Herb-drug interaction of gastrodiae rhizoma on carbamazepine: A pharmacokinetic study in rats

What can traditional Chinese medicine do for adult neurogenesis?

Adult neurogenesis plays a crucial role in cognitive function and mood regulation, while aberrant adult neurogenesis contributes to various neurological and psychiatric diseases. With a better understanding of the significance of adult neurogenesis, the demand for improving adult neurogenesis is increasing. More and more research has shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including TCM prescriptions (TCMPs), Chinese herbal medicine, and bioactive components, has unique advantages in treating neurological and psychiatric diseases by regulating adult neurogenesis at various stages, including proliferation, differentiation, and maturation. In this review, we summarize the progress of TCM in improving adult neurogenesis and the key possible mechanisms by which TCM may benefit it. Finally, we suggest the possible strategies of TCM to improve adult neurogenesis in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.

Complementary and alternative medicine for treating epilepsy in China: A systematic review

There are about 10 million people with epilepsy (PWE) in China. In addition to therapies approved by the National Medical Products Administration, the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is prevalent in Chines PWE. These CAM therapies mainly comprise traditional Chinese medicine herbs (TCMHs), acupuncture, and music. A retrospective literature search was performed to summarize the updates of CAM in China in the past ten years, and sixty-two papers were finally included. In this following review, we listed the animal and clinical studies to summarize the antiepileptic mechanisms and clinical efficacy of CAM in Chines PWE. The main mechanisms of TCMHs and acupuncture included regulation of neurotransmitters and receptors, voltage-gated ion channels modulation, expression of apoptosis-related genes, antioxidant response, and anti-inflammation. Although there were enormous clinical studies on them, the current available clinical trials were small, short-term, heterogeneous, and had a high risk of bias. With regard to music, a few studies conducted by Chinese scholars suggested that it was beneficial for PWE as an add-on therapy, which was consistent with the results of foreign studies. Further randomized clinical trials in large populations are required to prove the effectiveness and safety of CAM.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Treating Epilepsy

Chinese herbal medicine has a long history of use for treating epilepsy. Because of the side effects of Western antiepileptic therapy and the quest for more accessible treatment, complementary and alternative medicines have become popular. Traditional Chinese medical diet therapy appears to be safe and effective. We searched PubMed and the Cochrane Library through November 2020 for the use of traditional Chinese medicine in clinical settings, including plants, fungi, and animals. Combinations of keywords included “epilepsy,” “seizure,” “antiepileptic,” “anticonvulsive,” “Chinese herbal medicine,” “Chinese herb,” and each of the Latin names, English names, and scientific names of herbs. We also summarized the sources and functions of these herbs in Chinese medicine. Different herbs can be combined to increase antiepileptic effects through various mechanisms, including anti-inflammation, antioxidation, GABAergic effect enhancement, modulation of NMDA channels and sodium channel, and neuroprotection. Despite reports of their anticonvulsive effects, adequate experimental evidence and randomized controlled clinical trials are required to confirm their antiepileptic effects.