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Herbal Supplements and Health
Published in Anil K. Sharma, Raj K. Keservani, Surya Prakash Gautam, Herbal Product Development, 2020
Himangini Bansal, Sakshi Bajaj
Chaparral is used as an intestinal cleanser, a blood purifier, a liver stimulant, and an anti-arthritic, diuretic, antirheumatic, expectorant, antiseptic, and tonic. It is mainly used in canker sores (when combined with sarsaparilla), venereal nodes, and rheumatism. It helps in decreasing the extent and growth of cancerous tumors, malignant melanomas, pimples, and skin cancers, persistent backache, cancer, arthritis, and warts and blotches. Chaparral builds up hair growth, improves vision, and although it is not a laxative, it still helps in increasing bowel elimination. It is also used in kidney infections, prostate gland disorders, leukemia, sinus problems, skin cancer, throat ailments, stomach disorders, and obesity. The twigs and leaves of Larrea mexicana are saturated with boiling water, and then it is applied as an antiseptic lotion. It is also used in the sores of human and pet animals. The flower buds are regularly preserved in vinegar and consumed as capers. In North America, the plant is taken into account as a healing aid for rheumatism (Syphard et al., 2018).
Antioxidant properties and application information
Published in Roger L. McMullen, Antioxidants and the Skin, 2018
Nordihydroguaiaretic acid occurs naturally in the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), which is native to Mexico and the Southwestern region of the U.S. Nordihydroguaiaretic acid has various pharmacological properties, and for this reason it is often utilized in folk medicine. In addition, it is a potent antioxidant and also inhibits lipoxygenase (enzyme responsible for the formation of lipid hydroperoxide) and cycloxygenase (enzyme responsible for the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandin H2) pathways. Up until the 1960s, it was used extensively as a food preservative until it was withdrawn for toxicity reasons. It was determined that the toxicity was a result of the formation of alpha-quinone during nordihydroguaiaretic acid metabolism. Nowadays, some naturopathic practitioners use chaparral (leaves and flowers from the creosote bush); however, it is not recommended by the FDA. Consumers are warned of possible hepatoxicity and renal complications due to chronic use.
Catalog of Herbs
Published in James A. Duke, Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 2018
The leaf and stem tea is used in folk remedies for leukemia and cancers of the kidney, liver, lung, and stomach.4 Tierra28 notes that Amerindians used it for cancer. Reported to be antiseptic, diuretic, and emetic, creosotebush is a folk remedy for arthritis, bruises, cancer, chafing, cold, cramps, dandruff, diarrhea, dysmenorrhea, dyspepsia, dysuria, eczema, gastroenteritis, hematochezia, inflammation, influenza, itch, nephrosis, rheumatism, scabies, snakebite, sores, tuberculosis, urethritis, venereal diseases, and wounds.28323747 Dry powdered leaves are applied to sores. Mentioned as an unproved method of cancer treatment is the so-called chaparral tea, obtained from steeping leaves and stems in hot water.11 Tierra28 calls NDGA an antitumor agent. Tyler37 quotes data to suggest that Larrea might be used to purge the system of hallucinogens and prevent recurrences.
Bioactivation of herbal constituents: mechanisms and toxicological relevance
Published in Drug Metabolism Reviews, 2019
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid (NDGA), a major lignan isolated from the leaves of the evergreen desert shrub Larrea tridentata (Creosote bush) in the southwest United States, has been used in folk medicine for treatment of multiple diseases including cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders and cancers (Lü et al. 2010). NDGA has a wide range of pharmacological activities including radical-scavenging, antioxidant, cytoprotective, and antitumoral activities (Hernández-Damián et al. 2014). As a lipophilic antioxidant, NDGA was used as a preservative in food industry and was later withdrawn due to its nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in animals (Grice et al. 1968; Lambert et al. 2002). NDGA is the active ingredient in the herbal medicine Chaparral prepared from the creosote bush, and chronic use has been associated with hepatotoxicity in humans (Sheikh et al. 1997). It has been shown that NDGA, a di-catechol lignan, was oxidized to ortho-quinones to form mono- and di-GSH-NDGA adducts (Jeong et al. 2017) (Figure 11(e)). A toxicological mechanism involving ortho-quinone formation has been suggested to elicit liver and kidney toxicities of NGDA (Billinsky et al. 2007). On the other hand, autoxidation of NGDA to ortho-quinones likely contributed to its pharmacological properties including lipoxygenase inhibition and modulation of Keap1/Nrf2/ARE redox signaling system (Hernández-Damián et al. 2014).
