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Phu HT, Thuan DTB, Nguyen THD, Posadino AM, Eid AH, Pintus G. Herbal Medicine for Slowing Aging and Aging-associated Conditions: Efficacy, Mechanisms and Safety. Curr Vasc Pharmacol 2020; 18:369-393. [PMID: 31418664 DOI: 10.2174/1570161117666190715121939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Aging and aging-associated diseases are issues with unsatisfactory answers in the medical field. Aging causes important physical changes which, even in the absence of the usual risk factors, render the cardiovascular system prone to some diseases. Although aging cannot be prevented, slowing down the rate of aging is entirely possible to achieve. In some traditional medicine, medicinal herbs such as Ginseng, Radix Astragali, Ganoderma lucidum, Ginkgo biloba, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum are recognized by the "nourishing of life" and their role as anti-aging phytotherapeutics is increasingly gaining attention. By mainly employing PubMed here we identify and critically analysed 30 years of published studies focusing on the above herbs' active components against aging and aging-associated conditions. Although many plant-based compounds appear to exert an anti-aging effect, the most effective resulted in being flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins, and polysaccharides, which include astragaloside, ginkgolide, ginsenoside, and gypenoside specifically covered in this review. Their effects as antiaging factors, improvers of cognitive impairments, and reducers of cardiovascular risks are described, as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying the above-mentioned effects along with their potential safety. Telomere and telomerase, PPAR-α, GLUTs, FOXO1, caspase-3, bcl-2, along with SIRT1/AMPK, PI3K/Akt, NF-κB, and insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1 pathways appear to be their preferential targets. Moreover, their ability to work as antioxidants and to improve the resistance to DNA damage is also discussed. Although our literature review indicates that these traditional herbal medicines are safe, tolerable, and free of toxic effects, additional well-designed, large-scale randomized control trials need to be performed to evaluate short- and long-term effects and efficacy of these medicinal herbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hoa T Phu
- Department of Biochemistry, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Duong T B Thuan
- Department of Biochemistry, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Thi H D Nguyen
- Department of Physiology, Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue, Vietnam
| | - Anna M Posadino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Ali H Eid
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Gianfranco Pintus
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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Shaito A, Thuan DTB, Phu HT, Nguyen THD, Hasan H, Halabi S, Abdelhady S, Nasrallah GK, Eid AH, Pintus G. Herbal Medicine for Cardiovascular Diseases: Efficacy, Mechanisms, and Safety. Front Pharmacol 2020; 11:422. [PMID: 32317975 PMCID: PMC7155419 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a significant health burden with an ever-increasing prevalence. They remain the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The use of medicinal herbs continues to be an alternative treatment approach for several diseases including CVDs. Currently, there is an unprecedented drive for the use of herbal preparations in modern medicinal systems. This drive is powered by several aspects, prime among which are their cost-effective therapeutic promise compared to standard modern therapies and the general belief that they are safe. Nonetheless, the claimed safety of herbal preparations yet remains to be properly tested. Consequently, public awareness should be raised regarding medicinal herbs safety, toxicity, potentially life-threatening adverse effects, and possible herb–drug interactions. Over the years, laboratory data have shown that medicinal herbs may have therapeutic value in CVDs as they can interfere with several CVD risk factors. Accordingly, there have been many attempts to move studies on medicinal herbs from the bench to the bedside, in order to effectively employ herbs in CVD treatments. In this review, we introduce CVDs and their risk factors. Then we overview the use of herbs for disease treatment in general and CVDs in particular. Further, data on the ethnopharmacological therapeutic potentials and medicinal properties against CVDs of four widely used plants, namely Ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, Ganoderma lucidum, and Gynostemma pentaphyllum, are gathered and reviewed. In particular, the employment of these four plants in the context of CVDs, such as myocardial infarction, hypertension, peripheral vascular diseases, coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathies, and dyslipidemias has been reviewed, analyzed, and critically discussed. We also endeavor to document the recent studies aimed to dissect the cellular and molecular cardio-protective mechanisms of the four plants, using recently reported in vitro and in vivo studies. Finally, we reviewed and reported the results of the recent clinical trials that have been conducted using these four medicinal herbs with special emphasis on their efficacy, safety, and toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdullah Shaito
- Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Duong Thi Bich Thuan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam
| | - Hoa Thi Phu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam
| | - Thi Hieu Dung Nguyen
- Department of Physiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Hue University, Hue City, Vietnam
| | - Hiba Hasan
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sarah Halabi
- Biology Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Samar Abdelhady
- Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Gheyath K Nasrallah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ali H Eid
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Gianfranco Pintus
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
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Hong SH, Kim M, Woo M, Song YO. Effects of ingredients of Korean brown rice cookies on attenuation of cholesterol level and oxidative stress in high-fat diet-fed mice. Nutr Res Pract 2017; 11:365-372. [PMID: 28989572 PMCID: PMC5621358 DOI: 10.4162/nrp.2017.11.5.365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Owing to health concerns related to the consumption of traditional snacks high in sugars and fats, much effort has been made to develop functional snacks with low calorie content. In this study, a new recipe for Korean rice cookie, dasik, was developed and its antioxidative, lipid-lowering, and anti-inflammatory effects and related mechanisms were elucidated. The effects were compared with those of traditional rice cake dasik (RCD), the lipid-lowering effect of which is greater than that of traditional western-style cookies. MATERIALS/METHODS Ginseng-added brown rice dasik (GBRD) was prepared with brown rice flour, fructooligosaccharide, red ginseng extract, and propolis. Mice were grouped (n = 7 per group) into those fed a normal AIN-76 diet, a high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with RCD or GBRD. Dasik in the HFD accounted for 7% of the total calories. The lipid, reactive oxygen species, and peroxynitrite levels, and degree of lipid peroxidation in the plasma or liver were determined. The expression levels of proteins involved in lipid metabolism and inflammation, and those of antioxidant enzymes were determined by western blot analysis. RESULTS The plasma and hepatic total cholesterol concentrations in the GBRD group were significantly decreased via downregulation of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-2 and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (P < 0.05). The hepatic peroxynitrite level was significantly lower, whereas glutathione was higher, in the GBRD group than in the RCD group. Among the antioxidant enzymes, catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were significantly upregulated in the GBRD group (P < 0.05). In addition, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) expression in the GBRD group was significantly lower than that in the RCD group. CONCLUSIONS GBRD decreases the plasma and hepatic cholesterol levels by downregulating cholesterol synthesis. This new dasik recipe also improves the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory status in HFD-fed mice via CAT and GPx upregulation and NF-κB downregulation. These effects were significantly higher than those of RCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun Hee Hong
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Kimchi Research Institute, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak-ro 63 beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Mijeong Kim
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Kimchi Research Institute, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak-ro 63 beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Minji Woo
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Kimchi Research Institute, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak-ro 63 beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
| | - Yeong Ok Song
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition and Kimchi Research Institute, Pusan National University, 2 Busandaehak-ro 63 beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan 46241, Korea
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