International Hypnosis Research Institute - Ayurvedic Medicine

Curcumin in inflammatory diseases.

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 16:21:00 -0500

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a yellow coloring agent extracted from turmeric is also used as a remedy for the treatment and prevention of inflammatory diseases. Acute and chronic inflammation is a major factor in the progression of obesity, type II diabetes, arthritis, pancreatitis, cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases, as well as certain types of cancer. Turmeric has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of inflammatory disorders. Recent studies on the efficacy and therapeutic applicability of turmeric have suggested that the active ingredient of tumeric is curcumin. Further, compelling evidence has shown that curcumin has the ability to inhibit inflammatory cell proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis through multiple molecular targets and mechanisms of action. Curcumin is safe, non-toxic, and mediates its anti-inflammatory effects through the down-regulation of inflammatory transcription factors, cytokines, redox status, protein kinases, and enzymes that all promote inflammation. In addition, curcumin induces apoptosis through mitochondrial and receptor-mediated pathways, as well as activation of caspase cascades. In the current study, the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin were evaluated relative to various chronic inflammatory diseases. Based on the available pharmacological data obtained from in vitro and in vivo research, as well as clinical trials, an opportunity exists to translate curcumin into clinics for the prevention of inflammatory diseases in the near future. © 2012 BioFactors, 2013. Biofactors. 2012 Dec 22. doi: 10.1002/biof.1066. Shehzad A, Rehman G, Lee YS. School of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 702-701, Korea.

Review article: herbal and dietary supplement hepatotoxicity.

Sun, 10 Mar 2013 16:20:00 -0500

BACKGROUND: Herbal and dietary supplements are commonly used throughout the World. There is a tendency for underreporting their ingestion by patients and the magnitude of their use is underrecognised by Physicians. Herbal hepatotoxicity is not uncommonly encountered, but the precise incidence and manifestations have not been well characterised. AIMS: To review the epidemiology, presentation and diagnosis of herbal hepatotoxicity. This review will mainly discuss single ingredients and complex mixtures of herbs marketed under a single label. METHODS: A Medline search was undertaken to identify relevant literature using search terms including 'herbal', 'herbs', 'dietary supplement', 'liver injury', 'hepatitis' and 'hepatotoxicity'. Furthermore, we scanned the reference lists of the primary and review articles to identify publications not retrieved by electronic searches. RESULTS: The incidence rates of herbal hepatotoxicity are largely unknown. The clinical presentation and severity can be highly variable, ranging from mild hepatitis to acute hepatic failure requiring transplantation. Scoring systems for the causality assessment of drug-induced liver injury may be helpful, but have not been validated for herbal hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity features of commonly used herbal products, such as Ayurvedic and Chinese herbs, black cohosh, chaparral, germander, greater celandine, green tea, Herbalife, Hydroxycut, kava, pennyroyal, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, skullcap, and usnic acid, have been individually reviewed. Furthermore, clinically significant herb-drug interactions are also discussed. CONCLUSIONS: A number of herbal medicinal products are associated with a spectrum of hepatotoxicity events. Advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and the risks involved are needed to improve herbal medicine safety. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013 Jan;37(1):3-17. doi: 10.1111/apt.12109. Epub 2012 Nov 5. Bunchorntavakul C, Reddy KR. Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Rajavithi Hospital, College of Medicine, Rangsit University, Bangkok, Thailand; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Preclinical Profile of Bacopasides from Bacopa Monnieri (BM) As an Emerging Class...

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 16:22:00 -0500

Full title: Preclinical Profile of Bacopasides from Bacopa Monnieri (BM) As an Emerging Class of Therapeutics for Management of Chronic Pains. Chronic pains management costs billions of dollars in medical exchequer to the world population. Additionally, 77% of people with chronic pains also have a degree of medically treatable depression. Opioids have a narrower safety index due to their side effects associated with its tolerance, hyperalgesia and subsequent dependence. Likewise, non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticonvulsants, also have limited safety and tolerability profile in the management of chronic pains. Bacopa monnieri, a renowned ayurvedic medicine has a strong antidepressant effect and significant antinociceptive effect, which is comparable to the effect of morphine via adenosinergic, opioidergic, and adrenergic mechanisms. BM has been also reported to be effective in neuropathic pains. Additionally, it has a strong anti-inflammatory effect mediated via COX-2 inhibitory mechanism. Apart from its effect of augmenting morphine analgesia, BM also inhibits opioid-withdrawal induced hyperalgesia, and acquisition and expression of morphine tolerance. BM is reported to have a strong protective effect against toxic effects of opiates on major organs like brain kidneys and heart. BM is well documented to be safe and well tolerated herbal therapy in multiple clinical trials including various age groups. This minireview evaluated the preclinical data that highlights potential of BM as a future candidate for clinical management of chronic pains. Curr Med Chem. 2012 Dec 3. Rauf K, Subhan F, Al-Othman AM, Khan I, Zarrelli A, Shah MR. Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan. inamullah@upesh.edu.pk.

