Herbs for Cardiometabolic Health

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE — LISTEN NOW

Herbal Constituents and Relevant Biochemistry

Key Topics: Medicinal Herbs
February 11, 2023 • 4 min read
  1. Holland, H. D. (1997). Evidence for life on Earth more than 3850 million years ago. Science, 275(5296), 38-39.
  2. Ramawat, K. G., Dass, S., & Mathur, M. (2009). The chemical diversity of bioactive molecules and therapeutic potential of medicinal plants. Herbal drugs: ethnomedicine to modern medicine, 7-32.
  3. White, P. Et al. (2016). Natural withanolides in the treatment of chronic diseases. In Anti-inflammatory Nutraceuticals and Chronic Diseases (pp. 329-373). Springer, Cham.
  4. Panossian, A. G. et al. (2020). Evolution of the adaptogenic concept from traditional use to medical systems: Pharmacology of stress‐and aging‐related diseases. Medicinal Research Reviews.
  5. Ganzera, M., Choudhary, M. I., & Khan, I. A. (2003). Quantitative HPLC analysis of withanolides in Withania somnifera. Fitoterapia, 74(1-2), 68-76.
  6. Speers, A. B. et al. (2021). Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on Stress and the Stress-Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia. Current Neuropharmacology, 19(9), 1468.
  7. Patil, D. et al. (2013). Determination of withaferin A and withanolide A in mice plasma using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry: application to pharmacokinetics after oral administration of Withania somnifera aqueous extract. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis, 80, 203-212.
  8. Kelgane, S. B., et al. (2020). Efficacy and tolerability of Ashwagandha root extract in the elderly for improvement of general well-being and sleep: a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Cureus, 12(2).
  9. Langade, D., et al. (2019). Efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in insomnia and anxiety: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Cureus, 11(9).
  10. Salve, J., et al. (2019). Adaptogenic and anxiolytic effects of ashwagandha root extract in healthy adults: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study. Cureus, 11(12).
  11. Chandrasekhar, K., et al. (2012). A prospective, randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study of safety and efficacy of a high-concentration full-spectrum extract of ashwagandha root in reducing stress and anxiety in adults. Indian journal of psychological medicine, 34(3), 255-262.
  12. Pratte, M. A., et al. (2014). An alternative treatment for anxiety: a systematic review of human trial results reported for the Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha (Withania somnifera). The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 20(12), 901-908.
  13. Fuladi, S., et al. (2021). Assessment of the efficacy of Withania somnifera root extract in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Current Reviews in Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Formerly Current Clinical Pharmacology, 16(2), 191-196.
  14. Ambiye, V. R., et al. (2013). Clinical evaluation of the spermatogenic activity of the root extract of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) in oligospermic males: a pilot study. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2013.
  15. Nasimi Doost Azgomi, R. et al. (2018). Comparative evaluation of the effects of Withania somnifera with pentoxifylline on the sperm parameters in idiopathic male infertility: A triple‐blind randomised clinical trial. Andrologia, 50(7), e13041.
  16. Choudhary, D., et al. (2017). Efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal) root extract in improving memory and cognitive functions. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 14(6), 599-612.
  17. Wankhede, S., et al. (2015). Examining the effect of Withania somnifera supplementation on muscle strength and recovery: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 12(1), 1-11.
  18. Sharma, A. K., Basu, I., & Singh, S. (2018). Efficacy and safety of ashwagandha root extract in subclinical hypothyroid patients: a double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 24(3), 243-248.
  19. Veryser, L. (2016). Analytical, pharmacokinetic and regulatory characterisation of selected plant N-alkylamides (Doctoral dissertation, Ghent University).
  20. Elufioye, T. O., Habtemariam, S., & Adejare, A. (2020). Chemistry and pharmacology of alkylamides from natural origin. Revista brasileira de farmacognosia, 30(5), 622-640.
  21. Matthias, A., et al. (2005). Cytochrome P450 enzyme-mediated degradation of Echinacea alkylamides in human liver microsomes. Chemico-biological interactions, 155(1-2), 62-70.
  22. Russo, E. B. (2016). Beyond cannabis: Plants and the endocannabinoid system. Trends in pharmacological sciences, 37(7), 594-605.
  23. Haller, J., Krecsak, L., & Zámbori, J. (2020). Double‐blind placebo controlled trial of the anxiolytic effects of a standardized Echinacea extract. Phytotherapy Research, 34(3), 660-668.
  24. Meeran, M. N. et al. (2021). Can Echinacea be a potential candidate to target immunity, inflammation, and infection-The trinity of coronavirus disease 2019. Heliyon, 7(2), e05990.
  25. Oláh, A., et al. (2017). Echinacea purpurea-derived alkylamides exhibit potent anti inflammatory effects and alleviate clinical symptoms of atopic eczema. Journal of dermatological science, 88(1), 67-77.
  26. Chicca, A. et al. (2009). Synergistic immunomopharmacological effects of N-alkylamides in Echinacea purpurea herbal extracts. International immunopharmacology, 9(7-8), 850-858
  27. Antonella, B., & Federica, P. (2019). Old strategies and new perspectives in modulating the endocannabinoid system. Current Bioactive Compounds, 15(2), 159-173.
  28. Wang, Y. et al. (2021). Biological Activity, Hepatotoxicity, and Structure-Activity Relationship of Kavalactones and Flavokavins, the Two Main Bioactive Components in Kava (Piper methysticum). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2021.
  29. Lasme, P., Davrieux, F., Montet, D., & Lebot, V. (2008). Quantification of kavalactones and determination of kava (Piper methysticum) chemotypes using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for quality control in Vanuatu. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 56(13), 4976-4981.
  30. Kuchta, K., Schmidt, M., & Nahrstedt, A. (2015). German kava ban lifted by court: The alleged hepatotoxicity of kava (Piper methysticum) as a case of ill-defined herbal drug identity, lacking quality control, and misguided regulatory politics. Planta medica, 81(18), 1647-1653.
  31. Teschke, R., Sarris, J., & Lebot, V. (2011). Kava hepatotoxicity solution: A six-point plan for new kava standardization. Phytomedicine, 18(2-3), 96-103.
  32. Davies, D. et al. Kava pyrones and resin: studies on GABAA, GABAB and benzodiazepine binding sites in rodent brain. Pharmacol Toxicol. 1992 Aug;71(2):120-6.
  33. Smith, K. et al. Anxiolytic effects of kava extract and kavalactones in the chick social separation-stress paradigm.Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2001 Apr;155(1):86-90.
  34. Jussofie, A. et al. Kavapyrone enriched extract from Piper methysticum as modulator of the GABA binding site in different regions of rat brain. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1994 Dec;116(4):469-74.
  35. Magura, E. et al. Kava extract ingredients, (+)-methysticin and (+/-)-kavain inhibit voltage-operated Na(+)-channels in rat CA1 hippocampal neurons. Neuroscience. 1997 Nov;81(2):345-51.
  36. Kormann, E. et al. Kavain analogues as potential analgesic agents. Pharmacol Rep. 2012;64(6):1419-26.
  37. Yuan, C. et al. Kavalactones and dihydrokavain modulate GABAergic activity in a rat gastric-brainstem preparation. Planta Med. 2002 Dec;68(12):1092-6.
  38. Martin, H. et al. Kavain inhibits murine airway smooth muscle contraction. Planta Med. 2000 Oct;66(7):601-6.
  39. Ligresti, A. et al. Kavalactones and the endocannabinoid system: the plant-derived yangonin is a novel CB₁ receptor ligand. Pharmacol Res. 2012 Aug;66(2):163-9.
  40. Singh, Y. et al. Therapeutic potential of kava in the treatment of anxiety disorders. CNS Drugs. 2002;16(11):731-43.
  41. Baum, S. et al. Effect of kava extract and individual kavapyrones on neurotransmitter levels in the nucleus accumbens of rats. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1998 Oct;22(7):1105-20.
  42. Kotha, R. R., & Luthria, D. L. (2019). Curcumin: biological, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and analytical aspects. Molecules, 24(16), 2930.
  43. Salehi, B., et al. (2019). The therapeutic potential of curcumin: A review of clinical trials. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 163, 527-545.
  44. Morgan, M. (2017). Phytotherapists’ Perspective; Enhanced Bioavailability: Concentrated Standardised Turmeric Extract Combined with Fenugreek Galactomannosides.
  45. Jabczyk, M.et al. (2021). Curcumin in Metabolic Health and Disease. Nutrients, 13(12), 4440.

