BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies最新文献

{"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":"24 1","pages":"368"},"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":"24 1","pages":"367"},"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":"24 1","pages":"365"},"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}

{"title":"Treatment of Shengqingtongqiao Decoction for mild cognitive impairment of white matter lesions study protocol for a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel controlled trial.","authors":"XueYi Han, JieQing Zhang, ZiJun Wei, JiaNing Mei, Xie Long, XiaoMin Zhen, YueChan Zhang, YunYun Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04654-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04654-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>White matter lesions(WML) is an important cause of mild cognitive impairment(MCI). Ginkgo biloba extracts (GBTs) are widely used to treat cognitive dysfunctions. But the treatment of MCI is still limited. Shenqingtongqiao Decoction(SQTQD), as a clinical empirical formula, has received good feedback in treating MCI of WML. However, there was a lack of solid clinical research on SQTQD in treating MCI. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of SQTQD in the MCI patients of WML.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This is a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, parallel-controlled trial. 80 participants will be assigned to receive SQTQD granules plus GBTs mimetics or SQTQD mimetic granules plus GBTs in a 1:1 ratio. The trial will last 24 weeks, including a 12-week intervention and 12-week follow-up. The primary outcome is MoCA and AVLT. The secondary outcome is a neuropsychological battery (including MMSE, SCWT, TMT, DST, SDMT, BNT, VFT, and CDT), quality of life(BI, ADL, and FAQ scores), emotion assessment(PHQ-9, GAD-7 score) , Fazekas and ARWMCs scale, and fMRI. Researchers will record any adverse events throughout the trial.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This study will provide evidence to evaluate the efficacy and safety of SQTQD for MCI of WML compared with GBTs.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>The trial is registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Number: ChiCTR2300068552).</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"366"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11470687/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142406075","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":"Clausena harmandiana root extract ameliorates Aβ_1-42 induced cognitive deficits, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in rats.","authors":"Wanassanun Pannangrong, Nutchareeporn Nillert, Chantana Boonyarat, Jariya Umka Welbat, Supataechasit Yannasithinon, Pannawat Choowong-In","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04662-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s12906-024-04662-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Clausena harmandiana (CH), commonly known as song fa dong, was a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat illnesses and as a health tonic. CH root extract (CHRE) exhibited various bioactivities, including neuroprotective, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. However, CHRE data on neuroprotective in AD-like animal models were still scarce.</p><p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to investigate the effects of CHRE on Aβ_1-42-induced cognitive deficits, free radical damage, and neuronal death in rats.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Forty-eight adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were classified as sham control (SC), V+Aβ, Vit C+Aβ, CHRE125+Aβ, CHRE250+Aβ, and CHRE500+Aβ (n = 8 in each group). Animals were orally administered with 0.5% sodium carboxymethylcellulose, vitamin C (200 mg/kg BW), or CHRE (125, 250, and 500 mg/kg BW) and were untreated for 35 days. On day 21, all treated rats were injected with 1 µl of aggregated Aβ_1-42 (1 µg/µl) into the lateral ventricles, bilaterally, whereas untreated rats were injected with sterilized normal saline (NS). The Morris water maze test estimated the rat's learning and memory one week later. At the end of the treatment, all rats were sacrificed, and their brains were removed and divided into two hemispheres. On the left, morphological changes and neuronal density were observed in hippocampal CA1 and CA3 regions. While, on the right, changes in free radical damage markers (SOD, CAT, GPx, MDA, and Nrf2) and protein expression of active caspase-3 were evaluated in the hippocampus.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pretreatment with CHRE at all doses could alleviate spatial learning and memory defects. CHRE also improved morphological changes and a decrease in neuronal density in CA1 and CA3 regions. Additionally, CHRE significantly increased the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, GPx) and Nrf2 expression. This was coupled with significantly decreased MDA levels and active caspase-3 expression in the hippocampus of Aβ_1-42-induced rats, which was similar to vitamin C exposure.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings suggested that CHRE ameliorated cognitive deficits and exhibited neuroprotective effects by reducing free radical damage and mitigating neuronal abnormality and neuronal death.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"364"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11465876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142399330","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":"Exploring the complex immunomodulatory effects and gut defense via oral administration of Astragali radix water extract to normal mice.","authors":"Mi-Gi Lee, Youngju Song, Hee Kang","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04667-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04667-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Astragali radix (AR) is one of the most widely used traditional Chinese herbal medicines. It exhibits diverse biological activities, including immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties; however, some of its activities have only been demonstrated in vitro.