Article
Plant Sciences
Lucie Schroeder, Jan Hegermann, Patrick Pille, Hans-Peter Braun
Summary: This study investigates the energy metabolism of European mistletoe, revealing unique features of its photosynthesis apparatus and restricted capacity for chloroplast ATP biosynthesis. The findings suggest that mistletoe relies on energy-rich compounds from host trees to a greater extent.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucie Schroeder, Natalija Hohnjec, Michael Senkler, Jennifer Senkler, Helge Kuester, Hans-Peter Braun
Summary: European mistletoe is a hemiparasitic plant with unique biochemical properties and an unusual cellular respiration process. Despite the large genome size of V. album, sequencing of its gene space has provided insights into its metabolism and molecular biology. The information from V. album gene space has led to the re-evaluation of mitochondrial proteome data and the identification of additional mitochondrial proteins.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valter Paes de Almeida, Irailson Thierry Monchak, Joao Vitor da Costa Batista, Mirio Grazi, Hartmut Ramm, Vijayasankar Raman, Stephan Baumgartner, Carla Holandino, Jane Manfron
Summary: This paper provides detailed morpho-anatomical characteristics and microchemical analyses of Viscum album subsp. album, a medicinal plant traditionally used for cancer therapy. The results of this study can assist in the authentication of mistletoe raw materials.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valter Paes de Almeida, Irailson Thierry Monchak, Joao Vitor da Costa Batista, Mirio Grazi, Hartmut Ramm, Vijayasankar Raman, Stephan Baumgartner, Carla Holandino, Jane Manfron
Summary: This study provides detailed morpho-anatomical characteristics of Viscum album subsp. album, a type of mistletoe that grows as a hemi-parasite on the branches of Malus domestica. It also presents microchemical analyses and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy analyses of the calcium oxalate crystals for the first time. The results contribute to the authentication of mistletoe raw materials and enhance our understanding of the morphology and anatomy of Viscum album subsp. album.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Jose Daniel Garcia-Garcia, Julia Cecilia Anguiano-Cabello, Roberto Arredondo-Valdes, Claudio Alexis Candido del Toro, Jose Luis Martinez-Hernandez, Elda Patricia Segura-Ceniceros, Mayela Govea-Salas, Monica Lizeth Gonzalez-Chavez, Rodolfo Ramos-Gonzalez, Sandra Cecilia Esparza-Gonzalez, Juan Alberto Ascacio-Valdes, Claudia Magdalena Lopez-Badillo, Anna Ilyina
Summary: In this study, the composition of minerals and phytochemical compounds in Mexican mistletoes Phoradendron bollanum and Viscum album subs. austriacum was analyzed, revealing the presence of various biologically active compounds such as flavonoids and phenols. The antimicrobial potential of mistletoe's liquid extracts in controlling phytopathogenic microorganisms was assessed, showing successful inhibition of Clavibacter michiganenses.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gbenga Dairo, Ayooluwa Ilesanmi, Toheeb Balogun, Matthew Ward, Mette Soendergaard, John Determan
Summary: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a highly aggressive malignancy with a poor prognosis. The gene TP63 has been identified as a potential therapeutic target in aggressive PDA. This study investigates the therapeutic potential of bioactive compounds from mistletoe in pancreatic cancer through computational analyses and demonstrates their stable interaction with the target protein and drug-like properties.
JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE & DYNAMICS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lucie Schroeder, Oliver Rupp, Michael Senkler, Nils Rugen, Natalija Hohnjec, Alexander Goesmann, Helge Kuester, Hans-Peter Braun
Summary: European mistletoe is a hemiparasitic flowering plant with an extremely large genome size. A transcriptome project was conducted to study its gene space, resulting in a database containing sequences of thousands of open reading frames encoding distinct proteins. A new database, VaGs II, was developed by combining data from a summer and winter transcriptome project, and it showed a higher completeness compared to the previous database. The quality of the new database was evaluated by re-analyzing proteome data, which provided new insights into the oxidative phosphorylation system of European mistletoe.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Anna Klamerus-Iwan, John T. Van Stan
Summary: Mistletoes, the largest group of parasitic plants, are widely distributed worldwide. Despite being considered pests, they can have beneficial roles in the ecosystem. However, mistletoe infections are becoming more severe in European forests, leading to large-scale host tree mortality. This study discovered that mistletoes can store and evaporate rainfall, resulting in a reduction of annual rainwater supply beneath the canopy.
