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Anticancer Effects of Herbal Medicine Compounds and Novel Formulations: a Literature Review.
Abdulridha, MK, Al-Marzoqi, AH, Al-Awsi, GRL, Mubarak, SMH, Heidarifard, M, Ghasemian, A
Journal of gastrointestinal cancer. 2020;(3):765-773
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many agents disrupt the cell cycle and its signaling circuits leading to cancer progress. Cancer therapy is performed by surgery, radiation, and chemical drugs remaining some side effects. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the anticancer traits of herbal medicines. METHODS We collected previously published data in searching engines (Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, and SCOPUS) by searching key words "herbal medicine," "anticancer effect," "compounds," and "fractions." RESULTS Herbal medicines have unraveled anticancer effects mostly through cancer cells apoptosis via blocking NF-κB pathway by curcumin and terpenoides; CD95 signaling and enhancement of CD95L expression by resveratrol; and inhibiting tyrosine kinas, angiogenesis, and cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase by β-lapachone-genistein and cytochrome-c release into the cytosol and caspase-9 activation by biocalein and quercetin. Additionally, impeding cell cycle in the G1 phase in ovarian cancer cells by 7-hydroxystaurosporine, immune cells enrichment (neutrophils and NK cells activation by Viscum album L., T cells and NK cells activation and cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor release by Ganoderma lucidum and microRNAs regulation (by Sinomeniumacutum, shikonin, Oleaeuropaea, curcumin and ginseng). These effects have implications for proper cancer cells elimination. It has been revealed that cytotoxic effects of herbal compounds (mostly those secondary metabolites) have exerted anticancer properties against several cancer cell lines. In addition, targeting microRNAs, nanoparticle-assisted herbal synergism, and novel drug delivery systems and combination chemotherapies have also emerged exerting higher efficacies for specific cell targeting as novel cancer therapy approaches. CONCLUSION Considering side effects, toxicity, and higher costs of common cancer therapy approaches, application of novel herbal medicine-based therapies will confer promising insights for health outcomes.
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Can phytotherapy with polyphenols serve as a powerful approach for the prevention and therapy tool of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)?
Levy, E, Delvin, E, Marcil, V, Spahis, S
American journal of physiology. Endocrinology and metabolism. 2020;(4):E689-E708
Abstract
Much more serious than the previous severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (CoV) outbreaks, the novel SARS-CoV-2 infection has spread speedily, affecting 213 countries and causing ∼17,300,000 cases and ∼672,000 (∼+1,500/day) deaths globally (as of July 31, 2020). The potentially fatal coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by air droplets and airborne as the main transmission modes, clearly induces a spectrum of respiratory clinical manifestations, but it also affects the immune, gastrointestinal, hematological, nervous, and renal systems. The dramatic scale of disorders and complications arises from the inadequacy of current treatments and absence of a vaccine and specific anti-COVID-19 drugs to suppress viral replication, inflammation, and additional pathogenic conditions. This highlights the importance of understanding the SARS-CoV-2 mechanisms of actions and the urgent need of prospecting for new or alternative treatment options. The main objective of the present review is to discuss the challenging issue relative to the clinical utility of plants-derived polyphenols in fighting viral infections. Not only is the strong capacity of polyphenols highlighted in magnifying health benefits, but the underlying mechanisms are also stressed. Finally, emphasis is placed on the potential ability of polyphenols to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection via the regulation of its molecular targets of human cellular binding and replication, as well as through the resulting host inflammation, oxidative stress, and signaling pathways.
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Plant-derived natural agents as dietary supplements for the regulation of glycosylated hemoglobin: A review of clinical trials.
Rezaeiamiri, E, Bahramsoltani, R, Rahimi, R
Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland). 2020;(2):331-342
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a metabolic disorder affecting a growing number of patients all over the world. T2DM complications are positively associated with HbA1c which is a long-term glycemic marker. Medicinal plants and their isolated phytochemicals have been extensively used as dietary supplements for the management of chronic disorders including T2DM. Current paper aims to review clinical trials evaluated the effect of phytochemicals for long-term management of T2DM considering the HbA1c level. METHODS Electronic databases including PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane were searched using the keywords "phytochemical", "extract", "herb", or "plant" and "HbA1c" or "glycosylated hemoglobin" in the title/abstract from the date of inception until May 2017. English and Persian language papers were included. References of the retrieved papers were also screened for relevant studies. RESULTS Of 2435 studies, 39 relevant clinical trials were finally included in which phytochemicals including berberine, curcumin, catechin, silymarin, resveratrol, pycnogenol, isoflavones, lignans, isohumulone, saponins, corn bran hemicellulose and pinitol were examined. Berberine and silymarin had the strongest evidence regarding their effectiveness in long-term management of HbA1c; however, lack of enough toxicological studies suggests to stay on the safe side for the administration of these agents in diabetic patients. CONCLUSIONS Current data regarding the efficacy of other phytochemicals are still controversial due to small follow-up period, methodological problems and small sample size. Future well-designed clinical trials are necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of phytochemicals for long-term glycemic control of diabetic patients.