Intersection of Inflammation and Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis.

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 17:31:00 -0500

Herbal remedies and dietary supplements have become an important area of research and clinical practice in orthopaedics and rheumatology. Understanding the risks and benefits of using herbal medicines in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatic diseases, and musculoskeletal complaints is a key priority of physicians and their patients. This review discusses the latest advances in the use of herbal medicines for treating osteoarthritis (OA) by focusing on the most significant trends and developments. This paper sets the scene by providing a brief introduction to ethnopharmacology, Ayurvedic medicine, and nutrigenomics before discussing the scientific and mechanistic rationale for targeting inflammatory signalling pathways in OA by use of herbal medicines. Special attention is drawn to the conceptual and practical difficulties associated with translating data from in-vitro experiments to in-vivo studies. Issues relating to the low bioavailability of active ingredients in herbal medicines are discussed, as also is the need for large-scale, randomized clinical trials. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2012 Sep 18. Mobasheri A. Musculoskeletal Research Group, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, The University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Sutton Bonington, LE12 5RD, UK, ali.mobasheri@nottingham.ac.uk.

Ashwagandha root in the treatment of non-classical adrenal hyperplasia.

Sat, 22 Dec 2012 17:30:00 -0500

Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is a well-characterised family of disorders of the adrenal cortices, resulting in varying degrees of cortisol, aldosterone and androgen deficiency or androgen excess, depending on the enzyme(s) affected and the degree of quantitative or functional enzyme deficit. Withania somnifera (WS), commonly known as Ashwagandha, is a medicinal plant that has been employed for centuries in ayurvedic medicine. Preclinical studies have shown that WS increases circulating cortisol levels and improves insulin sensitivity. We report the case of a 57-year-old woman with non-classical adrenal hyperplasia due to both 3-ß-ol dehydrogenase deficiency and aldosterone synthase deficiency who was self-treated with WS for 6 months. After 6 months of treatment her serum 18-OH-hydroxycorticoserone, 17-OH-pregnenolone, corticosterone and 11-deoxycortisol decreased by 31%, 66%, 69% and 55%, respectively. The biochemical improvement was accompanied by a noticeable reduction in scalp hair loss. BMJ Case Rep. 2012 Sep 17;2012. pii: bcr2012006989. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2012-006989. Kalani A, Bahtiyar G, Sacerdote A. Department of Internal Medicine, Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Involvement of ayurvedic practitioners in oral health care in the United States.

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 17:29:00 -0500

Ayurveda, an ancient medical science originating in India, also is practiced in the United States. The authors conducted a study primarily to explore the involvement of ayurvedic practitioners in treating oral diseases. Eighty-five practitioners participated in this cross-sectional survey. The authors obtained self-reported data on demographics of the practitioners, the general and oral health conditions they treated, and the treatment modalities used. They performed descriptive statistical and logistic regression analyses by using statistical software. Participants predominantly were female and white or non-Hispanic, as well as part-time practitioners. Their educational backgrounds ranged from a 5½-year bachelor's degree in ayurveda to short-term training. Of the 60 respondents who answered the question about treating oral diseases, 25 (42 percent) reported that they did so. Conditions treated were related to oral malodor, gingival or periodontal disease and toothache. Ayurvedic treatments administered for these conditions primarily were preventive in nature. Ayurvedic practitioners in the United States treat a variety of oral diseases by using predominantly preventive traditional care. Ayurvedic practitioners of Asian origin and those who practiced for a longer duration were more likely to report that they treated oral diseases. Larger, population-based studies are needed to understand more fully the current role of ayurvedic practitioners in oral health care. Ayurvedic treatment modalities aimed at oral diseases need to be evaluated through rigorous randomized controlled trials for safety and effectiveness. Practice Implications Patients with limited or no access to oral health care might seek ayurvedic treatment, and those who have access to conventional oral health care might wish to complement it with ayurvedic treatment. Practitioners can incorporate preventive ayurvedic treatments, which are based mainly on natural products, into overall preventive care regimens, if proven safe and effective. J Am Dent Assoc. 2012 Oct;143(10):1120-6. Brar BS, Norman RG, Dasanayake AP. Dr. Brar is a junior research scientist, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, College of Dentistry, New York University, 250 Park Ave. South, 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10003, bsb276@nyu.edu.

