Current herbal medicine as an alternative treatment in dentistry: In vitro, in vivo and clinical studies.

Since the time that human population comprehended the importance of general health maintenance and the burden of disease, there has been a search for healing properties in the natural environment. Herbal medicine is the use of plants with medical properties for prevention and treatment of conditions that can affect general health. Recently, a growing interest has been observed toward the use of traditional herbal medicine alongside synthetic modern drugs. Around 80% of the population, especially in developing countries relies on it for healthcare. Oral healthcare is considered a major part of general health. According to the world health organization (WHO), oral health is considered an important part of general health and quality of life. The utilization of natural medications for the management of pathologic oro-dental conditions can be a logical alternative to pharmaceutical methods due to their availability, low costs, and lower side effects. The current literature review aimed at exploration of the variety and extent of herbal products application in oral health maintenance including different fields of oral healthcare such as dental caries, periodontal maintenance, microbial infections, oral cancers, and inflammatory conditions.

Echinacea for Cancer Patients: To Give or Not to Give.

Currently, there is a progressive trend for the use of complementary and alternative therapies among cancer patients. Herbal products have a huge market in this field. Among herbal supplements which are consumed in this population, Echinacea preparations are very popular. These natural products have immune-boosting effects that can suppress tumor growth and invasion. However, there is a concern about proposing a standard formulation for this indication. Some ingredients of these herbs can even be tumor promoting. Therefore, a meticulous investigation on this issue would be highly valuable before making a recommendation or prohibition about Echinacea products for cancer patients.

Coenzyme Q10 in breast cancer care.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancers with high rates of morbidity and mortality. By now numerous medical approaches are available for treatment of BC including chemotherapies, radiation and surgery. These are accompanied by several complications like partial effectiveness, fatal adverse effects and high cost. Numerous studies in recent years tried to find safe and effective alternatives. A promising candidate is coenzyme Q10 which is an antioxidant that can target the mechanisms of BC tumor progression. METHODS & RESULTS: In this systematic review via PubMed searching, sparse but promising findings were classified about the successful application of this compound as an adjunct in prevention and treatment of BC and its comorbidities with some contradicting data about its null effect. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: According to the results, further well-designed clinical studies with dose optimization are now required to stratify the role of this supplement in current BC regimens.

Providing evidence for use of Echinacea supplements in Hajj pilgrims for management of respiratory tract infections.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate potential applicability of Echinacea use for management of respiratory tract infections in Hajj travelers. METHOD: The PubMed database was explored with Mesh terms "Echinacea" and "Respiratory Tract Infections". RESULTS: A hundred journal articles were yielded but only 66 most relevant ones used for the review. CONCLUSION: There is a considerable amount of evidence that shows effectiveness of Echinacea products in prevention and treatment of respiratory tract infections in this setting. Although there are some controversial findings, utilization of standardized products with adequate dose or combinations with other immune-stimulants in controlled and well-designed trials will be highly encouraging.