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What percentage of flavonoid glycosides are present in Ginkgo biloba leaves?
What is the 5th leading cause of death in elderly patients 65 years of age and older?
What is the role of ginkgo biloba in improving brain circulation?
What is the percentage of ginkgolides A, B, and C present in Ginkgo biloba leaves?
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What is the estimated proportion of dementia cases accounted for by Alzheimer's disease?
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What is the effect of ginkgo biloba on muscarinergic cholinoceptors and α-adrenoceptors?
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What is the role of ginkgo biloba in neuroprotection?
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What are the key pathological marks of Alzheimer's disease?
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What is the possible adverse effect of extended consumption of large doses of kava?
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What is the part used in valerian?
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What is the mechanism of action of valerian extracts?
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What is the requirement for dried valerian root?
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What is the effect of valerian on judgment and driving ability?
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What is the possible interaction of valerian with other substances?
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What is the recommended dosage of valerian as a sleep aid?
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What is the scientific name of passion flower?
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What is the recommended daily dose of Ginkgo biloba powder for dementia?
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What is the scientific name of Moringa?
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What is the effect of kava on the limbic system?
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What is the interaction between kava and alprazolam?
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What is the contraindication of kava in terms of mental health?
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What is the mechanism of anxiety related to?
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What are the antioxidants found in Moringa leaves?
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What is the effect of kava on medications for Parkinson's disease?
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What is the primary mechanism of action of chrysin in passion flower?
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What is the typical age range when melatonin levels start to decline?
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What is the primary receptor subtype involved in melatonin's sleep-promoting action?
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What is the recommended duration of melatonin treatment?
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Which of the following drugs can increase serum melatonin levels?
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What is the effect of melatonin on sleep architecture?
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What is the recommended timing for melatonin administration?
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What is the effect of NSAIDs on endogenous melatonin production?
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What is the primary purpose of b-blockers and pizotifen in the treatment of migraine?
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What is the potential risk of using feverfew in pregnant women?
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What is the primary mechanism by which feverfew is believed to exert its antimigraine activity?
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What is the scientific name of the plant from which feverfew is extracted?
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What is the primary limitation of using ergotamine in the treatment of migraine?
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What is the conclusion of the third meta-analysis on the efficacy of feverfew in migraine patients?
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What is the primary indication for using ergotamine in migraine treatment?
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What is the primary constituent of feverfew that is responsible for its antimigraine activity?
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Study Notes
Central Nervous System
- The plant kingdom has compounds that can stimulate or calm the CNS, with some having high-potency compounds that can be chemically isolated and used in phytotherapy.
Alzheimer Disease
- Alzheimer's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive and memory decline, accounting for three-quarters of all dementia cases and being the 5th leading cause of death in elderly patients.
- The key pathological marks of AD are plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.
- The main reasons for Alzheimer's disease are elevated levels of oxidative stress in the brain, formation of β-amyloid plaques, and depositions of neurofibrillary tangles in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex.