Lead poisoning in pregnant women who used ayurvedic medications from India...

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 17:34:00 -0500

Full title: Lead poisoning in pregnant women who used ayurvedic medications from India - new york city, 2011-2012. Lead poisoning still occurs in the United States despite extensive prevention efforts and strict regulations. Exposure to lead can damage the brain, kidneys, and nervous and reproductive systems. Fetal exposure to lead can adversely affect neurodevelopment, decrease fetal growth, and increase the risk for premature birth and miscarriage. During 2011-2012, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) investigated six cases of lead poisoning associated with the use of 10 oral Ayurvedic medications made in India. All six cases were in foreign-born pregnant women assessed for lead exposure risk by health-care providers during prenatal visits, as required by New York state law. Their blood lead levels (BLLs) ranged from 16 to 64 µg/dL. Lead concentrations of the medications were as high as 2.4%; several medications also contained mercury or arsenic, which also can have adverse health effects. DOHMH distributed information about the medications to health-care providers, product manufacturers, and government agencies in the United States and abroad, via postal and electronic mail. DOHMH also ordered a local business selling contaminated products to cease sales. Health-care providers should ask patients, especially foreign-born or pregnant patients, about any use of foreign health products, supplements, and remedies such as Ayurvedic medications. Public health professionals should consider these types of products when investigating heavy metal exposures and raise awareness among health-care providers and the public regarding the health risks posed by such products. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2012 Aug 24;61:641-6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Withaferin A causes activation of Notch2 and Notch4 in human breast cancer cells.

Sun, 28 Oct 2012 17:33:00 -0500

Ayurvedic medicine plants continue to draw attention for the discovery of novel anticancer agents. Withaferin A (WA) is one such small-molecule constituent of the ayurvedic medicine plant Withania somnifera with efficacy against cultured and xenografted human breast cancer cells. However, the mechanism underlying anticancer effect of WA is not fully understood. This study was undertaken to determine the role of Notch signaling in anticancer effects of WA using human breast cancer cells as a model. Notably, Notch signaling is often hyperactive in human breast cancers. Exposure of MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells to pharmacological concentrations of WA resulted in cleavage (activation) of Notch2 as well as Notch4, which was accompanied by transcriptional activation of Notch as evidenced by RBP-Jk, HES-1A/B, and HEY-1 luciferase reporter assays. On the other hand, WA treatment caused a decrease in levels of both transmembrane and cleaved Notch1. The WA-mediated activation of Notch was associated with induction of ?-secretase complex components presenilin1 and/or nicastrin. Inhibition of MDA-MB-231 and MDA-MB-468 cell migration resulting from WA exposure was significantly augmented by knockdown of Notch2 as well as Notch4 protein. Activation of Notch2 was not observed in cells treated with withanone or withanolide A, which are structural analogs of WA. The results of this study indicate that WA treatment activates Notch2 and Notch4, which impede inhibitory effect of WA on breast cancer cell migration. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2012 Sep 11. Lee J, Sehrawat A, Singh SV. Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 2.32A Hillman Cancer Center Research Pavilion, 5117 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.

Toxicity of a novel herbomineral preparation las01 on human cancer cell lines...

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 17:32:00 -0500

Full title: Toxicity of a novel herbomineral preparation las01 on human cancer cell lines and its safety profile in humans and animals. Polyhedral formulations based on Rasayana therapy described in Charaka Samhita showed remarkable improvement in quality of life of various cancer patients who have been found to be refractory or poor responders to modern chemotherapy and radiation treatment. One of the most recent novel herbomineral preparation, Las01 prepared absolutely as per the instruction given in the ancient Ayurvedic literature has been found to be effective as a potent anticancer drug in the human cell lines, the MCF-7 and Hela cancer cell lines. This novel preparation of Las01 is also found to be devoid of toxicity both in animals as well as in human subjects, which is the main drawback of chemotherapeutic agents used in modern system of medicine. Our results warrant multicentric clinical trials on a large scale which seems to be a future promising drug to cure incurables cancer patients. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2012;2012:948375. Epub 2012 Aug 30. Sheikh S, Srivastava A, Tripathi R, Tripathi S, Trivedi VP, Saxena RC. R & D Division Lavanya Ayurveda Biotech Park, Lavanya Ayurvedic Hospital and Cancer Research Centre, Chinhat, Dewa Road, Lucknow 226016, India.

Molecular insight in the multifunctional activities of Withaferin A.

