Depression is an important medical problem in today’s world. Despite its high prevalence, treatment of depression remains problematic, as its cause is still not fully understood. Of the ways recommended to tackle this problem is implementing the potentials of various medical schools. A medical school which has played an important role in the history of medicine in the world is Persian medicine. This study was intended to identify non-pharmacological interventions for depression in the most reliable references on Persian medicine, classify these interventions and compare them with the latest medical findings. The study was set to review the most reliable references on Persian medicine. In addition, relevant keywords were used to search the PubMed and Scopus databases. In Persian medicine sources, melancholia is categorized into three main types. One type is regarded as cerebral melancholia, which resembles modern psychiatry’s depression closely. Therefore, some key points put forth by Persian medicine scholars regarding melancholia can be used to answer questions concerning depressive disorders and their etiology and treatment. Although recent studies have confirmed most approaches offered by Persian medicine physicians in ancient Persia, it is imperative to design and conduct clinical trial studies according to these approaches.
Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practice is still popular among the Malaysian population nowadays although western or allopathic medicine is the first line of treatment. Dissatisfaction with health services and therapeutic effects of western medicine or preference for holistic, integrative approach in treatment are common reasons favouring the increasing popularity of CAM practices. The efforts toward integration of CAM and western medicine in Malaysia were rather slow and in a piece-meal fashion. Strategic efforts in strengthening government and self-regulation among practitioners, formalizing education, promoting research, and cultivating national and international networks are necessary to achieve an integrative system. Regulations to restrict the practice and sale of CAM products to licensed practitioners, strict and mandatory registration of the practitioners, inclusion of CAM in essential medicines list, and pricing regulations must be comprehensively discussed. Development of curriculum, offers of scholarship and incentives, promotion of courses and seminars for professionals is necessary to increase the numbers of CAM experts. Malaysia should follow the efforts of other countries on the production and documentation of local CAM data, allocation of funding, and establishment of research centres to assess the efficacy of potentially useful local products. Local and international collaboration in research and continuous education is important for exchange of knowledge and skills. In conclusion more coordinated efforts in regulation of CAM practice and products, formalizing CAM training and education would significantly move the process forward and allow the public to enjoy more health benefits from CAM practice in Malaysia.
Bahunia racemosa family, Caesalpiniaceae, is one of the precious resources of the earth. It has played a significant role in human civilization since ancient times. It is tall sized tree growing throughout India, Ceylon, China, and Timor. The different part of this plant contains β-sitosterol and β-amyrin, flavonols (kaempferol and quercetin) and two coumarins (scopoletin and scopolin), tannins etc. Various part of this plant has great pharmacological potential with a great utility and usage as folklore medicine as analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antimicrobial activity. This review mainly focus on the exclusive review work on the traditional, phytochemical and pharmacological activities of this plant.
Static blood (SB) is a traditional Korean medicine disease symptom caused by a blood amassment, which refers to a pathological product of blood circulating poorly or accumulating in the interior. The growth and denaturalization of various organizations, inflammatory response and blood circulation disorder are regarded pathological conditions of SB. Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is a state of excessive proliferation of the cells of the endometrium. Therefore, we suggest the EH mouse model as the experimental animal model of SB.
A new physiotherapy named Ciliary Muscle Training method and one successful case had been reported first for treatment of Posner-Schlossman Syndrome (PSS), also known as Glaucomatocyclitic Crisis. When a person observed a back and forth moving object, the ciliary muscle would involuntarily do sometimes tense and sometimes relaxant exercise which can relieve the tensive state of the ciliary muscle of patients suffering PSS disease. Through this period of continued treatment, this ciliary muscle training method can improve the health status of the ciliary muscle and finally achieve the purpose of curing PSS disease. In this successful case, the patient’s feedback result was very good after receiving our suggested ciliary muscle training method as an attempt to treat PSS, ill right eye of this PSS patient showed normal appearance without any differences from the other normal eye, his vision test values of naked eye were both 4.9 under nearly 200 degrees of myopia. High intraocular pressure (IOP) was mitigated, measured IOP value was in the normal (≦ 21 mmHg) and comfortable state without PSS relapse until now. Therefore, ciliary muscle training method could be a potential clinical treatment approach to PSS disease.
Literatures and experimental studies have shown that Prunella has an effect on anti-hypertension, however, its components are complicated, so that it is still difficult to clear the specific roles of its various components in blood pressure regulation in. So we decide to systematically study the anti-hypertension mechanism of Prunella. We integrated multiple databases and constructed molecular interaction network between the chemical constituents of Prunella Vulgaris and hypertension based on entity grammar systems model. The network has 262 nodes and 802 edges. Then we infer the interactions between chemical compositions and disease targets to clarify the anti-hypertension mechanism. Finally, we found Prunella could influence hypertension by regulating apoptosis, cell proliferation, blood vessel development and vasoconstriction, etc. Thus this study provides reference for drug development and compatibility, and also gives guidance for health care at a certain extent.
This current study investigated the anti-ulcer activity of 2 types of virgin coconut oil (VCO-A and VCO-B) and coconut oil (CO). Sprague-Dawley of male rats divided into 6 groups and each group consisted of ten rats. Rats were then treated with either VCO or CO and then were then anaesthetized and pyloric ligation was performed. The anaesthesia was discontinued and the animal usually recovered consciousness within less than an hour. Three hours later, the animal was then again anaesthetized and sacrificed with chloroform. Stomach removed and its content subjected to measurement of volume and pH. The results revealed VCO-B and VCO-A (100%) significantly inhibited (p < 0.001) the volume of gastric juice secreted by the control rats by 66.81% and 51.53%, respectively. Followed by CO 42.80%. While the inhibition of gastric juice for positive control rats which treated with ranitidine (100 mg/kg) was only 22.38%. The total acid output was reduced by the oils to 70.80%, 74.16% and 40.45% for VCO-A, VCO-B and CO respectively compared to control group. Ranitidine reduced the total acid output by 34.83%. In conclusion, prevention of gastric lesions in rats by VCO was found to increase the mucous and decrease the acid volume, total acid contents and ulcer scoring. The treatment of VCO affects the all parameters that influence the initiation and perpetuation of ulceration.