BACKGROUND Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes various forms of acute and chronic skin damage, including immunosuppression, inflammation, premature aging and photodamage. Furthermore, it induces the generation of reactive oxygen species, produces proinflammatory cytokines and melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) and increases tyrosinase activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate ...

A dry extract from the roots of rhapontic rhubarb (extract Rheum rhaponticum (L.); ERr) has been commercially available in Germany for over two decades to treat menopausal symptoms. However, the molecular basis of its clinical effectiveness remains obscure. This article reviews the in vitro and in vivo data of its estrogenic actions, particularly those mediated by estrogen receptor-beta (ERbeta).

The antibacterial activity of plant extracts obtained from Bixa orellana L., Chamomilla recutita L., Ilex paraguariensis A. St.-Hil., Malva sylvestris L., Plantago major L. and Rheum rhaponticum L. has been evaluated against two reference strains and eleven clinical isolates of Helicobacter pylori. All the plant species chosen are used in popular Brazilian cuisine and folk medicine in the treat...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The precise generic delimitation of the Rhaponticum group is not totally resolved. The lack of knowledge of the relationships between the basal genera of Centaureinae could imply that genera whose position is as yet unresolved could belong to the Rhaponticum group. On the other hand, the affinities among the genera that are considered as members of this group are not well kn...

Cultivating red-stalked rhubarb plants is an important source of raw materials for producing health-promoting foods. The quality and quantity crops are significantly dependent on planting material. To obtain high-quality material the value selection ‘Raspberry’, we evaluated morphological physiological responses micropropagated plantlets to different growth substrates light during early ex vitr...

Rhubarb (Rheum rhapontiam) stalk fibre was previously shown to be hypolipidaemic under clinical and experimental conditions. The present study was undertaken to investigate whether rhubarb stalk fibre has a hypolipidaemic effect under diabetic conditions. Two models of diabetic rats were used: streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, and diabetes-prone BB (BBdp) rats. The plasma cholesterol and tr...