BILBERRY A M EDICAL D ICTIONARY , B IBLIOGRAPHY , AND A NNOTATED R ESEARCH G UIDE TO I NTERNET R E FERENCES
J AMES N. P ARKER , M.D. AND P HILIP M. P ARKER , P H .D., E DITORS
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ICON Health Publications ICON Group International, Inc. 4370 La Jolla Village Drive, 4th Floor San Diego, CA 92122 USA Copyright 2003 by ICON Group International, Inc. Copyright 2003 by ICON Group International, Inc. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. Last digit indicates print number: 10 9 8 7 6 4 5 3 2 1
Publisher, Health Care: Philip Parker, Ph.D. Editor(s): James Parker, M.D., Philip Parker, Ph.D. Publisher's note: The ideas, procedures, and suggestions contained in this book are not intended for the diagnosis or treatment of a health problem. As new medical or scientific information becomes available from academic and clinical research, recommended treatments and drug therapies may undergo changes. The authors, editors, and publisher have attempted to make the information in this book up to date and accurate in accord with accepted standards at the time of publication. The authors, editors, and publisher are not responsible for errors or omissions or for consequences from application of the book, and make no warranty, expressed or implied, in regard to the contents of this book. Any practice described in this book should be applied by the reader in accordance with professional standards of care used in regard to the unique circumstances that may apply in each situation. The reader is advised to always check product information (package inserts) for changes and new information regarding dosage and contraindications before prescribing any drug or pharmacological product. Caution is especially urged when using new or infrequently ordered drugs, herbal remedies, vitamins and supplements, alternative therapies, complementary therapies and medicines, and integrative medical treatments. Cataloging-in-Publication Data Parker, James N., 1961Parker, Philip M., 1960Bilberry: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References / James N. Parker and Philip M. Parker, editors p. cm. Includes bibliographical references, glossary, and index. ISBN: 0-597-83785-6 1. Bilberry-Popular works. I. Title.
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Disclaimer This publication is not intended to be used for the diagnosis or treatment of a health problem. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher, editors, and authors are not engaging in the rendering of medical, psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. References to any entity, product, service, or source of information that may be contained in this publication should not be considered an endorsement, either direct or implied, by the publisher, editors, or authors. ICON Group International, Inc., the editors, and the authors are not responsible for the content of any Web pages or publications referenced in this publication.
Copyright Notice If a physician wishes to copy limited passages from this book for patient use, this right is automatically granted without written permission from ICON Group International, Inc. (ICON Group). However, all of ICON Group publications have copyrights. With exception to the above, copying our publications in whole or in part, for whatever reason, is a violation of copyright laws and can lead to penalties and fines. Should you want to copy tables, graphs, or other materials, please contact us to request permission (E-mail:
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Acknowledgements The collective knowledge generated from academic and applied research summarized in various references has been critical in the creation of this book which is best viewed as a comprehensive compilation and collection of information prepared by various official agencies which produce publications on bilberry. Books in this series draw from various agencies and institutions associated with the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and in particular, the Office of the Secretary of Health and Human Services (OS), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Administration on Aging (AOA), the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Indian Health Service (IHS), the institutions of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Program Support Center (PSC), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). In addition to these sources, information gathered from the National Library of Medicine, the United States Patent Office, the European Union, and their related organizations has been invaluable in the creation of this book. Some of the work represented was financially supported by the Research and Development Committee at INSEAD. This support is gratefully acknowledged. Finally, special thanks are owed to Tiffany Freeman for her excellent editorial support.
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About the Editors James N. Parker, M.D. Dr. James N. Parker received his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology from the University of California, Riverside and his M.D. from the University of California, San Diego. In addition to authoring numerous research publications, he has lectured at various academic institutions. Dr. Parker is the medical editor for health books by ICON Health Publications. Philip M. Parker, Ph.D. Philip M. Parker is the Eli Lilly Chair Professor of Innovation, Business and Society at INSEAD (Fontainebleau, France and Singapore). Dr. Parker has also been Professor at the University of California, San Diego and has taught courses at Harvard University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and UCLA. Dr. Parker is the associate editor for ICON Health Publications.
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About ICON Health Publications To discover more about ICON Health Publications, simply check with your preferred online booksellers, including Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com which currently carry all of our titles. Or, feel free to contact us directly for bulk purchases or institutional discounts: ICON Group International, Inc. 4370 La Jolla Village Drive, Fourth Floor San Diego, CA 92122 USA Fax: 858-546-4341 Web site: www.icongrouponline.com/health
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Table of Contents FORWARD .......................................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1. STUDIES ON BILBERRY ................................................................................................... 3 Overview........................................................................................................................................ 3 The Combined Health Information Database................................................................................. 3 Federally Funded Research on Bilberry ......................................................................................... 6 E-Journals: PubMed Central ......................................................................................................... 7 The National Library of Medicine: PubMed .................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 2. NUTRITION AND BILBERRY ........................................................................................... 9 Overview........................................................................................................................................ 9 Finding Nutrition Studies on Bilberry .......................................................................................... 9 Federal Resources on Nutrition ................................................................................................... 11 Additional Web Resources ........................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER 3. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND BILBERRY ................................................................... 13 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 13 National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.................................................. 13 Additional Web Resources ........................................................................................................... 17 General References ....................................................................................................................... 21 CHAPTER 4. DISSERTATIONS ON BILBERRY ..................................................................................... 23 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 23 Dissertations on Bilberry ............................................................................................................. 23 Keeping Current .......................................................................................................................... 23 CHAPTER 5. PATENTS ON BILBERRY ............................................................................................... 25 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 25 Patents on Bilberry ...................................................................................................................... 25 Patent Applications on Bilberry................................................................................................... 30 Keeping Current .......................................................................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 6. BOOKS ON BILBERRY ................................................................................................... 37 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 37 Book Summaries: Online Booksellers........................................................................................... 37 The National Library of Medicine Book Index ............................................................................. 38 Chapters on Bilberry .................................................................................................................... 38 APPENDIX A. PHYSICIAN RESOURCES ............................................................................................ 41 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 41 NIH Guidelines............................................................................................................................ 41 NIH Databases............................................................................................................................. 43 Other Commercial Databases....................................................................................................... 48 APPENDIX B. PATIENT RESOURCES ................................................................................................. 49 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 49 Patient Guideline Sources............................................................................................................ 49 Finding Associations.................................................................................................................... 50 APPENDIX C. FINDING MEDICAL LIBRARIES .................................................................................. 53 Overview...................................................................................................................................... 53 Preparation................................................................................................................................... 53 Finding a Local Medical Library.................................................................................................. 53 Medical Libraries in the U.S. and Canada ................................................................................... 53 ONLINE GLOSSARIES.................................................................................................................. 59 Online Dictionary Directories ..................................................................................................... 59 BILBERRY DICTIONARY ............................................................................................................. 61
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INDEX ................................................................................................................................................ 85
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FORWARD In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."1 Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing. Since only the smallest fraction of information dealing with bilberry is indexed in search engines, such as www.google.com or others, a non-systematic approach to Internet research can be not only time consuming, but also incomplete. This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to know as much as possible about bilberry, using the most advanced research tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. In addition to offering a structured and comprehensive bibliography, the pages that follow will tell you where and how to find reliable information covering virtually all topics related to bilberry, from the essentials to the most advanced areas of research. Public, academic, government, and peer-reviewed research studies are emphasized. Various abstracts are reproduced to give you some of the latest official information available to date on bilberry. Abundant guidance is given on how to obtain free-of-charge primary research results via the Internet. While this book focuses on the field of medicine, when some sources provide access to non-medical information relating to bilberry, these are noted in the text. E-book and electronic versions of this book are fully interactive with each of the Internet sites mentioned (clicking on a hyperlink automatically opens your browser to the site indicated). If you are using the hard copy version of this book, you can access a cited Web site by typing the provided Web address directly into your Internet browser. You may find it useful to refer to synonyms or related terms when accessing these Internet databases. NOTE: At the time of publication, the Web addresses were functional. However, some links may fail due to URL address changes, which is a common occurrence on the Internet. For readers unfamiliar with the Internet, detailed instructions are offered on how to access electronic resources. For readers unfamiliar with medical terminology, a comprehensive glossary is provided. For readers without access to Internet resources, a directory of medical libraries, that have or can locate references cited here, is given. We hope these resources will prove useful to the widest possible audience seeking information on bilberry. The Editors
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From the NIH, National Cancer Institute (NCI): http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/ten-things-to-know.
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CHAPTER 1. STUDIES ON BILBERRY Overview In this chapter, we will show you how to locate peer-reviewed references and studies on bilberry.
The Combined Health Information Database The Combined Health Information Database summarizes studies across numerous federal agencies. To limit your investigation to research studies and bilberry, you will need to use the advanced search options. First, go to http://chid.nih.gov/index.html. From there, select the “Detailed Search” option (or go directly to that page with the following hyperlink: http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html). The trick in extracting studies is found in the drop boxes at the bottom of the search page where “You may refine your search by.” Select the dates and language you prefer, and the format option “Journal Article.” At the top of the search form, select the number of records you would like to see (we recommend 100) and check the box to display “whole records.” We recommend that you type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the “For these words:” box. Consider using the option “anywhere in record” to make your search as broad as possible. If you want to limit the search to only a particular field, such as the title of the journal, then select this option in the “Search in these fields” drop box. The following is what you can expect from this type of search: •
Physician's Guide to Herbs Source: Practical Diabetology. 16(1): 10, 12-13, 16-17, 20. March 1997. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Summary: Conventional therapy of diabetes mellitus has focused on a care plan consisting of meal planning, exercise, medication, self monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), and patient education. Recently, there has been increasing interest on the part of patients in alternative therapies for chronic disease, including the increased use and popularity of herbal therapies. This article is a review of herbal products described in the literature as being useful and beneficial in diabetes management. The authors begin with a series of reported cases of herbal misadventures, noting that the heterogeneous
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nature of herbal products makes it difficult to monitor patients for adverse effects. The authors then review the use of herbs and herb products, including alfalfa, apple, bilberry, blackberry, burdock, celery, coriander, dandelion, Di huang, dried root bark of lycium Chinese mill, eucalyptus, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, ginseng, goat's rue, goldenseal, guayusa, hop, Java plum, juniper, kidney-bean pods, lucerne (Medicago sativa), mistletoe, Momordica charantia (cerasee), Momordica charantia (karela), mushrooms, nettle, onion, raspberry, sage, sumac, tarragon, thyme, Xuan seng, yeast, and zhi mu or di seng. The authors conclude that, although some alternative preparations may have mild glucose-lowering effects, the effects are insufficient for the management of diabetes. In addition, the potential for adverse interactions with agents used in conventional treatment should be appreciated. 7 references. (AA-M). •
Using Herbal Therapies Safely Source: Diabetes Self-Management. 16(3): 6-8, 10-13. May-June 1999. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Summary: In discussing the safe use of herbal therapies, this article begins with a description of current Federal laws on dietary supplements, focusing on the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. This law created a new food category called dietary supplements so that truthful, nonmisleading information could be used in conjunction with the sale of herbal products and consumers could be given information on a product's benefits and potential side effects. The article continues with an examination of myths and truths about herbs. Myths that are debunked are that herbs are natural so they must be safe; herbs must be safe and effective because they have been around for centuries; doctors do not need to be told that a patient is taking herbal supplements; all products that contain a specific herb are basically the same; and herbs are easy to take. This is followed by guidelines on the safe use of herbs. In addition, the article identifies some herbal products that may have potential as aids to diabetes management, including bilberry fruit, bitter melon, burdock root, capsicum, fenugreek, garlic and onions, and ginseng. The article concludes by providing sources of additional information about dietary supplements and identifying herbal products that have been associated with serious illness and injuries.
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Biological Complementary Therapies: A Focus on Botanical Products in Diabetes Source: Diabetes Spectrum. 14(4): 199-208. October, 2001. Contact: Available from American Diabetes Association. 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311. (800) 232-3472. Website: www.diabetes.org. Summary: Several botanical (plant-based) and biological (animal based) products claim to lower blood glucose or decrease complications of diabetes, and some of these are being used by people with diabetes. This author focuses on the use of botanical products in managing diabetes. Products thought to lower blood glucose include gymnema, fenugreek, bitter melon, ginseng, and nopal. Claims have also been made for aloe, bilberry, and milk thistle, but there is less evidence in support of these. Botanical products thought to decrease diabetes complications include y-linolenic acid, ginkgo biloba, and garlic. A vitamin-like substance, alpha-lipoic acid, had been used to treat neuropathic complications. The author concludes that although these biological complementary therapies have been studied in human clinical trials, there are many problems with study design, study endpoints, numbers of patients, and study duration. There is insufficient evidence to recommend generalized use for patients with diabetes.
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Furthermore, these produces have many side effects and may potentially interact with traditional diabetes medications. 78 references. •
Herbal Supplements in Diabetes Management Source: Diabetes Self-Management. 17(6): 28, 30-31, 35-37. November-December 2000. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Website: www.diabetes-self-mgmt.com. Summary: This article, the second of a series of articles on herbal therapies, reviews some of the most promising blood sugar lowering herbals, including bitter melon, fenugreek, gurmar, goat's rue, bilberry, ginseng, nopal cactus, and garlic and onions. Bitter melon is the most widely used traditional remedy for diabetes in Asia and Africa. As a treatment for diabetes, the juice or an extract of the unripe fruit is used. Compounds isolated from bitter melon believed to be responsible for its blood sugar lowering properties include charantin and plant insulin. No well designed studies using bitter melon in humans have been conducted. Fenugreek is a common spice. Its seeds or a defatted powder made from the seed have been used as a diabetes treatment. Studies of fenugreek suggest that it has hypoglycemic activity and that it may improve blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Gurmar, or gymnema sylvestre leaf, has been used as a traditional treatment for diabetes in India. Gymnema is believed to act by improving the function of the pancreatic beta cells. There is minimal research on gymnema, and the studies conducted in humans have not been well designed. Goat's rue is another traditional remedy for diabetes that has been shown to have hypoglycemic activity in humans. The leaves of bilberry have been used as an antidiabetic tea. However, chronic consumption of bilberry leaf or capsules is not recommended because they can be toxic. Ginseng, which is sold chiefly as an energy booster in the United States, has been investigated as a diabetes remedy in only a few small studies. The stem or leaf of nopal cactus has been used in traditional Mexican medicine to treat type 2 diabetes. Garlic and onions have been used as folk medicines to treat diabetes, and a few studies suggest that they may have some mild blood sugar lowering properties. The article reviews studies on these products, identifies their adverse effects, and presents typical dosing regimens. In addition, the article lists potentially dangerous plant products and provides guidelines for safe supplement use. 1 figure.
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Herbal Therapies and Diabetes Complications Source: Diabetes Self-Management. 18(1): 87-88, 91-92, 95-96, 98. January-February 2001. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Website: www.diabetes-self-mgmt.com. Summary: This article, the third of a series of articles on herbal therapies, reviews herbal and alternative therapy supplements for the treatment of diabetic complications. Both the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Trial (UKPDS) demonstrated that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible can delay or prevent the development of complications in people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Some of the new, experimental treatments for complications of diabetes include nutritional and herbal supplements. Many supplements may be of potential benefit in the treatment or prevention of heart disease, including fish oil, fenugreek, garlic, red yeast, antioxidants, and several herbs that inhibit blood clotting such as ginger, garlic, gingko biloba, and ginseng. The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may be eased with alpha lipoic acid, capsaicin, and evening primrose oil. Although bilberry and gingko biloba have both been proposed as potential
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treatments for diabetic retinopathy, neither is currently recommended for this use. The herb yohimbe has a reputation as a aphrodisiac and a treatment for impotence, but clinical trials do not support its use. There are several experimental drugs and some herbal supplements that may prevent damage caused by the conversion of extra glucose in the cells into sorbitol, including flavonoids, quercetin, and extracts from licorice root. Although being overweight is not considered a complication of diabetes, it can make controlling blood glucose levels more difficult. Losing a small amount of weight can lower both blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels. Numerous herbal and nutritional supplements exist for people who are trying to lose weight. Common ingredients found in herbal weight loss preparations include various diuretics and laxatives, guarana, ephedra, and garcinia. The article reviews studies on these products, identifies their adverse effects, and presents typical dosing regimens. In addition, the article provides guidelines for safe supplement use and lists suggestions for further reading. 1 table.
Federally Funded Research on Bilberry The U.S. Government supports a variety of research studies relating to bilberry. These studies are tracked by the Office of Extramural Research at the National Institutes of Health.2 CRISP (Computerized Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects) is a searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals, and other institutions. Search the CRISP Web site at http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/crisp/crisp_query.generate_screen. You will have the option to perform targeted searches by various criteria, including geography, date, and topics related to bilberry. For most of the studies, the agencies reporting into CRISP provide summaries or abstracts. As opposed to clinical trial research using patients, many federally funded studies use animals or simulated models to explore bilberry. The following is typical of the type of information found when searching the CRISP database for bilberry: •
Project Title: RHODOPSIN & AGE RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION Principal Investigator & Institution: Nakanishi, Koji; Centennial Professor of Chemistry; Chemistry; Columbia Univ New York Morningside 1210 Amsterdam Ave, Mc 2205 New York, Ny 10027 Timing: Fiscal Year 2001; Project Start 01-MAR-1991; Project End 28-FEB-2003 Summary: The 3D structure of rhodopsin is becoming quite clear due to input from various studies. A photoaffinity labeled analog with a fixed cis-11,12- double bond has shown that C-4 of the chromophore is near the middle of helix F. This photocrosslinking will be repeated with other intermediates along the transduction pathway is near the middle of helix F. This photo- crosslinking will be repeated with other intermediates along the transduction pathway using a similar photolabeled analog without the fixed 11,12-double bond. The first intermediate will be bathorhodopsin which requires photo-activation to be performed at -196 degrees Celsius and the analysis of rhodopsin intermediates in subsequent stages will not be sample; however,
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Healthcare projects are funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Office of Assistant Secretary of Health (OASH).
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this procedure will lead to general methods facilitating photo-crosslinking studies. In connection with these 3D investigations, we will determine the absolute sense of twist around the chromophoric C-6-s and C-12-s bonds by incorporation of enantiomeric retinal with predetermined conformations. Preliminary studies will also be continued to investigate the origin of the little understood but well-documented phenomenon of bleaching adaptation. The related dark-activity of all- trans-retinal/opsin mixtures by time-resolved difference CD and biochemical studies will be addressed. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a major cause of blindness of which no remedy exists; ca. 1.7 million Americans have impaired vision from AMD. This disease involves the damage or breakdown of the macula, a small area of the retina responsible for sharp vision. With age, fluorescent chromophores accumulate in granules of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. It is possible that these pigments absorb photons in the visible range leading to light-induced damage. Two fluorescent compounds present in the granules have been characterized; they are named A2E and iso-A2E because they consist of two molecules of vitamin A aldehyde (retinal) and one molecule of ethanolamine. These compounds are present in 70 and 80 year old eyes, but not in fetal eyes. The detergent- like wedge-shaped structure of these molecules make them strong candidates for involvement in AMD. The biosynthesis and phototoxicity of A2E and RPE cells, the preparation of antibodies against A2E, and the effect of A2E on RPE function will be investigated. The anti-AMD principle(s) claimed to be present in bilberry is also under study. After defining the role of A2E in AMD, a treatment may involve the elimination of cellular A2E as well as the prevention of its formation. Website: http://crisp.cit.nih.gov/crisp/Crisp_Query.Generate_Screen
E-Journals: PubMed Central3 PubMed Central (PMC) is a digital archive of life sciences journal literature developed and managed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).4 Access to this growing archive of e-journals is free and unrestricted.5 To search, go to http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Pmc, and type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the search box. This search gives you access to fulltext articles. The following is a sample of items found for bilberry in the PubMed Central database: •
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Expression of Genes Involved in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Relation to Anthocyanin, Proanthocyanidin, and Flavonol Levels during Bilberry Fruit Development. by Jaakola L, Maatta K, Pirttila AM, Torronen R, Karenlampi S, Hohtola A.; 2002 Oct 1; http://www.pubmedcentral.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=166602
Adapted from the National Library of Medicine: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/about/intro.html.
With PubMed Central, NCBI is taking the lead in preservation and maintenance of open access to electronic literature, just as NLM has done for decades with printed biomedical literature. PubMed Central aims to become a world-class library of the digital age. 5 The value of PubMed Central, in addition to its role as an archive, lies in the availability of data from diverse sources stored in a common format in a single repository. Many journals already have online publishing operations, and there is a growing tendency to publish material online only, to the exclusion of print.
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The National Library of Medicine: PubMed One of the quickest and most comprehensive ways to find academic studies in both English and other languages is to use PubMed, maintained by the National Library of Medicine.6 The advantage of PubMed over previously mentioned sources is that it covers a greater number of domestic and foreign references. It is also free to use. If the publisher has a Web site that offers full text of its journals, PubMed will provide links to that site, as well as to sites offering other related data. User registration, a subscription fee, or some other type of fee may be required to access the full text of articles in some journals. To generate your own bibliography of studies dealing with bilberry, simply go to the PubMed Web site at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed. Type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the search box, and click “Go.” The following is the type of output you can expect from PubMed for bilberry (hyperlinks lead to article summaries): •
Antioxidant action of Vaccinium myrtillus extract on human low density lipoproteins in vitro: initial observations. Author(s): Laplaud PM, Lelubre A, Chapman MJ. Source: Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology. 1997; 11(1): 35-40. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=9182074&dopt=Abstract
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Identification of the human Lewis(a) carbohydrate motif in a secretory peroxidase from a plant cell suspension culture (Vaccinium myrtillus L.). Author(s): Melo NS, Nimtz M, Conradt HS, Fevereiro PS, Costa J. Source: Febs Letters. 1997 September 29; 415(2): 186-91. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=9350993&dopt=Abstract
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PubMed was developed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The PubMed database was developed in conjunction with publishers of biomedical literature as a search tool for accessing literature citations and linking to full-text journal articles at Web sites of participating publishers. Publishers that participate in PubMed supply NLM with their citations electronically prior to or at the time of publication.
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CHAPTER 2. NUTRITION AND BILBERRY Overview In this chapter, we will show you how to find studies dedicated specifically to nutrition and bilberry.
Finding Nutrition Studies on Bilberry The National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) offers a searchable bibliographic database called the IBIDS (International Bibliographic Information on Dietary Supplements; National Institutes of Health, Building 31, Room 1B29, 31 Center Drive, MSC 2086, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2086, Tel: 301-435-2920, Fax: 301-480-1845, E-mail:
[email protected]). The IBIDS contains over 460,000 scientific citations and summaries about dietary supplements and nutrition as well as references to published international, scientific literature on dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, and botanicals.7 The IBIDS includes references and citations to both human and animal research studies. As a service of the ODS, access to the IBIDS database is available free of charge at the following Web address: http://ods.od.nih.gov/databases/ibids.html. After entering the search area, you have three choices: (1) IBIDS Consumer Database, (2) Full IBIDS Database, or (3) Peer Reviewed Citations Only. Now that you have selected a database, click on the “Advanced” tab. An advanced search allows you to retrieve up to 100 fully explained references in a comprehensive format. Type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the search box, and click “Go.” To narrow the search, you can also select the “Title” field.
