W e know from written and archeological records that humans have been using herbs for millennia to both prevent and treat disease. Today, herbal medicines remain widely popular, fueled by cultural factors, centuries-old tradition, and a burgeoning industry that claims that herbs (i) are gentle, safe, effective, and natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals; (ii) possess unique properties that are...

W e know from written and archeological records that humans have been using herbs for millennia to both prevent and treat disease. Today, herbal medicines remain widely popular, fueled by cultural factors, centuries-old tradition, and a burgeoning industry that claims that herbs (i) are gentle, safe, effective, and natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals; (ii) possess unique properties that are...

T hroughout history, plants have been used for medicinal purposes and, during the last three decades, we have witnessed a most remarkable revival of herbal medicine. Germany is the country with the largest per head consumption of herbal medicines. In 2002, the 100 best selling products achieved a total turnover of 420 million Euros. This high level of popularity means, among other things, that ...

PURPOSE To study the prevalence of the usage of herbal medicines among cancer patients. METHODS This study was carried out between October 1, 2009 and May 31, 2011, by using face-to-face interviews with cancer patients attending oncology departments (clinics and outpatient clinics, chemotherapy units). A special questionnaire was filled in during the interviews. RESULTS Of the patients 68.2...

Guaco (Mikania glomerata Sprengel) syrup is one of the most popular herbal medicines used to treat the symptoms of asthmatic bronchitis, cough and hoarseness. The coumarin 2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, is one of the major constituents of Guaco and contributes to its pharmacological effects. The pharmaceutical capsule form of dry extract of Guaco is recommended by the Brazilian Program of Medicinal Pla...

BACKGROUND Stroke is a condition with high morbidity and mortality, and 75% of stroke survivors lose their ability to work. Stroke is a burden to the family and society. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Chinese herbal patent medicines in the treatment of patients after the acute phase of a stroke. METHODS We searched the following databases through August 2016: P...

BACKGROUND Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have been used for a long time to treat diabetes, and many controlled trials have been done to investigate their efficacy. OBJECTIVES To assess the effects of Chinese herbal medicines in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. SEARCH STRATEGY We searched the following electronic databases: The Cochrane Library (CENTRAL), the Chinese BioMedical...

Herbal remedies are widely used for the treatment and prevention of various diseases and often contain highly active pharmacological compounds. Many medicinal herbs and pharmaceutical drugs are therapeutic at one dose and toxic at another. Toxicity related to traditional medicines is becoming more widely recognized as these remedies become popular in the Mediterranean region as well as worldwid...

To analyze the bacteriostatic effect of Chinese traditional herbal medicines on E. coli, total 35 different preparations (decoction, volatile oil and distillate) of Chinese traditional herbal medicines were tested using plate culture method. The results showed that 18 preparations of traditional Chinese herbal medicines have different inhibition effect on E. coli in vitro. The results also reve...

BACKGROUND Herbal medicine use is increasing and the global market is estimated to be US$107 billion by the year 2017. OBJECTIVES This study aimed at assessing community pharmacists' personal use, knowledge, attitude, dispensing practice, and the barriers regarding herbal medicines. METHODS Institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 47 community pharmacists in Gondar, North...