Review
Plant Sciences
Marcello Nicoletti
Summary: The therapeutic story of European mistletoe has had ups and downs. In ancient times, it was considered a panacea, but recent concerns about its toxicity led to doubts about its medicinal value. However, its selective action on tumor cells has brought back medical interest in mistletoe.
Article
Plant Sciences
Liubov Skrypnik, Pavel Feduraev, Anton Golovin, Pavel Maslennikov, Nikolay Belov, Matvei Matveev, Artem Pungin
Summary: This study investigated the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of different mistletoe organs. Mistletoe samples from Betula pendula, Acer platanoides, Crataegus monogyna, and Sorbus aucuparia showed the highest content of phenolic compounds and flavonoids, and had high antioxidant activity. Mistletoe from Tilia cordata had a high content of triterpenic acids, while mistletoe from Populus nigra and Salix alba contained a high concentration of organic acids, particularly succinic and citric acids. The antioxidant activity of mistletoe fruit extracts was higher than that of stem and leaf extracts.
Article
Plant Sciences
Liubov Skrypnik, Pavel Maslennikov, Pavel Feduraev, Artem Pungin, Nikolay Belov
Summary: Mistletoe infestation on small-leaved linden trees leads to decreased water content and chlorophyll levels in leaves, along with increased electrolyte leakage, malondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide content, and oxidized forms of antioxidants. The oxidative stress caused by mistletoe infestation is associated with alterations in various biochemical parameters and antioxidant enzyme activities in the leaves, affecting both the local and systemic redox metabolism in the host plant.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ao Wang, Arun K. Bose, Marco M. Lehmann, Andreas Rigling, Arthur Gessler, Longfei Yu, Maihe Li
Summary: The study found that there are strong relationships between European mistletoe and its host trees in terms of water and nutrient-related traits. However, there is no significant relationship in terms of carbon-related traits, indicating that the mistletoe can adjust its physiology to survive on different deciduous tree species hosts and under different site conditions.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mahak Majeed, Tanveer Bilal Pirzadah, Manzoor Ahmad Mir, Khalid Rehman Hakeem, Hesham F. Alharby, Hameed Alsamadany, Atif A. Bamagoos, Reiaz Ul Rehman
Summary: This study evaluated the antioxidant profile of the medicinal epiphyte Viscum album L. harvested from three tree species and found that ethanol extracts exhibited higher antioxidative properties, while aqueous extracts showed higher reducing power and radical scavenging abilities. The study also revealed variations in antioxidant activities depending on the host plant and extracting solvent used.
Article
Plant Sciences
Adina-Elena Segneanu, Catalin Nicolae Marin, Dumitru Daniel Herea, Ionut Stanusoiu, Cornelia Muntean, Ioan Grozescu
Summary: Viscum is a well-known medicinal plant in Europe and beyond, and its medicinal properties depend on the symbiotic relationship with the host tree and various environmental factors. This study reports the first complete low-molecular-weight metabolite profile of Romanian wild-grown European Viscum and discusses the biological activity of each class of metabolite. Additionally, a phyto-engineered AuNPs carrier assembly is developed to take advantage of the beneficial properties of Viscum and AuNPs.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Anna Wright, Rie Watanabe, Jey W. Koehler
Summary: This study evaluated the effects of mistletoe extract alone and in combination with mebendazole on canine high-grade astrocytoma cells. The results showed that mistletoe extract has cytotoxicity in vitro and when combined with mebendazole, it enhances cell death. This suggests that mistletoe extract may be a useful adjunct therapeutic agent for glioma-bearing dogs.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2022)
Review
Nursing
Christa Raak, Wolfram Scharbrodt, Bettina Berger, Katja Boehm, David Martin
Summary: Calf compresses, a traditional European medical water treatment for reducing fever, are well established in German-speaking countries. However, there is limited research on their origin and effectiveness. Existing literature and studies support the use of physical cooling methods, but there is controversy surrounding the specific cooling techniques and parameters.
