Jundishapur Journal of Natural Pharmaceutical Products
Volume:10 Issue: 1, Feb 2015

Reteplase is a mutant version of t-PA (tissue plasminogen activator) with prolonged half-life. In the present study, E. coli Top 10 bacteria were utilized in the production of reteplase, which is the nonglycosylated active domain of t-PA. Reteplase gene was ligated into pBAD/gIII plasmid which, allows secretion of this protein in periplasmic space. It would allow the correct formation of disulfide bonds in protein structure.. This study aimed at expression of reteplase in optimum condition. In this study, the reteplase gene was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli top 10 as a suitable host cell and its expression was optimized.. The recombinant plasmid, pET15b/reteplase was digested by NcoI and BamHI restriction enzymes; while pBAD/gIIIA vector was digested by NcoI and BglII. Then the insert and vector were ligated and used for transformation of E. coli Top10 cells by heat shock method. Overnight culture of transformed bacteria was induced by L-arabinose in various concentrations (0.2, 0.02, 0.002, and 0.0002%) and at various temperatures.. The obtained recombinant plasmid was sequenced to confirm the presence and correct framing of reteplase gene regarding the expression of reteplase. Maximum production of this enzyme was obtained under the following condition: 0.0002% L-arabinose at 37°C for 2 hours incubation. The purified protein was detected on SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) as a 66 kDa band. The concentration of t-PA standard was 1 unit which is equal to 12 µg/mL. The enzymatic activity of samples was measured as 0.8 units compared to the standards.. Reteplase was expressed in E. coli Top 10 after activation of pBAD/gIIIA promoter region by arabinose and optimized..

It is well known that contact with some physical, chemical or biological compounds can increase the incidence of mutation. Among these compounds, are pharmaceuticals that meet long duration of use and potentially could be misused and taken more than the ordered dosage.. The aim of this study was to evaluate mutagenic effect of methadone in addicted patients referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ahvaz by single cell gel electrophoresis technic or comet assay..Patients and In this study, 90 subjects were divided into dichromate treated group, no treated healthy volunteers group and test group. Each group included 30 subjects. Screening was performed according to questionnaire and qualified subjects were entered the study. Blood samples were collected and lymphocytes were isolated, mixed with low melting point agarose for slide preparation according to standard method. Slides were analyzed using fluorescence microscope and comet patterns were assessed.. The mutagenicity index in addicted group was robustly higher than healthy volunteers. Fortunately, this significant difference was lower than positive control.. Genome instability in addicted patients was demonstrated in this study. Controversially, considering incoherent results of previous studies and our data, more studies in longer duration of methadone use are needed to elucidate the consequence..

Cerebral ischemia causes some disorders in behavioral patterns, including memory disorders and pain, which is due to the production of free radicals. Ferulago angulata, known in Iran as chavir, contains some bioactive compounds having antioxidant and free radical-scavenging properties.. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of two weeks oral administration of hydroalcoholic extract of F. angulate (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg) on pain as well as active and passive avoidance memories after permanent, bilateral common carotid artery occlusion or cerebral ischemia/hypoperfusion in male adult rats.. In this study, 35 male rats were randomly allocated to test and control groups. To make animal model of permanent cerebral hypoperfusion/ischemia, carotid arteries were ligatured as upper and lower and cut bilaterally.. It was found that the administration of 400 mg/kg hydroalcoholic extract of F. angulate for two weeks after brain hypoperfusion ischemia increased the passive avoidance memory (P < 0.001) and latency time of painful tail reflex significantly (P < 0.05).. Ferulago angulata extract, because of its antioxidant activities, is probably capable of removing free radicals and oxidant substances from brain and thus it can improve behavioral disorders in brain hypoperfusion ischemia model..