Differential effect of NDGA on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in Spargue-Dawley rats
Published in Immunopharmacology and Immunotoxicology, 2019
Nitin Mundhe, Parveen Kumar, Ishan Arora, Sahabuddin Ahmed, Mangala Lahkar
In this setting, the use of chemo-protective agents having anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties have become an offhand approach to ameliorate renal damage induced by cisplatin. Nordihydroguaiarectic acid (NDGA) is a phenolic lignin which is obtained from creosote bush, larria tridenta and larria divarita also known as chaparral or grease wood [1,13]. In ancient times, various indigenous tribes of North America like Seri, Pima, Yaqui, Mericopa has used the extract of NDGA for treatment of many diseases like diabetes, cancer, chicken pox, gall bladder, and kidney stones [14]. Numerous reports revealed that NDGA is a potent in vitro scavenger of reactive nitrogen species (RNS), reactive oxygen species (ROS), singlet oxygen (1O2), hydroxyl radical (•OH), superoxide anion (O2−•), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), in consort with this, it has estrogenic activity in vivo [15,16].
How can we improve the safe use of herbal medicine and other natural products? A clinical pharmacologist mission
Published in Expert Review of Clinical Pharmacology, 2020
Elena Y. Enioutina, Kathleen M. Job, Lubov V. Krepkova, Michael D. Reed, Catherine M. Sherwin
Consumers generally consider marketed DSs as a safe alternative to conventional medications and often believe they can consume as much as they want. However, the use of DSs, especially in excessive amounts, can lead to multiple untoward effects, including severe adverse reactions and toxicity. The most common involve allergic reactions and hepatotoxicity [29–32]. Bunchorntavakul and Reddy reviewed nine studies conducted between 2000 and 2008 and identified that 2–73% of hepatotoxicity cases were associated with the use of medicinal herbs and DSs [31]. More recent studies from the Drug-Induced Liver Injury Network (DILIN) demonstrated that the percentage of NP/DS associated liver injuries has increased from 7% in 2004–2005 to 20% in 2013–2014 [33]. According to this study, many cases of hepatotoxicity were associated with the use of multicomponent DSs [33]. Teschke and Eickhoff report the mechanisms of hepatic injury that are primarily dose-independent idiosyncratic, unpredictable, dose-independent, immunologically or metabolically driven, or intrinsic, a predictable and dose-dependent injury [34]. Clinical presentations of herb-associated liver injury range from asymptomatic elevation of liver enzymes in the blood (i.e. alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase) to cholestasis and even acute liver failure resulting in liver transplant. R-value is a significant factor in determining the degree and pattern of hepatic injury [30]. This value is defined as alanine aminotransferase (ALT)/upper limit of normal levels of ALT divided by alkaline phosphatase (APT)/upper limit of normal APT. R-value ≥5 suggests hepatocellular, < 2 cholestatic, and between 2 and 5 mixed patterns of liver injury. Stournaras and Tziomalos suggest that many herbal preparations induce hepatocellular liver injury [30]. The use of bodybuilding supplements has been associated with cholestasis, while the use of high doses of green tea extracts can result in hepatic injury [30,33]. Germanders (Teucrium chamaedrys L.), Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus L.), Babchi (Psoralea corylifolia L., Boh-Gol-Zhee) Comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.), Chaparral (Larrea tridentate (DC.) Coville), Black Cohosh (Cimicifuga racemose) are examples of medicinal herbs with known hepatotoxic properties [30–32]. Recent case reports suggest that concomitant use of excessive amounts of MHs (e.g. ginger and Eleuthero) may potentiate conventional drug hepatotoxicity [35,36].