7 Adapted from http://ods.od.nih.gov. IBIDS is produced by the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health to assist the public, healthcare providers, educators, and researchers in locating credible, scientific information on dietary supplements. IBIDS was developed and will be maintained through an interagency partnership with the Food and Nutrition Information Center of the National Agricultural Library, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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The following information is typical of that found when using the “Full IBIDS Database” to search for “bilberry” (or a synonym): •
Antioxidant capacity as influenced by total phenolic and anthocyanin content, maturity, and variety of Vaccinium species. Author(s): Turfs University, Boston, MA. Source: Prior, R.L. Cao, G. Martin, A. Sofic, E. McEwen, J. O'Brien, C. Lischner, N. Ehlenfeldt, M. Kalt, W. Krewer, G. Mainland, C.M. Journal-of-agricultural-and-foodchemistry (USA). (July 1998). volume 46(7) page 2686-2693.
Additional physician-oriented references include: •
Comparison of two methods used to analyse lipid peroxidation from Vaccinium myrtillus (L.) during snow removal, reacclimation and cold acclimation. Author(s): Department of Biology, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland. Muhos Research Station, Finnish Forest Research Institute, Kirkkosaarentie 7, FIN-91500 Muhos, Finland. Source: Taulavuori, E Hellstrom, E K Taulavuori, K Laine, K J-Exp-Bot. 2001 December; 52(365): 2375-80 0022-0957
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Effects of bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) litter on seed germination and early seedling growth of four boreal tree species. Source: Jaderlund, A. Zackrisson, O. Nilsson, M.C. J-chem-ecol. New York, N.Y. : Plenum Publishing Corporation. May 1996. volume 22 (5) page 973-986. 0098-0331
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Expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in relation to anthocyanin, proanthocyanidin, and flavonol levels during bilberry fruit development. Author(s): Department of Biology, University of Oulu, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland.
[email protected] Source: Jaakola, L Maatta, K Pirttila, A M Torronen, R Karenlampi, S Hohtola, A PlantPhysiol. 2002 October; 130(2): 729-39 0032-0889
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Induction of Apoptosis in Cancer Cells by Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and the Anthocyanins. Author(s): Fruit Processing Research Center, AOHATA Corporation, Takehara, Hiroshima 729-2392, Japan, and National Food Research Institute, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 3058642, Japan. Source: Katsube, N Iwashita, K Tsushida, T Yamaki, K Kobori, M J-Agric-Food-Chem. 2003 January 1; 51(1): 68-75 0021-8561
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Isolation of bioactive constituents from Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry) fruits and cell cultures. Source: Madhavi, D.L. Bomser, J. Smith, M.A.L. Singletary, K. Plant-sci. Oxford, UK : Elsevier Science Ltd. January 15, 1998. volume 131 (1) page 95-103. 0168-9452
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Isolation of high quality RNA from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit. Author(s): Department of Biology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, FIN-90014 Oulu, Finland.
[email protected] Source: Jaakola, L Pirttila, A M Halonen, M Hohtola, A Mol-Biotechnol. 2001 October; 19(2): 201-3 1073-6085
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Monograph. Vaccinium myrtillus (bilberry). Source: Altern-Med-Revolume 2001 October; 6(5): 500-4 1089-5159
Nutrition
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The effect of bilberry nutritional supplementation on night visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Author(s): Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, NAS Pensacola, Florida 32508, USA. Source: Muth, E R Laurent, J M Jasper, P Altern-Med-Revolume 2000 April; 5(2): 164-73 1089-5159
Federal Resources on Nutrition In addition to the IBIDS, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provide many sources of information on general nutrition and health. Recommended resources include: •
healthfinder®, HHS’s gateway to health information, including diet and nutrition: http://www.healthfinder.gov/scripts/SearchContext.asp?topic=238&page=0
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The United States Department of Agriculture’s Web site dedicated to nutrition information: www.nutrition.gov
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The Food and Drug Administration’s Web site for federal food safety information: www.foodsafety.gov
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The National Action Plan on Overweight and Obesity sponsored by the United States Surgeon General: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity/
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The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition has an Internet site sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/
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Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture: http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/
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Food and Nutrition Information Center, National Agricultural Library sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/
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Food and Nutrition Service sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/
Additional Web Resources A number of additional Web sites offer encyclopedic information covering food and nutrition. The following is a representative sample: •
AOL: http://search.aol.com/cat.adp?id=174&layer=&from=subcats
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Family Village: http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/med_nutrition.html
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Google: http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Nutrition/
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Healthnotes: http://www.healthnotes.com/
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Open Directory Project: http://dmoz.org/Health/Nutrition/
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Yahoo.com: http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Nutrition/
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WebMDHealth: http://my.webmd.com/nutrition
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•
WholeHealthMD.com: http://www.wholehealthmd.com/reflib/0,1529,00.html
The following is a specific Web list relating to bilberry; please note that any particular subject below may indicate either a therapeutic use, or a contraindication (potential danger), and does not reflect an official recommendation: •
Minerals Quercetin Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com
•
Food and Diet Diabetes Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com
13
CHAPTER 3. ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE AND BILBERRY Overview In this chapter, we will begin by introducing you to official information sources on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) relating to bilberry. At the conclusion of this chapter, we will provide additional sources.
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (http://nccam.nih.gov/) has created a link to the National Library of Medicine’s databases to facilitate research for articles that specifically relate to bilberry and complementary medicine. To search the database, go to the following Web site: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nccam/camonpubmed.html. Select “CAM on PubMed.” Enter “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the search box. Click “Go.” The following references provide information on particular aspects of complementary and alternative medicine that are related to bilberry: •
A2E-epoxides damage DNA in retinal pigment epithelial cells. Vitamin E and other antioxidants inhibit A2E-epoxide formation. Author(s): Sparrow JR, Vollmer-Snarr HR, Zhou J, Jang YP, Jockusch S, Itagaki Y, Nakanishi K. Source: The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 2003 May 16; 278(20): 18207-13. Epub 2003 March 19. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12646558&dopt=Abstract
•
Acid mediated hydrolysis of blueberry anthocyanins. Author(s): Ichiyanagi T, Oikawa K, Tateyama C, Konishi T. Source: Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2001 January; 49(1): 114-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11201215&dopt=Abstract
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Anti-angiogenic property of edible berries. Author(s): Roy S, Khanna S, Alessio HM, Vider J, Bagchi D, Bagchi M, Sen CK.
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Bilberry
Source: Free Radical Research. 2002 September; 36(9): 1023-31. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12448828&dopt=Abstract •
Berry phenolics and their antioxidant activity. Author(s): Kahkonen MP, Hopia AI, Heinonen M. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2001 August; 49(8): 4076-82. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11513713&dopt=Abstract
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Chronic fatigue syndrome: oxidative stress and dietary modifications. Author(s): Logan AC, Wong C. Source: Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic. 2001 October; 6(5): 450-9. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11703165&dopt=Abstract
•
Comparison of anthocyanin distribution in different blueberry sources by capillary zone electrophoresis. Author(s): Ichiyanagi T, Tateyama C, Oikawa K, Konishi T. Source: Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin. 2000 April; 23(4): 492-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=10784434&dopt=Abstract
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Comparison of two methods used to analyse lipid peroxidation from Vaccinium myrtillus (L.) during snow removal, reacclimation and cold acclimation. Author(s): Taulavuori E, Hellstrom EK, Taulavuori K, Laine K. Source: Journal of Experimental Botany. 2001 December; 52(365): 2375-80. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11709587&dopt=Abstract
•
Consumption of black currants, lingonberries and bilberries increases serum quercetin concentrations. Author(s): Erlund I, Marniemi J, Hakala P, Alfthan G, Meririnne E, Aro A. Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2003 January; 57(1): 37-42. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12548295&dopt=Abstract
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Content of the flavonols quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol in 25 edible berries. Author(s): Hakkinen SH, Karenlampi SO, Heinonen IM, Mykkanen HM, Torronen AR. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 1999 June; 47(6): 2274-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=10794622&dopt=Abstract
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Densities of Ixodes ricinus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) on moorland vegetation communities in the UK. Author(s): Sheaves BJ, Brown RW.
Alternative Medicine 15
Source: Experimental & Applied Acarology. 1995 September; 19(9): 489-97. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=8575270&dopt=Abstract •
Determination of anthocyanidins in berries and red wine by high-performance liquid chromatography. Author(s): Nyman NA, Kumpulainen JT. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2001 September; 49(9): 4183-7. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11559107&dopt=Abstract
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Effect of aronia berry honey syrup used for sweetening jams on their quality. Author(s): Kmiecik W, Lisiewska Z, Jaworska G. Source: Die Nahrung. 2001 August; 45(4): 273-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11534468&dopt=Abstract
•
Expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis in relation to anthocyanin, proanthocyanidin, and flavonol levels during bilberry fruit development. Author(s): Jaakola L, Maatta K, Pirttila AM, Torronen R, Karenlampi S, Hohtola A. Source: Plant Physiology. 2002 October; 130(2): 729-39. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12376640&dopt=Abstract
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Fruit juice malabsorption: not only fructose. Author(s): Hoekstra JH, van den Aker JH, Hartemink R, Kneepkens CM. Source: Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992). 1995 November; 84(11): 1241-4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=8580619&dopt=Abstract
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Green tea polyphenols inhibit metalloproteinase activities in the skin, muscle, and blood of rainbow trout. Author(s): Saito M, Saito K, Kunisaki N, Kimura S. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2002 November 20; 50(24): 7169-74. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12428978&dopt=Abstract
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Herbal medication: potential for adverse interactions with analgesic drugs. Author(s): Abebe W. Source: Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2002 December; 27(6): 391-401. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12472978&dopt=Abstract
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Hydrophilic carboxylic acids and iridoid glycosides in the juice of American and European cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon and V. oxycoccos), lingonberries (V. vitis-idaea), and blueberries (V. myrtillus). Author(s): Jensen HD, Krogfelt KA, Cornett C, Hansen SH, Christensen SB.
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Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2002 November 6; 50(23): 6871-4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12405790&dopt=Abstract •
Identification of anthocyanins in berries by narrow-bore high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization detection. Author(s): Dugo P, Mondello L, Errante G, Zappia G, Dugo G. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2001 August; 49(8): 3987-92. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11513700&dopt=Abstract
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In vitro anticancer activity of fruit extracts from Vaccinium species. Author(s): Bomser J, Madhavi DL, Singletary K, Smith MA. Source: Planta Medica. 1996 June; 62(3): 212-6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=8693031&dopt=Abstract
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Induction of apoptosis in cancer cells by Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) and the anthocyanins. Author(s): Katsube N, Iwashita K, Tsushida T, Yamaki K, Kobori M. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2003 January 1; 51(1): 68-75. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12502387&dopt=Abstract
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Influence of domestic processing and storage on flavonol contents in berries. Author(s): Hakkinen SH, Karenlampi SO, Mykkanen HM, Torronen AR. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2000 July; 48(7): 2960-5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11032486&dopt=Abstract
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Isolation of high quality RNA from bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit. Author(s): Jaakola L, Pirttila AM, Halonen M, Hohtola A. Source: Molecular Biotechnology. 2001 October; 19(2): 201-3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11725489&dopt=Abstract
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Natural therapies for ocular disorders, part two: cataracts and glaucoma. Author(s): Head KA. Source: Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic. 2001 April; 6(2): 141-66. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11302779&dopt=Abstract
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Nitrate reductase activity in some subarctic species and UV influence in the foliage of Betula pendula Roth. seedlings. Author(s): Krywult M, Turunen M, Sutinen ML, Derome K, Norokorpi Y. Source: The Science of the Total Environment. 2002 February 4; 284(1-3): 149-55. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=11846159&dopt=Abstract
Alternative Medicine 17
•
Potential mechanisms of cancer chemoprevention by anthocyanins. Author(s): Hou DX. Source: Current Molecular Medicine. 2003 March; 3(2): 149-59. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=12630561&dopt=Abstract
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Radiation preservation of foods of plant origin. Part V. Temperate fruits: pome fruits, stone fruits, and berries. Author(s): Thomas P. Source: Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 1986; 24(4): 357-400. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=3536313&dopt=Abstract
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Resveratrol in raw and baked blueberries and bilberries. Author(s): Lyons MM, Yu C, Toma RB, Cho SY, Reiboldt W, Lee J, van Breemen RB. Source: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2003 September 24; 51(20): 5867-70. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=13129286&dopt=Abstract
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The effect of bilberry nutritional supplementation on night visual acuity and contrast sensitivity. Author(s): Muth ER, Laurent JM, Jasper P. Source: Alternative Medicine Review : a Journal of Clinical Therapeutic. 2000 April; 5(2): 164-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov:80/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_ uids=10767671&dopt=Abstract
Additional Web Resources A number of additional Web sites offer encyclopedic information covering CAM and related topics. The following is a representative sample: •
Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.: http://www.herbmed.org/
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AOL: http://search.aol.com/cat.adp?id=169&layer=&from=subcats
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Chinese Medicine: http://www.newcenturynutrition.com/
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drkoop.com: http://www.drkoop.com/InteractiveMedicine/IndexC.html
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Family Village: http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/med_altn.htm
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Google: http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Alternative/
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Healthnotes: http://www.healthnotes.com/
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MedWebPlus: http://medwebplus.com/subject/Alternative_and_Complementary_Medicine
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Open Directory Project: http://dmoz.org/Health/Alternative/
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HealthGate: http://www.tnp.com/
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WebMDHealth: http://my.webmd.com/drugs_and_herbs
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WholeHealthMD.com: http://www.wholehealthmd.com/reflib/0,1529,00.html
•
Yahoo.com: http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Alternative_Medicine/
The following is a specific Web list relating to bilberry; please note that any particular subject below may indicate either a therapeutic use, or a contraindication (potential danger), and does not reflect an official recommendation: •
General Overview Allergic Rhinitis Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Atherosclerosis Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Atherosclerosis and Heart Disease Prevention Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Brain Cancer Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Cataracts Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Cataracts Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Cataracts (prevention) Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Chronic Venous Insufficiency Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Diabetes Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Diabetes Mellitus Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Diarrhea Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Diarrhea Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Edema Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Edema Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com
Alternative Medicine 19
Eye Disorders Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Glaucoma Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Hay Fever Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Hemophilia Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Hemorrhoids Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com High Cholesterol Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Macular Degeneration Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Macular Degeneration Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Macular Degeneration Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Menstrual Disorders Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Menstrual Pain Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Night Blindness Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Night Vision (impaired) Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Peptic Ulcer Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Reiter's Syndrome Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Retinopathy Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Uveitis Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com
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Bilberry
Varicose Veins Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Varicose Veins Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Vascular Disorders Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Water Retention Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com •
Herbs and Supplements Antioxidants and Free Radicals Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Arctostaphylos Alternative names: Bearberry; Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Source: Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.; www.amfoundation.org Bilberry Alternative names: Vaccinium myrtillus Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Bilberry Alternative names: Vaccinium myrtillus, European Blueberry, Huckleberry Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Bilberry Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Bilberry Source: WholeHealthMD.com, LLC.; www.wholehealthmd.com Hyperlink: http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/substances_view/0,1525,10007,00.html Blueberry Alternative names: Vaccinium spp. Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com Cranberry Alternative names: Vaccinium macrocarpon Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com European Blueberry Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Flavonoids Source: Healthnotes, Inc.; www.healthnotes.com
Alternative Medicine 21
Horse Chestnut Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Huckleberry Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Leonurus Alternative names: Motherwort; Leonurus cardiaca Source: Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.; www.amfoundation.org OPCS (Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins) Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Oral Hypoglycemics Source: Prima Communications, Inc.www.personalhealthzone.com Ribes Alternative names: Black Currant; Ribes nigrum L. Source: Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.; www.amfoundation.org Vaccinium Macrocarpon Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Vaccinium Myrtillus Source: Integrative Medicine Communications; www.drkoop.com Vacciniumb Alternative names: Bilberry; Vaccinium myrtillus L. Source: Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.; www.amfoundation.org
General References A good place to find general background information on CAM is the National Library of Medicine. It has prepared within the MEDLINEplus system an information topic page dedicated to complementary and alternative medicine. To access this page, go to the MEDLINEplus site at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alternativemedicine.html. This Web site provides a general overview of various topics and can lead to a number of general sources.
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CHAPTER 4. DISSERTATIONS ON BILBERRY Overview In this chapter, we will give you a bibliography on recent dissertations relating to bilberry. We will also provide you with information on how to use the Internet to stay current on dissertations. IMPORTANT NOTE: When following the search strategy described below, you may discover non-medical dissertations that use the generic term “bilberry” (or a synonym) in their titles. To accurately reflect the results that you might find while conducting research on bilberry, we have not necessarily excluded non-medical dissertations in this bibliography.
Dissertations on Bilberry ProQuest Digital Dissertations, the largest archive of academic dissertations available, is located at the following Web address: http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations. From this archive, we have compiled the following list covering dissertations devoted to bilberry. You will see that the information provided includes the dissertation’s title, its author, and the institution with which the author is associated. The following covers recent dissertations found when using this search procedure: •
Resveratrol Content in Raw and Baked Blueberries and Bilberries (vaccinium) by Lyons, Mary Margaret; Ms from California State University, Long Beach, 2003, 55 pages http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/1413279
Keeping Current Ask the medical librarian at your library if it has full and unlimited access to the ProQuest Digital Dissertations database. From the library, you should be able to do more complete searches via http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations.
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CHAPTER 5. PATENTS ON BILBERRY Overview Patents can be physical innovations (e.g. chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment) or processes (e.g. treatments or diagnostic procedures). The United States Patent and Trademark Office defines a patent as a grant of a property right to the inventor, issued by the Patent and Trademark Office.8 Patents, therefore, are intellectual property. For the United States, the term of a new patent is 20 years from the date when the patent application was filed. If the inventor wishes to receive economic benefits, it is likely that the invention will become commercially available within 20 years of the initial filing. It is important to understand, therefore, that an inventor’s patent does not indicate that a product or service is or will be commercially available. The patent implies only that the inventor has “the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling” the invention in the United States. While this relates to U.S. patents, similar rules govern foreign patents. In this chapter, we show you how to locate information on patents and their inventors. If you find a patent that is particularly interesting to you, contact the inventor or the assignee for further information. IMPORTANT NOTE: When following the search strategy described below, you may discover non-medical patents that use the generic term “bilberry” (or a synonym) in their titles. To accurately reflect the results that you might find while conducting research on bilberry, we have not necessarily excluded non-medical patents in this bibliography.
Patents on Bilberry By performing a patent search focusing on bilberry, you can obtain information such as the title of the invention, the names of the inventor(s), the assignee(s) or the company that owns or controls the patent, a short abstract that summarizes the patent, and a few excerpts from the description of the patent. The abstract of a patent tends to be more technical in nature, while the description is often written for the public. Full patent descriptions contain much more information than is presented here (e.g. claims, references, figures, diagrams, etc.). We
8Adapted
from the United States Patent and Trademark Office: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/doc/general/whatis.htm.
