Herbal medicine is popularly used among patients who suffer from allergic rhinitis. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of single medicinal plants in the management of allergic rhinitis. We searched MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and Web of Science for randomised controlled trials which evaluated the use of single medicinal plant for allergic rhinitis among adults and children. Twenty-nine randomised controlled trials (n = 1879) were eligible while 27 (n = 1769) contributed data for meta-analyses. Most studies (studies = 20) compared medicinal plants against placebo and Petasites hybridus was most frequently investigated (studies = 5). Very-low-to-low-certainty evidence suggests that compared to placebo, single medicinal plants may improve overall total nasal symptoms (SMD -0.31, 95% CI -0.59 to -0.02; participants = 249; studies = 5; I² = 21%) especially nasal congestion and sneezing; and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life (RQLQ) scores (MD -0.46, 95% CI -0.84 to -0.07; participants = 148; studies = 3; I² = 0%). Moderate-certainty evidence show no clear differences between single medicinal plants and antihistamine in overall symptoms (Total nasal symptoms: SMD -0.14, 95% CI -0.46 to 0.18; participants = 149; studies = 2; I² = 0%). As adjunctive therapy, moderate-certainty evidence shows that medicinal plants improved SNOT-22 scores when given as intranasal treatment (MD -7.47, 95% CI -10.75 to -4.18; participants = 124; studies = 2; I² = 21%). Risk of bias domains were low or not clearly reported in most studies while heterogeneity was substantial in most pooled outcomes. Route of administration and age were identified to be plausible source of heterogeneity for certain outcomes. Medicinal plants appear to be well tolerated up to 8 weeks of use. Clear beneficial evidence of medicinal plants for allergic rhinitis is still lacking. There is a need for improved reporting of herbal trials to allow for critical assessment of the effects of each individual medicinal plant preparation in well-designed future clinical studies.

Liver diseases cause millions of deaths globally. Current treatments are often limited in effectiveness and availability, driving the search for alternatives. Herbal preparations offer potential hepatoprotective properties. Disrupted gut microbiota is linked to liver disorders. This scoping review aims to explore the effects of herbal preparations on hepatoprotective mechanisms, particularly in the context of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and hepatic steatosis, with a focus on gut microbiota modulation. A systematic search was performed using predetermined keywords in four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, and Web of Science). A total of 55 studies were included for descriptive analysis, covering study characteristics such as disease model, dietary model, animal model, intervention details, comparators, and study outcomes. The findings of this review suggest that the hepatoprotective effects of herbal preparations are closely related to their interactions with the gut microbiota. The hepatoprotective mechanisms of herbal preparations are shown through their effects on the gut microbiota composition, intestinal barrier, and microbial metabolites, which resulted in decreased serum levels of liver enzymes and lipids, improved liver pathology, inhibition of hepatic fatty acid accumulation, suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress, reduced insulin resistance, and altered bile acid metabolism.

The present study was carried out to assess the genotoxicity potential of Ficus deltoidea var. kunstleri aqueous extract (FDAE) using standard in vitro assays. The DNA damage of V79B cells was measured using the alkaline comet assay treated at 0.1 mg/mL (IC10) and 0.3 mg/mL (IC25) of FDAE together with positive and negative controls. For in vitro micronucleus assay, the V79B cells were treated with FDAE at five different concentrations (5, 2.5, 1.25, 0.625, and 0.3125 mg/mL) with and without S9 mixture. The bacteria reverse mutation assay of FDAE was performed on Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, 100, 1535, 1537, and Escherichia coli strain WP2uvrA using pre-incubation method in the presence or in the absence of an extrinsic metabolic system (S9 mixture). FDAE at 0.1 and 0.3 mg/mL significantly increased DNA damage in both comet tail and tail moment (p < 0.05). No significant changes were detected in the number of micronucleated cell when compared to control. Tested at the doses up to 5000 µg/plate, the FDAE did not increase the number of revertant colonies for all strains. In conclusion, further investigation needs to be conducted in animal model to confirm the non-genotoxicity activities of FDAE.

