Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Background. Janus-activated kinase 2 (JAK2) plays a pivotal role in numerous essential biological processes, including proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis in human cells. Prior studies have indicated that inhibiting JAK2 could be a promising strategy to mitigate cell proliferation and induce apoptosis in tumor cells. Objectives. This study aimed to estimate the binding affinity of 79 herbal compounds, comprising 46 flavonoids, 21 anthraquinones, and 12 cinnamic acids, to the ATP-binding cleft of JAK2 to identify potential herbal inhibitors of JAK2. Methods. The binding affinities between ligands and JAK2 were calculated utilizing AutoDock 4.0 software in conjunction with the Cygwin environment. Cross-validation was conducted using the Schrödinger tool. Molecular dynamics simulations were employed to evaluate the stability of docked poses for the most significant JAK2 inhibitors. Furthermore, the Discovery Studio Visualizer tool was utilized to elucidate interactions between the top-ranked JAK2 inhibitors and residues within the JAK2 ATP-binding site. Results. Twelve flavonoids, two anthraquinones, and three cinnamic acids demonstrated substantial binding affinities to the protein kinase domain of the receptor, with a criterion of  < −10 kcal/mol. Among the studied flavonoids, anthraquinones, and cinnamic acid derivatives, orientin, chlorogenic acid, and pulmatin emerged as the most potent JAK2 inhibitors, exhibiting scores of −14.49, −11.87, and −10.76 kcal/mol, respectively. Furthermore, the docked poses of orientin, pulmatin, and chlorogenic acid remained stable throughout 60 ns computer simulations. The average root mean square deviation values calculated for JAK2 when complexed with orientin, chlorogenic acid, and pulmatin were 2.04 Å, 2.06 Å, and 1.95 Å, respectively. Conclusion. This study underscores the robust inhibitory potential of orientin, pulmatin, and chlorogenic acid against JAK2. The findings hold promise for the development of novel and effective drugs for cancer treatment.

Background. Several studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of acupuncture, but none have reviewed patent trends related to acupuncture as an intervention. This study analyzed trends in patents for the development of acupuncture-related technologies in Korea. Methods. The Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) was searched for information on acupuncture-related patents registered until August 11, 2021, without any limit on the search period. Only acupuncture and electro-acupuncture were included in this review. The current status, contents, and technological characteristics of the relevant patents were analyzed systematically to identify the overall status of acupuncture-related patents. Results. Overall, 126 patents were identified from the KIPRIS database, of which 93 were unrelated to the research topic and were excluded. Finally, 33 patents were assessed. Interest in the development of acupuncture technology has increased steadily over the past decade. Patent applications reached their peak in 2018 with six instances, while patent registration peaked in 2019 with seven instances. The interval between the application and registration of an individual patent was 14.3 months (449 days). Twenty-two acupuncture-related patents were for acupuncture (66.6%) and 11 for electro-acupuncture (33.3%). The technical specifications for the patents included acupuncture devices (30.3%), acupuncture manufacturing methods and equipment (36.4%), and electro-acupuncture devices (33.3%). Conclusion. Acupuncture-related technology currently focuses on technological advancements for the safe and effective delivery of stimulation. The findings demonstrate trends toward new diverse and complex technological advancements for acupuncture devices, manufacturing methods and equipment, and electro-acupuncture devices.

While previous reports have established the anti-inflammatory effects of hangeshashinto, the intracellular signal transduction pathways involved have yet to be elucidated. We aim to employ an experimental system using oral cancer cells to assess the impact of hangeshashinto on intracellular signal transduction pathways in response to stimulation by Porphyromonas gingivalis pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMP). Hangeshashinto demonstrated the ability to inhibit the production of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 induced by P. gingivalis PAMP. Furthermore, hangeshashinto suppressed the activation of the IL-6 promoter stimulated by PAMP. Hangeshashinto, like Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling inhibitors (resatorvid and C29) and an immunosuppressant (dexamethasone), exhibited the ability to suppress TLR-mediated activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in response to PAMP stimulation. This study suggests that the anti-inflammatory effects of hangeshashinto may be attributed to the inhibition of TLR signal transduction pathways including NF-κB activation, thereby suppressing NF-κB-dependent gene expression.