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To examine the effects of orally administered AR extract on immune cells and the intestine under physiological conditions, which bridges the gap between previously observed in vitro outcomes and in vivo results.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>AR extract was prepared by hot water extraction. Three separate animal experiments were conducted to isolate macrophages, splenocytes, and the small intestine epithelium. For the macrophage preparation experiment, an intraperitoneal injection of sterile thioglycolate was administered. The mice received oral AR extract at doses of 0.1, 0.5, or 2.5 g/kg for ten days. At the end of each experiment, cells or tissues were isolated. A portion of macrophages and splenocytes were analyzed for the phenotypic changes. The remaining cells were cultured and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or mitogen ex vivo to assess activation status, proliferation, and cytokine production. Samples of the intestine were subjected to real-time RT-PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Peritoneal macrophages from AR-treated mice exhibited increased expression of scavenger receptors, including SRA and CD36. Stimulation of these macrophages ex vivo with LPS selectively modulated the inflammatory response, including reduced expression of the costimulatory molecules CD40 and CD86, which are important for T cell responses, without affecting TNF-α and IL-6 production. Splenocytes from AR-treated mice exhibited a dose-dependent increase in CD4 and CD8 T cells; however, stimulation with mitogen decreased T cell proliferation and reduced IFN-γ production, which is essential for macrophage activation. An analysis of the small intestinal epithelium revealed an attenuated antimicrobial response, including reduced IgA content in the lumen and decreased expression of mucin-2 and polymeric Ig receptor genes.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The response of immune cells following oral treatment with AR extract did not replicate the previously documented in vitro findings. Immune cells and intestinal epithelium from mice administered oral AR extract exhibited a selective anti-inflammatory phenotype. The overall findings indicate that the systemic effects after oral administration of AR extract include reduced sensitivity to inflammatory insults.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"361"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11460088/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142387939","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":"\"She mimicked the manipulations on my hand\": fostering embodied care among children with recurrent acute respiratory tract infections in Southern China.","authors":"Lingjia Yin, Bei Chang, Cecilia Stålsby Lundborg, Darong Wu, Helle Mølsted Alvesson","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04660-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04660-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>When young children experience recurrent respiratory infections, caregivers face the challenge of preventing new episodes whilst maintaining close rapport with their children. Pediatric massage, such as pediatric Tuina, entails soft massage of the skin, administered by trained providers. This non-pharmaceutical measure is used to prevent new respiratory infections in China. The aim of this study is to deepen our understanding of caregivers' experiences and perceptions of providing pediatric Tuina treatment to their children with recurrent respiratory tract infections.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews, was conducted in accordance with the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist. Sixteen mothers from Southern China, whose children had received pediatric Tuina for recurrent respiratory tract infections, participated online. Analysis was conducted according to the principles of reflexive thematic analysis, using the NVivo qualitative research software.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The overarching theme was \"Fostering embodied care with children\". Caregivers assessed pediatric Tuina by hearing others' experiences of pediatric Tuina, as well as observing the manipulations on their child's body and their bodily reactions during pediatric Tuina sessions. Caregivers also closely observed children's bodily changes after pediatric Tuina sessions. Embodied attachment between children and adults was nurtured through the pediatric Tuina. Compared to other treatments or medical consultations, children were more relaxed and more involved in embodied care, which involved direct skin touching and verbal communication from the pediatric Tuina provider. Children also took the initiative to bring pediatric Tuina into their family life, by asking caregivers to perform it on them and mimicking the manipulations on the caregivers' hand.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pediatric Tuina served as a means of interaction between children and adults, fostering an embodied care on both a physical and emotional level. Beyond its potentially preventive effect on recurrent respiratory tract infections, pediatric Tuina could be a support for parents of children with recurrent or chronic disease at home.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"359"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11457486/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142387938","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":"Retraction Note: Cyanidin-3-glucoside activates Nrf2-antioxidant response element and protects against glutamate-induced oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress in HT22 hippocampal neuronal cells.","authors":"Monruedee Sukprasansap, Pithi Chanvorachote, Tewin Tencomnao","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04672-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04672-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"360"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11457359/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142387942","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":"Prevalence and factors associated with the use of traditional medicine in individuals with hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycaemia, and arterial hypertension in Ecuador: results from a population-based study in two health districts.","authors":"Marta Puig-García, Carmen López-Herraiz, Cintia Caicedo-Montaño, María Fernanda Rivadeneira, Juan Vásconez-Donoso, Gregorio Montalvo-Villacis, Ikram Benazizi-Dahbi, Lucy Anne Parker","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04666-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04666-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While traditional medicine (TM) is employed by a significant portion of the global population for managing health issues, clinical guidelines and state recommendations often overlook this practice. The aim of this study was to describe the frequency of use of TM to control 3 metabolic risk factors (MRF): hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and hyperglycaemia; and the sociodemographic, economic, and clinical characteristics associated with the use of TM.