http://www.cmjournal.org The latest research articles published by Chinese Medicine 2010-03-16T00:00:00Z This is an RSS newsfeed from BioMed Central It is intended to be used with an RSS reader. For more information about RSS newsfeeds from BioMed Central, visit http://www.biomedcentral.com/info/about/rss/ The author has withdrawn this article [1] from the public domain because they did not have permission to use the data that was presented within. In the light of this situation, BioMed Central regrets that this article is no longer available. The author apologises to all parties for the inconvenience. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/10 Dawn Waterhouse Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:10 2010-03-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-10 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 10 2010-03-16T00:00:00Z PDF Background Little genomic or trancriptomic information on Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi) is known. This study aims to discover the transcripts involved in secondary metabolite biosynthesis and developmental regulation of G. lucidum using an expressed sequence tag (EST) library. Methods A cDNA library was constructed from the G. lucidum fruiting body. Its high-quality ESTs were assembled into unique sequences with contigs and singletons. The unique sequences were annotated according to sequence similarities to genes or proteins available in public databases. The detection of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) was preformed by online analysis. Results A total of 1,023 clones were randomly selected from the G. lucidum library and sequenced, yielding 879 high-quality ESTs. These ESTs showed similarities to a diverse range of genes. The sequences encoding squalene epoxidase (SE) and farnesyl-diphosphate synthase (FPS) were identified in this EST collection. Several candidate genes, such as hydrophobin, MOB2, profilin and PHO84 were detected for the first time in G. lucidum. Thirteen (13) potential SSR-motif microsatellite loci were also identified. Conclusion The present study demonstrates a successful application of EST analysis in the discovery of transcripts involved in the secondary metabolite biosynthesis and the developmental regulation of G. lucidum. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/9 Hongmei Luo Chao Sun Jingyuan Song Jin Lan Ying Li Xiwen Li Shilin Chen Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:9 2010-03-16T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-9 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 9 2010-03-16T00:00:00Z PDF Background The employment of well characterized test samples prepared from authenticated, high quality medicinal plant materials is key to reproducible herbal research. The present study aims to demonstrate a quality assurance program covering the acquisition, botanical validation, chemical standardization and good manufacturing practices (GMP) production of IBS-20, a 20-herb Chinese herbal formula under study as a potential agent for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome. Methods Purity and contaminant tests for the presence of toxic metals, pesticide residues, mycotoxins and microorganisms were performed. Qualitative chemical fingerprint analysis and quantitation of marker compounds of the herbs, as well as that of the IBS-20 formula was carried out with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Extraction and manufacture of the 20-herb formula were carried out under GMP. Chemical standardization was performed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis. Stability of the formula was monitored with HPLC in real time. Results Quality component herbs, purchased from a GMP supplier were botanically and chemically authenticated and quantitative HPLC profiles (fingerprints) of each component herb and of the composite formula were established. An aqueous extract of the mixture of the 20 herbs was prepared and formulated into IBS-20, which was chemically standardized by LC-MS, with 20 chemical compounds serving as reference markers. The stability of the formula was monitored and shown to be stable at room temperature. Conclusion A quality assurance program has been developed for the preparation of a standardized 20-herb formulation for use in the clinical studies for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The procedures developed in the present study will serve as a protocol for other poly-herbal Chinese medicine studies. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/8 Siu-Po Ip Ming Zhao Yanfang Xian Mengli Chen Yuying Zong Yung-Wui Tjong Sam-Hip Tsai Joseph Sung Alan Bensoussan Brian Berman Harry Fong Chun-Tao Che Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:8 2010-02-22T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-8 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 8 2010-02-22T00:00:00Z PDF A dry extract from the roots of rhapontic rhubarb (extract Rheum rhaponticum (L.); ERr) has been commercially available in Germany for over two decades to treat menopausal symptoms. However, the molecular basis of its clinical effectiveness remains obscure. This article reviews the in vitro and in vivo data of its estrogenic actions, particularly those mediated by estrogen receptor-β (ERβ). http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/7 Gunter Vollmer Anja Papke Oliver Zierau Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:7 2010-02-19T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-7 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 7 2010-02-19T00:00:00Z XML Background: Though the nephrotoxicity and carcinogenicity of aristolochic acid (AA) are known, its safety in clinical usage is not clear. This study aims to evaluate the safety of Duhuo Jisheng Tang (DJT) in a four-week study to treat osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Methods: A qualitative and quantitative investigations on DJT were conducted. A list of adverse events (AEs), complete blood counts, and liver and kidney function tests were measured for participants with knee OA at their scheduled hospital visits. Each detected AEs was independently assessed for severity and causality by site investigators (Chinese medical doctors) and study nurses. Results: A total of 71 eligible subjects were included in the clinical study where 287 AEs were reported. DJT did not contain detectable aristolochic acid (AA) under thin-layer chromatography (TLC) analysis and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). There were no significant changes in liver or kidney functions. Conclusion: In four-week use of DJT, no renal tubular damage, no severe incidences of AEs and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) were observed. The present study obtained safety data from active surveillance of DJT. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/6 Shu-Ching Hsieh Jung-Nien Lai Pau-Chung Chen Chao-Chung Chen Huey-Jen Chen Jung-Der Wang Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:6 2010-02-11T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-6 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 6 2010-02-11T00:00:00Z XML Background: Guasha is a therapeutic method for pain management using tools to scrape or rub the surface of the body to relieve blood stagnation. This study aims to systematically review the controlled clinical trials on the effectiveness of using Guasha to treat musculoskeletal pain. Methods: We searched 11 databases (without language restrictions): MEDLINE, Allied and Complementary Medicine (AMED), EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Korean Studies Information (KSI), DBPIA, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), KoreaMed, Research Information Service System (RISS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and the Cochrane Library. The search strategy was Guasha (OR scraping) AND pain. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane criteria (i.e. sequence generation, blinding, incomplete outcome measures and allocation concealment). Results: Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were included in the present study. Two RCTs compared Guasha with acupuncture in terms of effectiveness, while the other trials compared Guasha with no treatment (1 trial), acupuncture (4 trials), herbal injection (1 trial) and massage or electric current therapy (1 trial). While two RCTs suggested favorable effects of Guasha on pain reduction and response rate, the quality of these RCTs was poor. One CCT reported beneficial effects of Guasha on musculoskeletal pain but had low methodological quality. Conclusion: Current evidence is insufficient to show that Guasha is effective in pain management. Further RCTs are warranted and methodological quality should be improved. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/5 Myeong Soo Lee Tae-Young Choi Jong-In Kim Sun-Mi Choi Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:5 2010-01-29T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-5 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 5 2010-01-29T00:00:00Z XML Background: Antrodia camphorata (AC) is an important fungus native to Taiwanese forested regions. Scientific studies have demonstrated that extracts of AC possess a variety of pharmacological functions. This study aims to identify the full profile fingerprint of nucleosides and nucleobases in mycelial AC and to assess the quality of two commercial mycelial AC products. Methods: High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and mass spectrometry was employed to identify the major components in mycelial AC. The chemical separation was carried out using a gradient program on a reverse phase Alltima C18 AQ analytical column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) with the mobile phase consisting of deionized water and methanol. Results: Ten nucleosides and nucleobases, two maleimide derivatives, and a sterol were identified as the major constituents in mycelial AC. These groups of chemical compounds constitute the first chromatographic fingerprint as an index for quality assessment of this medicinal fungus. Conclusions: This study provides the first chromatographic fingerprint to assess the quality of mycelial AC. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/4 Sandy Zhao Kelvin Leung Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:4 2010-01-29T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-4 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 4 2010-01-29T00:00:00Z XML Background: This study aims to evaluate the antioxidant potential of the ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root for cardioprotection from ischemia reperfusion-induced oxidative stress. Methods: The in vitro antioxidant potential of the extract was in terms of hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, lipid peroxide scavenging activity, nitric oxide scavenging activity and diphenylpicrylhydrazyl radical scavenging activity. The in vivo antioxidant potential of the extract was assessed in an isolated rat heart model. Results: Free radicals were scavenged by the extract in a concentration-dependent manner within the range of the given concentrations in all models. Administration of the ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root (100 mg per kg body weight) before global ischemia caused a significant improvement of cardiac function and a decrease in the release of lactate dehydrogenase in coronary effluent, as well as the level of malondialdehyde in myocardial tissues. Conclusion: The ethyl acetate extract of Desmodium gangeticum root protects the myocardium against ischemia-reperfusion-induced damage in rats. The effects of the extract may be related to the inhibition of lipid peroxidation. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/3 Gino Kurian Srilalitha Suryanarayanan Archana Raman Jose Padikkala Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:3 2010-01-22T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-3 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 3 2010-01-22T00:00:00Z XML Scientific studies to investigate Chinese medicine with Western medicine have been generating a large amount of data to be shared preferably under a global data standard. This article provides an overview of Semantic Web and identifies some representative Semantic Web applications in Chinese medicine. Semantic Web is proposed as a standard for representing Chinese medicine data and facilitating their integration with Western medicine data. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/2 Kei-Hoi Cheung Huajun Chen Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:2 2010-01-12T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-2 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 2 2010-01-12T00:00:00Z XML Background: The results of many clinical trials and experimental studies regarding acupoint specificity are contradictory. This review aims to investigate whether a difference in efficacy exists between ordinary acupuncture on specific acupoints and sham acupuncture controls on non-acupoints or on irrelevant acupoints. Methods: Databases including Medline, Embase, AMED and Chinese Biomedical Database were searched to identify randomized controlled trials published between 1998 and 2009 that compared traditional body acupuncture on acupoints with sham acupuncture controls on irrelevant acupoints or non-acupoints with the same needling depth. The Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias was employed to address the quality of the included trials. Results: Twelve acupuncture clinical trials with sham acupuncture controls were identified and included in the review. The conditions treated varied. Half of the included trials had positive results on the primary outcomes and demonstrated acupoint specificity. However, among those six trials (total sample size: 985) with low risk of bias, five trials (sample size: 940) showed no statistically significant difference between proper and sham acupuncture treatments. Conclusion: This review did not demonstrate the existence of acupoint specificity. Further clinical trials with larger sample sizes, optimal acupuncture treatment protocols and appropriate sham acupuncture controls are required to resolve this important issue. http://www.cmjournal.org/content/5/1/1 Hongwei Zhang Zhaoxiang Bian Zhixiu Lin Chinese Medicine 2010, 5:1 2010-01-12T00:00:00Z doi:10.1186/1749-8546-5-1 Chinese Medicine 1749-8546 5 1 2010-01-12T00:00:00Z XML