Review
Psychology, Developmental
Hanno Krafft, Katja Boehm, Silke Schwarz, Michael Eichinger, Arndt Bussing, David Martin
Summary: Excessive use of screen media, especially in early childhood, is a global public health issue. This review aimed to update previous reviews on interventions to reduce screen time. The search identified 11 publications that examined the effectiveness of interventions, some of which showed positive effects on reducing screen time and improving participants' awareness and behavior regarding screen media use. However, no superior intervention was identified, highlighting the need for further research on effective intervention combinations and long-term follow-up.
CHILD PSYCHIATRY & HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Christa K. Raak, Thomas Ostermann, Anna-Li Schoenenberg-Tu, Oliver Fricke, David D. Martin, Sibylle Robens, Wolfram Scharbrodt
Summary: This study aimed to examine gender differences in postoperative pain and pain medication consumption after spinal sequestrectomy. The reanalysis of data showed no significant differences between male and female patients in pain severity, pain perception, and opioid use.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Tobias Kvist Stripp, Arndt Bussing, Sonja Wehberg, Helene Stottrup Andersen, Alex Kappel Korup, Heidi Frolund Pedersen, Jens Sondergaard, Niels Christian Hvidt
Summary: In this study, the clinimetric properties of the Danish version of the Spiritual Needs Questionnaire were examined using a digital survey in a test-retest setup. The questionnaire showed good internal consistency, good test-retest reliability, and acceptable structural validity in the sample.
JOURNAL OF RELIGION & HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Tobias Kvist Stripp, Sonja Wehberg, Arndt Bussing, Karen Andersen-Ranberg, Lars Henrik Jensen, Finn Henriksen, Christian B. Laursen, Jens Sondergaard, Niels Christian Hvidt
Summary: The EXIstential health COhort DEnmark (EXICODE) was established to investigate the link between existential and spiritual needs, practices, and orientations in a secular culture with health outcomes, illness trajectory, and overall cost of care in patients. The study found that existential and spiritual well-being has positive effects on health based on literature and survey data from a random sample of the adult Danish population.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Christina Ramsenthaler, Klaus Baumann, Arndt Buessing, Gerhild Becker
Summary: This study aims to adapt and validate the Death Reflection Scale (DRS) for measuring positive, growth-oriented cognitions of life reflection and prosocial behavior following confrontation with the finiteness of life. The DRS showed a higher-order structure with good validity and can be used to assess positive and growth-oriented aspects of death awareness and reflection.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dominik Hinzmann, Katharina Schuette-Nuetgen, Arndt Buessing, Olaf Boenisch, Hans-Joerg Busch, Christoph Dodt, Patrick Friederich, Matthias Kochanek, Guido Michels, Eckhard Frick
Summary: This study analyzes the moral distress perceived by critical care providers in intensive care units or emergency departments and explores the relationship between reliance on spiritual resources and perceived moral distress. The results show that job position and satisfaction affect the perception of moral distress among CCPs, and emotional exhaustion is the best predictor of moral distress.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Education & Educational Research
Karol Konaszewski, Sebastian Binyamin Skalski-Bednarz, Arndt Buessing, Janusz Surzykiewicz
Summary: We conducted three studies to validate the Polish version of the GrAw-7. The results showed that the questionnaire has good psychometric qualities that are similar to the original version. The overall GrAw-7 scores were positively correlated with dispositional gratitude, resilience, transcendence proper, spiritual openness, and health-related behaviors.
