In Vivo and In Silico Study of the Antinociceptive and Toxicological Effect of the Extracts of Petiveria alliacea L. Leaves.

Petiveria alliacea L. is an herb used in traditional medicine in Mexico and its roots have been studied to treat pain. However, until now, the antinociceptive properties of the leaves have not been investigated, being the main section used empirically for the treatment of diseases. For this reason, this study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive and toxoicological activity of various extracts (aqueous, hexanic, and methanolic) from P. alliacea L. leaves in NIH mice and to perform an in silico analysis of the phytochemical compounds. Firstly, the antinociceptive effect was analyzed using the formalin model and the different doses of each of the extracts that were administered orally to obtain the dose-response curves. In addition, acute toxicity was determined by the up and down method and serum biochemical analysis. Later, the phytochemical study of extracts was carried out by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and visible light spectroscopy, and the volatile chemical components were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Moreover, the most abundant compounds identified in the phytochemical study were analyzed in silico to predict their biological activity (PASSonline) and toxicology (OSIRIS Property Explorer). As a result, it was known that all extracts at doses from 10 to 316 mg/kg significantly reduced the pain response in both phases of the formalin model, with values of 50-60% for the inflammatory response. The toxicological studies (DL50) exhibited that all extracts did not cause any mortality up to the 2000 mg/kg dose level. This was corroborated by the values in the normal range of the biochemical parameters in the serum. Finally, the phytochemical screening of the presence of phenolic structures (coumarins, flavonoids) and terpenes (saponins and terpenes) was verified, and the highest content was of a lipid nature, 1.65 ± 0.54 meq diosgenin/mL in the methanolic extract. A total of 54 components were identified, 11 were the most abundant, and only four (Eicosane, Methyl oleate, 4-bis(1-phenylethyl) phenol, and Ethyl linolenate) of them showed a probability towards active antinociceptive activity in silico greater than 0.5. These results showed that the P. alliacea L. leaf extract possesses molecules with antinociceptive activity.

"I'm Not a Spiritual Person." How Hope Might Facilitate Conversations About Spirituality Among Teens and Young Adults With Cancer.

CONTEXT: Supporting patients' spiritual needs is central to palliative care. Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) may be developing their spiritual identities; it is unclear how to navigate conversations concerning their spiritual needs. OBJECTIVES: To 1) describe spiritual narratives among AYAs based on their self-identification as religious, spiritual, both, or neither and 2) identify language to support AYAs' spiritual needs in keeping with their self-identities. METHODS: In this mixed-methods, prospective, longitudinal cohort study, AYAs (14-25 years old) with newly diagnosed cancer self-reported their "religiousness" and "spirituality." One-on-one, semistructured interviews were conducted at three time points (within 60 days of diagnosis, six to 12 months, and 12-18 months later) and included queries about spirituality, God/prayer, meaning from illness, and evolving self-identity. Post hoc directed content analysis informed a framework for approaching religious/spiritual discussions. RESULTS: Seventeen AYAs (mean age 17.1 years, SD = 2.7, 47% male) participated in 44 interviews. Of n = 16 with concurrent survey responses, five (31%) self-identified as both "religious and spiritual," five (31%) as "spiritual, not religious," one (6%) as "religious, not spiritual," and five (31%) as neither. Those who endorsed religiousness tended to cite faith as a source of strength, whereas many who declined this self-identity explicitly questioned their preexisting beliefs. Regardless of self-identified "religiousness" or "spirituality," most participants endorsed quests for meaning, purpose, and/or legacy, and all included constructs of hope in their narratives. CONCLUSION: AYA self-identities evolve during the illness experience. When words such as "religion" and "spirituality" do not fit, explicitly exploring hopes, worries, meaning, and changing life perspectives may be a promising alternative.

Fatty Acids Profile, Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity in Elicited Callus of Thevetia peruviana (Pers.) K. Schum.

The aim of this study was analyze the effect of jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA) as elicitors on fatty acids profile (FAP), phenolic compounds (PC) and antioxidant capacity (AC) in callus of Thevetia peruviana. Schenk & Hildebrandt (SH) medium, supplemented with 2 mg/L 2, 4-dichlorophenoxyacetic (2, 4-D) and 0.5 mg/L kinetin (KIN) was used for callus induction. The effect of JA (50, 75 and 100 µM) and ABA (10, 55 and 100 µM) on FAP, PC and AC were analyzed using a response surface design. A maximum of 2.8 mg/g of TPC was obtained with 100 plus 10 µM JA and ABA, respectively, whereas AC maximum (2.17 µg/mL) was obtained with 75 plus 100 µM JA and ABA, respectively. The FAP was affected for JA but not for ABA. JA increased cis-9, cis-12-octadecadienoic acid and decreased dodecanoic acid. Eight fatty acids were identified by GC-MS analysis and cis-9-octadecenoic acid (18:1) was the principal fatty acid reaching 76 % in treatment with 50 µM JA plus 55 µM ABA. In conclusion, JA may be used in T. peruviana callus culture for obtain oil with different fatty acids profile.

A single arm phase II study of a Far-Eastern traditional herbal formulation (sho-sai-ko-to or xiao-chai-hu-tang) in chronic hepatitis C patients.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Hepatitis C is a major public health problem internationally. Many patients cannot benefit from the current treatment regimen (interferon/ribavirin combinations) due to its side effects or ineffectiveness. Xiao-Chai-Hu-Tang or Sho-sai-ko-to (SST), a compound of seven botanical extracts used for liver diseases traditionally in East Asia, was shown to reduce transaminases and the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in hepatitis B patients. We conducted a phase II trial of SST in hepatitis C patients who were not candidates for interferon-based therapy to determine whether this agent is worthy of further study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty four chronic hepatitis C patients received SST at 2.5 g per os (p.o.) three times daily (t.i.d.) for 12 months. Liver function, hepatitis C virus (HCV) viral load and liver biopsy histology were assessed before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Improvement of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was observed in 16 (67%) of study participants. Improvement of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was seen in 18 (75%) patients. Viral load response was mixed, with 7 patients showing reductions, 10 increases and 7 indeterminate due to assay limitations. Among the 9 (38%) subjects who showed improvement per Knodell's histology activity index (HAI) scores in paired comparison of pre- and post-treatment liver biopsy (the primary endpoints of the study), 5 (21%) showed an improvement of 2 points or greater, meeting the pre-defined criteria for "response. CONCLUSIONS: Sho-sai-ko-to (SST or Xiao Chai Hu Tang) may improve liver pathology in selected hepatitis C patients who are not candidates for interferon based treatment. Larger, controlled studies of this botanical formulation may be warranted.