Essential oils and their volatile constituents are used widely to prevent and treat human disease. The possible role and mode of action of these natural products is discussed with regard to the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and thrombosis, as well as their bioactivity as antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidants and antidiabetic agents. Their application as natural skin penetration enhancers for transdermal drug delivery and the therapeutic properties of essential oils in aroma and massage therapy will also be outlined.

Pharmaceutical and therapeutic potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review.

A status review on the medicinal properties of essential oils

The human interleukin IL-6 was originally cloned in 1986. In 1993, William Ershler, in his article "IL-6: A Cytokine for Gerontologists," indicated IL-6 as one of the main signaling pathways modulating the complex relationship between aging and chronic morbidity. Over the last 12 years, our understanding of the role of IL-6 in human physiology and pathology has substantially grown, although some of the questions originally posed by Ershler are still debated. In this review, we will focus on IL-6 structure, IL-6 signaling, and trans signaling pathways, and the role of IL-6 in geriatric syndromes and chronic disease. In the final section of this review, we dissect the critical elements of the IL-6 signaling pathway and point out targets for intervention that are targeted by emerging drugs, some still on the horizon and others already being tested in clinical trials.

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Interleukin-6 in aging and chronic disease: a magnificent pathway.

Chlorinated volatile organic compounds (Cl-VOCs) in environment - sources, potential human health impacts, and current remediation technologies.

Malnutrition is a major contributor to mortality and is increasingly recognized as a cause of potentially lifelong functional disability. Yet, a rate-limiting step in achieving normal nutrition may be impaired absorptive function due to multiple repeated enteric infections. This is especially problematic in children whose diets are marginal. In malnourished individuals, the infections are even more devastating. This review documents the evidence that intestinal infections lead to malnutrition and that malnutrition worsens intestinal infections. The clinical data presented here derive largely from long-term cohort studies that are supported by controlled animal studies. Also reviewed are the mechanisms by which enteric infections lead to undernutrition and by which malnutrition worsens enteric infections, with implications for potential novel interventions. Further intervention studies are needed to document the relevance of these mechanisms and, most importantly, to interrupt the vicious diarrhea-malnutrition cycle so children may develop their full potential.

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Malnutrition as an enteric infectious disease with long-term effects on child development

Hepatoprotective effect of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil

The purpose of this study was to examine the change in lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzyme activities in healthy subjects and to evaluate the concentrations of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde, an end product of lipid peroxidation in exercise and smoking. Study included 257 appearently healthy individuals, 133 males and 124 females. In all subjects, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were analyzed as an indicator of the lipid peroxidation activities. Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities were measured as an indicator of antioxidant activities. Oxidative stress was estimated by the method based on thiobarbituric acid reactivity. Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were estimated on hemolysates by use of commercial available kits (Randox lab., Dublin, Ireland). For all groups serum lipid peroxidation and erythrocyte SOD and GSH-Px were obtained at the initial and the following periods. Serum MDA level was higher in the elderly than in the children and in the adults. MDA levels were higher in the smoking, acute exercise than their counterparts in the control groups. GSH-Px activity was significantly lower in the acute exercise group, and higher in the trained group than those as controls. SOD decreased in the elderly, smoking and acute exercise groups and increased in trained individuals. There was a significant increase in lipid peroxidation activity and a significant decrease in antioxidant enzyme activity in cases of acute exercise and smoking as well as the elderly.

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in Turkish population: relation to age, gender, exercise, and smoking.

The effect of dietary treatment on erythrocyte lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and serum lipid peroxidation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) results from food insufficiency as well as from poor social and economic conditions. Development of PEM is due to insufficient nutrition. Children with PEM lose their resistance to infections because of a disordered immune system. It has been reported that the changes occurring in mediators referred to as cytokines in the immune system may be indicators of the disorders associated with PEM.

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Pro-inflammatory cytokines in Turkish children with protein-energy malnutrition

By the time patients require dialysis replacement therapy, nearly all chronic kidney diseases (CKD) patients are affected with uremic bone diseases. High-turnover osteodystrophy can be prevented; patients with CKD should be monitored for imbalances in calcidiol (25 OH vitamin D), calcium, and phosphate homeostasis. We aimed to determine the effect of a monthly oral 300,000 IU vitamin D(3) (cholecalciferol) supplementation on the uremic bone diseases (UBD) markers such as iPTH and alkaline phosphatase in CKD patients. Among a total of 70 patients under treatment in the nephrology unit, 40 predialysis CKD patients (mean age of 49 +/- 14, male/female 20/20) were included the study. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Treatment group included 20 patients (mean age of 51 +/- 14, male/female 9/11), and the control group comprised 20 patients (mean age of 47 +/- 14, male/female 9/11). Treatment group patients were given a single dose of Devit3 ampoule (300,000 U cholecalciferol) per month orally way. Patients in the control group did not take any vitamin D for a month. The level of calcidiol was lower than normal range in two groups. After a month, treatment group patient's calcidiol increased statistically significant (6.8 +/- 3.5 to 17.8 +/- 21.4 ng/mL, p < 0.001). After a month, iPTH level decreased in the treatment group statistically significantly (368 +/- 274 to 279 +/- 179 pg/ml, p < 0.001). At the 30(th) day of the treatment, in 9/20 of the treatment group patients (45%), the iPTH value decreased at least 30% (p < 0.001). We suggest that oral depot cholecalciferol treatment causes a statistically significant decrease of serum iPTH level but does not cause a statistically significant change in Ca, P, ratio of Ca x P, or urinary calcium creatinine rate in UBD predialysis CKD. This treatment can be used safely for the predialysis CKD patients, along with the cautious control of serum calcium and phosphor.

Haluk Dülger

Papers

Hepatoprotective effect of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil

Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in Turkish population: relation to age, gender, exercise, and smoking.

The effect of dietary treatment on erythrocyte lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and serum lipid peroxidation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines in Turkish children with protein-energy malnutrition

Effect of depot oral cholecalciferol treatment on secondary hyperparathyroidism in stage 3 and stage 4 chronic kidney diseases patients.