Thank you so much, to so many, for the suggestions to aid my back problem, now thankfully resolved.

Being an inherent coward, I shunned all offers of manipulation.  I abandoned quickly the Nurofen, thinking that it was luring me into a false sense of ease and pursued with vigour my time-honoured remedy of mind over matter. Having better things to do than mope, I thought myself back to fitness.  It sounds ridiculous, but it always seems to work.

Even when quite ill, or so I thought, my late mother, who was intolerant of malingerers all her life [then, an ideal qualification for someone who was Chairman of the Bench for several years!], would boot me out of bed and tell me to get on with it. At the time I thought her rather cruel and unsympathetic but, throughout her life she practised what she preached and, even when wracked with osteoarthritis in her 80s, disdainfully swept pain aside.  An amazing woman, and one whose advice I cannot lightly disregard.....It’s all in the mind, dear!

However, be all that as it may, I would gratefully have tried the Sweet Marjoram and Devil’s Claw gel, or a dip in the local swimming pool, or even magnet therapy but, before any could be tested, the pain was gone, with a regal wave from heaven above [or so it seemed!].

Cucumber cools, OK?
What’s all this with the Cucumber? enquired some.  Well, if the truth be known, no sooner do the Sunday newspapers arrive, at the unlikely hour of 6 a.m., than Jan retrieves them from Mungu’s jaws and begins to survey the supplements.  Have you seen...? Of course I haven’t: I am barely awake!  I then listen diligently to Lifestyle’s latest: one week I suspect that it was all about cucumber with everything. 

Cucumis sativus L., a trailing annual with rough stems, broad hairy leaves, tubular yellow flowers, and cylindrical, slightly curved, dark green fruits.  Beloved by generations twixt slices of bread, I looked more closely at the cosmetic applications. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal of 1826 advised.....The juice of cucumbers, the face being washed with it, cleanseth the skin, and is excellent good for hot rheums in the eyes.....It is also excellent good for sun-burning, freckles, and morphew. It seems that little has changed, for Frank D’Amelio’s Botanicals [A Phytocosmetic Desk Reference] commends that fresh cucumber slices are used as a refreshing, cooling, soothing eye compress, in face creams, and for chapped skin or sunburn. Cucumber After Burn and Cleanser seem vindicated!

What is perhaps less well known are the facts that the humble cucumber was probably cultivated by ‘Hoabhinian’ culture 8000-3000 BP [before the present], and it’s unusual aroma is due to an aldehyde with an odour threshold of 0.0001 ppm! This raises an interesting point.

A scent of violets?
Recently whilst organoleptically assessing some Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata L.) I asked Rebecca, who has the finest ‘nose’ in the office, of what it reminded her. Cucumber,  she declared. Absolutely right!

The volatile oil of cucumber consists largely of nonadiene-2,6-ol-1 with some nonadiene-2,6-al-1 [Takei and Ono, J. Agr. Chem. Soc. Japan 15 (1939), 193]. This aldehyde was subsequently recognized in the leaf oil of violets [Ruzicka and Schinz, Helv. Chim. Acta 25 (1942), 760].  How many, I wonder, have also spotted this similarity? 

Dessert anyone?
As many know, I do like Jeanne Rose and her books: funny, fascinating and factual, I always learn something new.  Some months ago she kindly sent me a copy of the new second edition of her Herbal Body Book, but it is only now that I have got around to leafing through its 400 pages. Simply scrumptious, her herbal masks and packs set the tastebuds tingling!  How about tangerine, cantaloupe, casaba melon, banana, peach and zucchini for normal or average skin? The green goo, a blend of parsley and honey with a drop or two of chlorophyll, I might give a miss and go straight for the coffee!         

Within the pages of this comprehensive guide, Jeanne Rose has created a veritable cornucopia of plant preparations, which allows the aromatherapist and casual user alike to make an array of home products including soap, lipstick, shampoo and moisturizer. For those who cannot be bothered to do it themselves I shall be having a quiet word with Dr. Cream, but where to start?

