyphenol compound principally found in the Vitaceae family in the heartwood of Pinus spp. (e.g., Pinus sylvestris) and in pine leaf (Pinus densiflora). It provides defense mechanisms against pathogens and insects for many plants. Stilbenoids are mostly found in berries and fruits but can also be found in other types of plants, such as mosses and ferns. As evidenced in several investigations, pinosylvin was found to exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anticancer, neuroprotective, and anti-allergic effects.

768
15 Aug 2022

Topic Review

Fruit Plants in the Management of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by a lack of insulin action and/or generation. Discrepancies in protein, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism can emerge due to the insufficiency of insulin. Low insulin levels, insulin resistance in target tissues, insulin-receptor expression, especially in adipose tissue and skeletal muscles, and to a lesser extent in the liver, effector enzymes, and/or signal transduction system all can play vital roles in metabolic disorders. Herbal products, such as fruit, seed, bark, fruit peel, and leaf, are always considered as promising sources of bioactive phytochemicals to treat different ailments including diabetes, pain, fever, cancer, hypertension, and so on. Phytomedicines are believed to be sanctified with lesser side effect, and thus, almost 80% of drug moieties are directly plant-extracted or their modified versions. Fruits are one of the most notable natural sources which provide fiber, minerals, vitamins, and many other essential nutrients which are included in daily diets. Fruits are also rich sources of flavonoids, saponins, polyphenols, carotenoids, isothiocyanates, and several other bioactive phytochemicals. Fruits are thought to be useful in the management of diabetes, cancer, obesity, and other disease states, including cardiovascular complications. From ancient Chinese therapies to modern approaches, local fruits are heavily incorporated to treat diabetic patients. Ayurveda medicines in the Indian subcontinent, including Bangladesh, also use a wide variety of locally produced fruits. It is believed that fruits and other plant parts can exhibit antidiabetic potential through several mechanism of actions.

765
15 Dec 2022

Topic Review

Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Therapy

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and associated conditions are an important problem in modern medicine. The onset of IDD may be in childhood and adolescence in patients with a genetic predisposition. With age, IDD progresses, leading to spondylosis, spondylarthrosis, herniated disc, spinal canal stenosis. One of the leading mechanisms in the development of IDD and chronic back pain is an imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines.

765
04 May 2023

Topic Review

Vitamin D and Cancer

There is strong evidence from geographical ecological and observational studies that solar UVB exposure and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration are inversely correlated with risk of incidence and death from many types of cancer. Clinical trials have provided limited support for the UVB-vitamin D-cancer hypothesis due to poor design and execution. Many experimental studies in cultured cells and animal models have described a wide range of anticancer effects of vitamin D compounds.

764
27 Apr 2022

Topic Review

Anticancer Activity of Bee Venom Components against BC

While the survival rate has increased due to treatments for breast cancer, the quality of life has decreased because of the side effects of chemotherapy. Various toxins are being developed as alternative breast cancer treatments, and bee venom is drawing attention as one of them.

754
28 Jul 2022

Topic Review

Potential Pharmacological Effects of Lucidenic Acids

Ganoderma lucidum has long been used as a multi-purpose plant and functional food. The pharmacological properties of G. lucidum are primarily attributed to its polysaccharides and triterpenoids. Ganoderic and lucidenic acids are the two major triterpenoids groups in G. lucidum. Despite the discovery of 22 types of lucidenic acids, research on lucidenic acids is significantly less extensive compared to that on ganoderic acid.

739
14 Jul 2023

Topic Review

Xiaochaihu (XCH) is a classic Chinese medicine formula. XCH tablet, XCH granule, XCH capsule, and XCH effervescent tablet are included in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

730
21 Dec 2021

Topic Review

Herbal Plants for Epidemics and Pandemics

With over 6 million coronavirus pandemic deaths, the African continent reported the lowest death rate despite having a high disease burden. The African community’s resilience to the pandemic has been attributed to climate and weather conditions, herd immunity, repeated exposure to infectious organisms that help stimulate the immune system, and a disproportionately large youth population. In addition, functional foods, herbal remedies, and dietary supplements contain micronutrients and bioactive compounds that can help boost the immune system.

716
16 Jun 2023

Topic Review

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth.

Orthosiphon stamineus Benth. is a traditional medicine used in the treatment of diabetes and chronic renal failure in southern China, Malaysia, and Thailand.

714
29 Mar 2022

Topic Review

RYR on LDL-C Plasma Level and ASCVD's Risk

Reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels is a key target for lowering cardiovascular risk and preventing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Red yeast rice (RYR) is a nutraceutical widely used as a lipid-lowering dietary supplement. The main cholesterol-lowering components of RYR are monacolins, particularly monacolin K, which is structurally identical to lovastatin and targets the same key enzyme of cholesterol biosynthesis. RYR supplementation reduces LDL-C levels by approximately 15–34% versus placebo, with a similar effect to low-dose, first-generation statins in subjects with mild-to-moderate dyslipidemia.

712
19 Jun 2023

Topic Review

Whole-Person Approach to Urinary Tract Infection

Urobiome dysbiosis, defined as an imbalance in the microbial composition in the microenvironments along the urinary tract, is found in women with uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI). Historically, antibiotics have been used to address UTI. An alternative approach to uncomplicated UTI is warranted as the current paradigm fails to take urobiome dysbiosis into account and contributes to the communal problem of resistance. A whole-person, multi-modal approach that addresses vaginal and urinary tract dysbiosis may be more effective in reducing recurrent UTI.

