Mining Of Ancient Herbal Text Leads To Potential New Anti-bacterial Drug

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/12/061228154205.htm

Science Daily — A unique Mayo Clinic collaboration has revived the healing wisdom of Pacific Island cultures by testing a therapeutic plant extract described in a 17th century Dutch herbal text for its anti-bacterial properties. Early results show that extracts from the Atun tree effectively control bacteria that can cause diarrhea, as claimed by naturalist Georg Eberhard Rumpf, circa 1650. He documented his traditional healing methods in the book Ambonese Herbal.

The Mayo Clinic-led team's report appears in the Dec. 23 edition of The British Medical Journal. In their report, Mayo Clinic researchers demonstrate the feasibility of using sophisticated data mining techniques on historical texts to identify new drugs.
Significance of the Mayo Clinic Research
The study provides a creative new model for drug discovery. It integrates nontraditional, ancient medical information with advanced technologies to identify promising natural products to investigate as drugs for new and better therapies.
"Natural products are invaluable sources of healing agents -- consider, for example, that aspirin derived originally from willow bark, and the molecular basis of the anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agent TaxolTM was derived from the bark of the Pacific yew tree. So it's not so far-fetched to think that the contributions of an ancient text and insights from traditional medicine really may impact modern public health," explains Brent Bauer, M.D., director of the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program.
For thousands of years, people around the world have lived intimately with botanical healing agents and evolved effective healing traditions. "Our work shows just how much we can learn from them. But to make the most of what is fast becoming lost knowledge, we have to respect, preserve and work with traditional healing cultures," adds Eric Buenz, Ph.D., researcher for Minnesota-based BioSciential, LLC.
Ancient Text
Rumpf referred to himself as Rumphius, in the Latinized scientific manner of the day. Rumphius was a German-born naturalist who worked for the Dutch East Indies Company. His book is an account of the herbal healing traditions on the Indonesian island of Ambon. Rumphius' description of Atun kernels' therapeutic properties is what modern medicine calls "antimotility agents," they stop diarrhea. Writes Rumphius: "... these same kernels ... will halt all kinds of diarrhea, but very suddenly, forcefully and powerfully, so that one should use them with care in dysentery cases, because that illness or affliction should not be halted too quickly; and some considered this medicament a great secret, and relied on it completely."
Authors
Dr. Buenz was formerly an investigator in Mayo Clinic's Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program, and is now a private researcher with Minnesota-based BioSciential, LLC. Working with Dr. Bauer, Dr. Buenz went to the Independent State of Samoa in January 2005 and accompanied a shamanistic healer to Atun tree groves. The Atun leaves and nuts Dr. Buenz picked were brought back to Minnesota and analyzed in Mayo Clinic laboratories.
Global involvement
Scientists and others in the Mayo Clinic collaboration included:
in the Independent State of Samoa, shamanistic healer.
in Rochester, Minn., a Mayo Clinic neuroscientist, a physician, laboratory analysts and a bioinformatics text-mining expert, who oversaw the Mayo Vocabulary Server concept-indexing application to closely examine the text for detailed and relevant information.
in Kalaheo, Hawaii, ethnobotanists (persons who study the plant lore of a race or people) at the Institute for Ethnomedicine, National Tropical Botanical Gardens, to validate the correct botanical specimens.
in Boston, Mass., experts in technology to digitize the text so names, symptoms or ailments associated with a given plant could be extracted.
in New York, N.Y., a botanist at the New York Botanical Gardens to reconcile ancient plant names with modern plant names.
in Chicago, Ill., experts using a natural products database to compare the therapeutic plants identified by Rumphius with modern botanical healing agents in use. Plant names found in Rumphius' text -- but not found in the database -- were considered promising leads to investigate.
in Amherst, Mass., a professor of Germanic languages who translated the work written in Dutch and Latin by Rumpf (1627--1702).

Pomegranate sows seeds of popularity

http://www.boston.com/business/globe/articles/2006/12/10/pomegranate_sows_seeds_of_popularity/