Melon madness!
Jeanne mentioned.....I spent a delightful year once hopping about a Watermelon field, following honeybees and observing their pollination habits on Watermelon blossoms. I can still recognize a female Watermelon flower at ten paces and can still remember the delicious Watermelon juice facials I gave myself.  Strewth! I can barely distinguish watermelons from melons, and cantaloupes from honeydews, let alone male and female flowers!
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum & Nakai) is the refreshing red-fleshed fruit, which always seems to be offered instead of a soft drink when I am stuck in some desolate area on a motor rally, and has white-fleshed cultivars which are used for making jams.  It is also often an ingredient of sun lotions and other cosmetics.

Like the cucumber it is a member of the Cucurbitaceae, which also includes amongst the family the interesting [to me, at least] Cucumis humifructus Stent which provides for foraging aardvarks who, wishing to avoid the danger of deep waterholes, sensibly turf up the watery fruit from beneath the ground to get a drink. I shall definitely bear this very much in mind, if I ever do the Safari Rally!  

Another member of the family is Cucumis melo L., which has two subspecies, the weed agrestis (Naudin) Pangalo and melo the melon.  At this point things become more complex, because the melon has several major interfertile cultivar groups.

Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo var. cantalupensis Naudin [or C. melo Cantalupensis Group] is generally considered by botanists to be the true cantaloupe with its rough-warty but not netted skin, but C. melo L. var. reticulatus Naudin [or C. melo Reticulatus Group], musk or rock melon, with strongly netted rind and musky orange flesh, the most important melon of commerce, is also labelled ‘cantaloupe’.  Therefore, for economic reasons I would think, musk melon’s trinomial is no longer a legitimate name according to International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Cantaloupes, true and false, are now nomenclatively one and the same.  No wonder I get confused!      
 
Other melons are similarly confusing, for example the quadrinomial Cucumis melo L. subsp. melo var. inodorus H. Jacq. [or C. melo Inodorus Group] covers both the smooth-skinned honeydew melon and the wrinkled casaba melon.  For once, it might be best to stick with the trivial names!

Jeanne mentions that melons of all types are much used in cosmetics as facial masks; the pulp mashed and added to Cornmeal, Oatmeal, or other types of meal such as Almond makes an excellent cleansing scrub.  Apparently the Watermelon is good for normal to oily skin and the Casaba, Honeydew, and Cantaloupe are generally used for dry skin. Melon slices are also helpful as compresses for sore or tired eyes.  Good heavens, I thought that they were for eating! Still, let’s see what Dr. Cream can come up with.

Honey helps hayfever, or does it?
Anthony Longstaff, who kindly took the trouble to advise me about my back, mentioned also that hayfever sufferers should obtain a jar of local honey [it must be gathered locally and not obtained from other areas/countries], and ingest at least two teaspoonsful daily.  This assists to build up the body’s immunity to the active spores and pollens and will counter the effects.

I have read that eating honey in a honeycomb may be a possible treatment for hayfever, because it contains some pollen, but there have been no trials and there is some doubt that it will work. The pollen in honey will rarely be the sort of pollen to which sufferers of hayfever react.  We all swallow quite a bit of pollen during the spring and summer anyway, as it catches on the saliva in the mouth.

The differences between insect-pollinated and wind-pollinated flowers are very important to anyone with hayfever. Pollen grains that are carried by insects are slightly sticky to ensure that they become attached to their insect pollinator. This also makes them stick to each other, so that they form clusters of pollen grains which are then easily visible.  By contrast, the pollen of grasses and most other wind-pollinated plants is virtually invisible.

Being relatively large, heavy and sticky, the pollen grains of insect-pollinated plants, such as showy flowers, do not become airborne easily, and only small amounts are inhaled. It is the pollen you cannot see that is likely to cause hayfever.

However it would be incorrect to think that insect-pollinated plants never cause hayfever, and that none of their pollen becomes airborne, as has been suggested by many doctors.

