HERBAL FORMULATION FOR TREATING CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

Abstract

In one aspect there is provided a liquid herbal composition for relieving some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME). The liquid herbal composition preferably comprises therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Bilberry, Eyebright, Goldenseal root, Ginkgo leaf, Passion flower and Raspberry leaf. The liquid herbal composition is preferably orally administered on a daily basis.

Claims

1. An orally administered liquid herbal composition for relieving some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), comprising: therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Bilberry; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Eyebright; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Goldenseal root; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Ginkgo leaf; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Passion flower; and therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Raspberry leaf.

2. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 wherein 22.4% to 35% of the volume is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Bilberry.

3. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 wherein 13.3% to 15% of the volume is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Eyebright.

4. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 wherein 5% to 7.4% of the volume is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Goldenseal root.

5. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 wherein 15% to 49.8% of the volume is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Ginkgo leaf

6. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 wherein 3.1% to 20% of the volume is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Passion flower.

7. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 wherein 3.8% to 10% of the volume is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Raspberry leaf.

8. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1 comprising: at least 22.4% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Bilberry; at least 13.3% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Eyebright; at least 5% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Goldenseal root; at least 15% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Ginkgo leaf; at least 3.1% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Passion flower; and at least 3.8% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Raspberry leaf.

9. The use of a liquid herbal composition to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), said liquid herbal composition comprising: therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Bilberry; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Eyebright; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Goldenseal root; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Ginkgo leaf; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Passion flower; and therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Raspberry leaf.

10. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein the liquid herbal composition comprises: at least 22.4% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Bilberry; at least 13.3% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Eyebright; at least 5% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Goldenseal root; at least 15% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Ginkgo leaf; at least 3.1% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Passion flower; and at least 3.8% by volume of the hydroalcoholic extract of Raspberry leaf.

11. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein 22.4% to 35% of the volume of the liquid herbal composition is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Bilberry

12. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein 13.3% to 15% of the volume of the liquid herbal composition is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Eyebright (New) The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein 5% to 7.4% of the volume of the liquid herbal composition is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Goldenseal root.

14. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein 15% to 49.8% of the volume of the liquid herbal composition is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Ginkgo leaf.

15. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein 3.1% to 20% of the volume of the liquid herbal composition is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Passion flower

16. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9 to relieve some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein 3.8% to 10% of the volume of the liquid herbal composition is comprised of the hydroalcoholic extract of Raspberry leaf.

17. A method of treating a symptom of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), comprising administering to a subject suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) an amount of an herbal composition sufficient to treat the symptom of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), wherein said herbal composition comprises: therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Bilberry; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Eyebright; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Goldenseal root; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Ginkgo leaf; therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Passion flower; and therapeutically effective amounts of hydroalcoholic extracts of Raspberry leaf.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the symptom is one of: fatigue, depression or excessive daytime sleepiness.

19. The liquid herbal composition of claim 1, wherein at least one of the symptoms is fatigue, depression or excessive daytime sleepiness.

20. The use of the liquid herbal composition of claim 9, wherein at least one of the symptoms is fatigue, depression or excessive daytime sleepiness.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The following description is of preferred embodiments by way of example only and without limitation to the combination of features necessary for carrying the invention into effect.

[0021] The present disclosure is based on the discovery that a combination of certain herbs, blended in appropriate proportions, can reduce or alleviate the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) in humans. Preferably, the combination of herbs is provided as an orally administered liquid herbal composition of the hydroalcoholic extracts of:

[0022] (A) Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves;

[0023] (B) Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) leaves;

[0024] (C) Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root;

[0025] (D) Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves;

[0026] (E) Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) leaves; and

[0027] (F) Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves.

[0028] This herbal composition will contain “therapeutically effective amounts” of the herbal extracts recited above. As used herein with respect to each of the herbal extracts used in the composition of this invention, the term “therapeutically effective amount” refers to that amount of the hydroalcoholic extract which will contribute to reducing SAD and ME symptoms.

[0029] In a first embodiment of the invention, the liquid herbal composition preferably contains hydroalcoholic extracts of the following herbs in the following proportions:

[0030] (A) 35 ml of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves;

[0031] (B) 15 ml of Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) leaves;

[0032] (C) 5 ml of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root;

[0033] (D) 15 ml of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves;

[0034] (E) 20 ml of Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) leaves; and

[0035] (F) 10 ml of Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves.

[0036] This first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition may be prepared by combining the above-noted amounts of herbal hydroalcoholic extracts into one liquid composition (i.e. resulting in a total amount of 100 ml). Or it may be prepared by combining the above-noted herbal hydroalcoholic extracts in the following proportions:

[0037] (A) 35% by volume of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves hydroalcoholic extract;

[0038] (B) 15% by volume of Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) leaves hydroalcoholic extract;

[0039] (C) 5% by volume of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root hydroalcoholic extract;

[0040] (D) 15% by volume of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves hydroalcoholic extract;

[0041] (E) 20% by volume of Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) leaves hydroalcoholic extract; and

[0042] (F) 10% by volume of Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves hydroalcoholic extract.

