A daily supplement of the French maritime pine bark, Pycnogenol, could reduce the markers of inflammation by 15 per cent, says a joint German-Slovak study.

Inflammation is a normal protective and tissue repair response. However, chronic inflammation, brought about by an over-expression or lack of control of the normally protective mechanism, can lead to a range of inflammatory related diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The study, published recently in the Journal of Inflammation (Vol. 3), supplemented the diets of seven young, healthy volunteers (five men) for five days with Pycnogenol (200 mg). Blood samples were taken at day one after a 24 hour abstinence from flavonoid consumption, and again at day five.

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A plant root used in Africa as a traditional remedy could hold the key to combating the potentially fatal Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection, according to research findings presented at the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, 4 to 6 September, 2006.

Pharmacists at King’s College London have discovered that the roots of the shrub Paullinia pinnata possess anti-bacterial properties that are effective against MRSA.

MRSA infections are difficult to combat because the bacteria involved have developed complete resistance to certain antibiotics. Usually it is hospital patients with weakened immune systems who are most likely to become infected.

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It appears that the herb Black Cohosh has come under fire by authorities again, this time in Canada. It is interesting to note that the alarm is being raised in markets where drug companies make — and want to continue to make — fortunes in profits from hormone replacement therapy (HRT). It may be that the large numbers of menopausal women in these places means that large amounts of black cohosh are consumed and therefore there is an incidence of the reported problems. However, knowing how the player work, I suspect there is drug company influence behind these alarms.

So now Canada, following similar recent moves in the UK and Australia, has issued an advisory about a possible link between black cohosh and liver damage. The herb is used widely in relieving menopausal symptoms, mainly because it works and increasingly women want to avaoid the serious risks associated with HRT. The US is notably missing from the growing list of countries which have flagged black cohosh.

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