Having shown the power of an ancient Chinese hangover remedy, Research Professor of Clinical Pharmacy Jing Liang is now determined to unlock the mysteries of its effectiveness. The answers she finds could lead to potential Alzheimer’s disease treatments and treatments for Parkinson’s, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and more. “In China, we have so many medicinal herbs,” said Liang, who moved to the U.S. in 1997 after earning her medical degree and PhD at Tokyo University School of Medicine. “I thought, what if some of them worked for alcohol-use disorder?” So she took a leave of absence from her position in an alcohol-research laboratory to return to her native country, devoting three months of study in Guangzhou, South China, where she purified various...
Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental illnesses, and social isolation can be a major source of contributing stress. Medications to treat these disorders, such as benzodiazepines, are available; however, they come with a range of downsides. In a recent study in mice, Prof Jing Liang’s team at the USC School of Pharmacy in the US discovered that a chemical called dihydromyricetin could have potential as a new treatment for anxiety disorders. What treatments are available for anxiety disorders?As well as psychological treatment, medication is also available to treat anxiety disorders. Antidepressants can be prescribed, specifically selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) or serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). However, these medications have side effects, including dizziness, insomnia, headaches, dry mouth, and...
Inflammation plays a crucial role in a variety of diseases, including diabetes, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), acute cerebral stroke, cancer, hypertension, and myocardial ischemia. Therefore, we need to solve the problem urgently for the study of inflammation-related diseases. Dihydromyricetin (DHM) is a flavonoid mainly derived from Nekemias grossedentata (Hand.-Mazz.) J.Wen and Z.L.Nie (N.grossedentata). DHM possesses many pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory (NLRP-3, NF-κB, cytokines, and neuroinflammation), antioxidant, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, and regulating autophagy and so on. In this review, we consulted the studies in the recent 20 years and summarized the mechanism of DHM in inflammation-related diseases. In addition, we also introduced the source, chemical structure, chemical properties, and toxicity of DHM in this review. We aim to deepen our understanding...
