Since the publication of "Application Guideline for Western Traditional Herbal Medicines as OTC Drugs" in 2007, only two European ethnopharmaceuticals, Vitis vinifera L., folium extract (Antistax) and Vitex agnus-castus L., fructus extract (Prefemin), have been approved as OTC drugs in Japan. In this review, we describe the current regulation of Western ethnopharmaceuticals in Japan, summarize ...

Antipruritic effects of 70% ethanol extract (CM-ext) of Cnidii Monnieri Fructus (dried fruits of Cnidium monnieri CUSSON, Umberifferae) were investigated. In mice, an oral administration of CM-ext (200 and 500 mg/kg) inhibited compound 48/80-induced scratching behavior without influence on spontaneous locomotion. Isopimpinellin (3) and osthol (1), coumarin derivatives isolated from CM-ext, show...

This study is designed to evaluate the effects of a herbal composition of Semen Hoveniae, Radix Puerariae and Fructus Schisandrae (SRF) against acute alcoholic intoxication. The animals were treated with SRF extract (SRFE) for 14 days, and ethanol was conducted subsequent to the final treatment. The effects of SRFE on righting reflex, inebriety rates, kinetic parameters of blood ethanol and ace...

BACKGROUND Hyperlipidemia is a common disease in China. Although 88.9 % of the Chinese population taking lipid-lowering medications has already used a statin, only 61.5 % of the population has reached the goal of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Thus, many patients in China seek help from Traditional Chinese Medicine. Yirui capsules are an innovative Chinese Medicine which are designed to i...