Pharmacist’s Evaluation of Natural Ingredients in Topical Products for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to chronic pain and joint deformity. First line treatment includes disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) to slow disease progression, but RA patients are often left with debilitating symptoms. This article explores alternative topical and naturally based options to treat RA symptoms, with supporting evidence for their use. Considered options include Aloe vera, Perillyl Alcohol (POH), Aleurites moluccana, Calendula officinalis extract (quercetin), Achyranthes species, Guizhi Shaoyao Zhimu, Curcumin (turmeric), Wutou, Radix paeoniae extract (Paeoniflorin), Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), Capsaicin, Cannabinoids (CBD), and Berberine. Many of these products show promising data for supplemental treatment of RA through various mechanisms, with CBD and TWHF having the most robust evidence supporting their use.

Therapeutic Benefits of Natural Ingredients for Atopic Dermatitis

Although a variety of regimens are available for the treatment of atopic dermatitis（AD）, severe adverse reactions and unpopular costs often limit their usage. In contrast, certain inexpensive, naturally-occurring ingredients are proven effective for AD with fewer side effects. The beneficial effects of these ingredients can be attributed to inhibition of cytokine and chemokine expression, IgE production, inflammatory cell infiltration, histamine release, and/or the enhancement of epidermal permeability barrier function. Since herbal medicines are widely available, inexpensive and generally safe, they could be valuable alternatives for the treatment of AD, particularly for those patients who are not suitable for the utilization of immune modulators. In this review, we summarize the therapeutic benefits of natural ingredients for the treatment of AD and the mechanisms of their actions.

Exploring the antihypertensive mechanism of Prunella vulgaris through integrated network pharmacology analysis

Prunella vulgaris,a traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),exerts a significant hypotensive effect,particularly in managing various forms of hypertension.Nonetheless,the precise antihypertensive constituents and their respective targets remain elusive.This study endeavored to identify the hypotensive components of P.vulgaris and elucidated its mode of action based on hypotensive targets.Utilizing the Systematic Pharmacology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP),UniProt,GeneCards,STRING,RCSB,and the Human Genome Annotation and Analysis Database(Metascape),we conducted a screening of active ingredients and hypotensive targets.The Network Analyzer software Cytoscape 3.9.0 facilitated a comprehensive analysis of the active ingredients.Molecular docking was executed employing Sybyl-X 2.0 and Discovery Studio 2019.Predictions and analyses of the pharmacokinetics and toxicity of active ingredients were performed using the ADMETlab 2.0 online platform.Eight active compounds(1–8)and 11 hypotensive targets were identified,with IL1B and PPARG exhibiting a high degree of correlation.Dominant biological processes included negative regulation of apoptotic processes,positive regulation of gene expression,response to xenobiotic stimulus,and response to hypoxia.KEGG analysis unveiled core pharmacological mechanisms,notably fluid shear stress and atherosclerosis,lipid and atherosclerosis,P13K-Akt,MAPK,and relaxin signaling pathways.Compounds 5–8 demonstrated robust interactions with multiple targets through hydrogen bonds,van der Waals forces,and pi-alkyl interactions,which serve as primary stabilizers of docking complexes.Notably,compound 7 exhibited promising ADMET prediction results,suggesting its potential for drug molecule development.Our findings underscored the synergistic effects of P.vulgaris on multiple targets and pathways in hypertension treatment,reflecting the characteristic multi-component and multi-target effects of TCM.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality,any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this.CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling,which might be related to oxidative stress,inflammation,endoplasmic reticulum stress,apoptosis,autophagy,mitochondrial function,and angiogenesis.These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk.Historically,Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF,and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets.This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials.Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms.This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM,herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF,providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Review on herbal tea as a functional food:classification,active compounds,biological activity,and industrial status

Most herbal tea infusions use edible medicinal plants as raw material and are consumed daily.Although herbal tea has a long history of health care applications worldwide,there is a lack of systematic research on the classification and functional nutritional value of various herbal teas.In recent years,the discovery of the rich biological activities and health benefits of herbal tea has become a driving force for researchers interested in its development as a functional food.However,the shortcomings of herbal tea products are not fully known.In particular,the quality evaluation system is not perfect,and there is insufficient data on the mechanism of action of herbal teas in their traditional uses.To better understand the functions and mechanisms of various herbal teas,this article reviews the classification,effective chemical composition,main biological activities,and mechanism of action of herbal teas.Finally,the current advantages,limitations,and direction of future development of herbal tea are determined and discussed.