26
Bilberry
will tell you how to obtain this information later in the chapter. The following is an example of the type of information that you can expect to obtain from a patent search on bilberry: •
Breast-enhancing, herbal compositions and methods of using same Inventor(s): Ernest; Joseph Michael (Oceanside, CA), Smith; Allen (Encino, CA) Assignee(s): Vital Dynamics, Inc. (Canoga Park, CA) Patent Number: 6,200,594 Date filed: December 29, 1999 Abstract: Topical and oral compositions containing unique blends of certain herbs effectively enhance breasts in human females by strengthening connective tissues and encouraging the growth of new cells. The topical composition contains Saw Palmetto berry extract, Chaste Tree berry extract, Fenugreek seed extract, Fennel seed extract, Comfrey extract, White Willow Bark extract, Ma Huang extract, Black Cohosh extract, Guarana extract, Passion Flower extract, Bilberry extract, Horsetail extract and Cayenne extract. The oral composition is a dietary supplement system containing two diet supplement compositions. The first composition contains extracts of Blessed Thistle, Hops, Wild Yam, Fenugreek seed, Saw Palmetto berry, Chaste Tree berry, Fennel seed, Black Cohosh, Damiana, Dong Quai, Lycium Chinese Herb, Scullcap Concentrate, and Curcubita Pepo Pumpkin seed, as well as Methyl Sulfonyl Methane and Royal Jelly. The second composition contains extracts of Saw Palmetto berry, Chaste Tree berry, Black Cohosh, Fennel seed, Fenugreek seed, Lycium Chinese Herb, Scullcap Concentrate, and Curcubita Pepo Pumpkin seed, as well as Methyl Sulfonyl Methane and Royal Jelly. The topical composition, which is preferably in cream form, is topically applied to the breast area daily for a sufficient period of time. The oral system, preferably in the form of a plurality of capsules taken separately, is orally administered on a daily basis for a sufficient period, wherein capsules of the first composition are taken for a first period and capsules of the second composition are taken for a subsequent second period. Most preferably, the topical and oral compositions are administered concurrently in a treatment regimen. The latter regimen provides a synergistic breast enhancement relative to the individual topical and oral treatments. Excerpt(s): The present invention relates to compositions and methods for enhancing breasts. More particularly, this invention relates to herbal topical and oral compositions and methods of using same to enhance breast appearance in women. An attractive bustline is important to many women. Unfortunately, as women age, lose weight or become inactive, their bustlines tend to become less firm and, therefore, less attractive. The strengthening or building up of biological tissue in the female human breast is a well known problem in physiotherapy. One medical approach uses surgical techniques, such as breast implant operations. Such approach has numerous disadvantages. For example, surgical operations are inherently dangerous and relatively expensive. Opting for use of a surgical breast implant carries with it not only the danger and expense involved in any surgical operation but also potential health dangers that may be associated with using a particular type of breast implant, namely, the silicone breast implant. Web site: http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06200594__
Patents 27
•
Composition and method for reducing blood sugar levels in diabetic humans Inventor(s): Al-Dahir; Holly Christine (4521 Conlin St., Metairie, LA 70006) Assignee(s): none reported Patent Number: 5,846,544 Date filed: July 11, 1997 Abstract: The present invention concerns a method and composition for reducing blood sugar levels in diabetic human subjects. Practice of the invention requires ingestion of bilberry fruit and valerian root in timed relation to meals. Neither bilberry fruit nor valerian root alone achieve the lowering and regulation of blood sugar levels achieved by the combination. Practice of the invention requires ingestion of bilberry fruit with valerian root. Excerpt(s): The present invention relates to the lowering and regulation of glucose levels in diabetic humans, and more particularly to the lowering and regulation of blood sugar levels in diabetic humans through the ingestion of valerian root and bilberry fruit preparations and extracts. Before the advent of insulin, diabetes and hypoglycemia were treated with plant medicines. In 1980, the World Health Organization urged researchers to examine whether traditional medicines possessed any real effects. In the last twenty years scientific investigation has confirmed the efficacy of many of these preparations. Valerian root (valeriana officianalis) has not been previously known, either alone or in combination with other plant components, to be effective in lowering or otherwise regulating glucose levels in diabetic subjects. Bilberry (vaccinlium myrtillus), or European blueberry, is a shrubby perennial that grows in the woods and forest meadows of Europe. The fruit is a blue-black berry that differs from an American blueberry in that its meat is also blue-black. Bilberry-leaf tea has a long history as a folk treatment for diabetes. This use is supported by research which has shown that oral administration reduces hyperglycemia in normal and diabetic dogs, even when glucose is injected intravenously at the same time. Allen, F. M., "Blueberry Leaf Extract: Physiologic and Clinical Properties in Relation to Carbohydrate Metabolism." Journal of the American Medical Association 89: 1577-81, 1927. Beaver, B. and Zahand, G.: "Plants With Oral Hyperglycemic Action." Quarterly Journal of Crude Drug Research, 17: 13996, 1979. It has been thought that the berries or extracts of the berries offer even greater benefit then the tea. Michael T. Murray, Diabetes and Hypoglycemia (Prima Publishing, 1994). Web site: http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US05846544__
•
Composition for reducing the risk or progression of cardiovascular diseases Inventor(s): Lang; Philip C. (Toms River, NJ), Sosnowski; Robert E. (Manasquan, NJ) Assignee(s): DexGen Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Manasquan, NJ) Patent Number: 6,583,152 Date filed: April 30, 2001 Abstract: Elevated levels of homocysteine have been implicated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular and other diseases. A composition for decreasing levels of plasma homocysteine and a method for administering the composition are provided the composition containing dextromethorphan (DM), folic acid and vitamins B.sub.6 and B.sub.12. The composition provides a synergistic therapeutic effect so that lower
28
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amounts of the above ingredients may be employed to minimize any undesirable side effects caused by the use of high levels of a component such as DM. Preferred compositions for cardiovascular diseases further include lecithin, vitamin E, betacarotene, procyanidins/flavonoids, trimethylglycine, garlic oil and minerals. Other compositions for treating glaucoma include bilberry, bioflavonoids and beta-carotene and for treating tardive dyskinesia include an antioxidant such as grape seed extract and pine bark extract, lecithin and oligomeric proanthocyanidins. The compositions may be administered using any suitable means such as orally or intravenous. Excerpt(s): The present invention relates to a composition and method for reducing the risk or progression of cardiovascular, glaucoma and tardive dyskinesia diseases and, more particularly, to a composition containing a number of ingredients which are present in amounts lower than amounts considered harmful to the body but which act synergistically to provide enhanced disease inhibition. Cardiovascular disease is the most frequent cause of death in industrialized countries. Atherosclerosis (AS) is the principal cause of cardiovascular disease. AS is a disease of the intima of the arteries that leads to fatty lesions called artheromatous plaques on the inside surface of the arteries. This deposit of fat and cholesterol narrows the arteries, and often becomes calcified, providing sites for abnormal blood clots to form, leading to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations have repeatedly been associated with increased vascular risk. Hcy causes cells to decrease their production of clot preventing and clot dissolving substances and increases production of clot promoting substances. Hcy is an intermediate sulfhydryl alpha-amino acid formed during conversion of methionine to cysteine. Web site: http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06583152__ •
Integrated comprehensive hemorrhoid treatment compositions and regimen Inventor(s): Borod; Murray (1420 Capri Ave., Petaluma, CA 94954) Assignee(s): none reported Patent Number: 6,228,387 Date filed: August 18, 2000 Abstract: A first composition for topical application and a second for oral administration, make up a comprehensive program for the treatment and relief of hemorrhoids. The topical application composition contains supplements for healing of hemorrhoids including an agent for the enhancement of the formation of collagen and elastin, an antioxidant having a proanthocyanidin as the active agent in combination with vitamin C, one or more anti-inflammatory agents, and vitamin E. In the preferred embodiment, the composition is made from gotu kola extract, grape seed extract, horse chestnut extract, aloe vera, vitamin C, and vitamin E. A few drops each of Essential Oils of Chamomile and Lavender may be included. The composition may be formulated as an ointment, cream or gel for external application. The components of the composition work synergistically to relieve the pain, discomfort and swelling associated with hemorrhoids while enhancing the connective tissue sheathes surrounding and supporting the veins and capillaries. The composition for topical application is used in combination with a second composition of supplements for oral administration which includes gotu kola extract, grape seed extract, bilberry extract, vitamin C and vitamin E. The second composition is administered as a daily dosage, and may be formulated as one or more tablets, capsules, softgels or gelcaps.
Patents 29
Excerpt(s): The present invention relates generally to hemorrhoid treatment and relief, and more specifically to a comprehensive, integrated treatment regimen and relief of pain and discomfort, including separate compositions that promote healing from inside and outside the body. The compositions of the invention are made from vitamins and plant extracts, and include both a topical application composition and a regimen for oral administration. Hemorrhoids, sometimes referred to as piles, is a common affliction among both adults and children. The term refers to varicosities of the veins of the hemorrhoidal plexus, characterized by abnormal dilation, knotting, and tortuosity. They may be complicated by inflammation, clotting, and bleeding. A variety of factors have been implicated in causing hemorrhoids, including excessive strain during defecation, prolonged sitting or standing, constipation, overweight, pregnancy, and the normal aging process. Whatever the cause, however, hemorrhoid sufferers experience pain, itching, and discomfort. When the hemorrhoidal condition is mild to moderate, a conservative course of treatment will usually include stool softeners (such as increased dietary fiber or psyllium seed), sitz baths, and topical analgesics. While such topical analgesics and stool softeners may relieve the patient's symptomatic complaints, they do not actively attempt to alleviate weakness of the veins and capillaries which may either cause or result from constant or repeated stretching and dilatation of the blood vessels of the hemorrhoidal plexus. A return to the normal strength, elasticity, and permeability of the rectal blood vessels may require the formation of collagen and elastin, a process which may be hindered by free radicals and other oxidants in the blood system which occur with aging, dietary insufficiencies, and disease processes. Web site: http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06228387__ •
Skin whitening composition comprising bearberry and tetrahydrocurcumin Inventor(s): Kyrou; Christos D. (Suffern, NY), Martin; Dennis M. (Cornwall, NY), Ptchelintsev; Dmitri (Mahwah, NJ), Simpson; Susan E. (Wyckoff, NJ), Teal; Janice J. (Old Greenwich, CT) Assignee(s): Avon Products, Inc. (New York, NY) Patent Number: 6,641,845 Date filed: June 2, 2000 Abstract: A preferred composition containing a skin whitening blend containing bearberry and an antioxidant, such as tetrahydrocurcumin, is provided. Also the composition can comprise a hypopigmenting component selected from mulberry, scutellaria, grape, cowberry, bilberry, molasses, pear, guava, licorice, etc. The licorice extract can be in the form of a water soluble extract or an oil soluble extract. Other antioxidants can be selected from rosemary extract, tocopherol, green tea extract, and gamma oryzanol. The skin whitening blend may also have an accelerant that enhances or accelerates the skin cell turnover rate. The skin whitening blend may also include a sunscreen component. Also, the composition may further include a pH adjusting agent, a surfactant, a thickening agent, a preservative, a fragrance, a masking agent, a pigment, an emulsifier, and/or emollient. Excerpt(s): The present invention relates to a novel skin whitening blend that is a synergistic combination of a hypopigmenting component and an antioxidant. The skin whitening blend is further incorporated into a suitable topical vehicle to provide a skin whitening composition. Optionally, the novel skin whitening blend may also incorporate a sunscreen and/or a skin cell turnover rate accelerant. It is an object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening blend that includes a
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hypopigmenting component and an antioxidant. It is another object of the present invention to provide an efficacious skin whitening blend that further comprises a sunscreen and/or a skin cell turnover rate accelerant. Web site: http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06641845__ •
Therapeutic composition Inventor(s): Kattan; Maha (620 Live Oak Dr., McLean, VA 22101) Assignee(s): none reported Patent Number: 6,093,404 Date filed: June 29, 1999 Abstract: A therapeutic composition and a method of use therefor in adults and children are disclosed. The therapeutic composition alleviates symptoms associated with attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) including hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattentiveness. The therapeutic composition contains proanthocyanidin, yucca root, hawthorn berry, bilberry, silymarin complex, and ginkgo biloba. The therapeutic composition is taken in a single daily dose. Excerpt(s): The present invention relates to therapeutic compositions for treating attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children and adults, and more particularly to a single dose therapeutic composition comprising all-natural herbs and antioxidants. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are among the most common mental disorders among children. ADHD also often continues into adolescence and adulthood. Inattentive behavior is often characterized by difficulty focusing on one task and persisting until completion, a failure to pay attention to details, and making careless mistakes in a variety of tasks. Individuals exhibiting inattentive behavior may appear as if their minds are elsewhere or they are not listening or did not hear what has just been said. Web site: http://www.delphion.com/details?pn=US06093404__
Patent Applications on Bilberry As of December 2000, U.S. patent applications are open to public viewing.9 Applications are patent requests which have yet to be granted. (The process to achieve a patent can take several years.) The following patent applications have been filed since December 2000 relating to bilberry:
9
This has been a common practice outside the United States prior to December 2000.
Patents 31
•
Composition and method for reducing the risk or progression of cardiovascular, glaucoma and tardive dyskinesia diseases Inventor(s): Lang, Philip C.; (Toms River, NJ), Sosnowski, Robert E.; (Manasquan, NJ) Correspondence: DELIO & PETERSON; 121 WHITNEY AVENUE; NEW HAVEN; CT; 06510 Patent Application Number: 20020164388 Date filed: April 30, 2001 Abstract: Elevated levels of homocysteine have been implicated as an important risk factor for cardiovascular and other diseases. A composition for decreasing levels of plasma homocysteine and a method for administering the composition are provided the composition containing dextromethorphan (DM), folic acid and vitamins B.sub.6 and B.sub.12. The composition provides a synergistic therapeutic effect so that lower amounts of the above ingredients may be employed to minimize any undesirable side effects caused by the use of high levels of a component such as DM. Preferred compositions for cardiovascular diseases further include lecithin, vitamin E, betacarotene, procyanidins/flavonoids, trimethylglycine, garlic oil and minerals. Other compositions for treating glaucoma include bilberry, bioflavonoids and beta-carotene and for treating tardive dyskinesia include an antioxidant such as grape seed extract and pine bark extract, lecithin and oligomeric proanthocyanidins. The compositions may be administered using any suitable means such as orally or intravenous. Excerpt(s): The present invention relates to a composition and method for reducing the risk or progression of cardiovascular, glaucoma and tardive dyskinesia diseases and, more particularly, to a composition containing a number of ingredients which are present in amounts lower than amounts considered harmful to the body but which act synergistically to provide enhanced disease inhibition. Cardiovascular disease is the most frequent cause of death in industrialized countries. Atherosclerosis (AS) is the principal cause of cardiovascular disease. AS is a disease of the intima of the arteries that leads to fatty lesions called artheromatous plaques on the inside surface of the arteries. This deposit of fat and cholesterol narrows the arteries, and often becomes calcified, providing sites for abnormal blood clots to form, leading to high blood pressure, heart attacks and strokes. Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) concentrations have repeatedly been associated with increased vascular risk. Hcy causes cells to decrease their production of clot preventing and clot dissolving substances and increases production of clot promoting substances. Hcy is an intermediate sulfhydryl alpha-amino acid formed during conversion of methionine to cysteine. Web site: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html
•
DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS CONTAINING NATURAL INGREDIENTS Inventor(s): PERKES, LYNN; (REXBURG, ID) Correspondence: RICHARD J. ANDERSON; FISH & RICHARDSON P.C., P.A.; 60 SOUTH SIXTH STREET; SUITE 3300; MINNEAPOLIS; MN; 55402; US Patent Application Number: 20020048575 Date filed: May 11, 1999 Abstract: The invention provides a dietary supplement comprising at least one flavonoid source and an enzyme, that is effective for inhibiting in vivo platelet activity
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Bilberry
and LDL cholesterol oxidation in a mammal at a dosage of about 30 mg/Kg or less. The supplement may contain flavonoid sources found in grape seed extracts, grape skin extracts, bilberry extracts, ginkgo biloba extracts or the flavonoid quercetin. The supplement may also contain fungal proteases, acid stable proteases and bromelain. The invention further provides a method for using the dietary supplement and an article of manufacture containing the supplement. Excerpt(s): The invention relates to dietary supplements containing natural ingredients. Coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, and other vascular occlusions are major health concerns. A common characteristic of these diseases is the atherosclerotic process, or the narrowing of arteries. Blood platelets contribute to the development and progression of the atherosclerotic process by releasing growth factors, chemotactic substances and other factors that accelerate the atherosclerotic process. In addition, platelet aggregation at or near the point of arterial damage contributes to the development of atherosclerosis and acute platelet thrombus formation. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is also associated with atherosclerosis. It has been proposed that nonatherogenic LDL cholesterol circulating in the blood is converted to atherogenic LDL cholesterol through oxidation of polyunsaturated lipids, which leads to modification of the apoprotein. Web site: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html •
Herbal composition and medicament against diabetes mellitus type II manufactured thereof Inventor(s): Leko, Vladimir; (Pleternica, HR) Correspondence: ST. ONGE STEWARD JOHNSTON & REENS, LLC; 986 BEDFORD STREET; STAMFORD; CT; 06905-5619; US Patent Application Number: 20020102315 Date filed: September 11, 2001 Abstract: The invention refers to the herbal composition which consists of: the plant of centaury (Centauri herba) 12.3% by wt., the root of dandelion (Teraxaci radix) 9.7% by wt., the fruit of juniper (Juniperi communis fructus) 6.2% by wt., the plant of nettle (Urticae herba) 7.4% by wt., the root of nettle (Urticae radix) 7.0% by wt., the root of chicory (Cichorii radix) 17.7% by wt., the leaf of black mulberry (Morus nigra folium) 7.4% by wt., the flower of yarrow (Achilleae millefolii flos) 3.5% by wt., the leaf of bilberry (Vaccinii myrtilli folium) 6.6% by wt., the pod of beans (Phaseoli fructus sine semeni) 14.4% by wt., and the root of valerian (Valerianae officinalis radix) 7.8% by wt., and to the medicament against diabetes mellitus type II obtained from it. The medicament is anticipated to be administered perorally in form of tea, a tincture and a pill. Excerpt(s): The present application is a continuation of pending International Patent Application PCT/HR99/00008 filed Apr. 22, 1999, which designates the United States, and which claims priority of Croatian patent application P990080A filed Mar. 12, 1999. This invention refers to the field of pharmacy, and more closely, it refers to the medicament against diabetes mellitus type II, and even more precisely, it refers to the medicament against diabetes mellitus type based on a herbal composition as an active substance. According to the International Classification of Patents, the subject invention is marked with the classification symbol A 61 K 35/78--Medical preparations containing substances or products of their reactions with undefined composition, whereby
Patents 33
substances from herbs are in question. The technical problem, the solution of which is disclosed in this patent application, consists in finding a medicament for diabetes mellitus type II which will have the following characteristics: 1) that it is suitable for peroral application; 2) that even very high values of glucose concentration in blood can be reduced to or near its normal value; 3) no evident harmful side effects occur even in case of large daily doses, and even in case of a long-time use; and 4) that its effectivess is not caused by a strict diet. Web site: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html •
Ophthalmic, pharmaceutical and other healthcare preparations with naturally occurring plant compounds, extracts and derivatives Inventor(s): Bruijn, Chris De; (Ahaus, DE), Christ, F. Richard; (Laguna Beach, CA), Dziabo, Anthony J.; (Lake Forest, CA), Vigh, Joseph; (Placentia, CA) Correspondence: CROSBY HEAFEY ROACH & MAY; 1901 AVENUE OF THE STARS, SUITE 700; LOS ANGELES; CA; 90067; US Patent Application Number: 20030086986 Date filed: April 4, 2002 Abstract: A number of discrete, isolated and well-characterized natural plant compounds show antimicrobial activity when used for topical applications in the ophthalmic, skin care, oral care, pharmaceutical, medical device, heath care products or similar preparations for topical application. Of particular interest are Allantoin, Berberine, Bilberry extract, Caffeic Acid Phenethyl Ether, Chlorogenic Acid, Cranberry Extract, Elderberry Extract, Ferulic Acid, Green Tea Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Hydroxytyrosol, Oleuropein, Olive Leaf Extract, Pine Bark Extract, Pomegranate Extract, Pycnogenol, Quercetin, Resveratrol, and Tart Cherry Extract. Oleuropein, and Pomegranate Extract, either alone or in combination, is extremely effective. Allantoin, can be used to enhance the efficacy of synthetic chemical disinfecting/preservative agents as well as to mitigate the cytotoxicity of some synthetic chemical disinfecting/preservative agents. Excerpt(s): The present application is a Continuation In Part of Ser. No. 09/711,784, filed on Nov. 13, 2000, which is a Continuation of Ser. No. 09/130,542, filed on Aug. 4, 1998 and now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,162,393 all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The present invention relates to the use of natural plant compounds, extracts and derivatives alone or in combination or with other chemical antimicrobial agents to preserve ophthalmic, skin care, oral care, pharmaceutical and other healthcare preparations and methods to disinfect soft and rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses. Ophthalmic, oral care, skin care solutions, emulsions, ointments, gels, creams and many other pharmaceutical and healthcare preparations for topical application (e.g., artificial tears, skin creams, mouthwashes, therapeutics, contact lens care products, antiallergenic, anti-puretics, etc.) must be preserved to prevent biological contamination and degradation. By "preparation for topical application" we mean any cream or solution or other physical form that is applied to the skin, eyes or externally accessible mucous membranes such as preparation inserted into various body orifices. It is now acceptable practice to add chemical preservatives to such preparations to ensure preservation of said preparations. These chemical preservatives (e.g., Benzalkonium Chloride, polyhexamethyl biguanide [PHMB], Chlorhexadine, Thimerosol, sorbic acid, etc.) are often harsh, synthetic cytotoxic agents, which can irritate and possibly damage sensitive
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Bilberry
tissues. The same issue applies to any other pharmaceutical and healthcare preparations, which require preservative to prevent biological contamination and degradation. Web site: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html •
Process and product extracted from herbal composition useful in controlling diabetes mellitus type II Inventor(s): Leko, Vladimir; (Pozega, HR) Correspondence: ST. ONGE STEWARD JOHNSTON & REENS, LLC; 986 BEDFORD STREET; STAMFORD; CT; 06905-5619; US Patent Application Number: 20030206976 Date filed: April 30, 2003 Abstract: An active substance is extracted from an herbal composition which comprises: Centaurii umbellatum, Gentianaceae (centaury plant), Teraxacum officinale, Asteraceae (dandelion root), Juniperi communis L, Cupresaceae (juniper berry), Urticae dioica L, Urticeae (nettle plant), Urticae dioica L, Urticaceae (nettle root), Cichorium intybus L, Cichoriaceae (chicory root), Morus nigra L, Moraceae, (mulberry leaf), Achilleae millefolium L, Asteraceae (yarrow flower), Vaccinium myrtillus L, Ericaceae (bilberry leaf), Phaseolus vulgaris L, Fabaceae (bean pods), Valeriana officinalis L, Valerlanaceae (Valerian root). The active substance is used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical compositions used in connection with control of diabetes mellitus type II. Excerpt(s): This application is a continuation in part of Applicant's U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/952,055 filed Sep. 11, 2001 and entitled <
>., which is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/HR/00008 filed Apr. 22, 1999, with a foreign priority claim to Croatia Application No. P990080A filed Mar. 12, 1999. The present invention relates to processes for preparation of products using active ingredients extracted from herbal compositions. A technical problem, the solution of which is disclosed in this patent application, consists in finding a treatment for diabetes mellitus type II which will have the following characteristics: (1) that it is suitable for peroral application; (2) that even very high values of glucose concentration in blood can be reduced to or near its normal value; (3) no evident harmful side effects occur even in case of large daily doses, and even in case of a long-time use; and (4) that its effectivess is not caused by a strict diet. Web site: http://appft1.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html
Keeping Current In order to stay informed about patents and patent applications dealing with bilberry, you can access the U.S. Patent Office archive via the Internet at the following Web address: http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html. You will see two broad options: (1) Issued Patent, and (2) Published Applications. To see a list of issued patents, perform the following steps: Under “Issued Patents,” click “Quick Search.” Then, type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the “Term 1” box. After clicking on the search button, scroll down to see the various patents which have been granted to date on bilberry.
Patents 35
You can also use this procedure to view pending patent applications concerning bilberry. Simply go back to http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html. Select “Quick Search” under “Published Applications.” Then proceed with the steps listed above.
37
CHAPTER 6. BOOKS ON BILBERRY Overview This chapter provides bibliographic book references relating to bilberry. In addition to online booksellers such as www.amazon.com and www.bn.com, excellent sources for book titles on bilberry include the Combined Health Information Database and the National Library of Medicine. Your local medical library also may have these titles available for loan.
Book Summaries: Online Booksellers Commercial Internet-based booksellers, such as Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com, offer summaries which have been supplied by each title’s publisher. Some summaries also include customer reviews. Your local bookseller may have access to in-house and commercial databases that index all published books (e.g. Books in Print). IMPORTANT NOTE: Online booksellers typically produce search results for medical and non-medical books. When searching for “bilberry” at online booksellers’ Web sites, you may discover non-medical books that use the generic term “bilberry” (or a synonym) in their titles. The following is indicative of the results you might find when searching for “bilberry” (sorted alphabetically by title; follow the hyperlink to view more details at Amazon.com): •
A New Generation of Phytomedicines (High Quality Standardized Galenical Preparations Ginkgo, Bilberry, Ginseng, Garlic and Their Extrordinary Therap) by Auguste Mockle, J. August Mockle (1996); ISBN: 0879836768; http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0879836768/icongroupinterna
•
Bilberry & Lutein: The Vision Enhancers! Protect Against Cataracts, Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma, Retinopathy & Other Health Problems by Beth M. Ley; ISBN: 189076616X; http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/189076616X/icongroupinterna
•
Bilberry Natural Enhancement for Visual and Cardiovascular Health by Rita Elkins (1998); ISBN: 1580540414; http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580540414/icongroupinterna
•
Miss Bilberry's New House by Emma Chichester Clark (Illustrator); ISBN: 0749725028; http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0749725028/icongroupinterna
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The National Library of Medicine Book Index The National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health has a massive database of books published on healthcare and biomedicine. Go to the following Internet site, http://locatorplus.gov/, and then select “Search LOCATORplus.” Once you are in the search area, simply type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the search box, and select “books only.” From there, results can be sorted by publication date, author, or relevance. The following was recently catalogued by the National Library of Medicine:10 •
Bilberry fruit: Vaccinium myrtillus L.: standards of analysis, quality control, and therapeutics. Author: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia.; Year: 2001; Santa Cruz, CA: American Herbal Pharmacopoeia, 2001; ISBN: 1929425139
Chapters on Bilberry In order to find chapters that specifically relate to bilberry, an excellent source of abstracts is the Combined Health Information Database. You will need to limit your search to book chapters and bilberry using the “Detailed Search” option. Go to the following hyperlink: http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html. To find book chapters, use the drop boxes at the bottom of the search page where “You may refine your search by.” Select the dates and language you prefer, and the format option “Book Chapter.” Type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the “For these words:” box.
