BACKGROUND Major surgery suppresses natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxic activity which is potentially harmful for cancer patients by favouring haematogenic tumour cell dissemination. The influence of a perioperative infusion of a standardized mistletoe extract (Iscador) on immune functions was tested in a prospective, sequential, randomized clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS Colorectal cance...

Preparation of s i lvicul tural prescriptions i s a complex process in lodgepole pine ecosystems. Ecological factors and management decisions must be considered. The presence or absence of dwarf mistletoe in a stand i s one ecological factor that must be considered. Control of dwarf mistletoe i s possible through application of sound s i 1 vicul tural principles.

A new species of Phoradendron, Ph. mathiasenii, is described, and a range extension and host are given for Ph. tikalense. Both species are from Honduras and grow as epiparasites, i.e., mistletoes parasitizing other mistletoes. The parasitic host for both epiparasitic species of Phoradendron is Psittacanthus angustifolius (Loranthaceae), which in turn is parasitic on the terrestrial host, Pinus ...

background: poinsettia (euphorbia pulcherrima), holly (ilex opaca) and mistletoe (phoradendron flavescens) adorn homes during the christmas and new year holiday season and create the potential for curious children to sample their colorful leaves and enticing berries. this study was aimed to review the american association of poison control centers national poison data system (aapcc npds) to des...

In the present study, infusions from six medicinal plants have been evaluated in terms of their polyphenols content and antioxidant activity. The selected for this study are following: elder (Sambucusnigra), chamomile (Chamomillaegermanicaeflos), sage (Salvia officinale), mistletoe (Viscum album), lemon balm (Melissa oficinalis), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). investigated samples show a wi...

BACKGROUND Preparations of mistletoe (Viscum album) are the form of cancer treatment that is most frequently used in the complementary medicine. Previous work has shown that these preparations are able to exert cytotoxic effects on carcinoma cells, the extent of which might be influenced by the host tree species and by the content of mistletoe lectin. METHODS Using colorimetric assays, we hav...

Viscum album (mistletoe) has been documented as a traditional treatment of diabetes. In acute 20-min tests, 1-10 mg/ml aqueous extract of mistletoe evoked a stepwise 1.1- to 12.2-fold stimulation of insulin secretion from clonal pancreatic B-cells. This effect was abolished by 0.5 mM diazoxide and prior exposure to extract did not alter subsequent stimulation of insulin secretion induced by 10 ...

Background The mistletoe lectin I belongs to a new class of anticancer drugs with type II ribosomal inhibitor activity. The recombinant mistletoe lectin (aviscumine) has shown immunomodulatory and cytotoxic activity in preclinical models as well as potential antitumor effects in phase I and I/II clinical trials. The aim of this study was to further elucidate the immunostimulatory capacity of av...