Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2015 in |
The irreversible effects of modern therapies and increasing drug resistance have augmented our reliance on medicinal plants for herbal remedy against the deadly and infectious diseases. Hypericum perforatum or St. John’s wort (SJW) family Clusiaceae has been used to treat depression, mental disorders, wounds, peptic ulcers, malaria, gout and arthritis. Various compounds of the plant are known as sedative, diuretic and expectorant according to their effects. The flowers and the aerial parts are commonly used in the preparations of traditional medicines. Hypericum perforatum with identified active compounds like Hypericins, Hyperforins is being studied for its anti-depressant activity in both humans and animals. It is also used in the treatment of pulmonary complaints, bladder troubles in suppression of urine, dysentery, worms, diarrhoea, hysteria and other haemorrhages and jaundice. Most of its therapeutic effects with mechanism of action are critically reviewed in the present...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2015 in |
Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia is not a normal part of aging and worsens over time. The most common early symptom of Alzheimer’s is difficulty remembering newly learned information. Microscopic changes in the brain begin long before the first signs of memory loss. Two abnormal structures called plaques and tangles are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells. Currently, there are five FDA-approved drugs that treat the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease — temporarily helping memory and thinking problems in about half of the people who take them. But these medications do not treat the underlying causes of Alzheimer’s. In contrast, many of the new drugs in development aim to modify the disease process itself, by impacting one or more of the many wide-ranging brain changes that Alzheimer’s causes. These changes offer potential “targets” for new drugs to stop or slow the progress of the disease. Today, there is a worldwide effort under way to find better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2015 in |
This review article is focused at highlighting the therapeutic values of phytochemicals derived from the natural herbs ginger, garlic and tulsi. It is shown that the phytochemicals derived from these natural herbs work synergistically and exert similar pharmacological profile. The main actions include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Recommendations are made to follow the antioxidant status at the molecular level. A dietary supplement containing a mixture of 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, 6-paradol, allicin, ajoene, eugenol and eucalyptol is highly recommended for the ageing patients. There is scope for deriving a common pharmacophore leading to the development of a good anti-inflammatory molecule with reduced side effects which may be beneficial for the elderly with multiple disorders. Information regarding the pharmacological effects and various targets of these phytochemicals has been compiled in the form of tables to provide easy reference for future...
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Posted by admin on Nov 30, 2015 in |
In situ forming polymeric formulations are drug delivery systems that are in sol form before administration in the nasal cavity, but once administered, undergo gelation in situ, to form a gel. The formation of gel depends on factors like temperature modulation, pH change, presence of ions and ultra violet irradiation, from which the drug gets released in a sustained and controlled manner. In the recent years, nasal route has been identified as promising drug delivery route for systemic therapy. Mucoadhesive in situ gel formulations have demonstrated increase in the residence time in the nasal cavity as well enhancement of the permeation characteristics of the drug. The in situgel forming polymeric formulations offer several advantages like sustained and prolonged action in comparison to conventional drug delivery...
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Posted by admin on Oct 31, 2015 in |
The safe use of medicines is a critical issue for all health care professionals, Background: Cancer refers to a group of diseases that are associated with a disturbance in the control of cell growth and metabolism. Indeed, the unbalanced control of cellular proliferation is a primary characteristic of cancer cells and, as such, any molecule capable of inhibiting cancer cell proliferation may also be useful as a potential chemo-preventive agent. Throughout history, antioxidants have been the most significant source of anticancer and chemopreventing agents. More than 1,000 different phytochemicals are already proved to possess interesting chemopreventing activities. Antioxidants consist of a wide variety of biologically active phytochemicals including phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, etc. that have been shown to suppress early and late stages of carcinogenesis. Objective: To review recent biochemical and molecular mechanisms, in relation to natural and synthetic chemopreventing substances (antioxidants) for cancer control and management. Major findings: Antioxidants exert anticancer effects via a variety of mechanisms, including removal of carcinogenic agents, modulation of cancer cell signaling and cell...
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