Study on the Activity of Herbal Extract to Kill Root-knot Nematode of Cucumber Seedlings Stage

Present mature plants hydroponic technology was used,combined with some excellent characteristics,such as growth conditions was easy to control and process of root growth was easy to continuously observe,the nematicidal activity of 5 kinds of Chinese herbs extracts and the compound solution of Avermectin,with strong contact toxicity effect indoor,was systematically studied and investigated the affection on the root-knot nematode parasitized on the cucumber seeding stage. It is found that under the premise of no influence on root growth of cucumber,extracts from Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora and Punica granatum showed strong prevention and nematicidal activity,and had the similar efficacy of Avermectin; while the extracts from Cibotium barometz,Aucklandia lappa Decne and Fructus cnidii showed low nematicidal activity and various degrees inhibition effect on plant growth.

Traditional Chinese herbal extracts inducing autophagy as a novel approach in therapy of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) is one of the leading causes of chronic liver diseases around the world due to the modern sedentary and food-abundant lifestyle, which is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver related with causes other than alcohol abuse. It is widely acknowledged that insulin resistance, dysfunctional lipid metabolism, endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis/necrosis may all contribute to NAFLD. Autophagy is a protective self-digestion of intracellular organelles, including lipid droplets(lipophagy), in response to stress to maintain homeostasis. Lipophagy is another pathway for lipid degradation besides lipolysis. It is reported that impaired autophagy also contributes to NAFLD. Some studies have suggested that the histological characteristics of NAFLD(steatosis, lobular inflammation, and peri-sinusoid fibrosis) might be improved by treatment with traditional Chinese herbal extracts, while autophagy may be induced. This review will provide insights into the characteristics of autophagy in NAFLD and the related role/mechanisms of autophagy induced by traditional Chinese herbal extracts such as resveratrol, Lycium barbarum polysaccharides, dioscin, bergamot polyphenol fraction, capsaicin, and garlic-derived S-allylmercaptocysteine, which may inhibit the progression of NAFLD. Regulation of autophagy/lipophagy with traditional Chinese herbal extracts may be a novel approach for treating NAFLD, and the molecular mechanisms should be elucidated further in the near future.

Herbal extracts as hepatoprotectants against acetaminophen hepatotoxicity

Many plant-derived natural products have the potential to be hepatoprotective and therefore can be used to treat acute and chronic liver diseases. The challenge is to identify the most promising compounds and evaluate their protective mechanism. In a recently published article, Wang et al evaluated extracts of the plant Gentiana manshurica Kitagawa (GM) in a model of acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. The authors concluded that GM is hepatoprotective against acetaminopheninduced liver injury due to its antioxidant properties and anti-apoptotic capacity. We would like to discuss the limitations of this experimental approach and question the conclusion based on the data presented in this manuscript and the published literature.

Toxicological study of the hepatotherapeutic herbal formula,Chunggan extract,in beagle dogs

AIM: To evaluate the pharmaceutical safety of a Chinese herbal formula, Chunggan extract (CGX), traditionally prescribed as a hepatotherapeutic drug via systemic acute and subacute toxicological study. METHODS: Twenty male dogs and 20 female dogs were fed doses 50 times and 4 times greater than the clinically-recommended drug dosages in an acute and a subacute toxicological study, respectively. Adverse effects were examined by comparing the differences between normal and drug-administered groups using clinical signs, necropsies, histopathologic findings, haematology, urinalysis, and biochemical analysis. RESULTS: In the acute study no change in the body weight, diarrhoea, apetite, mortality rate and histopa- thology of major organs was observed in male or female dogs with a single administration of CGX at 5 g/kg. No drug-induced abnormalities at analysis of histopathology, haematology, urinalysis, and biochemistry were found with any dose of this drug. CONCLUSION: CGX is supposed to be very safe when used in a clinical application with a wide therapeutic index.

