Galanthus woronowii, the green snowdrop or Woronow's snowdrop, is a bulbous plant native to north-east Turkey and the west and central Caucasus. In cultivation particularly, it has often been confused with two other species with broad green leaves and a single green mark on the inner tepals: Galanthus ikariae and Galanthus platyphyllus (usually under its synonym G. latifolius).

Galanthus woronowii grows from a bulb. The leaves are 'supervolute', i.e. one leaf is tightly clasped around the other within ...

galanthus woronowii

Old-Remedies-That-Still-Heal-Us-Today

Old Remedies That Still Heal Us Today 

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From opium in maca, to quinine extracted from a quinine tree, to active compounds in snowdrop, there are many old working natural remedies that have actually tested and proven medical benefits.

Artemisia-annua

Artemisia annua  

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Artemisinin&nbsp; (Artemisia annua) and its semisynthetic derivatives are a group of drugs used in the treatment of malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum. <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0165614708001648" target="_blank" data-ref="Redirecting" rel="noopener">[ref.</a>&nbsp;1]&nbsp;

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Tu Youyou discovered a substance called artemisinin, which can be used to treat malaria. Not only did Tu find a way to extract artemisinin from traditional Chinese medicine, but he also tested the new drug on himself to speed up development time.&nbsp;

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Through a joint effort collectively referred to as "Project 523," Chinese scientists prepared dihydroartemisinin, artemether, and artesunate in the 1970s. It is these derivatives, along with others, including artemizone, arteter and artellinic acid, collectively known as "artemisinins", that are now making a decisive contribution to the management of malaria.

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This breakthrough contributed to a successful treatment that saved millions of people in China, Southeast Asia, Africa and South America. <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmed.2022.868087/full" target="_blank" data-ref="Worldwide Research Trends on Artemisinin: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2000 to 2021" rel="noopener">[ref.</a>&nbsp;2]&nbsp;

Spurgia-esulae-(Euphorbia-peplus)

Spurgia esulae (Euphorbia peplus)  

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The white juice of this common weed, also known as garden milkweed, is described in&nbsp; the book "Complete Herbalist" by Nicholas Culpepper (1826) as "a good treatment for warts". However, do not try this remedy at home, as it can irritate the skin.

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Garden milkweed makes its way from native Europe to Australia, where biochemist Dr. Jim Aylward grows it in his garden. In 1997, Dr. Aylward isolated the plant's active ingredient, ingenol mebutate, which he discovered was toxic to rapidly reproducing human tissue.

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And recent clinical trials of a gel derived from milkweed juice suggest that it is effective in stopping lesions turning into skin cancer. The study in question involved 36 patients with non-melanoma skin cancer lesions. Each was treated with the juice of the Euphorbia peplus plant, which was applied to the skin once a day for three days. The juice of the plant has been used for centuries as a traditional medicine, and researchers include it at various stages in an appropriate clinical trial.

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After one month, 41 of the 48 cancers showed a complete clinical response to treatment, which means that no trace of the tumor could be found at the clinical examination. Patients who received only a partial response from the first round of treatment were then offered a second course.&nbsp;

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Lesions that responded positively to one or two courses of treatment were then followed further between two and 31 months. After an average of 15 months of treatment, two-thirds (68.5% or 30 out of 48) of skin cancer lesions still showed a complete response. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/euphorbia-peplus#:~:text=(Euphorbiaceae)%20or%20petty%20spurge%2F,bladder%20cancer%20systemically%20against%20leukemia" target="_blank" data-ref="ScienceDirectScience DirectScienceDirect helpElsevierRELX Group" rel="noopener">[ref.</a>&nbsp;3]&nbsp;

Leeches-(Hirudinea)

Leeches (Hirudinea) 

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Yes, you may not have expected to see this here, but there's a reason. Leeches were one of the more civilized methods of bloodletting, a popular cure for diseases in bygone times. "Hirudotherapy" is the name of the treatment itself with medical leeches. In general, hirudotherapy prevents the formation of thrombi and is considered an effective remedy for varicose veins disease, thrombophlebitis, hemorrhoids and others.

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For the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, any imbalance in the four bodily dimensions (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm) would have caused disease. And the best way to correct this is by draining the excess - often blood.