Sun, 14 Oct 2012 17:31:00 -0500

Herbal medicine which involves the use of plants for their medicinal value, dates as far back as the origin of mankind and demonstrates an array of applications including cardiovascular protection and anti-cancer activities, via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and metabolic activities. Even today the popularity of medicinal herbs is still growing like in traditional medicines such as the Indian medicine, Ayurveda. One of the Ayurvedic medicinal plants is Withania somnifera Dunal, of which the important constituents are the withanolides. Among them, Withaferin A is one of the most bioactive compounds, exerting anti-inflammatory, pro-apoptotic but also anti-invasive and anti-angiogenic effects. In the context of modern pharmacology, a better insight in the underlying mechanism of the broad range of bioactivities exerted by Withaferin A is compulsory. Therefore, a lot of effort was made to explore the intracellular effects of Withaferin A and to characterize its target proteins. This review provides a decisive insight on the molecular basis of the health-promoting potential of Withaferin A. Biochem Pharmacol. 2012 Sep 6. pii: S0006-2952(12)00583-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2012.08.027. Vanden Berghe W, Sabbe L, Kaileh M, Haegeman G, Heyninck K. Laboratory of Eukaryotic Gene Expression and Signal Transduction (LEGEST), Department of Physiology, Ghent University, Proeftuinstraat 86, Gent, Belgium; Laboratory of Protein Science, Proteomics and Epigenetic Signalling (PPES), Department of Biomedical Sciences, University Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, Belgium.

The efficacy of Ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis..

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:03:00 -0500

Full Title: The efficacy of Ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis: Cross-sectional experiential profile of a longitudinal study. CONTEXT: Allopathic and Ayurvedic physicians collaborated on a study of traditional medicine, which was sponsored by the World Health Organization. AIMS: The aim of the study was to test the efficacy and safety of Ayurvedic treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This study was conducted at the Ayurvedic Trust, Coimbatore, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this unique study of classical Ayurvedic treatment for RA, allopathic physicians enrolled a total of 290 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of RA over a 7-year period, and once every 6 weeks evaluated Ayurvedic treatment outcomes on the basis of American Rheumatism Association criteria: grip strength, walking time, number of swollen and painful joints, joint count, functional class, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and rheumatoid factor. Ayurvedic physicians administered individualized treatment, closely adhering to principles set forth in classical Ayurvedic texts. The duration of treatment varied from 1 to 6 months. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Due to limitations in computer technology in the 1970s, the data were not computerized. Therefore, data for 12 months at a time were analyzed, using repeated measures t-test. Measures of central tendency (means) and probability values were reported. Results from the patients enrolled and discharged at the end of the first year of the study (N = 33) are presented in this paper. RESULTS: There was statistically significant improvement in all parameters from admission to discharge. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that classical Ayurvedic treatment was effective in this first cohort of patients who completed treatment. Even patients with severe functional limitations showed significant improvement. Although there was no control group, the results are positive enough to warrant further study of classical Ayurvedic treatment for RA in controlled trials. Int J Ayurveda Res. 2011 Jan;2(1):8-13. Krishna KP. BAMS, Ayurvedic Trust, Trichy Road, Ramanathapuram, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Why and how? Addressing to the two most pertinent questions about pharmacovigilance in Ayurveda.

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:03:00 -0500

Pharmacovigilance is the outcome of a natural and implied willingness of a physician to ensure safety to his patient. This is a discipline in medicine which pragmatises the principle of first do no harm towards a wider and systematic application in clinical practice. It is however important to understand that despite of its huge potential in ensuring a safe practice of medicine through knowledge of avoidable causes of adversities, its path has never been easy. Applying principles of pharmacovigilance into the realm of traditional medicine particularly to Ayurveda is even more difficult for the issues of why and how of pharmacovigilance in light of historical practice and anecdotal evidences of safety in Ayurveda. Application of pharmacovigilance in Ayurveda thereby demands a careful and thoughtful observation of its needs and its methods of application in order to maximize its impacts to ensure the patient safety to every extent possible. Int J Ayurveda Res. 2011 Jan;2(1):48-52. Rastogi S. Department of Kaya Chikitsa, State Ayurvedic College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Of relics, body parts and laser beams: the German Heilpraktiker and his Ayurvedic spa.

