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Phytosome
A phytosome is a complex formed by a natural active ingredient and a phospholipid. The most common example of a phytosome is Lecithin. Phytosomes are claimed to enhance the absorption of "conventional herbal extracts" or isolated active principles, both topically and orally. Complexation with phospholipids has been applied to a number of popular herbal extracts and active molecules including Ginkgo biloba extract, bilobalide isolated from Ginkgo biloba, silybin isolated from milk thistle (Silybum marianum), curcumin isolated from turmeric, and green tea extract (Camellia sinensis ''Camellia sinensis'' is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves, leaf buds, and stems can be used to produce tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (unrelated to ''Me ...). An attempt to trademark the term in the USA failed on appeal. Legal analysis in the USA concluded, "Applicant's fatal error, according to the Board, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lecithin
Lecithin ( ; from the Ancient Greek "yolk") is a generic term to designate any group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues which are amphiphilic – they attract both water and fatty substances (and so are both hydrophilic and lipophilic), and are used for smoothing food textures, emulsifying, homogenizing liquid mixtures, and repelling sticking materials. Lecithins are mixtures of glycerophospholipids including phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidic acid. Lecithin was first isolated in 1845 by the French chemist and pharmacist Théodore Gobley. In 1850, he named the phosphatidylcholine . Gobley originally isolated lecithin from egg yolk and established the complete chemical formula of phosphatidylcholine in 1874; in between, he demonstrated the presence of lecithin in a variety of biological materials, including venous blood, human lungs, bile, roe, and brains of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phospholipid
Phospholipids are a class of lipids whose molecule has a hydrophilic "head" containing a phosphate group and two hydrophobic "tails" derived from fatty acids, joined by an alcohol residue (usually a glycerol molecule). Marine phospholipids typically have omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA integrated as part of the phospholipid molecule. The phosphate group can be modified with simple organic molecules such as choline, ethanolamine or serine. Phospholipids are a key component of all cell membranes. They can form lipid bilayers because of their amphiphilic characteristic. In eukaryotes, cell membranes also contain another class of lipid, sterol, interspersed among the phospholipids. The combination provides fluidity in two dimensions combined with mechanical strength against rupture. Purified phospholipids are produced commercially and have found applications in nanotechnology and materials science. The first phospholipid identified in 1847 as such in biological tissues w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ginkgo Biloba
''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of gymnosperm tree native to East Asia. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossil, Fossils very similar to the living species, belonging to the genus ''Ginkgo'', extend back to the Middle Jurassic epoch approximately 170 million years ago. The tree was cultivated early in human history, remains commonly planted, and is widely regarded as a living fossil. ''G. biloba'' is a long-lived, Disease resistance, disease-resistant, Dioecy, dioecious tree with unique fan-shaped Leaf, leaves, capable of Cloning, clonal reproduction, and known for its striking yellow autumn foliage and resilience in disturbed environments. It was known historically as “silver fruit” or “white fruit” in Chinese language, Chinese and called “ginkgo” due to a centuries-old transcription error. It is closely related to Cycad, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bilobalide
Bilobalide is a biologically active terpenic trilactone present in ''Ginkgo biloba''. Chemistry Bilobalide is a main constituent of the terpenoids found in Ginkgo leaves. It also exists in minor amounts in the roots. It is a sesquiterpenoid, i.e. it has a 15-carbon skeleton. Its exact synthesis pathway from farnesyl pyrophosphate is still unknown. Biosynthesis Bilobalide and ginkgolide have similar biosynthetic pathways. Bilobalide is formed by partially degraded ginkgolide. Bilobalide is derived from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP), which is formed by addition of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) to an isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) unit to form a C15 sesquiterpene. Such formation went through the mevalonate pathway (MVA) and methylerythritol phosphate MEP pathway. In order to generate bilobalide, C20 ginkgolide 13 must form first. To transform from GGPP to abietenyl cation 5, a single bifunctional enzyme abietadiene synthase E1 is required. However, due to the complexity of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silybin
