What Do Tiny Worms Have to Do with Medicine?

According to Science Daily, a team of researchers at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, have developed a biologic method to help in understanding which specific components of herbal medicine mixtures help produce certain health benefits.

Many individuals utilize herbal remedies to aid them with their medical ailments, however, up until recently, no one has completely understood what it is specifically in each herbal concoction or remedy that provides treatment, and in some cases, complete healing. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not been very helpful in studying herbal remedies and why they work. In fact, the FDA has only approved one herbal remedy and that was a remedy to treat genital warts.

The Maryland team utilized tiny worms, which have a very short lifespan of 20 days. With the aid of these worms, the team was able to sort through which compounds found in two common Chinese herb formulas showed the post potential. Researchers agreed that Ginseng and cinnamon showed the most promise, particularly in extending life expectancy.

The team, lead by Yuan Luo PhD, MS, associate professor at UMB, conducted what was referred to as a systematic evaluation of a mixture of 10 herbs that are said to be effective in the reduction of fatigue and in helping to gain energy. They also conducted a systematic evaluation on an herbal remedy used to treat arthritic joint pain. Both mixtures were tested, along with each separate herb used to create the mixture. The lab worms used for the experiment shares genes for aging, as well as other traits that humans have.

The researchers at UMB discovered that cinnamon bark was able to extend the life span of the lab worms from 10.8 to 14.5 percent (Science Daily). Ginseng was able to extend their life by 7.7 percent. The reason this type of testing is so important is because it allows researchers to determine whether or not certain herbs and herbal remedies will actually have a positive affect n the human body and if they do what herbal remedy manufacturers claim they can do. This School of Pharmacy Study was published in February of 2010 in an issue of PLoS ONE, Vol. 5.