Fungal mycorrhizae: ecosystem modulators

A nice article from Nature magazine shares some interesting research on the mycelia of mushrooms (the main growing part, usually underground, which produce the spore-bearing fruiting bodies we harvest and eat). We've known for a long time that mycelia are everywhere, almost saturating soil and contributing to the ecological balance of forest and field alike. We've even studied how some plants, like orchids for example, engage in a delicate balance with the root-like tendrils of fungal mycelia (known as mycorrhizae), benefiting in both nourishment and protection. Recent research has focused on how the web of fungal roots in the soil of the forest acts as a literal 'network', sharing and balancing resources between itself and different species of green plants. It seems quite likely, in fact, that many plants could not exist without their fungal symbiotes: but the story goes deeper than that.

Herbal medicine commentary: are we chasing fairies ?

"By proper Herbalism, I mean the variety practiced by Herbalists who have devoted many years of study to the application of herbs for medical purposes, as opposed to the fairy chasing brigade who hijack any therapy that they can practice with minimal effort..."

Sparkly Comfrey Powder

It's late August, the sun is still hot, the evening light is orange, and the Comfrey is still going crazy.
This unyieldingly generous plant keeps coming back, and spreading, no matter how often you harvest its leaves for improvised poultices, throw its long hollow stalks into the compost, or even dig away at its root. And regardless of what you think of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid content of this bristly Boraginacea, you can't deny that its topical use is very safe and effective.
I love chewing a Comfrey leaf to put on a bad scrape or superficial wound, you can feel its texture going from almost spiny to green to slimy. And the gel that is created is some of the best medicine for the skin, rich in allantoin, soothing and healing.

Datura inoxia

Known as Toloache by the Aztecs (and probably used by most Mesoamerican cultures before them), this beautiful representative of the Datura genus just recently began opening its flowers in my garden. It blooms in the evening, pollinated by night-flying moths, with huge (8"+) flowers and a sweet aroma that sets it apart from its cousin, the Jimson weed (D. stramonium).

Many members of the Solanaceae (Nightshade family, perhaps my favorite plant family though the Araliae are right up there) possess alkaloids like scopolamine and hyoscyamine which have the ability to limit the action of the parasympathetic nervous system (they are so-called parasympatholytics). This yin-like side of our nerve networks promotes rest, digestion, and reproduction, and actively counterbalances the more yang-like sympathetics continuously.

Stress, inflammation, and chronic disease

Sure, we all know that stress, tension and the anger that sometimes accompany them don't make us feel too good. A study from researchers at Duke, using data obtained by the Air Force, reveals just how linked these aspects of life are to crucial markers of cardiovascular inflammation. Elements (part of the complement family of proteins) in the blood that are involved in regulating inflammation in the heart and blood vessels seem to get overproduced by significant factors in men who feel more anger, hostility, and depression.

Coffee, running, and skin cancer

Good news for runners who enjoy a cup of coffee before morning exercise: new research in mice seems to point towards caffeine combined with exercise as protective against skin cancer and the deposition of subcutaneous fat. The study involved caffeine-laced water, which arguably has no flavonoid content compared to coffee and thus is even less protective, but nevertheless the mice who consumed it and exercised had about 4 times more cell death in UV-damaged skin cells. Death (apoptosis) here is good - it sure beats growth and division (a.k.a. cancer)! Interestingly, exercise or coffee, by themselves, were much less effective against melanomas.

Cannabinoids and skin allergies

Fresh research published in Science seems to hint at a topical anti-allergic effect for cannabinoids. The trial was done in mice using an artificial allergen, and the research proceeded in two steps: first, the scientists found that mice genetically engineered to lack cannabinoid receptors were much more sensitive to environmental allergens like nickel. I suspect the mice were modified as part of Dr. Karsak's ongoing obsession with understanding the role that mammalian cannabinoids (which occur naturally in our bodies, as well as in mice -- one example is anandamide) play in a variety of processes, from atherosclerosis, to generalized inflammation, to mood.