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff December 10, 2006
Supermarkets can't keep pomegranate juices in stock. Farmers can't grow the fruits fast enough. They are everywhere -- in shampoo, on lobster dinners, in beer, even on Christmas wreathes.
Hard-to-eat, and until recently fairly obscure, pomegranates have become a national phenomenon. Companies rolled out 450 products this year featuring the ruby-seeded fruit, bringing the total to 961 products launched since 2003, according to the Mintel International Group, a market research firm.
It's an unexpected surge in popularity for a fruit that has its roots in ancient Persia and took nearly 4,000 years to make its way into mainstream America -- its arrival epitomized this summer by the introduction of a pomegranate Frappuccino at Starbucks. Rival Dunkin' Donuts wanted to launch a pomegranate smoothie this year, but the Canton chain feared the fruit's short supply would be a problem.
"The pomegranate really did come out of nowhere," said Tom Vierhile , director of Productscan Online, a market research group in Naples, Fla. "Clearly, pomegranate has staked a claim in the market as the top superfruit of the year."
Americans' interest in pomegranates was spurred first by health studies in 2002 promoting the fruit as rich in antioxidants, a class of compounds that are thought to help prevent cancer and strokes. At the same time, Pom Wonderful, a Los Angeles company that helped fund the studies, introduced stylishly bottled pomegranate juice in supermarkets.
The studies gave the fruit instant currency among health-conscious Americans, especially aging baby boomers, and boosted the awareness of the fruit. Marketers quickly crowned the pomegranate as the latest in a new line of nutrient-dense "super foods," following cranberries, blueberries, and green tea, among others.
But the pomegranate's appeal has spread far beyond the bounds of other health foods. Savvy companies played up the fruit's history, revered for centuries as a symbol of fertility, royalty, hope, and abundance in various cultures. Some scholars even suggest that it was a pomegranate, not an apple, eaten in the biblical Garden of Eden.
"Ancient Egyptians put them in their tombs, and according to Greek mythology, pomegranates were believed to symbolize fertility because of their many seeds," Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, director of botanical studies at University of Arizona's School of Medicine, said in press materials distributed by Odwalla this year when it launched its PomaGrand brand in three juice varieties.
The pomegranate's lack of history in America also gave companies the freedom to create unusual concoctions.
"There's only so much you can do with tomatoes and the reality of what you can market," said Robert Passikoff , president of Brand Keys Inc., a consulting firm in New York. "Tomato-flavored vodka may work for brunch, but there's not a heck lot more where you can take it. But people are willing to experiment with pomegranates, there's no entrenched views of how it should and shouldn't be marketed."
Making the pomegranate more accessible proved to be key to whetting the American appetite. Eating fresh pomegranates is labor intensive because you must cut through a leathery skin and bitter membrane to reach the hundreds of seeds that make up the fruit.
For Michael S. Moxley , owner of Common Ground Bar & Grill of Allston, pomegranate juice allowed him to offer a whole new line of drinks. Moxley's bar started carrying the juice this year after he received an increasing number of requests.
"I've never seen anything grab on like that, especially when so many people never even heard of it," said Moxley who serves up pomegranate margaritas and other cocktails.
Pom Wonderful, which hired a mixologist to create a pomegranate martini to help generate sales at bars, has expanded its farms over the last few years from several thousand acres of pomegranate trees in California to more than 12,000 acres. And that's still not enough.
Last year, Pom Wonderful stopped supplying pomegranate concentrate to an ice cream company and a salad dressing maker because it needed all the fruit for its own products, including a POM tea launched this year, according to Fiona Posell , a company spokeswoman.
The pomegranate push is certainly paying off: Annual sales of Pom Wonderful's juice jumped to $80 million over the past year from $13 million in 2003 , according to Information Resources Inc., a Chicago market research firm.
"We haven't been able to meet the demand of retailers anywhere," Posell said.
Indeed, grocery chain Stop & Shop finds it hard to keep pomegranate juices -- more than a dozen kinds -- in stock. "Our stores run through our supply as quickly as we can deliver it," said Rob Keane , a Stop & Shop spokesman.
Texas A&M University, meanwhile, is working to help farmers cultivate larger commercial pomegranate orchards to cash in on the trend. There currently are only about 10 acres of pomegranates grown commercially in Texas, but farmers in the state believe they can support more than 10,000 acres.
"We have just as good growing conditions as California, but the crop has been overlooked in the past," said Richard Ashton , who runs Oak Creek Orchard in Brownwood, Texas, and is working with Texas A&M on the pomegranate project. "Not anymore. I get requests from people wanting to get an orchard of pomegranates started nearly every week here in Texas."
The pomegranate craze has even spread to home gardeners. Dave Wilson Nursery, one of California's largest growers of fruit trees, sold about 20,000 pomegranate trees this year -- about a 300 percent increase from 2002 -- and already has orders through 2008, said Ed Laivo , the nursery's home garden sales and marketing director. To capitalize on the demand, the company this year introduced five new varieties of pomegranate trees, with such catchy names as Pink Satin, Red Silk, Kashmir Blend , and Garnet Sash.
"The sky is the limit for this fruit. I've never seen such a cultural awareness and desire like this," Laivo said. "I'm not sure where it will stop."
Some market researchers predict that pomegranates will continue to be on the radar but will taper off in popularity with the discovery of the next superfood. One candidate: acai, a dark purple berry grown in the Amazon rainforest that apparently is loaded with antioxidants.

