Green synthesis of silver and gold nanoparticles using Crataegus oxyacantha extract and their urease inhibitory activities.

This study reports the green synthesis and urease inhibitory activities of Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) using Crataegus oxyacantha extract. The synthesized NPs were characterized by UV-visible, FT-IR spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. The obtained NPs were spherical in shape, and their size was around 85 nm. A strong correlation between the phytochemicals present in the extract and their capability for the synthesis of NPs was observed. Furthermore, the shape, size, stability, and bioactivity of the NPs were strongly influenced by the stabilizing phytochemicals. The experimental analysis suggested that these NPs have substantial stability in a diverse range of physiological conditions such as pH, salinity, and temperature. The NPs exhibited potent urease enzyme inhibitory activities with percent inhibition of 99.25 and IC50 value of 1.38 ± 0.3, comparable to the standard (thiourea percent inhibition, that is, 98.2% and IC50 value 5.3 ± 0.04). These results suggested that the proposed NPs could be used in the homeopathic and pharmaceutical industries for biomedical applications.

Evaluation of the Efficacy of Crataegus oxyacantha in Dogs with Early-Stage Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: Myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) is the most common cardiopathy in middle-aged dogs. When the dog is asymptomatic and has an enlarged left atrium, treatment is beneficial; however, some allopathic drugs are very costly and may produce side effects. To extend the duration of this asymptomatic phase, complementary therapies such as herbal medicine and homeopathy are available. Although herbal therapy with extract of Crataegus oxyacantha is beneficial, there is a risk of adverse reactions-unlike with homeopathy, where the risk is minimized with the administration of ultra-diluted doses. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the efficacy of Crataegus oxyacantha, as mother tincture (MT) and in 6 cH homeopathic formulation, in treating the initial phase of heart failure due to MMVD in a veterinary clinic setting. METHODS: A total of 30 dogs with MMVD, 7 years or older and weighing up to 10 kg, were randomized into three groups as follows: Crataegus 6 cH, Crataegus MT, and hydroalcoholic solution (placebo). Animals were evaluated through echocardiography parameters, laboratory blood tests, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) measurements at 30, 60, 90, and 120 days after initiation of therapy, for statistical analysis and monitoring of the blinded study. RESULTS: Patients who received Crataegus 6 cH showed a reduction in SBP 60 days after treatment, while those receiving Crataegus MT exhibited a reduction 90 days after the therapy was initiated. There was a significant linear regression when evaluating the effect of treatment with Crataegus 6 cH on SBP measurements over the evaluation intervals (linear equation: SBP = 176.57 mm Hg - 0.21x, where x represents days of treatment). There was an increase in both fractional shortening and isovolumetric relaxation time for those patients receiving the homeopathic formulation. CONCLUSIONS: Therapy with Crataegus was beneficial for hypertensive and cardiopathic dogs with MMVD, extending the duration of the asymptomatic phase. The reduction in SBP occurred more swiftly in the 6 cH group than in the MT-treated dogs.

Adverse-event profile of Crataegus spp.: a systematic review.

Crataegus spp. (hawthorn) monopreparations are predominantly used for treating congestive heart failure. The effectiveness of hawthorn preparations (flowers with leaves; berries) is documented in a number of clinical studies, reviews and meta-analyses. The aim of this article is to assess the safety data of all available human studies on hawthorn monopreparations. Systematic searches were conducted on MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, The Cochrane Library, the UK National Research Register and the US ClinicalTrials.gov (up to January 2005). Data were requested from the spontaneous reporting scheme of the WHO. Hand searches were also conducted in a sample of relevant medical journals, conference proceedings, reference lists of identified articles and our own files. Eight manufacturers of hawthorn-containing preparations were contacted and asked to supply any information on adverse events or drug interactions. Data from all clinical studies and reports were assessed. Only human studies on monopreparations were included. Data from hawthorn-containing combination preparations and homeopathic preparations were excluded. All studies were read and evaluated by one reviewer and independently verified by at least one additional reviewer.Twenty-nine clinical studies were identified, of which 24 met our inclusion criteria. A total of 7311 patients were enrolled, and data from 5,577 patients were available for analysis. The daily dose and duration of treatment with hawthorn monopreparations ranged from 160 to 1,800 mg and from 3 to 24 weeks, respectively. The extracts most used in the clinical trials were WS 1,442 (extract of hawthorn standardised to 18.75% oligomeric procyanidins) and LI 132 (extract of hawthorn standardised to 2.25% flavonoids). Overall, 166 adverse events were reported. Most of these adverse events were, in general, mild to moderate; eight severe adverse events have been reported with the LI 132 extract. The most frequent adverse events were dizziness/vertigo (n = 15), gastrointestinal complaints (n = 24), headache (n = 9), migraine (n = 8) and palpitation (n = 11). The WHO spontaneous reporting scheme received 18 case reports. In the identified trials, the most frequent adverse events were dizziness (n = 6), nausea (n = 5), fall (n = 2), gastrointestinal haemorrhage (n = 2), circulation failure (n = 2) and erythematous rash (n = 2). There were no reports of drug interactions. In conclusion, all data reviewed in this article seem to indicate that hawthorn is well tolerated even if some severe adverse events were reported; this suggests that further studies are needed to better assess the safety of hawthorn-containing preparations. Moreover, the unsupervised use of this drug can be associated with problems, especially if given with concomitant medications.

