Alternative & Integrative Medicine

Date palm, Phoenix dactylifera has been known for a lot of beneficial properties such as antioxidant,antihyperlidimic and hepatoprotective activity but there is a lack of research which explores the benefits of the date palm to the brain. Thus, its physical and psychological benefits to the brain are evaluated. For the physical benefits evaluation, cerebral ischemia is induced in the brain of rats through middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) or bilateral common carotid arteries (BCCAO) restriction and later followed by reperfusion to expose them to reactive oxygen species activity. After that, they were treated with date fruit or date seed extract and then neuronal damage is observed. Meanwhile for the psychological benefits evaluation, rats is supplied with a date fruit extract diet before exposed to motor-coordination test, locomotor activity, hot plate test and haloperidol-induced catalepsy. It is found that neuronal damage in the form of shrinkage, atrophy and necrosis of neurons is greatly reduced and there is an increase in the levels of endogenous antioxidants in the brain of rats treated with date palm fruit extract. In contrast, rats supplied with date fruit extract diet shows no difference with the control group. In conclusion, constituents of P. dactylifera particularly its antioxidant properties and fatty acids benefit the brain physically through its neuroprotective effect which protects the brain from actions of reactive oxygen species but its benefit to the brain psychologically is still unclear and could not be proven.

Objective: Assess measures for future mind-body interventions in those with and without PTSD. Methods: Psychological and immune measures were assessed at baseline in three age and gender-matched groups: 1) 15 combat veterans with PTSD, 2) 15 combat veterans without PTSD, and 3) 15 non-combat veterans without PTSD. Physiological measures were assessed at baseline, during relaxation and stress conditions. Results: The PTSD group had increased PTSD and depression severity, anxiety, and mood disturbance, and decreased quality of life scores. Respiration, heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure differed significantly between conditions but not between groups. Conclusions: Respiration and heart rate variability may be useful measures for future mind-body intervention trials.

Liver disease is characterized by inflammation and/or tissue damage that is serious enough to impair hepatic function. Tens of millions of patients are affected by liver diseases worldwide. Geniposide is an irioidglyco compound isolated from Gardenia fruits which has been used for many years in Chinese medicine for the treatment of hepatic disorders and inflammatory diseases. Genipin, the metabolite of geniposide, is a natural product present in fruit of Gardenia jasminoides. The relative bioactivity of genipin and geniposide has been widely reported in many studies and the potential application of these compounds in the treatment of liver diseases has come to light. This review summarizes current findings on the use of geniposide and genipin in the treatment of liver disease.

Over a century ago Eli Metchnikoff proposed the revolutionary idea to consume viable bacteria to promote health by modulating the intestinal microflora. The idea is more applicable now than ever, since bacterial antimicrobial resistance has become a serious worldwide problem both in medical and agricultural fields. The interest in digestive physiology and the microbiome has generated data whereby well being of all living organisms with a digestive tract can be enhanced and the risk of disease reduced. Given the recent international legislation and domestic consumer pressures to withdraw growth-promoting antibiotics and limit antibiotics available for treatment of bacterial infections, probiotics can offer alternative options. Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. Current indications are that mechanism of action involves a number of possibilities like rapid activation of innate host immune responses, assisting in the digestion of food materials etc. In this review, we focused on applying probiotic concept to alleviate chronic constipation and idiopathic diarrhea in humans or for specific pathogen reduction and improvement of GIT diseases in poultry. Based on this review, it is clear that the probiotic concept can be further explored to impact various areas of health and well being in both humans and animals

Background: Butcher’s broom plant extract has been reported to improve lymphatic flow and the trace mineral, selenium, has been shown to improve lymphedema. This retrospective case study examines the effectiveness of Butcher’s broom in conjunction with selenium to decrease limb volume of a patient with lipedema, a common fat distribution disorder with excess adipose tissue fluid. Methods: Selenium (400 mcg) was initiated 6 days prior to limb volume evaluation utilizing perometry. The patient underwent physical therapy that consisted of manual lymph drainage (MLD) with Histological Variable Manual Technique (HIVAMAT), and compression bandaging. Butcher’s broom (one gram daily) was added on day 95 of treatment in addition to selenium and both were continued through day 293 (end of study). Results: Total volume reduction over the study period for the left and right upper extremities and left and right lower extremities was 525 ml and 225 ml (p<0.05), and 1769 ml and 1614 ml (p<0.0001), respectively. The total percent volume reduction during the time period when MLD with HIVAMAT and compression bandaging were performed for the left and right legs was 70.6 and 79.0%, respectively. In the absence of compression bandaging, the left and right arms lost 21.2 and 10% of initial volumes, respectively at the 6 month follow-up visit. During the latter part of the study when the patient was performing a home maintenance program, at which time selenium and Butcher’s broom were continued, the left and right lower extremities decreased an additional 29.4 and 20.9% of initial volumes, respectively, despite a lack of exercise due to a foot injury during the last 46 days. Conclusion: Butcher’s broom and selenium may offer new tools in conjunction with physical therapy to improve swelling and pain associated with lipedema.