Forgetting for a moment those highly sensitive individuals who can become allergic to a pollen even though the amounts in the air are small, there are far more cases of hayfever amongst people who are exposed to large numbers of a particular insect-pollinated plant, because it is not just those who are highly prone to allergy that succumb. Wherever a large area of farmland is devoted to a particular insect-pollinated crop, the potential for sensitization will exist....but is pollen always to blame?

Aromafever?
Whenever close to fields of oilseed rape many, including me, believe they suffer hayfever. Whether this is really a response to oilseed rape itself is still under discussion.  Nor is it certain whether the rape pollen, or some other substance given off by the plants, is to blame.

Oilseed rape, or canola as it is called in the U.S.A. and Canada, is an artificial species, Brassica napus (Brassicaceae). Like most other members of this family, its endogenous defence chemistry is based on the production of glucosinolates.  During tissue damage by insect feeding or pathogen development, thioglucosidases, trivially termed myrosinases, convert the glucosinolates to the aglycones which, under certain conditions, can yield the organic isothiocyanates, known collectively as the mustard oils.

Rape is known to produce volatile compounds in abundance.  The volatiles from rape have an irritant effect on the nose that affects many people, not just those of an allergic disposition. It may be these that are responsible for the ‘hayfever’, especially when it affects those with no previous history of allergy.

Since the volatiles are acting as irritants, not allergens, many would maintain that this is not genuine hayfever.  Fine, but what are these volatile compounds?

Semiochemicals.
Over the last couple of decades, much effort has been directed towards higher plants as a source of physiologically active compounds.  The major activity sought has been toxicity against invertebrate pests and plant or animal pathogens, and direct physiological activity dealing with human and animal disorders.  However, higher plants can also contain compounds which act as signals [semiochemicals] modifying the behaviour and development of pest or pathogenic organisms and also in regulating hormone signalling in higher animals. Although glucosinolates and their catabolites play important roles in insect and pathogen interactions with oilseed rape, semiochemicals produced via other metabolite pathways are also involved and need to be used in developing strategies incorporating semiochemicals with biological control agents. By using electrophysiological recording techniques, either EAG [electroantennogram] or single cell recording, on the antennae of oilseed rape pests, volatiles entrained from intact B. napus plants can be analysed by high resolution gas chromatography and simultaneously investigated for neurophysiological activity. The mind boggles!     

When confronted with the humble pod weevil (Ceutorhynchus assimilis) oilseed rape releases a veritable arsenal of volatiles [Now’s the time to get out your Chemistry of Essential Oils!]: sabinene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, a-farnesene, 1-pentanol, hexanal, (E)-2-hexenal, 1-hexanol, (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, 1-octen-3-ol, allyl, 3-butenyl, 4-pentenyl, 2-phenylethyl, benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, phenylacetaldehyde, 2-methoxyphenol, 2-phenylethanol, benzyl cyanide, methyl salicylate, 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, indole and goitrin. What a cocktail! No wonder my nose twitches!

Castor oil considered.
When asked a couple of years ago what I knew about Castor Oil (Ricinus communis L.) I am sure that I gave the wrong answer because, at the time, I thought it little more than a laxative.

Ricinus is the Latin name for ‘tick’, probably because of its resemblance to the acarina dog parasite.  The English term castor is probably due to confusion with another type of oil called agnocasto by Spanish and Portuguese communities in Jamaica.

The origin of the castor plant is not known. It is believed to have grown first in East Africa, spreading from there to the Middle East. It is said that in pharaonic Egypt castor oil was used for oil lamps 6,000 years ago.  The oil was known in India and China 3,000 years ago, and was probably introduced in America during the continent’s colonisation.

The plant grows wild in most tropical and subtropical zones. In its natural state, the plant often resembles a 1 to 5m high bush. Even though it is a perennial, in regions where temperatures fall below 0 to -2 C it behaves like an annual because of its sensitivity to frost.

The stem consists of loose fibres and grows hollow with time.  The leaves are wide and webbed, dark green to reddish green in colour, depending on the variety. The inflorescence, which can reach 60cm in length, is composed of male flowers located under female ones, both types flowering from the base.