Immune boosters a growing food trend

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/health/16208099.htm?source=rss&channel=montereyherald_health

By JAN JARVIS
McClatchy Newspapers

With cold season around the corner, germophobes are loading up on all kinds of immune-boosting products, from probiotics to pinecone extract.

They're swallowing supplements and downing drinks with names like Rescue, Immunity and Airborne. Such foods that advertise multiple health benefits are among the top functional food trends this year, according to the Chicago-based Institute of Food Technologists, a nonprofit scientific society.

But are they worth it?

"Americans spend billions of dollars on this stuff," said Dr. Bruce Dubin, professor of internal medicine at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, Texas. "But assuming someone has a healthy diet and lifestyle, these products really have no additional benefit."

The Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act of 1994 exempts such products from regulation by the Food and Drug Administration. They must, however, include a warning that the product is not regulated.

Health professionals can report problems with products through MedWatch, a voluntary reporting program operated by the FDA.

Some consumers swear by them. Ann Farrell of Arlington, Texas, for one, says she has seen the difference a drink called Limu makes in herself and her family. Its maker says the blend of 70 nutrients includes immune-supporting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.

"I definitely think it builds your immunity," Farrell said. "My mom has asthma, and soon as she has an attack, Limu just knocks it out."

Whether they aim to knock out germs or get an extra boost, 19 percent of adults use herbs, botanicals and enzymes, according to a survey of 31,000 adults conducted as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's 2002 National Health Interview Survey.

The herbal supplement Airborne, with more than $100 million in sales this year, has become a top-seller in the immunity-boosting business.

If someone is vitamin deficient, supplements may be beneficial, but for most the best defense during cold season is the same advice mothers have given for centuries.

"Eat healthy, exercise regularly and wash your hands," Dubin said.

Developed by a second-grade teacher, it contains 17 herbs, vitamins and nutrients, according to the label. It comes in various flavors and includes 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C, or 1,667 percent of the U.S. recommended daily amount.

But there's nothing magical about such supplements, said Lona Sandon, assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. For most people, the60 mg of vitamin C in a glass of orange juice is all that is needed.

"When you feel symptoms coming on, it's fine to take a little extra C," said Sandon, who is also a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. "But anything more than 500 milligrams at one time is going to get washed out."

A better tactic is to take500 mg in the morning and again at night, she said.

Zinc, found in products such as Airborne, may help lesson the length and severity of a cold if it is taken at the onset, Sandon said. But it is not going to prevent it.

Anyone can drink to their good health with Vitamin water, in flavors such as Defense, Revive and Essential. But whether a bottle a day keeps the doctor away is debatable.

Vitamin C and zinc -- both found in Defense -- can help the white blood cells fight infection, said Dr. Maria Fisher, an Arlington pediatrician. But rather than drinking vitamin-enhanced water at $1 or so a bottle, she recommends a trip to the gym.

"Regular exercise helps raise the body temperature to fight minor infections," Fisher said.

A 2006 study published in the American Journal of Medicine backs this up. The study found that moderate exercise reduced the risk of colds among post-menopausal women.

Probiotics -- living microorganisms -- have been widely used in Europe for decades. But Americans are just starting to discover their reported benefits, which include restoring normal bacteria growth in the digestive tract and intestines. In 2004, Dannon introduced DanActive, a probiotic dairy drink with live and active cultures.

The range of conditions studied for probiotics has expanded beyond intestinal function to areas such as immune regulation, reduced absences from work or day care and reduced symptoms from colds, said Mary Ellen Sanders, an international consultant on probiotics and owner of Dairy & Food Culture Technologies in Colorado.

"Many of these results are preliminary but are promising," she said.

There's less research on ProLigna, a patented botanical compound developed from pinecones and used in the supplement ImmunExtra.

"As far as pine-cone extract goes, I can't fine anything to show it is beneficial," Sandon said.

But pine-cone extract has been used for centuries as a natural remedy and has been shown to optimize immune-cell activity, according to the Tampa Bay Research Institute, a nonprofit independent biomedical research facility that developed and studied the compound for 15 years. Allera Health Products of St. Petersburg, Fla., holds the license for ProLigna.

As a homeopathic treatment, pinecone extract has been used for colds, coughs, inflammation of the mouth, nerve problems and frequent infections, Fisher said. But it can pose risks for some people.