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Current State of Research About Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) for the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Scoping Review.
López-Alcalde, J, Yan, Y, Witt, CM, Barth, J
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.). 2020;(7):557-570
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Abstract
Background: There is currently no effective treatment against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The optimal selection of interventions targeting the virus is unknown. Therefore, evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to support specific treatment against COVID-19 is urgently needed. The use of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) might have a role in the treatment and symptomatic management of patients with COVID-19. It was aimed at providing an overview of the available evidence and ongoing trials concerning the effects of CHMs for the treatment of COVID-19. Methods: This is a narrative review of relevant studies. Searches were conducted to identify documents published till April 22, 2020. Electronic databases, evidence-based collections, websites of relevant organizations, and trial registries were consulted. Results: A total of 25 guidelines on the treatment of patients with COVID-19 were identified. Four guidelines provided recommendations on the use of CHMs; these guidelines were developed in China and South Korea and were based on the consensus of experts exclusively. The remaining 21 guidelines provided no guidance on CHMs. No finished RCTs of CHMs for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 was found. According to the evidence evaluated in this review, a Cochrane review of CHMs for severe acute respiratory syndrome and five uncontrolled observational studies of the effects of CHMs in patients with COVID-19, the effects of CHMs for COVID-19 are unknown. A total of 52 ongoing clinical trials of CHM interventions for the treatment of COVID-19 were found. These trials will be carried out mostly in China (n = 51). Forty (77%) of the ongoing trials will be randomized, whereas 12 (23%) have an unclear sequence generation procedure. Forty-seven trials (90%) will have a sample size <400 participants. Conclusions: To the authors' knowledge, only the Chinese and the South Korean guidelines recommend CHMs as a treatment option for patients with COVID-19. These guidelines base their recommendations on the consensus of experts. Clinical guidelines or health authorities from other countries do not provide advice on CHMs. Due to the absence of RCT, there is currently no reliable evidence on the effects of any specific CHM intervention for the treatment of patients with COVID-19. A high number of clinical trials of different herbal products are being currently conducted in China.
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Progress and prospects in the management of bacterial infections and developments in Phytotherapeutic modalities.
Akram, M, Riaz, M, Munir, N, Rasul, A, Daniyal, M, Ali Shah, SM, Shariati, MA, Shaheen, G, Akhtar, N, Parveen, F, et al
Clinical and experimental pharmacology & physiology. 2020;(7):1107-1119
Abstract
The advent of antibiotics revolutionized medical care resulting in significantly reduced mortality and morbidity caused by infectious diseases. However, excessive use of antibiotics has led to the development of antibiotic resistance and indeed, the incidence of multidrug-resistant pathogens is considered as a major disadvantage in medication strategy, which has led the scholar's attention towards innovative antibiotic sources in recent years. Medicinal plants contain a variety of secondary metabolites with a wide range of therapeutic potential against the resistant microbes. Therefore, the aim of this review is to explore the antibacterial potential of traditional herbal medicine against bacterial infections. More than 200 published research articles reporting the therapeutic potential of medicinal plants against drug-resistant microbial infections were searched using different databases such as Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), etc., with various keywords like medicinal plants having antibacterial activities, antimicrobial potentials, phytotherapy of bacterial infection, etc. Articles were selected related to the efficacious herbs easily available to local populations addressing common pathogens. Various plants such as Artocarpus communis, Rheum emodi, Gentiana lutea L., Cassia fistula L., Rosemarinus officinalis, Argemone maxicana L, Hydrastis canadensis, Citrus aurantifolia, Cymbopogon citrates, Carica papaya, Euphorbia hirta, etc, were found to have significant antibacterial activities. Although herbal preparations have promising potential in the treatment of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection, still more research is required to isolate phytoconstituents, their mechanism of action as well as to find their impacts on the human body.
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Dietary Factors and Supplements Influencing Prostate Specific-Antigen (PSA) Concentrations in Men with Prostate Cancer and Increased Cancer Risk: An Evidence Analysis Review Based on Randomized Controlled Trials.
Grammatikopoulou, MG, Gkiouras, K, Papageorgiou, SΤ, Myrogiannis, I, Mykoniatis, I, Papamitsou, T, Bogdanos, DP, Goulis, DG
Nutrients. 2020;(10)
Abstract
The quest for dietary patterns and supplements efficient in down-regulating prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations among men with prostate cancer (PCa) or increased PCa risk has been long. Several antioxidants, including lycopene, selenium, curcumin, coenzyme Q10, phytoestrogens (including isoflavones and flavonoids), green tea catechins, cernitin, vitamins (C, E, D) and multivitamins, medicinal mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum), fruit extracts (saw palmetto, cranberries, pomegranate), walnuts and fatty acids, as well as combined supplementations of all, have been examined in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in humans, on the primary, secondary, and tertiary PCa prevention level. Despite the plethora of trials and the variety of examined interventions, the evidence supporting the efficacy of most dietary factors appears inadequate to recommend their use.
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Adjuvant herbal therapy for targeting susceptibility genes to Kawasaki disease: An overview of epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of Kawasaki disease.
