Evaluation of antioxidant and free radical scavenging capacities of polyphenolics from pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima.

Thirteen polyphenolics were isolated from fresh pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima using various methods of column chromatography. The structures of these polyphenolics were elucidated as gallic acid (1), methyl gallate (2), 6-O-galloyl-d-glucoside (3), methyl 6-O-galloyl-ß-d-glucoside (4), methyl 3,6-di-O-galloyl-α-d-glucopyranoside (5), gentisic acid 5-O-α-d-(6'-O-galloyl)glucopyranoside (6), guaiacylglycerol 4-O-ß-d-(6'-O-galloyl)glucopyranoside (7), 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenol 1-O-ß-d-(6'-O-galloyl) glucopyranoside (8), (+)-gallocatechin (9), (+)-catechin (10), (+)-gallocatechin 3-O-gallate (11), myricetin 3-rhamnoside (12), and ampelopsin (13). All isolated compounds were tested for their antioxidant activities in the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl, and peroxynitrite radicals scavenging assays. Among those compounds, 11, 12, and 2 exhibited the best DPPH-, hydroxyl-, and peroxynitrite radical-scavenging activities, respectively. Compound 7 is a new compound, and possesses better scavenging activities towards DPPH but has equivalent hydroxyl radical scavenging activity when compared to BHT. The paper is the first report on free radical scavenging properties of components of the fresh pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima. The results obtained from the current study indicate that the free radical scavenging property of fresh pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima may be one of the mechanisms by which this herbal medicine is effective in several free radical mediated diseases.

Antacid effects of Chinese herbal prescriptions assessed by a modified artificial stomach model.

AIM: To assess the antacid effects of the tonic Chinese herbal prescriptions, si-jun-zi-tang (SJZT) and shen-ling-bai-zhu-san (SLBZS). METHODS: Decoctions of the tonic Chinese herbal prescriptions, SJZT and SLBZS, were prepared according to Chinese original documents. The pH of the prescription decoctions and their neutralizing effects on artificial gastric acids were determined and compared with water and the active controls, sodium bicarbonate and colloidal aluminum phosphate. A modified model of Vatier's artificial stomach was used to determine the duration of consistent neutralization effect on artificial gastric acids. The neutralization capacity in vitro was determined with the titration method of Fordtran's model. RESULTS: The results showed that both SJZT and SLBZS have antacid effects in vitro. Compared with the water group, SJZT and SLBZS were found to possess significant gastric acid neutralizing effects. The duration for consistent neutralization of SLBZS was significantly longer than that of water. Also, SLBZS and SJZT exhibited significant antacid capacities compared to water. CONCLUSION: SJZT and SLBZS were consistently active in the artificial stomach model and are suggested to have antacid effects similar to the active control drugs.

Use of Chinese herbal medicine among menopausal women in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the patterns of use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) used by women in Taiwan to treat menopausal symptoms. METHODS: A retrospective review of the records of women who received CHM therapies for menopausal symptoms at the Traditional Medicine Center, Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, between January 2003 and December 2006. The average number of therapies per prescription, dosage, and duration of the prescription were recorded. The most commonly prescribed herbs and formulae were also recorded. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: The records of 3432 women who were administered a total of 19370 CHMs to treat symptoms of the menopause were reviewed. The average number of drugs per prescription was 5.64. Most of the prescriptions (97.1%) were prescribed to be taken 3 times a day. The most commonly prescribed Chinese herb was Leonurus heterophyllus. Jia-Wey-Shiau-Yau-San was the most commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formula. CONCLUSION: CHM is commonly used in Taiwan for the treatment of menopausal symptoms. The efficacy and safety of CHM drugs used for the management of menopausal symptoms require further study.

Effectiveness of Taiwanese traditional herbal diet for pain management in terminal cancer patients.

In addition to modern medicinal therapy, many cancer patients in Taiwan are treated regularly with herbal medicines or prescribed a traditional herbal diet. In this paper, the effect of a Taiwanese traditional herbal diet (TTHD) on pain in terminal cancer patients was investigated. A total of 2,466 patients diagnosed with a variety of cancers were included. The most common patient-reported symptoms included troublesome pain (79.2%), weakness (69.0%), anorexia (46.4%), fever (36.5%), dyspnea (31.1%), and leg edema (30.9%). The 2,466 terminal cancer patients included in the study were randomly divided into three groups. The TTHD group (n=1044; 42.3%) were given the TTHD consisting of analgesic herbs (paeony root: licorice root=1:1) and a Taiwanese tonic vegetable soup (Lilii bulbus, Nelumbo seed, and Jujube fruit). The remaining patients were divided into a reference group, given the regular hospital diet, (n=909, 36.9%) and a control group, given the Taiwanese tonic vegetable soup without analgesic herbs, (n=513, 20.8%). All patients maintained their assigned diets for one week. A verbal numerical scale was used to assess pain. Results revealed that the patients given TTHD reported enhanced pain relief (p<0.05) compared to the reference and control groups. We found that TTHD could alleviate the pain among terminal cancer patients thereby supporting the supposition that Eastern and Western medicines can be effectively co-administered to enhance terminal patient's quality of life. Further research is warranted.

