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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the orally administered combination of flavonoids desmin and troxerutin with Centella asiatica and Melilotus for the treatment of diabetic cystoid macular edema (CME) without macular thickening. Methods: In this prospective, interventional, controlled study, 40 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes and CME without macular thickening at optical coherence tomography were randomized into 2 groups of 20 subjects each (treatment and control groups). The treatment group received an oral combination of desmin (300 mg/day) and troxerutin (300 mg/day) with C. asiatica (30 mg/die) and Melilotus (160 mg/die) for 14 months. Best collected visual acuity, central retinal thickness at optical coherence tomography, retinal sensitivity (RS), and stability of fixation at microperimetry were measured at baseline and monthly for 14 months. Results: In both groups, mean best collected visual acuity, central retinal thickness, and stability of fixation did not show differences during follow-up ( P > 0.05). At month 14, the RS was greater in the treated group ( P = 0.01) and was significantly reduced in the control group only ( P < 0.001). Five eyes in the study group showed disappearance of the intraretinal cysts after a mean time of 3.5 ± 0.3 months, which persisted in the following months. These 5 eyes presented a greater RS at each follow-up visit when compared with the control group ( P < 0.05). Anatomic improvement was never reported in the control group. Conclusions: The orally administered combination of flavonoids, C. asiatica, and Melilotus could be beneficial in preserving RS in diabetic CME without macular thickening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semelil (ANGIPARS™), a novel herbal-based compound containing extract of Melilotus officinalis, was formulated for treatment of chronic wounds, especially diabetic foot ulcer. The purpose of this study was to investigate safety and toxicity effects of intramuscular administration of Semelil in dogs. Preliminary one-month study with Semelil was performed on 8 male and female dogs divided into 2 groups, test and control four animals each. Semelil was administered intramuscularlyat a dose of 0.07 ml/kg body wt. once a day to the animals of the test group, while the control group received sterile saline. During experiments, general state of the animals including the dynamics of body weight changes, appetite, motor activity and behavior, hair condition, ECG parameters, rectal temperature of animals and data of hematological and biochemical tests were monitored for signs of toxicity and side-effects. Finally, morphology and histology analyses were performed using standard methods. No adverse health or toxicity effects were observed through the course of the study. No damaging consequences of Semelil injections on the functional state of main organs of the experimental animals were found. This observation gave a good evidence of a favorable safety profile compatible with potential therapeutic use of Semelil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Semelil (ANGIPARS™), an herbal formulation containing Melilotus officinalis extract, is a novel compound being developed for treatment of chronic wounds, particularly diabetic foot ulcers. The purpose of this study was to investigate toxicological, pharmacological, and pathomorphological effects of I.M. and I.P. administration of Semelil in animals. The acute toxicity parameters of Semelil diluted in normal saline (l:10 or 1:5) were determined after a single injection into BALB/c mice and Wistar rats in two steps. First, the LD50 was approximately assessed and then the precise lethal dose indices were estimated by the probit-analysis method. Specific single-dose effects of Semelil were monitored for clinical signs of toxicity, including general state of the animals, changes in their behavior, hematological and biochemical parameters for 14 days after drug administration. Then, subacute-chronic toxicity was evaluated in rats treated with Semelil for 3 months. In acute toxicity study, the calculated LD50 for drug diluted at 1:5 was in the range of 44-52 ml/kg. The adverse effects at drug doses close to the LD50 included depressed mood, narcosis, and sleep. No adverse pharmacological or toxicological effects of the drug diluted at I:10 and administered in the single-dose (25-50 ml/kg body wt.) or chronically (daily doses of 0.07 and 0.21 ml/kg body wt.) were noted. Thus, the animal studies demonstrated a favorable safety profile for the phytotherapeutic Semelil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Melilotus albus and Melilotus officinalis are widely used in forage production and herbal medicine due to the biological activity of their coumarins, which have many biological and pharmacological activities, including anti-HIV and anti-tumor effects. To comprehensively evaluate M. albus and M. officinalis coumarin content (Cou), morphological variation, and molecular phylogeny, we examined the Cou, five morphological traits and the molecular characterization based on the trnL-F spacer and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of 93 accessions. Significant (p < 0.05) variation was observed in the Cou and all five morphological traits in both species. Analysis of population differentiation (Pst) of the phenotypic traits showed that powdery mildew resistance (PMR) had the greatest Pst, meaning that this trait demonstrated the largest genetic differentiation among the accessions. The Pst values of dry matter yield (DMY) and Cou were relatively high. Biplot analysis identified accessions with higher DMY and higher and lower Cou. Analysis of molecular sequence variation identified seven haplotypes of the trnL-F spacer and 13 haplotypes of the ITS region. Based on haplotype and sequence analyses, the genetic variation of M. officinalis was higher than that of M. albus. Additionally, ITS sequence analysis showed that the variation among accessions was larger than that among species across three geographical areas: Asia, Europe, and North America. Similarly, variation among accessions for both the trnL-F and ITS sequences were larger than the differences between the geographical areas. Our results indicate that there has been considerable gene flow between the two Melilotus species. Our characterization of Cou and the morphological and genetic variations of these two Melilotus species may provide useful insights into germplasm improvement to enhance DMY and Cou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and objective: We report a case of severe liver dysfunction exacerbated after interferon beta (IFNB)-1b injection in a patient with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had been taking a melilot (sweet clover) supplement. Although IFNB-1b therapy for MS can cause mild liver dysfunction, severe hepatotoxicity attributable to supplement use has been reported. Case summary: A 23-year-old Japanese woman taking a melilot supplement containing coumarin at 10 mg/day for 3 years was admitted to our hospital to receive IFNB-1b therapy for MS. Fourteen days after subcutaneous injection of IFNB-1b every other day, her aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels were elevated at 235 and 681 IU/L, respectively. After the discontinuation of IFNB-1b therapy and supplement intake, AST and ALT returned to normal levels. Later, she started receiving an intramuscular injection of IFNB-1a weekly without supplement intake. She was able to continue IFNB-1a therapy this time, showing a slight elevation of AST level at 61 IU/L. What is new and conclusion: The combination of IFNB-1b therapy and melilot supplement intake may cause severe liver dysfunction in patients with MS. Given the doubtful value of the supplement, we suggest that it should be avoided by patients receiving interferon therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]