The Prospect of Application of Extractive Reference Substance of Chinese Herbal Medicines

The emerging development of Extractive Reference Substance (ERS) is a methodology that meets the needs for quality control for Chinese Herbal Medicines (CHM) and respects the holistic viewpoint of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and its clinical use of multiple ingredients with synergistic effects. The convention of using just a selected few Chemical Reference Substances (CRS) cannot adequately assess the quality of intact CHM. A validated chemical spectrum of an ERS provides the global characteristics in order to more specifically identify and assess targeted CHM. This paper describes the fundamental concepts, potential significance, and basic criteria of ERS, along with methods of preparation and calibration. Given the diversity of CHM, the various problems that will occur in establishing the proper process of ERS will need to be solved in a step by step manner. The ERSs of Ziziphi spinosae semen and ERS of Fritillaria thunbergii bulbus are given as examples of the development of ERS and demonstrate why we are optimistic about the utility of this approach.

Analysis of active patents to investigate the frequency and patterns of Chinese herbal extract combinations claiming to treat heart disease

Objective:Using Chinese patents in force to investigate the frequency and patterns of Chinese herbal extract combinations claiming to treat heart disease.Methods:Patent documents were retrieved from the official website of the State Intellectual Property Office of the People’s Republic China.Cluster,frequency,and fuzzy cluster analyses were applied.Results:A high number of patents in force included high-frequency herbs such as Salvia miltiorrhiza,Panax ginseng,and Panax notoginseng,as well as high-frequency herbal families such as Araliaceae,Leguminosae,Labiatae,and Umbelliferae.Herb pairs such as P.ginsengþOphiopogon japonicus,S.miltiorrhizaþDalbergia odorifera,and P.ginsengþSchisandra chinensis are also commonly used,as well as herbal family pairs such as AraliaceaeþLiliaceae,LauraceaeþLeguminosae,and AraliaceaeþSchisandraceae.Traditional treatment principles for preventing and treating heart diseases was most-commonly based on simultaneously treating the liver and heart and treating the lung and spleen secondarily for choosing herbal combinations.Conclusion:Most of the high-frequency Chinese herbs in the patents investigated belong to the high-frequency herbal families,and herb pairs were commonly selected to coincide with the commonly-used herbal family pairs.Low-frequency Chinese herbs were also used,but generally belonged to the high-frequency herbal families,and were therefore similar to the highfrequency herbs in terms of traditional categories of taste and channel entered.The results reflect the use of traditional principles of formula composition,and suggest that these principles may indeed be an effective guide for further research and development of Chinese herbal extract combinations to prevent and treat heart diseases.

Novel drug designing rationale against Brugia malayi microfilariae using herbal extracts

Objective:To explore the effect of herbal polyphenolics on filariasis in vitro.Methods:Two herbal extracts,methanolic extracts of roots of Vitex negundo Linn.（Nirgundi） and leaves of Aegle marmelos Juss.（Beal） in different concentrations ranging from 40-80 ng/mL were tested for their antifilarial activity either alone or in combination with diethyl carbonate（DEC）（300μg/mL） and/or H2O2（0.5 mM）.Results:Combination of DEC and each extract had significant anti-filarial effect.And fractions of both extracts were not effective as crude herbal extract.Conclusions: Such unique pharmacodynamics reported in this study might provide new drug development stratagem against filariasis.

Application of Chinese Herbal Extracts in Tumor Immunonutrition

The morbidity and mortality rates of cancer have gradually increased in China,making it an major obstacle to the development of the national economy,public health and society in general.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has played an irreplaceable role in cancer therapy.TCM significantly reduces side effects and great ly improves the cancer patients’prognosis and quality of life following surgery,radio-chemotherapy or treatment with biological agents.With the advances in modern drug extraction technology and molecular biology techniques,Chinese herbal extracts from natural plants have gradually garnered increasing attention in the clinical setting because of their potent efficacy,relative safety,and convenience.Chinese herbal extracts have also become an important source of antitumor drugs and tumor adjuvant therapy.Studies have demonstrated that numerous Chinese herbal extracts not only have direct anti-tumor effects,but also improve the tumor immune microenvironment,enhance tumor immune surveillance,protect the intestinal mucosal barrier,regulate tumor metabolism and promote tumor cell apoptosis.In this review,we provide an overview of the mechanisms of action for Chinese herbal extracts,focusing on the relationship between Chinese herbal extracts and immune organs,inflammatory cytokines,cell defense,antioxidant effects and direct anti-tumor effects.

