Evidence, botanical

Tomas-Barberan, F. A., Garcia-Viguera, C., Vit-Olivier, P., Ferreres, F., and Tomas-Lorente, F. (1993b). Phytochemical evidence for the botanical origin of tropical propolis from Venezuela. Phytochemistry 34,191-196. 

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc. (USP) in 2000 issued the USP criteria for levels of evidence for botanical articles [117]. While issued for botanicals, the criteria have application to all therapeutic agents. The USP criteria rank evidence from I to IV, with Level I being the strongest. Within Level I, the randomized controlled clinical trial is ranked highest, followed by meta-analysis and epidemiological studies. Level II consists of the same designs, but with methodological flaws. Level III includes inconclusive studies, and Level IV is anecdotal evidence. 

USP Announces Criteria for Levels of Evidence Policies for Botanical Articles, [Internet], URL http //www.usp.Org/frameset.htm7http //www.usp.org/ aboutusp/releases/2000/pr 2000-23.htm top, accessed 10-31-2000. 

The full version of this table is available from the National Auxiliary Publications Service (NAPS). (See NAPS document no. 05609for33pages of supplementary material. Toorder, contact NAPS, c/o Microfiche Publications, 248 Hempstead Tpke., West Hempstead, NY 11552.) Adverse effects of multiple-herb therapies are not included. Case reports do not always provide adequate evidence that the remedy in question was labeled correctly. As a result, it is possible that some ofthe adverse events reportedforaspecific herb were actually due to a different, unidentified botanical or another adulterant or contaminant. 

Note In column 2 (7), sales rankings, by dollars, for the top 20 sold in the United States for the year 1999 are given. Column 3 (12) gives the top 10 products in 2002 in an ambulatory adult population (13). Reported sales in dollars are present in column 4. Columns 5 and 6 (66) give the conditions the botanicals have been used for. The Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database at http //www.naturaldatabasc.com (66) distinguishes gradations of evidence for effectiveness, which we have not done here. There is much variability in the data from report to report even data within the same trade journal data are inconsistent with that from previous reports. This in no way endorses the utilization of dietary supplements for treatment of these conditions. Patients should always seek the advice of their health care provider. 

However, the information derived from a detailed pharmacokinetic study will help to anticipate potential botanical product-drug interactions, to optimize the bioavailability, the quality, and hence the efficacy of herbal medicines, to support evidence for the synergistic nature of herbal medicines, and to better appreciate the safety and toxicity of the plant. Because pharmacokinetic studies with herbal medicines are often complicated by their chemical complexity and by the fact that the active compounds are often unknown, it could be one future issue to assess bioavailability by measuring surrogate parameters in plasma or tissue instead of directly assaying putative active compounds in the blood. In summary, to use HMPs in an evidence-based approach and to achieve the status rational phytomedicine, more experimental studies are needed to characterize the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of botanical products. 

The earliest evidence of human use of plants for healing dates to the Neanderthal period. In the 16th century, botanical gardens were created to grow medicinal plants for medical schools. Herbal medicine practice flourished until the 17th century, when more scientific pharmacological remedies were favored (see Thomas, 1997 Fontanarosa, 2000 and General References). 

Bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids. Comprehensive tabulation of literature for 1978-1981 (Chemical Abstracts Volumes 88-95), with 164 references. Covers structure revisions, additional (mainly spectral) data on known alkaloids, new sources of known alkaloids, structures, properties, summarized confirmatory reactions of new alkaloids, and biosynthetic evidence. Alkaloids are tabulated by botanical sources and pharmacological activity. A section on methods (CD, luminescence spectra, specific rotation, TLC) is included. 

This chapter provides an evidence-based approach to the pharmacology and clinical efficacy of several of the commonly used and commercially available botanicals and dietary supplements. Ephedrine, the active principle in Ma-huang, is discussed in Chapter 9 Adrenoceptor-Activating Other Sympathomimetic Drugs. 

Allergy prevalence has increased over the past few decades,1 and there is accumulating evidence that botanicals may be useful for the associated symptoms.2 4 In order to commercialize a botanical dietary supplement to support clear nasal passages, we used an approach combining biological and clinical techniques. Botanical... 

An overview of the reactions over zeolites and related materials employed in the fields of refining, petrochemistry, and commodity chemicals reviewed the role of carbocations in these reactions.15 An overview appeared of the discovery of reactive intermediates, including carbocations, and associated concepts in physical organic chemistry.16 The mechanisms of action of two families of carcinogens of botanical origin were reviewed.17 The flavanoids are converted to DNA-reactive species via an o-quinone, with subsequent isomerization to a quinone methide. Alkenylbenzenes such as safrole are activated to a-sulfatoxy esters, whose SnI ionization produces benzylic cations that alkylate DNA. A number of substrates (trifluoroacetates, mesylates, and triflates) known to undergo the SnI reaction in typical solvolysis solvents were studied in ionic liquids several lines of evidence indicate that they also react here via ionization to give carbocationic intermediates.18... 

Galloway, A., Walsh-Haney, H and Byrd, J. H. (2001). Recovering buried bodies and surface scatter The associated anthropological, botanical, and entomological evidence, in Forensic Entomology The Utility of Arthropods in Legal Investigations (J. H. Byrd and J. L. Castner, Eds.). Boca Raton, FL CRC Press, 223-262. 

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