Medicine and Pharmacology

Abstract: Streptococcus pyogenes and Streptococcus agalactiae are major Gram-positive patho-gens implicated in recurrent and invasive genital infections, and the rise of antimicrobial resistance underscores the need for alternative localized therapies. This study combined molecular docking with a prospective pilot clinical evaluation of an essential-oil-based vaginal capsule formulation intended for localized intravaginal administration. Terpinen-4-ol, isoflavone, and secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG) were analyzed against two bacterial targets - the redox-sensing transcriptional repressor Rex from S. agalactiae and the protein tyrosine phosphatase from S. pyogenes - using the 1-Click Docking platform and the Lamarckian Genetic Algorithm. In parallel, 47 women aged 19-27 years were identified with vaginal and/or cervical colonization or infection caused by S. agalactiae or S. pyogenes, and 34 of them entered a prospective pilot treatment study with once-daily vaginal capsules for 7 days; persistent positive cases received an additional 7-day course. Isoflavone and SDG showed the most favorable interactions against the S. agalactiae target, while SDG also displayed comparatively favorable interaction against the S. pyogenes target. In the clinical pilot cohort, microbiological eradication after completion of therapy reached 91.7% for S. agalactiae and 80.0% for S. pyogenes. The parallel trend between stronger in silico prioritization for the S. agalactiae-directed target and higher clinical eradication in the pilot cohort supports a cautious translational hypothesis, but the absence of a control group, the limited sample size, and the exploratory nature of the clinical dataset require restrained interpretation. Overall, these findings support further controlled studies designed to test whether the computationally prioritized phytocompounds contribute to measurable in vivo benefit within localized antimicrobial strategies.

Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with atherosclerosis (AS) serving as its primary pathological foundation, involving multiple pathological processes, including lipid metabolism disorders, chronic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. The food and medicine continuum (FMC) concept originates from traditional Chinese medicine, emphasizing that certain foods possess both nutritional and medicinal value, aligning closely with the modern "food is medicine" philosophy. This review systematically examines the bioactive components and anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms of ten FMC herbs: Hawthorn Fruit (Crataegus Fructus), Ginkgo Seed (Ginkgo Semen), Milkvetch Root (Astragali Radix), Turmeric (Curcumae Longae Rhizoma), Ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens ), Glossy Ganoderma (Ganoderma), Angelica sinensis(Angelicae Sinensis Radix), Barbary Wolfberry Fruit (Lycii Fructus), lotus leaf (Nelumbinis Folium), and Honey (Mel). These herbs are rich in bioactive constituents, including flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides, which can exert cardiovascular protective effects, such as regulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, improving endothelial function, and modulating gut microbiota. Regarding clinical evidence, meta-analyses support the beneficial effects of ginger and honey on cardiometabolic risk factors, though the field still faces challenges including the need for higher-level clinical evidence and difficulties in product standardization. This review aims to integrate traditional knowledge with modern scientific approaches, providing scientific evidence for the development of functional foods and phytotherapy.

Abstract: Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic autoimmune disease in which clinically apparent synovitis is preceded by a prolonged preclinical phase characterized by immune dysregulation and autoantibody formation. Growing evidence implicates gut dysbiosis, impaired intestinal barrier integrity, and gut-derived immune priming as upstream contributors to RA pathogenesis, occurring years before overt joint inflammation. In parallel, Ayurveda describes Amavata as a chronic systemic disorder arising from the formation of Ama, a pathogenic burden produced by impaired digestive and metabolic function (Agni), which accumulates silently, disseminates systemically, and later localizes to the joints. Methods: This conceptual review draws on peer-reviewed biomedical and Ayurvedic literature to examine potential functional correspondences between the Ayurvedic construct of Ama in Amavata and contemporary models of gut-derived immune activation in RA, with emphasis on shared temporal and systemic features of disease development. Results: Both frameworks locate disease initiation upstream of overt inflammation and describe a prolonged preclinical phase characterized by systemic pathogenic processes. Ama is interpreted not as inflammation or tissue injury, but as a preclinical, systemic pathogenic state functionally analogous to chronic gut dysbiosis, barrier dysfunction, and immune priming described in RA. The analysis identifies a structural contrast in explanatory logic: Ayurveda integrates multiple upstream processes into a single unifying construct, whereas biomedicine analytically separates them into discrete mechanisms. The proposed mapping is heuristic and non-reductive, without asserting one-to-one equivalence or molecular translation. Conclusions: By situating both Amavata and RA within a shared preclinical, systemic disease framework, this model reinforces the importance of early, preventive intervention targeting metabolic and gut-immune dysregulation prior to irreversible joint damage. The findings demonstrate convergent reasoning across distinct medical traditions and support integrative, systems-oriented perspectives on chronic inflammatory disease initiation.

