The aims of this study were to evaluate the osteoprotective effect of aqueous extract from Rhizoma Dioscoreae (RDE) on rats with ovariectomy- (OVX-) induced osteopenia. Our results show that RDE could inhibit bone loss of OVX rats after a 12-week treatment. The microarray analysis showed that 68 genes were upregulated and that 100 genes were downregulated in femurs of the RDE group rats compare...

Cimicifuga racemosa and Hepatitis Alfredo Vannacci, MD, PhD, is a medical consultant at the Tuscan Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance and a researcher in the Department of Preclinical and Clinical Pharmacology, Florence, Italy. Francesco Lapi, PharmD, PhD, is a research consultant at the Tuscan Regional Centre of Pharmacovigilance, a research fellow in the Department of Preclinical and Clinic...

The reproducible quality of phytopharmaceuticals--herbal medicines--is an essential prerequisite for good efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of functional disorders. In clinical trials and scientific investigations, standardized assessments (i.e., validated, internationally recognized and accepted scales) provide the basis for establishing clinical efficacy and tolerability. Extracts (e...

Phytoestrogens are polyphenol, non-steroidal substances of plant origin, resembling 17β-estradiol in structure. These substances can act as either agonists or antagonists of oestrogen receptors α and β. Phytoestrogens are widely used to alleviate menopausal symptoms, such as hot flushes and night sweats. Most of the currently available products of plant origin registered to soften climacteric s...

Menopausal symptoms can start several years before menopause and last for 5 years (or more) afterwards and negatively impact daily living and well-being. To date, the most effective and reliable therapy for menopausal vasomotor symptoms (e.g., hot flushes, night sweats) is hormone therapy (HT). But many women are either hesitant to consider this option or are not candidates for HT due the incre...

1. The rapid autoinactivation at 37 degrees of candle filtrates of the Rous Foul Sarcoma I is due in large part to oxidation. 2. Such oxidation may be prevented by a dilution of 1-2000 cysteine hydrochloride brought to pH 7.4 with NaOH. 3. The variability of infectiousness of candle filtrates is due in part at least to oxidative changes which take place during their preparation; and more active...