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Returning to the present, the use of medical leeches to treat multiple diseases has peaked, with France importing around 40 million each year. It is also interesting that recent advances in surgery include the use of leeches again. Hospitals such as UCLH in London use these bloodthirsty animals to drain excess blood after microsurgery, which helps promote natural healing. They can also be used in postoperative care for skin grafts or after reattachment of lost fingers and ears.

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One of the mechanisms by which leeches are beneficial is that they produce a protein that stops blood clotting. They work by sinking into the reflexogenic (acupuncture) zones and releasing their biologically active substances, which number over 50!&nbsp;

White-willow-(Salix-alba)

White willow (Salix alba) 

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Both the ancient Egyptians and Hippocrates recommended using willow bark to relieve pain. Its effectiveness was eventually proven in a Royal Society study in 1763, but it wasn't until 1915 that pharmaceutical giant Bayer began selling it over-the-counter as aspirin. In fact, acetylsalicylic acid is the valuable chemical derived from salicylic acid extracted from the bark of white willow.

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This tree is now the subject of between 700 and 1,000 clinical trials each year. And recent advances have shown that it has other beneficial effects besides a pain-relieving effect.

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From reducing the risk of strokes to indications that it can help prevent cancer, aspirin is the traditional remedy that comes from the bark of white willow. &nbsp;<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.3386" target="_blank" data-ref="Just a moment..." rel="noopener">[ref. 4]</a>&nbsp;

Snowdrops-(Galanthus)

Snowdrops (Galanthus) 

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Thus, the favorite spring flowers - snowdrops (Galanthus spp., Family Amaryllidaceae), are besides beautiful and supposedly beneficial to health. Their biological activities have been described in more than one study, with scientists pointing to the anticholinesterase, antimicrobial, antioxidant and anticancer potential of Galanthus spp. The main pharmacological ingredients in snowdrops, especially in bulbs, are galantamine and lycorin. &nbsp;<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.552453/full" target="_blank" data-ref="Biological Activities of Snowdrop (Galanthus spp., Family Amaryllidaceae)" rel="noopener">[ref. 5]</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;

Natural gifts continue to be an inexhaustible source of new therapeutics for the treatment of human diseases. Both among plants and among some animal species, there are ways to alleviate various health problems. They may not have the same effect as medications, but it's always helpful to have some old natural remedies in your medicine cabinet that may be helpful in relieving symptoms.

5 Old Remedies That Still Heal Us Today

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Бетина Цветкова

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Author: Rositsa Tashkova, Master of Molecular Biology and Microbiology

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The Snowdrop is a symbol of the nascent new beginning, the first spring flower that overcomes even the snow and the frozen earth to bloom and bring us new hope and joy.

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The beautiful and gentle flower is not as unencless as it seems. The Snowdrop contains poisonous alkaloids in its bulb - galantamine and lycorine. The same substances are found in the Daffodil bulb. If eaten by mistake, they lead to diarrhea and vomiting.

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Of interest to medicine is galantamine, which can be extracted from both Snowdrop and Daffodil, but can also synthesized in laboratory conditions, which facilitates its sourcing and application, since otherwise there would be no Snowdrops left.

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Mechanism of Action of Galanamine

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In the progression of Alzheimer's disease, a drop in levels of the substance acetylcholine is observed. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter or, in other words, a molecule that is synthesized from nerve endings and attaches to receptors on muscle cells, for example, and thus transmits its message and triggers action.

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In the brain, acetylcholine is extremely important for memory and learning, and in the body - for&nbsp;muscle contractions.

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After it transmits its signal, acetylcholine is broken down by a special enzyme - acetylcholinesterase which prevents its excessive accumulation. Here comes the role of galantamine, which inhibits this enzyme by binding to it and blocking it and thus helps maintain higher levels of acetylcholine.

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Importance-of-Galantamine-for-Alzheimer's-Disaease-Sufferers

Importance of Galantamine for Alzheimer's Disaease Sufferers

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The mechanism of action described above would not be beneficial for a healthy organism, but since the balance is already disturbed in sufferers of Alzheimer's disease, then galantamine could help them delay the development of the insidious disease.

