Vaginitis is a common symptom in primary health care. Vaginitis being a disorder of multifactor etiology, single-line therapy is often inadequate and recurrence is common. So there is a need for treatment, which would be safe and effective. The study is an experimental, randomized, prospective, multi center, clinical trial to compare the effectiveness and safety of coded herbal medicinal treatments Leuko-off and the screening of antifungal activity Leuko-off and Gynosporin, antibacterial activity Leuko-off and Enoxabid and antiprotozoal activity of Leuko-off and Flagyl were carried out respectively. All subjects were clinically studied and completed the assigned therapy during the period from May 2001 to June 2004. Statistical analysis using a chi-square test revealed that significant difference was identified (p>0.05) when using Leuko-off for the treatment of infective vaginal discharge in respect to efficacy and side effects. Therefore the null hypotheses were rejected. This concluded that the herbal medicines are effective and safe and there was an overall significant treatment response as antifungal, antiprotozoal and antibacterial when treating infective vaginal discharge with Leuko-off.

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Pancreatic lipase activity measured as fatty acid liberation from lipid emulsion was shown to be inhibited by the addition of Bofutsushosan (BOF) or Daijokito (DJT) extracts at >30 mg/ml. The extracts of Orengedokuto (OGT), Chotosan (CTS), Boiogito (BOT) or Shimbuto (SBT) were ineffective in inhibiting pancreatic lipase activity up to 60 mg/ml. Mice were orally administered with a lipid emulsion in the presence of BOF extracts at 750 and 2250 mg/kg and subsequent elevation of plasma triacylglycerols (TAG) was significantly suppressed as compared with that in the mice which received lipid emulsion alone. However, the addition of DJT extracts did not suppress the elevation of plasma TAG after oral administration of lipid emulsion. Our results suggest that BOF suppresses the absorption of ingested fats and this effect could account for the anti-obese effects of BOF.

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The 50% ethanolic extract (ONG-ext) of “Ongael” [leaves of Phaleria cumingii (MEISN.) F. VILL.] inhibited proliferation of mice mammary carcinoma cells (MM46) and human leukemia cells (HL60) at a concentration of 50 to 200 μg/ml. Mangiferin (1), a major constituent of ONG-ext, showed antiproliferative activities on MM46 and HL60 cells at a concentration of 100 μg/ml. Oral administration of ONG-ext (50 and 500 mg/kg) and 1 (10, 50 and 100 mg/kg) to MM46 cells transplanted C3H/HeN mice showed significant antitumor effects. In HL60 cells transplanted C.B-17/Icr SCID mice, ONG-ext (50 and 500 mg/kg, p.o.) showed no significant antitumor effect. On cytokines production in the spleen isolated from MM46 carcinoma bearing mice, ONG-ext (500 mg/kg, p.o.) and 1 (100 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly inhibited the reduction of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-2 levels, and ONG-ext (500 mg/kg, p.o.) increased interferon (IFN)-γ level compared to that of vehicle control group. As to in vitro mitogen response of mice spleen T cells in the presence of sample-treated macrophage, ONG-ext (25, 50 μg/ml) and acylglucosylsterol (2) (10 μg/ml) significantly increased both TNF-α and IFN-γ levels. It has been indicated that the in vivo antitumor effect of ONG-ext partly depends on immunostimulatory activity, and active constituents are 1 and 2.

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One hundred and sixty-eight traditional Chinese medicines collected in the Yunnan and Tibetan provinces were screened for their anti-herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) activity by using a plaque reduction assay using Vero cells. Of these, 24 extracts exhibited appreciable inhibitory activities against HSV-1. They were further examined for their therapeutic efficacies in mice infected with HSV-1; mice were infected cutaneously with HSV-1 and the extracts were orally administrated three times daily. Among them, nine extracts of Terminalia chebula (T42), Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Y42M), and Moghania philippinensis (Y86M), and a water extract of Tripterygium hypoglaucum (Y44H) delayed the development and progression of skin lesions. Methanol extracts of Cassia fistula (T59), and Choerospondias axillaries (T73), and water extracts of Begonia evansiana (Y27H), Maytenus fookerii (Y60H) and Potentilla griffithii (Y63H) showed therapeutic effects. These extracts may be candidates for the development of anti-HSV-1 compounds.

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A 72-year-old male patient had been receiving treatment for diabetes since 1970. He first experienced an attack of postprandial syncope in 1994, but he did not consult a physician. In 2004, the frequency of attacks increased, and he was admitted to hospital for detailed examination and treatment. A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in the supine position, and a 26-mmHg decrease in blood pressure accompanied by sleepiness was observed, suggesting postprandial hypotension. In addition, the baseline blood level of noradrenaline (NA) and reactivity increased (before the test: 476 pg/ml, at 30 min: 561 pg/ml, and at 60 min: 689 pg/ml). To reduce postprandial sleepiness, hochuekkito (TJ-41), a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, was administered. After 1 week of treatment, a 75 g OGTT showed a 12-mmHg decrease in blood pressure along with the disappearance of sleepiness. Furthermore, there were changes in the baseline blood level of NA and reactivity (before the test: 242 pg/ml, at 30 min: 270 pg/ml, and at 60 min: 254 pg/ml). Hochuekkito inhibited reduction in blood pressure following the 75 g OGTT and reduced postprandial sleepiness, suggesting that peripheral sympathetic function is involved in its mechanism of action.

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