PMID: 

Skin Pharmacol Physiol. 2005 Jul-Aug;18(4):195-200. Epub 2005 May 20. PMID: 15908760

Abstract Title: 

Protective effects of different marigold (Calendula officinalis L.) and rosemary cream preparations against sodium-lauryl-sulfate-induced irritant contact dermatitis.

Abstract: 

In the present study, we evaluated the protective action of cream preparations containing seven different types of marigold and rosemary extracts in vivo in healthy volunteers with experimentally induced irritant contact dermatitis (ICD). Marigold and rosemary extracts in base cream DAC (Deutscher Arzneimittel-Codex = German Pharmaceutical Codex) were tested in a 4-day repetitive irritation test using sodium lauryl sulfate. The effect was evaluated visually and quantified by noninvasive bioengineering methods, namely chromametry and tewametry. When the test products were applied parallel to the induction period of ICD, a statistically significant protective effect of all cream preparations was observed by all methods. This effect, although not statistically significant, was superior to control by undyed marigold und faradiol ester-enriched extracts in chromametry and by dyed and undyed rosemary extracts in tewametry. The sequential treatment (postirritation) once a day for 5 days was without any effect. Thus, a protective effect of some marigold and rosemary extracts against ICD could be shown in the elicitation phase.

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PMID: 

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2018 Feb ;30:24-28. Epub 2017 Nov 13. PMID: 29389474

Abstract Title: 

Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis L. on memory performance, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in university students: A randomized clinical trial.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of oral rosemary on memory performance, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality in university students.METHODS: In this double-blinded randomized controlled trial, the 68 participating students randomly received 500 mg rosemary and placebo twice daily for one month. Prospective and retrospective memory performance, depression, anxiety and sleep quality of the students were measured using Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory at baseline and after one month.RESULTS: The scores of all the scales and subscales except the sleep latency and sleep duration components of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory were significantly decreased in the rosemary group in comparison with the control group after one month.CONCLUSIONS: Rosemary as a traditional herb could be used to boost prospective and retrospective memory, reduce anxiety and depression, and improve sleep quality in university students.

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PMID: 

J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jan 7 ;133(1):46-52. Epub 2010 Sep 15. PMID: 20833235

Abstract Title: 

Effects of rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on oxidative stress and biochemical parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease.

Abstract: 

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: In South Africa, the plant Aspalathus linearis (Brum.f) Dahlg. (Fabaceae) is traditionally used as a"tea"referred to as rooibos or redbush. This plant has been listed as a medicinal plant based mostly on anecdotal evidence.AIMS OF THE STUDY: Despite a long history of traditional use in South Africa, very little scientific data are available from controlled clinical trials confirming its popular use. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of rooibos on biochemical and oxidative stress parameters in adults at risk for cardiovascular disease.MATERIALS AND METHODS: After a washout period of 2 weeks, 40 volunteers consumed six cups of fermented/traditional rooibos daily for 6 weeks, followed by a control period. Blood biochemical parameters indicative of antioxidant activity and content (total polyphenols), lipid peroxidation (conjugated dienes – CDs, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances – TBARS), redox status (total glutathione – tGSH, ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione – GSH:GSSG), lipid profile (total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein – LDL and high density lipoprotein – HDL cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels) and liver and kidney function were measured at the end of each study period.RESULTS: Plasma antioxidant capacity was not altered, but plasma total polyphenol levels increased significantly after rooibos consumption compared with the control levels (from 79.8±16.9 mg/L to 89.8±14.1 mg/L). Significant decreases in plasma markers of lipid peroxidation were found after rooibos consumption, as reported by levels of CDs (167.3±29.5 nmol/mL vs. 108.8±20.1 nmol/mL) and TBARS (1.9±0.6 μmol/L vs. 0.9±0.3 μmol/L). Reduced glutathione (797±238 μmol/L vs.1082±140 μmol/L) and the GSH:GSSG ratio (41±14 vs. 76±17) were both significantly increased after consumption of rooibos. The lipid profiles showed that rooibos consumption, compared with the control values, significantly decreased serum LDL-cholesterol (4.6±1.3 mmol/L vs. 3.9±0.7 mmol/L) andtriacylglycerols (1.7±0.8 mmol/L vs. 1.2±0.7 mmol/L), while HDL-cholesterol (0.9±0.1 mmol/L vs. 1.2±0.2 mmol/L) was significantly increased.CONCLUSION: Confirming its popular use, consumption of fermented, traditional rooibos significantly improved the lipid profile as well as redox status, both relevant to heart disease, in adults at risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

