Objective

Integrative medicine (IM) combines complementary medical approaches into conventional medicine and considers the whole person. We implemented a longitudinal IM short-course curriculum into our medical school education. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the curriculum via knowledge and attitude surveys regarding IM among students.

Methods

A mandatory short IM curriculum across all years of medical school was created and taught by IM professionals and physician faculty members with expertise in integrative therapies. Graduating classes of 2015 and 2016 completed the same survey in their first and third years of medical school. Paired data analysis was done, and only students who completed surveys at both time points were included in final analyses.

Results

Of 52 students in each class, 17 (33%) in the class of 2015 and 22 (42%) in the class of 2016 completed both surveys. After the IM curriculum, students' knowledge of and comfort with several IM therapies-biofeedback, mindfulness, and the use of St. John's wort-improved significantly. Students' personal health practices also improved, including better sleep, exercise, and stress management for the class of 2015. Students graduating in 2016 reported decreased alcohol use in their third year compared with their first year.

Conclusion

It is feasible to incorporate IM education into undergraduate medical education, and this is associated with improvement in students' knowledge of IM and personal health practices.

Background

Zingiber cassumunar Roxb., commonly known as Phlai in Thai, has been used as a traditional medicine in Thailand for the treatment of various diseases, including inflammation and chronic airway disease.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to assess the antihistaminic effect of Phlai on skin testing.

Design, Setting, Participants and Intervention

This was a randomized, open-label, three-way crossover study. Twenty allergic rhinitis (AR) patients were enrolled. In randomized sequence, patients received a single dose of Phlai capsules (100 or 200 mg) or loratadine (10 mg) with a washout period of 1 week between each treatment.

Main Outcome Measures

Skin prick testing for histamine and common aeroallergen (house dust mite) were performed before treatment and after 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12 and 24 hours of treatment. The main treatment outcomes were the mean wheal and flare responses to the skin prick test after treatment.

Results

Both 100 mg and 200 mg Phlai doses suppressed wheal and flare responses to house dust mite allergen, but only 200 mg of Phlai capsules significantly suppressed wheal and flare responses to histamine. Repeated measures analysis of variance showed that loratadine caused more wheal and flare suppression than Phlaicapsules in responses to the histamine skin prick test. However, there were no significant differences among the effects of 100 mg Phlai capsules, 200 mg Phlai capsules and loratadine in suppression of wheal and flare induced by the mite skin prick test. Both doses of Phlai were well-tolerated with no adverse events.

Conclusion

Both 100 mg (compound D 4 mg) and 200 mg (compound D 8 mg) Phlai capsules, when taken as a single therapeutic dose, inhibited skin reactivity to histamine and mite skin prick tests in AR patients.

Trial Registration

Thai clinical trial registry (TCTR20160510001).

Objective

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is regarded as an important treatment for gastric cancer patients, especially for those in advanced stage. To evaluate the effects of TCM treatment on gastric cancer patients, the authors performed a retrospective study to report the result of the integrated treatment of TCM with chemotherapy for stage IV non-surgical gastric cancer.

Methods

In this study, 182 patients with stage IV and non-surgical gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate the effects of TCM integrated with chemotherapy. Among the 182 cases, 88 cases received integrated therapy consisting of TCM and chemotherapy, while 94 cases received chemotherapy alone. The overall survival and Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score were measured as the main outcome.

Results

The median overall survival of the integrated therapy group and chemotherapy group were 16.9 and 10.5 months, respectively. The 1-, 3- and 5-year survival rates of integrated therapy group vs. chemotherapy group were 70% vs. 32%, 18% vs. 4%, and 11% vs. 0%, respectively. There was a significant difference between the two groups (χ² = 42.244, P < 0.001). After six-month treatment, KPS scores of the integrated therapy group and the chemotherapy group were 75.00 ± 14.78 and 60.64 ± 21.39, respectively (P < 0.001). The Cox regression analysis showed that TCM treatment is a protective factor for patients' overall survival.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that TCM integrated with chemotherapy may prolong overall survival and improve survival rate and life quality of patients with stage IV non-surgical gastric cancer.

Objective

Propolis, a resinous material collected by honey bees from various plants, has been explored globally for its medicinal and nutritional properties. However, research over Indian propolis is at infancy. This study was designed to investigate nutraceutical potential of Indian propolis.

Methods

In the present study, propolis extract was standardized with respect to markers caffeic acid phenethyl ester, caffeic acid, galangin, luteolin, curcumin, apigenin, pinocembrin and quercetin by new high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) methods. The physico-chemical analysis, residues analysis and in vitroantioxidant activity analysis were performed. Nutraceutical value was examined in terms of fats, fibers, minerals, proteins, polysaccharides, total carbohydrates, and energy value.

Results

The developed HPTLC methods were found to be simple, reliable accurate, and the validation parameters were within the limits of the International Council for Harmonization of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines. Macerated ethanolic extract of propolis (MEEP) was found to have polyphenolic content of (20.99 ± 0.24) mg/g and flavonoids content of (8.39 ± 0.04) mg/g. MEEP was found to comprise of (283.33 ± 51.31) g/kg fats, (30.07 ± 7.30) g/kg fibers, (102.56 ± 2.84) g/kg proteins and (389.36 ± 57.50) g/kg carbohydrate with a calorie value of (38 409.33 ± 6 169.80) kJ/kg. It was found that Indian propolis exhibited high nutraceutical value and showed absence of pesticides and heavy metals. The MEEP showed in vitro antioxidant activity with inhibitory concentration of (12.24 ± 4.64) μg/mL.

Conclusion

The present work explores Indian propolis as a potential nutritious candidate. The proposed analytical methods can be applied in future screening of the quality of Indian propolis.