10
In addition to LOCATORPlus, in collaboration with authors and publishers, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) is currently adapting biomedical books for the Web. The books may be accessed in two ways: (1) by searching directly using any search term or phrase (in the same way as the bibliographic database PubMed), or (2) by following the links to PubMed abstracts. Each PubMed abstract has a "Books" button that displays a facsimile of the abstract in which some phrases are hypertext links. These phrases are also found in the books available at NCBI. Click on hyperlinked results in the list of books in which the phrase is found. Currently, the majority of the links are between the books and PubMed. In the future, more links will be created between the books and other types of information, such as gene and protein sequences and macromolecular structures. See http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=Books.
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APPENDICES
41
APPENDIX A. PHYSICIAN RESOURCES Overview In this chapter, we focus on databases and Internet-based guidelines and information resources created or written for a professional audience.
NIH Guidelines Commonly referred to as “clinical” or “professional” guidelines, the National Institutes of Health publish physician guidelines for the most common diseases. Publications are available at the following by relevant Institute11: •
Office of the Director (OD); guidelines consolidated across agencies available at http://www.nih.gov/health/consumer/conkey.htm
•
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS); fact sheets available at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/news/facts/
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National Library of Medicine (NLM); extensive encyclopedia (A.D.A.M., Inc.) with guidelines: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html
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National Cancer Institute (NCI); guidelines available at http://www.cancer.gov/cancerinfo/list.aspx?viewid=5f35036e-5497-4d86-8c2c714a9f7c8d25
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National Eye Institute (NEI); guidelines available at http://www.nei.nih.gov/order/index.htm
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National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); guidelines available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/index.htm
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National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI); research available at http://www.genome.gov/page.cfm?pageID=10000375
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National Institute on Aging (NIA); guidelines available at http://www.nia.nih.gov/health/
11
These publications are typically written by one or more of the various NIH Institutes.
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•
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA); guidelines available at http://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/publications.htm
•
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); guidelines available at http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/
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National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS); fact sheets and guidelines available at http://www.niams.nih.gov/hi/index.htm
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD); guidelines available at http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubskey.cfm
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National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD); fact sheets and guidelines at http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/
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National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR); guidelines available at http://www.nidr.nih.gov/health/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK); guidelines available at http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/health.htm
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National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA); guidelines available at http://www.nida.nih.gov/DrugAbuse.html
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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS); environmental health information available at http://www.niehs.nih.gov/external/facts.htm
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National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); guidelines available at http://www.nimh.nih.gov/practitioners/index.cfm
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS); neurological disorder information pages available at http://www.ninds.nih.gov/health_and_medical/disorder_index.htm
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National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR); publications on selected illnesses at http://www.nih.gov/ninr/news-info/publications.html
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National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; general information at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/becon/becon_info.htm
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Center for Information Technology (CIT); referrals to other agencies based on keyword searches available at http://kb.nih.gov/www_query_main.asp
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National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM); health information available at http://nccam.nih.gov/health/
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National Center for Research Resources (NCRR); various information directories available at http://www.ncrr.nih.gov/publications.asp
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Office of Rare Diseases; various fact sheets available at http://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/html/resources/rep_pubs.html
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; various fact sheets on infectious diseases available at http://www.cdc.gov/publications.htm
Physician Resources
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NIH Databases In addition to the various Institutes of Health that publish professional guidelines, the NIH has designed a number of databases for professionals.12 Physician-oriented resources provide a wide variety of information related to the biomedical and health sciences, both past and present. The format of these resources varies. Searchable databases, bibliographic citations, full-text articles (when available), archival collections, and images are all available. The following are referenced by the National Library of Medicine:13 •
Bioethics: Access to published literature on the ethical, legal, and public policy issues surrounding healthcare and biomedical research. This information is provided in conjunction with the Kennedy Institute of Ethics located at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases_bioethics.html
•
HIV/AIDS Resources: Describes various links and databases dedicated to HIV/AIDS research: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/aidsinfs.html
•
NLM Online Exhibitions: Describes “Exhibitions in the History of Medicine”: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/exhibition.html. Additional resources for historical scholarship in medicine: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/hmd.html
•
Biotechnology Information: Access to public databases. The National Center for Biotechnology Information conducts research in computational biology, develops software tools for analyzing genome data, and disseminates biomedical information for the better understanding of molecular processes affecting human health and disease: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
•
Population Information: The National Library of Medicine provides access to worldwide coverage of population, family planning, and related health issues, including family planning technology and programs, fertility, and population law and policy: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases_population.html
•
Cancer Information: Access to cancer-oriented databases: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases_cancer.html
•
Profiles in Science: Offering the archival collections of prominent twentieth-century biomedical scientists to the public through modern digital technology: http://www.profiles.nlm.nih.gov/
•
Chemical Information: Provides links to various chemical databases and references: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/Chem/ChemMain.html
•
Clinical Alerts: Reports the release of findings from the NIH-funded clinical trials where such release could significantly affect morbidity and mortality: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/alerts/clinical_alerts.html
•
Space Life Sciences: Provides links and information to space-based research (including NASA): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases_space.html
•
MEDLINE: Bibliographic database covering the fields of medicine, nursing, dentistry, veterinary medicine, the healthcare system, and the pre-clinical sciences: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases_medline.html
12
Remember, for the general public, the National Library of Medicine recommends the databases referenced in MEDLINEplus (http://medlineplus.gov/ or http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/databases.html). 13 See http://www.nlm.nih.gov/databases/databases.html.
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•
Toxicology and Environmental Health Information (TOXNET): Databases covering toxicology and environmental health: http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ToxMain.html
•
Visible Human Interface: Anatomically detailed, three-dimensional representations of normal male and female human bodies: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/visible/visible_human.html The Combined Health Information Database
A comprehensive source of information on clinical guidelines written for professionals is the Combined Health Information Database. You will need to limit your search to one of the following: Brochure/Pamphlet, Fact Sheet, or Information Package, and “bilberry” using the “Detailed Search” option. Go directly to the following hyperlink: http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html. To find associations, use the drop boxes at the bottom of the search page where “You may refine your search by.” For the publication date, select “All Years.” Select your preferred language and the format option “Fact Sheet.” Type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the “For these words:” box. The following is a sample result: •
Physician's Guide to Herbs Source: Practical Diabetology. 16(1): 10, 12-13, 16-17, 20. March 1997. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Summary: Conventional therapy of diabetes mellitus has focused on a care plan consisting of meal planning, exercise, medication, self monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), and patient education. Recently, there has been increasing interest on the part of patients in alternative therapies for chronic disease, including the increased use and popularity of herbal therapies. This article is a review of herbal products described in the literature as being useful and beneficial in diabetes management. The authors begin with a series of reported cases of herbal misadventures, noting that the heterogeneous nature of herbal products makes it difficult to monitor patients for adverse effects. The authors then review the use of herbs and herb products, including alfalfa, apple, bilberry, blackberry, burdock, celery, coriander, dandelion, Di huang, dried root bark of lycium Chinese mill, eucalyptus, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, ginseng, goat's rue, goldenseal, guayusa, hop, Java plum, juniper, kidney-bean pods, lucerne (Medicago sativa), mistletoe, Momordica charantia (cerasee), Momordica charantia (karela), mushrooms, nettle, onion, raspberry, sage, sumac, tarragon, thyme, Xuan seng, yeast, and zhi mu or di seng. The authors conclude that, although some alternative preparations may have mild glucose-lowering effects, the effects are insufficient for the management of diabetes. In addition, the potential for adverse interactions with agents used in conventional treatment should be appreciated. 7 references. (AA-M).
•
Using Herbal Therapies Safely Source: Diabetes Self-Management. 16(3): 6-8, 10-13. May-June 1999. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Summary: In discussing the safe use of herbal therapies, this article begins with a description of current Federal laws on dietary supplements, focusing on the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act. This law created a new food category called
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dietary supplements so that truthful, nonmisleading information could be used in conjunction with the sale of herbal products and consumers could be given information on a product's benefits and potential side effects. The article continues with an examination of myths and truths about herbs. Myths that are debunked are that herbs are natural so they must be safe; herbs must be safe and effective because they have been around for centuries; doctors do not need to be told that a patient is taking herbal supplements; all products that contain a specific herb are basically the same; and herbs are easy to take. This is followed by guidelines on the safe use of herbs. In addition, the article identifies some herbal products that may have potential as aids to diabetes management, including bilberry fruit, bitter melon, burdock root, capsicum, fenugreek, garlic and onions, and ginseng. The article concludes by providing sources of additional information about dietary supplements and identifying herbal products that have been associated with serious illness and injuries. •
Biological Complementary Therapies: A Focus on Botanical Products in Diabetes Source: Diabetes Spectrum. 14(4): 199-208. October, 2001. Contact: Available from American Diabetes Association. 1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311. (800) 232-3472. Website: www.diabetes.org. Summary: Several botanical (plant-based) and biological (animal based) products claim to lower blood glucose or decrease complications of diabetes, and some of these are being used by people with diabetes. This author focuses on the use of botanical products in managing diabetes. Products thought to lower blood glucose include gymnema, fenugreek, bitter melon, ginseng, and nopal. Claims have also been made for aloe, bilberry, and milk thistle, but there is less evidence in support of these. Botanical products thought to decrease diabetes complications include y-linolenic acid, ginkgo biloba, and garlic. A vitamin-like substance, alpha-lipoic acid, had been used to treat neuropathic complications. The author concludes that although these biological complementary therapies have been studied in human clinical trials, there are many problems with study design, study endpoints, numbers of patients, and study duration. There is insufficient evidence to recommend generalized use for patients with diabetes. Furthermore, these produces have many side effects and may potentially interact with traditional diabetes medications. 78 references.
•
Herbal Supplements in Diabetes Management Source: Diabetes Self-Management. 17(6): 28, 30-31, 35-37. November-December 2000. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Website: www.diabetes-self-mgmt.com. Summary: This article, the second of a series of articles on herbal therapies, reviews some of the most promising blood sugar lowering herbals, including bitter melon, fenugreek, gurmar, goat's rue, bilberry, ginseng, nopal cactus, and garlic and onions. Bitter melon is the most widely used traditional remedy for diabetes in Asia and Africa. As a treatment for diabetes, the juice or an extract of the unripe fruit is used. Compounds isolated from bitter melon believed to be responsible for its blood sugar lowering properties include charantin and plant insulin. No well designed studies using bitter melon in humans have been conducted. Fenugreek is a common spice. Its seeds or a defatted powder made from the seed have been used as a diabetes treatment. Studies of fenugreek suggest that it has hypoglycemic activity and that it may improve blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Gurmar, or gymnema sylvestre leaf, has been used as a traditional treatment for diabetes in India. Gymnema is believed to act by improving
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the function of the pancreatic beta cells. There is minimal research on gymnema, and the studies conducted in humans have not been well designed. Goat's rue is another traditional remedy for diabetes that has been shown to have hypoglycemic activity in humans. The leaves of bilberry have been used as an antidiabetic tea. However, chronic consumption of bilberry leaf or capsules is not recommended because they can be toxic. Ginseng, which is sold chiefly as an energy booster in the United States, has been investigated as a diabetes remedy in only a few small studies. The stem or leaf of nopal cactus has been used in traditional Mexican medicine to treat type 2 diabetes. Garlic and onions have been used as folk medicines to treat diabetes, and a few studies suggest that they may have some mild blood sugar lowering properties. The article reviews studies on these products, identifies their adverse effects, and presents typical dosing regimens. In addition, the article lists potentially dangerous plant products and provides guidelines for safe supplement use. 1 figure. •
Herbal Therapies and Diabetes Complications Source: Diabetes Self-Management. 18(1): 87-88, 91-92, 95-96, 98. January-February 2001. Contact: Available from R.A. Rapaport Publishing, Inc. 150 West 22nd Street, New York, NY 10011. (800) 234-0923. Website: www.diabetes-self-mgmt.com. Summary: This article, the third of a series of articles on herbal therapies, reviews herbal and alternative therapy supplements for the treatment of diabetic complications. Both the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) and the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Trial (UKPDS) demonstrated that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible can delay or prevent the development of complications in people with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Some of the new, experimental treatments for complications of diabetes include nutritional and herbal supplements. Many supplements may be of potential benefit in the treatment or prevention of heart disease, including fish oil, fenugreek, garlic, red yeast, antioxidants, and several herbs that inhibit blood clotting such as ginger, garlic, gingko biloba, and ginseng. The symptoms of peripheral neuropathy may be eased with alpha lipoic acid, capsaicin, and evening primrose oil. Although bilberry and gingko biloba have both been proposed as potential treatments for diabetic retinopathy, neither is currently recommended for this use. The herb yohimbe has a reputation as a aphrodisiac and a treatment for impotence, but clinical trials do not support its use. There are several experimental drugs and some herbal supplements that may prevent damage caused by the conversion of extra glucose in the cells into sorbitol, including flavonoids, quercetin, and extracts from licorice root. Although being overweight is not considered a complication of diabetes, it can make controlling blood glucose levels more difficult. Losing a small amount of weight can lower both blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels. Numerous herbal and nutritional supplements exist for people who are trying to lose weight. Common ingredients found in herbal weight loss preparations include various diuretics and laxatives, guarana, ephedra, and garcinia. The article reviews studies on these products, identifies their adverse effects, and presents typical dosing regimens. In addition, the article provides guidelines for safe supplement use and lists suggestions for further reading. 1 table.
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The NLM Gateway14 The NLM (National Library of Medicine) Gateway is a Web-based system that lets users search simultaneously in multiple retrieval systems at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM). It allows users of NLM services to initiate searches from one Web interface, providing one-stop searching for many of NLM’s information resources or databases.15 To use the NLM Gateway, simply go to the search site at http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd. Type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the search box and click “Search.” The results will be presented in a tabular form, indicating the number of references in each database category. Results Summary Category Journal Articles Books / Periodicals / Audio Visual Consumer Health Meeting Abstracts Other Collections Total
Items Found 45 2 336 0 0 383
HSTAT16 HSTAT is a free, Web-based resource that provides access to full-text documents used in healthcare decision-making.17 These documents include clinical practice guidelines, quickreference guides for clinicians, consumer health brochures, evidence reports and technology assessments from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), as well as AHRQ’s Put Prevention Into Practice.18 Simply search by “bilberry” (or synonyms) at the following Web site: http://text.nlm.nih.gov.
Coffee Break: Tutorials for Biologists19 Coffee Break is a general healthcare site that takes a scientific view of the news and covers recent breakthroughs in biology that may one day assist physicians in developing treatments. Here you will find a collection of short reports on recent biological discoveries. Each report incorporates interactive tutorials that demonstrate how bioinformatics tools are used as a part of the research process. Currently, all Coffee Breaks are written by NCBI 14
Adapted from NLM: http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/gw/Cmd?Overview.x.
15
The NLM Gateway is currently being developed by the Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications (LHNCBC) at the National Library of Medicine (NLM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 16 Adapted from HSTAT: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/hstat.html. 17 18
The HSTAT URL is http://hstat.nlm.nih.gov/.
Other important documents in HSTAT include: the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference Reports and Technology Assessment Reports; the HIV/AIDS Treatment Information Service (ATIS) resource documents; the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (SAMHSA/CSAT) Treatment Improvement Protocols (TIP) and Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (SAMHSA/CSAP) Prevention Enhancement Protocols System (PEPS); the Public Health Service (PHS) Preventive Services Task Force's Guide to Clinical Preventive Services; the independent, nonfederal Task Force on Community Services’ Guide to Community Preventive Services; and the Health Technology Advisory Committee (HTAC) of the Minnesota Health Care Commission (MHCC) health technology evaluations. 19 Adapted from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Coffeebreak/Archive/FAQ.html.
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staff.20 Each report is about 400 words and is usually based on a discovery reported in one or more articles from recently published, peer-reviewed literature.21 This site has new articles every few weeks, so it can be considered an online magazine of sorts. It is intended for general background information. You can access the Coffee Break Web site at the following hyperlink: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Coffeebreak/.
Other Commercial Databases In addition to resources maintained by official agencies, other databases exist that are commercial ventures addressing medical professionals. Here are some examples that may interest you: •
CliniWeb International: Index and table of contents to selected clinical information on the Internet; see http://www.ohsu.edu/cliniweb/.
•
Medical World Search: Searches full text from thousands of selected medical sites on the Internet; see http://www.mwsearch.com/.
20
The figure that accompanies each article is frequently supplied by an expert external to NCBI, in which case the source of the figure is cited. The result is an interactive tutorial that tells a biological story. 21 After a brief introduction that sets the work described into a broader context, the report focuses on how a molecular understanding can provide explanations of observed biology and lead to therapies for diseases. Each vignette is accompanied by a figure and hypertext links that lead to a series of pages that interactively show how NCBI tools and resources are used in the research process.
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APPENDIX B. PATIENT RESOURCES Overview Official agencies, as well as federally funded institutions supported by national grants, frequently publish a variety of guidelines written with the patient in mind. These are typically called “Fact Sheets” or “Guidelines.” They can take the form of a brochure, information kit, pamphlet, or flyer. Often they are only a few pages in length. Since new guidelines on bilberry can appear at any moment and be published by a number of sources, the best approach to finding guidelines is to systematically scan the Internet-based services that post them.
Patient Guideline Sources The remainder of this chapter directs you to sources which either publish or can help you find additional guidelines on topics related to bilberry. Due to space limitations, these sources are listed in a concise manner. Do not hesitate to consult the following sources by either using the Internet hyperlink provided, or, in cases where the contact information is provided, contacting the publisher or author directly. The National Institutes of Health The NIH gateway to patients is located at http://health.nih.gov/. From this site, you can search across various sources and institutes, a number of which are summarized below. Topic Pages: MEDLINEplus The National Library of Medicine has created a vast and patient-oriented healthcare information portal called MEDLINEplus. Within this Internet-based system are “health topic pages” which list links to available materials relevant to bilberry. To access this system, log on to http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthtopics.html. From there you can either search using the alphabetical index or browse by broad topic areas. Recently, MEDLINEplus listed the following when searched for “bilberry”:
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•
Other guides Dietary Supplements http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/dietarysupplements.html Glaucoma http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/glaucoma.html
You may also choose to use the search utility provided by MEDLINEplus at the following Web address: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/. Simply type a keyword into the search box and click “Search.” This utility is similar to the NIH search utility, with the exception that it only includes materials that are linked within the MEDLINEplus system (mostly patient-oriented information). It also has the disadvantage of generating unstructured results. We recommend, therefore, that you use this method only if you have a very targeted search. The NIH Search Utility The NIH search utility allows you to search for documents on over 100 selected Web sites that comprise the NIH-WEB-SPACE. Each of these servers is “crawled” and indexed on an ongoing basis. Your search will produce a list of various documents, all of which will relate in some way to bilberry. The drawbacks of this approach are that the information is not organized by theme and that the references are often a mix of information for professionals and patients. Nevertheless, a large number of the listed Web sites provide useful background information. We can only recommend this route, therefore, for relatively rare or specific disorders, or when using highly targeted searches. To use the NIH search utility, visit the following Web page: http://search.nih.gov/index.html. Additional Web Sources A number of Web sites are available to the public that often link to government sites. These can also point you in the direction of essential information. The following is a representative sample: •
AOL: http://search.aol.com/cat.adp?id=168&layer=&from=subcats
•
Family Village: http://www.familyvillage.wisc.edu/specific.htm
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Google: http://directory.google.com/Top/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/
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Med Help International: http://www.medhelp.org/HealthTopics/A.html
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Open Directory Project: http://dmoz.org/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/
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Yahoo.com: http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Diseases_and_Conditions/
•
WebMDHealth: http://my.webmd.com/health_topics
Finding Associations There are several Internet directories that provide lists of medical associations with information on or resources relating to bilberry. By consulting all of associations listed in
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this chapter, you will have nearly exhausted all sources for patient associations concerned with bilberry. The National Health Information Center (NHIC) The National Health Information Center (NHIC) offers a free referral service to help people find organizations that provide information about bilberry. For more information, see the NHIC’s Web site at http://www.health.gov/NHIC/ or contact an information specialist by calling 1-800-336-4797. Directory of Health Organizations The Directory of Health Organizations, provided by the National Library of Medicine Specialized Information Services, is a comprehensive source of information on associations. The Directory of Health Organizations database can be accessed via the Internet at http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/Dir/DirMain.html. It is composed of two parts: DIRLINE and Health Hotlines. The DIRLINE database comprises some 10,000 records of organizations, research centers, and government institutes and associations that primarily focus on health and biomedicine. To access DIRLINE directly, go to the following Web site: http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/. Simply type in “bilberry” (or a synonym), and you will receive information on all relevant organizations listed in the database. Health Hotlines directs you to toll-free numbers to over 300 organizations. You can access this database directly at http://www.sis.nlm.nih.gov/hotlines/. On this page, you are given the option to search by keyword or by browsing the subject list. When you have received your search results, click on the name of the organization for its description and contact information. The Combined Health Information Database Another comprehensive source of information on healthcare associations is the Combined Health Information Database. Using the “Detailed Search” option, you will need to limit your search to “Organizations” and “bilberry”. Type the following hyperlink into your Web browser: http://chid.nih.gov/detail/detail.html. To find associations, use the drop boxes at the bottom of the search page where “You may refine your search by.” For publication date, select “All Years.” Then, select your preferred language and the format option “Organization Resource Sheet.” Type “bilberry” (or synonyms) into the “For these words:” box. You should check back periodically with this database since it is updated every three months. The National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. The National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. has prepared a Web site that provides, at no charge, lists of associations organized by health topic. You can access this database at the following Web site: http://www.rarediseases.org/search/orgsearch.html. Type “bilberry” (or a synonym) into the search box, and click “Submit Query.”
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APPENDIX C. FINDING MEDICAL LIBRARIES Overview In this Appendix, we show you how to quickly find a medical library in your area.
Preparation Your local public library and medical libraries have interlibrary loan programs with the National Library of Medicine (NLM), one of the largest medical collections in the world. According to the NLM, most of the literature in the general and historical collections of the National Library of Medicine is available on interlibrary loan to any library. If you would like to access NLM medical literature, then visit a library in your area that can request the publications for you.22
Finding a Local Medical Library The quickest method to locate medical libraries is to use the Internet-based directory published by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NN/LM). This network includes 4626 members and affiliates that provide many services to librarians, health professionals, and the public. To find a library in your area, simply visit http://nnlm.gov/members/adv.html or call 1-800-338-7657.
Medical Libraries in the U.S. and Canada In addition to the NN/LM, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) lists a number of libraries with reference facilities that are open to the public. The following is the NLM’s list and includes hyperlinks to each library’s Web site. These Web pages can provide information on hours of operation and other restrictions. The list below is a small sample of
22
Adapted from the NLM: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/psd/cas/interlibrary.html.
