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Serotonin reuptake inhibitors, clonidine, gabapentin and pregabalin have shown moderate efficacy in menopausal disorders. The effect of phytoestrogens is reported to be modest, but the side effects are not well known.

This study was undertaken to quantify the use of chronic medication and herbal remedies in the presurgical population.Prospective multicenter survey.Adult patients presenting for anaesthesia were directly asked if they were currently using chronic medication or herbal remedies.Among 1057 patients (age 54+/-17 yrs, woman 54%, ASA 2 [1-4], 74%) were taking one or more chronic medication. The most commonly used treatments were, in descending order angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (15%), beta blockers (11%) and platelet inhibitors (10%). Also, 9% were taking one or more of the following herbal remedies known to interact with the perioperative period: valeriane, ginseng, ginkgo, St John's wort, echinacea and ephedra. Women and patients aged 40-70 yr were most likely to be taking a herbal product (p0.001 and p0.01 respectively).Chronic medication and herbal remedies are common in patients presenting for anaesthesia. Because of the potential interactions between anaesthetic drugs or techniques and such medication it is important for anaesthetists to be aware of their use.

Milk samples were collected directly after the morning milking (stripping milk) from eight cows of the Swedish Red and White breed, during the period of mid-lactation. The milk cells (29 +/- 11 x 10(6)) were obtained after centrifugation and by passing the cell pellet through a cotton column. They consisted of 36 +/- 9% lymphocytes, 14 +/- 2% macrophages and 50 +/- 10% polymorphonuclear leukocytes. The autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes were separated by means of a Ficoll-gradient. The lymphocytes from the blood and milk were subjected to the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST). The stimulation indices (SI) demonstrated that pokeweed mitogen (PWM) induced a greater degree of proliferation in the autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes than it did in the stripping milk lymphocytes (39 +/- 8 vs 5 +/- 1, respectively, P0.01). Ginseng (GS), the root of Panax ginseng CA Meyer, has been used in China for thousands of years to enhance the body's resistance to many diseases. In the present study, a dry ginseng extract was investigated to evaluate its immunomodulating effects in vitro on the peripheral blood and stripping milk lymphocytes. The response was significantly augmented (approximately 20%) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes incubated with GS extract in combination with PWM, as compared with the cells incubated with PWM alone. Increased responses were also detected with the lymphocytes from stripping milk incubated with GS+PWM, but to a much lesser extent (approximately 9%) compared with the autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes.

Official methods for determination of ginsenosides of the French and Helvetic Pharmacopoeias have been compared with HPLC method. Sample preparation schemes used are those of monographs with conventional solvent extraction and solid phase extraction with a polar and a non-polar sorbents, respectively kieselguhr and C 18 octadecyl. Liquid-solid sample clean-up with C 18 cartridge is the most effective procedure. Prior HPLC method, an hydrolysis step of malonylginsenosides is necessary. Very selective extraction resulting in highly purified solution authorizes reliable and rapid colorimetric determination from ginseng saponosides.