Horse Chestnut Supplements: Are There Health Benefits? Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is a fruit-bearing tree grown in southeastern Europe. The leaves, seeds, flowers, and bark of horse chestnut contain bioactive compounds that may benefit human health. For example, some people take horse chestnut to relieve joint pain or leg cramps. Compounds in horse chestnut include antioxidants, chlorophylls , and saponins, the most abundant of which is escin. While it is unsafe to consume horse chestnut in raw form, supplements are available and have been studied for their potential use in treating a variety of health conditions, including chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements the way it regulates prescription drugs. That means some supplement products may not contain what the label says. When choosing a supplement, look for third-part

Tobramycin, Inhaled Antibiotic, Eases Symptoms, Study in Off-label Use Finds Off-label use of the inhaled antibiotic tobramycin lowered sputum production, and eased shortness of breath, and cough in people with bronchiectasis, a small real-world study found. Although there was no significant improvement in lung function, the antibiotic eliminated almost half of the reported Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections and led to fewer hospitalizations. Further studies are necessary for inhaled tobramycin to be established as standard therapy in bronchiectasis, the scientists said.

Keep Mosquitoes Away with These Tried-and-True Repellents Mosquito experts break down how to choose and use the best mosquito repellents High angle closeup of Black woman spaying legs with bug repellent Only insect repellants with Environmental Protection Agency–registered active ingredients such as diethyl toluamide (DEET)[AS1] , p-Menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) or icaridin (also known as picaridin) have been scientifically proved to effectively keep mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes are masters of speed and subtlety. Rarely do we catch one on our skin mid-bite. And when we do, the damage is often already done: the blood has been sucked, the itch-inducing saliva has been secreted, and, in some cases, a disease has already been transmitted.

Ovarian cancer researchers bring natural product β-escin to the fore β-escin is a chemical extracted from the horse chestnut seed. For women with ovarian cancer, there is a high rate of mortality, in part due to the ease of cancer cell spreading, or metastasis, in the abdominal cavity. Current treatments can be expensive and have proven to be ineffective against long-term survival in these patients. It's one of the reasons many researchers have sought to identify natural products and synthesized compounds with pharmacological effects against cancer cells. Researchers at the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center recently published a study in the journal Read More

Despite a patent extension, Merck’s muscle relaxant reversal injection is now facing potential generic competition from Hikma Pharmaceuticals, which is seeking the FDA’s approval for a copycat version. Merck in an SEC filing disclosed on Monday that Hikma Pharmaceuticals U.S. is seeking the FDA’s approval for its generic version of the muscle relaxant reversal injection Bridion (sugammadex) prior to the drug’s patent expiration. Hikma notified Merck of its intention on Feb. 5, 2024, according to the SEC filing. The British pharma is making its regulatory request under the Hatch-Waxman Act—also known as the Drug Price Competition and Patent Term Restoration Act of 1984—which established the approval pathway for generics.

First mirror-image cyclodextrins come together ‘like Lego’ BY ANDY EXTANCE5 APRIL 2024 The first L-cyclodextrins have been synthesised in the lab – these rings of six to eight sugar units are the mirror-image structures of more common D-cyclodextrins. Fraser Stoddart’s team at Northwestern University in the US used a straightforward one-pot strategy to make the substances in half-gram amounts. D-cyclodextrins have been known for over 130 years but no one had been able to make L-cyclodextrins until now ‘We have made L-cyclodextrins in a very efficient and scalable manner,’ says Yong Wu, who synthesised the compounds. ‘We optimised a lot of the conditions, and we got quite remarkable results. This strategy is very straightforward, like Lego.’ ‘The discovery of a missing piece of the cyclodextrin jigsaw puzzle sets the stage for scientists to explore the mirror-image world of naturally occurring cyclodextrins,