Celecoxib is a selective cyclo-oxygenase-2 inhibitor recommended orally to treat arthritis and osteoarthritis. It is a highly lipophilic, poorly soluble drug with oral bioavailability of around 40%. Long term oral administration of celecoxib causes serious gastrointestinal side effects.. The current study aimed to assess the skin permeation of celecoxib by a transdermally applied liposomal formulation.. Liposomes were prepared by thin film method using soya lecithin and cholesterol. Physicochemical characteristics of the liposomes such as, particle size, drug encapsulation efficiency were determined. Also, drug release and in vitro skin permeability through rat skin were evaluated using Franz diffusion cells.. The results showed that the maximum drug encapsulation efficiency was 43.24%. Drug release profile showed that 81.25% of the drugs released in the first 24 hours of the experiment. Fluxes (Jss), permeability coefficient (P), diffusivity coefficient (D) parameters of the optimum liposomal formulation were significantly higher than those of saturated aqueous solution of celecoxib. The decrease of lecithin increased values. Particle sizes of the formulations ranged from 0.117 to 1.123 µm. Jss, Dapp and P parameters in L - 8 formulations were 29.18, 60.95, and 3.21 times higher than those of saturated water solution of celecoxib, respectively. The results of vesicles characterization indicated the potential application of celecoxib loaded liposome as carrier system.. In conclusion, the components such as lecithin and cholesterol, and vortex time in liposomal formulations have an essential role in the physicochemical properties and celecoxib permeability through rat skin..

Patients in the final stages of renal failure have accelerated inflammation conditions. Inflammation causes progressive kidney damage, faster progression of atherogenesis, chronic malnutrition and increased anemia, resulting in lower life expectancy of patients under dialysis. Statins have pleiotropic effects, because the drug has effects more than just decreasing lipids such as antioxidant effects, changes in endothelial dysfunction, stabilizing the plaque and immune system regulator.. The aim of the study was to evaluate anti-inflammatory effect of simvastatin (one of the statins) in patients under hemodialysis..Patients and In this clinical trial study, 40 patients under hemodialysis were studied for 12 weeks. Patients were divided into treatment (25 cases) and control groups (15 cases). The treatment group received a daily dosage of 20 mg of simvastatin, while the control group received no medication. The serum amounts of hs-CRP, IL6, Hb and WBC count were measured and compared at baseline and after 12 weeks. In addition, probable hepatic and muscular complications were studied in patients.. At baseline, each of treatment and control groups had similar characteristics. During the study, the average level of CRP decreased in the treatment group (P = 0.04), while it was increased in the control group. The amount of serum IL-6 dropped in the treatment group (P = 0.01); however, it was increased in the control group. In both groups, the level of Hb increased significantly at the end of study in the treatment group (P = 0.007) and the control group (P = 0.016). The average WBC count decreased significantly in the treatment group and the control group (P = 0.003). There was no significant change in hepatic and muscular enzymes in the two groups.. End stage renal disease (ESRD) have accelerated inflammatory conditions. Simvastatin clearly lowers the serum levels of CRP and IL-6, and the white blood cell count in dialysis patients. Administering Simvastatin to dialysis patients is safe..

Hymenodictyon excelsum is a medicinal plant traditionally used for tumor treatment as it contains phytochemicals of anthraquinone and coumarin class.. The aim of the present study was to unfold the therapeutic value of selected phytocompounds of Hymenodictyon excelsum in prostate cancer.. Eight phytochemicals were selected based on the literature search including anthragallol, damnacanthal, esculin, lucidin, morindone, nordamnacanthal, rubiadin, and soranjidiol while dihydrotestosterone was considered as the control. Human androgen receptor (AR) ligand binding domain (PDB id: 1e3g) was selected as the receptor for subsequent computational docking study. First, the selected phytocompounds were screened for their drug likeness and safety profile. Molegro Virtual Docker (MVD) was subjected only to drug-like and safe phytocompounds for the computational docking study.. Except for anthragallol, nordamnacanthal and rubiadin, all the ligands were drug-like and safe. Results of the docking study suggest a favorable binding of esculin to the receptor with respect to dihydrotestosterone. Analysis of docking pattern revealed a nearly similar ligand-receptor interaction for both dihydrotestosterone and esculin.. The anthraquinone and coumarin principles of H. excelsum have an anti-prostate cancer effect that has been proposed to be exerted by antagonistic effects on AR..

Medicinal plants have a long history in treating blood disorders, which is one of the most common problems in today''s advanced world. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a medicinal plant with a high content of polyphenols and has antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties.. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of fennel on some hematological indices in male rats.. In this experimental study, thirty male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (five rats in each group). The first group (control) did not receive any dose; the second group (sham) received 1 mL normal saline (extraction solvent); and the experimental groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively received 1 mL hydro alcoholic extract of fennel in four doses of 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg/kg of body weight every 48 hours for 30 days by gavage. One day after the last gavage following induction of anesthesia and taking blood from the heart of rats, measurement of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit and tests of bleeding and coagulation time (CT) were performed. The data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA test using SPSS15 software.. Fennel increased mean RBC (7.54 ± 0.53 × 106) and WBC (5.89 ± 0.78 × 103) values, especially at a dose of 250 mg/mL and CT (2.45 ± 0.20) at a dose of 500mg/mL compared to the control group (P < 0.05).. Fennel increased red and white blood cells probably due to the presence of polyphenols and antioxidant activity of fennel and reduced negative effects of free radicals on blood cells..