Clinical evaluation of herbal extract niaoduqing in the treatmentofearly stage chronic renal failure

in the advanced stage of kidney diseases,the functional capacity of the diseased kidney gradually declines , and develops into uremia. There is no medicine to retard the progression of early stage chronic renal failure to end-stage renal failure. For this reason, a clinical study was performed in two groups of patients with early stage chronic renal failure. Group 1 patients (400 cases) were treated with a herbal preparation, niaoduqing,and group 2 patients (160 cases) received therapy with Oxyamyli Tectus Sldehydum. It was found that both blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (Scr) levels decreased in group 1 patients (P<0. 05). The group 2patients showed a decreased BUN level (P<0. 05) ,but the decrease of Scr level was not significant (P>0. 05).According to theory of traditional Chinese medicine , niaoduqing can clear BUN and Scr . ameliorate uremic symptoms and protect the residual renal function. From the study, it is suggested that this herbal mixture can be used to treat patients with moderate renal failure. Furthermore , the mixture can be conveniently taken orally and has no side effects.

Analgesic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Herbal Mixture Extracts in Mice

Herbal mixture extracts (HME) comprised of Semen Sojae Nigrum, Fructus Cnidii, Radix Glycyrrhizae, and Cornu Cervi. Herein, we employed three mouse models, including hot-plate test, acetic acid (AA)-induced writhing test and AA-induced vascular permeability test, to determine analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of HME. Results revealed that HME exhibited analgesic effects in hot-plate test and in AA-induced writhing test, as evidenced by increasing the latency to lick paws and decreasing AA-induced writhing counts, respectively. HME also significantly and dose-dependently decreased AA-induced vascular permeability, indicating HME exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. Similar improvement can be observed in aspirin treatment that used as positive control in this study. Most of medicinal effects of Fructus Cnidii are considered to attribute to coumarins, such as osthol (OST) and imperatorin (IMP) with several pharmacological activities. We then used OST and IMP as bioactive components in HME. The content of OST and IMP in HME was 3.57 ± 0.10 mg/g and 1.20 ± 0.02 mg/g, respectively, from three independent batches. Only OST possessed inhibitory effects in three mouse models, suggesting that OST may partially involve in protective effects of HME. These results demonstrated that HME has a potential on anti-analgesic effects and anti-inflammatory actions.

Comparative Study of Herbal Extracted Gel and 1% Hydrocortisone Gel in the Treatment of Mosquito Bite Reaction

Background: Mosquito bite reaction is a common skin disease. Topical steroids and oral antihistamines are the conventional treatment. However, the side effects from prolonged use of topical steroids are the limitation of the treatment. Recently, herbal extracts are emerging interest for an alternative anti-inflammatory dermatoses therapy. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of herbal extracted gel containing, Perilla frutescens, Portulaca oleracea, Ipomoea pescaprae, Aloe vera, Centella asiatica and Broussonetia papyrifera in comparing with 1% hydrocortisone (HC) gel. Material and Methods: An experimental study was conducted on 50 mosquito bite hypersensitive volunteers (15 - 19 years old) with double-blinded split randomized control method. After the volunteers were exposed for one bite on their arms by a non-infectious mosquito, Aedes albopictus, the drugs were applied twice daily. The diameter of lesion, pruritus analog score, erythema and melanin index were measured at 2, 6, 24 hours and 2, 3, 4 weeks. The volunteers “self-satisfaction” and side effects were recorded. Results: The mean age was 17.42 ± 1.14 years old. The diameter of lesion, pruritus analog score, erythema and melanin index were decreased on both sides at each visit with significant difference (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between two agents of all parameters and the satisfaction of the volunteers (p > 0.05). The post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation rate of 1% HC and herbal gel was 64% and 54% respectively without significant difference (p = 0.267). Conclusion: The herbal gel was as effective as 1% HC for the treatment of acute and late reaction of mosquito bite reaction in adolescent. It may be used as the alternative treatment for mosquito bite reaction.