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libraries recommended by the National Library of Medicine (sorted alphabetically by name of the U.S. state or Canadian province where the library is located)23: •
Alabama: Health InfoNet of Jefferson County (Jefferson County Library Cooperative, Lister Hill Library of the Health Sciences), http://www.uab.edu/infonet/
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Alabama: Richard M. Scrushy Library (American Sports Medicine Institute)
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Arizona: Samaritan Regional Medical Center: The Learning Center (Samaritan Health System, Phoenix, Arizona), http://www.samaritan.edu/library/bannerlibs.htm
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California: Kris Kelly Health Information Center (St. Joseph Health System, Humboldt), http://www.humboldt1.com/~kkhic/index.html
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California: Community Health Library of Los Gatos, http://www.healthlib.org/orgresources.html
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California: Consumer Health Program and Services (CHIPS) (County of Los Angeles Public Library, Los Angeles County Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Library) - Carson, CA, http://www.colapublib.org/services/chips.html
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California: Gateway Health Library (Sutter Gould Medical Foundation)
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California: Health Library (Stanford University Medical Center), http://wwwmed.stanford.edu/healthlibrary/
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California: Patient Education Resource Center - Health Information and Resources (University of California, San Francisco), http://sfghdean.ucsf.edu/barnett/PERC/default.asp
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California: Redwood Health Library (Petaluma Health Care District), http://www.phcd.org/rdwdlib.html
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California: Los Gatos PlaneTree Health Library, http://planetreesanjose.org/
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California: Sutter Resource Library (Sutter Hospitals Foundation, Sacramento), http://suttermedicalcenter.org/library/
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California: Health Sciences Libraries (University of California, Davis), http://www.lib.ucdavis.edu/healthsci/
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California: ValleyCare Health Library & Ryan Comer Cancer Resource Center (ValleyCare Health System, Pleasanton), http://gaelnet.stmarysca.edu/other.libs/gbal/east/vchl.html
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California: Washington Community Health Resource Library (Fremont), http://www.healthlibrary.org/
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Colorado: William V. Gervasini Memorial Library (Exempla Healthcare), http://www.saintjosephdenver.org/yourhealth/libraries/
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Connecticut: Hartford Hospital Health Science Libraries (Hartford Hospital), http://www.harthosp.org/library/
•
Connecticut: Healthnet: Connecticut Consumer Health Information Center (University of Connecticut Health Center, Lyman Maynard Stowe Library), http://library.uchc.edu/departm/hnet/
23
Abstracted from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/libraries.html.
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•
Connecticut: Waterbury Hospital Health Center Library (Waterbury Hospital, Waterbury), http://www.waterburyhospital.com/library/consumer.shtml
•
Delaware: Consumer Health Library (Christiana Care Health System, Eugene du Pont Preventive Medicine & Rehabilitation Institute, Wilmington), http://www.christianacare.org/health_guide/health_guide_pmri_health_info.cfm
•
Delaware: Lewis B. Flinn Library (Delaware Academy of Medicine, Wilmington), http://www.delamed.org/chls.html
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Georgia: Family Resource Library (Medical College of Georgia, Augusta), http://cmc.mcg.edu/kids_families/fam_resources/fam_res_lib/frl.htm
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Georgia: Health Resource Center (Medical Center of Central Georgia, Macon), http://www.mccg.org/hrc/hrchome.asp
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Hawaii: Hawaii Medical Library: Consumer Health Information Service (Hawaii Medical Library, Honolulu), http://hml.org/CHIS/
•
Idaho: DeArmond Consumer Health Library (Kootenai Medical Center, Coeur d’Alene), http://www.nicon.org/DeArmond/index.htm
•
Illinois: Health Learning Center of Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago), http://www.nmh.org/health_info/hlc.html
•
Illinois: Medical Library (OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, Peoria), http://www.osfsaintfrancis.org/general/library/
•
Kentucky: Medical Library - Services for Patients, Families, Students & the Public (Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington), http://www.centralbap.com/education/community/library.cfm
•
Kentucky: University of Kentucky - Health Information Library (Chandler Medical Center, Lexington), http://www.mc.uky.edu/PatientEd/
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Louisiana: Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation Library (Alton Ochsner Medical Foundation, New Orleans), http://www.ochsner.org/library/
•
Louisiana: Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Medical LibraryShreveport, http://lib-sh.lsuhsc.edu/
•
Maine: Franklin Memorial Hospital Medical Library (Franklin Memorial Hospital, Farmington), http://www.fchn.org/fmh/lib.htm
•
Maine: Gerrish-True Health Sciences Library (Central Maine Medical Center, Lewiston), http://www.cmmc.org/library/library.html
•
Maine: Hadley Parrot Health Science Library (Eastern Maine Healthcare, Bangor), http://www.emh.org/hll/hpl/guide.htm
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Maine: Maine Medical Center Library (Maine Medical Center, Portland), http://www.mmc.org/library/
•
Maine: Parkview Hospital (Brunswick), http://www.parkviewhospital.org/
•
Maine: Southern Maine Medical Center Health Sciences Library (Southern Maine Medical Center, Biddeford), http://www.smmc.org/services/service.php3?choice=10
•
Maine: Stephens Memorial Hospital’s Health Information Library (Western Maine Health, Norway), http://www.wmhcc.org/Library/
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Manitoba, Canada: Consumer & Patient Health Information Service (University of Manitoba Libraries), http://www.umanitoba.ca/libraries/units/health/reference/chis.html
•
Manitoba, Canada: J.W. Crane Memorial Library (Deer Lodge Centre, Winnipeg), http://www.deerlodge.mb.ca/crane_library/about.asp
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Maryland: Health Information Center at the Wheaton Regional Library (Montgomery County, Dept. of Public Libraries, Wheaton Regional Library), http://www.mont.lib.md.us/healthinfo/hic.asp
•
Massachusetts: Baystate Medical Center Library (Baystate Health System), http://www.baystatehealth.com/1024/
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Massachusetts: Boston University Medical Center Alumni Medical Library (Boston University Medical Center), http://med-libwww.bu.edu/library/lib.html
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Massachusetts: Lowell General Hospital Health Sciences Library (Lowell General Hospital, Lowell), http://www.lowellgeneral.org/library/HomePageLinks/WWW.htm
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Massachusetts: Paul E. Woodard Health Sciences Library (New England Baptist Hospital, Boston), http://www.nebh.org/health_lib.asp
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Massachusetts: St. Luke’s Hospital Health Sciences Library (St. Luke’s Hospital, Southcoast Health System, New Bedford), http://www.southcoast.org/library/
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Massachusetts: Treadwell Library Consumer Health Reference Center (Massachusetts General Hospital), http://www.mgh.harvard.edu/library/chrcindex.html
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Massachusetts: UMass HealthNet (University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worchester), http://healthnet.umassmed.edu/
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Michigan: Botsford General Hospital Library - Consumer Health (Botsford General Hospital, Library & Internet Services), http://www.botsfordlibrary.org/consumer.htm
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Michigan: Helen DeRoy Medical Library (Providence Hospital and Medical Centers), http://www.providence-hospital.org/library/
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Michigan: Marquette General Hospital - Consumer Health Library (Marquette General Hospital, Health Information Center), http://www.mgh.org/center.html
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Michigan: Patient Education Resouce Center - University of Michigan Cancer Center (University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor), http://www.cancer.med.umich.edu/learn/leares.htm
•
Michigan: Sladen Library & Center for Health Information Resources - Consumer Health Information (Detroit), http://www.henryford.com/body.cfm?id=39330
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Montana: Center for Health Information (St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center, Missoula)
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National: Consumer Health Library Directory (Medical Library Association, Consumer and Patient Health Information Section), http://caphis.mlanet.org/directory/index.html
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National: National Network of Libraries of Medicine (National Library of Medicine) provides library services for health professionals in the United States who do not have access to a medical library, http://nnlm.gov/
•
National: NN/LM List of Libraries Serving the Public (National Network of Libraries of Medicine), http://nnlm.gov/members/
Finding Medical Libraries
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•
Nevada: Health Science Library, West Charleston Library (Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Las Vegas), http://www.lvccld.org/special_collections/medical/index.htm
•
New Hampshire: Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries (Dartmouth College Library, Hanover), http://www.dartmouth.edu/~biomed/resources.htmld/conshealth.htmld/
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New Jersey: Consumer Health Library (Rahway Hospital, Rahway), http://www.rahwayhospital.com/library.htm
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New Jersey: Dr. Walter Phillips Health Sciences Library (Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood), http://www.englewoodhospital.com/links/index.htm
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New Jersey: Meland Foundation (Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, Englewood), http://www.geocities.com/ResearchTriangle/9360/
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New York: Choices in Health Information (New York Public Library) - NLM Consumer Pilot Project participant, http://www.nypl.org/branch/health/links.html
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New York: Health Information Center (Upstate Medical University, State University of New York, Syracuse), http://www.upstate.edu/library/hic/
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New York: Health Sciences Library (Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park), http://www.lij.edu/library/library.html
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New York: ViaHealth Medical Library (Rochester General Hospital), http://www.nyam.org/library/
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Ohio: Consumer Health Library (Akron General Medical Center, Medical & Consumer Health Library), http://www.akrongeneral.org/hwlibrary.htm
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Oklahoma: The Health Information Center at Saint Francis Hospital (Saint Francis Health System, Tulsa), http://www.sfh-tulsa.com/services/healthinfo.asp
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Oregon: Planetree Health Resource Center (Mid-Columbia Medical Center, The Dalles), http://www.mcmc.net/phrc/
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Pennsylvania: Community Health Information Library (Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey), http://www.hmc.psu.edu/commhealth/
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Pennsylvania: Community Health Resource Library (Geisinger Medical Center, Danville), http://www.geisinger.edu/education/commlib.shtml
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Pennsylvania: HealthInfo Library (Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton), http://www.mth.org/healthwellness.html
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Pennsylvania: Hopwood Library (University of Pittsburgh, Health Sciences Library System, Pittsburgh), http://www.hsls.pitt.edu/guides/chi/hopwood/index_html
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Pennsylvania: Koop Community Health Information Center (College of Physicians of Philadelphia), http://www.collphyphil.org/kooppg1.shtml
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Pennsylvania: Learning Resources Center - Medical Library (Susquehanna Health System, Williamsport), http://www.shscares.org/services/lrc/index.asp
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Pennsylvania: Medical Library (UPMC Health System, Pittsburgh), http://www.upmc.edu/passavant/library.htm
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Quebec, Canada: Medical Library (Montreal General Hospital), http://www.mghlib.mcgill.ca/
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South Dakota: Rapid City Regional Hospital Medical Library (Rapid City Regional Hospital), http://www.rcrh.org/Services/Library/Default.asp
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Texas: Houston HealthWays (Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library), http://hhw.library.tmc.edu/
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Washington: Community Health Library (Kittitas Valley Community Hospital), http://www.kvch.com/
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Washington: Southwest Washington Medical Center Library (Southwest Washington Medical Center, Vancouver), http://www.swmedicalcenter.com/body.cfm?id=72
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ONLINE GLOSSARIES The Internet provides access to a number of free-to-use medical dictionaries. The National Library of Medicine has compiled the following list of online dictionaries: •
ADAM Medical Encyclopedia (A.D.A.M., Inc.), comprehensive medical reference: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html
•
MedicineNet.com Medical Dictionary (MedicineNet, Inc.): http://www.medterms.com/Script/Main/hp.asp
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Merriam-Webster Medical Dictionary (Inteli-Health, Inc.): http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/
•
Multilingual Glossary of Technical and Popular Medical Terms in Eight European Languages (European Commission) - Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish: http://allserv.rug.ac.be/~rvdstich/eugloss/welcome.html
•
On-line Medical Dictionary (CancerWEB): http://cancerweb.ncl.ac.uk/omd/
•
Rare Diseases Terms (Office of Rare Diseases): http://ord.aspensys.com/asp/diseases/diseases.asp
•
Technology Glossary (National Library of Medicine) - Health Care Technology: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/ta101/ta10108.htm
Beyond these, MEDLINEplus contains a very patient-friendly encyclopedia covering every aspect of medicine (licensed from A.D.A.M., Inc.). The ADAM Medical Encyclopedia can be accessed at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/encyclopedia.html. ADAM is also available on commercial Web sites such as drkoop.com (http://www.drkoop.com/) and Web MD (http://my.webmd.com/adam/asset/adam_disease_articles/a_to_z/a).
Online Dictionary Directories The following are additional online directories compiled by the National Library of Medicine, including a number of specialized medical dictionaries: •
Medical Dictionaries: Medical & Biological (World Health Organization): http://www.who.int/hlt/virtuallibrary/English/diction.htm#Medical
•
MEL-Michigan Electronic Library List of Online Health and Medical Dictionaries (Michigan Electronic Library): http://mel.lib.mi.us/health/health-dictionaries.html
•
Patient Education: Glossaries (DMOZ Open Directory Project): http://dmoz.org/Health/Education/Patient_Education/Glossaries/
•
Web of Online Dictionaries (Bucknell University): http://www.yourdictionary.com/diction5.html#medicine
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BILBERRY DICTIONARY The definitions below are derived from official public sources, including the National Institutes of Health [NIH] and the European Union [EU]. Acclimation: Adaptation of animals or plants to new climate. [NIH] Adaptation: 1. The adjustment of an organism to its environment, or the process by which it enhances such fitness. 2. The normal ability of the eye to adjust itself to variations in the intensity of light; the adjustment to such variations. 3. The decline in the frequency of firing of a neuron, particularly of a receptor, under conditions of constant stimulation. 4. In dentistry, (a) the proper fitting of a denture, (b) the degree of proximity and interlocking of restorative material to a tooth preparation, (c) the exact adjustment of bands to teeth. 5. In microbiology, the adjustment of bacterial physiology to a new environment. [EU] Adjustment: The dynamic process wherein the thoughts, feelings, behavior, and biophysiological mechanisms of the individual continually change to adjust to the environment. [NIH] Adolescence: The period of life beginning with the appearance of secondary sex characteristics and terminating with the cessation of somatic growth. The years usually referred to as adolescence lie between 13 and 18 years of age. [NIH] Adverse Effect: An unwanted side effect of treatment. [NIH] Affinity: 1. Inherent likeness or relationship. 2. A special attraction for a specific element, organ, or structure. 3. Chemical affinity; the force that binds atoms in molecules; the tendency of substances to combine by chemical reaction. 4. The strength of noncovalent chemical binding between two substances as measured by the dissociation constant of the complex. 5. In immunology, a thermodynamic expression of the strength of interaction between a single antigen-binding site and a single antigenic determinant (and thus of the stereochemical compatibility between them), most accurately applied to interactions among simple, uniform antigenic determinants such as haptens. Expressed as the association constant (K litres mole -1), which, owing to the heterogeneity of affinities in a population of antibody molecules of a given specificity, actually represents an average value (mean intrinsic association constant). 6. The reciprocal of the dissociation constant. [EU] Age of Onset: The age or period of life at which a disease or the initial symptoms or manifestations of a disease appear in an individual. [NIH] Alfalfa: A deep-rooted European leguminous plant (Medicago sativa) widely grown for hay and forage. [NIH] Algorithms: A procedure consisting of a sequence of algebraic formulas and/or logical steps to calculate or determine a given task. [NIH] Alimentary: Pertaining to food or nutritive material, or to the organs of digestion. [EU] Alkaloid: A member of a large group of chemicals that are made by plants and have nitrogen in them. Some alkaloids have been shown to work against cancer. [NIH] Aloe: A genus of the family Liliaceae containing anthraquinone glycosides such as aloinemodin or aloe-emodin (emodin). [NIH] Alternative medicine: Practices not generally recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches and used instead of standard treatments. Alternative medicine includes the taking of dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, and herbal preparations; the drinking of special teas; and practices such as massage therapy,
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magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation. [NIH] Amino Acid Sequence: The order of amino acids as they occur in a polypeptide chain. This is referred to as the primary structure of proteins. It is of fundamental importance in determining protein conformation. [NIH] Amino Acids: Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins. [NIH] Amino Acids: Organic compounds that generally contain an amino (-NH2) and a carboxyl (COOH) group. Twenty alpha-amino acids are the subunits which are polymerized to form proteins. [NIH] Anal: Having to do with the anus, which is the posterior opening of the large bowel. [NIH] Anal Fissure: A small tear in the anus that may cause itching, pain, or bleeding. [NIH] Analgesic: An agent that alleviates pain without causing loss of consciousness. [EU] Analog: In chemistry, a substance that is similar, but not identical, to another. [NIH] Anatomical: Pertaining to anatomy, or to the structure of the organism. [EU] Anemia: A reduction in the number of circulating erythrocytes or in the quantity of hemoglobin. [NIH] Anthocyanins: Glycosidic pigments in blue, red, and purple flowers and also found as metabolic byproducts in blood and urine. [NIH] Antibodies: Immunoglobulin molecules having a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which they interact only with the antigen that induced their synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially plasma cells), or with an antigen closely related to it. [NIH] Antidiabetic: An agent that prevents or alleviates diabetes. [EU] Antigen: Any substance which is capable, under appropriate conditions, of inducing a specific immune response and of reacting with the products of that response, that is, with specific antibody or specifically sensitized T-lymphocytes, or both. Antigens may be soluble substances, such as toxins and foreign proteins, or particulate, such as bacteria and tissue cells; however, only the portion of the protein or polysaccharide molecule known as the antigenic determinant (q.v.) combines with antibody or a specific receptor on a lymphocyte. Abbreviated Ag. [EU] Anti-inflammatory: Having to do with reducing inflammation. [NIH] Anti-Inflammatory Agents: Substances that reduce or suppress inflammation. [NIH] Antimicrobial: Killing microorganisms, or suppressing their multiplication or growth. [EU] Antioxidant: A substance that prevents damage caused by free radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive chemicals that often contain oxygen. They are produced when molecules are split to give products that have unpaired electrons. This process is called oxidation. [NIH] Antitussive: An agent that relieves or prevents cough. [EU] Anus: The opening of the rectum to the outside of the body. [NIH] Apolipoproteins: The protein components of lipoproteins which remain after the lipids to which the proteins are bound have been removed. They play an important role in lipid transport and metabolism. [NIH] Apoptosis: One of the two mechanisms by which cell pathological process of necrosis). Apoptosis is the physiological deletion of cells and appears to be characterized by distinctive morphologic changes in the
death occurs (the other being the mechanism responsible for the intrinsically programmed. It is nucleus and cytoplasm, chromatin
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cleavage at regularly spaced sites, and the endonucleolytic cleavage of genomic DNA (DNA fragmentation) at internucleosomal sites. This mode of cell death serves as a balance to mitosis in regulating the size of animal tissues and in mediating pathologic processes associated with tumor growth. [NIH] Aqueous: Having to do with water. [NIH] Aromatic: Having a spicy odour. [EU] Arterial: Pertaining to an artery or to the arteries. [EU] Arteries: The vessels carrying blood away from the heart. [NIH] Arterioles: The smallest divisions of the arteries located between the muscular arteries and the capillaries. [NIH] Ascorbic Acid: A six carbon compound related to glucose. It is found naturally in citrus fruits and many vegetables. Ascorbic acid is an essential nutrient in human diets, and necessary to maintain connective tissue and bone. Its biologically active form, vitamin C, functions as a reducing agent and coenzyme in several metabolic pathways. Vitamin C is considered an antioxidant. [NIH] Aspartate: A synthetic amino acid. [NIH] Astringents: Agents, usually topical, that cause the contraction of tissues for the control of bleeding or secretions. [NIH] Atherogenic: Causing the formation of plaque in the lining of the arteries. [NIH] Bacteria: Unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms which generally possess rigid cell walls, multiply by cell division, and exhibit three principal forms: round or coccal, rodlike or bacillary, and spiral or spirochetal. [NIH] Bacterial Physiology: Physiological processes and activities of bacteria. [NIH] Bacteriophage: A virus whose host is a bacterial cell; A virus that exclusively infects bacteria. It generally has a protein coat surrounding the genome (DNA or RNA). One of the coliphages most extensively studied is the lambda phage, which is also one of the most important. [NIH] Base: In chemistry, the nonacid part of a salt; a substance that combines with acids to form salts; a substance that dissociates to give hydroxide ions in aqueous solutions; a substance whose molecule or ion can combine with a proton (hydrogen ion); a substance capable of donating a pair of electrons (to an acid) for the formation of a coordinate covalent bond. [EU] Biochemical: Relating to biochemistry; characterized by, produced by, or involving chemical reactions in living organisms. [EU] Biological therapy: Treatment to stimulate or restore the ability of the immune system to fight infection and disease. Also used to lessen side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments. Also known as immunotherapy, biotherapy, or biological response modifier (BRM) therapy. [NIH] Biosynthesis: The building up of a chemical compound in the physiologic processes of a living organism. [EU] Biotechnology: Body of knowledge related to the use of organisms, cells or cell-derived constituents for the purpose of developing products which are technically, scientifically and clinically useful. Alteration of biologic function at the molecular level (i.e., genetic engineering) is a central focus; laboratory methods used include transfection and cloning technologies, sequence and structure analysis algorithms, computer databases, and gene and protein structure function analysis and prediction. [NIH] Blood Glucose: Glucose in blood. [NIH]
