This study examined the traditional (single and multivitamin/mineral supplements) and nontraditional supplement (herbals, botanicals, and other biologic and nutrient supplements) use by female athletes. Frequency, reasons for use, and sources of supplement information were assessed with a self-report questionnaire. Participants were 162 collegiate female varsity athletes. More than half of all ...

OBJECTIVE To develop a measure of pharmacists' patient counseling on herbal and dietary supplements. METHODS A systematic process was used for item generation, testing, and validation of a measure of pharmacists counseling on herbal and dietary supplements. Because a pharmacist-patient encounter may or may not identify an indication for taking an herb or dietary supplement, the instrument was...

While many people have probably not heard of it, Tongkat Ali has historically been used to treat health problems ranging from fevers to intestinal worms. This herbal extract is most popularly known (no wonder!) as an aphrodisiac for men. Although it comes from a plant in the Southeast Asian rainforests, it is now widely available either as a pill or an instant coffee additive. This herbal suppl...

In a maca-containing herbal supplement claimed to remedy erectile dysfunction, a new sildenafil analogue was found using adulterant screening with TLC, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS. This compound was isolated by column chromatography and HPLC, and identified by extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR and mass spectral analyses. The structure of this new compound was established as 5-[2-ethoxy-5-(piperazine-1-carbonyl) ...

Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE; CASRN 90045-36-6) is a commonly used herbal supplement. A comprehensive toxicological assessment by the NTP identified GBE as hepatotoxic. The constituents of GBE can vary across lots, hence the question arises as to how representative the lot tested by NTP is of other lots of GBE and by extension to what degree the results of the NTP hazard characterization are more...

Recent investigation on drug interaction has shown that some foods and herbal medicines increase the oral availability of a variety of CYP3A4 substrates, which is caused by the reduction of CYP3A4 in intestinal epithelium. During the course of our investigation on CYP3A4 interaction, we found that the commercially available dietary supplement made from black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) showed ...