Current Traditional Medicine - Volume 12, Issue 1, 2026

This study aims to compare the effects of Quercus Infectoria Fruit Hulls (QIFH) with Clotrimazole vaginal suppositories on the signs and symptoms of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is an infection caused by Candida species. Although the antimicrobial effects of QIFH have been confirmed, there is no clinical study on its effects on VVC.

One hundred married women (aged 18-45 years) with complaints of vulvar pruritus or burning were recruited for a triple-blind clinical trial at a health center affiliated with Khorramabad University of Medical Sciences. After a definitive diagnosis of vulvovaginal candidiasis, the eligible women were randomly divided into two groups: one receiving QIFH vaginal suppositories (n=45) and the other receiving Clotrimazole vaginal suppositories (n=45). The patients were instructed to use the medications for 7-10 nights. The symptoms and signs of VVC were compared before and after treatment within each group and between the two groups. The data were analyzed using SPSS 24, employing both parametric and non-parametric tests with a 95 percent confidence interval.

The symptoms and signs of VVC, including pruritus, burning and irritation, vaginal discharge, vaginal redness, and swelling with white, thick discharge, significantly improved in both groups after treatment (p<0.001). There were no significant differences between the two groups of QIFH vaginal suppository users and Clotrimazole users regarding the relief of signs and symptoms after treatment (p>0.05).

A study comparing Clotrimazole and QIFH vaginal suppositories found that Quercus infectoria extract effectively treated candida and reduced its growth. Treatment with QIFH significantly improved pruritus symptoms. The tannin ingredient in QIFH's tannins acted through various mechanisms, providing therapeutic and antioxidant effects. QIFH could be an alternative for VVC treatment for women.

The QIFH vaginal suppository was as effective as Clotrimazole in treating the symptoms and signs of VVC without any adverse effects. Given the prevalence of VVC and the similarities in the treatment processes with QIFH and Clotrimazole, it can be concluded that QIFH may be an appropriate alternative for VVC treatment for women who prefer to use herbal medicine.

Clinical Trial Registration No. IRCT20190306042943N2.

Bentunai Village is located in Selakau District, Sambas Regency, West Kalimantan. The majority of the villagers are Malay tribes who have local wisdom regarding the use of medicinal plants after childbirth. Hence, this study aimed to determine the types of plants, plant parts, and processing methods used by the Malay tribe in postpartum care.

The materials used were medicinal plants, 70% alcohol for plant fixation, plastic packing size 30x60 cm, merang paper, thick cardboard, and tape. This research used triangulation techniques, namely interviews, observation, and documentation.

There are 14 types of plants used by the Malay tribe of Bentunai Village for postpartum care, namely sembung (Blumea balsamifera), balik angin (Mallotus paniculata (Lam.) M), patikan cina (Euphorbia sp.), cengkeh (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr & L. M. Perry), lada (Piper nigrum L.), cabe jawa (Piper retrofractum Vahl.), ciplukan (Physalis angulata L.), kunyit (Curcuma longa L.), temulawak (Curcuma zanthorrhiza Roxb), lempuyang (Zingiber zerumbet (L.) Roscoe ex Sm.), jahe (Zingiber officinale Roscoe.), banglai (Zingiber purpureum Roscoe), kencur (Kaempferia galangan L.), and lengkuas hutan (Zingiber sp.).

In conclusion, the most widely used plant family is Zingiberaceae, the most widely used part is the leaves, and there are three ways of processing plants, namely boiled, brewed, and pounded.

This study aims to comprehensively summarize the clinical evidence comparing the effectiveness and safety of integrating astragalus-containing Chinese medicines with western medicines for T2DM.

Six databases were searched for eligible studies from inception to June 2023. The aggregated outcomes were expressed as odds ratio (OR) or standardized mean difference (SMD). Random effect model was used for statistical analyses. The risk of bias for included studies was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. The overall quality of evidence was assessed with the Grades of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach.

The results showed a significant improvement in the FPG (SMD -0.98; 95%CI -1.23, -0.72), 2hPG (SMD -0.94; 95%CI -1.13, -0.76), HbA1c (SMD -0.97; 95%CI -1.18, -0.75), HOMA-IR (SMD -1.07; 95%CI -1.47, -0.66), HOMA-β (SMD 0.84; 95%CI 0.38, 1.31), HDL (SMD 0.41; 95%CI 0.17, 0.66), LDL (SMD -1.17; 95%CI -1.62, -0.72), TC (SMD -0.83; 95%CI -1.06, -0.59) and TG (SMD -0.93, 95%CI -1.20, -0.65) with astragalus-containing TCMs plus conventional therapy comparing to conventional therapy alone. The incidence of hypoglycemia and gastrointestinal tract adverse events was significantly reduced in the combination group. Subgroup analyses based on the type of western medicines, type of traditional Chinese medicines, baseline glucose level, follow-up duration and disease subtypes, all indicated the similar results regarding the superior effectiveness in the combination group.

The meta-analyses suggested the astragalus-containing TCMs plus WMs surpassed WMs monotherapy in terms of decreasing the FPG, 2hPG and HbA1c level. Our results were limited by the quality of trials included in the meta-analyses.