The fruit resembles a small chestnut, covered with thorns in certain types of the species. As it ripens, the fruit’s hull dries until it turns into a capsule containing three seeds. The seed is an oval bean, sometimes more than twice the size of a coffee bean. It has a glistening, generally brown hull.  The hull is brittle and when chipped the kernel is exposed to oxidation which increases the seed’s acidity, thus damaging oil quality.

All varieties of castor seed weigh between 0.1 and 1.3g, cultivated varieties weighing between 0.2 and 0.5g.  Oil is extracted essentially from the seed kernel, the hull accounting for only 20-30% oil.  Hull and the kernel together contain 50% oil, sometimes more.

A brief look at lectins, Ricin D in particular.
Castor seed is very poisonous because it contains a toxic lectin called Ricin D, believed to be the poison used by the Bulgarian Secret Police to assassinate the playwright Georgy Markov in 1978.  The poison was contained in a metallic sphere about the size of a pin head, and shot from the tip of an umbrella. 

Lectins are uninduced proteins or glycoproteins able to bind saccharide residues on cell membranes in a specific and reversible fashion, without displaying enzymatic activity. Most lectins of higher plants are located in the seeds: they form during ripening and disappear during germination.  They are especially common in Fabaceae [peanut, soyabean, lentil, green bean, etc.].

Many lectins have the ability to agglutinate red blood cells, and several do so with blood group specificity. Some lectins are mitotic; a few can differentiate between normal and tumour cells; some are highly toxic.

Although lectins are often toxic only by the parenteral route, some are not destroyed by the enzymes of the digestive tract, e.g. abrin from jequirity seeds (Abrus precatorius L.) and ricin from castor seeds.

Ricin D comprises two (A and B) polypeptide chains linked by a disulphide bridge: the B chain is a glycoprotein and allows binding to terminal galactosyl residues on cell surfaces, and the A chain is the basis for the toxicity of the molecule.

A dose of 0.035mg/kg ricin (the equivalent of five seeds) can be fatal in man. It is therefore more poisonous than cyanide. However, it should be noted that intact seeds are absolutely harmless and that the oil obtained by powdering and/or extraction does not contain any toxic substances. 

Ricin is also of interest because of its long known antitumour properties, and this interest has been emphasized by the introduction of monoclonal antibodies: by reversible coupling of an antibody with the A chain of ricin, an immunotoxin is created which is specifically targeted for a given antigen.  Numerous experiments and a few preclinical trials have shown the potential of this approach in the search for antitumour agents; this may also be an interesting research avenue in the domain of viral infections and that of immunosuppressive agents.  It is also an interesting tool in neurology (selective destruction of neurons).    

The Oil That Heals.
Having trudged through numerous books in an endeavour to find something that would justify the topical use of castor oil, and found little, I was delighted to receive a copy of a fascinating analysis of a medical doctor’s research on and verification of the healing properties of castor oils packs, first recommended by the noted psychic Edgar Cayce as an adjunct for many ailments that resist traditional medical treatment [The Oil That Heals by William A. McGarey, M.D. ISBN 0-87604-308-2]. Quite amazing!

Edgar Cayce, in the years prior to his death in 1945, seemed to have an affinity with castor oil.  In most quarters, though, it has been held with disdain, since its action on the intestinal tract, when taken in large doses, can be explosive! Nevertheless, Cayce advocated it hundreds of times in his readings, offering the oil as an aid in bringing the body back to a state of normality. Most often, however, it was applied on the body, not in it.

Cayce described at least thirty different physiological functions that were changed for the better through the use of castor oil applied topically, mostly by the use of packs.

Based upon Dr. McGarey’s interpretation of Cayce’s readings, the list is truly impressive: aphonia, appendicitis, arthritis, cancer, cholecystitis, cholesystalgia, colitis, constipation, epilepsy, gallstones, gastritis, migraine, hepatitis, hernia, Hodgkin’s disease, sluggish liver, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, sterility, etc., etc.