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Blood pressure: The pressure of blood against the walls of a blood vessel or heart chamber. Unless there is reference to another location, such as the pulmonary artery or one of the heart chambers, it refers to the pressure in the systemic arteries, as measured, for example, in the forearm. [NIH] Blood vessel: A tube in the body through which blood circulates. Blood vessels include a network of arteries, arterioles, capillaries, venules, and veins. [NIH] Body Mass Index: One of the anthropometric measures of body mass; it has the highest correlation with skinfold thickness or body density. [NIH] Bowel: The long tube-shaped organ in the abdomen that completes the process of digestion. There is both a small and a large bowel. Also called the intestine. [NIH] Bowel Movement: Body wastes passed through the rectum and anus. [NIH] Branch: Most commonly used for branches of nerves, but applied also to other structures. [NIH]
Breakdown: A physical, metal, or nervous collapse. [NIH] Bromelain: An enzyme found in pineapples that breaks down other proteins, such as collagen and muscle fiber, and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is used as a meat tenderizer in the food industry. [NIH] Bronchitis: Inflammation (swelling and reddening) of the bronchi. [NIH] Capillary: Any one of the minute vessels that connect the arterioles and venules, forming a network in nearly all parts of the body. Their walls act as semipermeable membranes for the interchange of various substances, including fluids, between the blood and tissue fluid; called also vas capillare. [EU] Capsaicin: Cytotoxic alkaloid from various species of Capsicum (pepper, paprika), of the Solanaceae. [NIH] Capsicum: A genus of Solanaceous shrubs that yield capsaicin. Several varieties have sweet or pungent edible fruits that are used as vegetables when fresh and spices when the pods are dried. [NIH] Capsules: Hard or soft soluble containers used for the oral administration of medicine. [NIH] Carbohydrate: An aldehyde or ketone derivative of a polyhydric alcohol, particularly of the pentahydric and hexahydric alcohols. They are so named because the hydrogen and oxygen are usually in the proportion to form water, (CH2O)n. The most important carbohydrates are the starches, sugars, celluloses, and gums. They are classified into mono-, di-, tri-, polyand heterosaccharides. [EU] Carboxy: Cannabinoid. [NIH] Carboxylic Acids: Organic compounds containing the carboxy group (-COOH). This group of compounds includes amino acids and fatty acids. Carboxylic acids can be saturated, unsaturated, or aromatic. [NIH] Carcinogens: Substances that increase the risk of neoplasms in humans or animals. Both genotoxic chemicals, which affect DNA directly, and nongenotoxic chemicals, which induce neoplasms by other mechanism, are included. [NIH] Cardiovascular: Having to do with the heart and blood vessels. [NIH] Cardiovascular disease: Any abnormal condition characterized by dysfunction of the heart and blood vessels. CVD includes atherosclerosis (especially coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attacks), cerebrovascular disease (e.g., stroke), and hypertension (high blood pressure). [NIH] Carotene: The general name for a group of pigments found in green, yellow, and leafy
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vegetables, and yellow fruits. The pigments are fat-soluble, unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons functioning as provitamins and are converted to vitamin A through enzymatic processes in the intestinal wall. [NIH] Castor Bean: Common name for Ricinus communis, a species in the family Euphorbiaceae. It is the source of castor oil. [NIH] Castor Oil: Oil obtained from seeds of Ricinus communis that is used as a cathartic and as a plasticizer. [NIH] Cataracts: In medicine, an opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye obstructing partially or totally its transmission of light. [NIH] Cause of Death: Factors which produce cessation of all vital bodily functions. They can be analyzed from an epidemiologic viewpoint. [NIH] Cell: The individual unit that makes up all of the tissues of the body. All living things are made up of one or more cells. [NIH] Cell Death: The termination of the cell's ability to carry out vital functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, responsiveness, and adaptability. [NIH] Cell Division: The fission of a cell. [NIH] Cell Survival: The span of viability of a cell characterized by the capacity to perform certain functions such as metabolism, growth, reproduction, some form of responsiveness, and adaptability. [NIH] Cerebrovascular: Pertaining to the blood vessels of the cerebrum, or brain. [EU] Chemoprevention: The use of drugs, vitamins, or other agents to try to reduce the risk of, or delay the development or recurrence of, cancer. [NIH] Cholesterol: The principal sterol of all higher animals, distributed in body tissues, especially the brain and spinal cord, and in animal fats and oils. [NIH] Cholesterol Esters: Fatty acid esters of cholesterol which constitute about two-thirds of the cholesterol in the plasma. The accumulation of cholesterol esters in the arterial intima is a characteristic feature of atherosclerosis. [NIH] Choroid: The thin, highly vascular membrane covering most of the posterior of the eye between the retina and sclera. [NIH] Chromatin: The material of chromosomes. It is a complex of DNA, histones, and nonhistone proteins (chromosomal proteins, non-histone) found within the nucleus of a cell. [NIH] Chronic: A disease or condition that persists or progresses over a long period of time. [NIH] Chronic Disease: Disease or ailment of long duration. [NIH] Chylomicrons: A class of lipoproteins that carry dietary cholesterol and triglycerides from the small intestines to the tissues. [NIH] CIS: Cancer Information Service. The CIS is the National Cancer Institute's link to the public, interpreting and explaining research findings in a clear and understandable manner, and providing personalized responses to specific questions about cancer. Access the CIS by calling 1-800-4-CANCER, or by using the Web site at http://cis.nci.nih.gov. [NIH] Citrus: Any tree or shrub of the Rue family or the fruit of these plants. [NIH] Clinical trial: A research study that tests how well new medical treatments or other interventions work in people. Each study is designed to test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. [NIH] Cloning: The production of a number of genetically identical individuals; in genetic engineering, a process for the efficient replication of a great number of identical DNA
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molecules. [NIH] Coagulation: 1. The process of clot formation. 2. In colloid chemistry, the solidification of a sol into a gelatinous mass; an alteration of a disperse phase or of a dissolved solid which causes the separation of the system into a liquid phase and an insoluble mass called the clot or curd. Coagulation is usually irreversible. 3. In surgery, the disruption of tissue by physical means to form an amorphous residuum, as in electrocoagulation and photocoagulation. [EU] Codeine: An opioid analgesic related to morphine but with less potent analgesic properties and mild sedative effects. It also acts centrally to suppress cough. [NIH] Coenzyme: An organic nonprotein molecule, frequently a phosphorylated derivative of a water-soluble vitamin, that binds with the protein molecule (apoenzyme) to form the active enzyme (holoenzyme). [EU] Cofactor: A substance, microorganism or environmental factor that activates or enhances the action of another entity such as a disease-causing agent. [NIH] Collagen: A polypeptide substance comprising about one third of the total protein in mammalian organisms. It is the main constituent of skin, connective tissue, and the organic substance of bones and teeth. Different forms of collagen are produced in the body but all consist of three alpha-polypeptide chains arranged in a triple helix. Collagen is differentiated from other fibrous proteins, such as elastin, by the content of proline, hydroxyproline, and hydroxylysine; by the absence of tryptophan; and particularly by the high content of polar groups which are responsible for its swelling properties. [NIH] Collapse: 1. A state of extreme prostration and depression, with failure of circulation. 2. Abnormal falling in of the walls of any part of organ. [EU] Colloidal: Of the nature of a colloid. [EU] Communis: Common tendon of the rectus group of muscles that surrounds the optic foramen and a portion of the superior orbital fissure, to the anterior margin of which it is attached at the spina recti lateralis. [NIH] Complement: A term originally used to refer to the heat-labile factor in serum that causes immune cytolysis, the lysis of antibody-coated cells, and now referring to the entire functionally related system comprising at least 20 distinct serum proteins that is the effector not only of immune cytolysis but also of other biologic functions. Complement activation occurs by two different sequences, the classic and alternative pathways. The proteins of the classic pathway are termed 'components of complement' and are designated by the symbols C1 through C9. C1 is a calcium-dependent complex of three distinct proteins C1q, C1r and C1s. The proteins of the alternative pathway (collectively referred to as the properdin system) and complement regulatory proteins are known by semisystematic or trivial names. Fragments resulting from proteolytic cleavage of complement proteins are designated with lower-case letter suffixes, e.g., C3a. Inactivated fragments may be designated with the suffix 'i', e.g. C3bi. Activated components or complexes with biological activity are designated by a bar over the symbol e.g. C1 or C4b,2a. The classic pathway is activated by the binding of C1 to classic pathway activators, primarily antigen-antibody complexes containing IgM, IgG1, IgG3; C1q binds to a single IgM molecule or two adjacent IgG molecules. The alternative pathway can be activated by IgA immune complexes and also by nonimmunologic materials including bacterial endotoxins, microbial polysaccharides, and cell walls. Activation of the classic pathway triggers an enzymatic cascade involving C1, C4, C2 and C3; activation of the alternative pathway triggers a cascade involving C3 and factors B, D and P. Both result in the cleavage of C5 and the formation of the membrane attack complex. Complement activation also results in the formation of many biologically active complement fragments that act as anaphylatoxins, opsonins, or chemotactic factors. [EU]
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Complementary and alternative medicine: CAM. Forms of treatment that are used in addition to (complementary) or instead of (alternative) standard treatments. These practices are not considered standard medical approaches. CAM includes dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, herbal preparations, special teas, massage therapy, magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation. [NIH] Complementary medicine: Practices not generally recognized by the medical community as standard or conventional medical approaches and used to enhance or complement the standard treatments. Complementary medicine includes the taking of dietary supplements, megadose vitamins, and herbal preparations; the drinking of special teas; and practices such as massage therapy, magnet therapy, spiritual healing, and meditation. [NIH] Computational Biology: A field of biology concerned with the development of techniques for the collection and manipulation of biological data, and the use of such data to make biological discoveries or predictions. This field encompasses all computational methods and theories applicable to molecular biology and areas of computer-based techniques for solving biological problems including manipulation of models and datasets. [NIH] Cones: One type of specialized light-sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the retina that provide sharp central vision and color vision. [NIH] Connective Tissue: Tissue that supports and binds other tissues. It consists of connective tissue cells embedded in a large amount of extracellular matrix. [NIH] Connective Tissue: Tissue that supports and binds other tissues. It consists of connective tissue cells embedded in a large amount of extracellular matrix. [NIH] Connective Tissue Cells: A group of cells that includes fibroblasts, cartilage cells, adipocytes, smooth muscle cells, and bone cells. [NIH] Consciousness: Sense of awareness of self and of the environment. [NIH] Constipation: Infrequent or difficult evacuation of feces. [NIH] Consumption: Pulmonary tuberculosis. [NIH] Contamination: The soiling or pollution by inferior material, as by the introduction of organisms into a wound, or sewage into a stream. [EU] Contraindications: Any factor or sign that it is unwise to pursue a certain kind of action or treatment, e. g. giving a general anesthetic to a person with pneumonia. [NIH] Contrast Sensitivity: The ability to detect sharp boundaries (stimuli) and to detect slight changes in luminance at regions without distinct contours. Psychophysical measurements of this visual function are used to evaluate visual acuity and to detect eye disease. [NIH] Conventional therapy: A currently accepted and widely used treatment for a certain type of disease, based on the results of past research. Also called conventional treatment. [NIH] Conventional treatment: A currently accepted and widely used treatment for a certain type of disease, based on the results of past research. Also called conventional therapy. [NIH] Coronary: Encircling in the manner of a crown; a term applied to vessels; nerves, ligaments, etc. The term usually denotes the arteries that supply the heart muscle and, by extension, a pathologic involvement of them. [EU] Coronary heart disease: A type of heart disease caused by narrowing of the coronary arteries that feed the heart, which needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients carried by the blood in the coronary arteries. When the coronary arteries become narrowed or clogged by fat and cholesterol deposits and cannot supply enough blood to the heart, CHD results. [NIH] Coronary Thrombosis: Presence of a thrombus in a coronary artery, often causing a
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myocardial infarction. [NIH] Curative: Tending to overcome disease and promote recovery. [EU] Cysteine: A thiol-containing non-essential amino acid that is oxidized to form cystine. [NIH] Cystine: A covalently linked dimeric nonessential amino acid formed by the oxidation of cysteine. Two molecules of cysteine are joined together by a disulfide bridge to form cystine. [NIH]
Cytoplasm: The protoplasm of a cell exclusive of that of the nucleus; it consists of a continuous aqueous solution (cytosol) and the organelles and inclusions suspended in it (phaneroplasm), and is the site of most of the chemical activities of the cell. [EU] Cytotoxic: Cell-killing. [NIH] Cytotoxicity: Quality of being capable of producing a specific toxic action upon cells of special organs. [NIH] Databases, Bibliographic: Extensive collections, reputedly complete, of references and citations to books, articles, publications, etc., generally on a single subject or specialized subject area. Databases can operate through automated files, libraries, or computer disks. The concept should be differentiated from factual databases which is used for collections of data and facts apart from bibliographic references to them. [NIH] Decubitus: An act of lying down; also the position assumed in lying down. [EU] Decubitus Ulcer: An ulceration caused by prolonged pressure in patients permitted to lie too still for a long period of time. The bony prominences of the body are the most frequently affected sites. The ulcer is caused by ischemia of the underlying structures of the skin, fat, and muscles as a result of the sustained and constant pressure. [NIH] Defecation: The normal process of elimination of fecal material from the rectum. [NIH] Deletion: A genetic rearrangement through loss of segments of DNA (chromosomes), bringing sequences, which are normally separated, into close proximity. [NIH] Density: The logarithm to the base 10 of the opacity of an exposed and processed film. [NIH] Detergents: Purifying or cleansing agents, usually salts of long-chain aliphatic bases or acids, that exert cleansing (oil-dissolving) and antimicrobial effects through a surface action that depends on possessing both hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties. [NIH] Dextromethorphan: The d-isomer of the codeine analog of levorphanol. Dextromethorphan shows high affinity binding to several regions of the brain, including the medullary cough center. This compound is a NMDA receptor antagonist (receptors, N-methyl-D-aspartate) and acts as a non-competitive channel blocker. It is used widely as an antitussive agent, and is also used to study the involvement of glutamate receptors in neurotoxicity. [NIH] Diabetes Mellitus: A heterogeneous group of disorders that share glucose intolerance in common. [NIH] Diabetic Retinopathy: Retinopathy associated with diabetes mellitus, which may be of the background type, progressively characterized by microaneurysms, interretinal punctuate macular edema, or of the proliferative type, characterized by neovascularization of the retina and optic disk, which may project into the vitreous, proliferation of fibrous tissue, vitreous hemorrhage, and retinal detachment. [NIH] Diagnostic procedure: A method used to identify a disease. [NIH] Diarrhea: Passage of excessively liquid or excessively frequent stools. [NIH] Dietary Fiber: The remnants of plant cell walls that are resistant to digestion by the alimentary enzymes of man. It comprises various polysaccharides and lignins. [NIH]
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Digestion: The process of breakdown of food for metabolism and use by the body. [NIH] Dihydrotestosterone: Anabolic agent. [NIH] Dilatation: The act of dilating. [NIH] Dilation: A process by which the pupil is temporarily enlarged with special eye drops (mydriatic); allows the eye care specialist to better view the inside of the eye. [NIH] Direct: 1. Straight; in a straight line. 2. Performed immediately and without the intervention of subsidiary means. [EU] Dissociation: 1. The act of separating or state of being separated. 2. The separation of a molecule into two or more fragments (atoms, molecules, ions, or free radicals) produced by the absorption of light or thermal energy or by solvation. 3. In psychology, a defense mechanism in which a group of mental processes are segregated from the rest of a person's mental activity in order to avoid emotional distress, as in the dissociative disorders (q.v.), or in which an idea or object is segregated from its emotional significance; in the first sense it is roughly equivalent to splitting, in the second, to isolation. 4. A defect of mental integration in which one or more groups of mental processes become separated off from normal consciousness and, thus separated, function as a unitary whole. [EU] Distal: Remote; farther from any point of reference; opposed to proximal. In dentistry, used to designate a position on the dental arch farther from the median line of the jaw. [EU] Diuretic: A drug that increases the production of urine. [NIH] Dyskinesia: Impairment of the power of voluntary movement, resulting in fragmentary or incomplete movements. [EU] Edema: Excessive amount of watery fluid accumulated in the intercellular spaces, most commonly present in subcutaneous tissue. [NIH] Efficacy: The extent to which a specific intervention, procedure, regimen, or service produces a beneficial result under ideal conditions. Ideally, the determination of efficacy is based on the results of a randomized control trial. [NIH] Elasticity: Resistance and recovery from distortion of shape. [NIH] Elastin: The protein that gives flexibility to tissues. [NIH] Electrons: Stable elementary particles having the smallest known negative charge, present in all elements; also called negatrons. Positively charged electrons are called positrons. The numbers, energies and arrangement of electrons around atomic nuclei determine the chemical identities of elements. Beams of electrons are called cathode rays or beta rays, the latter being a high-energy biproduct of nuclear decay. [NIH] Electrophoresis: An electrochemical process in which macromolecules or colloidal particles with a net electric charge migrate in a solution under the influence of an electric current. [NIH]
Emodin: Purgative anthraquinone found in several plants, especially Rhamnus frangula. It was formerly used as a laxative, but is now used mainly as tool in toxicity studies. [NIH] Emollient: Softening or soothing; called also malactic. [EU] Emulsions: Colloids of two immiscible liquids where either phase may be either fatty or aqueous; lipid-in-water emulsions are usually liquid, like milk or lotion and water-in-lipid emulsions tend to be creams. [NIH] Environmental Health: The science of controlling or modifying those conditions, influences, or forces surrounding man which relate to promoting, establishing, and maintaining health. [NIH]
Enzymatic: Phase where enzyme cuts the precursor protein. [NIH]
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Enzyme: A protein that speeds up chemical reactions in the body. [NIH] Epithelial: Refers to the cells that line the internal and external surfaces of the body. [NIH] Epithelial Cells: Cells that line the inner and outer surfaces of the body. [NIH] Ethanolamine: A viscous, hygroscopic amino alcohol with an ammoniacal odor. It is widely distributed in biological tissue and is a component of lecithin. It is used as a surfactant, fluorimetric reagent, and to remove CO2 and H2S from natural gas and other gases. [NIH] Eucalyptus: A genus of Australian trees of the Myrtaceae family that yields gums, oils, and resins which are used as flavoring agents, astringents, and aromatics, and formerly to treat diarrhea, asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory tract infections. [NIH] Evacuation: An emptying, as of the bowels. [EU] Exogenous: Developed or originating outside the organism, as exogenous disease. [EU] Extracellular: Outside a cell or cells. [EU] Extracellular Matrix: A meshwork-like substance found within the extracellular space and in association with the basement membrane of the cell surface. It promotes cellular proliferation and provides a supporting structure to which cells or cell lysates in culture dishes adhere. [NIH] Family Planning: Programs or services designed to assist the family in controlling reproduction by either improving or diminishing fertility. [NIH] Fat: Total lipids including phospholipids. [NIH] Fatigue: The state of weariness following a period of exertion, mental or physical, characterized by a decreased capacity for work and reduced efficiency to respond to stimuli. [NIH]
Fatty acids: A major component of fats that are used by the body for energy and tissue development. [NIH] Feces: The excrement discharged from the intestines, consisting of bacteria, cells exfoliated from the intestines, secretions, chiefly of the liver, and a small amount of food residue. [EU] Fibrin: A protein derived from fibrinogen in the presence of thrombin, which forms part of the blood clot. [NIH] Fissure: Any cleft or groove, normal or otherwise; especially a deep fold in the cerebral cortex which involves the entire thickness of the brain wall. [EU] Flatus: Gas passed through the rectum. [NIH] Flavoring Agents: Substances added to foods and medicine to improve the quality of taste. [NIH]
Folate: A B-complex vitamin that is being studied as a cancer prevention agent. Also called folic acid. [NIH] Folic Acid: N-(4-(((2-Amino-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-6-pteridinyl)methyl)amino)benzoyl)-Lglutamic acid. A member of the vitamin B family that stimulates the hematopoietic system. It is present in the liver and kidney and is found in mushrooms, spinach, yeast, green leaves, and grasses. Folic acid is used in the treatment and prevention of folate deficiencies and megaloblastic anemia. [NIH] Foramen: A natural hole of perforation, especially one in a bone. [NIH] Forearm: The part between the elbow and the wrist. [NIH] Fructose: A type of sugar found in many fruits and vegetables and in honey. Fructose is used to sweeten some diet foods. It is considered a nutritive sweetener because it has calories. [NIH]
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Fungistatic: Inhibiting the growth of fungi. [EU] Gamma Oryzanol: The frequency of activity bursts ranging from 20 to 90 hertz, this term is used in analogy with a range of high-frequency X-rays. [NIH] Gas: Air that comes from normal breakdown of food. The gases are passed out of the body through the rectum (flatus) or the mouth (burp). [NIH] Gels: Colloids with a solid continuous phase and liquid as the dispersed phase; gels may be unstable when, due to temperature or other cause, the solid phase liquifies; the resulting colloid is called a sol. [NIH] Gene: The functional and physical unit of heredity passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA, and most genes contain the information for making a specific protein. [NIH]
Ginger: Deciduous plant rich in volatile oil (oils, volatile). It is used as a flavoring agent and has many other uses both internally and topically. [NIH] Ginkgo biloba: Exclusive species of the genus Ginkgo, family Ginkgoacea. It produces extracts of medicinal interest. Ginkgo may refer to the genus or species. [NIH] Ginseng: An araliaceous genus of plants that contains a number of pharmacologically active agents used as stimulants, sedatives, and tonics, especially in traditional medicine. [NIH] Glucose: D-Glucose. A primary source of energy for living organisms. It is naturally occurring and is found in fruits and other parts of plants in its free state. It is used therapeutically in fluid and nutrient replacement. [NIH] Glucose Intolerance: A pathological state in which the fasting plasma glucose level is less than 140 mg per deciliter and the 30-, 60-, or 90-minute plasma glucose concentration following a glucose tolerance test exceeds 200 mg per deciliter. This condition is seen frequently in diabetes mellitus but also occurs with other diseases. [NIH] Glutamate: Excitatory neurotransmitter of the brain. [NIH] Glutamic Acid: A non-essential amino acid naturally occurring in the L-form. Glutamic acid (glutamate) is the most common excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. [NIH]
Governing Board: The group in which legal authority is vested for the control of healthrelated institutions and organizations. [NIH] Grasses: A large family, Gramineae, of narrow-leaved herbaceous monocots. Many grasses produce highly allergenic pollens and are hosts to cattle parasites and toxic fungi. [NIH] Growth: The progressive development of a living being or part of an organism from its earliest stage to maturity. [NIH] Growth factors: Substances made by the body that function to regulate cell division and cell survival. Some growth factors are also produced in the laboratory and used in biological therapy. [NIH] Hair follicles: Shafts or openings on the surface of the skin through which hair grows. [NIH] Heart attack: A seizure of weak or abnormal functioning of the heart. [NIH] Hemorrhage: Bleeding or escape of blood from a vessel. [NIH] Hemorrhoid: An enlarged or swollen blood vessel, usually located near the anus or the rectum. [NIH] Hereditary: Of, relating to, or denoting factors that can be transmitted genetically from one generation to another. [NIH] Heredity: 1. The genetic transmission of a particular quality or trait from parent to offspring.
