Abstract:
BACKGROUND:Medical students have consistently expressed interest in learning about alternative healing modalities, especially herbal and natural products. To fill this void in medical education at our institution, a novel elective was developed and implemented for fourth year medical students. This herbal/natural product course uses guest lecturers, classroom presentations, and active learning mechanisms that include experiential rotations, case-based learning, and team-based learning to increase student knowledge of herbal/natural product safety and efficacy. METHODS:Knowledge outcomes were evaluated via administration of a pre- and post-course test (paired student t-test). End-of-course evaluations (Likert-type questions and narrative responses) were used to assess student opinion of knowledge and skills imparted by the elective and overall course content (mean, standard deviation). RESULTS:Over three academic years, 23 students have enrolled in this elective. More than 60% of participants have been female and nearly half of the students (43%) have pursued residencies in primary care. Completion of the course significantly increased student knowledge of common herbal/natural product mechanisms, uses, adverse effects, and drug-interactions as determined by a pre- and post-course knowledge assessment (45%±10% versus 78%±6%; p<0.0001). The course was highly rated by enrollees (overall course quality, 4.6 of 5.0±0.48) who appreciated the variety of activities to which they were exposed and the open classroom discussions that resulted. While students tended to view some alternative medical systems with skepticism, they still believed it was valuable to learn what these modalities encompass. CONCLUSIONS:Development and implementation of a herbal/natural product elective that engages undergraduate medical students through active learning mechanisms and critical analysis of the literature has proven effective in increasing knowledge outcomes and is deemed to be a valuable curricular addition by student participants. In the future, it will be of interest to explore mechanisms for expanding the course to reach a larger number of students within the time, financial, and logistical constraints that currently exist.
journal_name
BMC Complement Altern Medjournal_title
BMC complementary and alternative medicineauthors
Karpa Kdoi
10.1186/1472-6882-12-57subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2012-05-22 00:00:00pages
57issn
1472-6882pii
1472-6882-12-57journal_volume
12pub_type
杂志文章abstract:BACKGROUND:Although various treatments for breast cancer related lymphedema exist, there is still a need for a more effective and convenient approach. Pilot studies and our clinical observations suggested that acupuncture may be a potential option. This study aims to verify the effectiveness of acupuncture on BCRL and ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1980-0
更新日期:2017-09-21 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Short-term vasodilatation in the pain area after dry needling (DN) of active trigger points (TrPs) was recorded in several cases of sciatica. Moreover, the presence of TrPs in sciatica patients secondary to primary lesion was suggested. Still, it is not known how often they occur and if every TrPs can provok...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 临床试验,杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0587-6
更新日期:2015-03-20 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Ischemic stroke is the third leading cause of death in adults worldwide and is the first leading cause of long-term disability. Neurogenesis plays an important role in promoting behavioral recovery after stroke. Huatuo Zaizao pill (HT), a traditional Chinese medicine, has been used clinically in China to pro...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1516-z
更新日期:2017-01-05 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The therapeutic use of Helleborus niger L. is manifold due to its specific phytochemical composition. Two compound groups, the ranunculin derivates including protoanemonin and the steroidal saponins, are also associated with toxicity (genotoxicity, disintegration of membrane structures). Therefore, in vitro ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2517-5
更新日期:2019-05-21 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Khaya grandifoliola (Meliaceae) and Entada africana (Fabaceae) are traditionally used in Bamun (a western tribe of Cameroon) traditional medicine for the treatment of liver related diseases. In this study, the synergistic hepatoprotective effect of respective active fractions of the plants were investigated ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1169-y
更新日期:2016-07-07 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:On account of deterioration of chronic heart failure (CHF) and extensive exploration of Chinese herbal injections (CHIs), we performed a network meta-analysis to investigate the efficacy of CHIs (Huangqi injection, Shenfu injection, Shengmai injection, Shenmai injection, Shenqi Fuzheng injection, Yiqifumai i...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章,meta分析
doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2090-3
更新日期:2018-01-31 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Aging is an inevitable process for all living organisms. During this process reactive oxygen species generation is increased which leads to the activation of hyaluronidase, collagenase and elastase, which can further contribute to skin aging. Four southern African medicinal plants; Clerodendrum glabrum, Scho...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-304
更新日期:2013-11-05 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Danqi pill (DQP) is one of the most widely prescribed formulas and has been shown to have remarkable protective effect on coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its regulatory effects on lipid metabolism disorders haven't been comprehensively studied so far. We aimed to explore the effects of DQP on Peroxiso...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1083-3
更新日期:2016-03-22 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer deaths reported worldwide. The incidence is higher in Asia and Africa, where there is greater endemic prevalence of hepatitis B and C. The devastating outcome of cancer can be minimized only by the use of potent therapeutic agents. Tridham (...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-323
更新日期:2013-11-21 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Carrageenan is a linear sulphated polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed of the Rhodophyceae family. It has broad spectrum of applications in biomedical and biopharmaceutical field. In this study, we determined the cytotoxicity of degraded and undegraded carrageenan in human intestine (Caco-2; cancer and ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-508
更新日期:2014-12-17 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:"Horchata" is an herbal mixture infusion consumed in Southern Ecuador; 66% of its plants are anti-inflammatory medicinal plant, and 51% are analgesics. Anti-inflammatory substances can prevent carcinogenesis mediated by cytotoxic effects and can prevent DNA damage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the c...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-017-2048-x
更新日期:2017-12-19 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Leishmaniasis includes a wide complex of diseases that affect humans and other mammals, and can range from a mild cutaneous form to a severe visceral type. The safety of the standard treatment using pentavalent antimony is a concern due to its toxic effects. The search for alternative, effective and less tox...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0973-0
