Anticataractogenic Activity of Luteolin

Cataract Preventive Role of Isolated Phytoconstituents: Findings from a Decade of Research

Cataract is an eye disease with clouding of the eye lens leading to disrupted vision, which often develops slowly and causes blurriness of the eyesight. Although the restoration of the vision in people with cataract is conducted through surgery, the costs and risks remain an issue. Botanical drugs have been evaluated for their potential efficacies in reducing cataract formation decades ago and major active phytoconstituents were isolated from the plant extracts. The aim of this review is to find effective phytoconstituents in cataract treatments in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo. A literature search was synthesized from the databases of Pubmed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus using different combinations of keywords. Selection of all manuscripts were based on inclusion and exclusion criteria together with analysis of publication year, plant species, isolated phytoconstituents, and evaluated cataract activities. Scientists have focused their attention not only for anti-cataract activity in vitro, but also in ex vivo and in vivo from the review of active phytoconstituents in medicinal plants. In our present review, we identified 58 active phytoconstituents with strong anti-cataract effects at in vitro and ex vivo with lack of in vivo studies. Considering the benefits of anti-cataract activities require critical evaluation, more in vivo and clinical trials need to be conducted to increase our understanding on the possible mechanisms of action and the therapeutic effects.

[Breastfeeding Affects the Sleep of Mothers in Postpartum Period]

Many mothers in the postpartum period complain of fatigue and shortened sleeping time because of child care. Breastfeeding, especially in the early postpartum period, accounts for a large share of this problem. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of breastfeeding on the sleep of mothers in the postpartum period, using 2 questionnaires: a self-created questionnaire for a survey of breastfeeding, and the OSA sleep inventory MA version for sleeping mothers. We performed the investigation twice, at 5-8 days and at one month after childbirth. The results showed that there was no significant difference in sleep between labor histories and delivery methods, but on the other hand, the exclusive breastfeeding group had a higher score about recovery and sleep length in the night during hospitalization (P < 0.05). In addition, the group of mothers in the lying down breastfeeding position (= Soechichi) group had higher scores in regards to their recovery than the other group in the night (P < 0.05). The exclusive breastfeeding group and the soechichi group also had a higher quality of sleep in both day and night at one month after childbirth. Comparing the quality of sleep between the term of hospitalization and one month after childbirth, it improved after a month, because the mothers had gotten used to breastfeeding and understood their baby's rhythm of breastfeeding after having spent a month together. We conclude that exclusive breastfeeding and the lying down breastfeeding position will provide a better quality of sleep for mothers.