Grape Seed Extract and the Fetal Ductus Arteriosus: A Potential Danger of a Common Herbal Supplement

A female at 28 weeks gestation was referred to pediatric cardiology for a fetal arrhythmia. The echocardiogram revealed premature constriction of the fetal ductus arteriosus. Her work up was unremarkable except for her use of an herbal supplement, grape seed extract, which is advertised as a potent anti-inflammatory medication, and has biochemical properties similar to other medications that have been shown to cause premature ductal constriction. The use of herbal remedies increases each year. Although the public is inundated with radio, television, and internet advertisements for these products, little unbiased information regarding the possible dangers of toxicity or adverse reactions exists. As physicians, we need to be aware of these products, and counsel our patients accordingly.

Beijing Tong Ren Tang Herbal Medicines Extract Factory

The Beijing Tong Ren Tang Herbal Medicines Extract Factory, a specialized producer of traditional Chinese medicines in tablet form, was set up in 1952 by Le Songsheng, vice mayor of Beijing and manager of Tong Ren Tang, with the aim of producing traditional Chinese medicines in Western form and by scientific means. The factory produced the

Antimicrobial Activities of Plant Extracts against Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolated from Pediatric Patients at Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki, Ebonyi State

Antibiotic-resistant genes have become a threat to synthetic or conventional medications and because of this much work has been done on using plants and plants part to treat disease caused by bacteria, Herbal medicine has served as effective treatment against various diseases caused by pathogenic bacteria and multi drug-resistant strains of bacteria which made it advantageous over synthetic medications. This study aimed to reveal the sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae from clinical isolate and perform antibacterial assay on the organism using plants leaf extracts of Ocimum gratissimum, Sida acuta, Newbouldia laevia and Mimosa pudica. Gram staining and various biochemical test were used for the identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The plants leaves were aseptically washed, dried and ground into fine powder and diluted in varying concentration and agar well diffusion method was used to test for the antimicrobial properties of this plants on Streptococcus pneumoniae at various concentrations as follows 0.1 g/ml, 0.4 g/ml, 0.6 g/ml and 1 g/ml. The plants extract of Ocimum gratissimum showed a greater antibacterial effects on Streptococcus pneumoniae in high concentration more than other plant extracts while Sida acuta and Newbouldia laevia plant extract showed weak antibacterial properties to the organism. This proves that Ocimum gratissimum and Mimosa pudica leaves have good and strong antibacterial properties against Streptococcus pneumoniae than Sida acuta and Newbouldia laevia and can be used as antibacterial agent at adequate concentrations.

Constituents of the anti-asthma herbal formula ASHMI^(TM) synergistically inhibit IL-4 and IL-5 secretion by murine Th2 memory cells,and eotaxin by human lung fibroblasts in vitro

OBJECTIVE： Anti-asthma herbal medicine intervention （ASHMITM）, a combination of three tradi- tional Chinese medicinal herbs developed in our laboratory, has demonstrated efficacy in both mouse models of allergic asthma, and a double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial in patients with asthma. This study was designed to determine if the anti-inflammatory effects of individual herbal constituents of ASHMITM exhibited synergy. METHODS： Effects of ASHMI and its components aqueous extracts of Lingzhi （Ganoderma lucidum）, Kushen （Sophora flavescens） and Gancao （Glycyrrhiza uralensis）, on Th2 cytokine secretion by murine memory Th2 cells （D10.G4.1） and eotaxin-1 secretion by human lung fibroblast （HLF-1） cells were determined by measuring levels in culture supernatants by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay. Potential synergistic effects were determined by computing interaction indices from concentration-effect curve parameters. RESULTS： Individual Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao extracts and ASHMI （the combination of individual extracts） inhibited production of interleukin （IL）-4 and IL-5 by murine memory Th2 cells and eotaxin-1 production by HLF-1 cells. The mean 25%-inhibitory-concentration （IC2s） values （mg/mL） forASHMI, Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao for IL-4 production were 30.9, 79.4, 123, and 64.6, respectively; for IL-5 production were 30.2, 263, 123.2 and 100, respectively; for eotaxin-1 were 13.2, 16.2, 30.2, and 25.1, respectively. The IC50values （mg/mL） for ASHMI, Lingzhi, Kushen and Gancao for IL-4 production were 158.5, 239.9, 446.7, and 281.8, respectively; for eotaxin-1 were 38.1, 33.1, 100, and 158.5, respectively. The interaction indices of ASHMI constituents at IC25 were 0.35 for IL-4, 0.21 for IL-5 and 0.59 for eotaxin-l. The interaction indices at IC^0 values were 0.50 for IL-4 and 0.62 for eotaxin-1 inhibition. Inhibition of IL-5 did not reach IC^0 values. All interaction indices were below 1 which indicated synergy. CONCLUSION： By comparing the interaction index values, we find that constituents in ASHMITM synergistically inhibited eotaxin-1 production as well as Th2 cytokine production.