Abstract: Pneumonia is one of the major causes of death, especially in paediatric groups, with late diagnosis being a major risk factor that complicates the clinical situation and treatment. Traditional diagnostic methods based on the use of manual decoding of chest X-rays are limited by inter-observer error and the lack of specialists, especially in high-volume or resource-intensive environments. This paper suggests a vision-based detection system based on a convolutional neural network that was trained on 5,863 chest X-ray images to classify pneumonia (binary). The framework is also not limited to diagnosis, it incorporates a simulated robotic intervention module that can invoke automated alerts, clinical notification, and preliminary response activities. The model uses standardised preprocessing and has an efficient feature extraction with about 11.17 million parameters. The system has a test accuracy of 89.74% with a recall of about 96.7%, which means that the system is highly sensitive in detecting pneumonia cases. Combining AI-based detection with robotic action shows that a scalable solution can be used in real-time clinical assistance, especially in intelligent and remote healthcare settings.

Abstract: Objective: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive pharmacological analysis of a medical booklet identified in a personal library in Ganja, Azerbaijan. The text is written in Azerbaijani Cyrillic script, implying a mid-20th-century (Soviet-period) origin. The study specifically isolates, translates, and evaluates four distinct therapeutic claims found within the text: a Peganum harmala and grape molasses practice for psychiatric disorders; a Lawsonia inermis and sugar decoction for gangrene; a Lens culinaris regimen for pain; and a Ficus carica latex application for epistaxis. Material and Methods: The study employs a trans-disciplinary approach combining philological analysis of the source text with modern pharmacognosy, toxicology, and clinical simulation. The booklet’s citations—including The Canon, Ghayat al-Bayan, and Nüsrət Əfəndi—were analyzed to establish the intellectual lineage of the text. The four identified practices were deconstructed into their phytochemical constituents. Efficacy and safety profiles were modeled based on current database analyses of active metabolites (e.g., harmine, lawsone, ficin, polyphenols) and their bioavailability when processed according to the specific instructions. Results: The analysis reveals that the rue and doshab practice for mental illness utilizes an acid-base extraction method to maximize the bioavailability of beta-carboline alkaloids, functioning as a potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor. The fig stick method for epistaxis operates via enzymatic coagulation (factor X activation by ficin) and chemical cautery. The lentil practice for finger pain targets inflammatory pathways via polyphenolic inhibition of COX-2. Conversely, the henna–sugar practice for gangrene appears scientifically contraindicated and may carry a risk of oxidative hemolysis. Conclusion: The booklet represents a sophisticated synthesis of humoral (Galenic) and iatrochemical (Paracelsian) medicine. While certain practices demonstrate a rational pharmacological basis prefiguring modern drug delivery systems, others pose risks. This analysis underscores the necessity of rigorous toxicological screening before reviving traditional ethnomedical practices.

