The effectiveness of propolis extract in reducing dentin hypersensitivity: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of propolis on dentin hypersensitivity reduction. DESIGN: The search was conducted in Pubmed, Scopus, Web of science, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature data base (Lilacs), Brazilian Library in Dentistry (BBO), Embase, and Cochrane Library aiming to identify relevant randomized clinical trials that evaluated the effect of propolis on dentin hypersensitivity. The Cochrane Collaboration tool was used for assessing the risk of bias. RESULTS: From the total of 63 articles found in the search, six clinical trials were selected. All studies reported that propolis was more effective in reducing hypersensitivity than the placebo. No side effects were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, propolis extract can be considered an effective, safe and low-cost alternative to reduce the dentin hypersensitivity.

Acute and sub-acute oral toxicity of Brazilian red propolis in rats.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Propolis is a bee product widely used in folk medicine due to its numerous pharmacological properties. However, samples from different regions can differ in chemical composition, effectiveness, and side effects. Despite the widespread use of Brazilian red propolis, which is an isoflavone-rich variety, its toxicity has not been carefully studied. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To assess the acute and sub-acute toxicity of the hydroethanolic extract of red propolis (HERP) administered orally to rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: HERP for the acute (300mg/kg) and sub-acute (10, 100 and 200mg/kg) toxicity studies was administered orally to rats according to OECD Guidelines 420 and 407, respectively. Clinical signs were identified, and hematological and biochemical analyses were performed. Water and food uptake as well as body and organ weights of animals were recorded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The acute study revealed no lethal effects at 300mg/kg of HERP, but toxic signs were observed, as HERP had an LD50 of more than 300mg/kg, indicating a warning. The most toxic signals in sub-acute studies were observed in males at a dose of 200mg/kg HERP. These results suggest estrogen-like activity, possibly from the isoflavones in HERP.

Use of herbal medicines by elderly patients: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to survey the published literature for articles that describe the use of herbal supplements by elderly patients and to summarize important aspects of selected studies, including most commonly used supplements, study type, study location, and potential hazards of herbal supplement use. METHODS: Literature searches were conducted on three scientific/medical databases: Medline, Web of Science, and Scopus. Search results were examined for articles involving the use of herbal products in the elderly population that met selection criteria. RESULTS: Initial searches yielded 1297 articles. Of these original results, only 16 met specific selection criteria. Twelve (75%) of studies identified were performed in North America. Nine studies (56.25%) were conducted in the United States. Seven of the studies were cross-sectional (43.8%). The most commonly reported were gingko biloba, garlic, ginseng, aloe vera, chamomile, spearmint, and ginger. Of these, gingko and garlic are the most commonly used among community-dwelling elderly. Both of these supplements have the potential to interact with anticoagulants and produce bruising or bleeding problems. CONCLUSIONS: The use of herbal supplements is common among the elderly, a population that takes a disproportionate share of prescription medications compared to that taken by younger populations. Among the problems uncovered by these studies was a lack of dialog between medical professionals and patients about the use of herbal supplements. Prescribers need to consider the use of herbal supplements and discuss the matter with their elderly patients when making decisions about pharmacological treatments.

Antinociceptive action and redox properties of citronellal, an essential oil present in lemongrass.

Citronellal (CT) is a monoterpenoid and the major constituent of the mixture of terpenoids that give the citronella oil its lemon scent. Citronella oil is widely used around the world for various purposes and is mainly obtained from plants of the Cymbopogon genus, which are known as "lemongrass." Considering these plants have been used worldwide for various medicinal purposes, the interest of researchers to understand the biological activities of monoterpenoids related to the Cymbopogon genus has been increasing. In the present work, we investigated the antinociceptive action and the redox properties of CT. Our results indicate that intraperitoneal injection of CT was effective in reducing nociceptive face-rubbing behavior in both phases of the formalin test, which was also naloxone-sensitive. CT also evoked antinociceptive response in the capsaicin and glutamate tests. The total radical-trapping antioxidant parameter and total antioxidant reactivity assays indicate that CT at doses of 0.1 and 1 mg/mL exerts a significant antioxidant activity, which is probably related to its ability to scavenge superoxide and nitric oxide, but not H(2)O(2) or hydroxyl radicals, as evaluated separately by specific in vitro tests. These results show for the first time the antinociceptive potential of CT and indicate that the antioxidant properties of this compound may rely on its mechanism of biological actions because CT-containing natural products are used to treat various diseases related to oxidative stress and reactive species.

Redox properties and cytoprotective actions of atranorin, a lichen secondary metabolite.

Atranorin (ATR) is a lichenic secondary metabolite with potential uses in pharmacology. Antinociceptive and antiinflammatory actions have been reported, and the use of atranorin-enriched lichen extracts in folk medicine is widespread. Nonetheless, very few data on ATR biological actions are available. Here, we evaluated free radical scavenging activities and antioxidant potential of ATR using various in vitro assays for scavenging activity against hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, superoxide radicals, and nitric oxide. The total reactive antioxidant potential (TRAP) and total antioxidant reactivity (TAR) indexes and in vitro lipoperoxidation were also evaluated. Besides, we determined the cytoprotective effect of ATR on H(2)O(2)-challenged SH-SY5Y cells by the MTT assay. ATR exerts differential effects towards reactive species production, enhancing hydrogen peroxide and nitric oxide production and acting as a superoxide scavenger; no activity toward hydroxyl radical production/scavenging was observed. Besides, TRAP/TAR analysis indicated that atranorin acts as a general antioxidant, although it demonstrated to enhance peroxyl radical-induced lipoperoxidation in vitro. ATR was not cytotoxic, and also protected SH-SY5Y cells against H(2)O(2)-induced cell viability impairment. Our results suggest that ATR has a relevant redox-active action, acting as a pro-oxidant or antioxidant agent depending on the radical. Also, it will exert cytoprotective effects on cells under oxidative stress induced by H(2)O(2).