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PMID: 

Public Health Nutr. 2010 May ;13(5):730-7. Epub 2010 Feb 10. PMID: 20144258

Abstract Title: 

Effects of green tea, black tea and Rooibos tea on angiotensin-converting enzyme and nitric oxide in healthy volunteers.

Abstract: 

OBJECTIVE: Tea has been reported to reduce cardiovascular mortality, but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. The aim of the current project was to investigate the effect of green tea (Japanese Sencha), black tea (Indian Assam B.O.P.) and Rooibos tea (South Africa) on angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and nitric oxide (NO).DESIGN: Seventeen healthy volunteers received a single oral dose of 400 ml green tea, black tea or Rooibos tea in a randomized, three-phase, crossover study. ACE activity and NO concentration were measured (at 0, 30, 60 and 180 min) in all phases. ACE activity was analysed by means of a commercial radioenzymatic assay. Nitrite was analysed as a marker of NO concentration. In addition, ACE genotype was determined using a PCR method.RESULTS: Oral intake of a single dose of Rooibos tea significantly inhibited ACE activity after 30 min (P

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PMID: 

Med Sci Monit. 2019 Jan 23 ;25:666-674. Epub 2019 Jan 23. PMID: 30672512

Abstract Title: 

The Association Between Vitamin D Status, Vitamin D Supplementation, Sunlight Exposure, and Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Abstract: 

BACKGROUND This literature review and meta-analysis aimed to determine the association between deficiency of vitamin D, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and Parkinson's disease, and whether vitamin D from supplements and sunlight improves the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS A literature review and meta-analysis were performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Systematic literature review was performed using databases that included the Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase. The Jadad scale (the Oxford quality scoring system) and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale (NOS) were used to evaluate the quality of the studies. RESULTS Eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. Both 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency (

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PMID: 

Mol Nutr Food Res. 2014 Mar ;58(3):537-49. Epub 2013 Sep 11. PMID: 24022885

Abstract Title: 

Rooibos influences glucocorticoid levels and steroid ratios in vivo and in vitro: a natural approach in the management of stress and metabolic disorders?

Abstract: 

SCOPE: To determine the effect of Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) on glucocorticoid biosynthesis and inactivation in vivo and in vitro.METHODS AND RESULTS: Ultra-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analyses of in vivo studies showed that human Rooibos consumption increased cortisone plasma levels in males (p = 0.0465) and reduced cortisol:cortisone ratios in males and females (p = 0.0486) at risk for cardiovascular disease. In rats, corticosterone (CORT) (p = 0.0275) and deoxycorticosterone (p = 0.0298) levels as well as the CORT:testosterone ratio (p = 0.0009) decreased following Rooibos consumption. The inactivation of cortisol was investigated in vitro by expressing 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11βHSD1) and type 2 (11βHSD2) in CHO-K1 cells. Rooibos inhibited 11βHSD1, which resulted in a significant reduction in the cortisol:cortisone ratio (p

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PMID: 

Nutrients. 2019 Oct 14 ;11(10). Epub 2019 Oct 14. PMID: 31615079

Abstract Title: 

A Review of the Potential Benefits of Increasing Vitamin D Status in Mongolian Adults through Food Fortification and Vitamin D Supplementation.