Abstract: In order to enhance the value and stability of vegetable oils, they may be enriched with essential oils and plant extracts with strong antioxidant activity, yielding innovative formulations with potential applications in skincare. The present research aims to investigate the bioactive properties of an Usnea barbata extract in Jojoba oil (JO) enriched with 5% Peppermint oil (PEO), and 10% vitamin E (PJO). The oil extract (UBPJO) was obtained through cold maceration. The UBPJO antioxidant activity was investigated using 2 methods (DPPH and ABTS). The sunscreen capacity of UBPJO was evaluated by measuring their sun protection factor (SPF) values. The antimicrobial potential was investigated against S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans. The antioxidant activity of UBPJO was 1.5 times higher than PJO. Consequently, the sunscreen efficacy (assessed by SPF measurements) indicated satisfactory UVB protection abilities against S. aureus (UBPJO vs. PJO: 32.41 vs. 30.58). UBPJO exhibited significantly greater inhibitory effects compared to PJO against S. aureus (MIC = 18.75 ± 6.25 vs. 37.50 ± 0.00, p < 0.05). and C. albicans (9.62 ± 2,87 vs. 37.5 ± 12.5, p < 0.05). The bioactive properties investigated in the present study support the inclusion of UBPJO in various skin protective formulations with antiaging, antibacterial, and antifungal effects.

Abstract: Although Phyllanthus species possess a rich history of ethnomedicinal use, their potential in managing neurodegenerative disorders remains under-explored. This study screened ten Phyllanthus species for antioxidant profiles and monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibition to identify candidates for neuroprotection. Among the tested species, P. emblica emerged as the most potent candidate, exhibiting superior radical scavenging activity, reducing power, and dual MAO-A/B inhibition. These bioactivities were strongly correlated with its high content of phytoconstituents, including total phenolics, flavonoids, and phenylpropanoids. Notably, P. urinaria displayed distinctive selectivity as an MAO-B inhibitor. In a rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease (PD) model using SH-SY5Y cells, both species significantly mitigated neurotoxicity by attenuating oxidative stress. Mechanistically, treatments with both Phyllanthus species reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation while preserving glutathione (GSH) levels and restoring superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase activities. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that P. emblica and P. urinaria confer neuroprotection through a multi-target mechanism involving direct antioxidant action, enhancement of endogenous defenses, and enzyme modulation, highlighting their potential as therapeutic agents.

Abstract: Background: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) heat is clinically important but cannot be reduced to a thermometer reading or a single biomedical pathway. Attempts to translate heat directly into “sympathetic discharge” risk both overstatement and loss of syndrome differentiation.Objective: To examine whether selected, rigorously differentiated heat-pattern presentations may involve a measurable autonomic layer, with emphasis on body acupuncture, auricular acupressure, and selected warm modalities.Evidence considered: This focused narrative review synthesizes literature on heart rate variability (HRV) and related autonomic measures in acupuncture research, neuroanatomical and clinical literature on auricular stimulation, and selected studies on heat or moxibustion relevant to conditional warm-modality use.Synthesis: The strongest empirical support lies in body acupuncture studies showing parasympathetic shift on HRV and related autonomic measures, while the clearest anatomy-linked test case lies in auricular stimulation because the auricle includes vagally innervated territory. Evidence for warm modalities is more conditional and is most relevant to mixed, constrained, or deficiency-associated presentations rather than heat as a whole.Conclusions and clinical implications: Selected, rigorously differentiated heat-pattern subgroups may involve autonomic dysregulation, including features compatible with heightened autonomic arousal and reduced parasympathetic recovery. This adjunct autonomic layer may help structure mechanism-oriented documentation, clinical observation, and future research.

Abstract: To address the core challenge in integrative medicine—the semantic incommensurability of heterogeneous medical data arising from divergent cognitive paradigms across medical systems—this paper proposes a multi-track cognition framework for global integrative medicine. Adopting a decoupled design of "flexibly customizable and extensible cognitive tracks with a fixed unified core architecture", this framework constructs exclusive cognitive tracks preserving the native logic for each medical system, takes the homeostatic representation network of multiple dimensions of human eight physiological systems as the general quantitative mediation benchmark, and establishes the system-level mapping relationship constrained by three core rules: cluster correspondence, network emergence, and context dependence, to realize the standardized transformation and system-level fusion of multi-source heterogeneous medical data. Empirical verification shows that the semantic alignment accuracy of this framework reaches 91.27%, the model goodness of fit ≥0.85, and the accuracy is improved by 32.14% compared with the traditional single-point linear mapping method. The determination results have a strong consistency with clinical expert judgments, which can provide a feasible and general technical support for basic research of integrative medicine, whole-cycle management of chronic diseases, and individualized health intervention.

