月經失調 - Dr. George Ku - 2009年7月8日
用中國的流行曲旋律，加進外文（英文），成為新的一首歌走進歐美流行榜，再在全世界流行樂壇佔一席位的，例子不多。印象中有兩闕，一是六○年代的Ding Dong Song，由潘迪華唱，改編自董佩佩的《第二春》。另一首是五○年代姚莉唱的，叫《玫瑰啊玫瑰》，又名《玫瑰玫瑰我愛你》，改編成英文的Rose Rose I Love You，在1951年最高曾到過美國流行榜Billboard第三名。在1989年的電影《奇蹟》中，梅艷芳唱黃霑填詞的粵語版本：「完全為你深深入迷，柔情萬縷傾你心底，萬花開放誰最美麗，紅塵獨愛一枝玫瑰」。再追溯上去，是先前龔秋霞唱的《薔薇薔薇處處開》，旋律像是差不多；薔薇和玫瑰，都是同一類花，別名叫「月季」。
玫瑰聽說源自波斯，之後流傳到中東以至全世界。現在全球最大的玫瑰產地是保加利亞，產量佔全球七成，大部分用來做香水。純的玫瑰精油（Rose Absolute）可不便宜，二千朵才能收集到一克，化學名稱是香葉醇（Geraniol）。
香葉醇對很多種婦科病都有補健作用，包括消滅感染陰道的念珠菌（Candida）。念珠菌是一種真菌（Fungus），有兩個完全不同的外形。當營養充足時，念珠菌會像植物的根，在皮膚下蔓延，叫菌絲（Mycelium）。一旦養分不夠，它會轉為一粒粒的念珠酵母菌（Yeast）。香葉醇的功效，在於它能把受感染陰道壁內的念珠菌絲，轉為念珠酵母菌，也就是連根拔出，之後能被沖洗走（Biol. Pharm. Bull., Vol.31, pp.1501-1506；Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents., Vol.31, pp.572-576）。
香葉醇還能處理一個很棘手的婦科病，叫經血過多症（Menorrhagia）。經血的成因，與女性生殖機能有關。在成年女性體內，腦下垂體會周期性地分泌一種叫FSH的荷爾蒙，令卵巢製造及分泌雌激素（學名叫雌二醇Estradiol）。當雌二醇的分泌份量去到頂點，會促使卵巢排卵，又會令卵巢製造黃體酮（Progesterone），後者刺激子宮內膜增生，將子宮的組織加厚，形成一個安樂窩以期迎接一個受了精的卵子。在大多數情況中，卵子不會受精。子宮內膜等不到一顆受精的卵子便不須保持下去，它便會裂開，經血也就開始。在這過程中，若某些緣故令卵巢造多了雌二醇，推高了黃體酮的份量，子宮內膜會更厚及更充血，導致經血過多症。在這方面，有一個西藥叫Danazol，它的功效，是能干擾雌二醇接受體的操作；若雌二醇少了，經血也會減少。不過，這個藥有一個不良的副作用，令荷爾蒙失調，嚴重時可導致多毛症（Hirsutism）。
在這裏，香葉醇作為一個補健食品，能派上用場。它有干擾雌二醇接受體的功能，但不會引致多毛症（J. Pharm. Pharmacol., Vol.54, pp.1521-1528）。
| Title: Author: | Protective Activity of Geranium Oil and Its Component, Geraniol, in Combination with Vaginal Washing against Vaginal Candidiasis in Mice MARUYAMA Naho ; TAKIZAWA Toshio ; ISHIBASHI Hiroko ; HISAJIMA Tatsuya ; INOUYE Shigeharu ; YAMAGUCHI Hideyo ; ABE Shigeru |
| Citation: | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin, 2008, vol. 31, no8, pp. 1501-1506 |
Abstract: |
In order to evaluate an effective administration method of essential oils for vaginal candidiasis, efficacy of vaginal application of essential oils against murine experimental candidiasis was investigated. The effect on vaginal inflammation and Candida growth form was also studied. Vaginal candidiasis was established by intravaginal infection of C. albicans to estradiol-treated mice. These mice intravaginally received essential oils such as geranium and tea tree singly or in combination with vaginal washing. Vaginal administration of clotrimazole significantly decreased the number of viable C. albicans cells in the vaginal cavity by itself. In contrast, these essential oils did not lower the cell number. When application of geranium oil or geraniol was combined with vaginal washing, the cell number was decreased significantly. The myeloperoxidase activity assay exhibited the possibility that essential oils worked not only to reduce the viable cell number of C. albicans, but also to improve vaginal inflammation. The smear of vaginal washing suspension suggested that more yeast-form cells appeared in vaginal smears of these oil-treated mice than in control mice. In vitro study showed that a very low concentration (25 μg/ml) of geranium oil and geraniol inhibited mycelial growth, but not yeast growth. Based on these findings, it is estimated that vaginal application of geranium oil or its main component, geraniol, suppressed Candida cell growth in the vagina and its local inflammation when combined with vaginal washing.
