Chun-Su Yuan

Bio: Chun-Su Yuan is an academic researcher from University of Chicago. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ginseng & American ginseng. The author has an hindex of 72, co-authored 397 publications receiving 21089 citations. Previous affiliations of Chun-Su Yuan include South University & University of Illinois at Chicago.

Herbal Medicines and Perioperative Care

Abstract: ContextWidespread use of herbal medications among the presurgical population may have a negative impact on perioperative patient care.ObjectivesTo review the literature on commonly used herbal medications in the context of the perioperative period and provide rational strategies for managing their preoperative use.Data SourcesThe MEDLINE and Cochrane Collaboration databases were searched for articles published between January 1966 and December 2000 using the search terms herbal medicine, phytotherapy, and alternative medicine and the names of the 16 most commonly used herbal medications. Additional data sources were obtained from manual searches of recent journal articles and textbooks.Study SelectionWe selected studies, case reports, and reviews addressing the safety and pharmacology of 8 commonly used herbal medications for which safety information pertinent to the perioperative period was available.Data ExtractionWe extracted safety, pharmacodynamic, and pharmacokinetic information from the selected literature and reached consensus about any discrepancies.Data SynthesisEchinacea, ephedra, garlic, ginkgo, ginseng, kava, St John's wort, and valerian are commonly used herbal medications that may pose a concern during the perioperative period. Complications can arise from these herbs' direct and pharmacodynamic or pharmacokinetic effects. Direct effects include bleeding from garlic, ginkgo, and ginseng; cardiovascular instability from ephedra; and hypoglycemia from ginseng. Pharmacodynamic herb-drug interactions include potentiation of the sedative effect of anesthetics by kava and valerian. Pharmacokinetic herb-drug interactions include increased metabolism of many drugs used in the perioperative period by St John's wort.ConclusionsDuring the preoperative evaluation, physicians should explicitly elicit and document a history of herbal medication use. Physicians should be familiar with the potential perioperative effects of the commonly used herbal medications to prevent, recognize, and treat potentially serious problems associated with their use and discontinuation.

Antidiabetic Effects of Panax ginseng Berry Extract and the Identification of an Effective Component

Abstract: We evaluated antihyperglycemic and anti-obese effects of Panax ginseng berry extract and its major constituent, ginsenoside Re, in obese diabetic C57BL/6J ob / ob mice and their lean littermates. Animals received daily intraperitoneal injections of Panax ginseng berry extract for 12 days. On day 12, 150 mg/kg extract–treated ob / ob mice became normoglycemic (137 ± 6.7 mg/dl) and had significantly improved glucose tolerance. The overall glucose excursion during the 2-h intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test decreased by 46% ( P ob / ob mice. The improvement in blood glucose levels in the extract-treated ob / ob mice was associated with a significant reduction in serum insulin levels in fed and fasting mice. A hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp study revealed a more than twofold increase in the rate of insulin-stimulated glucose disposal in treated ob / ob mice (112 ± 19.1 vs. 52 ± 11.8 μmol · kg −1 · min −1 for the vehicle group, P ob / ob mice lost a significant amount of weight (from 51.7 ± 1.9 g on day 0 to 45.7 ± 1.2 on day 12, P ob / ob mice), associated with a significant reduction in food intake ( P P P ob / ob mice. Additional studies demonstrated that ginsenoside Re plays a significant role in antihyperglycemic action. This antidiabetic effect of ginsenoside Re was not associated with body weight changes, suggesting that other constituents in the extract have distinct pharmacological mechanisms on energy metabolism.