Background: With rising obesity rates worldwide, clinical trials focused on identifying effective treatments are increasing. While guidelines exist for pharmaceutical drugs targeting obesity, there are none for herbal medicine clinical trials for anti-obesity. Both industries refer to the same guidelines for clinical trials. Objectives: This scoping review aimed to gather information from herbal medicine anti-obesity randomised controlled trials (RCTs), analyse the methodologies and assess their alignment with international guidelines. Eligibility criteria: This review included RCTs of participants of all ages with obesity utilising herbal medicine with any comparators and focusing on various outcome measures. Sources of evidence: Only published journal articles were included. Charting methods: Articles were extracted from MEDLINE, CENTRAL and EMBASE using predetermined keywords. Relevant data, such as the study characteristics, types of herbal interventions and controls, treatment durations, outcome measures and safety monitoring methods were recorded in a table format for comparative analysis. Results: We included 99 RCTs that showed participant sample sizes ranging from 8 to 182, ages 18 to 80 years and body mass indexes (BMIs) between 25 and 49.9 kg/m². Herbal interventions used single herbs ( n = 57) and mixtures ( n = 42), given for 14 days to 56 weeks. Studies implementing diet modifications include restricted calorie diets ( n = 35), food-portion controlled diets ( n = 7) and fixed calorie diets ( n = 7). Of the 28 studies implementing exercise, most were of moderate intensity ( n = 22). All studies collected BMI and weight as primary outcomes. Body fat composition was measured in over 50% of studies using a body analyser ( n = 57). Waist, hip and abdominal circumferences were infrequently measured. Radiological tools used include dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry ( n = 16), computed tomography scans ( n = 10) and ultrasound ( n = 2). Safety monitoring methods were reported in most studies ( n = 76). Conclusion: In conclusion, almost 50% of the studies adhered to international pharmaceutical clinical trial guidelines, addressing dietary, lifestyle, physical activity and cardiovascular risk factors. Nonetheless, more herbal anti-obesity studies need to consider the assessment of weight maintenance.

Chronic stress is a key risk factor for depression and metabolic dysfunction, widely mediated through oxidative stress and inflammatory pathways. Natural products such as honey are increasingly investigated for their potential to attenuate stress-induced pathophysiological changes. This study evaluated the protective effects of Malaysian Acacia honey (AH) on glucose regulation, oxidative damage, histopathological alterations, and pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in stress-induced rats. Male Sprague–Dawley rats (n = 42) were subjected to chronic unpredictable mild stress and supplemented with AH, amitriptyline (AMT), or their combination for 28 days. Blood glucose levels, erythrocyte hemolysis, histological changes in liver and kidney, and expression of IL-1β and TGF-β1 in ileum, caecum, and hypothalamus were assessed. Data were reported as mean and standard error of mean (SEM) after three or more independent experiments had been conducted. The data were analyzed using a paired-t-test or a one-way or two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and considered significant if p < 0.05. Stress markedly elevated glucose levels (7.97 ± 0.20 mmol/L), increased hemolysis (14.30% ± 2.96), and induced hepatic (cytoplasmic vacuolation, 1.40 ± 0.25; cell lining absent, 1.20 ± 0.37) and renal lesions (dilated intertubular capillaries, 1.40 ± 0.51; inflammation, 2.20 ± 0.20), accompanied by upregulation of IL-1β (1.27-fold ± 0.20) and TGF-β1 (1.00-fold ± 0.08). Supplementation with AH significantly reduced hyperglycemia, inhibited hemolysis, ameliorated tissue damage, and downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines. Combination therapy with AH and AMT produced the most significant improvements near to normal level, suggesting synergistic benefits. These findings highlight the therapeutic potential of AH as a natural adjunct in managing stress-related metabolic and inflammatory disturbances.