The effect of photobiomodulation on tinnitus: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To establish outcomes following photobiomodulation therapy for tinnitus in humans and animal studies. METHODS: A systematic review and narrative synthesis was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement. The databases searched were: Medline, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials ('Central'), ClinicalTrials.gov and Web of Science including the Web of Science Core collection. There were no limits on language or year of publication. RESULTS: The searches identified 194 abstracts and 61 full texts. Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, reporting outcomes in 1483 humans (26 studies) and 34 animals (2 studies). Photobiomodulation therapy parameters included 10 different wavelengths, and duration ranged from 9 seconds to 30 minutes per session. Follow up ranged from 7 days to 6 months. CONCLUSION: Tinnitus outcomes following photobiomodulation therapy are generally positive and superior to no photobiomodulation therapy; however, evidence of long-term therapeutic benefit is deficient. Photobiomodulation therapy enables concentrated, focused delivery of light therapy to the inner ear through a non-invasive manner, with minimal side effects.

Root-associated fungal communities are influenced more by soils than by plant-host root traits in a Chinese tropical forest.

Forest fungal communities are shaped by the interactions between host tree root systems and the associated soil conditions. We investigated how the soil environment, root morphological traits, and root chemistry influence root-inhabiting fungal communities in three tropical forest sites of varying successional status in Xishuangbanna, China. For 150 trees of 66 species, we measured root morphology and tissue chemistry. Tree species identity was confirmed by sequencing rbcL, and root-associated fungal (RAF) communities were determined using high-throughput ITS2 sequencing. Using distance-based redundancy analysis and hierarchical variation partitioning, we quantified the relative importance of two soil variables (site average total phosphorus and available phosphorus), four root traits (dry matter content, tissue density, specific tip abundance, and forks), and three root tissue elemental concentrations (nitrogen, calcium, and manganese) on RAF community dissimilarity. The root and soil environment collectively explained 23% of RAF compositional variation. Soil phosphorus explained 76% of that variation. Twenty fungal taxa differentiated RAF communities among the three sites. Soil phosphorus most strongly affects RAF assemblages in this tropical forest. Variation in root calcium and manganese concentrations and root morphology among tree hosts, principally an architectural trade-off between dense, highly branched vs less-dense, herringbone-type root systems, are important secondary determinants.

Identifying the "Mushroom of Immortality": Assessing the Ganoderma Species Composition in Commercial Reishi Products.

Species of Ganoderma, commonly called reishi (in Japan) or lingzhi (in China), have been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, and their use has gained interest from pharmaceutical industries in recent years. Globally, the taxonomy of Ganoderma species is chaotic, and the taxon name Ganoderma lucidum has been used for most laccate (shiny) Ganoderma species. However, it is now known that G. lucidum sensu stricto has a limited native distribution in Europe and some parts of China. It is likely that differences in the quality and quantity of medicinally relevant chemicals occur among Ganoderma species. To determine what species are being sold in commercially available products, twenty manufactured products (e.g., pills, tablets, teas, etc.) and seventeen grow your own (GYO) kits labeled as containing G. lucidum were analyzed. DNA was extracted, and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1α) were sequenced with specific fungal primers. The majority (93%) of the manufactured reishi products and almost half of the GYO kits were identified as Ganoderma lingzhi. G. lingzhi is native to Asia and is the most widely cultivated and studied taxon for medicinal use. Illumina MiSeq sequencing of the ITS1 region was performed to determine if multiple Ganoderma species were present. None of the manufactured products tested contained G. lucidum sensu stricto, and it was detected in only one GYO kit. G. lingzhi was detected in most products, but other Ganoderma species were also present, including G. applanatum, G. australe, G. gibbosum, G. sessile, and G. sinense. Our results indicate that the content of these products vary and that better labeling is needed to inform consumers before these products are ingested or marketed as medicine. Of the 17 GYO kits tested, 11 kits contained Ganoderma taxa that are not native to the United States. If fruiting bodies of exotic Ganoderma taxa are cultivated, these GYO kits will likely end up in the environment. The effects of these exotic species to natural ecosystems needs investigation.