BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of anti-Toxoplasma effects of solid lipid nanoparticles carrying Cinnamon zeylanicum and Moringa oleifera oil extracts.","authors":"Mahsa Mottaghi, Parisa Karami, Zahra Hesari, Sara Nemati, Hanieh Mohammad Rahimi, Hamed Mirjalali","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04677-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04677-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The fabrication of anti-Toxoplasma drugs with less side effects and desirable efficacy is one of the important research goals facing with toxoplasmosis. This study aimed to determine the anti-Toxoplasma effects of Cinnamon zeylanicum (CZ), Moringa oleifera (MO) oil encapsulated into solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Vero cells were cultured with serial concentrations (1 mg/mL to 100 µg/mL) of CZ-SLNs and MO-SLNs in DMEM culture medium. The morphological, physical, and chemical features of nanoparticles were calculated. The cell viability assays and anti-T. gondii effects of CZ-SLNs and MO-SLNs were evaluated. The CC₅₀ and IC₅₀ indices of SLNs-enveloped extracts were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The particle sizes of MO-SLNs and CZ-SLNs were 411.5 and 365 nm, while PDI indices were 0.53 and 0.7, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that both MO-SLNs and CZ-SLNs were smoothed spherical nanoparticles with rounded edges. The cytotoxicity assay showed the CC₅₀ value of MO-SLNs at concentrations of ˃10 mg/mL. In addition, 60% of T. gondii-infected Vero cells remained alive at the concentrations ≤ 1 mg/ml, while the MO-SLNs killed at least 90% of T. gondii tachyzoites with an IC₅₀ > 1 µg/ml. The cytotoxicity of CZ-SLNs extract showed the CC₅₀ at the concentration 0.1 mg/mL. More than 50% of Vero cells, infected with T. gondii tachyzoites, survived at a concentration less than 0.1 mg/mL (IC₅₀ ˂ 0.1 mg/mL), while the CZ-SLNs killed at least 85% of T. gondii tachyzoites in all concentrations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The current results represented that the use of SLNs as a nano-carrier for M. oleifera and C. zeylanicum could kill T. gondii tachyzoites with low cytotoxicity, suggesting the effectiveness of these nano-emulsions along with the chemical agents in the treatment of Toxoplasma.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11515455/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142495064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling phytochemical diversity and safety profile of hot water extract from Tetrapleura tetraptera fruit.","authors":"Chukwuma Raphael Ekeanyanwu, Chinelo Chinenye Nkwocha, Chidinma Lynda Ekeanyanwu","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04681-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04681-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tetrapleura tetraptera, a widely used medicinal plant in West Africa, has been traditionally employed for various ailments. Despite its folkloric significance, scientific validation of its safety and potential neuroactive properties remains limited.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the acute and subchronic toxicity of Tetrapleura tetraptera hot water extract (HWETTF) in rats and to elucidate its phytochemical composition.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Acute oral toxicity was assessed in mice using the OECD guideline 423, while a 14-day repeat-dose toxicity study was conducted in rats. The phytochemical analysis included HPLC, FT-IR, and GC-MS.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HWETTF exhibited no significant toxicity in acute or subchronic studies, even at high doses. Phytochemical analysis revealed a diverse array of compounds, including those with potential GABAergic and CNS depressant activities.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Tetrapleura tetraptera demonstrated a favourable safety profile in rodents and possesses a rich phytochemical composition. Further research is warranted to explore its potential neuroactive properties and develop therapeutic applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11520151/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142495066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the efficacy of alginate nanoparticles containing Cymbopogon citratus essential oil and citral on melanoma and breast cancer cell lines under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.","authors":"Farnaz Karami, Mahmoud Osanloo, Hiva Alipanah, Elham Zarenezhad, Fatemeh Moghimi, Ali Ghanbariasad","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04673-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04673-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Solid tumors often develop hypoxic regions, leading to aggressive behavior and increased drug resistance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The chemical composition of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil (EO) was analyzed using GC-MS. Alginate nanoparticles containing the EO and its primary component, citral, were synthesized via the ionic gelation method. Encapsulation was confirmed using ATR-FTIR analysis. The anticancer efficacy of C. citratus EO, citral, and their respective alginate nanoparticles was evaluated under normoxic (21% oxygen) and hypoxic (1% oxygen) conditions on breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) and melanoma (A-375) cell lines. Additionally, qPCR and flow cytometry were used to assess apoptosis gene expression ratios (Bax/Bcl-2) and levels of apoptosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Citral (80.98%) was identified as the major component of the EO. Alginate nanoparticles containing C. citratus EO and citral (C. citratus-AlgNPs and citral-AlgNPs) were synthesized with particle sizes of 195 ± 4 nm and 222 ± 9 nm, and zeta potentials of -22 ± 3 mV and - 17 ± 1 mV, respectively. Both samples demonstrated significantly greater efficacy under hypoxic conditions. Citral and C. citratus-AlgNPs