Abstract: S. Tomé and Principe (STP) islands have been studied in recent years for their wide range of medicinal plants which exhibit several biological activities of great medicinal interest for some diseases. Experimental planning for optimization of several parameters was carried out by a full factorial of two levels of three factors for secondary metabolite extraction from Rauvolfia caffra leaves by using water and hexane at 25 and 40 ºC and 200 rpm for 0 and 5 days of incubation/extraction. The best conditions for highest extraction of phenolic compounds (i.e 89.90 moles gallic acid equivalent/g leaves)) was obtained at 25ºC, in H20 and 5 days of incubation. Several phytochemical assays were performed for characterization of these plant extracts and the highest levels of TFC, DPPH and Reducing power were obtained with aqueous plant extraction at 25ºC and for 5 days of incubation whereas leaves extraction with water at 40º C for 5 days of incubation revealed highest levels of ABTS scavenging activity. The levels of SOD and superoxide radical scavenging activities were highest with plant extraction with hexane at 25 and 40ºC for 5 days of incubation, respectively. The present report consists of a novel and intrinsic synchronous fluorescence and phosphorescence characterization of secondary metabolites from this plant extract. Intrinsic and non-destructive synchronous fluorescence was carried out in the range of 250 to 750 nm with a Δλ range of 5–30 nm which exhibited peaks at 320, 530, 550, 590, 650, 675, 690, 700, 710 nm in hexane plant extracts whereas aqueous extracts revealed only peaks at 382, 430, 460 and 530 nm. On the other hand, intrinsic and non-destructive synchronous phosphorescence was also performed which exhibited peaks at 430, 500 and 540 nm in aqueous extracts whereas hexane extracts revealed peaks at 320, 530, 560, 655, 675, 690 and 710 nm, respectively. 3-D spectra of secondary metabolites confirmed the peaks at 290, 320, 345, 400, 490 and 675 nm in plant extracts. FTIR spectroscopy was selected to investigate the structural properties of secondary metabolites in these plant extracts. Therefore, the present work describes a novel characterization of secondary metabolites by a non-destructive and intrinsic synchronous fluorescence techniques for plant extracts.

Abstract: Background: Quality of Life (QoL) is a multidimensional construct influenced by physical, mental, and psycho-emotional factors. Holistic movement practices (HMPs) have shown potential benefits for well-being; however, empirical evidence supporting the effectiveness of developed protocols remains limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the Bio-gymnastic® method, a mind–body exercise protocol, on health-related QoL in adults and to explore possible differences by gender and age. Methods: A pilot longitudinal study was conducted involving 171 adults (female: 151, male: 20) who completed a 10-week Bio-gymnastic program consisting of one supervised session per week. The protocol integrated self-body awareness, postural control, breathing regulation, muscle activation–relaxation, and multisensory stimulation. Quality of life was assessed before and after the intervention using the Italian version of the SF-36 Health Survey. A two-way ANCOVA was applied to evaluate pre-post changes, accounting for the interaction effects of gender and age categories. Results: Significant improvements were observed across several SF-36 domains following the intervention. Notable gains were observed in physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health, vitality, and mental health, with medium to large effect sizes in the physical domains. Improvements were generally independent of gender and age, although an interaction effect between gender and age emerged for physical functioning in the oldest participants. Conclusions: The proposed method appears to be an effective, low-dose holistic exercise intervention, suggesting that it may enhance multiple dimensions of QoL in adults. These preliminary findings support the potential role of mind–body practices as accessible health-promotion strategies. Further randomised controlled studies with balanced samples and objective outcome measures are needed to confirm and extend these results.