JOURNAL OF BELIEFS & VALUES-STUDIES IN RELIGION & EDUCATION
(2022)
Article
Religion
Arndt Buessing, Avraham Zini, Yuval Vered
Summary: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience of pausing in wondering awe with subsequent feelings of gratitude has been found to be a predictor of positive changes in attitudes and behaviors. This study aimed to analyze whether Jewish people in Israel were experiencing such moments, and how it related to their psychological wellbeing. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 147 participants from Jerusalem, and it was found that those with high wellbeing and reliance on faith experienced more intense moments of Awe/Gratitude, which in turn predicted their psychological wellbeing. Interestingly, the experience of nature and reflective times of silence were not significantly associated with Awe/Gratitude.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Anna-Li Schoenenberg-Tu, Dirk Cysarz, Benjamin Petzold, Carl Benjamin Bluemel, Christa Raak, Oliver Fricke, Friedrich Edelhaeuser, Wolfram Scharbrodt
Summary: This study investigated the impact of temporal resolution of intracranial pressure (ICP) signal on pressure time dose (PTD) calculation. The results showed that lower temporal resolutions led to increased PTD, regardless of waveform morphology and frequency of threshold exceedance. Beat-to-beat PTD best reflected the impact of threshold exceedance frequency and waveform morphology. Therefore, PTD calculation should be standardized, and beat-by-beat PTD could serve as an easy-to-grasp indicator for the impact of frequency and waveform morphology of ICP elevations on ICP burden.
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Thomas Ostermann, Julia Burkart, Sabine De Jaegere, Christa Raak, Steven Simoens
Summary: Economic evaluations of homeopathy show that in 14 out of 21 studies, homeopathic treatment was at least equally effective for less or similar costs compared to control groups. Some studies found improved outcomes at higher costs, with two showing cost-effectiveness for homeopathy. However, there are still methodologically poor research examples, which may impact the overall reliability of the evidence.
EXPERT REVIEW OF PHARMACOECONOMICS & OUTCOMES RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Hanno S. Krafft, Christa K. Raak, David D. Martin
Summary: This scoping review examined the available evidence for using heat application in the treatment of patients with fever. The study found that heat application, including the use of electric warming blankets and hot packs, can significantly lower body temperature in febrile patients. Further high-quality studies are needed to explore the role of heat application in fever management and integrative health care.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Dentistry, Oral Surgery & Medicine
Matheus Franca Perazzo, Fernanda Ruffo Ortiz, Pablo Alejandro Perez-Diaz, Georgios Tsakos, Avraham Zini, Arndt Bussing, Yuval Vered, Paulo Antonio Martins Junior, Ana Flavia Granville-Garcia, Saul Martins Paiva
Summary: This study translated and cross-culturally adapted the Brazilian version of Positive Oral Health and Well-Being questionnaire, and evaluated its psychometric properties. The results confirmed that the questionnaire is valid and reliable for assessing positive oral health in a Brazilian context.
BRAZILIAN ORAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Hanno S. Krafft, Christa K. Raak, Ekkehart Jenetzky, Tycho J. Zuzak, Alfred Laengler, David D. Martin
Summary: This study aims to improve the care for children with cancer by exploring the efficacy and feasibility of using heat application as a support for fever. The pilot study will evaluate the safety and effectiveness of gentle heat application and provide valuable data for a future multicenter randomized trial.
PILOT AND FEASIBILITY STUDIES
(2022)
Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Christa K. Raak, Wolfram Scharbrodt, Bettina Berger, Arndt Buessing, Anna Schoenenberg-Tu, David D. Martin, Sibylle Robens, Thomas Ostermann
Summary: This study is the first trial to evaluate the efficacy of homeopathic Hypericum in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. Although no significant differences were shown between the groups, patients who took Hypericum alongside usual pain management showed lower consumption of pain medication. Further investigations, particularly regarding pain medication, are needed to better understand the analgesic reduction described.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
(2022)