Research carried out at The Association of Research and Enlightenment [which focuses on such areas as holistic health, dreams, family life, reincarnation, ESP, meditation, personal spirituality and soul growth] had suggested that the use of castor oil packs increased significantly total lymphocyte count and T-pan lymphocyte count (T-11 cells), and therefore warranted further study of these packs on patients with chronic illness.
 McGarey’s own clinical experience led him to understand that castor oil packs applied over the abdomen enhanced the function of the thymus gland and the other component parts of the immune system, making the system more effective in protecting the body from outside and inside dangers and helping the immune system take the lead in rebuilding any given part of the body, and much more.  

In fact, in his book, Dr. McGarey presents a strong argument for the topical use of castor oil, and details case histories in which he employed castor oils packs as a healing agent with remarkably successful results.  However, as he points out in his introduction, there really isn’t a miracle cure for anything, for miracles are just amazing happenings that come about from application of truths lodged somewhere in the realm of the yet-unexplained laws of the universe.  I would go along with that, but castor oil does seem worth a try!

How to make a Castor Oil Pack.
Prepare a flannel cloth which is two or three thicknesses when folded and which measures about eight inches in width and ten to twelve inches in length after it is folded.  This is the size needed for abdominal application - other areas may need a different size pack, as seems applicable. Pour castor oil into a pan and soak the cloth in the oil. Wring out the cloth so that it is wet but not dripping with the oil (or simply pour castor oil onto the pack so it is soaked). Apply the cloth to the area which needs treatment. Most often, the pack should be placed so it covers the area of the liver. Then put a plastic covering over the flannel cloth, apply a heating pad and turn it up to “medium” to begin, then to “high” if the body can tolerate it.  The pack should remain in place between an hour to an hour and a half.  Keep the flannel pack wrapped in plastic for future use: it can usually be used many times. 

Fatty acid acronyms aplenty.
Corn oil, sunflower oil, soya oil and olive oil form important parts of the diets of many people.  Oleic acid is the main consituent of olive oil and is found in substantial amounts in many other oils.  Linoleic acid is the main component of most vegetable oils, with alpha-linolenic acid being important in some, such as soya and linseed.

Linoleic acid is the major constituent of most of the oils which usually are covered by the term polyunsaturated.  For nearly 40 years a reduction in the intake of saturated fat and an increase in the intake of polyunsaturated oils has been advocated by those concerned about cardiovascular health.

Linoleic acid is the parent n-6 essential fatty acid (EFA).  In most tissues the ratio of n-6 to n-3 EFAs is in the range of 3-5:1, except in the brain where it is close to 1:1.  In foods, the ratio of n-6 to n-3 is much higher than this. It is therefore now recognised that the consumption of n-3 containing foods needs to be increased, particularly with regard to cardiovascular function. Soya oil, which contains a moderate amount of alpha-linolenic acid, and linseed oil, which contains a large amount, are good sources of n-3 EFAs.

However interest in oils which are produced in much smaller quantities but which may have unusual fatty acids is increasing steadily. Much of this interest has been driven by evidence that the first step in conversion of dietary EFAs to their biologically active metabolites may proceed at a rate which is inadequate to maintain sufficient quantities of long chain highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) in tissues.  The first step is delta-6-desaturation, the conversion of linoleic acid to gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) or of alpha-linolenic acid to steariodonic acid (SA).  The major n-6 HUFAs are dihomogammalinolenic acid (DGLA) and arachidonic acid (AA) while the major n-3 HUFAs are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  The inadequate formation of HUFAs may be due to an impaired delta-6-desaturation step or to a normal delta-6-desaturation stage, which is nevertheless inadequate to provide enough HUFAs to meet some form of increased demand.

Since the HUFAs are necessary components of all cell membranes and of many cell signalling systems, it is not surprising that deficits of HUFAs should be associated with defects in cellular function which may lead to disease.  As a consequence many attempts have been made to treat these disorders with vegetable oils such as evening primrose (Oenothera biennis L.), borage (Borago officinalis L.) or blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum L.) which contain GLA which can by-pass the rate limiting delta-6-desaturation step. More recently interest has been developing in SA, the equivalent of GLA in the n-3 pathway. Usually deficits in the n-3 pathway are compensated by the administration of fish oils rich in EPA or DHA. However, SA is a rational alternative.

