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Health See other Health Articles Title: Aspirin finds another medical frontier in Australian study SYDNEY, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- It started out as a humble painkiller, and was then identified as a soldier in the fight against heart attacks and strokes -- and now aspirin may have a role in fighting dementia. An Australian university has been commissioned by the U.S.- based National Institutes of Health to investigate the humble medicine's anti-dementia powers. Dementia, where a person's cognitive mind, function and memory dissolves, is now one of the biggest medical challenges for elderly people. Monash University in Melbourne has begun a 50 million Australian dollar (41 million U.S. dollar) trial called ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE), local media reported Monday. It is a joint study with the Berman Center for Outcomes and Clinical Research in Minneapolis. More than 19,000 Australian patients are involved in the trial. Aspirin's properties revolve around its ability to stop blood platelets clumping together, reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But the active ingredient is salicin, originally derived from willow trees, which also has an anti-inflammatory effect. Editor: xuxin Feijoas, blackberries offer new hope for inflammatory ailments: NZ study WELLINGTON, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two common fruits could provide a breakthrough in treating inflammatory diseases, particularly in the bowel, according to New Zealand research out Tuesday. Feijoas and blackberries stood out among 12 fruits for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties, said University of Auckland researchers. The study also looked at mangos, elderberries, cranberries, blackcurrants, red raspberries, strawberries, green and black grapes, plums and pears. The study identified fruit compounds with an anti-inflammatory effect through certain chemical pathways that could be tested further to develop them as complementary therapies for inflammatory bowel disease and other inflammatory disorders. "Inflammatory responses are important for coping with damage, but an over-active inflammatory response is also damaging and can create problems," Professor Lynn Ferguson said in a statement. The two fruits could help to limit the inflammatory response. The study also showed that the anti-oxidant action of the feijoa compounds was not a direct effect, but was mediated through inhibitory effects on the enzyme, kinase. For the experiments reported in the study, the testing included the skin and pulp of all the fruits. "In feijoa, the skin has more bio-activity than the pulp," said Ferguson. "Some Asian cultures eat the skin, but in most Western cultures many people find the taste too sour." Editor: An Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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