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Cross-sectional descriptive study that analyses data obtained from a representative population survey in 2 health districts, one urban in the south of Quito and another in a forested rural area with diverse ethnic groups in Esmeraldas, Ecuador. We include 602 individuals with at least one MRF. We calculated the proportion of people reporting the regular use of TM (herbal or traditional remedy) to control their MRF and we assessed potential associations with sociodemographic, economic, and clinical characteristics with a multivariable logistic regression model.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In two very different sociocultural contexts in Ecuador we found that use of TM to control MRF was frequent (39.4% in Esmeraldas, 31.1% in Quito), frequently in combination with CM. There is a notable percentage of people, 33.9% in Esmeraldas and 39.0% in Quito, who did not take any treatment for their MRF, and the remainder used CM alone. In both settings, an individual's education lever was significantly associated with TM use. Whereas in Quito individuals with higher education more frequently treated their MRF with TM (aOR 2.04, 95% CI 1.03-3.90), in the rural, hard-to-reach context of Esmeraldas, it was more frequent among people with no formal schooling (aOR: 3.76; 95%CI 1.59-8.88), as well as those of younger age (aOR by year: 0.97; 95% CI 0.95-0.99) and afro ethnicity (aOR: 2.13; 95%CI 1.02-4.45).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Traditional medicine is used by a significant proportion of the population in Ecuador, highlighting the need for a more accessible and intercultural healthcare approach. The health system should ensure access to the necessary information and resources for the management of their metabolic risk factors.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"363"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11460002/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142387941","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":"Nigella sativa oil attenuates inflammation and oxidative stress in experimental myocardial infarction.","authors":"Raluca Maria Pop, Emilia Vassilopoulou, Mihaela-Elena Jianu, Ștefan Horia Roșian, Marian Taulescu, Mihai Negru, Crina Bercian, Paul-Mihai Boarescu, Ioana Corina Bocsan, Gavriela Feketea, Veronica Sanda Chedea, Francisc Dulf, Jeanine Cruceru, Alina Elena Pârvu, Anca Dana Buzoianu","doi":"10.1186/s12906-024-04648-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-024-04648-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A growing interest in using Nigella sativa oil (NSO) in the prevention or treatment of several cardiovascular diseases has prompted this study. The research aims to investigate the effect of NSO on cardiac damage prevention after long-term administration in induced myocardial infarction (MI) in rats.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>NSO was analyzed for its fatty acids composition using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis and administered in rats before and after isoproterenol (45 mg/kg body weight) induced myocardial infarction. The following parameters were assessed: electrocardiograms, histopathological examination, serum biochemical aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB), serum and heart inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1b), and interleukin 6 (IL-6)), and tissue oxidative stress (total antioxidant capacity (TAC), total oxidative stress (TOS), nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and the total thiols (THIOL)).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Linoleic acid (C18:2n-6) and oleic acid (C18:1n-9) were approximately 89% of total fatty acids while palmitic acid (C16:0) was 6.10%. Administration of NSO for 28 days helped in preventing QT and QTc interval prolongation and reduced heart rate (HR), after MI induction. The histological assessment showed improvement in myofibrillary degeneration and necrosis and also better reduced inflammatory process in the groups treated with NSO. In serum, pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1b and IL-6 were downregulated in chronic conditions (for IL-1b, NSO vs. control was 86.09vs 150.39 pg/mL, and for IL-6 NSO vs. control was 78.00 vs. 184.98 pg/ml). In the heart tissue, the downregulation was observed only for TNF in both acute and chronic conditions (acute NSO vs. control was 132.37 vs. 207.63 pg/mL, and chronic NSO vs. control was 135.83 vs. 183.29 pg/ml). The pro-oxidant parameters TOS, NO, MDA, and OSI, were reduced in the groups treated with NSO only after 14 days of treatment, suggesting that the NSO antioxidant effect is time-dependent.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>NSO administration might have a favourable impact on the regulation of oxidative stress and inflammation processes after MI induction in rats, and it is worth considering its administration as an adjuvant treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":9128,"journal":{"name":"BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies","volume":"24 1","pages":"362"},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2024-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11459993/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142387940","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}