Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Complementary and Alternative Medicine February 16, 2005 Chem 330 Niles Ita Celeste Miller Trang Pham


What is Alternative Medicine?: What is Alternative Medicine? It is defined as a variety of therapeutic or preventive healthcare practices that do not follow generally accepted medical methods and may not have a scientific explanation for their effectiveness. Examples: Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Yoga, Osteopathy, Ayurveda, Aromatherapy, Holistic Living, etc


Herbal Medicine: Herbal Medicine What is herbal medicine? Herbal medicine is the most ancient form of healthcare known. Many drugs that are now considered conventional medications were originally derived from herbs.


Examples: Examples Salicylic acid – white willow bark and meadowsweet plant Morphine & Codeine – opium Vincristine – periwinkle Taxol – Pacific Yew tree Ephedrine


Herbal Treatments: Herbal Treatments Baths Teas/Juices Ointments/Oils Vapor Treatment


Herbal Supplements: Herbal Supplements Ginseng Gingko Biloba Dong Quai


Ginseng (Panax Ginseng): Ginseng (Panax Ginseng) Increased energy/endurance Adaptogen Believed to cure lethargy, arthritis, impotence, senility, etc Used to lower cholesterol, lower blood sugar (diabetes) Anti-aging effects No known side effects


Ginseng : Ginseng Active ingredient: ginsenoside Glc = glucose, ara(p) = arabinose from piranose, ara(f) arabanose from furanose, ra = ramnose


Endangered Ginseng?: Endangered Ginseng? Population viability analyses carried out by McGraw and Furedi (p. 920; see the news story by Stokstad) suggest that high rates of browsing by burgeoning populations of white-tailed deer threaten to cause extinction of most, if not all, wild American ginseng populations within a century. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/reprint/307/5711/811i.pdf


Gingko Biloba: Gingko Biloba Main use: treat cognitive function in Alzheimer Improve heart and lung functionality Treats coughs, asthma and acute allergic inflammation Antioxidant abilities Side effects include intestinal discomfort, headaches, allergic reactions, bleeding Dialates blood vessels to improve blood flow


Gingko Biloba Extract: Gingko Biloba Extract Quercetin Kaempferol Isorhamnetin Ginkgolides Bilobalide


Dong Quai: Dong Quai Herbal tonic for women; known as the “female ginseng” Regulates menstrual cycle Helps with menopausal difficulties Contains flavonoids


Dong Quai, con’t…: Dong Quai, con’t… Stimulates the central nervous system; acts as a mild energizer Side effects include excessive bleeding, fever, photosensitivity, and diarrhea


Slide15: Alkyl Phthalides (ligustilides, angelicide, and butylphthalide) Furanocoumarin (archangelicin, bergapten, and imperatorin) Coumarins (angelol G and angelicone) Terpenes (cadinene and carvacrol) Phytosterols (beta-sitosterol and stigmasterol) Organic acids (ferulic, succinic, and myristic) Immune-stimulating polysaccharides Dong Quai: Active Ingredients


Active Ingredient Structures: Active Ingredient Structures Ligustilide Furanocoumarin Coumarins Carvacrol


More Structures, Dong Quai: More Structures, Dong Quai Phytosterols Ferulic Acid


So… is herbal medicine really safe?: So… is herbal medicine really safe?


I’ve got Pros… : I’ve got Pros… Natural remedy, allows body to heal itself Individualized care according to patients needs Treatments used and cultivated over thousands of years Treats root problem not symptoms Has little to no side effects Each remedy may serve multiple purposes http://www.acupuncturedoc.com/chinese1.htm


and Cons…: and Cons… Currently unregulated by FDA Products can be misleading concerning supplement purity or concentration Treatments are not always proven effective Like any drug, has side effects Not widely researched in (Western) clinical trials No prescription necessary


Yikes!: Yikes! Herbal supplements can interact severely with synthetic pharmaceuticals: Gingko has been known to interfere with both aspirin and acetaminophen use Ginseng interacts with the drug Warfarin Dong quai interacts with most blood thinners (Warfarin, Plavix, Aspirin, etc)


Who Ya Gonna Call? : Who Ya Gonna Call? MYTH: High-quality scientific information on herbal medicines does not exist. Reality: The effectiveness of herbal medicine has not been determined on a large scale, but there are lots of individualized research especially of Western medicine. MYTH: Alternative therapies are safer than synthetic pharmaceuticals Reality: A lack of regulation/standardization of alternative medicine allows the possibility of sketchy/harmful treatments. Both alternative therapies and synthetic pharmaceuticals should, however, be treated as drugs and properly researched. http://www.uspharmacist.com/oldformat.asp?url=newlook/files/Alte/alternative_medicine.cfm&pub_id=8&article_id=451


Slide23: And just when you thought it was over…


Slide24: MYTH: Alternative medicine is only a fad that is of little use to most people. Reality: 70%-90% of the world uses some treatment that is considered alternative. “Just because a particular therapeutic approach was not originated by American healthcare does not mean that it must be worthless or dangerous quackery.“ MYTH: People turn to alternative therapies because conventional medicine has failed them, or they use alternative therapies because they are ignorant, gullible, fearful, desperate, or alienated from society. Reality: Partakers of alternative remedies are highly educated and satisfied with conventional medicine. Alternative medicine usually coincides with their values and beliefs concerning life and health.


Are you asleep? Wakey, wakey! Don’t forget to ask questions…: Are you asleep? Wakey, wakey! Don’t forget to ask questions…