There is strong evidence for the link between high dietary sodium and increased risk of cardiovascular disease which drives the need to reduce salt content in foods. In this study, herb and spice blends were used to enhance consumer acceptability of a low salt tomato soup (0.26% w/w). Subjects (n = 148) scored their liking of tomato soup samples over 5 consecutive days. The first and last days ...

Spikenard, the dried roots of Nardostachys chinensis, contains sesquiterpenoids and is widely used as an herbal tranquilizer. We previously demonstrated that spikenard vapor showed a sedative effect when administered by inhalation, and we identified hydrocarbon sesquiterpenoids as active components. Here we investigated the other components that contribute to the effects of spikenard. Six oxyge...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES To update and review the application of dexmedetomidine in anesthesia and intensive care. This study is a comprehensive review of clinical uses, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action and adverse effects of dexmedetomidine. CONTENT The effective use of sedative-hypnotic agents and analgesics is an integral part of comfort and safety of patients. Dexmedet...

Medicinal herbs are significant source of synthetic and herbal drugs. Before the availability of synthetic drugs, man was completely dependent on herbs as healthcare system. Medicinal herbs have been on the forefront whenever we talk about anticancer remedies. Vinca rosea (sadabahar) alkaloids, Vinblastine and Vincristine, are the most potent anticancer drugs known. Taxol isolated from Taxus br...

As more and more people worldwide begin using Chinese herbs, authentication of these herbs becomes an increasingly critical, international problem. Mistakes, misidentification, or willful deception can cause illness and even death. Questionable authenticity with regard to Chinese herbs arises for a number of historical, geographical and nomenclatural reasons, which will be described in this pap...

Herbal medicines are being used with greater frequency by practitioners of natural medicine in the United States. Many categories of herbs are used, primarily angiotensin antagonists, nonspecific nephroprotective, and immunomodulating/adaptogenic herbs. The most common herbs in each category are discussed both from a historical and scientific perspective. For the first time, a case series of th...

Background: Children often require sedation for long non-invasive diagnostic procedures. Dexmedetomidine is a highly selective alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist with sedative, anxiolytic and analgesic properties. It mimics natural sleep allows patients to easily arouse minimal effects on respiration airway patency. Objective: To assess the successful completion of pediatric procedures intranasal dex...

OBJECTIVE Care of critically ill children includes sedation but current therapies are suboptimal. To describe dexmedetomidine use in children supported on mechanical ventilation for acute respiratory failure. DESIGN Secondary analysis of data from the Randomized Evaluation of Sedation Titration for Respiratory Failure clinical trial. SETTING Thirty-one PICUs. PATIENTS Data from 2,449 chil...

Herbs and berry crops have been shown to contain high levels of antioxidant compounds. These antioxidants are capable of performing a number of functions including acting as free radical scavengers, peroxide decomposers, singlet and triplet oxygen quenchers, enzyme inhibitors, and synergists. The different antioxidant components found in herbs and berry crops provide protection against harmful ...

OBJECTIVE The authors sought to identify patterns and associations of prescription and over-the-counter sedative-hypnotic use in an older, rural, blue-collar, community-based cohort in southwestern Pennsylvania over 10 years. METHODS A group of 1,627 individuals age 65 and over were recruited and assessed during 1987-1989 and re-assessed during approximately biennial waves. Data included slee...