Book reviewFree radicals in biology and medicine: 2nd edition. B. Halliwell and J.M.C. Gutteridge, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1993. xvi + 543 pp. ISBN 0-19-855291-2

In this review, we focus on the medicinal drugs from humus matter such as peat, sapropel, and mumie. The most clinically available medicines, containing peat and sapropel extracts, are Torfot, Tolpa Peat Preparation (TPP), Peloidodistillate, Humisol, Peloidin, FiBS, and Eplir. Much attention in the review is concentrated on mumie composition, its pharmacological properties, and new pharmacological drugs with mumie (Shilagen, Abana, Cystone, Diabecon 400, EveCare, Geriforte, Lukol, Pilex, Rumalava, Tentex forte, Nefrotec, Adrenotone, Siotone, La-Tone Gold, Andro-Surge, Solanova Libidoplex). It was concluded that therapeutic properties of crude extracts from peat, sapropel, and mumie have similarity to the ones of fulvic and humic acids. They are antibacterial, antitoxic, antiradical, antiulcerogenic, antiarthritic, immunomodulatory, and antiinflammatory properties. Possible directions for better development of new drugs from humus matter are discussed. Drug Dev. Res. 57:140–159, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Medical drugs from humus matter: Focus on mumie

A total of 130 million Indian women are expected to live beyond the menopause into old age by 2015. The menopause is emerging as an issue owing to rapid globalization, urbanization, awareness and increased longevity in urban middle-aged Indian women, who are evolving as a homogeneous group. Improved economic conditions and education may cause the attitude of rural working women to be more positive towards the menopause. However, most remain oblivious of the short- and long-term implications of the morbid conditions associated with middle and old age, simply because of lack of awareness, and the unavailability or ever-increasing cost of the medical and social support systems. Evidence-based medicine is accessible to still only a few Indian women. Most menopausal women go untreated or use unproven alternative therapies.

The emergence of the menopause in India.

The ageing process.

Geriforte, an herbomineral compound prepared from several herbs and minerals, is being used as a restorative tonic to solve the problems of old age in India. Since active oxygen species have been proposed to be involved in the aging process of the brain, alterations in the level of enzymes involved in the defense system against free radicals and other active oxygen species could substantially influence the aging process. Therefore, in the present study, this antistress adaptogenic Ayurvedic preparation has been evaluated for the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), key enzymes of the cellular defense system, in the brain of aging Wistar male rats. The present study was carried out on 22-month-old rats. They were given Geriforte powder orally at a dosage of 900 mg/kg body weight once a day for two months. The Geriforte-treated rat brain had significantly high levels of SOD and CAT activities than those recorded in their respective controls. The contents of SOD and CAT in Geriforte-administered brain increased by 24% and 30%, respectively. In the present investigation, free radical damage was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) in postmitochondrial fractions of brain homogenate. The magnitude of TBARS has been reported to be decreased by 26% in the Geriforte-treated rat brain. In conclusion, it seems logical to suppose that Geriforte, a combination of several plant ingredients and minerals, protects the body against the damaging effects of free radicals by producing large amounts of antioxidant enzymes.

Evaluation of Geriforte, an Herbal Geriatric Tonic, On Antioxidant Defense System in Wistar Rats

The effect of Geriforte, an Ayurvedic remedy, on the spinal cord and myocardium of adult Wistar rats was studied. Accumulation of the age pigment, lipofuscin, in almost all the tissues was observed. Though treatment with Geriforte for two months brought down the age-associated pathological changes, it showed little effect on the lipofuscin content of myocardial cells. However, Geriforte decreased the amount of lipofuscin from the anterior horn cells. Administration of Geriforte seemed to have hindered the formulation of lipofuscin.

Effect of Geriforte, an Ayurvedic Remedy, on the Spinal Cord and Heart of Adult Wistar Rats

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Evaluation of Geriforte, an Herbal Geriatric Tonic, On Antioxidant Defense System in Wistar Rats

Effect of Geriforte, an Ayurvedic Remedy, on the Spinal Cord and Heart of Adult Wistar Rats