Silibinin (INN), also known as silybin (both from ''Silybum'', the generic name of the plant from which it is extracted), is the major active constituent of silymarin, a standardized extract of the milk thistle, containing a mixture of flavonolignans consisting of silibinin, isosilibinin, silychristin, silidianin, and others. Silibinin itself is a mixture of two diastereomers, silybin A and silybin B, in approximately equimolar ratio. Silibinin is used in pure forms as a medication, and more frequently as an active ingredient in milk thistle–derived herbal supplements. Medical uses For approved drug preparations and parenteral applications in the treatment of ''Amanita'' mushroom poisoning, the water-soluble silibinin-C-2',3-dihydrogensuccinate disodium salt is used. In 2011, the same compound also received Orphan Medicinal Product Designation for the prevention of recurrent hepatitis C in liver transplant recipients by the European Commission. Silibinin is availab ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Silybum Marianum
''Silybum marianum'' is a species of thistle. It has various common names including milk thistle, blessed milkthistle, Marian thistle, Mary thistle, Saint Mary's thistle, Mediterranean milk thistle, variegated thistle and Scotch thistle (not to be confused with ''Onopordum acanthium'' or ''Cirsium vulgare''). This species is an annual or biennial plant of the family Asteraceae. This fairly typical thistle has red to purple flowers and shiny pale green leaves with white veins. Once native from Southern Europe through Asia, it has spread throughout the world. Description Milk thistle is an upright herb that can grow to be tall and has an overall conical shape. The approximate maximum base diameter is . The stem is grooved and may be covered in a light cottony fuzz. The largest specimens have hollow stems. The leaves are oblong to lanceolate and long and typically pinnately lobed, with spiny edges like most thistles. They are hairless, shiny green, with milk-white veins. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Curcumin
Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical produced by plants of the ''Curcuma longa'' species. It is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric (''Curcuma longa''), a member of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. It is sold as a herbal supplement, cosmetics ingredient, food flavoring, and food coloring. Chemically, curcumin is a polyphenol, more particularly a diarylheptanoid, belonging to the group of curcuminoids, which are natural phenol, phenolic pigments responsible for the yellow color of turmeric. Laboratory and clinical research have not confirmed any medical use for curcumin. It is difficult to study because it is both unstable and poorly bioavailable. It is unlikely to produce useful leads for drug development as a lead compound. History Curcumin was named in 1815 when Henri Auguste Vogel and Pierre Joseph Pelletier reported the first isolation of a "yellow coloring-matter" from the rhizomes of turmeric. Later, it was found to be a mixture of resin and turmeric oil. In 1910, Mi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Turmeric
Turmeric (), or ''Curcuma longa'' (), is a flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae. It is a perennial, rhizomatous, herbaceous plant native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia that requires temperatures between and high annual rainfall to thrive. Plants are gathered each year for their rhizomes, some for propagation in the following season and some for consumption or dyeing. The rhizomes can be used fresh, but they are often boiled in water and dried, after which they are ground into a deep orange-yellow shelf-stable spice powder commonly used as a coloring and flavoring agent in many Asian cuisines, especially for curries ( curry powder). Turmeric powder has a warm, bitter, black pepper-like flavor and earthy, mustard-like aroma. Although long used in Ayurvedic medicine, there is no high-quality clinical evidence that consuming turmeric or the principal turmeric constituent, curcumin, is effective for treating any disease. Curcumin, a bright ye ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Camellia Sinensis
''Camellia sinensis'' is a species of evergreen shrub or small tree in the flowering plant family Theaceae. Its leaves, leaf buds, and stems can be used to produce tea. Common names include tea plant, tea shrub, and tea tree (unrelated to ''Melaleuca alternifolia'', the source of tea tree oil, or the genus ''Leptospermum'' commonly called tea tree). White tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, dark tea (which includes pu-erh tea) and black tea are all harvested from two of the five varieties which form the main crops now grown, ''C. sinensis'' var. ''sinensis'' and ''C. s.'' var. ''assamica'', but are Tea processing, processed differently to attain varying levels of oxidation with black tea being the most oxidized and white being the least. Kukicha (twig tea) is also harvested from ''C. sinensis'', but uses twigs and stems rather than leaves. Description ''Camellia sinensis'' is native to East Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, and Southeast Asia, but it is today cultivated all aro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