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In 2002, an overview of the reseaech conducted so far for galantamine effect on patients with mild to moderate form of the disease, was published. The results are encouraging, with scientists indicating a dose of 16 mg/day as the most effective. The side effects are similar to those of other cholinesterase inhibitors. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Galantamine_for_Alzheimer_s_disease_12137632" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.1</a>]

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Traditional Chinese medicine: 6 herbs for Alzheimer's and dementia

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According to a more recent 2011 study, galantamine can improve and stabilize cognitive performance, daily activities and behavioral symptoms and its efficacy and tolerability are comparable to those of other cholinestherase inhibitors (rivastigmine and donepezil). According to the researchers, until other drug therapies with comparable or better clinical efficacy appear, galantamine will remain one of the standard first-line drugs for mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/Galantamine_for_Alzheimer_s_disease_20113148" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.2</a>]

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Moreover, a study was published in 2021, according to which low doses of galantamine relieve <a href="/p/kakvi_sa_polzitie_ot_antioksidantitie_za_zdravieto_i_koi_khrani_sa_nai_boghati_na_tiakh_0376155d_ea0c_4218_8ed2_114aed9f37c5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">oxidative stress</a>, along with beneficial anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects, and modulate nervous autonomic regulation in patients with metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance). [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/en/eng/research/pubmed/the_cholinergic_drug_galantamine_alleviates_oxidative_stress_alongside_anti_inflammatory_and_cardio_metabolic_effects_in_subjects_with_the_metabolic_syndrome_in_a_randomized_trial_33776997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.4</a>]

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The Savory: not just aromatic spice, but a herb with numerous health benefits

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Other effects of gallanamine from Snowdrop and Daffodil on various health aspects are also being studied.

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Relationship Between Chemical Warfare and Galanamine

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Chemical warfare of the type of organophosphates - sarin, tabun and soman, also suppress the action of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, as well as galantamine.

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But the main difference between them is that organophosphates bind much more firmly to the enzyme, unlike galanamine, and never detach. This leads to vomiting, convulsions, difficulty breathing and eventually death.

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Galantamine can serve as an antidote for organophosphate poisoning, since it will take the place of organophosphate on the enzyme, blocking it only temporarily and then releasing it and allowing it to break down a certain amount of acetylcholine. [<a href="https://www.compoundchem.com/2018/02/08/snowdrops/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref.3</a>]

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Behind the beauty of Snowdrop and Daffodil may lie the secret of a better life for Alzheimer's sufferers, and besides spring joy, they give a ray of hope, even when everything seems hopeless.

Snowdrop May Hide The Key to Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

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 Snowdrop May Hide The Key to Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

Rositsa Tashkova-Kacharova

Author: Rositsa Tashkova, Master of Molecular Biology and Microbiology

The importance of herbs for the treatment of various diseases, from ancient times until today, is evident from the various scientific disciplines that have formed around them [<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281787581_Importance_of_plants_in_modern_pharmacy_and_medicine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 1</a>]:

<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Clinical use of medical plants is called phytotherapy;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Historical aspects of the use of medicinal plants in different societies around the world are united in the sciences ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Traditional medicine, on the other hand, means the role of plants in various popular "unscientific" medical systems, experience that is passed down through generations, but is not proven by science (often this is due to the fact that the mechanisms of action of specific herbs or combinations are simply not studied);</li>
</ul>

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<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Pharmacognosy is the science of biogenic or nature-derived pharmaceuticals and poisons. It deals with all medicinal plants, including complex mixtures that are used in the form of raw herbs or extracts (phytotherapy), pure compounds such as morphine, and foods that provide additional health benefits only in the context of preventive effects (nutraceuticals - garlic, ginger, turmeric, cocoa, red wine, foods containing flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids). Pharmacognosy includes identification, physicochemical characterization, cultivation, extraction, preparation, quality control, and biological evaluation of drugs.</li>
</ul>

Herbs-and-medicine---what-is-the-connection

Herbs and medicine - what is the connection

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It is estimated that more than 25% of prescription medicinal products contain herbal ingredients, but only a small percentage of the world's plants are studied&nbsp;for potential pharmaceutical use. [<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-1-4615-1455-8_4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 6</a>]

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In recent years, there has been increased interest in plant research as a source of new medicines. This has also increased the number of newly discovered bioactive compounds of plant origin, and many programmes will continue to contribute to this in the near future.

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China plays an important role in the development of currently used pharmaceuticals, with approximately 30,000 species of plants, many of them with a long history of use in traditional medicine.

