The American journal of Chinese medicine
-
The perfect ginseng radix is collected when the ginseng root reaches a cultivation age of six years; this ensures the best mass quality and consistency of the plant's essential bioactive components. Since traditional means of authentication via physical appearance or smell are hardly reliable, an efficient analytical method that can determine the real cultivation age of dried ginseng radix in commercial products, especially ginseng products of various dosage forms, is urgently required. ⋯ The resulting dataset was then analyzed by using principle component analysis and cluster analysis to build up a distributive model that allows the identification of the real cultivation age of the ginseng radix based on a plant metabolomic strategy. This quality surveillance method was able to clearly discriminate the 6 years old ginseng radix from the other ages, and could be applied on the evaluation of the real cultivation age for the various dried white ginseng radix samples and commercial products accurately.
-
We previously reported the antiproliferative effect of panaxadiol (PD), an active compound in steamed ginseng, on human HCT-116 colorectal cancer cells, and that antioxidants might play a role in this effect. In this study, we observed that PD's antiproliferative effect was significantly enhanced by epicatechin (EC), a strong natural antioxidant in grape seed. Evidence for the synergistic antiproliferative effect was supported by the remarkable increase in the number of apoptotic cells.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
A randomized controlled pilot trial of "Feiji Recipe" on quality of life of non-small cell lung cancer patients.
In order to pilot a study observing the feasibility of applying the Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) version 2.0 to assess the quality of life (QOL) of patients with NSCLC treated with Feiji Recipe, a randomized, parallel controlled clinical trial was conducted in the university-affiliated hospital. Seventy inpatients who met the inclusion criteria were randomized into the study, and 60 cases were available as subjects for QOL data analysis. The subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups: the Feiji Recipe group (A); the Feiji Recipe combined with chemotherapy group (B); and the chemotherapy group (C) in which the patients were treated with vinorelbine plus cisplatin (NP) or gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP). ⋯ Feiji Recipe might partially improve the QOL of NSCLC patients when administered alone or in combination with chemotherapy. No unexpected side effects were observed. However, further double-blinded placebo controlled studies are strongly recommended.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Chinese medicine acupoint herbal patching for allergic rhinitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial.
The aim of this study is pursue the effect of herbal point-patch treatment on allergic rhinitis patients by investigation of the changes of serum total IgE (T-IgE) and eosinophile cationic protein (ECP) levels and through assessment of the results of SF-36 and rhinitis severity questionnaires. A prospective, randomized, single-blind, parallel, controlled study was used. Forty- three eligible participants were selected from outpatients of the Dept. of Ear, Nose, and Throat and Chinese medicine clinic, and 33 eligible participants completed the treatment satisfactorily. ⋯ The data revealed that the acupoint herbal patch is a valuable treatment for allergic rhinitis, especially in the symptoms of sneezing, running and itchy nose. The results of the SF-36 indicate a distinct improvement in GH (general health) and VT (vitality) in patients treated with acupoint herbal patches. This study supports the belief that the acupoint herbal patch is an effective treatment for allergic rhinitis and can significantly improve general health, social life and vitality in quality of life.
-
Manage migraine with acupuncture: a review of acupuncture protocols in randomized controlled trials.
The aim of this article is to present a standardized protocol of acupuncture for the management of migraine. A systematic review of available randomized controlled trials of acupuncture for migraineurs was conducted in the five following electronic databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Information of selected acupoints and treatment course was extracted from the included trials. ⋯ The total duration of an acupuncture treatment should be at least 10 weeks. The protocol analyzed from trials with positive results is different from trials with negative in number of treatment sessions. Therefore in future trials, enough acupuncture treatment sessions should be fully considered.