had IC₅₀ values of 27 (19-39) µg/mL and 25 (4-147) µg/mL, respectively, against MDA-MB-231 and A-375 cells. Flow cytometry showed increased apoptosis under hypoxic conditions, with the highest rates observed for citral-AlgNPs and C. citratus-AlgNPs (84 ± 5 and 92 ± 5% in MDA-MB-231 and A-375 cells, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study demonstrates that alginate nanoparticles enhance the anticancer activity of C. citratus-AlgNPs and citral, particularly under hypoxic conditions, highlighting their potential for hypoxia-targeted cancer therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11490153/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gardenia jasminoides extract mitigates acetaminophen-induced liver damage in mice.","authors":"Peenaprapa Tangpradubkiat, Maneerat Chayanupatkul, Pornpen Werawatganone, Kanjana Somanawat, Prasong Siriviriyakul, Naruemon Klaikeaw, Duangporn Werawatganon","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04676-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04676-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Acetaminophen (APAP)-induced hepatotoxicity is a potentially life-threatening condition. Gardenia jasminoides fruit extract (GJE), which contains geniposide (Gen) as its major active constituent, possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and may help address the underlying pathogenesis of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of GJE in a mouse model of APAP-induced hepatotoxicity.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty-four male ICR mice were divided into 4 groups (n = 6/group): [1] Control group, mice were given distilled water; [2] APAP group, mice received a single dose of 600 mg/kg APAP; [3] APAP + low-dose GJE group, mice received APAP followed 30 min later by 2 doses of low-dose GJE (0.44 g/kg/dose, containing Gen 100 mg/kg/dose) 8 h apart; [4] APAP + high-dose GJE group, mice received APAP followed by 2 doses of high-dose GJE (0.88 g/kg/dose, containing Gen 200 mg/kg/dose). All mice were euthanized 24 h after APAP administration. Liver tissue was used for histological examination and to measure glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Serum was used to determine levels of ALT and inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Liver histopathology showed moderate to severe hepatic necroinflammation in the APAP group, whereas only mild necroinflammation was observed in both treatment groups. Serum ALT levels were significantly elevated in the APAP group compared to the control group but were significantly reduced after low- and high-dose GJE treatment. Serum TNF- α levels were significantly higher in the APAP group than in the control group and were significantly lower after high-dose GJE treatment (135.5 ± 477.2 vs. 35.5 ± 25.8 vs. 74.7 ± 47.2 vs. 41.4 ± 50.8 pg/mL, respectively). Serum IL-6 followed a similar pattern. Hepatic GSH levels were significantly lower in the APAP group compared to the control group but significantly increased after both low- and high-dose GJE treatment (19.9 ± 4.5 vs. 81.5 ± 12.4 vs. 71.4 ± 7.8 vs. 82.6 ± 6.6 nmol/mg protein, respectively). Conversely, hepatic MDA levels were significantly elevated in the APAP group compared with the control group but significantly decreased after high-dose GJE treatment (108.6 ± 201.5 vs. 40.5 ± 18.0 vs. 40.5 ± 16.8 nmol/mg protein, respectively).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Treatment with G. jasminoides fruit extract can alleviate APAP-induced hepatotoxicity, likely through its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11490086/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Education about complementary and alternative medicine in cancer self-help groups by trained peers.","authors":"Joachim Weis, Martina Jablotschkin, Markus Horneber, Diana Steinmann, Claudia M Witt, Stefanie Helmer, Hans Helge Bartsch","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04680-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04680-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>On average, about 50% of cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in addition to conventional cancer treatment. Since there is a high need for information, patients often search for information about CAM and share experiences with peers, especially in self-help groups. In this study, we tested and evaluated an educational concept developed for group leaders of cancer self-help groups on how to approach the topic of CAM in their peer groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The educational concept has been developed and piloted with health care professionals and representatives from different self-help organizations in Germany. It aims to inform and discuss the possibilities and limitations of CAM in terms of scientific evidence, to reflect user behavior, and to provide a guide on how to find and evaluate reliable and evidence-based information sources. First, self-help group leaders took part in an on-site training where they were educated on various CAM topics with the goal of being able to conduct the educational concept in their respective self-help groups. Then, the educated group leaders performed this concept in their groups. The educational concept was evaluated by both the group leaders and participants with respect to acceptance, usefulness, and satisfaction using paper-pencil questionnaires. The study was conducted in Germany based on an observational study design with a six-month follow-up. For the analyses, descriptive and univariate statistics for dependent samples were used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of n = 50 interested group leaders conducted the educational program in their groups. The most common implementation barriers were organizational or structural problems, as well as the feeling of being overwhelmed with managing the program in their groups. A total of n = 423 participants were educated with this program by their respective group leaders. The majority felt satisfied with the educational program and improved their knowledge about CAM. At the six months follow-up (T2), significantly more participants had consulted their physicians to inform themselves about CAM and felt more confident in finding reliable information about CAM.