Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology
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Osteomeles schwerinae C. K. Schneid. (Rosaceae, OSSC) is a medicinal plant traditionally used to treat various diseases in Asia. The chemical constituents of OSSC have an inhibitory effect on aldose reductase activity, which has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. However, the protective effects of the pharmacological activity and potential mechanisms in diabetic nephropathy are still not known. ⋯ OSSC extracts and hyperoside may attenuate AGE/RAGE binding and expression of TGF-β1 by downregulating of pERK1/2, p38MAPK and IκB phosphorylations in GMCs under diabetic condition and retard the development of diabetic complications such as diabetic nephropathy.
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Editorial Biography Historical Article
Nobel Prize for artemisinin brings phytotherapy into the spotlight.
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Sanguis draxonis (SD) is a kind of red resin obtained from the wood of Dracaena cochinchinensis (Lour.) S. C. Chen (D. cochinchinensis). The active components of total flavonoids from SD (SDF) have analgesic effect. ⋯ SDF has potentially reduced mechanical hypersensitivity induced by SNI model of neuropathic pain which may be attributed to inhibition of astrocytic function (like release pro-inflammatory cytokines) and NO release as well as p-CREB activation in the spinal dorsal horn.
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Obesity is a multifactorial disorder which is closely associated with hyperlipidemia. Avocados are edible fruits traditionally consumed for various health benefits including body weight reduction. ⋯ The hypolipidemic effect of HFEA may be partly due to its modulating effect on endogenous fat synthesis and adiponectin formation through the transcription factor FGF21. The results also show that avocado fruit extract has profound influence on leptin activity, which controls satiety and hunger to regulate the food intake.
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Tenuigenin (TEN), a natural product from the Chinese herb Polygala tenuifolia root, has been reported to improve cognitive function and exhibits neuroprotective effects in pharmacological studies of the central nervous system. Synaptic transmission is the essential process of brain physiological functions such as learning and memory formation, and TEN has been shown to facilitate the basic synaptic transmission. ⋯ These results indicate that TEN enhances the basic synaptic transmission via stimulating presynaptic intracellular calcium.