Abstract: 

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations are low in Mongolia, averaging 22 ng/mL in summer and only 8 ng/mL in winter. Mongolians have high incidence and/or prevalence of several diseases linked to low 25(OH)D concentrations, including ischemic heart disease, malignant neoplasms, cirrhosis of the liver, ischemic stroke, lower respiratory tract infections, preterm birth complications, and diabetes mellitus. Fortifying regularly consumed foods such as flour, milk, and edible oils with vitamin Dcould raise 25(OH)D concentrations by about 10 ng/mL. However, to achieve 25(OH)D concentrations of 30-40 ng/mL in adults, vitamin D intakes of 1000 to 4000 IU/day would be required, making personal supplement use necessary. On the basis of prospective observational studies and clinical trials of disease incidence or known mortality rates and adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, raising mean serum 25(OH)D concentrations to 40 ng/mL would likely reduce incidence and mortality rates for those and other diseases, reduce the rate of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes, and increase mean life expectancy by one year or more.

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Research reveals that topical use of chamomile oil may have positive effects for those experiencing pain from carpal tunnel syndrome

PMID: 

Nutrients. 2018 Aug 11 ;10(8). Epub 2018 Aug 11. PMID: 30103486

Abstract Title: 

Ultraviolet Irradiation of Skin Alters the Faecal Microbiome Independently of Vitamin D in Mice.

Abstract: 

Reduced sunlight exposure has been associated with an increased incidence of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The effect of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on the faecal microbiome and susceptibility to colitis has not been explored. C57Bl/6 female mice were fed three different vitamin D-containing diets for 24 days before half of the mice in each group were UV-irradiated (1 kJ/m²) for each of four days, followed by twice-weekly irradiation of shaved dorsal skin for 35 days. Faecal DNA was extracted and high-throughput sequencing of the 16S RNA gene performed. UV irradiation of skin was associated with a significant change in the beta-diversity of faeces compared to nonirradiated mice, independently of vitamin D. Specifically, members of phylum Firmicutes, including, were enriched, whereas members of phylum Bacteroidetes, such as Bacteroidales, were depleted. Expression of colonicincreased by four-fold anddecreased by five-fold, suggesting a UVR-induced anti-inflammatory effect. UV-irradiated mice, however, were not protected against colitis induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS), although distinct faecal microbiome differences were documented post-DSS between UV-irradiated and nonirradiated mice. Thus, skin exposure to UVR alters the faecal microbiome, and further investigations to explore the implications of this in health and disease are warranted.

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PMID: 

Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2020 Jan 22 ;19(1):20-28. PMID: 31930250

Abstract Title: 

Effects of UVR exposure on the gut microbiota of mice and humans.

Abstract: 

Many alterations to the skin microbiome by exposure to UV radiation (UVR) have been postulated and may contribute to the ability of UVR phototherapy to regulate skin inflammatory diseases. Very recently, an effect of sub-erythemal narrowband UVB radiation (311 nm) on the gut microbiome of healthy individuals was reported. The relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria increased in faecal samples of those receiving three exposures to narrowband UVB radiation; the Bacteroidetes phyla were reduced by UVB. In mice chronically exposed to sub-erythemal broadband UVR, similar faecal changes in Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes have been reported. Murine studies have allowed a further dissection of the relative ability of UVR and dietary vitamin D to modulate the gut microbiome by analysis of relative bacterial abundance in mice with similar 25-hydroxy vitamin D levels obtained by UVR exposure or from their diet, respectively. The studies of mice recovering from colitis suggested that dietary vitamin D could stimulate greater faecal abundance of Rikenellaceae, whilst exposure to UVR was necessary for changes to the abundance of Lachnospiraceae and Desulfovibrionaceae. Both human and murine studies report that multiple exposures to sub-erythemal UVR can increase the diversity of the gut microbiome, which in turn may be beneficial to the health of the host.

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