An herbal formula,CGX,exerts hepatotherapeutic effects on dimethylnitrosamine-induced chronic liver injury model in rats

AIM： To evaluate the therapeutic effect of Chunggan extract （CGX）, a modified traditional Chinese hepatotherapeutic herbal, on the dimethylnitrosamine （DMN）-induced chronic liver injury model in rats. METHODS： Liver injuries were induced in Wistar rats by injection of DMN （ip, 10 mg/mL per kg） for 3 consecutive days per week for 4 wk. The rats were administered with CGX Coo, 100 or 200 mg/kg per day） or distilled water as a control daily for 4 wk starting from the 15^th d of the DMN treatment. Biochemical parameters （serum albumin, bilirubin, ALP, AST and ALT）, lipid peroxides, hydroxyproline, as well as histological changes in liver tissues were analyzed. In addition, gene expression of TNF-α, TGF-β, TIMP-1, TIMP-2, PDGF-β, and MMP-2, all of which are known to be associated with liver fibrosis, were analyzed using real-time PCR. RESULTS： CGX administration restored the spleen weight to normal alter having been increased by DMN treatment. Biochemical analysis of the serum demonstrated that CGX significantly decreased the serum level of ALP （P 〈 0.05）, ALT （P 〈 0.02）, and AST （P 〈 0.02） that had been elevated by DMN treatment. CGX administration moderately lowered lipid peroxide production and markedly lowered hydroxyproline generation caused by DMN treatment in accordance with histopathological examination. DMN treatment induced a highly upregulated expression of TNF-α, TGF-β,TIMP-1, TIMP-2, PDGF-β, and MMP-2. Of these, the gene expression encoding PDGF-β and MMP-2 was still further enhanced 2 wk after secession of the 4-wk DMN treatment, and was remarkably ameliorated by CGX administration. CONCLUSION： CGX exhibits hepatotherapeutic properties against chronic hepatocellular destruction and consequential liver fibrosis.

Preliminary studies of acute and sub-chronic toxicity of the aqueous extract of Guibourtia tessmannii(Harms) J.Leonard stem barks (Caesalpiniaceae) in mice and rats

Objective: To investigate the toxicity of aqueous extract of Guibourtia tessmannii(Harms) J. Leonard(G. tessmannii) and evaluate its safety.Methods: NMRI mice were used to determine the acute toxicity of G. tessmannii.Increasing concentrations of the plant extracts were administered intraperitoneally or by force-feeding. General behavior and death were monitored and recorded daily for 7 days.In order to determine the sub-acute toxicity of the extract, several doses were administered by oral gavage daily for 28 days in adult Wistar rats. Different parameters were assessed including body weight, food and water intake, biochemical parameters and several vital organ weights.Results: LD50 of 328.78 mg/kg was obtained by i.p. route and more than 5 000 mg/kg was obtained in acute toxicity by oral route. In sub-acute toxicity, no significant alteration was observed in body weight or vital organs, food and water intake, and biochemical parameters.Conclusions: The results showed that the aqueous extract of G. tessmannii has low toxicity intraperitoneally and no sub-acute toxicity via oral intake.

Assessment of antifungal activity of herbal and conventional toothpastes against clinical isolates of Candida albicans

