The Effect of Herbal Supplements on Blood Pressure: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Herbal supplements rich in phenolic compounds are evidenced to have a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, they are suggested to be included in diets for people with hypertension (HT). HT is a global health problem and is estimated to affect billions of people until the end of 2025. For this reason, every possible and effective solution preventing HT should be considered. The aim was to perform an updated meta-analysis and review of recently published studies to evaluate the effect of selected herbal supplements on blood pressure reduction. We searched the PubMed database with specified selection criteria, analysing the RCT studies from 2011 to 2021. A total of 31 studies were included in the analysis, and the meta-analysis was conducted on the data from 16 of them. The general effect size of all the supplements via placebo was d = 1.45, p < 0.05 for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and d = 0.31, p < 0.05 for diastolic blood pressure (DBP). The meta-analysis and review of the literature demonstrated that herbal supplements, such as resveratrol, cherry juice, beetroot juice, bergamot extracts, barberry, and pycnogenol, can be effective in blood pressure reduction and cardiovascular prevention, but attention should be paid to their appropriate dosage due to the possibility of side effects from the digestive system.

Increased Accessibility to Primary Healthcare Due to Nurse Prescribing of Medicines.

Since January 2016, nurses and midwives in Poland have had the right, with some restrictions, to prescribe medicines. Consequently, Polish patients received the same opportunity as in other countries worldwide: easier access to certain health services, i.e., medical prescribing. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of structural changes which increased the nurses' competences on the accessibility to prescription visits for patients receiving primary healthcare on the example of Medical and Diagnostic Centre (MDC), and to discuss the general trend of legal changes in nursing profession regulations. We performed a detailed analysis of the data on the MDC patient population in Siedlce who received at least one prescription written by a general practitioner and/or a nurse/midwife in the years 2017-2019.The largest number of prescription visits made by nurses concerned patients aged 50-70 years, as this age range includes the largest number of patients with chronic diseases who need continued pharmacological treatment originally administered by doctors. An increasing tendency for prescription visits made by nurses was recorded, with a simultaneous downward trend in the same type of visits undertaken by doctors at MDC. Nurses' involvement in prescribing medications as a continued pharmacotherapy during holiday seasons results in patients having continuous access to medication. An upward trend was also observed in the number of medications prescribed by nurses per patient. Structural changes in the legal regulations of the nursing profession improve patients' access to prescription visits under primary healthcare. Further research is recommended to evaluate the dynamics of these trends and the impact of newly introduced nursing competences on the accessibility of prescription visits for patients.

Computer-Aided Saturation Mutagenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana Ent-Copalyl Diphosphate Synthase.

Ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase controls the biosynthesis of gibberellin plant hormones, which in turn coordinate the expression of numerous enzymes. Some gibberellin-dependent genes encode enzymes coordinating the biosynthesis of tanshinones: diterpene derivatives with broad medical applications. New biotechnological approaches, such as metabolic engineering using naturally occurring or mutated enzymes, have been proposed to meet the growing demand for tanshinones which is currently met by the Chinese medicinal plant Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. These mutants may be prepared by directed evolution, saturation mutagenesis or rational enzyme design. In the presented paper, 15,257 non-synonymous variants of Arabidopsis thaliana ent-copalyl diphosphate synthase were obtained using the SNAP2 tool. The obtained forms were screened to isolate variants with potentially improved biological functions. A group of 455 mutants with potentially improved stability was isolated and subjected to further screening on the basis of ligand-substrate affinity, and both secondary structure and active site structure stability. Finally, a group of six single mutants was obtained, which were used to construct double mutants with potentially improved stability and ligand affinity. The potential influence of single mutations on protein stability and ligand affinity was evaluated by double mutant cycle analysis. Finally, the procedure was validated by in silico assessment of the experimentally verified enzyme mutants with reduced enzymatic activity.

Burnout and Quality of Life Among Massage Therapists with Visual Impairment.

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of burnout syndrome and quality of life (QoL) among Polish massage therapists, and determine their relationship with sociodemographic and work-related variables. Methods A group of 43 participants aged 28-63, who were blind or poor-sighted were recruited for the study. They were surveyed with sociodemographic data questionnaire and the Polish versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey and WHOQOL-BREF. Results The overall level of exhaustion was 6.79 ± 4.45, cynicism was estimated at 7.30 ± 3.43, and professional efficacy was 23.3 ± 5.44. Regarding QoL, the psychological domain was the highest (73.6 ± 10.0), while the physical domain was the lowest (61.1 ± 6.94). None of the sociodemographic variables or occupational factors had any statistical relationship with any burnout subscale. Significant correlations were found between the psychological domain of QoL and marital status (H = 6.570; p = 0.037), years of practice (ρ = 0.315; t = 2.124; p = 0.039), hours of practice per week (ρ = 0.364; t = 2.505; p = 0.016) and private practice (z = 2.393; p = 0.017). Significant relationships were found between the environmental domain of QoL and the place of residence (H = 5.977; p = 0.050) and between hours of practice per week (ρ = 0.335; t = 2.276; p = 0.028). A significant positive correlation was noted between professional efficacy and the social relationship domain (ρ = 0.306; t = 2.056; p = 0.046). Conclusion Job activity plays a crucial function in the psychosocial rehabilitation of massage therapists with visual impairment. This was confirmed by the low risk of burnout, and the psychological domain being the highest of QoL.

Yeast Extract Stimulates Ginsenoside Production in Hairy Root Cultures of American Ginseng Cultivated in Shake Flasks and Nutrient Sprinkle Bioreactors.

One of the most effective strategies to enhance metabolite biosynthesis and accumulation in biotechnological systems is the use of elicitation processes. This study assesses the influence of different concentrations of yeast extract (YE) on ginsenoside biosynthesis in Panax quinquefolium (American ginseng) hairy roots cultivated in shake flasks and in a nutrient sprinkle bioreactor after 3 and 7 days of elicitation. The saponin content was determined using HPLC. The maximum yield (20 mg g-1 d.w.) of the sum of six examined ginsenosides (Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd, Re and Rg1) in hairy roots cultivated in shake flasks was achieved after application of YE at 50 mg L-1 concentration and 3 day exposure time. The ginsenoside level was 1.57 times higher than that attained in control medium. The same conditions of elicitation (3 day time of exposure and 50 mg L-1 of YE) also favourably influenced the biosynthesis of studied saponins in bioreactor cultures. The total ginsenoside content was 32.25 mg g-1 d.w. and was higher than that achieved in control medium and in shake flasks cultures. Obtained results indicated that yeast extract can be used to increase ginsenoside production in hairy root cultures of P. quinquefolium.