Ginkgo Biloba
- Scientific name: Ginkgo biloba
- Part used: leaves
- Constituents: flavonoid glycosides (quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin) and terpene lactones (ginkgolides A,B,C and bilobalide)
- Mechanisms of action:
- Improves brain circulation by inhibiting platelet activating factor and vasodilation
- Increases serotonin release and uptake
- Reduces muscarinergic cholinoceptors and α-adrenoceptors
- Acts as a free-radical scavenger and inhibits nitric oxide formation
- Drug-herb interaction: may interact with warfarin, but results do not indicate a higher risk of bleeding with standardized preparation
- Dose: 120-240 mg/day for dementia
Moringa
- Scientific name: Moringa olifera
- Part used: leaves
- The antioxidants polyphenols myricetin and kaempferol have been correlated with neuroprotective properties
- Effective in inhibiting cytochrome P-450 activity (3A4)
Anxiety and Insomnia
- Anxiety is a mental disorder characterized by excessive fear and distress
- Neurobiological mechanism of anxiety is related to dysregulation of serotonergic, noradrenergic, glutamatergic, and GABA-ergic transmission
- Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder, caused by abnormalities in various pathways, including GABA receptor, cortisol level, cytokines, circadian rhythm, and excitatory amino acid (glutamate and aspartate)
Kava
- Scientific name: Piper methysticum
- Constituents: kavalactone (dihydrokavain, methysticin)
- Mechanism: selectively acts on limbic system, promoting anxiolysis without sedation
- Drug-herb interaction: may potentiate effects of other anxiolytics and may counter the effects of dopamine, reducing the effectiveness of medications for Parkinson's
- Contraindications: depression, liver disease, pregnancy, and lactation
- Adverse effects: extended consumption of large doses may cause a scaly, yellowing skin condition and possible hepatotoxicity
Valerian
- Scientific name: Valeriana officinalis
- Part used: root
- Constituents: volatile oil, valerenic acid (sesquiterpene), and the iridoid valepotriate constituents
- Mechanism of action: allosterically modulates GABA-A receptors, related to valerenic acid
- Standardized products: pharmaceutical products are mainly produced from aqueous or hydro-alcoholic extracts (70% ethanol, herb-to-extract ratio 4-7:1)
- Adverse effects: unlike benzodiazepines, valerian appears to cause no residual morning sleepiness, but may slightly impair judgment and driving ability for two to three hours after intake
- Drug interactions: may potentiate the sedative effects of barbiturates
- Dosage: as a sleep aid, take a single dose of ½ to 1 hour before bedtime
Songha Night
- The combined mechanism of action of the two extracts contained in Songha Night may induce a synergistic effect, acting on two targets, normalizing the hyperactive excitatory brain system and increasing GABA levels
Passion Flower
- Scientific name: Passiflora incarnata
- Constituents: flavonoids (chrysin)
- Mechanism of action: chrysin binds to benzodiazepine receptors sites and acts as an agonist for GABA activity, accounting for passion flower's anxiolytic properties
- Used in combination with valerian root and lemon balm for conditions of difficulty in falling asleep due to nervousness
Melatonin
- The primary hormone of the pineal gland, secreted exclusively at night in both nocturnal and diurnal species
- Melatonin secretion undergoes a predictable change over the life span, declining around the time of puberty
- Mean circulating melatonin levels in aged individuals are significantly lower than in young healthy adults
- The effect of melatonin on sleep is likely mediated via specific melatonin receptors, MT1 receptor subtype
- Recommended dose: 1-3 mg/night for infants and preschool children, 2.5-5 mg/night for school-age children, and 1-5 mg/night in adolescents
- Administration: 30-60 minutes before bedtime, treatment should not exceed 4 weeks
- Research indicates melatonin exerts a sleep-promoting action by accelerating sleep initiation, improving sleep maintenance, and marginally altering sleep architecture
- Drug interactions:
- Drugs that inhibit CYP1A2 can increase serum melatonin, including ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, and tricyclic antidepressants
- NSAIDs can suppress endogenous melatonin production, necessitating supplemental melatonin
- May interact with blood thinning agents, increasing the risk of bleeding
Ergotamine
- An alkaloid extracted from ergot (Claviceps purpurea), a parasitic fungus that grows on cereals, usually rye
- Used to treat severe migraine that cannot be controlled with other drugs, but can cause severe adverse reactions and there are restrictions as to the maximum daily and weekly doses
- Not suitable for children
Feverfew
- Scientific name: Tanacetum parthenium
- Constituents: parthenolide
- Prophylaxis and treatment of migraine
- Appears to work best in classic migraine with sensitivity to light
- The antimigraine activity of feverfew is due to its prostaglandin inhibition
- Numerous double-blind trials have been conducted, with three meta-analyses concluding that feverfew extracts are superior to placebo for decreasing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches
- No serious side effects have been reported, but women who are pregnant should not use feverfew as it may cause the uterus to contract, increasing the risk of miscarriage or premature delivery
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Description
This quiz covers the central nervous system, including its effects on various diseases and disorders, and the role of plants in calming or stimulating the CNS.