Hypouricemic effect and regulatory effects on autonomic function of Shao-Yao Gan-Cao Tang, a Chinese herbal prescription, in asymptomatic hyperuricemic vegetarians.

Shao-yao Gan-Cao Tang (SYGCT) is a popular Chinese herbal prescription which is composed of Paeoniae Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix. The uric acid-lowering effects and regulatory effects on autonomic functions of SYGCT in vegetarians with asymptomatic hyperuricemia were evaluated in the present study. All the hyperuricemic vegetarians in experimental group and the normal healthy subjects in control group were administered SYGCT three times daily for 4 weeks. The blood levels of uric acid and general autonomic system function examinations were performed at baseline and after 4-week treatment. The activities of autonomic function were evaluated by a modified method from Wenger's analyses of autonomic variables. After 4-week treatment of SYGCT, a significant reduction of serum uric acid levels was found in the hyperuricemic vegetarians. SYGCT could increase the sympathetic activities of the hyperuricemic vegetarians with deficient-syndrome, but had no significant effects in the excess-syndrome subjects.

A pilot study comparing the clinical effects of Jia-Wey Shiau-Yau San, a traditional Chinese herbal prescription, and a continuous combined hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Interest in use of alternative remedies for managing menopausal symptoms is increasing exponentially during these years. Jia-Wey Shiau-Yau San (JWSYS), one of the traditional Chinese herbal prescriptions, is a famous herbal remedy used for the management of various menopausal-related symptoms. A randomized, controlled pilot study was performed to evaluate the clinical effects of JWSYS compared with those of a continuous combined hormone replacement therapy, Premelle, on quality of life in non-hysterectomized postmenopausal women. METHODS: The present trial compared the effect of a l6-week treatment with JWSYS or HRT (Premelle) in postmenopausal women with climacteric symptoms. The Greene Climacteric Scale was used to assess the clinical effects at baseline and after 16 weeks' treatment with either JWSYS or Premelle. The physiological parameters, such as follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels, were also recorded at the same time points. RESULTS: The results showed that JWSYS had a relatively lower discontinuation rate due to adverse effects, in particular the bleeding and breast tenderness. Both JWSYS and Premelle effectively alleviated most of the menopausal symptoms with no significant differences between treatment groups, whereas the beneficial effects of JWSYS were not mediated by hormone replacement-like effects. Moreover, JWSYS showed a good compliance and safety without estrogenic effects and metabolic alterations. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that JWSYS was a safe and efficacious therapy and might be an alternative choice for relief of climacteric symptoms in postmenopausal women. However, the exact efficacy and clinical roles of JWSYS have not been convincingly demonstrated in this study because of the blinding approach and some statistical concerns, and only the possibility of its efficacy has been raised. Therefore, a blinding trial with more patient numbers to evaluate the efficacy of JWSYS deserves further study.

Pharmacokinetic interactions between carbamazepine and the traditional Chinese medicine Paeoniae Radix.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Paeoniae Radix (PR), one of the most famous tonic traditional Chinese medicines, on the pharmacokinetics of carbamazepine (CBZ) in rats and to determine the possible interactions between PR and CBZ. The significant decrease in Tmax indicated that simultaneous oral administration of PR contributed to more rapid absorption of CBZ. It is suggested that the faster absorption of CBZ might lead to the rapid onset of its clinical effect. There were no significant differences in maximum concentration (Cmax), area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC), half-life (t1/2), mean residence time (MRT), clearance/bioavailability (CL/F), and apparent volume of distribution/bioavailability (Vd/F) of CBZ between the two groups, showing that PR did not significantly affect the absorption extent, distribution, metabolism, and elimination of CBZ. A significant decrease in protein binding rate was found when CBZ was coadministered with PR. Further studies are in progress to clarify the clinical significance and the mechanism underlying the effects of PR on the protein binding of CBZ observed in the present study.

Pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin after oral administration of Shao-yao Gan-chao Tang in mice.

Paeoniflorin, a monoterpene glycoside, is the principal bioactive component of Paeoniae Radix. The traditional prescription Shao-yao Gan-chao Tang (SGT; Kampo: Shakuyaku-Kanzo-To), which is composed of Paeoniae Radix and Glycyrrhizae Radix, has been widely used in China and Japan. Quantification of paeoniflorin in mouse plasma after oral administration of SGT (at a dose containing 10 mg/kg paeoniflorin) was achieved using a simple and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method. The plasma concentration-time curves were fitted with mean terminal half-lives (t 1/2) of 116.17 min. The maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) of paeoniflorin was 111.56 ng/ml, time to reach maximum concentration (tmax) was 17.00 min, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC)0-t was 12293.42 ng x min/ml, clearance/bioavailability (CL/F) value was 644.74 ml/min x kg, apparent volume of distribution/ bioavailability (Vd/F) value was 103.05 l/kg, and the mean residence time (MRT) was 169.64 min. These results, together with the previously reported kinetic data of paeoniflorin after oral administration of Paeoniae Radix extract alone, indicated that absorption of paeoniflorin after oral administration of SGT was significantly greater than that after oral administration of Paeoniae Radix alone.