[Nationwide Online Survey Method to Estimate Ongoing Adverse Events Caused by Supplement Use: Application to Diarrhea].[Pubmed: 30033986]

The current adverse event reporting systems are inadequate to prevent potential health damage caused by dietary supplement use, and a better case-collecting system is needed. The aim of this study was to examine whether online surveys would be a useful methodology for estimating ongoing adverse events, focusing on diarrhea as a model symptom. We used four online survey companies and requested that they administer the same questionnaire to their registrants regarding experiences of adverse events associated with supplement use and details of diarrhea symptoms, as well as the product and ingredient names of suspected supplements. Of 78,220 dietary supplement users, 9% to 25% reported experiencing adverse events in the previous year. A total of 723 participants who answered affirmatively about a putative causal relationship between supplement use and the onset of diarrhea and who clearly identified the product and/or ingredient were eligible for final analysis. Comparisons among the survey companies showed differences in the proportions of reported symptoms; however, the rank orders were consistent in the preliminary survey. Also, when analysis was limited to specific participants from a full-scale survey, even the numerical values of the proportions were consistent among the four companies. Herbal/botanical ingredients, specifically Coleus forskohlii, were the ingredients most frequently reported to be associated with diarrhea. These results indicate that online survey can be a useful method to complement the current system for estimating ongoing adverse events and identifying the responsible supplements.

Biogenic synthesis, characterization of gold and silver nanoparticles from Coleus forskohlii and their clinical importance.[Pubmed: 29734113]

In modern era, the great interest and demand among chemists and researchers for metal nanoparticles is increasing in the application of biomedical fields, textiles, cosmetics and various sectors. Consequently, the present study reports an eco-friendly, cost-effective, rapid and easy method to produce environment-friendly metal nanoparticles to prevent exhaustion of metal resources. In this context, gold and silver metal nanoparticles were green synthesized using the Root Extract of Coleous forskohlii (RECo) as capping and reducing agent. The synthesized gold (GNPs) and silver nanoparticles (SNPs) were characterized using UV-Visible spectrophotometer, High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), Particle size analysis (PSA), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD). Their clinical importance was analysed using anti-oxidant assay (DPPH - 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and Phosphomolybdenum PMA) and cytotoxicity (MTT assay) against HEPG2 (liver cancer cell lines). Further, the antimicrobial activity against two microorganisms were tested using disc diffusion method against Proteus vulgaris pathogen and Micrococcus luteus pathogen. RECo-GNPs and SNPs were found to be stable in aqueous medium for a longer time and exhibited favorable anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity. The phytoconstituents present in the root extract of Coleous forskohlii was elucidated using GC-MS analysis.