The liver is one of the most important organs in the body, performing a fundamental role in the regulation of diverse processes, among which the metabolism, secretion, storage, and detoxification of endogenous and exogenous substances are prominent. Due to these functions, hepatic diseases continue to be among the main threats to public health, and they remain problems throughout the world. Despite enormous advances in modern medicine, there are no completely effective drugs that stimulate hepatic function, that offer complete protection of the organ, or that help to regenerate hepatic cells. Thus, it is necessary to identify pharmaceutical alternatives for the treatment of liver diseases, with the aim of these alternatives being more effective and less toxic. The use of some plants and the consumption of different fruits have played basic roles in human health care, and diverse scientific investigations have indicated that, in those plants and fruits so identified, their beneficial effects can be attributed to the presence of chemical compounds that are called phytochemicals. The present review had as its objective the collecting of data based on research conducted into some fruits (grapefruit, cranberries, and grapes) and plants [cactus pear (nopal) and cactus pear fruit, chamomile, silymarin, and spirulina], which are consumed frequently by humans and which have demonstrated hepatoprotective capacity, as well as an analysis of a resin (propolis) and some phytochemicals extracted from fruits, plants, yeasts, and algae, which have been evaluated in different models of hepatotoxicity.

To identify the relationship between landscape use and dengue virus (DENV) occurrence in bats, we investigated the presence of DENV from anthropogenically changed and unaltered landscapes in two Biosphere Reserves: Calakmul (Campeche) and Montes Azules (Chiapas) in southern Mexico. Spleen samples of 146 bats, belonging to 16 species, were tested for four DENV serotypes with standard reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) protocols. Six bats (4.1%) tested positive for DENV-2: four bats in Calakmul (two Glossophaga soricina, one Artibeus jamaicensis, and one A. lituratus) and two bats in Montes Azules (both A. lituratus). No effect of anthropogenic disturbance on the occurrence of DENV was detected; however, all three RT-PCR–positive bat species are considered abundant species in the Neotropics and well-adapted to disturbed habitats. To our knowledge, this study is the first study conducted in southeastern Mexico to identify DENV-2 in bats by a widely accepted RT-PCR protocol. The role that bats play on DENV's ecology remains undetermined.

Perimenopausal period refers to the interval when women's menstrual cycles become irregular and is characterized by an increased risk of depression. Use of homeopathy to treat depression is widespread but there is a lack of clinical trials about its efficacy in depression in peri- and postmenopausal women. The aim of this study was to assess efficacy and safety of individualized homeopathic treatment versus placebo and fluoxetine versus placebo in peri- and postmenopausal women with moderate to severe depression. A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, superiority, three-arm trial with a 6 week follow-up study was conducted. The study was performed in a public research hospital in Mexico City in the outpatient service of homeopathy. One hundred thirty-three peri- and postmenopausal women diagnosed with major depression according to DSM-IV (moderate to severe intensity) were included. The outcomes were: change in the mean total score among groups on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, Beck Depression Inventory and Greene Scale, after 6 weeks of treatment, response and remission rates, and safety. Efficacy data were analyzed in the intention-to-treat population (ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc test). After a 6-week treatment, homeopathic group was more effective than placebo by 5 points in Hamilton Scale. Response rate was 54.5% and remission rate, 15.9%. There was a significant difference among groups in response rate definition only, but not in remission rate. Fluoxetine-placebo difference was 3.2 points. No differences were observed among groups in the Beck Depression Inventory. Homeopathic group was superior to placebo in Greene Climacteric Scale (8.6 points). Fluoxetine was not different from placebo in Greene Climacteric Scale. Homeopathy and fluoxetine are effective and safe antidepressants for climacteric women. Homeopathy and fluoxetine were significantly different from placebo in response definition only. Homeopathy, but not fluoxetine, improves menopausal symptoms scored by Greene Climacteric Scale. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01635218 http://www.trialsjournal.com/content/14/1/105.

The mobility of the human body depends on, among other things, muscle health, which can be affected by several situations, such as aging, increased oxidative stress, malnutrition, cancer, and the lack or excess of physical exercise, among others. Genetic, metabolic, hormonal, and nutritional factors are intricately involved in maintaining the balance that allows proper muscle function and fiber recovery; therefore, the breakdown of the balance among these elements can trigger muscle atrophy. The study from the nutrigenomic perspective of nutritional factors has drawn wide attention recently; one of these is the use of certain compounds derived from foods and plants known as phytochemicals, to which various biological activities have been described and attributed in terms of benefiting health in many respects. This work addresses the effect that the phytochemicals curcumin from Curcuma longa Linn and sulforaphane from Brassicaceae species have shown to exert on muscle function, recovery, and the prevention of muscle atrophy, and describes the impact on muscle health in general. In the same manner, there are future perspectives in research on novel compounds as potential agents in the prevention or treatment of medical conditions that affect muscle health.

Climacteric is associated with both depression and metabolic dysregulation. Scarce evidence suggests that metabolic dysregulation may predict poor response to conventional antidepressants. Response to depression treatment has not been studied in homeopathic medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of metabolic disorders in depressed climacteric women treated with homeopathic medicines, fluoxetine or placebo, and if these alterations have any association with response to depression treatment. One hundred and thirty-three Mexican women (40-65 years) with depression, enrolled in the HOMDEP-MENOP study, a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, double-dummy, three-arm trial with a 6 week follow-up, underwent a complete medical history and clinical examination. Metabolic parameters were assessed at baseline. Association between baseline metabolic parameters and response to depression treatment was analyzed with bivariate analysis in the three groups. Odds ratios (OR) with their 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Metabolic parameters were considered for inclusion in the logistic regression model if they had a statistically significant relationship with response rate on bivariate analysis at p<0.05 or if they were clinically relevant. Overall combined prevalence (obesity and overweight) was 86.5%; 52.3% had hypertriglyceridemia; 44.7% hypercholesterolemia; 46.7% insulin resistance; and 16% subclinical hypothyroidism. There was no statistically significant association between dyslipidemia, overweight, or insulin resistance and non-response in the homeopathy group [OR (95% CI) 1.57 (0.46-5.32), p=0.467; 0.37 (0.003-1.11), p=0.059; 0.67 (0.16-2.7), p=0.579, respectively]. Metabolic dysregulation was not significantly associated with response to depression treatment in depressed climacteric women treated with individualized homeopathic treatment (IHT), fluoxetine or placebo. Due to the high prevalence of metabolic disorders and its relationship with depression in the climacteric, further investigation should be focused on whether individualized prescriptions based on classical homeopathy for depressed climacteric women have an effect on metabolic parameters, and/or if treating the metabolic disorders at the same time could lead to higher response rates. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01635218 URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01635218?term=depression+homeopathy&rank=1.