The larval stage of the parasite Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l) is responsible for cystic echinococcosis (CE), a long-term infection affecting humans and animals worldwide, and constitutes a serious public health concern. If left untreated, CE can cause serious damage to multiple organs, especially the liver and lungs. Regarding the treatment, in the last few years, the use of pharmacological treatment has increased, suggesting that in the future, drug therapy may replace surgery for uncomplicated cysts. However, the only available anthelmintic drug to treat this infection is the albendazole, which has an efficacy that does not exceed 50%. On the basis of the above-mentioned evidence, new and improved alternative treatments are urgently needed. The use of natural products and their active fractions and components holds great promise as a valuable resource for the development of novel and effective therapies. Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is a bittering agent in the brewing industry for which the sedative, digestive, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects have been reported. The purpose of this study was to assess the in vitro efficacy of methanolic extracts from the leaves of hop varieties against E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s) protoscoleces. Varieties Mapuche and Victoria caused a stronger protoscolicidal effect compared to the Bullion, Cascade, and Traful varieties (), coinciding with their highest content of flavonoids, total polyphenols, and saponins. The viability of protoscoleces treated with the varieties Mapuche and Victoria decreased to approximately 50% at days 5 y 8, respectively, showing alterations such as soma contraction and impaired microtriches. After 18 days of treatment with both varieties, protoscoleces were completely altered both structurally and ultrastructurally. In conclusion, the methanolic extracts of the H. lupulus varieties Mapuche and Victoria demonstrated a marked in vitro effect against E. granulosus s.s. protoscoleces. The beer-making industry exclusively uses hop cones, leaving behind large amounts of hop leaves as an agricultural by-product that is not being utilized. On the basis of our study, we propose that hop leaves could also be used as a source of secondary metabolites with anthelmintic activity.

This study introduces Geometric Sound as a subfield of spatial sound featuring audio stimuli which are sonic holograms of mathematically defined 3D shapes. The effects of Geometric Sound on human physiology were investigated through EEG, heart rate, blood pressure, and a combination of questionnaires monitoring 50 healthy participants in two separate experiments. The impact of Geometric Sound on Faraday wave pattern morphology was further studied. The shapes examined, pyramid, cube, and sphere, exhibited varying significant effects on autonomic nervous system markers, brainwave power amplitude, topology, and connectivity patterns, in comparison to both the control (traditional stereo), and recorded baseline where no sound was presented. Brain activity in the Alpha band exhibited the most significant results, additional noteworthy results were observed across analysis paradigms in all frequency bands. Geometric Sound was found to significantly reduce heart rate and blood pressure and enhance relaxation and general well-being. Changes in EEG, heart rate, and blood pressure were primarily shape-dependent, and to a lesser extent sex-dependent. Pyramid Geometric Sound yielded the most significant results in most analysis paradigms. Faraday Waves patterns morphology analysis indicated that identical frequencies result in patterns that correlate with the excitation Geometric Sound shape. We suggest that Geometric Sound shows promise as a noninvasive therapeutic approach for physical and psychological conditions, stress-related disorders, depression, anxiety, and neurotrauma. Further research is warranted to elucidate underlying mechanisms and expand its applications.

Tongue diagnosis is one of the important diagnostic methods in Kampo (traditional Japanese) medicine, in which the color and shape of the tongue are used to determine the patient’s constitution and systemic symptoms. Tongue diagnosis is performed with the patient in the sitting or supine positions; however, the differences in tongue color in these two different positions have not been analyzed. We developed tongue image analyzing system (TIAS), which can quantify tongue color by capturing tongue images in the sitting and supine positions. We analyzed the effects on tongue color in two different body positions. Tongue color was quantified as from tongue images of 18 patients in two different body positions by taking images with TIAS. The CIEDE 2000 color difference equation (ΔE₀₀) was used to assess the difference in tongue color in two different body positions. Correlations were also determined between ΔE₀₀, physical characteristics, and laboratory test values. The mean and median ΔE₀₀ for 18 patients were 2.85 and 2.34, respectively. Of these patients, 77.8% had a ΔE₀₀ < 4.1. A weak positive correlation was obtained between ΔE₀₀ and systolic blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose. Approximately 80% of patients’ tongue color did not change between the sitting and supine positions. This indicates that the diagnostic results of tongue color are trustworthy even if medical professionals perform tongue diagnosis in two different body positions.