Species of orchids, which belong to the largest family of flowering plants, are commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of infections and tumors. However, little is known about the actual chemical composition of these plants and their anticancer properties. In this paper, the most recent literature on orchid-derived bioactive substances with anticancer properties is reviewed. For the assessment, previous papers on the anticancer activity of Orchidaceae published since 2015 were considered. The papers were found by exploring electronic databases. According to the available data, many species of orchids contain potential antitumor chemicals. The bioactive substances in a relatively insignificant number of orchids are identified, and most studies are on Asian taxa. Broader research on American and African species and the correct identification of samples included in the experiments are essential for evaluating the usefulness of orchids as a plant family with vast anticancer potential.

Makaleyi görüntüle

Viral pneumonia is one kind of acute respiratory tract infection caused by the virus. There have been many outbreaks of viral pneumonia with high contagiousness and mortality both in China and abroad, such as the great influenza in 1918, the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus in 2003, the Influenza A (H1N1) virus in 2009, and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012 and the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019. These outbreaks and/or pandemic have significant impact on human life, social behaviors, and economic development. Moreover, no specific drug has been developed for these viruses. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an important role in the treatment of viral pneumonia during these outbreaks especially in SARS and SARS-CoV-2 because studies suggest that TCM formulations may target several aspects of the disease and may have lesser side effects than manufactured pharmaceuticals. In recent years, a lot of clinicians and researchers have made a series of in-depth explorations and investigations on the treatment of viral pneumonia with TCM, which have understood TCM therapeutic mechanisms more specifically and clearly. But critical analysis of this research in addition to further studies are needed to assess the potential of TCM in the treatment of viral pneumonia.

Makaleyi görüntüle

Objective This study aims to analyze the current situation and characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia, clarify its clinical advantages and provide a reference for clinical treatment. Methods Clinical randomized controlled trials, clinical control trials and case series research involving the use of Chinese medicine for novel coronavirus pneumonia treatment were selected from PubMed, Chinese Journal Service Platform of CNKI, VIP, and WanFang Data Knowledge Service Platform from the establishment of the library to 11:00 am on April 15, 2020. The published information, research design, intervention measures and research observation index were statistically analyzed. Results Twenty studies were included. The research methods were mainly clinical controlled trials. The observation indicators were mostly fever improvement time, cough improvement time, shortness of breath improvement time, chest CT and CRP examination. Maxing Ganshi ( Ephedrae Herba, Armeniacae Semen Amarum, Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma , and Gypsum Fibrosum ) decoction was the core prescription. The most frequently used drugs were Glycyrrhizae Radix Et Rhizoma (Gancao) , Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang) , Armeniacae Semen Amarum (Kuxingren) , Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cangzhu), and Scutellariae Radix (Huangqin). The most frequently used drug combination was Ephedrae Herba (Mahuang)- Armeniacae Semen Amarum (Kuxingren). The most frequently used Chinese patent medicine was Lianhua Qingwen capsule/granule. Conclusions Traditional Chinese medicine has widely used for novel coronavirus pneumonia in China. It is worthy of global attention. Also, high-quality randomized controlled clinical trials on the effectiveness and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of novel coronavirus pneumonia need to carry out.

Makaleyi görüntüle

Five new glucosides, shancigusins E-I (1-5) were isolated from the tubers of Pleione yunnanensis (Rolfe) together with 18 known compounds. The structures of these compounds were determined by extensive analyses of their spectroscopic data.

Makaleyi görüntüle

In this article, the therapeutic uses of five Chinese medicines that contain orchids are discussed, together with a brief report of some of the animal experimentation undertaken. The impression that these preparations have no therapeutic use may be incorrect. However, herbal preparations have not usually been subject to the rigorous characterization and standardization necessary for clinical study, and persuading practitioners that substances in use for many centuries still need to be tested in randomized controlled clinical trials is proving a significant challenge.

Makaleyi görüntüle