Tang, B, Lo, HH, Lei, C, U, KI, Hsiao, WW, Guo, X, Bai, J, Wong, VK, Law, BY
Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology. 2020;:153208
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Kawasaki disease (KD) is a self-limiting acute systemic vasculitis occur mainly in infants and young children under 5 years old. Although the use of acetylsalicylic acid (AAS) in combination with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) remains the standard therapy to KD, the etiology, genetic susceptibility genes and pathogenic factors of KD are still un-elucidated. PURPOSE Current obstacles in the treatment of KD include the lack of standard clinical and genetic markers for early diagnosis, possible severe side effect of AAS (Reye's syndrome), and the refractory KD cases with resistance to IVIG therapy, therefore, this review has focused on introducing the current advances in the identification of genetic susceptibility genes, environmental factors, diagnostic markers and adjuvant pharmacological intervention for KD. RESULTS With an overall update in the development of KD from different aspects, our current bioinformatics data has suggested CASP3, CD40 and TLR4 as the possible pathogenic factors or diagnostic markers of KD. Besides, a list of herbal medicines which may work as the adjunct therapy for KD via targeting different proposed molecular targets of KD have also been summarized. CONCLUSION With the aid of modern pharmacological research and technology, it is anticipated that novel therapeutic remedies, especially active herbal chemicals targeting precise clinical markers of KD could be developed for accurate diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
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Therapeutic Aspects of Squill; An Evidence-Based Review.
Saket, K, Afshari, JT, Saburi, E, Yousefi, M, Salari, R
Current drug discovery technologies. 2020;(3):318-324
Abstract
From ancient times, medicinal plants have been usually utilized to treat many disorders, but today, interest in these herbs is again aroused, because of their fewer side effects and low-cost. In traditional medicine, for many diseases, various medicinal herbs have been suggested so far. Drimia maritime, also named squill, is an important medicinal plant for the treatment of many diseases, especially respiratory diseases. In the current evidence-based study, we conducted a review of the general characteristics, ingredients, administration form, and side effects of squill in traditional medicine. For this purpose, traditional Persian medicine literatures and electronic databases were examined including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Many compounds are isolated from D.maritima, including scillaren, scillirubroside, scillarenin, and bufadienolide glycosides. Oxymel is the most commonly used form of squill for various diseases, especially respiratory diseases. Besides, squill has been used in the treatment of cardiovascular, digestive, and dermatological disorders, it is also used against various cancer cells for its antioxidant and cytotoxic properties. Moreover, there is relatively reliable evidence of its benefits for bacterial and helminthic infections, rheumatism, edema, gout, abortion induction, healing of wounds and urine induction. It seems that supplementary studies are required to explore the bioactive agents and their effective mechanisms.
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Naturally Occurring Cannabinoids and their Role in Modulation of Cardiovascular Health.
Karimian Azari, E, Kerrigan, A, O'Connor, A
Journal of dietary supplements. 2020;(5):625-650
Abstract
In recent years, the role of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in various cardiovascular conditions has been a subject of great interest. The ECS is composed of cannabinoid receptors, their endogenous ligands, also known as endocannabinoids, and enzymes responsible for the synthesis and degradation of endocannabinoids. Several lines of evidence suggest that the ECS plays a complex role in cardiac and vascular systems; however, under normal physiological conditions the functions of the ECS are limited. Overactivation of components of the ECS has been associated with various cardiovascular conditions. Intriguingly, activation of the ECS may also reflect a cardioprotective compensatory mechanism. With this knowledge, a range of naturally occurring and synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and antagonists, as well as inhibitors of endocannabinoid metabolic enzymes have emerged as promising approaches for the treatment or management of cardiovascular health. This review will first focus on the known role of the ECS in regulating the cardiovascular system. Secondly, we discuss emerging data highlighting the therapeutic potential of naturally occurring non-psychoactive ECS modulators within the cardiovascular system, including phytocannabinoids, terpenes, and the endocannabinoid-like molecule palmitoylethanolamide.
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Promising role of medicinal plants in the regulation and management of male erectile dysfunction.
Masuku, NP, Unuofin, JO, Lebelo, SL
Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie. 2020;:110555
Abstract
Male erectile dysfunction (ED) refers to incompetency to reaching and retaining adequate penile tumescence for sexual intercourse. Over 152 million men globally suffer from ED and by 2025, the number of affected individuals is anticipated to be around 322 million. Pharmacological and nonpharmacological therapies such as phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitors, alprostadil, penile prosthesis surgery, and hormonal replacement are available for management and recuperation of ED. Nevertheless, such therapies are reported to have adverse effects as well as life-threatening. Accordingly, diversity of medicinal plant species and bioactive active compounds are preferred as therapeutic options because they are natural, abundant, available, low-cost and cause fewer or no side effects. This current review will emphasise the aetiology, risk factors, mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ED, treatments of ED as well as their side effects. It also provides medicinal plants that are proven effective in vivo and in vitro for the mitigation and treatment of male ED. This knowledge could be used in the future in drug discovery for the development of more natural drugs with no side effects.