Individuals should be wary of mixing herbal supplements with other over-the-counter products or prescribed medications, Dubin said. Herbal remedies, for example, can interfere with anti-coagulant therapy, he said.

Products containing echinacea or goldenseal should be taken for only two weeks because prolonged use can actually suppress the immune system, Fisher said.

As a general rule, supplements pose the greatest danger when people take them instead of seeking medical care. As a result, for example, a cancer that would have been treatable can progress to a life-threatening point, Dubin said.

If someone is vitamin deficient, supplements may be beneficial, but for most the best defense during cold season is the same advice mothers have given for centuries.

"Eat healthy, exercise regularly and wash your hands," Dubin said.

Wellness Tourism Wins Local Support

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/761514/wellness_tourism_wins_local_support/index.html?source=r_health

By Levi J. Long and Joseph Barrios, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson
Dec. 10--If the city, a pair of developers and Dr. Andrew Weil have their way, Tucson may be on its way to solidifying its leadership as an international destination for health and wellness.
Weil and the others have proposed to city officials building an education center dedicated to integrative medicine as a tourist attraction Downtown.
If such a center were built it would "position Tucson as a wellness center in the world," said Dr. Richard Carmona, the former U.S. surgeon general. "I couldn't be more enthusiastic."
Carmona himself is invested in the industry -- he was recently named vice president of Canyon Ranch, a Tucson-based wellness company with a resort on the Northeast Side. The other major local wellness center is Miraval Life in Balance Tucson Resort & Spa, in Catalina.
Those two are considered world leaders in wellness, placing Tucson in a leadership role in the industry, said Susie Ellis, president of New York-based Spa Finder Inc., which tracks travel and spa trends.
"I'm not sure people here realize that health tourism is a worldwide phenomenon and that Tucson is a world leader," said Weil, founder of the University of Arizona's world-renowned Program in Integrative Medicine.
Forms of integrative medicine, health and wellness around the world amount to a $400 billion industry, expected to mushroom to $1 trillion in the next decade, Carmona said.
"We're at the center of it," Weil said. "That's a huge asset the city can draw on. People want to learn about it and have access to it."
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Though nothing has been finalized with the city and specifics about the project are still being looked at, the concept for the center is in place, said Weil's business partner, Richard Baxter .
The center would serve as a worldwide post for information about integrative medicine, which combines mainstream and Western medicine with alternative remedies.
It would not, however, have any spa or hotel amenities and would not serve as a wellness clinic, Weil said.
Plans in the proposal for the center include interactive exhibits teaching visitors about integrative medicine and alternative therapies. It would have computers and access to online courses on nutrition and health, botanical and mind/body medicine.
A reference library would be built as well as an auditorium that would feature films, demonstrations and lectures.
A "healthy vacation planning center" would help visitors find restaurants offering healthy meals, fitness centers, medical services, alternative therapies and activities that promote wellness.
Outdoor attractions would include a garden of medicinal plants indigenous to the area and a labyrinth.
"Lifestyle assessments" from health professionals would offer referrals to doctors trained in integrative medicine.
"My vision is for the center to be a museum and education center to showcase integrative medicine," said Weil, a Harvard-educated physician who was once named among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.
Christy Cessna, director of marketing and intake at Sierra Tucson, a behavior-health center near Catalina, said Weil's proposal would be useful to people who don't know where to turn for help with their health.
Many of the calls that come in to Sierra Tucson are from people who "really need help -- people are in crisis," Cessna said.
"I think it would be a wonderful resource for folks who are looking to explore alternatives to traditional medicines," she said. She noted that Sierra Tucson's Dr. Carolyn Coker Ross, head of the Integrative Therapies department for the addictions center, completed a fellowship with Weil.
Tucson is already a natural fit for health-conscious tourists and visitors who come for outdoor activities, terrain and weather conditions, said Kimberly Schmitz, spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau.
If the center were built, it would create even more "notoriety" for Tucson as a wellness destination and would be an excellent addition and draw to our destination, she said.
Several factors may already favor Tucson.
Miraval Life in Balance, Tucson, a posh resort spread across 400 acres, is building a new Center for Life In Balance, to open on the property in 2008. Guests can head to that center for treatments developed by Weil, who serves as director of Miraval's integrative health and healing.
Kevin Kelly, president of Canyon Ranch, noted that Tucson is also home to its wellness programs.
"Tucson has tremendous outside recreational resources -- with lots of sunshine and a good climate," he said. "We have a real nucleus here and already have major stakes in the ground to define Tucson as a wellness destination city."