Abstract: Background: Metabolic dysfunction associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a slow evolutionary condition from inflammation to cirrhosis. Manual therapy applied to the liver could optimize its visceral function and relieve inflammation. Given that MASLD prevalence increases with aging and reduced mechanical and metabolic stimulation, understanding non-pharmacological interventions becomes increasingly relevant in older populations. The main objective was to assess the usefulness of visceral manipulation therapy (VMT) on liver steatosis and insulin resistance measured by hepatic steatosis index (HSI) and the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). Materials and Methos: An open label, randomized clinical trial of patients with MASLD. Patients with steatosis determined by HSI (> 36 indicate steatosis) were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either manual therapy or nothing. Participants were recruited between April and September 2024. VMT was performed by the same osteopathic therapist following a precise protocol for four weeks. The primary endpoint was changes from basal score to after proceeding in the HSI and HOMA. The secondary endpoints were changes in other non-invasive scores to evaluate steatosis, steatohepatitis and fibrosis. All patients received standard care according to their condition. Results: Forty participants, 20 each group, were finally included. Patients undergoing manual therapy experienced a significant mean reduction in the HOMA (7.22 vs. 5.5 p=0.018) and HSI (47.40 vs. 45.55 p=0.036) value after intervention. These findings did not appear in the control group: HOMA (4.17 vs. 4.7 p=NS), and HSI (42.6 vs. 41.9 p=NS). The secondary endpoints there were not changes of the scores to assess steatohepatitis or fibrosis neither experimental nor control group. Conclusions: VMT could be an adjuvant treatment in early stages of hepatic steatosis due to metabolic conditions improving insulin resistance and inflammation.

Abstract: Benjalokawichian (BLW) or Ha-Rak is a classic antipyretic polyherbal remedy used in Thai traditional medicine (TTM) to reduce toxic fever (TF). This study aimed to shed light to the mechanisms of action and identify bioactive components of BLW responsible for TF treatment. The approaches that integrate network pharmacology, molecular docking, and inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 were used for these purposes. Network pharmacology was used as a tool to identify 17 potential bioactive compounds, 88 potential therapeutic targets, and 4 hub genes for BLW. Among the key targets, TNF, PTGS2, STAT3, and NFKB1 were closely associated with the phenylalanine, arachidonic acid and tyrosine metabolic pathways, which play critical roles in infections, inflammation, proliferation and apoptosis in the TF microenvironment. On the other hand, molecular docking analysis suggested that core compounds exhibited strong binding affinities for key targets, with binding energies ranging from -4.5 to -11.1 kJ/mol. In vitro assay showed that BLW extract exhibited strong inhibition of NO production in LPS-induced RAW264.7 macrophages, with an IC50 value of 69.10 μg/mL, and no cytotoxicity against RAW264.7 macrophages was observed. Furthermore, the biomarker compounds of BLW extract, viz. perforatic acid and peucenin-7-methyl ether were found to decrease NO production in a dose-dependent manner. Overall, this study demonstrates that BLW exerts its therapeutic effects on TF through a complex network of various compounds, targets, and pathways. These findings serve as a foundation for further research into the mechanisms of action of a polyherbal remedy toward TF to provide scientific evidences for its clinical use.

Abstract:

Extensive experimental data on Traditional Chinese Medicine are available in literature and databases. However, many studies focus on specific diseases or pathways with small sample sizes. As a result, the fundamental pharmacological basis underlying TCM herb properties remains insufficiently elucidated. Based on the concept of the multi-component, multi-target, multi-pathway network of TCM, a data-driven strategy was developed for the profiling of TCM herb properties through network pharmacology and deep learning, facilitating the exploration of the scientific evidence underlying TCM herb properties. Large-scale ingredient and target data of TCM herbs were curated from the HERB2.0 database. KEGG pathway enrichment was conducted for each herb with relative frequency profiling of distinct property groups. Deep learning models were developed and optimized for classification with visual explanation. As a result, high-relative frequency pathways were highly concentrated in five systems (endocrine, immune, nervous, signal transduction, cell growth and death) of KEGG. Herbs with distinct properties exhibited a V-shaped trend (Hot>Warm>Neutral<Cool<Cold) in terms of the abundance of ingredients, targets and high-frequency pathways. The HeteroGAT model improved classification accuracy and provided visual explanations at the ingredient–target–pathway level. We demonstrated a viable strategy to profile TCM property classification from a holistic perspective on ingredients, targets, and pathways, which could help elucidate the scientific basis of TCM properties. However, further advances in model refinement and data matrices are required to enhance the effectiveness of this strategy.