An alternative source of GLA, with a touch of SA added!
Whilst most are familiar with evening primrose oil and borage, because they are rich sources of GLA [8-13% and 18-25% respectively], few seem aware of blackcurrant seed oil and its peculiarities.

Having useful levels of GLA [minimum 10%], it also contains, unlike evening primrose and borage, high levels of alpha-linolenic acid [11-17%] and a quantity of steariodonic acid [2% minimum].

The main uses of blackcurrant seed oil (often protected by patents) as in the case of evening primrose oil and borage, are generally based on claims which concern the pharmacological properties of GLA. Nestle hold two patents on blackcurrant seed oil.  The first covers a lipid composition meant for oral, enteral, and parenteral consumption.  The second covers dietetic or additional foods, cosmetic or dermatological preparations, pharmaceutical preparations as well as the process of preparation of fats from seeds of fruits of the Ribes genus. Interesting: I am stocking it!

Preparing for the Open Day.
At about this time of year I am always faced with the same quandary: who to invite as speakers at the Open Day?  As we, thee and me, are quite an eclectic bunch, I endeavour to select as diverse a group of speakers as possible.  Hopefully this introduces a wide range of topics, ideas, beliefs and philosophies.

Mindful of Their Lordships recommendation that CAM practitioners and researchers should attempt to build up an evidence base with the same rigour as is required of conventional medicine, using both RCTs [Randomised Controlled Trials] and when appropriate other research designs [House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology 6th Report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine], I thought it not a bad idea to invite some who have been attempting to do this very thing for several years.

Joy Bowles, the author of the best-selling The Basic Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Essential Oils, is a Biology Honours graduate with a penchant for Organic Chemistry and a passion for Alternative Medicine.  She has been teaching chemistry to aromatherapists in Australia since 1991, and currently heads the Australian Aromatherapy Research Group which is due shortly to publish its findings on dementia.  Joy is an impassioned aromatherapy researcher and totally committed to researching the therapeutic benefits of essential oils for human use.  She works tirelessly to establish an international aromatherapy research team.  I was truly delighted when she agreed to travel from Australia to join us!

Tim Freer, who is perhaps less well known to aromatherapists, has been actively involved with the human potential movement for 30 years.  During the last seven years he has researched the inter-related areas of water purification and nutrition.  Tim seems to know something about almost everything: he is an unique fund of knowledge.  His businesses, The Well-Being Programmes and Rivers of Health include workshops in a meditation practice developed for westerners. This integrated approach to well-being includes several new products derived from Tim’s research and development aimed at whole body energy balance. His talk will focus on the Who, What and Why of Health and Healing.

Val Edwards-Jones, Ph.D., FIBMS has been a Diagnostic Microbiologist for almost 30 years, 20 years working in NHS laboratories and the last 10 years in academia at Manchester Metropolitan University.  Her research interests include the application of essential oils for the treatment of multiple resistant bacteria, especially with topical infections and nasal carriage. She has several collaborative studies in progress on the effects of a variety of oils on the growth of bacteria.  Of particular interest is the effect on Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) which is proving very encouraging. Val has very strong research links with the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) and also with the Manchester Burns Research Group. She has undertaken several joint projects in the use of essential oils as an alternative treatment for burn wound infections. I can think of few better qualified than Val to comment on the potential of essential oils to combat infection.  

Bill Morden, Ph.D., CChem, MRSC, from the Laboratory of the Government Chemist, will be on hand, should the question arise, to explain why essential oils could work.  A Mass Spectrometrist for thirty years, Bill has considerable knowledge of what’s in essential oils. 

Finally, Mark Brimicombe, affectionately known as “Dr. Cream”, with whom we collaborate closely on the development of cosmetic products, has generously agreed to a cameo role, demonstrating his flair for turning fruit and vegetables into creams, coolers and cleansers. This is a rare opportunity for budding kitchen cosmeticians to learn how it’s done!

It should be a great day.  See you here!        
 

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