The quest to counter a host of modern maladies has taken researchers to the roots of traditional medicine in Louisiana.
A 小蝌蚪APP exercise scientist is among investigators who concluded that the groundsel bush小蝌蚪APP檚 anti-inflammatory properties could combat metabolic syndrome and related conditions, such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
The native shrub was an ingredient in folk remedies until the early 20th century.
Dr. Scott Fuller, an assistant professor in UL Lafayette小蝌蚪APP檚 School of Kinesiology, and scientists from LSU小蝌蚪APP檚 Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Rutgers 小蝌蚪APP in New Jersey determined that extracts from the bush小蝌蚪APP檚 stems and leaves positively affect the metabolism of fat cells.
That小蝌蚪APP檚 important to fight metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that includes obesity, high blood sugar and high blood pressure 小蝌蚪APP conditions that impact one in three Louisiana residents. When combined, the symptoms heighten the risk of stroke, diabetes and heart disease.
Metabolic syndrome affects 34 percent of all adults in the U.S. and 50 percent of people 60 years or older.
小蝌蚪APP淗ealthy fat cells are indispensable for healthy blood sugar maintenance and proper metabolism in general. This research shows that the groundsel bush can alter the function of fat cells in a beneficial manner and could support its use as a dietary supplement,小蝌蚪APP Fuller said.
Metabolic syndrome is 小蝌蚪APP渁 global pandemic. Our health care system is simply buckling under the strain. Obesity and type 2 diabetes are the public health crises for the 21st century,小蝌蚪APP he added.
The perennial, semi-evergreen groundsel bush grows throughout the Southern U.S. and along the Eastern seaboard. It小蝌蚪APP檚 小蝌蚪APP減ractically ubiquitous in Louisiana,小蝌蚪APP said Dr. C. Ray Brassieur, a UL Lafayette anthropologist who also has investigated the historical use of native botanicals in folk medicine.
Brassieur said a well-documented Creole folk remedy involved making tea infused with groundsel leaves. Native Americans, Acadians and other ethnic groups also used the plant to combat mucus congestion associated with flu, pneumonia or heavy colds.
Fuller and the Pennington team prepared an extract from the groundsel bush小蝌蚪APP檚 stems and leaves, and tested the samples with a series of dyes and other chemical solutions. The analysis showed that the shrub promoted fat cell development, combatted inflammation in fat cells, and enhanced the creation of proteins that benefit the liver and skeletal muscle.
Biology, an international peer-reviewed journal, published the findings online last month. In addition to Fuller, its authors included Dr. David Ribnicky, Rutgers 小蝌蚪APP; and Dr. Anik Boudreau, Dr. Allison Richard and Dr. Jacqueline Stephens, all of Pennington Biomedical.
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Top photo caption: Creoles, Acadians and Native Americans used the groundsel bush in folk medicine remedies. The images are from the U.S. Geological Survey's "Guide to the Plants of Louisiana," . (Photo credit: Larry Allain / U.S. Geological Survey)
Inset photo: Dr. Scott Fuller (Photo credit: Ted Griggs / Pennington Biomedical Research Center)