Traditional Medicine and Modern Medicine

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the clinical effects and underlying mechanisms of Hu’s AnGeng Decoction combined with Femostom in treating menopausal syndrome (MD) associated with Kidney Yin deficiency and disharmony between the heart and kidney, to provide a safe and effective therapeutic option. METHODS: A total of 324 menopausal participants were randomly allocated into three groups: An experimental group receiving Hu’s AnGeng Decoction combined with Femostom (1/10mg) ($n=108$), control group 1 receiving only Hu’s AnGeng Decoction ($n=108$), and control group 2 receiving Femostom (1/10mg) only ($n=103$). Using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), TCM-ID, and GeneCards, we retrieved the active ingredients and target proteins of Hu’s AnGeng Decoction along with MD-related targets. A protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed, followed by gene ontology (GO) function enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. RESULTS: The experimental group exhibited significantly better scores in the Modified Kupperman Index (mKI), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), and estrogen (E2) levels compared to both control group 1 and control group 2. A total of 119 targets related to Hu’s AnGeng Decoction were identified, along with 17 genes associated with MD, and three common targets were determined through Venny 2.1 analysis. The PPI network highlighted three key targets through topological analysis. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses indicated multiple disease-relevant pathways. Conclusion: Hu’s AnGeng Decoction significantly alleviates MD, likely through active components such as quercetin, beta-sitosterol, naringenin, and beta-carotene, which may exert therapeutic effects by modulating key targets such as estrogen receptor 2 (ESR2), CYP1B1, and AR. This study identified 119 drug target genes and 17 target genes related to menopausal symptoms, illustrating the integrative therapeutic potential of Hu’s AnGeng Decoction.

Background: This study sought to determine whether a six-week individualized Ayurvedic, decolonial feminist self-care framework could be used to promote healing in queer and/or women survivors of psychological trauma in South Africa. Methods: An Indigenous epistemology was integrated with pragmatism, and an embedded multiple case study was used employing a fully mixed sequential dominant status mixed methods approach. The qualitative component comprised 149 individual online therapeutic sessions with nine participants, selected through self-selected sampling, as well as radical action research and document analysis. The quantitative component involved a questionnaire and a cohort panel prospective longitudinal study. Eight of the nine participants (89%) completed the six-week intervention. Results: Content analysis using ATLAS.ti${}^{\circledR }$ resulted in the identification of five key themes: Trauma; Physical, emotional and mental signs and symptoms; Use of western healthcare services, equipment and/or medication; Components of the self-care healing framework; and Signs of healing. Participants experienced both physical and mental benefits. Participants felt calmer, more grounded and relaxed; improved mental clarity and memory were reported. Physical benefits included improved digestion, pain alleviation, greater flexibility and the relief of nasal allergy symptoms. A paired samples t-test on IBM SPSS Statistics${}^{\circledR }$ showed that, over the six weeks, there was a statistically significant increase in participants’ mean kapha and sattva levels, which reflected a greater sense of groundedness and mental peace, and a significant decrease in mean tamas levels, which indicated less mental heaviness. Few barriers were raised to the continued use of the framework. Conclusion: This self-care framework has promoted healing in queer and/or women survivors of psychological trauma in South Africa.