Add-on therapy of astragalus-containing TCMs was generally more effective in ameliorating the glycolipid metabolism and improving insulin resistance. The clinical benefits of integrative therapies remained in different subgroup patients.

Cerebral ischemic stroke (CIS) severely endangers health, and there is an urgent need for effective therapeutic drugs and in-depth research on its mechanism of action. Danxi Granule has potential application in the relevant treatment.

This study aimed to explore the potential quality markers, therapeutic targets, and molecular mechanisms of Danxi Granule in treating CIS through the “Absorbed into Blood- Fingerprint-Network-Verification” paradigm.

An MCAO rat model was established. Serum samples from three groups were analyzed by UPLC-MS to identify blood-absorbed prototype components. The fingerprint and measurable chemical components of Danxi Granule were obtained using specific chromatographic conditions. Potential quality markers were determined by cross-referencing. Network pharmacology, with databases like GeneCards and OMIM, and relevant software, were used for gene identification and pathway enrichment analysis. Five identified compounds were tested in an OGD/R-induced HT22 cell model.

A total of 207 blood-absorbed prototype components were identified. Ten-batch fingerprint analysis of Danxi Granules showed high similarity, with 15 common peaks (8 corresponding to measurable constituents). Five potential quality markers were determined. These compounds targeted 184 genes, intersecting with 73 disease-related ones. Network analysis revealed 10 key genes and cellular experiments confirmed the protection of HT22 cells, with TNF as a core target.

In this study, an HPLC fingerprint was established using UPLC-MS technology, and five potential Q-markers were screened out. Through network pharmacology and cell experiments, these markers were validated to exert anti-CIS effects via mechanisms, such as anti-inflammation, thereby revealing the material basis of the pharmacological effects of Danxi Granules. The findings of this study provide a basis and new perspectives for quality standard research, clinical application, and the modernization of complex traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) systems. However, the current mechanistic investigation remains at a superficial level, and subsequent studies should further deepen the systematic exploration of the underlying action mechanisms.

The “absorbed into blood-fingerprint” paradigm identified five potential quality markers, namely cryptotanshinone, tanshinone IIA, aurantio-obtusin, icariin, and paeoniflorin. Validation through the “network-verification” paradigm confirmed their quality marker status and demonstrated that their anti-CIS mechanisms likely involve suppressing TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β expressions, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are often complicated by CKD. This study aims to identify a therapeutic agent that can improve cognitive function and alleviate chronic kidney disease (CKD) in patients. It also explores the effectiveness of the combination of Ryoukeijutsukanto and Ourengedokuto (RO-8), a Kampo medicine, for treating cognitive decline and renal function impairment in patients with co-morbid CKD.

In this retrospective single-center study, patients with AD who visited the clinic were selected. Cognitive function and kidney function of all participants in the control and treatment groups were assessed using Hasegawa’s Dementia Scale (HDS-R) and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to measure the differences in the HDS-R scores and eGFR values before and after the observation or treatment period.

The Kampo medicine RO-8 improved cognitive function in 90.9% (70/77) of patients and cognitive decline in 3.9% (3/77) of patients with AD and MCI. At the same time, 38.7% (29/75) of the patients with AD and MCI who were treated had chronic kidney disease (CKD), 65.5% (19/29) of which exhibited an improvement in the eGFR.

Despite being a single-center and retrospective study, the findings underscore the potential of mixed Kampo medicine in restoring both cognitive and kidney function in patients with AD or MCI and CKD.

RO-8 may exert beneficial effects on cognitive decline in patients with Alzheimer’s dementia and MCI through an anti-inflammatory pathway and can be further explored as an alternative anti-inflammatory drug to treat AD.

Diabetic patients in Saudi Arabia commonly use herbal medicines (HMs) to manage their condition. Research studies indicate that up to 70% of this population has tried HMs, with popular choices including Cinnamomum verum, Zingiber officinale, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Allium sativum, Aloe vera, Olea europaea, and Nigella sativa. More clinical trials evaluating their safety and effectiveness are needed to increase the adoption of these herbal remedies.

This systematic review aims to review clinical research in the Saudi Arabian context on the efficacy of commonly used HMs for diabetes.

A comprehensive search of medical literature was conducted to identify the most popular herbs used by Saudi diabetic patients. The PubMed, Cochrane, Medline, and ScienceDirect databases were utilized to find research studies published in Saudi Arabia that examined the effectiveness of traditional herbal remedies for managing diabetes.

Only four relevant studies from Saudi Arabia were identified, with three specific herbs (Trigonella foenum-graecum, Zingiber officinale, and Nigella sativa) used in all four studies. Two of the studies were blind clinical trials, but only one was double-blinded. The methodological quality of these studies was assessed using the Jadad score, with scores ranging from 1 to 3.

Although Saudi Arabia has a large population of diabetic patients, its contribution to clinical research in this field remains limited. Establishing research groups and developing a sustainable infrastructure could help to address this problem and promote more rigorous studies on HMs.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD 42024602747.