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Read more:

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<a href="/p/mozhie_li_kitaiskata_traditsionna_mieditsina_da_podpomoghnie_liechieniieto_na_covid_19_66b2086f_3972_41b2_9eec_8869683711c1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Chinese experience in the treatment of COVID-19</a>

Herbs-and-medicine---what-is-the-connection_0_5

<a href="/p/9_bilki_koito_kitai_izpolzva_pri_borbata_s_koronavirusa_covid_19_090c722d_bb2f_42cf_9f29_3058e134a8e8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">9 herbs China uses to fight coronavirus (COVID-19)</a>

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According to the American Society of Pharmacognosy, it represents "the study of the physical, chemical, biochemical and biological properties of medicines, medicinal substances or potential medicines and medicinal substances of natural origin, as well as the search for new drugs from natural sources."

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Often, medicinal substances of natural origin cannot be produced en masse, so they need to be studied in order to develop synthetic biologically similar products.

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The production of these compounds synthetically allows modifications to be made to increase bioavailability, change pharmacokinetics and increase efficacy. These modifications can transform raw inactive plant extract into a powerful drug, as seen in some anticancer medicines. Thus, natural compounds are excellent models for the production of new drugs. [<a href="https://www.news-medical.net/health/Importance-of-Pharmacognosy.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 7</a>]

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Pharmacognosy is recognized as a vital part of the processes of drug development and pharmaceutical education, but has recently been neglected, due to the emergence of effective drugs that can be synthesized in the laboratory.

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However, many scientists share the belief that people's knowledge of the medicinal application of different plants should never be lost, as they provide a very good starting point for the development of <a href="/p/iekstrakt_ot_iednoghodishien_pielin_artemisia_annua_shchie_bdie_izsliedvan_za_aktivnost_srieshchu_covid_19_481480f7_9437_40b5_a59b_5071935e117a" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer"></a> new drugs. An example of this is <a href="../p/iekstrakt_ot_iednoghodishien_pielin_artemisia_annua_shchie_bdie_izsliedvan_za_aktivnost_srieshchu_covid_19_481480f7_9437_40b5_a59b_5071935e117a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">artemisinin from the sweet wormwood Artemisia annua</a>, which is a recognized ancient Chinese medicine against malaria.

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Respect for ancient wisdom is reflected in phytotherapy (herbal treatment) and phytopharmaceuticals. The use of herbal products to treat diseases is well known in South America, China and India, where billions of dollars are spent on research to identify and market natural medicines.

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The-hidden-healing-properties-of-herbs

The hidden healing properties of herbs

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Different parts&nbsp;of the plant (flower, leaves, stems, roots, fruits) can be used as medicines or a specific active substance can be extracted from it, which can be put into a tablet, capsule, syrup.

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Well-established in medical practice examples of the first method of administration are: St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) for the treatment of mild to medium-severity depression; Gingko biloba, the leaves of which are used to improve memory and anxiety; chamomile flowers (Chamomilla recutita) to relieve mild gastrointestinal disorders and as an anti-inflammatory agent; leaves and pods of Alexandrian senna (Senna alexandrina) against constipation); extract of hawthorn, mint and valerian for relaxation; decoction of European smoketree (smoke tree, Cotinus coggygria) for external use, due to its antiseptic properties and many others.

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Some of them are accepted into the ranks of classical or conventional medicine, while others are still part of the so-called <a href="/p/kakvo_priedstavliava_altiernativnata_mieditsina_i_kakvi_sa_polzitie_ot_nieia_e2ecb339_f300_472f_a460_f58ef33f08ee" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">alternative medicine</a> [ref. 2] and are used as supportive, additional medical supplements.

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Due to their richness <a href="../c/herbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a> in active substances, herbs should not be taken lightly as something that "if it does not help, at least it will not harm you". Some of these ingredients are extremely potent, others may have an impact (beneficial or not) with prolonged use. Let us not forget that most poisons also have a natural origin.

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Some herbs have a hepatotoxic effect (they are toxic to the liver), others may cause photosensitivity, and when taken we should not expose ourselves to the sun (this is the case with St. John's wort), others may interact with other medicines that we take. Therefore, the herbal treatment is necessary to be perscribed and monitored by a specialist. Unfortunately, not every doctor or pharmacist is well aware of the characteristics of herbs and herbal preparations, but there are also many self-styled "healers".