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this observational study, we have managed to successfully implement an educational concept with respect to the topic of CAM in cancer self-help groups. Based on the results, the concept approach will be modified to include both a CAM- professional and group leader to train the self-help groups. In the future, the effects of the program should be tested by a randomized trial.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11491026/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457890","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Pityriasis Rosea-Like Eruption following anti-fatigue traditional herbs: Aconitum carmichaelii Debx and Panax Ginseng suspected.","authors":"Xueyan Zeng, Xin Zhou, Aiping Zhang, Yanqin Zhu, Bin Lu, Feiqin Zhu, Mengqi Wu, Riyang Lin","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04665-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04665-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11490140/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Urban-rural differences in preferences for traditional Chinese medicine services among chronic disease patients: a discrete choice experiment.","authors":"Fan Jiang, Yuting Feng, Wen Zong, Jianing Xue, Wanning Chen, Liu Qizhi, Jiao Zhang, Aijun Xu","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04659-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04659-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>With the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, the demand for medical services from chronic disease patients has become diversified and personalized. The advantages and role of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases gradually emerging. The preferences and willingness to pay for traditional Chinese medicine services (TCMS) among patients with chronic diseases, as well as any disparities between urban and rural patients, have not been examined in past studies.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the preferences of chronic disease patients for TCMS, explore the value/importance that patients place on different treatment attributes, and evaluate whether there are urban-rural differences in their preferences and willingness to pay for TCMS.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 317 patients from Jiangsu Province, China participated in a discrete choice experiment that elicited the preferences for TCMS. The choice questions were constructed by six attributes: out-of-pocket (OOP) cost, institution, medical provider, treatment method, treatment duration, treatment efficacy. Mixed logit models were used to estimate the stated preference and marginal willingness to pay for each attribute.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The choice preferences of chronic disease patients for TCMS in this study were influenced by the four attributes: institution, treatment method, and treatment efficacy, and OOP cost. Improvements in treatment efficacy were the most concerning, followed by being treated in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital. Patients were willing to pay more to get better treatment outcomes. Compared with primary care institutions, patients were willing to pay more for treatment in TCM hospitals. The preferences for economic attribute (OOP cost) varied between urban and rural areas, and rural patients tended to favor scenarios that imposed a lower economic burden on them.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The chronic disease patients' preferences for TCMS were determined mainly by treatment efficacy but also by institution, treatment method and OOP cost. The urban-rural difference in preference identified in this study highlights that effective policy interventions should consider the characteristics of patients' demand in different regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11475649/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Ajuga integrifolia leaf extracts obtained with different solvents.","authors":"Workineh Mengesha Fereja, Wakuma Debessa Geleta, Engida Desalegn, Mitiku Moaneanda, Adugna Abdissa, Firehiwot Belyneh Usamo","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04668-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04668-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Many diseases are increasingly recognized as public health concerns worldwide because of the increasing incidence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Recently, interest in the use of indigenous medicinal plants to treat infectious illnesses has increased, highlighting the need to find new bioactive phytochemicals. Ajuga integrifolia is a plant commonly utilized in traditional drugs to treat a wide range of diseases, although its effectiveness has not been scientifically validated. The present study aimed to evaluate the total phenolic and flavonoid contents and assess the biological activities of A. integrifolia leaf extracts produced via different solvent systems.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Soxhlet extraction was employed to obtain crude extracts from different solvents (methanol, ethanol and water). The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and ferric-reducing power assays were used to measure the antioxidant activity, and the antibacterial activity of the extract was evaluated on the basis of its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against two gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli (ATCC-25922) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC-43495)) and two gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC-25923) and Streptococcus pyogenes (ATCC-19615)) via the agar disk-diffusion technique.