Search Results (5)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the leading cause of mortality worldwide, with atherosclerosis (AS) serving as its primary pathological foundation, involving multiple pathological processes, including lipid metabolism disorders, chronic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. The food and medicine continuum (FMC) concept originates from traditional Chinese medicine, emphasizing that certain foods possess both nutritional and medicinal value, aligning closely with the modern “food is medicine” philosophy. This narrative review examines the bioactive components and anti-atherosclerotic mechanisms of ten FMC materia medica: hawthorn fruit (Crataegus Fructus), ginkgo seed (Ginkgo Semen), milkvetch root (Astragali Radix), turmeric (Curcumae longae Rhizoma), ginger (Zingiberis Rhizoma Recens), glossy ganoderma (Ganoderma), Angelica sinensis (Angelicae sinensis Radix), barbary wolfberry fruit (Lycii Fructus), lotus leaf (Nelumbinis Folium), and honey (Mel). These materia medica are rich in bioactive constituents, including flavonoids, terpenoids, and polysaccharides, which can exert cardiovascular protective effects, such as regulating lipid metabolism, inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress, improving endothelial function, and modulating gut microbiota. Regarding clinical evidence, meta-analyses support the beneficial effects of ginger and honey on cardiometabolic risk factors, though the field still faces challenges, including the need for higher-level clinical evidence and difficulties in product standardization. This review aims to integrate traditional knowledge with modern scientific approaches, providing scientific evidence for the development of functional foods and phytotherapy. Full article

As the main active component of Zanthoxylum bungeanum, its volatile oil (ZEO) exhibits diverse pharmacological activities, including insecticidal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. These properties support its traditional functions, such as “expelling worms” and “warming the Middle Jiao to alleviate pain and relieve itching.” However, modern research mainly validates individual components or effects, leaving notable gaps in understanding this complex system. This review integrates research on ZEO, summarizing its composition, influencing factors, and mechanisms of action. By framing the “composition–activity–mechanism–application” continuum, this review analyzes the basis for the holistic, multi-component, multi-target therapeutic model of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). It clarifies the core TCM principles of pharmacological symbiosis and synergy through formula compatibility. These insights form a theoretical basis for further development and wider application of ZEO in fields such as medicine, food, and daily chemical products. Full article

The discovery and clinical deployment of antibiotics marked a paradigm shift in combating bacterial infections, profoundly benefiting human medicine, veterinary health, and agricultural productivity. However, pervasive overuse in both the clinical and livestock sectors has precipitated an alarming acceleration of antimicrobial resistance, now recognized as a critical global health threat. Compounding this crisis, livestock-associated resistant pathogens persistently colonize the food production continuum, enabling zoonotic transmission through animal-derived products and endangering public health, food safety, and human survival. This review delineates current insights into bacterial resistance mechanisms and evaluates innovative countermeasures, aiming to inform future antimicrobial development and resistance containment strategies. Full article

Mexico is the center of origin and diversification of domesticated chile (Capsicum annuum L.). Chile is conceived and employed as both food and medicine in Mexico. In this context, the objective of this paper is to describe and analyze the cultural role of chile as food and as medicine for the body and soul in different cultures of Mexico. To write it, we relied on our own fieldwork and literature review. Our findings include a) the first matrix of uses of chile across 67 indigenous and Afrodescendants cultures within Mexican territory and b) the proposal of a new model of diversified uses of chile. Traditional knowledge, uses and management of chile as food and medicine form a continuum (i.e., are not separated into distinct categories). The intermingled uses of Capsicum are diversified, deeply rooted and far-reaching into the past. Most of the knowledge, uses and practices are shared throughout Mexico. On the other hand, there is knowledge and practices that only occur in local or regional cultural contexts. In order to fulfill food, medicinal or spiritual functions, native communities use wild/cultivated chile. Full article

Differences in gendered knowledge about plants are contingent on specific cultural domains. Yet the boundaries between these domains, for example food and medicine, are sometimes blurred, and it is unclear if and how gender plays a role in creating a continuum between them. Here, we present an in-depth evaluation of the links between gender, medicinal plant knowledge, and culinary culture in Marrakech, Morocco. We interviewed 30 women and 27 men with different socio-demographic characteristics and evaluated how gender and cooking frequency shape their food and medicinal plant knowledge. We documented 171 ethno-taxa used in Marrakshi households as food, medicine, or both, corresponding to 148 botanical taxa and three mixtures. While no clear differences appear in food plant knowledge by gender, women have a three-fold greater knowledge of medicinal plants, as well as plants with both uses as food and medicine. Women’s medicinal and food plant knowledge increases with their reported frequency of cooking, whereas the opposite trend is observed among men. Men who cook more are often single, have university-level degrees, and may be isolated from the channels of knowledge transmission. This demonstrates that the profound relations between the culinary and health domains are mediated through gender. Full article