A plethora of active compounds found in herbal medicines can serve as substrate for enzymes involved in the metabolism of xenobiotics. When a medicinal plant is co-administered with a conventional drug and little or no information is known about the pharmacokinetics of the plant metabolites, there is an increased risk of potential herb-drug interactions. Moreover, genetic polymorphisms in a pop...

The quality assurance of Neem (Azadirachta indica A.Juss.), a traditional herbal drug of global importance used for the treatment of different ailments, was studied. At global, regional, national and local levels, the end users of this drug face the problem of adulteration. Two different species are commercially marketed in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent under the same trade name of Neem. One is Aza...

Herbal medicines have been used to treat psoriasis for many years with anecdotal reports of efficacy which have attracted public attention. We seek to assess the effects of systemic herbal medicine in the treatment of psoriasis. Medical database PubMed/MEDLINE, AMED, CINAHL, and CENTRAL were searched. Randomised controlled trials of systemic herbal medicine used in the treatment of psoriasis in...

An increasing number of patients are taking herbal medicines such as echinacea, garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, St John's Wort, valerian, ephedra, kava, grapefruit juice and ginger. Although these herbal medications are considered 'natural' products that may have some benefits, adverse effects such as increased bleeding tendencies and drug interactions are associated with their use. Surgeons an...

Present study was designed to evaluate the hypoglycemic effect and antioxidant potential of polyherbal formulation in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. Five different groups were made including 10 rats in each group. An aqueous suspension of herbal mixture containing 5 ingredients of equal amounts– leaves of Azadirachta indica (Margosa), leaves of Gymnema sylvestre (Gurmar), fruits of...

CONTEXT Widespread use of herbal medications among the presurgical population may have a negative impact on perioperative patient care. OBJECTIVES To review the literature on commonly used herbal medications in the context of the perioperative period and provide rational strategies for managing their preoperative use. DATA SOURCES The MEDLINE and Cochrane Collaboration databases were search...

Herbal medicines are increasingly used in both western and Chinese societies. This is partly attributed to the alleged limitations of scientific medicine in the cure and control of chronic diseases. Many patients do not disclose that they have used herbs before surgery and hence their physicians remain unaware of the potential herb-drug interactions. With respect to anaesthesia, herbs can cause...

Epilepsy is the second most common neurologic disorder after stroke. Approximately 1% of the world’s population has epilepsy, is a condition where the patient suffers from recurrent seizures. Control to seizures numerous conventional drugs came into existence. Most of the epileptic patients need polytherapy of conventional anticonvulsants and still not 100% cured. The major drawback due to thes...

With the increasing levels of malaria parasite drug resistance, the herbal knowledge of indigenous communities for malaria treatment can play an important role in identification of any new antimalarial plants that is yet to be discovered. Information was collected by interviewing indigenous people, using a semistructured questionnaire. Collected plant samples were identified with the help of ta...

Because the use of herbal therapies in the U.S. is escalating, it is essential to be aware of clinical and adverse effects, doses and potential drug-herb interactions. A consumer poll in 1998 indicated that one-third of respondents use botanical remedies, and nearly one in five taking prescription medications also used herbs, high-dose dietary supplements or both. An estimated 15 million adults...