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2. The genetic constitution of an individual. [EU] Hormone: A substance in the body that regulates certain organs. Hormones such as gastrin help in breaking down food. Some hormones come from cells in the stomach and small intestine. [NIH] Hydrogen: The first chemical element in the periodic table. It has the atomic symbol H, atomic number 1, and atomic weight 1. It exists, under normal conditions, as a colorless, odorless, tasteless, diatomic gas. Hydrogen ions are protons. Besides the common H1 isotope, hydrogen exists as the stable isotope deuterium and the unstable, radioactive isotope tritium. [NIH] Hydrogen Peroxide: A strong oxidizing agent used in aqueous solution as a ripening agent, bleach, and topical anti-infective. It is relatively unstable and solutions deteriorate over time unless stabilized by the addition of acetanilide or similar organic materials. [NIH] Hydrolysis: The process of cleaving a chemical compound by the addition of a molecule of water. [NIH] Hydrophobic: Not readily absorbing water, or being adversely affected by water, as a hydrophobic colloid. [EU] Hydroxylysine: A hydroxylated derivative of the amino acid lysine that is present in certain collagens. [NIH] Hydroxyproline: A hydroxylated form of the imino acid proline. A deficiency in ascorbic acid can result in impaired hydroxyproline formation. [NIH] Hygienic: Pertaining to hygiene, or conducive to health. [EU] Hyperglycemia: Abnormally high blood sugar. [NIH] Hypertension: Persistently high arterial blood pressure. Currently accepted threshold levels are 140 mm Hg systolic and 90 mm Hg diastolic pressure. [NIH] Hypoglycemia: Abnormally low blood sugar [NIH] Hypoglycemic: An orally active drug that produces a fall in blood glucose concentration. [NIH]
Id: The part of the personality structure which harbors the unconscious instinctive desires and strivings of the individual. [NIH] Impairment: In the context of health experience, an impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function. [NIH] Impotence: The inability to perform sexual intercourse. [NIH] In vitro: In the laboratory (outside the body). The opposite of in vivo (in the body). [NIH] In vivo: In the body. The opposite of in vitro (outside the body or in the laboratory). [NIH] Indicative: That indicates; that points out more or less exactly; that reveals fairly clearly. [EU] Infarction: A pathological process consisting of a sudden insufficient blood supply to an area, which results in necrosis of that area. It is usually caused by a thrombus, an embolus, or a vascular torsion. [NIH] Infections: The illnesses caused by an organism that usually does not cause disease in a person with a normal immune system. [NIH] Inflammation: A pathological process characterized by injury or destruction of tissues caused by a variety of cytologic and chemical reactions. It is usually manifested by typical signs of pain, heat, redness, swelling, and loss of function. [NIH] Ingestion: Taking into the body by mouth [NIH]
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Insulin: A protein hormone secreted by beta cells of the pancreas. Insulin plays a major role in the regulation of glucose metabolism, generally promoting the cellular utilization of glucose. It is also an important regulator of protein and lipid metabolism. Insulin is used as a drug to control insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. [NIH] Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: A disease characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Autoimmune, genetic, and environmental factors are involved in the development of type I diabetes. [NIH] Intestinal: Having to do with the intestines. [NIH] Intravenous: IV. Into a vein. [NIH] Ionization: 1. Any process by which a neutral atom gains or loses electrons, thus acquiring a net charge, as the dissociation of a substance in solution into ions or ion production by the passage of radioactive particles. 2. Iontophoresis. [EU] Ions: An atom or group of atoms that have a positive or negative electric charge due to a gain (negative charge) or loss (positive charge) of one or more electrons. Atoms with a positive charge are known as cations; those with a negative charge are anions. [NIH] Juniper: A slow growing coniferous evergreen tree or shrub, genus Juniperus. The Juniper is cultivated for its berries, which take up to three years to ripen. The resinous, sweetly flavored berries are borne only by the female juniper, and can be found in various stages of ripeness on the same plant. [NIH] Kb: A measure of the length of DNA fragments, 1 Kb = 1000 base pairs. The largest DNA fragments are up to 50 kilobases long. [NIH] Large Intestine: The part of the intestine that goes from the cecum to the rectum. The large intestine absorbs water from stool and changes it from a liquid to a solid form. The large intestine is 5 feet long and includes the appendix, cecum, colon, and rectum. Also called colon. [NIH] Laxative: An agent that acts to promote evacuation of the bowel; a cathartic or purgative. [EU]
Lectins: Protein or glycoprotein substances, usually of plant origin, that bind to sugar moieties in cell walls or membranes and thereby change the physiology of the membrane to cause agglutination, mitosis, or other biochemical changes in the cell. [NIH] Lens: The transparent, double convex (outward curve on both sides) structure suspended between the aqueous and vitreous; helps to focus light on the retina. [NIH] Lesion: An area of abnormal tissue change. [NIH] Leukocytes: White blood cells. These include granular leukocytes (basophils, eosinophils, and neutrophils) as well as non-granular leukocytes (lymphocytes and monocytes). [NIH] Levorphanol: A narcotic analgesic that may be habit-forming. It is nearly as effective orally as by injection. [NIH] Library Services: Services offered to the library user. They include reference and circulation. [NIH]
Lipid: Fat. [NIH] Lipid Peroxidation: Peroxidase catalyzed oxidation of lipids using hydrogen peroxide as an electron acceptor. [NIH] Lipoprotein: Any of the lipid-protein complexes in which lipids are transported in the blood; lipoprotein particles consist of a spherical hydrophobic core of triglycerides or cholesterol esters surrounded by an amphipathic monolayer of phospholipids, cholesterol, and apolipoproteins; the four principal classes are high-density, low-density, and very-low-
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density lipoproteins and chylomicrons. [EU] Litter: Appliance consisting of an oblong frame over which is stretched a canvas or other material, used for carrying an injured or disabled person. [NIH] Liver: A large, glandular organ located in the upper abdomen. The liver cleanses the blood and aids in digestion by secreting bile. [NIH] Low-density lipoprotein: Lipoprotein that contains most of the cholesterol in the blood. LDL carries cholesterol to the tissues of the body, including the arteries. A high level of LDL increases the risk of heart disease. LDL typically contains 60 to 70 percent of the total serum cholesterol and both are directly correlated with CHD risk. [NIH] Lymphatic: The tissues and organs, including the bone marrow, spleen, thymus, and lymph nodes, that produce and store cells that fight infection and disease. [NIH] Lymphoid: Referring to lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. Also refers to tissue in which lymphocytes develop. [NIH] Macula: A stain, spot, or thickening. Often used alone to refer to the macula retinae. [EU] Macula Lutea: An oval area in the retina, 3 to 5 mm in diameter, usually located temporal to the superior pole of the eye and slightly below the level of the optic disk. [NIH] Macular Degeneration: Degenerative changes in the macula lutea of the retina. [NIH] Malabsorption: Impaired intestinal absorption of nutrients. [EU] Meat: The edible portions of any animal used for food including domestic mammals (the major ones being cattle, swine, and sheep) along with poultry, fish, shellfish, and game. [NIH]
Medicament: A medicinal substance or agent. [EU] MEDLINE: An online database of MEDLARS, the computerized bibliographic Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System of the National Library of Medicine. [NIH] Medullary: Pertaining to the marrow or to any medulla; resembling marrow. [EU] Megaloblastic: A large abnormal red blood cell appearing in the blood in pernicious anaemia. [EU] Membrane: A very thin layer of tissue that covers a surface. [NIH] Mental Disorders: Psychiatric illness or diseases manifested by breakdowns in the adaptational process expressed primarily as abnormalities of thought, feeling, and behavior producing either distress or impairment of function. [NIH] Methionine: A sulfur containing essential amino acid that is important in many body functions. It is a chelating agent for heavy metals. [NIH] MI: Myocardial infarction. Gross necrosis of the myocardium as a result of interruption of the blood supply to the area; it is almost always caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, upon which coronary thrombosis is usually superimposed. [NIH] Microbiology: The study of microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, algae, archaea, and viruses. [NIH] Microorganism: An organism that can be seen only through a microscope. Microorganisms include bacteria, protozoa, algae, and fungi. Although viruses are not considered living organisms, they are sometimes classified as microorganisms. [NIH] Milk Thistle: The plant Silybum marianum in the family Asteraceae containing the bioflavonoid complex silymarin. For centuries this has been used traditionally to treat liver disease. [NIH] Mitosis: A method of indirect cell division by means of which the two daughter nuclei
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normally receive identical complements of the number of chromosomes of the somatic cells of the species. [NIH] Modification: A change in an organism, or in a process in an organism, that is acquired from its own activity or environment. [NIH] Molasses: The syrup remaining after sugar is crystallized out of sugar cane or sugar beet juice. It is also used in animal feed, and in a fermented form, is used to make industrial ethyl alcohol and alcoholic beverages. [NIH] Molecular: Of, pertaining to, or composed of molecules : a very small mass of matter. [EU] Molecule: A chemical made up of two or more atoms. The atoms in a molecule can be the same (an oxygen molecule has two oxygen atoms) or different (a water molecule has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom). Biological molecules, such as proteins and DNA, can be made up of many thousands of atoms. [NIH] Monitor: An apparatus which automatically records such physiological signs as respiration, pulse, and blood pressure in an anesthetized patient or one undergoing surgical or other procedures. [NIH] Mydriatic: 1. Dilating the pupil. 2. Any drug that dilates the pupil. [EU] Myocardial infarction: Gross necrosis of the myocardium as a result of interruption of the blood supply to the area; it is almost always caused by atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries, upon which coronary thrombosis is usually superimposed. [NIH] Myocardium: The muscle tissue of the heart composed of striated, involuntary muscle known as cardiac muscle. [NIH] NCI: National Cancer Institute. NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research. NCI conducts, coordinates, and funds cancer research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the cause, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer. Access the NCI Web site at http://cancer.gov. [NIH] Necrosis: A pathological process caused by the progressive degradative action of enzymes that is generally associated with severe cellular trauma. It is characterized by mitochondrial swelling, nuclear flocculation, uncontrolled cell lysis, and ultimately cell death. [NIH] Need: A state of tension or dissatisfaction felt by an individual that impels him to action toward a goal he believes will satisfy the impulse. [NIH] Neuropathy: A problem in any part of the nervous system except the brain and spinal cord. Neuropathies can be caused by infection, toxic substances, or disease. [NIH] Neurotic: 1. Pertaining to or characterized by neurosis. 2. A person affected with a neurosis. [EU]
Neurotoxicity: The tendency of some treatments to cause damage to the nervous system. [NIH]
Nucleus: A body of specialized protoplasm found in nearly all cells and containing the chromosomes. [NIH] Ocular: 1. Of, pertaining to, or affecting the eye. 2. Eyepiece. [EU] Ointments: Semisolid preparations used topically for protective emollient effects or as a vehicle for local administration of medications. Ointment bases are various mixtures of fats, waxes, animal and plant oils and solid and liquid hydrocarbons. [NIH] Opacity: Degree of density (area most dense taken for reading). [NIH] Ophthalmic: Pertaining to the eye. [EU] Opsin: A protein formed, together with retinene, by the chemical breakdown of meta-
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rhodopsin. [NIH] Optic Disk: The portion of the optic nerve seen in the fundus with the ophthalmoscope. It is formed by the meeting of all the retinal ganglion cell axons as they enter the optic nerve. [NIH]
Optic Nerve: The 2nd cranial nerve. The optic nerve conveys visual information from the retina to the brain. The nerve carries the axons of the retinal ganglion cells which sort at the optic chiasm and continue via the optic tracts to the brain. The largest projection is to the lateral geniculate nuclei; other important targets include the superior colliculi and the suprachiasmatic nuclei. Though known as the second cranial nerve, it is considered part of the central nervous system. [NIH] Orbital: Pertaining to the orbit (= the bony cavity that contains the eyeball). [EU] Overweight: An excess of body weight but not necessarily body fat; a body mass index of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2. [NIH] Oxidants: Oxidizing agents or electron-accepting molecules in chemical reactions in which electrons are transferred from one molecule to another (oxidation-reduction). In vivo, it appears that phagocyte-generated oxidants function as tumor promoters or cocarcinogens rather than as complete carcinogens perhaps because of the high levels of endogenous antioxidant defenses. It is also thought that oxidative damage in joints may trigger the autoimmune response that characterizes the persistence of the rheumatoid disease process. [NIH]
Oxidation: The act of oxidizing or state of being oxidized. Chemically it consists in the increase of positive charges on an atom or the loss of negative charges. Most biological oxidations are accomplished by the removal of a pair of hydrogen atoms (dehydrogenation) from a molecule. Such oxidations must be accompanied by reduction of an acceptor molecule. Univalent o. indicates loss of one electron; divalent o., the loss of two electrons. [EU]
Oxidation-Reduction: A chemical reaction in which an electron is transferred from one molecule to another. The electron-donating molecule is the reducing agent or reductant; the electron-accepting molecule is the oxidizing agent or oxidant. Reducing and oxidizing agents function as conjugate reductant-oxidant pairs or redox pairs (Lehninger, Principles of Biochemistry, 1982, p471). [NIH] Oxidative Stress: A disturbance in the prooxidant-antioxidant balance in favor of the former, leading to potential damage. Indicators of oxidative stress include damaged DNA bases, protein oxidation products, and lipid peroxidation products (Sies, Oxidative Stress, 1991, pxv-xvi). [NIH] Palliative: 1. Affording relief, but not cure. 2. An alleviating medicine. [EU] Pancreas: A mixed exocrine and endocrine gland situated transversely across the posterior abdominal wall in the epigastric and hypochondriac regions. The endocrine portion is comprised of the Islets of Langerhans, while the exocrine portion is a compound acinar gland that secretes digestive enzymes. [NIH] Pancreatic: Having to do with the pancreas. [NIH] Particle: A tiny mass of material. [EU] Pathologic: 1. Indicative of or caused by a morbid condition. 2. Pertaining to pathology (= branch of medicine that treats the essential nature of the disease, especially the structural and functional changes in tissues and organs of the body caused by the disease). [EU] Pathologic Processes: The abnormal mechanisms and forms involved in the dysfunctions of tissues and organs. [NIH]
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Patient Education: The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs. [NIH]
Perennial: Lasting through the year of for several years. [EU] Peripheral Neuropathy: Nerve damage, usually affecting the feet and legs; causing pain, numbness, or a tingling feeling. Also called "somatic neuropathy" or "distal sensory polyneuropathy." [NIH] Peroral: Performed through or administered through the mouth. [EU] Peroxidase: A hemeprotein from leukocytes. Deficiency of this enzyme leads to a hereditary disorder coupled with disseminated moniliasis. It catalyzes the conversion of a donor and peroxide to an oxidized donor and water. EC 1.11.1.7. [NIH] Peroxide: Chemical compound which contains an atom group with two oxygen atoms tied to each other. [NIH] Phagocyte: An immune system cell that can surround and kill microorganisms and remove dead cells. Phagocytes include macrophages. [NIH] Pharmacologic: Pertaining to pharmacology or to the properties and reactions of drugs. [EU] Phospholipids: Lipids containing one or more phosphate groups, particularly those derived from either glycerol (phosphoglycerides; glycerophospholipids) or sphingosine (sphingolipids). They are polar lipids that are of great importance for the structure and function of cell membranes and are the most abundant of membrane lipids, although not stored in large amounts in the system. [NIH] Physiologic: Having to do with the functions of the body. When used in the phrase "physiologic age," it refers to an age assigned by general health, as opposed to calendar age. [NIH]
Pigment: A substance that gives color to tissue. Pigments are responsible for the color of skin, eyes, and hair. [NIH] Plant Components: The anatomical components of a plant, including seeds. [NIH] Plants: Multicellular, eukaryotic life forms of the kingdom Plantae. They are characterized by a mainly photosynthetic mode of nutrition; essentially unlimited growth at localized regions of cell divisions (meristems); cellulose within cells providing rigidity; the absence of organs of locomotion; absense of nervous and sensory systems; and an alteration of haploid and diploid generations. [NIH] Plaque: A clear zone in a bacterial culture grown on an agar plate caused by localized destruction of bacterial cells by a bacteriophage. The concentration of infective virus in a fluid can be estimated by applying the fluid to a culture and counting the number of. [NIH] Plasma: The clear, yellowish, fluid part of the blood that carries the blood cells. The proteins that form blood clots are in plasma. [NIH] Plasma cells: A type of white blood cell that produces antibodies. [NIH] Platelet Aggregation: The attachment of platelets to one another. This clumping together can be induced by a number of agents (e.g., thrombin, collagen) and is part of the mechanism leading to the formation of a thrombus. [NIH] Platelets: A type of blood cell that helps prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form. Also called thrombocytes. [NIH] Plexus: A network or tangle; a general term for a network of lymphatic vessels, nerves, or veins. [EU] Pollen: The male fertilizing element of flowering plants analogous to sperm in animals. It is released from the anthers as yellow dust, to be carried by insect or other vectors, including
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wind, to the ovary (stigma) of other flowers to produce the embryo enclosed by the seed. The pollens of many plants are allergenic. [NIH] Polypeptide: A peptide which on hydrolysis yields more than two amino acids; called tripeptides, tetrapeptides, etc. according to the number of amino acids contained. [EU] Practice Guidelines: Directions or principles presenting current or future rules of policy for the health care practitioner to assist him in patient care decisions regarding diagnosis, therapy, or related clinical circumstances. The guidelines may be developed by government agencies at any level, institutions, professional societies, governing boards, or by the convening of expert panels. The guidelines form a basis for the evaluation of all aspects of health care and delivery. [NIH] Progression: Increase in the size of a tumor or spread of cancer in the body. [NIH] Progressive: Advancing; going forward; going from bad to worse; increasing in scope or severity. [EU] Proline: A non-essential amino acid that is synthesized from glutamic acid. It is an essential component of collagen and is important for proper functioning of joints and tendons. [NIH] Protein C: A vitamin-K dependent zymogen present in the blood, which, upon activation by thrombin and thrombomodulin exerts anticoagulant properties by inactivating factors Va and VIIIa at the rate-limiting steps of thrombin formation. [NIH] Protein S: The vitamin K-dependent cofactor of activated protein C. Together with protein C, it inhibits the action of factors VIIIa and Va. A deficiency in protein S can lead to recurrent venous and arterial thrombosis. [NIH] Proteins: Polymers of amino acids linked by peptide bonds. The specific sequence of amino acids determines the shape and function of the protein. [NIH] Psyllium: Dried, ripe seeds of Plantago psyllium, P. indica, and P. ovata (Plantaginaceae). Plantain seeds swell in water and are used as demulcents and bulk laxatives. [NIH] Public Policy: A course or method of action selected, usually by a government, from among alternatives to guide and determine present and future decisions. [NIH] Publishing: "The business or profession of the commercial production and issuance of literature" (Webster's 3d). It includes the publisher, publication processes, editing and editors. Production may be by conventional printing methods or by electronic publishing. [NIH]
Pulmonary: Relating to the lungs. [NIH] Pulmonary Artery: The short wide vessel arising from the conus arteriosus of the right ventricle and conveying unaerated blood to the lungs. [NIH] Pulse: The rhythmical expansion and contraction of an artery produced by waves of pressure caused by the ejection of blood from the left ventricle of the heart as it contracts. [NIH]
Pupil: The aperture in the iris through which light passes. [NIH] Quercetin: Aglucon of quercetrin, rutin, and other glycosides. It is widely distributed in the plant kingdom, especially in rinds and barks, clover blossoms, and ragweed pollen. [NIH] Radioactive: Giving off radiation. [NIH] Randomized: Describes an experiment or clinical trial in which animal or human subjects are assigned by chance to separate groups that compare different treatments. [NIH] Reagent: A substance employed to produce a chemical reaction so as to detect, measure, produce, etc., other substances. [EU] Receptor: A molecule inside or on the surface of a cell that binds to a specific substance and
Dictionary 79