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant amount of total phenolic content (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) were present in all the extracts. The extracts presented powerful antioxidant activity in all the assays. The disc diffusion and MIC results revealed the ability of the methanol and ethanol extracts of A. integrifolia leaves to inhibit S. aureus growth at a concentration of 3.125 mg/mL. However, the water extracts were ineffective against E. coli and P. aeruginosa.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings indicate that A. integrifolia leaf extracts have reasonable biological activities. These findings underscore the importance of A. integrifolia leaves as a source of health benefits.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11471018/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy and safety of auricular acupressure on reduction of estazolam in patients with insomnia: a study protocol for a three-arm, blinded randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Qiqi Wu, Jiawei Wang, Lijuan Fan, Lala Qian, Dexiong Han, Hantong Hu, Hong Gao","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04651-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04651-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drug-dependent insomnia refers to insomnia patients taking sedatives and sleeping pills regularly for a long period. Auricular acupressure (AA) has attracted growing attention as a complementary treatment for insomnia. Nevertheless, there is a lack of rigorous studies evaluating AA specifically for estazolam-dependent insomnia. Our proposed trial aims to assess the therapeutic effect of AA on estazolam-dependent insomnia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study is a randomized, single-blinded, three-arm controlled trial. No less than 108 participants will be randomized into one of three groups: AA group, sham auricular acupressure (SAA) group, and conventional dosage reduction group. All treatments will be administered for 4 weeks, with a follow-up period of 1 month. The primary clinical outcomes will be estazolam dosing and reduction rates, serum gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and cortisol (CORT) levels. Secondary outcomes will concern the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and Benzodiazepine Withdrawal Symptom Questionnaire (BWSQ). Both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be performed, with the significance level determined as 5%.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The study results will provide evidence on the efficacy and safety of AA in managing estazolam-dependent insomnia by analyzing its immediate effect, time-effect relationship, and reduction of estazolam use.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>Clinicaltrials.gov (identification number: NCT06258226; Registered 5 February 2024, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06258226 ).</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11471019/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142457902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethnomedical knowledge of plants used in alternative medicine to treat hemorrhoidal diseases in Lubumbashi, Haut-Katanga province, Southern Democratic Republic of Congo.","authors":"Bashige Chiribagula Valentin, Okusa Ndjolo Philippe, Muhona Melman, Manya Mboni Henry, Bakari Amuri Salvius, Lumbu Simbi Jean Baptiste","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04646-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04646-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A variety of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the management of hemorrhoidal diseases. However, no investigation has been conducted to gather the knowledge required for this type of management in the region. The present study was conducted to inventory the plants used in Lubumbashi to treat hemorrhoidal diseases and to relate their ethnomedical characteristics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study was conducted between March 2022 and February 2023 by interviews using semi-structured questionnaire with households (n = 1520), herbalists (n = 25), and traditional healers: THs (n = 59).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The 1,604 respondents (sex ratio M/F = 0.9; mean age: 56 ± 3 years; experience: 12 ± 3 years) provided information on 100 taxa, 84 of which are used against internal hemorrhoids, Phyllanthus amarus being the most cited (Citation Index, CI: 0.76). Most of them are trees (38%) or shrubs (32%), belonging to 90 genera and 45 families dominated by the Fabaceae (10%) and Asteraceae (9%). They are indicated in 76 other pathologies, dominated by gastrointestinal disorders (GID), wounds and sexually transmitted infections (CI > 0.57). From these 100 taxa, 117 anti-hemorrhoidal formulations were derived, 11 of which combined more than one plant. In all these recipes, the leaf is the most commonly used part (> 60%) and the liniment (> 45%) is the most popular form of application. For the first time, this study reports 14 taxa as plants used in the treatment of hemorrhoids. Among these taxa, Ficus stuhlmannii, Ficus laurifolia, and Ocimum centraliafricanum are listed as medicinal plants for the first time. Khaya nyasica, and Syzygium cordatum, each with 11 uses, have the highest traditional medicinal value.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The findings of this study indicate that a significant number of medicinal plants are used in traditional medicine in Lubumbashi for the treatment of hemorrhoidal diseases. Some of these plants are endemic to the biodiversity area, while others are shared with other cultures and regions. A series of pharmacological studies is currently underway with the objective of validating the anti-hemorrhoidal properties of these plants and in order to identify phytochemical compounds responsible of this activity.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11468376/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142406074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}