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When we talk about active ingredients, these are pure chemicals commonly used in the form of licensed medicines. Sometimes they are produced synthetically but initially found in plants. Examples of such substances are [<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281787581_Importance_of_plants_in_modern_pharmacy_and_medicine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 1</a>]:

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<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) morphine, used as an analgesic;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Digoxin and other glycosides from the foxgloves plant (Digitalis spp.), used to treat heart failure;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Taxol from Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia), used as an anticancer agent [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Taxol_dose_intensification_and_its_clinical_implications_8103561" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 9</a>];</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Quinine, from the bark of the red cinchona (Cinchona pubescens), used to treat malaria;</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;">Galantamine derived from a type of snowdrops used to treat cognitive disorders.</li>
</ul>

Is-there-a-difference-between-herbal-medicines-and-homeopathy

Is there a difference between herbal medicines and homeopathy

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Unfortunately, many people still do not distinguish between homeopathy and herbal treatment, incorrectly calling herbal preparations homeopathic. Therefore, we need to distinguish between the two.

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What is common between treatment with herbs and homeopathy is that both enter the category "alternative treatment", as well as in that the content of certain homeopathic preparations lists herbs and other plants.

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Herbal treatment is the use of plants, lichens, algae and mushrooms for healing or therapeutic effects on the body. The earliest evidence that the herbs were used for healing was found on clay tablets created around 3000 BC from the Sumerians in ancient Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq).

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The foundations of Chinese traditional medicine were probably laid between 200 and 250 AD, and meanwhile the foundations of Ayurveda in present-day Pakistan were being laid. Centuries later, in 1500 BC, the ancient Egyptians wrote about the use of plants for medicinal purposes on scrolls called Ebers Papyrus. [<a href="https://www.bioseek.eu/bg/eng/research/pubmed/Ebers_Papyrus_The_book_of_medical_knowledge_of_the_16th_century_B_C_Egyptians_15586450" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 8</a>]

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In herbal treatment, various preparations are used, such as tinctures, teas, powders, essential oils, honey soaked in herbs, herbal vinegars, elixirs and numerous local forms. The main feature shared by all of them is that they contain physiologically active substances from the herbs used for their production.

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In turn, homeopathy was developed in the late 18th century in Germany by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann.&nbsp;It is based on the principle "like cures like" - the root of the word homeopathy, as "homeo" means "like" and "pathos" means "disease".

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What does this mean? Homeopathic preparations usually contain negligible doses of substances that are thought to have created the same symptoms as the disease. Homeopathy is based on the philosophy of 'less is more', according to which the more diluted the medicine is, the stronger its effect. Even today homeopathy uses highly diluted substances of natural origin for its medications. [<a href="https://www.herb-pharm.com/pharm-journal/difference-between-homeopathy-and-herbalism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 3</a>]

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Homeopathic preparations use herbs such as arnica (Arnica montana) and poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), but also minerals such as phosphorus and animal products such as snake venom (Lachesis mutus). The preparations are made in infinitesimal dilutions so that very few or no molecules of the original substance remain. They are then included in topical preparations, tinctures or small sugar pills that dissolve under the tongue.

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So, the main difference between the two methods is that in herbal treatment, preparations rely on the phytochemicals that herbs contain. These phytochemicals are present in physiological levels and are accordingly found in herbal preparations. In homeopathic preparations, materials are diluted repeatedly - so much so that only a miniature amount of the original substance remains, if any at all.

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Another significant difference is that homeopathy is not based on any scientific evidence [<a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200910/cmselect/cmsctech/45/4502.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 4</a>], despite attempts to confirm its effects. Unlike herbal medicine, homeopathy has been rejected by the scientific community as an ineffective method of "treatment." [<a href="https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/sps-homeopathy.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ref. 5</a>]

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Herbs have an established role for the development of medicine and pharmacy, both in the past and in the present and future. Their potential continues to be studied and realized as we enjoy another cup of aromatic thyme tea, mint and oregano.

galanthus woronowii

Snowdrop May Hide The Key to Alzheimer's Disease Treatment

Do herbs hold the past and future of pharmacy? The short answer is 'Yes!'