Objective:To detect the anticandidal activity of nine toothpastes containing sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate and herbal extracts as an active ingredients against 45 oral and non oral Candida albicans(C.albicans) isolates.Methods:The antifungal activity of these toothpaste formulations was determined using a standard agar well diffusion method.Statistical analysis was performed using a statistical package,SPSS windows version 15,by applying mean values using one-way ANOVA with post-hoc least square differences(LSD) method.A P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant.Results:All toothpastes studied in our experiments were effective in inhibiting the growth of all C.albicans isolates.The highest anticandidal activity was obtained from toothpaste that containing both herbal extracts and sodium fluoride as active ingredients, while the lowest activity was obtained from toothpaste containing sodium monofluorophosphate as an active ingredient.Antifungal activity of Parodontax toothpaste showed a significant difference(P<0.001) against C.albicans isolates compared to toothpastes containing sodium fluoride or herbal products.Conclusions:In the present study,it has been demonstrated that toothpaste containing both herbal extracts and sodium fluoride as active ingredients are more effective in control of C.albicans,while toothpaste that containing monofluorophosphate as an active ingredient is less effective against C.albicans.Some herbal toothpaste formulations studied in our experiments,appear to be equally effective as the fluoride dental formulations and it can be used as an alternative to conventional formulations for individuals who have an interest in naturally-based products.Our results may provide invaluable information for dental professionals.

In vitro and in vivo cytochrome P450 3A enzyme inhibition by Aframomum melengueta and Dennettia tripetala extracts

Objective: To evaluate the in vitro and in vivo inhibitory effects of two commonly used herbs, Aframomum melengueta(A. melengueta) and Dennettia tripetala(D. tripetala) on CYP 3A enzymes. Methods: In vitro inhibition of the enzymes were assessed with microsomes extracted from female albino rats using erythromycin-N-demethylation assay(EMND) method while their in vivo effects were measured by estimating simvastatin plasma concentrations in rats. Pharmacokinetic parameters were determined using non-compartmental anaysis as implemented in Win Nonlin pharmacokinetic program. Results: EMND assay with intestinal microsomes indicated that aqueous extracts of D. tripetala and A. melengueta significantly(P < 0.05) inhibited intestinal CYP 3A activity at both 50 μg and 100 μg concentrations. Petroleum ether extract of D. tripetala and ethanol extracts of A. melengueta inhibited intestinal CYP3 A activity at 100 μg but not at 50 μg concentrations. All the extracts showed an in vitrodose dependent CYP 3A inhibition with liver microsomes. In vivo analysis showed that pretreatment with the extracts enhanced systemic absorption of simvastatin with reductions in metabolizing enzymes activity as indicated in significant increases in maximal concentration, area under curve, area under moment curve and mean resident time of simvastatin(P < 0.05). Conclusions: Herbal preparations containing these plants' extracts should be used with caution especially in patients on CYP450 3A substrate medications.

Response of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation patients administered a combined quebracho/conker tree/M. balsamea Willd extract

The aim of this case series was to retrospectively examine the symptom response of irritable bowel syndrome with constipation(IBS-C) patients administered an herbal extract in a real-world setting. Twenty-four IBS-C patients in a community office practice were provided a combination over-the-counter dietary supplement composed of quebracho(150 mg), conker tree(470 mg) and M. balsamea Willd(0.2 mL) extracts(Atrantil?) and chose to take the formulation for a minimum of 2 wk in an attempt to manage their symptoms. Patient responses to the supplement were assessed by visual analogue scale(VAS) for abdominal pain, constipation and bloating at baseline and at 2 wk as part of standard-of-care. Patient scores from VAS assessments recorded in medical chart data were retrospectively compiled and assessed for the effects of the combined extract on symptoms. Sign tests were used to compare changes from baseline to 2 wk of taking the extract. Significance was defined as P < 0.05. Twenty-one of 24 patients(88%) responded to the dietary supplement as measured by individual improvements in VAS scores for abdominal pain, bloating and constipation symptoms comparing scores prior to administration of the extract against those reported after 2 wk. There were also significant improvements in individual as well as mean VAS scores after 2 wk of administration of the combinedextract compared to baseline for abdominal pain [8.0(6.5, 9.0) vs 2.0(1.0, 3.0), P < 0.001], bloating [8.0(7.0, 9.0) vs 1.0(1.0, 2.0), P < 0.001] and constipation [6.0(3.0, 8.0) vs 2.0(1.0, 3.0), P < 0.001], respectively. In addition, 21 of 24 patients expressed improved quality of life while taking the formulation. There were no reported side effects to administration of the dietary supplement in this practice population suggesting excellent tolerance of the formulation. This pilot retrospective analysis of symptom scores from patients before and after consuming a quebracho/conker tree/M. balsamea Wil d extract may support the formulation's use in IBS-C.