https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2019/NP/C8NP00092A

Marine natural products.

The roots and rhizomes of licorice (Glycyrrhiza) species have long been used worldwide as a herbal medicine and natural sweetener. Licorice root is a traditional medicine used mainly for the treatment of peptic ulcer, hepatitis C, and pulmonary and skin diseases, although clinical and experimental studies suggest that it has several other useful pharmacological properties such as antiinflammatory, antiviral, antimicrobial, antioxidative, anticancer activities, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective effects. A large number of components have been isolated from licorice, including triterpene saponins, flavonoids, isoflavonoids and chalcones, with glycyrrhizic acid normally being considered to be the main biologically active component. This review summarizes the phytochemical, pharmacological and pharmacokinetics data, together with the clinical and adverse effects of licorice and its bioactive components.

Review of Pharmacological Effects of Glycyrrhiza sp. and its Bioactive Compounds

Despite mortality due to communicable diseases, poverty, and human conflicts, dementia incidence is destined to increase in the developing world in tandem with the ageing population Current data from developing countries suggest that age-adjusted dementia prevalence estimates in 65 year olds are high (>or=5%) in certain Asian and Latin American countries, but consistently low (1-3%) in India and sub-Saharan Africa; Alzheimer's disease accounts for 60% whereas vascular dementia accounts for approximately 30% of the prevalence Early-onset familial forms of dementia with single-gene defects occur in Latin America, Asia, and Africa Illiteracy remains a risk factor for dementia The APOE epsilon4 allele does not influence dementia progression in sub-Saharan Africans Vascular factors, such as hypertension and type 2 diabetes, are likely to increase the burden of dementia Use of traditional diets and medicinal plant extracts might aid prevention and treatment Dementia costs in developing countries are estimated to be US$73 billion yearly, but care demands social protection, which seems scarce in these regions

/pdf/alzheimer-s-disease-and-vascular-dementia-in-developing-2ng1evyord.pdf

Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia in developing countries: prevalence, management, and risk factors

/pdf/new-insights-into-tgf-b-smad-signaling-in-tissue-fibrosis-3i6q88dkp6.pdf

New insights into TGF-β/Smad signaling in tissue fibrosis.

The Lycopodium alkaloids

http://www.zespoldowna.info/files/HuperzineA/publikacje/12.pdf

Huperzine A from Huperzia species--an ethnopharmacolgical review.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of salvianolic acid B (SA-B) on liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B.

METHODS: Sixty patients with definite diagnosis of liver fibrosis with hepatitis B were included in the trial. Interferon-γ (IFN-γ) was used as control drug. The patients took orally SA-B tablets or received muscular injection of IFN-γ in the double blind randomized test. The complete course lasted 6 mo. The histological changes of liver biopsy specimen before and after the treatment were the main evidence in evaluation, in combination with the results of contents of serum HA, LN, IV-C, P-III-P, liver ultrasound imaging, and symptoms and signs.

RESULTS: Reverse rate of fibrotic stage was 36.67% in SA-B group and 30.0% in IFN-γ group. Inflammatory alleviating rate was 40.0% in SA-B group and 36.67% in IFN-γ group. The average content of HA and IV-C was significantly lower than that before treatment. The abnormal rate also decreased remarkably. Overall analysis of 4 serological fibrotic markers showed significant improvement in SA-B group as compared with the IFN-γ group. Score of liver ultrasound imaging was lower in SA-B group than in IFN-γ group (HA 36.7% vs 80%, IV-C 3.3% vs 23.2%). Before the treatment, ALT AST activity and total bilirubin content of patients who had regression of fibrosis after oral administration of SA-B, were significantly lower than those of patients who had aggravation of fibrosis after oral administration of SA-B. IFN-γ showed certain side effects (fever and transient decrease of leukocytes, occurrence rates were 50% and 3.23%), but SA-B showed no side effects.

CONCLUSION: SA-B could effectively reverse liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B. SA-B was better than IFN-γ in reduction of serum HA content, overall decrease of 4 serum fibrotic markers, and decrease of ultrasound imaging score. Liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B with slight liver injury was more suitable to SA-B in anti-fibrotic treatment. SA-B showed no obvious side effects.

Da-Yuan Zhu

Papers

Huperzine A from Huperzia species--an ethnopharmacolgical review.

Clinical observation of salvianolic acid B in treatment of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B

A survey of potential huperzine A natural resources in China: the Huperziaceae.

Iridoid glycosides from Scrophularia ningpoensis

Species identification of Radix Astragali (Huangqi) by DNA sequence of its 5S-rRNA spacer domain.