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 14:02:00 -0500

This paper examines the twin German institutions of the Kur (spa), and the 'lay' licensed healing practitioner or Heilpraktiker. Through an ethnography of a Heilpraktiker and his Ayurvedic spa in a small catholic village in Germany, where patients arrive in person or as body parts by post, it examines the poly-therapeutics of the practitioner, who seems to combine in his being a dizzy array of diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities. It argues that the while the Ayurvedic spa can be seen as a kind of variation of the traditional German Kur, the Heilpraktiker's poly-therapy has to draw upon the special nature of the practice of medicine in Germany, symbolised in part by the very figure of the Heilpraktiker. It attempts to show that the practitioner's panoply of therapies is partly a symptom of an epistemic impasse at the heart of biomedicine, leading patients on an itinerant quest toward different therapeutic locales, such as the Kur, or to different therapeutic possibilities, such as the ones offered by the Heilpraktiker. But while the Kur and the Heilpraktiker would be either fringe or alternative in the Anglo-American world, in Germany the Kur is part of orthodox medicine, and the Heilpraktiker is a legal entity; and the two together re-draw and make fuzzy what elsewhere seem to be clearly drawn boundaries between medicine and the spa, between pleasure and therapy, and medicine and alternative medicine. Anthropol Med. 2011 Apr;18(1):67-86. Naraindas H. Centre for the Study of Social Systems, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 11067, India.

Ayurvedic genomics, constitutional psychology, and endocrinology: the missing connection.

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 14:01:00 -0500

Abstract A recent methodological approach for human classification, diagnosis, and therapeutics through the combination of current Western constitutional psychology somatotypes and traditional Indian medicine (prakriti) body types and mind (manas) is herein presented. The striking similarities between psychologic somatotypes and Indian medicine body types permits proposal of a finite genopsycho-somatotyping of humans. Genopsycho-somatotyping of humans consists of a set of common physiologic, physical, and psychologic attributes related to acommon basic birth constitution that remains somewhat permanent during human lifetime, since it is proposed that this birth constitution is programmed in the person's DNA (genes). This mainly provides a tool for classifying the human population based on broad and finite phenotype clusters across different ethnicity, languages, geographical location, or self-reported ancestry. In spite of any social or environmental traumatic event, I propose for males that every basic constitution has an associated identification organ, a measured property or marker, a soma, and some psyche general tendencies suggesting specific behavior or recurrent conduct. Three (3) basic extreme genopsycho-somatotypes or birth constitutions are enunciated: mesomorphic or andrus (Pitta), endomorphic or thymus (Khapa), and ectomorphic or thyrus (Vata). The method further predicts that male andrus constitution across races shares similarities in androgen (An) nuclear receptor behavior, whereas thymus constitutions are mainly regulated by T-cells (Tc) nuclear receptor behavior. Moreover, it suggests that thyrus constitutions share similarities in thyroxine (Th) nuclear receptor behavior. These proposed nuclear receptors are expected to regulate the expression of specific genes, thereby controlling the embryonic development, adult homeostasis, and metabolism of the human organism in a very profound way. The method finally predicts small differences in measured property (An, Tc, and Th nuclear receptors behavior) within a birth constitution across different races to be expected by modulation effects in melanocyte-stimulating hormone receptor behavior. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 May;17(5):465-8. Epub 2011 May 12. Rizzo-Sierra CV. 1 Unit of Innovation in the Health and Life Sciences (IESV), Department of Physics and Geology, University of Pamplona , Pamplona, Norte de Santander, Colombia .

Pilot study investigating the effects of ayurvedic abhyanga massage on subjective stress experience.

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 13:58:00 -0500

Abstract Objectives: Many providers of Ayurvedic massage treatments make unsubstantiated claims regarding their potential psychologic and physiologic benefits. While these claims are based on ancient traditions of the Indian medical system as well as personal experience, no attempt had yet been made to verify the effect of Ayurvedic oil massage within the Western-scientific context. This pilot study assessed the single-dose effect of Abhyanga, the classic Ayurvedic oil massage, in terms of its impact on subjective stress experience. Design: Ten (10) healthy women (mean [M] 36.4 years, standard deviation [SD] 4.62) and 10 healthy men (M 37.0 years, SD 3.23) underwent a 1-hour Abhyanga massage treatment. The study employed a repeated-measures design for the collection of stress data using a validated and published questionnaire, as well as for the collection of heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) values, immediately pre- and postintervention. Results: Subjects showed high statistically and clinically significant reductions in subjective stress experience. A consequent analysis of physiologic data indicated likewise reductions in HR, while a BP reduction was not recorded for the total sample, but was only found in the prehypertensive subgroup. Conclusions: Findings indicate that Abhyanga massage is promising in reducing subjective stress experience. It may be beneficial in lowering HR in all, and BP in prehypertensive subjects. The results of this pilot study encourage further research with more stringent methodology. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 May;17(5):435-40. Epub 2011 May 13. Basler AJ. Marburg, Germany .