Phytotherapy Research
posted at http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-PTR.html
Phytotherapy Research is a monthly, international journal for the publication of original research papers, short communications, reviews and letters on medicinal plant research. Key areas of interest are pharmacology, toxicology, and the clinical applications of herbs and natural products in medicine, from case histories to full clinical trials, including studies of herb-drug interactions and other aspects of the safety of herbal medicines. Papers concerned with the effects of common food ingredients and standardised plant extracts, including commercial products, are particularly welcome, as are mechanistic studies on isolated natural products.
Short communications dealing with the pharmacology and screening of crude or uncharacterised extracts will be considered for publication only if they are clearly of interest to our international readership and are not deemed more suitable for a regional audience.
Phytotherapy Research does not publish agricultural, phytochemical, structure elucidation, quality control or botanical identification papers unless directly pertinent to the pharmacological effects or overall safety of plant based medicines currently in use.
For research info, please follow the link below:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
posted at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.2072/abstract
Pharmaceutical and therapeutic Potentials of essential oils and their individual volatile constituents: a review
Amr E. Edris*
Article first published online: 2 JAN 2007
DOI: 10.1002/ptr.2072
Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Abstract
Essential oils and their volatile constituents are used widely to prevent and treat human disease. The possible role and mode of action of these natural products is discussed with regard to the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular diseases including atherosclerosis and thrombosis, as well as their bioactivity as antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidants and antidiabetic agents. Their application as natural skin penetration enhancers for transdermal drug delivery and the therapeutic properties of essential oils in aroma and massage therapy will also be outlined. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Read the full article here
posted at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12064023
J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2002 May-Jun;13(3):81-99.
Clinical aromatherapy and AIDS.
Source
RJ Buckle Associates LLC, Hunter, New York, USA.
Abstract
Clinical aromatherapy is the use of essential oils for expected outcomes that are measurable and is a therapy that is used as part of nursing care in Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and, more recently, the United States. Essential oils are steam distillates obtained from aromatic plants. These volatile extracts have been used for many years by French hospitals against airborne bacteria and fungi. As antimicrobial agents, essential oils may be appropriate in HIV/AIDS for specific opportunistic infections. Aromatherapy can also alter perceptions of chronic pain, help maintain skin integrity, and is useful in stress management. Methods of application vary depending on the site of infection and the psychological profile of the patient and can include inhalation, compresses, baths, massage, and the "m" technique. This article will explore the potential use of essential oils in HIV/AIDS focusing on four opportunistic infections: Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida albicans, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and herpes simplex types I and II.
posted at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16599645
CNS Drugs. 2006;20(4):257-80.
Aromatherapy in the management of psychiatric disorders: clinical and neuropharmacological perspectives.
Source
Medicinal Plant Research Centre, Universities of Newcastle and Northumbria, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. n@perry.net
Abstract
Aromatherapy is currently used worldwide in the management of chronic pain, depression, anxiety, some cognitive disorders, insomnia and stress-related disorders. Although essential oils have been used, reputedly effectively, for centuries as a traditional medicine, there is very little verified science behind this use. The pharmacology of the essential oils and/or their single chemical constituents, therefore, remains largely undiscovered. However, accumulating evidence that inhaled or dermally applied essential oils enter the blood stream and, in relevant molecular, cellular or animal models, exert measurable psychological effects, indicates that the effects are primarily pharmacological.This review includes evidence from the limited number of clinical trials that have been published of 'psychoaromatherapy' in relation to psychiatric disorders, together with evidence from mechanistic, neuropharmacological studies of the effects of essential oils in relevant in vitro and in vivo models. It is concluded that aromatherapy provides a potentially effective treatment for a range of psychiatric disorders. In addition, taking into account the available information on safety, aromatherapy appears to be without the adverse effects of many conventional psychotropic drugs. Investment in further clinical and scientific research is clearly warranted.
posted at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9519666
J R Soc Health. 1997 Oct;117(5):324-9.
Essential oils and 'aromatherapy': their modern role in healing.
Source
School of Applied Science, South Bank University, London.
Abstract
'Aromatherapy' is one of the most actively growing forms of alternative medicine combining massage together with counselling and a nice odour. Most clients suffer from some kind of stress-related disorder and aromatherapy encourages the healing process largely through relaxation and the relief of stress. Stress is also a major problem in hospitals, hospices and homes for the aged and physically or mentally-challenged. Aromatherapy is welcomed by nurses who want to be closer to their patient and doctors who can refer patients with stress-related disorders who do not respond to conventional medicines. The actual mode of action of essential oils in vivo is still far from known, although there is strong in vitro evidence that essential oils can act as an antimicrobial or antioxidant agent or have a pharmacological effect on various tissues. Studies have shown that essential oils have an effect on brainwaves and can also alter behaviour. It is possible that most of the effect of the oils is probably transmitted through the brain via the olfactory system. Used professionally and safely, aromatherapy can be of great benefit as an adjunct to conventional medicine or used simply as an alternative.