更新日期:2016-01-04 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Currently, feasible medical treatments are hitherto not satisfying to relieve pSS symptoms, which concerns numbers of clinical doctors. Acupuncture seems to be an alternative to treat pSS and conduces to good symptomatic results. However further research is necessary. This trial is to investigate the efficac...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章,随机对照试验
doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1559-9
更新日期:2017-01-19 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Baeckea frutescens is a natural remedy recorded to be used in curing various health conditions. In Peninsular Malaysia, B. frutescens is found on the mountain tops, quartz ridge and sandy coasts. To our knowledge, there is only limited published literature on B. frutescens. METHODS:B. frutescens leaf crude ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0712-6
更新日期:2015-06-17 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The use of Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) has increased over the past years. In Germany, many general practitioners (GPs) use CAM in their daily practice. However, little is known about possible differences of GPs using CAM compared to GPs not using CAM. The aim of the study was to explore diff...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-11-131
更新日期:2011-12-19 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The National Institutes of Health reported in 2007 that approximately 38% of United States adults have used at least one type of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). There are no studies available that assess general CAM use in US pregnant women.The objectives of our study were to determine the prev...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-85
更新日期:2014-03-04 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory immune disease with undefined pathogenesis. It is associated with T cells, and the IL-23/IL17 axis is believed to be crucial in the pathogenesis. The present treatments have side effects that influence the compliance of patients. Tea polyphenol is extracted from tea polyph...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1325-4
更新日期:2016-08-31 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Evidence suggests yoga is a safe and effective intervention for the management of physical and psychosocial symptoms associated with musculoskeletal conditions. However, heterogeneity in the components and reporting of clinical yoga trials impedes both the generalization of study results and the replication ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-14-196
更新日期:2014-06-18 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Juglans regia has been found to exhibit significant anticancer activity against various human cancer cell lines. This study was undertaken to isolate the active chemical constituent (Juglone) and to investigate its cytotoxic activity along with its various analogs against different human cancer cell lines. ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0920-0
更新日期:2015-11-03 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The use of herbal medicines as complements or alternatives to orthodox medicines has been on the increase. There has been the erroneous belief that these medicines are free from adverse effects. Schefflera barteri is popularly used in the West region of Cameroon for the treatment of various diseases such as ...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0581-z
更新日期:2015-03-07 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Increased platelet aggregation is implicated in the pathogenesis of ischemic stroke and anti-platelet strategy may contribute to its therapy. Panaxatriol saponin (PTS), the main components extracted from Panax notoginseng, has been shown to be efficacious in the prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke in...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1160-7
更新日期:2016-06-08 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The study was part of a nationwide evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Swiss primary care. The aim of the study was to compare patient-physician relationships and the respective patient-reported relief of symptoms between CAM and conventional primary care (COM). METHODS:A comparati...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-10-63
更新日期:2010-11-04 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Dermal wound healing involves a cascade of complex events including angiogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling. Several groups have focused in the study of the skin wound healing activity of natural products. The phytomedicine Acheflan®, and its main active constituent is the oil from Cordia verbenacea...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0745-x
更新日期:2015-06-30 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Mineral based preparations are widely used for centuries as antimicrobial agents. However, the efficacy and the mode of action of mineral based preparations are uncertain due to the insufficient antimicrobial studies. Arogyawardhana Vati (AV) and Manikya Rasa (MR) are such two Rasashastra herbo-minerallic dr...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-016-1336-1
更新日期:2016-09-15 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The anti-inflammatory activity of Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae), a traditional medicine widely used in Asia, is commonly attributed to andrographolide, its main secondary metabolite. Commercial A. paniculata extracts are standardised to andrographolide content. We undertook the present study to inves...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-015-0525-7
更新日期:2015-02-07 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Natural products play a significant role in human health in relation to the prevention and treatment of inflammatory conditions. One of the plants with great medicinal potentials is Diospyros kaki which is mainly cultivated in Asian countries including Korea, Japan, and China. Astringent D. kaki is a wild sp...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-019-2659-5
更新日期:2019-09-23 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The role of plants for discovery of therapeutic potential accentuates the need to know their biological attributes. The present study aims to comprehend the biological attributes of Rhus punjabensis, an unexplored traditional medicinal plant. METHODS:Leaf and stem extracts of R. punjabensis prepared in 11 d...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-017-1659-6
更新日期:2017-03-09 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Morella serata is a South African medicinal plant used in the treatment of microbial infections and to enhance male sexual performance. There is dearth of information in scientific literature on its efficacy and safety. METHODS:In the present study, the root extracts were investigated for the phytochemicals...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-163
更新日期:2013-07-08 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Betulinic acid (BA) is a natural triterpenoid compound and exhibits a wide range of biological and medicinal properties including anti-inflammatory activity. Therefore, this theoretical investigation is performed to evaluate (a) physicochemical properties such as acid dissociation constant (pKa), distributio...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2116-x
更新日期:2018-02-02 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Scientific interest in acupuncture has led numerous investigators to conduct clinical trials to test the efficacy of acupuncture for various conditions, but the mechanisms underlying acupuncture are poorly understood. METHODS:The author conducted a PubMed search to obtain a fair sample of acupuncture clinic...
journal_title:BMC complementary and alternative medicine
pub_type: 杂志文章,评审
doi:10.1186/1472-6882-6-25
更新日期:2006-07-07 00:00:00