[0043] Hydroalcoholic extracts of the above-noted herbal components may be created in a conventional manner, i.e. by placing the dried herbal components in a container and using water and ethanol as the solvents and wherein, preferably, the ethanol percentage is at least 25-60%. For example, the herbs may be put in a container containing a spirit of 40% or more ethanol, such as 80 proof vodka, and wherein the container is then left to stand for at least 2 to 3 weeks; preferably for at least 1 month. The container may also be shaken occasionally in order to maximize extraction.

[0044] For example, one can prepare this first embodiment from the dried herbal components of the above-noted herbs using a 1:1 ratio of herb to water-ethanol mixture and using the following weights of dried herbal components:

[0045] (A) 35 mg of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves;

[0046] (B) 15 mg of Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) leaves;

[0047] (C) 5 mg of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root;

[0048] (D) 15 mg of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves;

[0049] (E) 20 mg of Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) leaves; and

[0050] (F) 10 mg of Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves.

[0051] In short, the first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition is a hydroalcoholic extract of the following herbal components: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) leaves: Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) leaves: Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves: Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) leaves: Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves, in the following ratio: 7:3:1:3:4:2.

[0052] A suitable oral dosage of this first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition is between 10 to 30 drops (0.5 to 1.5 ml) taken 1 to 2 times daily either directly or with water. Advantageously, this first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition also provides antioxidants, including anthocyanins, and various vitamins and minerals. The inventor has found that within about 1 to 3 days of such oral administration of this first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition, many symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) are reduced or completely alleviated. The inventor has further found that, once such oral administration of this first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition ceased, that some of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) would typically return within about 4 days of such cessation, and most of all of the symptoms will have returned within about 10 days of such cessation.

[0053] The inventor has further found that when a daily dose greater than 30 drops (5 ml) was taken (e.g. two tablespoons), a significant sensitivity to light developed in the person taking such greater does of the first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition. The inventor therefore believes that this first embodiment of the liquid herbal composition, when taken orally as described above, acts to increase a person's sensitivity to light. This increase in light sensitivity then results in an overall lower need for light by such person (e.g. during winter months or at higher latitudes), which in turn appears to lower or fully alleviated symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

[0054] A second embodiment of the liquid herbal composition can be prepare from the dried herbal components of the above-noted herbs using a 1:1 ratio of herb to water-ethanol mixture and using the following weights of dried herbal components:

[0055] (A) 900 mg of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit;

[0056] (B) 535 mg of Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) whole plant;

[0057] (C) 300 mg of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root and rhizome;

[0058] (D) 2000 mg of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves;

[0059] (E) 125 mg of Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) herb top; and

[0060] (F) 155 mg of Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves.

[0061] In short, the second embodiment of the liquid herbal composition is a hydroalcoholic extract of the following herbal components: Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit: Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) whole plant: Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root and rhizome: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves: Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) herb top: Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves; in the following ratio: 7.2:4.28:2.4:16:1:1.24.

[0062] The second embodiment of the liquid herbal composition may be prepared by combining the above-noted herbal hydroalcoholic extracts in the following proportions:

[0063] (A) at least 22.4% by volume of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) fruit hydroalcoholic extract;

[0064] (B) at least 13.3% by volume of Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) whole plant hydroalcoholic extract;

[0065] (C) at least 7.4% by volume of Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) root and rhizome hydroalcoholic extract;

[0066] (D) at least 49.8% by volume of Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) leaves hydroalcoholic extract;

[0067] (E) at least 3.1% by volume of Passion flower (Passiflora incarnate L.) herb top hydroalcoholic extract; and

[0068] (F) at least 3.8% by volume of Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) leaves hydroalcoholic extract.

[0069] Preferably, the Ginkgo extract contains at least 24% flavonoid glycosides and 6% terpene lactones. Advantageously, this second embodiment provides a high proportion of antioxidants, in addition to providing and various vitamins and minerals and alleviating symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

[0070] A suitable oral dosage of this second embodiment of the liquid herbal composition is 10 drops (0.5 ml) taken 2 times daily either directly or with water or food.

[0071] Advantageously, each of the herbal components in the embodiments of the invention are generally recognized as herbs which can be safely taken over a long term time frame. As such, when consumed on a daily basis as described above, the embodiments the liquid herbal composition of the invention can provide continuous relief of some or all of the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) for many years. More advantageously, use of the liquid herbal composition of the invention by a sufferer of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) results in such user being able to reduce or eliminate their previous light therapy.

[0072] Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications to the invention as described herein will be possible without falling outside the scope of the invention. In the claims, the word “comprising” is used in its inclusive sense and does not exclude other elements being present. The indefinite article “a” before a claim feature does not exclude more than one of the features being present.