Traditional herbal remedy

Johnson, S. (1984) Feverfew. A Traditional Herbal Remedy for Migraine and Arthritis, Sheldon Press, London. 

Valerian root (from Valeriana officinalis L.) has traditional use in symptomatic treatment of neurotonic conditions of adults and children, particularly in cases of minor sleep disturbances Commission E has approved valerian for restlessness and nervous disturbances of sleep Valerian is included in the General Sale List of the Medicines Control Agency and permitted in traditional herbal remedies as a sedative and to promote natural sleep... 

Continuing in the tradition of the acclaimed first edition. Pharmacodynamic Basis of Herbal Medicine, Second Edition examines in extensive detail the physiologic effects of complementary and alternative therapies, foods, supplements, vitamins, and traditional herbal remedies. This encyclopedic volume considers the site, mode, and mechanism of action to explain the desired and adverse effects and interactions of each herb, drug, and food. 

Figure 11.2 does the same analysis for 200 traditional herbal remedies. The big difference is that there are now 180 inactive substances which throw up a far greater... 

Karalliedde L, Gawarammana I. Traditional Herbal Remedies Guide to Safer Use. London Hammersmith Press, 2007. 

Snyman T, Stewart MJ, Grove A, Steenkamp V. Adulterations of South African traditional herbal remedies. Ther DrugMonit 2005 27 86-9-... 

In Asian markets, it is not unusual to find traditional herbal remedies containing undocumented pharmaceuticals. However, these illicit practices are now widespread, and serious adverse effects linked to their use have become commonplace (Bury et ah, 1987 De Smet, 2002, 2004 Ernst, 2002c Koh and Woo, 2000). Table II indicates the wide range of undocumented drugs that have been identified, but these are only representative of the possibilities that likely exist. In the current regulatory environment, it has become a monumental task to detect these types of adulterations, and constant surveillance is required to ensure the safety of traditional medicinal products that can be adulterated in this fashion. This concept is compounded by the fact that in certain countries, such as Japan, combinations... 

Polyphenols, such as quinones, are major components of many traditional herbal remedies which exhibit several beneficial effects, including antiinflammation. For example, Cuellar et al. [105] investigated the topical antiinflammatory activity of extracts from Cassia angustifolia Vahl. and Rheum palmatum, medicinal plants commonly known for their anthraquinonic content, and used in traditional East Asian medicine against different skin disorders. All the extracts significantly inhibited the edema induced by 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TP A) in both single or multiple applications. 

History. For thousands of years Chinese herbalists treated fever with a decoction of the plant called "qinghao", Artemisia annua, "sweet wormwood" or "annual wormwood" belonging to the family of Asteraccae. In the 1960s a program of the People Republic of China re-examined traditional herbal remedies on a rational scientific basis including the qinghao plant. Early efforts to isolate the active principle... 

Moore, M. 1990. Los remedies Traditional herbal remedies of the Southwest. Santa Fe, NM Red Crane Books. 

Johnson, E.S. 1984. Feverfew A traditional herbal remedy for migraine and arthritis. London Sheldon Press. 

By the end of this time, Paracelsus had gathered quite a bit of information, much of which had to do with remedies and cures. Although it is debatable whether he actually earned any kind of a degree in medicine, he pronounced himself a physician and began to prescribe. The medicines he prescribed however were not the traditional herbal remedies described by Galen but a potpourri of his acquired folk remedies and new medicines that he himself invented, applying his alchemical talents. 

Sometimes called isoprenoids, terpenoids are a large and diverse class of naturally occurring organic chemicals similar to terpenes, derived from five-carbon isoprene units. Plant terpenoids are used extensively for their aromatic qualities. Just like terpenes, the terpenoids can be classified according to the number of isoprene units. They play an important role in traditional herbal remedies and are under investigation for antibacterial, anti-neoplastic, and other pharmaceutical functions. ... 

Azas, N. Laurencin, N. Dehnas, E. Di, G. C. Gasquet, M. Laget, M. Timon-David, P. Synergistic in vitro antimalarial activity of plant extracts used as traditional herbal remedies in Mali. Parasitol. Res. 2002, 88,165-171. 

Generally, sesquiterpenes are less volatile than monoterpenes. Among the sesquiterpenes, the sesquiterpene lactones are widely distributed in terrestrial and marine organisms and are well known for their wide variety of biological activities. The anti-inflammatory activities of some medicinal plants are due to presence of one or more sesquiterpene lactones [89]. Parthenolide is responsible for the majority of the medicinal characteristics of this traditional herbal remedy. This sesquiterpene lactone can be found in several species, including Chrysanthemum parthenium, Leucanthemum parthenium, Pyrethrum parthenium, and Tanacetum parthenium [90]. 

In the course of this time, a large number of traditional remedies which appeared to be active have been analyzed and their essential components isolated and identified many of these, such as atropine, digitalis, ephed e, quinine and the secale alkaloids, have since been incorporated into orthodox medicine, whilst others have served as the starting point for the synthesis of new and better compoimds. Despite these developments, the use of entirely traditional herbal remedies, largely outside the practice of medicine, has continued. To a large extent these remedies have been commercialized and are currently sold for purposes of self-medication to a much -more limited extent, at least in western countries, a group of professional herbal practitioners has survived, treating patients exclusively or in part wifii remedies of this type. 

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