Efficacy of a homeopathic Crataegus preparation compared with usual therapy for mild (NYHA II) cardiac insufficiency: results of an observational cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of the homeopathic Crataegus preparation Cralonin for non-inferiority to standard treatment for mild cardiac insufficiency. METHODS: Multicentre non-randomised cohort study in patients aged 50-75 years in New York Heart Association class II. Patients received Cralonin (n=110) or ACE inhibitor/diuretics (n=102) for 8 weeks. To adjust for confounding by baseline factors, populations were stratified according to propensity score. After adjusting, there were no statistically significant differences between treatment groups. Treatment efficacy was assessed on 15 variables. A stringent non-inferiority criterion for the upper limit of the 97.5% one-sided confidence interval of the treatment difference was set to 0.2x the standard deviation (S.D.). RESULTS: Both treatment regimens improved scores on most variables studied, with the greatest effect on double product after exercise (average score reduction 15.4% with Cralonin vs. 16.0% for the control group). Stringent non-inferiority of Cralonin was demonstrated on 7 variables. Medium-stringent (0.5xS.D.) non-inferiority was indicated by 13 variables (exceptions: systolic blood pressure (BP) during exercise and diastolic BP at rest; for these, differences between treatments were not significant). Both treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSION: The Crataegus-based preparation Cralonin is non-inferior to usual ACE inhibitor/diuretics treatment for mild cardiac insufficiency on all parameters except BP reduction.

Cardioprotective effect of tincture of Crataegus on isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction in rats.

Tincture of Crataegus (TCR), an alcoholic extract of the berries of hawthorn (Crataegus oxycantha), is used in herbal and homeopathic medicine. The present study was done to investigate the protective effect of TCR on experimentally induced myocardial infarction in rats. Pretreatment of TCR, at a dose of 0.5 mL/100 g bodyweight per day, orally for 30 days, prevented the increase in lipid peroxidation and activity of marker enzymes observed in isoproterenol-induced rats (85 mg kg(-1) s. c. for 2 days at an interval of 24 h). TCR prevented the isoproterenol-induced decrease in antioxidant enzymes in the heart and increased the rate of ADP-stimulated oxygen uptake and respiratory coupling ratio. TCR protected against pathological changes induced by isoproterenol in rat heart. The results show that pretreatment with TCR may be useful in preventing the damage induced by isoproterenol in rat heart.

Pretreatment with alcoholic extract of Crataegus oxycantha (AEC) activates mitochondrial protection during isoproterenol - induced myocardial infarction in rats.

Crataegus oxycantha (hawthorn) is used in herbal and homeopathic medicine as a cardiotonic. The present study was done to investigate the effect of the alcoholic extract of Crataegus oxycantha (AEC) on mitochondrial function during experimentally induced myocardial infarction in rat. AEC was administered orally to male albino rats (150-200 g), at a dosage of 0.5 ml/100 g body weight/day, for 30 days. At the end of the experimental period, the animals were administered isoproterenol (85 mg/kg body weight, s.c) for 2 days at an interval of 24 h. After 48 h, the rats were anaesthetized and sacrificed. The hearts were homogenized for biochemical and electron microscopic analysis. AEC pretreatment maintained mitochondrial antioxidant status, prevented mitochondrial lipid peroxidative damage and decrease in Kreb's cycle enzymes induced by isoproterenol in rat heart.