An Overview on the Hallucinogenic Peyote and Its Alkaloid Mescaline: The Importance of Context, Ceremony and Culture.

Peyote () is a cactus that contains various biologically active alkaloids-such as pellotine, anhalonidine, hordenine and mescaline. Here, mescaline induces the psychoactive effects of peyote through the activation of the serotonin 5-HT receptor and the subsequent release of calcium (Ca) from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Moreover, an evaluation of the therapeutic benefits of mescaline is also currently the subject of research.

Potential benefits of Malva sylvestris in dry-eye disease pathology in vitro based on antioxidant, wound-healing and anti-inflammatory properties.

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common chronic ocular surface disease. Available therapies are effective but often associated with side effects. This study investigates the potential of a Malva sylvestris L.

A cross-sectional study of nutritional status in healthy, young, physically-active German omnivores, vegetarians and vegans reveals adequate vitamin B status in supplemented vegans.

Background/objective: Plant-based diets reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease but also increase the risk of certain micronutrient deficiencies, particularly, of vitamin B12 (B12). The extent to which the unsupervised use of oral nutrient supplements is sufficient to prevent these deficiencies is not well established. We analyzed nutrient intake, laboratory biomarkers, supplementation behavior, and B12 status adequacy amongst young, healthy, physically active omnivores, lacto-ovo-vegetarians and vegans from Germany.

Exploring Immune Modulatory Effects of Cyclotide-Enriched Viola tricolor Preparations.

is a medicinal plant with documented application as an anti-inflammatory herb. The standard of care for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is immunosuppressive therapeutics or biologics, which often have undesired effects. We explored herbal preparations that are rich in an emerging class of phytochemicals with drug-like properties, so-called cyclotides.

Aryltetralin lignans from Hyptis brachiata inhibiting T lymphocyte proliferation.

Increased activation and proliferation of T lymphocytes plays an essential role in the development of chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases. Currently used immunosuppressive drugs often do not provide long-lasting relief of symptoms and show a gradual loss of efficacy over time, and are accompanied by various side effects. Therefore, novel immunosuppressive lead substances are needed.

Ipecac root extracts and isolated circular peptides differentially suppress inflammatory immune response characterised by proliferation, activation and degranulation capacity of human lymphocytes in vitro.

Circular peptides are attractive lead compounds for drug development; this study investigates the immunomodulatory effects of defined root powder extracts and isolated peptides (called cyclotides) from Carapichea ipecacuanha (Brot.) L. Andersson ('ipecac').

Phytotherapy in Integrative Oncology-An Update of Promising Treatment Options.

Modern phytotherapy is part of today's conventional evidence-based medicine and the use of phytopharmaceuticals in integrative oncology is becoming increasingly popular. Approximately 40% of users of such phytopharmaceuticals are tumour patients. The present review provides an overview of the most important plants and nature-based compounds used in integrative oncology and illustrates their pharmacological potential in preclinical and clinical settings.

Immunosuppressive activity of non-psychoactive Cannabis sativa L. extract on the function of human T lymphocytes.

Background: Cannabis sativa L. extracts (CSE) are used for treating inflammatory conditions, but little is known about their immunomodulatory effects. We investigated a novel CSE with high (14%) CBD and low (0.

Silicon Resorption from Equisetum arvense Tea - A Randomized, Three-Armed Pilot Study.

tea (TEA) contains high concentrations of silicon and has been used in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory ailments. We examined the resorption of silicon after TEA consumption. Safety and immunological effects were secondary outcomes.

Immunosuppressant flavonoids from Scutellaria baicalensis.

Some plants used in Traditional Chinese Medicine serve as treatment for disease states where a suppression of the cellular immune response is desired. However, the compounds responsible for the immunosuppressant effects of these plants are not necessarily known. The immunosuppressant compounds in the roots of Scutellaria baicalensis, one of the most promising plants identified in a previous screening, were tracked by HPLC activity profiling and concomitant on-line spectroscopic analysis.

A Vegan Diet Is Associated with a Significant Reduction in Dietary Acid Load: Post Hoc Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Individuals.

The composition of diet strongly affects acid-base homeostasis. Western diets abundant in acidogenic foods (meat and cheese) and deficient in alkalizing foods (fruits and vegetables) increase dietary acid load (DAL). A high DAL has been associated with numerous health repercussions, including cardiovascular disease and type-2-diabetes.

Compounds from : Immunosuppressant Activity and Absolute Configurations.

In a screening of an extract library from plants used in Traditional Chinese Medicine the MeOH extract of inhibited proliferation of human primary T cells with an IC of 25.8 μg/mL. Activity in the extract was tracked by HPLC activity profiling, and a total of 15 compounds were characterized.

Boswellia carteri extract and 3-O-acetyl-alpha-boswellic acid suppress T cell function.

Resins from various Boswellia species have a long track record in different cultures as a treatment for inflammatory diseases. This study was designed to provide evidence for the anti-inflammatory capacity and medicinal use of Boswellia carteri (Burseraceae). A dichloromethane (DCM) extract of B.

Immunosuppressive Activity of Extract and Isolated Compounds.

The need for novel drugs for the treatment of autoimmune diseases is high, since available pharmaceuticals often have substantial side effects and limited efficacy. Natural products are a good starting point in the development of immunosuppressive leads. Since enhanced T cell proliferation is a common feature of autoimmune diseases, we investigated the T cell proliferation inhibitory potential of an extract library of plants used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Vegan diet reduces neutrophils, monocytes and platelets related to branched-chain amino acids - A randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Vegan diet (VD) has improved inflammatory activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in several small controlled trials. The underlying mechanism remains widely unclear. We investigated the effect of a VD in comparison to a meat-rich diet (MD) on markers of inflammation (which have been shown to be relevant in patients with RA) in healthy volunteers.

Hapalindoles from the Cyanobacterium Hapalosiphon sp. Inhibit T Cell Proliferation.

Novel immunomodulating agents are currently sought after for the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancers. In this context, a screening campaign of a collection of 575 cyanobacteria extracts for immunomodulatory effects has been conducted. The screening resulted in several active extracts.

Vitamin B12 Status Upon Short-Term Intervention with a Vegan Diet-A Randomized Controlled Trial in Healthy Participants.

Vegans are at an increased risk for certain micronutrient deficiencies, foremost of vitamin B. Little is known about the short-term effects of dietary change to plant-based nutrition on vitamin B metabolism. Systemic biomarkers of vitamin B status, namely, serum vitamin B and holotranscobalamin, may respond quickly to a reduced intake of vitamin B.

Influence of traditionally used Nepalese plants on wound healing and immunological properties using primary human cells in vitro.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The improvement of wound healing has always been an important issue for both ethnopharmacological and modern medical research. In this study, we used state-of-the-art methods to investigate extracts of plants used traditionally in Nepal for more than 1000 years to treat inflammatory injuries.

Aim Of The Study: We focused on the potential of the plant extracts to ameliorate wound healing and to influence immune modulatory properties.