causes a specific physiologic effect in the cell. [NIH] Rectal: By or having to do with the rectum. The rectum is the last 8 to 10 inches of the large intestine and ends at the anus. [NIH] Rectum: The last 8 to 10 inches of the large intestine. [NIH] Recurrence: The return of a sign, symptom, or disease after a remission. [NIH] Reductase: Enzyme converting testosterone to dihydrotestosterone. [NIH] Refer: To send or direct for treatment, aid, information, de decision. [NIH] Regimen: A treatment plan that specifies the dosage, the schedule, and the duration of treatment. [NIH] Respiration: The act of breathing with the lungs, consisting of inspiration, or the taking into the lungs of the ambient air, and of expiration, or the expelling of the modified air which contains more carbon dioxide than the air taken in (Blakiston's Gould Medical Dictionary, 4th ed.). This does not include tissue respiration (= oxygen consumption) or cell respiration (= cell respiration). [NIH] Retina: The ten-layered nervous tissue membrane of the eye. It is continuous with the optic nerve and receives images of external objects and transmits visual impulses to the brain. Its outer surface is in contact with the choroid and the inner surface with the vitreous body. The outer-most layer is pigmented, whereas the inner nine layers are transparent. [NIH] Retinae: A congenital notch or cleft of the retina, usually located inferiorly. [NIH] Retinal: 1. Pertaining to the retina. 2. The aldehyde of retinol, derived by the oxidative enzymatic splitting of absorbed dietary carotene, and having vitamin A activity. In the retina, retinal combines with opsins to form visual pigments. One isomer, 11-cis retinal combines with opsin in the rods (scotopsin) to form rhodopsin, or visual purple. Another, all-trans retinal (trans-r.); visual yellow; xanthopsin) results from the bleaching of rhodopsin by light, in which the 11-cis form is converted to the all-trans form. Retinal also combines with opsins in the cones (photopsins) to form the three pigments responsible for colour vision. Called also retinal, and retinene1. [EU] Retinol: Vitamin A. It is essential for proper vision and healthy skin and mucous membranes. Retinol is being studied for cancer prevention; it belongs to the family of drugs called retinoids. [NIH] Rheumatoid: Resembling rheumatism. [EU] Ricin: A protein phytotoxin from the seeds of Ricinus communis, the castor oil plant. It agglutinates cells, is proteolytic, and causes lethal inflammation and hemorrhage if taken internally. [NIH] Ricinus: An euphorbiaceous plant with very toxic seeds. The castor bean, castor oil, ricin, and other lectins are its most important products. [NIH] Risk factor: A habit, trait, condition, or genetic alteration that increases a person's chance of developing a disease. [NIH] Rods: One type of specialized light-sensitive cells (photoreceptors) in the retina that provide side vision and the ability to see objects in dim light (night vision). [NIH] Rutin: 3-((6-O-(6-Deoxy-alpha-L-mannopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy)-2-(3,4dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4H-1-benzopyran-4-one. Found in many plants, including buckwheat, tobacco, forsythia, hydrangea, pansies, etc. It has been used therapeutically to decrease capillary fragility. [NIH] Screening: Checking for disease when there are no symptoms. [NIH] Sebaceous: Gland that secretes sebum. [NIH]
80
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Secretion: 1. The process of elaborating a specific product as a result of the activity of a gland; this activity may range from separating a specific substance of the blood to the elaboration of a new chemical substance. 2. Any substance produced by secretion. [EU] Secretory: Secreting; relating to or influencing secretion or the secretions. [NIH] Sedative: 1. Allaying activity and excitement. 2. An agent that allays excitement. [EU] Serum: The clear liquid part of the blood that remains after blood cells and clotting proteins have been removed. [NIH] Sex Characteristics: Those characteristics that distinguish one sex from the other. The primary sex characteristics are the ovaries and testes and their related hormones. Secondary sex characteristics are those which are masculine or feminine but not directly related to reproduction. [NIH] Sharpness: The apparent blurring of the border between two adjacent areas of a radiograph having different optical densities. [NIH] Side effect: A consequence other than the one(s) for which an agent or measure is used, as the adverse effects produced by a drug, especially on a tissue or organ system other than the one sought to be benefited by its administration. [EU] Silymarin: A mixture of flavonoids extracted from seeds of the milk thistle, Silybum marianum. It consists primarily of three isomers: silicristin, silidianin, and silybin, its major component. Silymarin displays antioxidant and membrane stabilizing activity. It protects various tissues and organs against chemical injury, and shows potential as an antihepatoxic agent. [NIH] Sitz Bath: A special plastic tub. A person sits in a few inches of warm water to help relieve discomfort of hemorrhoids or anal fissures. [NIH] Skin Care: Maintenance of the hygienic state of the skin under optimal conditions of cleanliness and comfort. Effective in skin care are proper washing, bathing, cleansing, and the use of soaps, detergents, oils, etc. In various disease states, therapeutic and protective solutions and ointments are useful. The care of the skin is particularly important in various occupations, in exposure to sunlight, in neonates, and in decubitus ulcer. [NIH] Soaps: Sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids. These detergent substances are obtained by boiling natural oils or fats with caustic alkali. Sodium soaps are harder and are used as topical anti-infectives and vehicles in pills and liniments; potassium soaps are soft, used as vehicles for ointments and also as topical antimicrobials. [NIH] Somatic: 1. Pertaining to or characteristic of the soma or body. 2. Pertaining to the body wall in contrast to the viscera. [EU] Sorbic Acid: Mold and yeast inhibitor. Used as a fungistatic agent for foods, especially cheeses. [NIH] Sorbitol: A polyhydric alcohol with about half the sweetness of sucrose. Sorbitol occurs naturally and is also produced synthetically from glucose. It was formerly used as a diuretic and may still be used as a laxative and in irrigating solutions for some surgical procedures. It is also used in many manufacturing processes, as a pharmaceutical aid, and in several research applications. [NIH] Specialist: In medicine, one who concentrates on 1 special branch of medical science. [NIH] Species: A taxonomic category subordinate to a genus (or subgenus) and superior to a subspecies or variety, composed of individuals possessing common characters distinguishing them from other categories of individuals of the same taxonomic level. In taxonomic nomenclature, species are designated by the genus name followed by a Latin or Latinized adjective or noun. [EU]
Dictionary 81
Spices: The dried seeds, bark, root, stems, buds, leaves, or fruit of aromatic plants used to season food. [NIH] Spinal cord: The main trunk or bundle of nerves running down the spine through holes in the spinal bone (the vertebrae) from the brain to the level of the lower back. [NIH] Stimulants: Any drug or agent which causes stimulation. [NIH] Stool: The waste matter discharged in a bowel movement; feces. [NIH] Stroke: Sudden loss of function of part of the brain because of loss of blood flow. Stroke may be caused by a clot (thrombosis) or rupture (hemorrhage) of a blood vessel to the brain. [NIH] Subspecies: A category intermediate in rank between species and variety, based on a smaller number of correlated characters than are used to differentiate species and generally conditioned by geographical and/or ecological occurrence. [NIH] Sulfur: An element that is a member of the chalcogen family. It has an atomic symbol S, atomic number 16, and atomic weight 32.066. It is found in the amino acids cysteine and methionine. [NIH] Supplementation: Adding nutrients to the diet. [NIH] Surfactant: A fat-containing protein in the respiratory passages which reduces the surface tension of pulmonary fluids and contributes to the elastic properties of pulmonary tissue. [NIH]
Symptomatic: Having to do with symptoms, which are signs of a condition or disease. [NIH] Synergistic: Acting together; enhancing the effect of another force or agent. [EU] Systemic: Affecting the entire body. [NIH] Tardive: Marked by lateness, late; said of a disease in which the characteristic lesion is late in appearing. [EU] Testosterone: A hormone that promotes the development and maintenance of male sex characteristics. [NIH] Therapeutics: The branch of medicine which is concerned with the treatment of diseases, palliative or curative. [NIH] Thrombin: An enzyme formed from prothrombin that converts fibrinogen to fibrin. (Dorland, 27th ed) EC 3.4.21.5. [NIH] Thrombocytes: Blood cells that help prevent bleeding by causing blood clots to form. Also called platelets. [NIH] Thrombosis: The formation or presence of a blood clot inside a blood vessel. [NIH] Thrombus: An aggregation of blood factors, primarily platelets and fibrin with entrapment of cellular elements, frequently causing vascular obstruction at the point of its formation. Some authorities thus differentiate thrombus formation from simple coagulation or clot formation. [EU] Ticks: Blood-sucking arachnids of the order Acarina. [NIH] Tin: A trace element that is required in bone formation. It has the atomic symbol Sn, atomic number 50, and atomic weight 118.71. [NIH] Tissue: A group or layer of cells that are alike in type and work together to perform a specific function. [NIH] Tooth Preparation: Procedures carried out with regard to the teeth or tooth structures preparatory to specified dental therapeutic and surgical measures. [NIH] Topical: On the surface of the body. [NIH]
82
Bilberry
Toxic: Having to do with poison or something harmful to the body. Toxic substances usually cause unwanted side effects. [NIH] Toxicology: The science concerned with the detection, chemical composition, and pharmacologic action of toxic substances or poisons and the treatment and prevention of toxic manifestations. [NIH] Transduction: The transfer of genes from one cell to another by means of a viral (in the case of bacteria, a bacteriophage) vector or a vector which is similar to a virus particle (pseudovirion). [NIH] Transfection: The uptake of naked or purified DNA into cells, usually eukaryotic. It is analogous to bacterial transformation. [NIH] Trees: Woody, usually tall, perennial higher plants (Angiosperms, Gymnosperms, and some Pterophyta) having usually a main stem and numerous branches. [NIH] Triglyceride: A lipid carried through the blood stream to tissues. Most of the body's fat tissue is in the form of triglycerides, stored for use as energy. Triglycerides are obtained primarily from fat in foods. [NIH] Tryptophan: An essential amino acid that is necessary for normal growth in infants and for nitrogen balance in adults. It is a precursor serotonin and niacin. [NIH] Tuberculosis: Any of the infectious diseases of man and other animals caused by species of Mycobacterium. [NIH] Type 2 diabetes: Usually characterized by a gradual onset with minimal or no symptoms of metabolic disturbance and no requirement for exogenous insulin. The peak age of onset is 50 to 60 years. Obesity and possibly a genetic factor are usually present. [NIH] Unconscious: Experience which was once conscious, but was subsequently rejected, as the "personal unconscious". [NIH] Urine: Fluid containing water and waste products. Urine is made by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and leaves the body through the urethra. [NIH] Valerian: Valeriana officinale, an ancient, sedative herb of the large family Valerianaceae. The roots were formerly used to treat hysterias and other neurotic states and are presently used to treat sleep disorders. [NIH] Vascular: Pertaining to blood vessels or indicative of a copious blood supply. [EU] Vector: Plasmid or other self-replicating DNA molecule that transfers DNA between cells in nature or in recombinant DNA technology. [NIH] Vein: Vessel-carrying blood from various parts of the body to the heart. [NIH] Venous: Of or pertaining to the veins. [EU] Venules: The minute vessels that collect blood from the capillary plexuses and join together to form veins. [NIH] Veterinary Medicine: The medical science concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases in animals. [NIH] Viral: Pertaining to, caused by, or of the nature of virus. [EU] Virus: Submicroscopic organism that causes infectious disease. In cancer therapy, some viruses may be made into vaccines that help the body build an immune response to, and kill, tumor cells. [NIH] Visual Acuity: Acuteness or clearness of vision, especially of form vision, which is dependent mainly on the sharpness of the retinal focus. [NIH] Vitreous Body: The transparent, semigelatinous substance that fills the cavity behind the
Dictionary 83
crystalline lens of the eye and in front of the retina. It is contained in a thin hyoid membrane and forms about four fifths of the optic globe. [NIH] Vitreous Hemorrhage: Hemorrhage into the vitreous body. [NIH] Vitro: Descriptive of an event or enzyme reaction under experimental investigation occurring outside a living organism. Parts of an organism or microorganism are used together with artificial substrates and/or conditions. [NIH] Vivo: Outside of or removed from the body of a living organism. [NIH] Vulgaris: An affection of the skin, especially of the face, the back and the chest, due to chronic inflammation of the sebaceous glands and the hair follicles. [NIH]
85
INDEX A Acclimation, 10, 14, 61 Adaptation, 7, 61 Adjustment, 61 Adolescence, 30, 61 Adverse Effect, 4, 5, 6, 44, 46, 61, 80 Affinity, 61, 68 Age of Onset, 61, 82 Alfalfa, 4, 44, 61 Algorithms, 61, 63 Alimentary, 61, 68 Alkaloid, 61, 64 Aloe, 4, 28, 45, 61 Alternative medicine, 61 Amino Acid Sequence, 62 Amino Acids, 62, 64, 78, 81 Anal, 62, 80 Anal Fissure, 62, 80 Analgesic, 15, 62, 66, 73 Analog, 6, 62, 68 Anatomical, 62, 72, 77 Anemia, 62, 70 Anthocyanins, 10, 13, 16, 17, 62 Antibodies, 7, 62, 77 Antidiabetic, 5, 46, 62 Antigen, 61, 62, 66 Anti-inflammatory, 28, 62, 64 Anti-Inflammatory Agents, 28, 62 Antimicrobial, 33, 62, 68 Antioxidant, 8, 10, 14, 28, 29, 31, 62, 63, 76, 80 Antitussive, 62, 68 Anus, 62, 64, 71, 79 Apolipoproteins, 62, 73 Apoptosis, 10, 16, 62 Aqueous, 63, 68, 69, 72, 73 Aromatic, 63, 64, 81 Arterial, 32, 63, 65, 72, 78 Arteries, 28, 31, 32, 63, 64, 67, 74, 75 Arterioles, 63, 64 Ascorbic Acid, 63, 72 Aspartate, 63, 68 Astringents, 63, 70 Atherogenic, 32, 63 B Bacteria, 62, 63, 70, 74, 82 Bacterial Physiology, 61, 63 Bacteriophage, 63, 77, 82
Base, 63, 68, 73 Biochemical, 7, 63, 73 Biological therapy, 63, 71 Biosynthesis, 7, 10, 15, 63 Biotechnology, 7, 8, 16, 38, 43, 63 Blood Glucose, 3, 4, 5, 44, 45, 46, 63, 72, 73 Blood pressure, 28, 31, 64, 72, 75 Blood vessel, 29, 64, 65, 71, 81, 82 Body Mass Index, 64, 76 Bowel, 62, 64, 73, 81 Bowel Movement, 64, 81 Branch, 57, 64, 76, 80, 81 Breakdown, 7, 64, 69, 71, 75 Bromelain, 32, 64 Bronchitis, 64, 70 C Capillary, 14, 64, 79, 82 Capsaicin, 5, 46, 64 Capsicum, 4, 45, 64 Capsules, 5, 26, 28, 46, 64 Carbohydrate, 8, 27, 64 Carboxy, 64 Carboxylic Acids, 15, 64 Carcinogens, 64, 76 Cardiovascular, 27, 28, 31, 37, 64 Cardiovascular disease, 27, 28, 31, 64 Carotene, 28, 31, 64, 79 Castor Bean, 65, 79 Castor Oil, 65, 79 Cataracts, 16, 18, 37, 65 Cause of Death, 28, 31, 65 Cell, 8, 10, 29, 62, 63, 65, 66, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 82 Cell Death, 62, 65, 75 Cell Division, 63, 65, 71, 74, 77 Cell Survival, 65, 71 Cerebrovascular, 64, 65 Chemoprevention, 17, 65 Cholesterol, 5, 6, 19, 28, 31, 32, 45, 46, 65, 67, 73, 74 Cholesterol Esters, 65, 73 Choroid, 65, 79 Chromatin, 62, 65 Chronic, 3, 5, 14, 18, 44, 46, 65, 83 Chronic Disease, 3, 44, 65 Chylomicrons, 65, 74 CIS, 6, 65, 79 Citrus, 63, 65
86
Bilberry
Clinical trial, 4, 6, 43, 45, 46, 65, 78 Cloning, 63, 65 Coagulation, 66, 81 Codeine, 66, 68 Coenzyme, 63, 66 Cofactor, 66, 78 Collagen, 28, 29, 64, 66, 77, 78 Collapse, 64, 66 Colloidal, 66, 69 Communis, 32, 34, 65, 66, 79 Complement, 66, 67 Complementary and alternative medicine, 13, 21, 67 Complementary medicine, 13, 67 Computational Biology, 43, 67 Cones, 67, 79 Connective Tissue, 26, 28, 63, 66, 67 Connective Tissue Cells, 67 Consciousness, 62, 67, 69 Constipation, 29, 67 Consumption, 5, 14, 46, 67, 79 Contamination, 33, 67 Contraindications, ii, 67 Contrast Sensitivity, 11, 17, 67 Conventional therapy, 3, 44, 67 Conventional treatment, 4, 44, 67 Coronary, 32, 64, 67, 74, 75 Coronary heart disease, 64, 67 Coronary Thrombosis, 67, 74, 75 Curative, 68, 81 Cysteine, 28, 31, 68, 81 Cystine, 68 Cytoplasm, 62, 68 Cytotoxic, 33, 64, 68 Cytotoxicity, 33, 68 D Databases, Bibliographic, 43, 68 Decubitus, 68, 80 Decubitus Ulcer, 68, 80 Defecation, 29, 68 Deletion, 62, 68 Density, 8, 32, 64, 68, 73, 75 Detergents, 68, 80 Dextromethorphan, 27, 31, 68 Diabetes Mellitus, 3, 18, 32, 34, 44, 68, 71 Diabetic Retinopathy, 6, 46, 68 Diagnostic procedure, 25, 68 Diarrhea, 18, 68, 70 Dietary Fiber, 29, 68 Digestion, 61, 64, 68, 69, 74 Dihydrotestosterone, 69, 79 Dilatation, 29, 69
Dilation, 29, 69 Direct, iii, 69, 79 Dissociation, 61, 69, 73 Distal, 69, 77 Diuretic, 69, 80 Dyskinesia, 28, 31, 69 E Edema, 18, 68, 69 Efficacy, 27, 33, 69 Elasticity, 29, 69 Elastin, 28, 29, 66, 69 Electrons, 62, 63, 69, 73, 76 Electrophoresis, 14, 69 Emodin, 61, 69 Emollient, 29, 69, 75 Emulsions, 33, 69 Environmental Health, 42, 44, 69 Enzymatic, 65, 66, 69, 79 Enzyme, 31, 64, 66, 69, 70, 77, 79, 81, 83 Epithelial, 7, 13, 70 Epithelial Cells, 13, 70 Ethanolamine, 7, 70 Eucalyptus, 4, 44, 70 Evacuation, 67, 70, 73 Exogenous, 70, 82 Extracellular, 67, 70 Extracellular Matrix, 67, 70 F Family Planning, 43, 70 Fat, 28, 31, 65, 67, 68, 70, 73, 76, 81, 82 Fatigue, 14, 70 Fatty acids, 64, 70, 80 Feces, 67, 70, 81 Fibrin, 70, 81 Fissure, 66, 70 Flatus, 70, 71 Flavoring Agents, 70 Folate, 70 Folic Acid, 27, 31, 70 Foramen, 66, 70 Forearm, 64, 70 Fructose, 15, 70 Fungistatic, 71, 80 G Gamma Oryzanol, 29, 71 Gas, 33, 70, 71, 72 Gels, 33, 71 Gene, 38, 63, 71 Ginger, 4, 5, 44, 46, 71 Ginkgo biloba, 4, 30, 32, 45, 71 Ginseng, 4, 5, 37, 44, 45, 46, 71
Index 87
Glucose, 4, 6, 27, 33, 34, 44, 45, 46, 63, 68, 71, 73, 80 Glucose Intolerance, 68, 71 Glutamate, 68, 71 Glutamic Acid, 70, 71, 78 Governing Board, 71, 78 Grasses, 70, 71 Growth, 10, 26, 32, 61, 62, 63, 65, 71, 77, 82 Growth factors, 32, 71 H Hair follicles, 71, 83 Heart attack, 28, 31, 64, 71 Hemorrhage, 71, 79, 81, 83 Hemorrhoid, 28, 29, 71 Hereditary, 71, 77 Heredity, 71 Hormone, 72, 73, 81 Hydrogen, 63, 64, 72, 73, 75, 76 Hydrogen Peroxide, 72, 73 Hydrolysis, 13, 72, 78 Hydrophobic, 68, 72, 73 Hydroxylysine, 66, 72 Hydroxyproline, 66, 72 Hygienic, 72, 80 Hyperglycemia, 27, 72 Hypertension, 64, 72 Hypoglycemia, 27, 72 Hypoglycemic, 5, 45, 72 I Id, 11, 17, 50, 56, 58, 72 Impairment, 69, 72, 74 Impotence, 6, 46, 72 In vitro, 8, 16, 72 In vivo, 31, 72, 76 Indicative, 37, 72, 76, 82 Infarction, 72 Infections, 70, 72 Inflammation, 29, 62, 64, 72, 79, 83 Ingestion, 27, 72 Insulin, 5, 27, 45, 73, 82 Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, 73 Intestinal, 65, 73, 74 Intravenous, 28, 31, 73 Ionization, 16, 73 Ions, 63, 69, 72, 73 J Juniper, 4, 32, 34, 44, 73 K Kb, 42, 73 L Large Intestine, 73, 79 Laxative, 69, 73, 80
Lectins, 73, 79 Lens, 33, 65, 73, 83 Lesion, 73, 81 Leukocytes, 73, 77 Levorphanol, 68, 73 Library Services, 56, 73 Lipid, 10, 14, 62, 69, 73, 76, 82 Lipid Peroxidation, 10, 14, 73, 76 Lipoprotein, 32, 73, 74 Litter, 10, 74 Liver, 70, 74 Low-density lipoprotein, 74 Lymphatic, 74, 77 Lymphoid, 62, 74 M Macula, 7, 74 Macula Lutea, 74 Macular Degeneration, 7, 19, 74 Malabsorption, 15, 74 Meat, 27, 64, 74 Medicament, 32, 34, 74 MEDLINE, 43, 74 Medullary, 68, 74 Megaloblastic, 70, 74 Membrane, 65, 66, 70, 73, 74, 77, 79, 80, 83 Mental Disorders, 30, 74 Methionine, 28, 31, 74, 81 MI, 59, 74 Microbiology, 61, 74 Microorganism, 66, 74, 83 Milk Thistle, 4, 45, 74, 80 Mitosis, 63, 73, 74 Modification, 32, 75 Molasses, 29, 75 Molecular, 16, 17, 43, 48, 63, 67, 75 Molecule, 7, 62, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75, 76, 78, 82 Monitor, 4, 44, 75 Mydriatic, 69, 75 Myocardial infarction, 32, 68, 74, 75 Myocardium, 74, 75 N NCI, 1, 41, 65, 75 Necrosis, 62, 72, 74, 75 Need, 3, 4, 38, 44, 45, 51, 75 Neuropathy, 75, 77 Neurotic, 75, 82 Neurotoxicity, 68, 75 Nucleus, 62, 65, 68, 75 O Ocular, 16, 75 Ointments, 33, 75, 80 Opacity, 65, 68, 75
88
Bilberry
Ophthalmic, 33, 75 Opsin, 7, 75, 79 Optic Disk, 68, 74, 76 Optic Nerve, 76, 79 Orbital, 66, 76 Overweight, 6, 11, 29, 46, 76 Oxidants, 29, 76 Oxidation, 32, 62, 68, 73, 76 Oxidation-Reduction, 76 Oxidative Stress, 14, 76 P Palliative, 76, 81 Pancreas, 73, 76 Pancreatic, 5, 46, 76 Particle, 76, 82 Pathologic, 63, 67, 76 Pathologic Processes, 63, 76 Patient Education, 3, 44, 54, 56, 59, 77 Perennial, 27, 77, 82 Peripheral Neuropathy, 5, 46, 77 Peroral, 33, 34, 77 Peroxidase, 8, 73, 77 Peroxide, 77 Phagocyte, 76, 77 Pharmacologic, 77, 82 Phospholipids, 70, 73, 77 Physiologic, 27, 63, 77, 79 Pigment, 7, 13, 29, 77 Plant Components, 27, 77 Plants, 27, 61, 65, 69, 71, 77, 79, 81, 82 Plaque, 63, 77 Plasma, 27, 28, 31, 62, 65, 71, 77 Plasma cells, 62, 77 Platelet Aggregation, 32, 77 Platelets, 32, 77, 81 Plexus, 29, 77 Pollen, 77, 78 Polypeptide, 62, 66, 78 Practice Guidelines, 47, 78 Progression, 27, 28, 31, 32, 78 Progressive, 71, 75, 78 Proline, 66, 72, 78 Protein C, 62, 63, 73, 78 Protein S, 38, 63, 78 Proteins, 62, 64, 65, 66, 75, 77, 78, 80 Psyllium, 29, 78 Public Policy, 43, 78 Publishing, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 27, 44, 45, 46, 78 Pulmonary, 64, 67, 78, 81 Pulmonary Artery, 64, 78 Pulse, 75, 78 Pupil, 69, 75, 78
Q Quercetin, 6, 12, 14, 32, 33, 46, 78 R Radioactive, 72, 73, 78 Randomized, 69, 78 Reagent, 70, 78 Receptor, 61, 62, 68, 78 Rectal, 29, 79 Rectum, 62, 64, 68, 70, 71, 73, 79 Recurrence, 65, 79 Reductase, 16, 79 Refer, 1, 66, 71, 74, 79 Regimen, 26, 28, 29, 69, 79 Respiration, 75, 79 Retina, 7, 65, 67, 68, 73, 74, 76, 79, 83 Retinae, 74, 79 Retinal, 7, 13, 68, 76, 79, 82 Retinol, 79 Rheumatoid, 76, 79 Ricin, 79 Ricinus, 14, 65, 79 Risk factor, 27, 31, 79 Rods, 79 Rutin, 78, 79 S Screening, 65, 79 Sebaceous, 79, 83 Secretion, 73, 80 Secretory, 8, 80 Sedative, 66, 80, 82 Serum, 14, 66, 74, 80 Sex Characteristics, 61, 80, 81 Sharpness, 80, 82 Side effect, 4, 5, 28, 31, 33, 34, 45, 61, 63, 80, 82 Silymarin, 30, 74, 80 Sitz Bath, 29, 80 Skin Care, 33, 80 Soaps, 80 Somatic, 61, 75, 77, 80 Sorbic Acid, 33, 80 Sorbitol, 6, 46, 80 Specialist, 51, 69, 80 Species, 10, 16, 64, 65, 71, 75, 80, 81, 82 Spices, 64, 81 Spinal cord, 65, 75, 81 Stimulants, 71, 81 Stool, 29, 73, 81 Stroke, 32, 42, 64, 81 Subspecies, 80, 81 Sulfur, 74, 81 Supplementation, 11, 17, 81
Index 89
Surfactant, 29, 70, 81 Symptomatic, 29, 81 Synergistic, 26, 27, 29, 31, 81 Systemic, 64, 81 T Tardive, 28, 31, 81 Testosterone, 79, 81 Therapeutics, 15, 33, 38, 81 Thrombin, 70, 77, 78, 81 Thrombocytes, 77, 81 Thrombosis, 78, 81 Thrombus, 32, 67, 72, 77, 81 Ticks, 14, 81 Tin, 77, 81 Tissue, 26, 62, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 73, 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82 Tooth Preparation, 61, 81 Topical, 26, 28, 29, 33, 63, 72, 80, 81 Toxic, iv, 5, 46, 68, 71, 75, 79, 82 Toxicology, 44, 82 Transduction, 6, 82 Transfection, 63, 82 Trees, 70, 82
Triglyceride, 5, 45, 82 Tryptophan, 66, 82 Tuberculosis, 67, 82 Type 2 diabetes, 5, 46, 82 U Unconscious, 72, 82 Urine, 62, 69, 82 V Valerian, 27, 32, 34, 82 Vascular, 20, 28, 31, 32, 65, 72, 81, 82 Vector, 82 Vein, 73, 82 Venous, 18, 78, 82 Venules, 64, 82 Veterinary Medicine, 43, 82 Viral, 82 Virus, 63, 77, 82 Visual Acuity, 11, 17, 67, 82 Vitreous Body, 79, 82, 83 Vitreous Hemorrhage, 68, 83 Vitro, 83 Vivo, 83 Vulgaris, 34, 83
90
Bilberry
Index 91
92
Bilberry