Scientifically driven. Education focused. Healing Inspired.

Subscribe to Insights

Receive clinically driven nutrition insights you can trust.

Animated Newsletter WM

Join Our Community to Read Further

This is a premium article created for our Healthcare Practitioner readers. Create a free account to continue reading and gain full access.

Dismiss

signup-logo

WholisticMatters offers health care practitioners and nutrition enthusiasts alike the opportunity to create a free profile for access to site features like bookmarking. Enjoying an article you are reading or a video you are watching? Save it to come back to later! Sign up in seconds for continuous access to all that WholisticMatters has to offer.

WholisticMatters also offers health care practitioners who create a free user profile access to exclusive content and tools to utilize in clinical practice. Articles, tools, and downloads created specifically for practitioners to use in their office for better patient education in clinical nutrition and health. Sign up today with your email and credentials so we can confirm you as a health care practitioner, and you are free to peruse the resources unique to you and your colleagues in health.

close
mobile-signup

Create Your Account:

show-pass Please use 8 or more characters with a mix of letters, numbers & symbols
signup-logo
close

Create a free account to use our great bookmarking tool

Once your account is created, you'll be able to save and organize what matters to you!

Already have an Account? Login Here


Click 'Sign Up' above to accept Wholistic Matters's Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.
close

Are you a Healthcare Professional? Sign Up For Free Access!

We'll verify your credentials and get you access to our great interactive tools.

Already have an Account? Login Here


Click 'Sign Up' above to accept Wholistic Matters's Terms of Service & Privacy Policy.