Clinical complementary medicine and pharmacology 

About: Clinical complementary medicine and pharmacology is an academic journal published by Elsevier BV. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Medicine & Biology. It has an ISSN identifier of 2772-3712. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 50 publications have been published receiving 89 citations.

Herbal Remedies, Nutraceuticals, and Dietary Supplements for COVID-19 Management: An Update

Abstract: Currently, the world is facing a Coronavirus pandemic with a grave deficiency of specific therapy for Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). Moreover, scientists attempt to discover the most refined approach to prevent this condition. Regarding COVID-19 infection, herbal medicines with immunomodulatory effects may offer patients a promising preventive treatment option. Several ayurvedic and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are effective during this worrisome Coronavirus pandemic i.e. Tinospora cordifolia (Willd.) Miers, Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Curcuma longa L. etc. TCM was shown to be utilized with over 90% efficacy when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020. In addition to herbal treatments and nutraceutical drugs, dietary supplements such as vitamins and amino acid derivatives also play a significant part in COVID-19 management. Diet can assist in regulating inflammation, while nutraceuticals can aid in the prevention of viral invasion. Functional amino acids (e.g., arginine, cysteine, glutamate, glutamine, glycine, taurine, and tryptophan) and glutathione, which are all abundant in animal-sourced foodstuffs, are crucial for optimum immunity and health in humans and animals. The goal of this article is to thoroughly evaluate recent statistics on the effectiveness of herbal medicines in COVID-19, the antiviral activity of nutraceuticals, and the significance of these results in creating dietary supplements that would enhance innate immunity and contribute as preventive measures against severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Exploration of Pharmacological and Toxicological Properties of Aerial Parts of Blumea lacera, a Common Weed in Bangladesh

Abstract: Blumea lacera (Family Asteraceae) is a herb found in the uncultivated lands of many Asian countries. This plant is used by quack doctors for some medicinal purposes. Works presented in this manuscript were conducted on the ethanol extract of aerial parts of B. lacera. Various pharmacological tests like antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal, diuretic, antibacterial, anthelmintic and toxicological tests like brine shrimp lethality and acute toxicity were evaluated. Antioxidant test was conducted by determining secondary metabolites content and DPPH free radical scavenging assay. Acetic acid-induced writhing method, xylene-induced ear edema method, castor oil-induced diarrheal method, and urinary volume test were performed to evaluate the analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antidiarrheal and diuretic effects, respectively. The antibacterial test was performed by disk diffusion method, anthelmintic activity by recording the paralysis and death time of P. cervi and finally, cytotoxic activity was performed by brine shrimp lethality bioassay. TPC, TFC and TTC contents of B. lacera extract were found to be 9 mg GAE/g, 31 mg QE/g and 18 mg GAE/g. The SC50 value of the DPPH radical scavenging assay was found to be higher than 3000 µg·mL-1. The LD50 value of B. lacera extract in mice was higher than 5000 mg·kg-1. This extract significantly inhibited writhing reflexes by 24.5% and 43.6% and reduced ear edema up to 24.6% and 41% at 250 and 500 mg·kg-1 bw doses, respectively. It also increased the latency of the first defecation period up to 52.8 min and 106.6 min as well as decreased the stool count by 34.1% and 48.2% at 250 and 500 mg·kg-1 bw doses, respectively. It also showed an increase in urinary output in the diuretic test. Good antibacterial activity of B. lacera extract was confirmed by retardation in bacterial growth and significantly killed P. cervi in a dose-dependent manner. In brine shrimp lethality bioassay, the LC50 value was found to be 5.4 µg·mL-1. B. lacera showed mild analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antidiarrheal properties. It could be used as a diuretic, antibacterial, anthelmintic and cytotoxic drug which justify the plant's traditional uses in folk medicine.