Abstract: Obesity is one of the major global public health challenges. Pancreatic lipase (PL) is an important target for obesity management as it plays a key role in lipid absorption. However, the clinical application of synthetic PL inhibitors is limited by adverse effects. Previous studies showed that natural products from traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) is a promising alternative for developing safe PL inhibitors. In this study, we integrated molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, MM/PBSA binding free energy calculations and in vitro enzymatic assays to systematically screen potential PL inhibitors from TCM constituents. Six compounds with docking scores ranging from −9.9 to −9.0 kcal/mol. MD simulations confirmed the structural stability of six ligand−PL complexes via RMSD, radius of gyration (Rg), hydrogen bond and conformational analysis. MM/PBSA calculations revealed the binding free energies of the six compounds to PL ranged from −21.38±0.40 to −13.33±0.58 kcal/mol. In vitro validation showed five of the six compounds exhibited PL inhibitory activity, among which Hydroxygenkwanin (HYD) was the most potent competitive inhibitor (IC₅₀= 0.128±0.009 mM), followed by Atractylenolide I (ATR-I) (IC50 = 0.584±0.031 mM) and Peiminine (PEI) (IC50 = 0.748±0.042 mM). This study validates the efficiency of the integrated in silico and in vitro strategy for screening natural PL inhibitors and provide valuable reference for the development of novel anti-obesity agents or functional food ingredients.

Abstract: S. Tomé and Principe (STP) islands have been studied in recent years for their wide range of medicinal plants which exhibit several biological activities of great medicinal interest for some diseases. Experimental planning for optimization of several parameters was carried out by a full factorial of two levels of three factors for secondary metabolite extraction from Tithonia diversifolia leaves by using water and hexane at 25 and 40 ºC and 200 rpm for 0 and 5 days of incubation. The best conditions for highest extraction of phenolic compounds (i.e 72.16 μmoles gallic acid equivalent/g leaves)) was obtained at 40ºC, in H₂0 and 5 days of incubation. Several phytochemical assays were performed for characterization of these plant extracts and the highest levels for extraction of reducing power, ABTS and DPPH were obtained at 25 ºC, H₂0 and 5 days of incubation whereas highest levels of SOD activity were extracted at 40ºC, H₂0 and 5 days of incubation. The present report consists of a novel and intrinsic synchronous fluorescence and phosphorescence characterization of secondary metabolites from this plant extract. Intrinsic and non-destructive synchronous fluorescence was carried out in the range of 250 to 750 nm with a Δλ range of 5–30 nm which exhibited peaks at 290, 320, 345, 400, 490 and 675 nm in hexane plant extracts whereas aqueous extracts revealed only peaks at 490, 560 and 675 nm. On the other hand, intrinsic and non-destructive synchronous phosphorescence was also performed which exhibited peaks at 325, 400, 490, 550, 675 nm and 500 , 560 nm, respectively. 3-D spectra of secondary metabolites confirmed the peaks at 290, 320, 345, 400, 490 and 675 nm in plant extracts. FTIR spectroscopy was selected to investigate the structural properties of secondary metabolites in these plant extracts. Therefore, the present work describes a novel characterization of secondary metabolites by a non-destructive and intrinsic synchronous fluorescence techniques for plant extracts.