Context: Ginger is the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, a perennial plant, used alone or in compounds as a spice or remedy in ancient recipes of Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) as an effective tonic for the memory and digestive system, the opener of hepatic obstructions, aphrodisiac, for expelling compact wind from stomach and intestines, diluting, desiccating and emollient of phlegmatic and compact humor sticking to body organs, stomach, intestine, brain and throat. The ITM scholars believed that ginger was a vermifuge as well as a remedy for paralysis and obstructive jaundice. They also revealed that this phytomedicine cures diarrhea due to corrupted food. This study aimed to compare the medicinal properties (afaal) of ginger in ITM with those indicated in modern research.. Results of this study showed that the modern phytotherapy confirmed some of the properties of ginger. In addition, some of the properties of this phytomedicine have not been studied yet.. By studding the ITM literature, herb elements or in other words ITM keywords, researchers can predict and state some unknown or less known potential pharmacologic effects of medicinal plants..

Quince seed mucilage (QSM) has been used in Iranian folk medicine in the treatment of wounds and burns. Experimental and clinical studies showed its wound healing activity. However, the mechanism by which this agent affects cells involved in the wound healing process is unknown.. In this study, we investigated the effects of QSM at concentrations of 50, 100, 200, and 400 µg/mL on human skin fibroblast proliferation as an aspect of promotion of wound healing.. Human skin fibroblast cell line (HNFF-P18) was used in the experiment. Cell proliferation assay was measured by a MTT assay.. Cells treated with QSM at concentrations less than 400 µg/mL increased their proliferative activity. The concentration of 50 µg/mL was the most effective dose after 72 hours treatment.. QSM has the ability to stimulate proliferation of human skin fibroblast. This effect suggests that this compound can act as a wound healing agent..

Lidocaine hydrochloride (LH) is one of the most extensively used local anesthetics and peripheral analgesics. Availability of a simple and sensitive assay method for this analyte in pharmaceutical preparations as well as development of new voltammetric detectors that can be applied in chromatographic systems for determination of this analyte in biological samples are of great importance.. In this study, a square-wave voltammetric (SWV) determination of LH at a bare carbon-paste electrode (CPE) was reported. Moreover, the oxidation mechanism for LH molecule at this electrode was investigated.. The SW voltammogram of LH solution at CPE showed a well-defined peak between +0.80 and +0.88 V depending on a scan rate in potassium nitrate (KNO3) solution. Different chemical and instrumental parameters influencing the voltammetric response, such as the pH level and scan rate were optimized for LH determination.. A linear range of 8.0 - 1000.0 μmol L-1 (r2 = 0.999) was obtained. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.29 μmol L-1. The relative standard deviations of 2.1% obtained for 0.8 800 μmol L-1 solution of LH indicated a reasonable reproducibility of the method.. The results of this study show that LH in different pharmaceutical preparations could be determined with good reliability. In addition, the results reveal that the equal numbers of electrons and protons are involved in the oxidation of LH and the irreversible oxidation of an analyte was performed via amine groups of LH molecule..

Skin burn is one of the most common complications and remains a major public health issue worldwide.. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of traditional medicine (Visceral Fat and Barely Seed Ash) compared with silversulfadiazine (SSD) cream on healing burn wounds in rats.. Sixty adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups of equal numbers; each group consisted of 15 animals. After sedation, type II of skin burn with 1.5 cm diameter circle was created on the back of rats with a heated metal in boiling water. Group one was not treated and considered as control. The burned areas in the second, third and fourth groups were applied twice a day with normal saline, SSD cream and traditional preparation, respectively. Percentage of the burn wound concentration and histopathological examinations were used as parameters of our study on days 4, 9and 14. Obtained data were compared between the groups and days.. SSD cream and traditional preparation had better effects on burnt wound healing compared with control group. Furthermore, on the final day of study, the average percentage of wound concentration in traditional medicine group was significantly greater than other groups (P < 0.05). This finding was supported and confirmed by histological examination as well.. Traditional preparation significantly decreased inflammation and accelerated wound healing in treated rats. Furthermore, the findings of this study can be applied clinically in the future..