Herbal treatments for migraine: A systematic review of randomised-controlled studies.

Herbal treatments are often used as a treatment for migraine. Therefore, an evaluation of their safety and efficacy is important. Based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, and Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias, a systematic literature review of randomised, controlled human trials assessing the effects of herbal treatments delivered as a single ingredient for the acute or prophylactic treatment of migraine were conducted. Studies were identified through electronic database searches on Medline (Pubmed), Cochrane Library, Scopus, and CINAHL. Nineteen studies were identified examining the effects on migraine of feverfew, butterbur, curcumin, menthol/peppermint oil, coriander, citron, Damask rose, chamomile, and lavender. Overall, findings on the efficacy of feverfew were mixed and there was positive, albeit limited evidence for butterbur. There were positive, preliminary findings on curcumin, citron, and coriander as a prophylactic treatment for migraine, and the use of menthol and chamomile as an acute treatment. However, the risk of bias was high for many studies. The results of this systematic review suggest that several herbal medicines, via their multifactorial physiological influences, present as potential options to enhance the treatment of migraine. However, further high-quality research is essential to examine their efficacy and safety as a treatment for migraine.

Composición fitoquímica de partes aéreas frescas de Phania matricarioides / Phytochemical composition of fresh aerial parts of Phania matricarioides

Introducción: a nivel mundial, las drogas y los preparados fitoterapéuticos obtenidos a partir de ellas, ocupan un lugar importante dentro del comercio de medicamentos, por lo que se requiere garantizar su calidad. La especie Phania matricarioides (Spreng.) Griseb. es ampliamente empleada por la población cubana para afecciones dermatológicas y digestivas. Objetivo: explicar los resultados del estudio fitoquímico practicado a las partes aéreas frescas de Phania matricariodes. Métodos: se realizó el estudio de secado, se determinó humedad residual, cenizas totales, sustancias solubles, determinaciones cualitativas y de aceites esenciales. Resultados: de los 2 métodos de secado estudiados, en la estufa se extrajo 81,8 por ciento que garantiza una humedad relativa de 12 por ciento aproximadamente, se determinó que el solvente hidroalcohólico posee mayor carácter extractivo de residuos sólidos; la composición química de las partes aéreas frescas está determinada sobre todo por compuestos fenólicos, taninos, flavonoides, compuestos lactónicos, triterpenos o esteroides, terpenos y ácidos orgánicos. La determinación de aceite esencial resultó alrededor de 0,4 por ciento. Conclusiones: los principales componentes de las partes aéreas frescas de Phania matricariodes son los compuestos fenólicos, taninos, flavonoides, alcaloides, compuestos lactónicos, triterpenos o esteroides, terpenos y ácidos orgánicos.

Introduction: drugs and phytotherapeutic preparations obtained from them, hold an important place in the drug marketing, so quality assurance is required. Phania matricarioides (Spreng.) Griseb. Species is widely known by the Cuban population since it is used to treat dermatologic and digestive problems. Objectives: to explain the results of the phytochemical study of the fresh aerial parts of this species. Methods: the drying study was conducted as well as residual humidity, total ashes, soluble substances, qualitative determinations and essential oils were estimated. Results: from the two drying methods, 81,8 percent was extracted, which assures a relative humidity of 12 percent approximately; it was found that the hydroalcohol solvent extracted more solid residues; the chemical composition of the fresh aerial parts mainly comprised phenols, tannins, flavonoids, lactose compounds, triterpenes or steroids, terpens and organic acids. Essential oils accounted for 0,4 percent. Conclusions: the main components of fresh aerial parts of Phania matricaroides are phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, lactonic compounds, triterpens or steroids, terpens and organic acids

Induction of heme oxygenase-1 by chamomile protects murine macrophages against oxidative stress.

AIMS: Protection of cells from oxidative insult may be possible through direct scavenging of reactive oxygen species, or through stimulation of intracellular antioxidant defense mechanisms by induction of antioxidant gene expression. In this study we investigated the cytoprotective effect of chamomile and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. MAIN METHODS: The cytoprotective effect of chamomile was examined on H(2)O(2)-induced cellular stress in RAW 264.7 murine macrophages. KEY FINDINGS: RAW 264.7 murine macrophages treated with chamomile were protected from cell death caused by H(2)O(2). Treatment with 50µM H(2)O(2) for 6h caused significant increase in cellular stress accompanied by cell death in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Pretreatment with chamomile at 10-20µg/mL for 16h followed by H(2)O(2) treatment protected the macrophages against cell death. Chamomile exposure significantly increased the expression of antioxidant enzymes viz. heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), peroxiredoxin-1 (Prx-1), and thioredoxin-1 (Trx-1) in a dose-dependent manner, compared with their respective controls. Chamomile increased nuclear translocation of Nrf2 with increased phosphorylated Nrf2 levels, and binding to the antioxidant response element in the nucleus. SIGNIFICANCE: These molecular findings for the first time provide insights into the mechanisms underlying the induction of phase 2 enzymes through the Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway by chamomile, and provide evidence that chamomile possesses antioxidant and cytoprotective properties.

A metabonomic strategy for the detection of the metabolic effects of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) ingestion.

A metabonomic strategy, utilizing high-resolution 1H NMR spectroscopy in conjunction with chemometric methods (discriminant analysis with orthogonal signal correction), has been applied to the study of human biological responses to chamomile tea ingestion. Daily urine samples were collected from volunteers during a 6-week period incorporating a 2-week baseline period, 2 weeks of daily chamomile tea ingestion, and a 2-week post-treatment phase. Although strong intersubject variation in metabolite profiles was observed, clear differentiation between the samples obtained before and after chamomile ingestion was achieved on the basis of increased urinary excretion of hippurate and glycine with depleted creatinine concentration. Samples obtained up to 2 weeks after daily chamomile intake formed an isolated cluster in the discriminant analysis map, from which it was inferred that the metabolic effects of chamomile ingestion were prolonged during the 2-week postdosing period. This study highlights the potential for metabonomic technology in the assessment of nutritional interventions, despite the high degree of variation from genetic and environmental sources.