The benefits of Arnica: 16 case reports

Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Potential of Helenalin

BACKGROUND

Arnica montana, containing helenalin as its principal active constituent, is the most widely used plant to treat various ailments. Recent studies indicate that Arnica and helenalin provide significant health benefits, including anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antioxidant, cholesterol-lowering, immunomodulatory, and most important, anti-cancer properties.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the present study is to overview the recent patents of Arnica and its principal constituent helenalin, including new methods of isolation, and their use in the prevention of cancer and other ailments.

METHODS

Current prose and patents emphasizing the anti-cancer potential of helenalin and Arnica, incorporated as anti-inflammary agents in anti-cancer preparations, have been identified and reviewed with particular emphasis on their scientific impact and novelty.

RESULTS

Helenalin has shown its anti-cancer potential to treat multiple types of tumors, both in vitro and in vivo. It has also portrayed synergistic effects when given in combination with other anti- cancer drugs or natural compounds. New purification/isolation techniques are also developing with novel helenalin formulations and its synthetic derivatives have been developed to increase its solubility and bioavailability.

CONCLUSION

The promising anti-cancer potential of helenalin in various preclinical studies may open new avenues for therapeutic interventions in different tumors. Thus clinical trials validating its tumor suppressing and chemopreventive activities, particularly in conjunction with standard therapies, are immediately required.

Aplicaciones de la homeopatía en Odontología: revisión de la literatura

Introducción: la homeopatía es una terapia que utiliza sustancias naturales para tratar diversas enfermedades, bajo el principio de la similitud, es decir, la causa de la enfermedad también puede curarla. Su alta popularidad en los últimos años se debe a que esta no produce efectos adversos, como sí lo hace la terapia alopática. En el campo de la odontología surge como una terapia complementaria exitosa. Objetivo: describir las aplicaciones más importantes de la homeopatía en odontología, según la literatura. Metodología: se realiza revisión de literatura incluyendo investigaciones originales, casos clínicos, revisiones de narrativas y sistemáticas en Med-line, Pub- Med, Scielo, Latindex, Redalyc y Google académico. No se aplicaron restricciones en el idioma ni en el tiempo de publicación. Resultados: se encuentran y se describen múltiples aplicaciones y bene cios de la homeopatía en odontología, como en la ca- riología, en los pre y postoperatorios, en la disminución del dolor y estrés del paciente, entre otras, resaltando su e cacia y mecanismo de acción. Conclusión: el uso de la ho- meopatía en odontología se considera importante debido a las múltiples aplicaciones en el campo odontológico y por los bene cios de su práctica. Sin embargo, debido a la escaza literatura existente, se recomiendan mayores investigaciones para demostrar su e cacia, además, con el n de descubrir más de sus múltiples aplicaciones. 

Arnica montana L. – a plant of healing: review

Objectives

Arnica montana is a widely used therapeutic plant used traditionally to treat various ailments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the botany, phytochemistry and ethnopharmacology along with special emphasis given on pharmacological activity of plant A. montana.

Key findings

The plant extracts have been reported to possess antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and immunomodulatory activity. A wide range of chemical compounds including sesquiterpene lactones and their short-chain carbonic acid esters, flavonoids, carotenoids, essential oils, diterpenes, arnidiol, pyrrolizidine alkaloids, coumarins, phenolic acids, lignans and oligosaccharides, etc., are found in different parts of the plant.

Summary

It has been scrutinized that extensive research has been carried out to explore the therapeutic potential of flowers of the plant. Therefore, investigations should be carried out to explore the therapeutic potential of other parts of the plant for better therapeutic utilization.

Effects of the homeopathic remedy arnica on attenuating symptoms of exercise-induced muscle soreness

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Arnica at a high potency (200c), on moderating delayed onset muscle soreness and accompanying symptoms of muscle dysfunction.

METHODS

Twenty subjects completed a maximal eccentric exercise protocol with the non-dominate elbow flexors to induce delayed onset muscle soreness. Either Arnica or placebo tablets were administered in a random, double- blinded fashion immediately after exercise and at 24 hours and 72 hours after exercise. Before exercise, immediately post-exercise, and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours post-exercise, assessments of delayed onset muscle soreness and muscle function included: 1) muscle soreness and functional impairment; 2) maximum voluntary contraction torque; 3) muscle swelling; and 4) range of motion tests to document spontaneous muscle shortening and muscle shortening ability. Blood samples drawn before exercise and at 24, 48, and 96 hours after exercise were used to measure muscle enzymes as indirect indices of muscle damage.

RESULTS

Regardless of the intervention, the extent of delayed onset muscle soreness and elevations in muscle enzymes were similar on the days following the eccentric exercise protocol. The post-exercise time profiles of decreases in maximum voluntary contraction torque and muscle shortening ability and increases in muscle swelling and spontaneous muscle shortening were similar for each treatment intervention.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study did not substantiate the clinical efficacy of Arnica at a high potency on moderating delayed onset muscle soreness and accompanying symptoms of muscle dysfunction. Despite the findings of this study, future investigations on the clinical efficacy of homeopathic interventions should consider incorporating research strategies that emphasize differential therapeutics for each patient rather than treating a specific disease or symptom complex, such as DOMS, with a single homeopathic remedy.