Journal of Medicinal Plants
Volume:13 Issue: 53, 2015

Dysmenorrhea is called «primary» when there is no specific abnormality and «secondary» when the pain is caused by an underlying gynecological problem. It is believed that primary dysmenorrhea occurs when hormone-like substances called «prostaglandins» produced by uterine tissue trigger strong muscle contractions in the uterus during menstruation. However, the level of prostaglandins does not seem to have anything to do with how strong a woman''s cramps are. Some women have high levels of prostaglandins and no cramps, whereas other women with low levels have severe cramps. This is why experts assume that cramps must also be related to other things (such as genetics, stress, and different body types) in addition to prostaglandins. Secondary dysmenorrhea may be caused by endometriosis, fibroid tumors, or an infection in the pelvis. In this article we focus on herbal medicine in the treatment of primary dysmenorrheal.

Papaver bracteatum Lindly (Papaveraceae) is an endemic species of Iran which has economic importance in drug industries. The main alkaloid of the plant is thebaine which is used as a precursor of the semi-synthetic and synthetic compounds including codeine and naloxone, respectively. This systematic review focuses on main component of Papaver bracteatum and methods used to determine thebaine. All studies which assessed the potential effect of the whole plant or its extract on clinical or preclinical studies were reviewed. In addition, methods for determination of the main components, especially thebaine, which have been published from 1948 to March 2013, were included. Exclusion criteria were agricultural studies that did not assess. This study has listed alkaloids identified in P. bracteatum which reported since 1948 to 2013. Also, the biological activities of main compounds of Papaver bracteatum including thebaine, isothebaine, (-)-nuciferine have been reviewed. As thebaine has many medicinal and industrial values, determination methods of thebaine in P. bracteatum were summarized. The methods have being used for determination of thebaine include chromatographic (HPLC, GC and TLC) and non chromatographic methods. HPLC methods seem to be the best method from the angle of time consuming, cost and data accuracy and precision.

Pregnancy is one of the changer agents for defensive cells, however it is unknown the effect of the ethanolic extract of the Salvia officinalis on the uterine Natural Killer cells population in the pregnant mice that needs to be investigated. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the ethanolic extract of the Salvia officinalis on the uterine Natural Killer cells population. 10 female mice divided into two groups (control and test group). Mice in the control group mated with fertile male mice and mice in the test group received 100 mg/kg of the ethanolic extract of the Salvia officinalis once a day for 14 days, then mated with the fertile male mice. Mice in each group were examined at day 7 of pregnancy for ovarian hormones and evaluation of uterine Natural Killer cells. Uterine Natural Killer cells population significantly decreased in the test group compare to the control group (p<0.05). Ovarian hormone levels (17-β estradiol and progesterone) were significantly increased in the test group comparison with the control group (p<0.05). It is concluded that decline in uterine Natural Killer cells population after treatment with the ethanolic extract of the Salvia officinalis could be due to hormonal changes that may be affect the implantation and embryo development.

Obesity is pandemic worldwide and a strong risk factor for cardio metabolic disorders. The few approved anti-obesity drugs have poor efficacy and safety profile. Thus, there is an urgent need for new anti-obesity agents. According to the traditional medicine and a clinical trial, saffron may have anorexigenic and anti-obesity effects which need further investigation. Evaluation of the effects of saffron and crocin on body weight, food intake and blood leptin levels in obese Wistar rat. In the present study, saffron methanolic extract (25, 50, 100, 200 mg/kg) and its active constituent crocin (5, 15, 30, 50 mg/kg), sibutramine (5 mg/kg) and saline were gavaged daily to obese Wistar rats for 2 months and their effects on the body weight, food intake and blood leptin levels were evaluated. The saffron extract and crocin at all doses as well as sibutramine reduced body weight, food intake and leptin levels significantly compared to saline and baseline (p < o.o5). The extract and crocin effects were comparable to sibutramine. Saffron has anti-obesity and anorectic effects in the obese Wistar rat. The lowered leptin levels indicate that saffron reduces fat mass and increases insulin sensitivity. Crocin may be one of the active constituents involved in the effects of saffron. The effects of saffron and crocin may have important clinical implications in terms of treatment and prevention of obesity in humans.

Parkinson''s disease is one of the prevalent degenerative diseases of the neural system. Oxidative stress, which has been recognized as the most important factor of Parkinson''s disease, plays a main role in the death of neurons in this disease. Antioxidants have a proved role in the prevention of oxidative stress. Considering the presence of evidence regarding antioxidant property of Ferulago angulata, effect of oral administration of hydroalcoholic extract of this plant was investigated on parameters of the oxidative damage caused by Parkinson''s disease in adult rats. In this research, 40 Wistar rats with the average weight of 200 to 250 g were randomly assigned to 5 groups, each with 8 rats. Also, to develop Parkinson''s disease animal model, 2 μl of 6-hydroxydopamine drug was injected into medial forebrain bundle on the left side of the animals and the treatment groups received Ferulago angulata extract with doses of 400, 200, and 100 mg/kg for 2 weeks as gavage. Then, the brain of the animals was isolated and parameters of Malondialdehyde and Thiol were measured. Results showed that Parkinson''s disease induced significantly increased brain peroxidation lipid, which is one of the factors of oxidative stress, and reduced Thiol level (p<0.001). Further, treatment of Parkinson''s disease with Ferulago angulata extract significantly decreased peroxidation lipid in striatum and hippocampus and increased Thiol level (p<0.001). oral administration of hydroalcoholic extract of Ferulago angulata probably reduces oxidative damage and also reduces Malondialdehyde and increases Thiol in the treated groups due to its strong antioxidant property.

Summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) is one of the most important medicinal and spice plants cultivated in many parts of the world. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to study the effects of FeSO4 and citric acid application on the morphological traits and essential oil content and its component, gammaterpinene in S. hortensis. FeSO4 in four levels (0, 3, 4 and 5 g L-1) and citric acid in four levels 0, 4, 6 and 8 mM) through foliar application were considered as two studied factors in this factorial experiment. The results showed that the treatments of FeSO4, and interaction of FeSO4 and citric acid had a significant effect (p<0.01) on the all studied traits, whereas citric acid treatments only had significant effect on the essential oil content (p<0.01) and plant height (p<0.05). FeSO4 and its interaction with citric acid significantly increased these traits. The optimum level of FeSO4 fertilizer on this plant was 3 and 4 g L-1 and for citric acid was 6 and 8 mM which increased the essential oil content and its component, gamma-terpinene compared to control plants. Foliar application of citric acid plus FeSO4 had the capability to alter the relative percentages of the essential oil content. In general, foliar application of FeSO4 with citric acid had synergistic effect on essential oil content, its component gamma-terpinene and agromorphological traits of S. hortensis.

Constipation is a common complaint during pregnancy. Iranian Traditional Medicine (ITM) has some recommendations for this complaint. In this study, interventions of constipation in pregnancy have been presented and their efficacy and safety evidence were reviewed from modern literature. Interventions selected based upon the chapters related to health protection of pregnant women from ITM literature. Then a literature search was performed in the scientific databases including articles from inception up to March 2014. Articles with a focus on safety or efficacy of the selected herbs during animal or human pregnancy were selected. Folus (Cassia fistula), Shir-khesht (Cotoneaster numularia Fisch.), Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), Taranjabin (Alhagi camelorum), Damask rose (Rosa damascene) and almond oil are the most recommended medications for constipation in pregnant women. For all of these herbs, there is some efficacy evidence in animal or human studies. Folus is forbidden during pregnancy due to its anthraquinones ingredients. Shir-Khesht was safe in a study to treatment of constipation in pregnant women. The other mentioned herbs have not been evaluated during pregnancy. There is limited evidence to provide safe advice for consuming these herbs for constipation during pregnancy. Although there are some animal and human study suggesting the laxative effect of ITM interventions, their safety are not sufficiently documented in modern literature. Scientific studies regarding these herbal remedies during pregnancy and pregnancy outcome are warranted to determine safety.

In developing new products for skin care and wound treatment, biocompatibility plays a major role in the choice of ingredients. Thymol, an essential oil extracted from thyme plant, exhibits outstanding antibacterial properties, but more importantly, it proves to be much more compatible to skin cells in comparison to some conventionally used antibiotic drugs and chemicals. The aim of the study was the use of thymol as an antibacterial and wound healing promoting agent in development of a novel wound dressing. The antibacterial properties of thymol before and after application in the dressing were analyzed by MIC and Disk Diffusion methods respectively. To ensure biocompatibility, MTT assay was used to assess the effect of thymol on skin fibroblast cells. In addition, effects of thymol on dressing’s structure and its mechanical properties were studied by SEM and tensile strength tests respectively. MIC investigation showed that thymol is capable of halting bacterial growth in concentrations as low as 156ppmdepending on the bacterial strain. Assessment of the product containing thymol by Disk diffusion method proved that the essential oil would retain its effectiveness when incorporated in the final product. Investigation of thymol’s biocompatibility by MTT assay resulted in a rather unexpected outcome, thymol increased fibroblast cell growth significantly, but the exact amount could not be calculated due thymol’s interference with the test material (MTT). Furthermore, increasing the concentration of thymol in the dressing increased its porosity and elongation on stress, but reduced its pore size and maximum stress. The observed data backed the original claim of antibacterial and wound healing properties, but also showed that incorporating thymol into the dressing increases its elasticity and porosity, but reduces its mechanical strength.

Alternaria alternata (AA) is a fungus that has wide range of plant host and can cause diseases in humans and produces a number of mycotoxins. Exposure to high numbers of AA spores can trigger severe asthma exacerbations. Resistance to antifungal drug has been shown in this species. Trachyspermum copticum (Ajowan) is an annual herbaceous essential oil (EO) bearing plant. The ripening seeds of this plant contain 2- 4% essential oil that is rich in monoterpenes like Thymol and is mainly used as an antiseptic agent as well as a drug component in medicine. Anti Alternaria agents can be used in agriculture products or food preservatives, homes and industrial disinfectants and use in infection treatment. In the present study, chemical composition of Trachyspermum copticum essential oil were analyzed and examined for antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata. The EO was extracted by distillation method.GC- MS analysis was performed using gas chromatograph with a HP-5MS column. GC analyses were carried out on a system equipped with a HP-5 column. Six isolated Alternaria alternata and standard strain ATCC6663 were cultured on to Sabouraud’s Dextrose slant agar and condia harvested. The MIC and MFC values of EO for Alternaria alternata isolates were determined by the broth micro dilution and macro dilution methods according the M38-A2 CLSI method (This process was repeated three times for all isolated). Of number 11 compounds representing 94.48 % of EO were identified. The major constituents of Ajowan oil were Thymol (46.19%) and, γ-terpinene (18.26%), and ρ cymene (25.53%). MIC value in five Isolate was 0.09 mg/ml and in two isloted was 0.19 mg/ml. Range of MFC was 0.19- 0.78 mg/ml. This study confirms that Ajowan essential oil possess in vitro antifungal activity against Alternaria alternata.