Ayurvedic and Other Herbal Remedies For Dengue: An Update

Abstract: Dengue fever is a flu-like ailment propagated by female mosquitos of the Aedes aegypti species. It is also known as dandaka jwara in Ayurveda. It is most common in the world's subtropical and tropical climate zones. Vomiting, severe headache, nausea, rashes, joint pain, pain behind the eyes, muscle pain, and swollen glands are all common dengue symptoms. If not handled promptly, these symptoms can lead to more severe issues such as exhaustion, blood in the vomit, continuous vomiting, bleeding gums, restlessness, severe abdominal pain, and rapid bleeding. Because there is no specific medication for dengue fever, the disease is treated by eliminating and managing the symptoms. Fortunately, there are a variety of ayurvedic remedies (like Carica papaya L., Cissampelos pareira L., etc. ) that can help to tackle the same by strengthening the immune system and controlling hyperthermia. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of dengue virus infections, clinical symptoms, diagnosis, mitigation, and treatments, focusing on ayurvedic and herbal remedies.

Modulatory Effects of Mushrooms on the Inflammatory Signaling Pathways and Pro-inflammatory Mediators

Abstract: Mushrooms include a wide variety of bioactive compounds that have been linked to therapeutic and nutritional benefits, making them a potential source of new medications and functional foods. The goal of this study is to offer a complete overview of the mushroom's modulatory effects on inflammatory signaling pathways, which leads to the inhibition of inflammation in various types of immune cells and animal models. This study reviewed the inhibitory effects of mushrooms on the inflammation process through the modulation of the pro-inflammatory mediators and associated signaling pathways. A literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted for the relevant original research and review articles on the anti-inflammatory effects of mushrooms. Related articles published in English were selected, studied and discussed. As revealed by the selected articles, bioactive molecules which include peptides, polysaccharides, terpenes, sterols, fatty acids, and phenols have been extracted from the powder, concentrate, and different solvent extracts of edible mushrooms. These bioactive molecules have shown significant efficacy in inhibiting the major pro-inflammatory biomarkers and associated pathways in in vivo and in vitro settings. This review demonstrated that mushrooms significantly inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory mediators and can be developed for clinical use as anti-inflammatory agents. Further research is required to establish the comparative efficacy between mushrooms and NSAID especially in the in vivo inhibitory activity against the production of cyclooxygenase and pro-inflammatory cytokines.

In vitro Cytotoxicity Properties of Crude Polar Extracts of Plants Sourced from Australia

Abstract: Numerous commercial pharmaceuticals – including anticancer, antiviral, and antidiabetic drugs have been developed from traditional plant-derived medicines. There are approximately 25,000 species of flora occurring in Australia, which are adapted to a range of harsh environments, and hence a plethora of novel compounds are still awaiting research in the context of their medicinal properties. The current study therefore aimed to develop a systematic protocol for screening plants with potential cytotoxicity. Many studies have found polar compounds such as caffeic acid, coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, anthocyanins, hesperidin, kaempferol, catechin, ellagic acid, and saponins to be the bioactive components responsible for the therapeutic effects. The total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant capacity (FRAP) of methanolic extracts of selected plants was first determined. A high correlation between the TPC values and FRAP values of the plant polar extracts were evident. Cell viability of the cancer cell lines were assessed using the MTS assay. Cells subjected to Pittosporum angustifolium Lodd. extracts at concentration of 250 µg·mL −1 showed no viable cells, comparable to cisplatin (a chemotherapy medication) used as a positive control (10 µg·mL −1 ). Some promising inhibitory effects were also seen with Murrya koenigii flower and leaves at concentration of 250 µg·mL −1 , with only 43.46% and 63.88% cell viability, respectively. In contrast, extracts of Citrus hystrix (leaves) and Sygyzium australe (stamen) showed higher percentage cell viabilities (around 82–93%) at same concentrations. The phenolic profile of P. angustifolium B extracts demonstrating greater peak intensity and dominant peaks were tentatively identified as chlorogenic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, t-ferulic acid and rutin. The Australian species Pittosporum angustifolium was the most cytotoxic against HeLa and HT29 cells comparing to the other plant extracts tested. A HPLC profile of the P. angustifolium extract also showed an array of promising therapeutic phenolic compounds. Future work will aim to fractionate and isolate novel compounds from this species and test their bioactivity.