Do coumarin compounds of Biebersteinia multifida roots show potential anxiolytic effects in mice?
For the first time, bio-guided fractionation of the root extract of B. multifida indicates significant sustained anxiolytic effects which led to isolation of three coumarin derivatives with well-known potent MAO inhibitory and anti-anxiety effects. These data contribute to evidence-based traditional use of B. multifida root for anxiety disorders.
Differences between study populations hampered the comparability of the included studies. Although the majority of studies were underpowered, by using a meta-analytic approach we found an inverse association between birth weight and circulating cortisol level. Thus, our findings suggest that there is some evidence for a possible role of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis in the epidemiological association between birth weight and cardiovascular disease. However, the strength of the overall association between birth weight and circulating cortisol level was weak.