702
18 Feb 2022

Topic Review

Anticancer Activity of Trichostatin A

Trichostatin A (TSA), a natural derivative of dienohydroxamic acid derived from a fungal metabolite, exhibits various biological activities. It exerts antidiabetic activity and reverses high glucose levels caused by the downregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in Schwann cells, anti-inflammatory activity by suppressing the expression of various cytokines, and significant antioxidant activity by suppressing oxidative stress through multiple mechanisms. Most importantly, TSA exhibits potent inhibitory activity against different types of cancer through different pathways. The anticancer activity of TSA appeared in many in vitro and in vivo investigations that involved various cell lines and animal models.

700
31 Oct 2022

Topic Review

Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice)-Containing Herbs in Cancer Treatment

Cancer is one of the leading causes of premature death and a significant barrier to increasing life expectancy in almost every country in the world. Licorice belongs to the genus Glycyrrhiza, and radix glycyrrhizae (RG) is the dried roots and rhizomes of licorice. Licorice, as well as licorice-purified compounds, has the potential to abrogate the onset and progression of different malignancy cancers, both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, previous studies also suggest that licorice is a beneficial medicine plant used as a cure for nausea and vomiting.

698
14 Jul 2022

Topic Review

Essential Oils as Potential Anti-Influenza Agents

Essential oils (EOs) are chemical substances, mostly produced by aromatic plants in response to stress, that have a history of medicinal use for many diseases. In the past, EOs have continued to gain more attention because of their proven therapeutic applications against the flu and other infectious diseases. Influenza (flu) is an infectious zoonotic disease that affects the lungs and their associated organs. It is a public health problem with a huge health burden, causing a seasonal outbreak every year. Occasionally, it comes as a disease pandemic with unprecedentedly high hospitalization and mortality. Influenza is managed by vaccination and antiviral drugs such as Amantadine, Rimantadine, Oseltamivir, Peramivir, Zanamivir, and Baloxavir. However, the adverse side effects of these drugs, the rapid and unlimited variabilities of influenza viruses, and the emerging resistance of new virus strains to the currently used vaccines and drugs have necessitated the need to obtain more effective anti-influenza agents.

685
16 Jan 2023

Topic Review

Quantum Theory and the Mind

Quantum theory, which is focused on the physical laws that govern structures such as the nucleus of an atom or even the subatomic particles within an atomic nucleus, has properties that make it unique to most other areas of physics. Quantum theory tends to give unique, discrete energy states by defining a wave function with given boundary conditions using Erwin Schrödinger’s wave equation, helping calculate and determine the specific energy states, amongst other specific quantities this wave function would be likely to have. Quantum theory disconnects itself from the normal classical theories of physics in that it does not treat variables along a continuous spectrum, but rather finds discrete states which these variables can be expected to have.

682
20 Jul 2023

Topic Review

Immunotherapy of Pancreatic Cancer

Immunotherapy is a novel anti-cancer method which employs a different mechanism to conventional treatment. It has become a significant strategy because it provides a better or an alternative option for cancer patients. The development of immunotherapy should focus on the discovery of biomarkers to screen suitable patients, new targets on tumors, neoadjuvant immunotherapy and the combination of immunotherapy with conventional therapeutic methods.

660
29 Mar 2022

Topic Review

Leveraging Exosomes against Th17 Cell Catastrophe

Exosomes are membrane-bound extracellular vesicles that can act as biological messengers between cells, in the context of health and disease. In comparison to several lab-based drug carriers, exosome exhibits high stability, accommodates diverse cargo loads, elicits low immunogenicity and toxicity, and therefore manifests tremendous perspectives in the development of therapeutics. The efforts made to spur exosomes in drugging the untreatable targets are encouraging. T helper (Th) 17 cells are considered the most prominent factor in the establishment of autoimmunity and several genetic disorders.

653
06 May 2023

Topic Review

Vitamin D and Diseases in KSA and UAE

Accumulating evidence supports the potential protective effects of vitamin D against chronic diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, autoimmune diseases, cancers, cardiovascular disease (ischaemic heart disease and stroke), type 2 diabetes, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, stroke, and infectious diseases such as acute respiratory tract diseases, COVID-19, influenza, and pneumonia, as well as adverse pregnancy outcomes. The respective evidence is based on ecological and observational studies, randomized controlled trials, mechanistic studies, and Mendelian randomization studies. However, randomized controlled trials on vitamin D supplementation have largely failed to show benefits, probably due to poor design and analysis.

634
27 Apr 2023

Topic Review

Effects of Isorhamnetin on Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 (T2DM), is a major public health problem globally. DM is characterized by high levels of glycemia and insulinemia due to impaired insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity of the cells, known as insulin resistance. T2DM causes multiple and severe complications such as nephropathy, neuropathy, and retinopathy causing cell oxidative damages in different internal tissues, particularly the pancreas, heart, adipose tissue, liver, and kidneys. Isorhamnetin, a plant flavonoid, has long been studied for its potential anti-diabetic effects. Isorhamnetin is a monomethoxyflavone or an O-methylated flavonol from the class of flavonoids. It is quercetin in which a methoxy group replaces the hydroxy group at position 3’. Some isorhamnetin derivatives are present in nature, such as isorhamnetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, isorhamnetin 3-O-neohesperidoside, and isorhamnetin 3-O-rutinoside from Calendula officinalis L.. Isorhamnetin presents significant biological properties such as antioxidant, anticancer, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-diabetic effects.

614
21 Jan 2022

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