Abstract: Sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality are growing public health concerns, adversely affecting both physical and mental health. While exogenous melatonin supplements are used to manage the condition, there is limited evidence available on the efficacy of sustained-release (SR) melatonin formulations. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of melatonin-SR capsules (2 mg) in healthy adults with poor sleep quality. Participants aged 30-60 years having poor sleep quality received melatonin-SR (2 mg) or a placebo capsule at night for 28 days. Changes from baseline till day 28 in polysomnography (PSG)-derived sleep parameters, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), WHO-5 Wellbeing Index, sleep diary parameters, and safety profile were evaluated. Of 62 enrolled participants, 59 (melatonin-SR, n=28; placebo, n=31) completed the study. Compared with placebo, melatonin-SR supplementation resulted in significant improvements at day 28 in PSG-derived sleep efficiency (P=0.001), and total sleep time (P=0.001), along with significant reductions in sleep onset latency (P=0.031) and wake after sleep onset (P=0.001). A significant reduction in PSQI global scores was observed in melatonin-SR group, from day 07 onwards (P=0.001). Improvement in subjective psychological well-being was significant from day 14 onwards (P=0.002). A significant improvement in subjective sleep parameters at day 28 (P<0.05) was observed. Reported adverse events in both groups were mild and transient in nature. Supplementation with melatonin-SR 2 mg capsule at night for 28 days was found to be effective and safe in improving objective and subjective sleep quality outcomes, and overall wellbeing in this trial population.

Abstract: Meridian theory is central to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), yet contemporary explanations often oscillate between anatomical reductionism and non-operational metaphor, limiting hypothesis generation and study design. This Perspective proposes an “extended meridian waveguide” framework that treats meridians as distributed, lossy, coupled multiphysics pathways rather than a single discrete anatomical conduit. The model operationalizes meridian condition using a compact state vector spanning measurable proxy classes (mechanical, electrical/impedance, temperature, biochemical/metabolic proxies, interstitial milieu, fascial glide, neural excitability, pressure, perfusion/flow, and context-dependent coupling), and represents pathway organization as a weighted graph whose edges encode state-dependent propagation and attenuation. Interventions are formalized as defined inputs that perturb local state and reweight adjacent couplings, yielding predictions expressed as propagation signatures (anisotropy along vs across a corridor), phase/lag structure, junction-dependent routing switches, and mode-specific proxy patterns across modalities. The paper outlines staged, minimal validation workflows emphasizing differential signatures and explicit disconfirmation criteria rather than binary “effect/no effect” comparisons. Optional modality axes are modular and removable without altering the core model’s testable claims.

Abstract: Complementary therapies are part of therapeutic support practices used by a growing number of individuals as a complement to conventional medicine. However, the lack of regulation and formal training on these therapies within health-related degree programs makes it difficult for professionals to adequately guide patients regarding their use. This paper proposes criteria for the inclusion of basic content on complementary therapies in medical curricula, with the aim of promoting a critical, informed, and safe understanding, without encouraging their direct practice by physicians.

Abstract: In much of the reflexology literature, the claim that the foot contains approximately 7,000 nerve endings has been widely disseminated and used as a foundational explanation for the therapeutic effects of plantar stimulation. However, this figure lacks verifiable anatomical and neurophysiological support and does not align with current principles of sensory neurophysiology.This article presents a critical review of this quantitative paradigm and proposes a shift in focus toward a functional understanding of the plantar nerve receptors involved in the sensory stimulation used in reflexology.From a neurophysiological perspective, the effectiveness of a stimulus does not depend on the number of nerve endings activated, but rather on the functional properties of nerve receptors, including their specialization, receptive field, depth, and adaptive capacity, as well as their integration within somatosensory afferent pathways.Plantar skin exhibits a highly specialized sensory organization consistent with its roles in weight-bearing and mechanical perception, involving multiple types of nerve receptors capable of transducing mechanical stimuli into meaningful neural signals. Within this framework, reflexology can be understood as a complementary therapy based on the functional activation of plantar nerve receptors and the central modulation of afferent information, without reliance on arbitrary or unverified numerical claims.