|
| Title: Author: | In vitro activity of terpenes against Candidabiofilms Stéphanie Dalleauab, Estelle Cateaua, Thierry Bergèsb, Jean-Marc Berjeauda, Christine Imberta | |
| Citation: | Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents., | |
Abstract: |
The antibiofilm activity of 10 terpenes was tested in vitro against threeCandida species by 24-h treatment of biofilms aged 1–5 days. Treatment of 24-h-old Candida albicans biofilms with carvacrol, geraniol or thymol (0.06%) resulted in >80% inhibition. Carvacrol (0.03%) inhibition was ≥75% independent of the age of the C. albicansbiofilm. Carvacrol (0.125%) inhibition was >75% against Candida glabrata and Candida parapsilosis biofilms. Geraniol (≥0.125%) and thymol (0.06% or 0.125%) inhibition was >75% against C. parapsilosisbiofilms whatever their age. This study demonstrates the antibiofilm activity of terpenes and points out the exceptional efficiency of carvacrol, geraniol and thymol, which could represent candidates in the treatment of candidiasis associated with medical devices.
|
| Title: Author: | Assessment of estrogenic activity in some common essential oil constituents HOWES M.-J. R. (1) ; HOUGHTON P. J. (1) ; BARLOW D. J. (1) ; POCOCK V. J. (2) ; MILLIGAN S. R. (2) ; |
| Citation: | Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology, 2002, vol. 54, no11, pp. 1521-1528 [8 page(s) (article)] (1 p.1/4) |
Abstract: |
Estrogenic responses have not only been associated with endocrine function, but also with cognitive function. Several studies have indicated that estrogen replacement therapy has favourable effects on cognition, and may have potential in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Thus, ligands for the estrogen receptor, that have a better efficacy and adverse-effect profile than drugs currently available, require investigation. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential estrogenic activity of a number of essential oil constituents. Initially, estrogenic activity was determined by a sensitive and specific bioassay using recombinant yeast cells expressing the human estrogen receptor. At high concentrations, estrogenic activity was detected for citral (geranial and neral), geraniol, nerol and trans-anethole, while eugenol showed anti-estrogenic activity. Molecular graphics studies were undertaken to identify the possible mechanisms for the interaction of geranial, neral, geraniol, nerol and eugenol with the ligand-binding domain of the estrogen α-receptor, using the computer program HyperChem. Citral, geraniol, nerol and eugenol were also able to displace [3H]17β-estradiol from isolated α- and β-human estrogen receptors, but none of these compounds showed estrogenic or anti-estrogenic activity in the estrogen-responsive human cell line Ishikawa Var I at levels below their cytotoxic concentrations, and none showed activity in a yeast screen for androgenic and anti-androgenic activity. The potential in-vivo estrogenic effects of citral and geraniol were examined in ovariectomized mice, but neither compound showed any ability to stimulate the characteristic estrogenic responses of uterine hypertrophy or acute increase in uterine vascular permeability. These results show that very high concentrations of some commonly used essential oil constituents appearto have the potential to interact with estrogen receptors, although the biological significance of this is uncertain.
|
沒有留言:
張貼留言